Mondays Suck

Today was definitely a Monday.

I set my alarm to go to the gym this morning. The only problem is that I didn't turn the alarm on. So instead of getting up at 6:45 to workout, I got up at 8:15 and couldn't believe I overslept. In a moment of frustration, I slammed my head back down on the pillow and before I knew it, it was 10am! Well, that's no way to start the week.

So, I flew out of bed and ran to the bathroom to begin getting ready for work. The minute I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I was horrified. Who was that staring back at me? She was old and hideous! She made me want to cry. But I had no time for a break down given that I'd already overslept. So, I continued getting ready, and tried to ignore the second need for a break down once I got to my closet and realized that I had nothing to wear because I no longer fit into anything.

Once out the door, I was pondering the horrible start to the day when I realized I had forgotten my sunglasses. Me? Without sunglasses? Unheard of! But, given how crappy a day it was, I couldn't be too surprised.

So, I trudge into my office and immediately try to get in work mode. When my first 1:1 shows up, she asks how my day is going. Not one for being the "fine" kind of generic responder, I let her know that it's been a rough morning. Her response, "are you seeing someone for your low self-esteem issues?" Wow. Now, this is a staff member who I already don't think likes me too much, so for her to be pondering my need to mental health assistance, I had to wonder if it was out of concern or annoyance. I assured her I was deep into years of therapy, and continued about my day. I had a small reprieve from the grind when my afternoon meeting was cancelled, allowing me a chance to sneak over to the Lair for some lunch. When I got there, I was given a pissy shoulder by one of my friends for being a no show at the gym that morning. I tried not to take it too personally, but the truth is, I couldn't help it.

Later, as I was retelling all of this to AJ, he told me he wished I had told him I was in such a bad mood before he agreed to go program shopping with me. I know he was kidding, which is the only reason I didn't kill him. Although, at one point, he was concerned that I might strangle a random person in the mall for now reason.

I made my way back to campus with a few good purchases and feeling a little better about the end of my day. I got home, finished laundry and got my Christmas tree up and almost decorated. I also spent a lot of good QT with Carmen working on her resume and cover letter. Just when I was thinking that the day was ending on a good note, I got a text message from one of my staff asking me why I wasn't at her staff meeting. F*@K!! I totally forgot. Ugh. One more reason for her to dislike me.

So that was that. A definite Monday.

The Scary Truth

So, Michele posted this on her live journal recently, and I couldn't help but be intrigued enough to repost it here. It's scary to admit some of these, and may I remind you that a few of these are only because of shows Kayla made me watch!

*Sigh* Here goes...

Rules:
- Bold all of the following TV shows which you've ever seen 3 or more episodes of in your lifetime.
- Italicize a show if you're positive you've seen every episode of it.

24
7th Heaven
ALF
Alias
American Gothic
America's Next Top Model
Angel
Arrested Development
Babylon 5
Batman: The Animated Series
Battlestar Galactica (the old one)
Battlestar Galactica (the new one)
Baywatch
Beverly Hills 90210
Bewitched
Bonanza
Bones
Bosom Buddies
Boston Legal
Boy Meets World
Brothers And Sisters
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Californication
Chappelle's Show
Charlie's Angels
Charmed
Cheers
Chuck
Clarissa Explains it All
Columbo
Commander in Chief
Crossing Jordan
CSI
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dark Angel
Dark Skies
DaVinci's Inquest
Dawson's Creek
Dead Like Me
Deadwood
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Designing Women
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Dharma & Greg
Different Strokes
Doctor Who
Dragnet
Due South
ER
Even Stevens
Everwood
Everybody Loves Raymond
Facts of Life
Family Guy
Farscape
Fawlty Towers
Felicity
Firefly
Frasier
Friends
Fringe
Futurama
Get Smart
Gilligan's Island
Gilmore Girls
Glee
Gossip Girl
Grey's Anatomy
Grange Hill
Growing Pains
Gunsmoke
Happy Days
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys
Heroes
Home Improvement
Homicide: Life on the Street
House
I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy
Invader Zim
Invasion
Hell's Kitchen
JAG
Jackass
Joey
Kim Possible
Knight Rider
Knight Rider: 2008
Kung Fu
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
La Femme Nikita
LA Law
Laverne and Shirley
Law and Order: SVU
Leverage
Little House on the Prairie
Lizzie McGuire
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lost
Lost in Space
MASH
MacGyver
Malcolm in the Middle
Married... With Children
McLeods Daughters
Melrose Place
Miami Vice
Mission: Impossible
Mod Squad
Monk
Mork & Mindy
Murphy Brown
Mystery Science Theater 3000
My Life As A Dog
My Three Sons
My Two Dads
Mythbusters
NCIS
Ned Bigby's Declassified School Survival Guide
Nip/Tuck
Numb3rs
One Tree Hill
Oz
Perry Mason
Power Rangers
Press Gang
Prison Break
Private Practice
Privileged
Profiler
Project Runway
Psych
Pushing Daisies
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer as Folk (UK)
ReGenesis
Remington Steele
Rescue Me
Road Rules
ROME
Roseanne
Roswell
Sanctuary
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
Scrubs
Seaquest DSV
Seinfeld
Sex and the City
Six Feet Under
Slings and Arrows
Smallville
So Weird
South of Nowhere
South Park
Spongebob Squarepants
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Enterprise
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate SG-1
Starsky & Hutch
Superman
Supernatural
Surface
Survivor
Taxi
Teen Titans
That 70's Show
That's So Raven
The 4400
The Addams Family
The Amazing Race
The Andy Griffith Show
The A-Team
The Avengers
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Brady Bunch
The Cosby Show
The Daily Show
The Dead Zone
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Flintstones
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Golden Girls
The Honeymooners
The Jeffersons
The Jetsons
The Love Boat
The Magnificent Seven
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Monkees
The Munsters
The Office (US)
The Office (UK)
The Powerpuff Girls
The Pretender
The Real World
The Shield
The Simpsons
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Sopranos
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
The Twilight Zone
The Waltons
The West Wing
The Wonder Years
The X-Files
Third Watch
Three's Company
Twin Peaks
Twitch City
Unfabulous
Ugly Betty
Veronica Mars
Weeds
Whose Line is it Anyway? (US)
Whose Line is it Anyway? (UK)
Will and Grace
Wings
Xena: Warrior Princess

The Greatest Gift

So, today when I called my brother to wish him a happy birthday, I asked him what he wanted as a gift. He told me about the video games he had received, and that Kayla and Lindsay had gotten him a bunch of snowboarding gear. Now, I was with my brother when he learned to ski. He was a bit of a natural because he had no fear. Of course, he was in fourth grade and was a lot more limber. And, I don't recall him being skiing since then or snowboarding ever. So, I was a little surprised. I asked him since when he snowboarded, and he told me he was going to start. After hearing all of the things he had already received, I asked again what I could get him. He said the only thing he needed now was under armor for his snowboarding gear. Under armor? Seriously? So, for my brother's 29th birthday, I am going to buy him underwear. Awesome.

Golden Boy

Happy Birthday to my Phippy!! Today, he is 29 on the 29th...his golden birthday. I'm sad I am not in Jersey to celebrate with him, but I am sending him all of my love. So, to my Phippy...celebrate well! I love you!

My Favorite Rainbow

Since I moved to California, there's a little road trip that I've been dying to take. A road trip that combines two of my favorite things: shopping and flip flops. And as a girl who grew up in a beach town and learned to love Rainbows at a young age, how could I pass up a jaunt down to San Clemente to visit the Rainbow Factory Store?

As we turned the corner, it was just as I imagined. It is a small little shop with nothing too fancy to the outside of it. And when you walk in, there are surfing photos and worn down flops framed on all of the walls. I wouldn't have it any other way. And the best part...there are flip flops everywhere!

Pink. Green. Gray. Blue. White. Black. Leather. Hemp. Rubber. Thong. Slide. Loafer. You name it, and they had it. I was in flop heaven.

Breaking the Ice

On my final day of a week of thankful blogs, I am thankful for teambuilders. Today, Yas, AJ, Marci and I went wine tasting in Temecula. At one point, we were in the car and the sun was setting. We were all laughing, and I got a wave of love for the three of them. I felt so lucky to have them in my life. And just when I thought the day was as great as it could be, somehow Yas worked in a teambuilder. Each of us had to choose three words to describe the others. Well, of course, Yas and Marci were all over this activity. And though I was much more quiet about it, I too love a good emotion-fest. Poor AJ was crawling in his skin at the idea of having to be real and share his feelings, but because he's a trooper, he took a deep breath and emoted along with us (just not as loudly). Marci and Yas both ended up in tears. AJ curled up in a ball to avoid being touched by Yas and Marci as they were reaching out for affection. I just had to smile at all of it. As cheesey as it may seem, I am so grateful to have spent a few minutes getting some affirmation by people I love. And isn't that what teambuilding is all about?

Thankful for Thanksgiving

So, I know I said that I wasn't going to talk about how I was grateful for my family, but the truth is, I lied. There is no way I could ever discuss the things I was thankful for without mentioning them. And I can think of no better day to honor them than on Thanksgiving. So today, I am thankful for Thanksgiving and my family.

• My parents have given me everything. My mom gave me her kindness, her ability to love with her whole heart and her sense of responsibility. My dad gave me his passion for knowledge, his fierce loyalty and his intrigue with the creative side of life. Together, they gave me life and they gave me a life. There are no words for how much I love them.
• My grandmother has given me so much. She taught me the importance of loving and laughing. She introduced me to the world of travel and taught me that I could more than dream of far off places. She role modeled for me the importance of being a strong, independent woman. My grandmother is more than a grandmother; she is a friend.
• My brother, in many ways, is my other half. There is so much that we share: our mother's nose, our father's eyes, our mother's heart, our father's creativity, our passion for education. And yet, there is so much in which we differ: where our loyalties lie, with what we struggle, how we live our daily lives. And though we don't talk as frequently as I would like, there is never a day that he isn't in my heart and mind. He is my other half, and I don't work without him.
• My niece is the love of my life. I didn't know the heart was capable of loving someone so much until she was born. She brings joy to my life even when she is driving me crazy. I make decisions in life with her in mind because I want to create a great world for her to live in. Loving her has made me realize that I absolutely want to have children. She is my heart.
• My sister-in-law is an amazing woman. I knew very early on in her relationship with my brother that she was family. I love her because she is an old soul, like me. I love her because she puts family first and includes my family in that. I love her because she loves my niece and actively works to be a good role model for her. And I love her because she loves my brother. She is the best sister I could have ever asked for.

I have many other family members who I love with all of my heart, but to mention all of them would take up a year's worth of blogs. But, they are all extremely important to me. I also am very fortunate to have friends in my life who are more like family because I love them that much. To Shannon, Rosanna, Jenny, Phil, Yas, Karen, Elyse, Marci, AJ and the other great friends in my life: Thank you for being the family that I choose. And thank you for choosing to love me in return.

With such amazing people in my life, I can be nothing but grateful on a day like today.

I've Come to my Senses

On my third day of thankful blogging, I am thankful for a set of five things that many of us take for granted every day. Today, I am thankful for my senses. And though I am usually a bit partial to some over others, I'd like to share some of my favorite things about each one.

Taste

My grandmother's manicotti. My mother's Thanksgiving dinner. Sushi in Japan. Barbecue in Brazil. New York pizza. Chocolate.

Touch

A new set of sateen sheets. The skin of a new baby. Snow as you are building a snowman. The sand when you are walking down the beach. A hug.

Hearing

Kayla's giggle when she's having fun. Matt Nathanson live on stage. A friend's voice when you feel all alone. Silence when you've had a long day.

Sight

A smile on a friend's face. Kayla while she is asleep. Leaves falling from the trees in the Fall. The color green. Sunrises. Sunsets.

Smell

Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The cologne of the man you love. Salt on skin after a day at the beach.

Need I say more?

Freedom

Today, AJ brought this little piece of pop culture into my life, and I immediately realized that this was what I was thankful for today.



Not only am I thankful for the amazing lyrics and energetic vibe of Miley Cyrus's amazing hit, "Party in the USA," I am even more thankful that Disney allowed this video to remain on YouTube so that the world could enjoy it. As an ally to all of my gay male friends, I am thankful that we live in a world where you can celebrate Miley in all of your glory. And, as a straight woman, I'm glad I live in a world where teeny boppers can create incredibly catchy songs that I am allowed to like even though I am a grown woman.

And for this, I am thankful!

My Favorite Holiday

This week is my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving! I have always been a Thanksgiving girl. I can't imagine anything better than curling up in a warm, comfortable clothes and hanging out all day long with my family and friends while eating good food. So, in honor of this lovely day, I have decided to dedicate this week's blogging to highlighting one thing a day for which I am extremely thankful. Now, clearly I could spend my time telling you all about my family, which would be the easy way to blog through this topic; however, I would venture a guess that if you know me well, then you know how important my family is to me. So instead, I'll share a few other things that are important to me.

I am thankful for my passport.

With this small document, I can travel anywhere I want. It is literally my ticket that opens the doors to the many cultures and beauty around the world. With my passport, I have been to over 19 countries on six continents. I have taken safaris in African and slept in the Outback of Australia. I have sat on the beaches of Hawaii and stared on the Sistine Chapel in Italy. There are so many experiences I have been able to have in my 31 years, and so many more that I want to have. I am thankful everyday that I have been able to travel to so many places. I have learned so much during these adventures and really grown my love of social justice. These travels have really made me who I am today. For this, I am extremely thankful.

What's in a Dream?

So, last night, I had the strangest dream. And truthfully, it is so bizarre, that I feel it needs no more set up than that.

In my dream, I was at my grandmother's house in Yonkers. For some reason, my cousin Jessica and I were both wearing wedding dresses, and apparently we were getting married on the same day or at least in close proximity time wise. Apparently it was Christmas time because I was wandering around each of the rooms in the house counting the numbers of Christmas trees and Christmas tree shaped decorations that were up. There were 64, in case you were wondering. While I was doing this, I kept bumping into my dad, who also seemed to be wandering aimlessly through the house. When I got to the kitchen, my Uncle Milo was there cooking. It was a very real scene. He had the sauce on the stove top and a bottle of wine on the table...very typical of family dinners at my grandma's. Eventually, I made my way into the TV room, which is were Jessica and I were both standing in our wedding dresses. Then my cousin Stefanie showed up, but instead of being the current day 20-something-year-old, she was a little kid. Maybe around 7 or 8. She was standing in front of me reaching up for me and yanking on the front of my dress, like little kids tend to do. Then, when she walked away, I realized that she had spilled orange juice down the front of my dress. Well, clearly, I was extremely distraught. I immediately started freaking out and saying to Jessica, "What am I going to do? Oh my God! My dress is ruined." I was crying and frantically searching for something to try to get the orange juice off, and Jessica was less than worried about it. She calmly handed me a paper towel, and then went back to being unconcerned about my dress. At one point, I remember her looking at me and shrugging, as if to say, "Oh well."

After a bit of frantically trying to get the stains out of my dress and crying to Jessica, I really wanted my mom. I knew she would be the only person to make it better. (So typical of me when I am upset.) Unfortunately, my mom apparently was a game show host and was in the middle of taping a show. The folks who worked on the show refused to let me talk to her, even though I was having a wedding dress emergency. Somehow, like it often happens in dream world, I was magically transported to the set of her game show, where I could see her in the distance, but couldn't get to her. It was terrible.

That's when I woke up.

What the hell does that dream mean?

Where Everybody Knows My Name

Okay, maybe not my name, but there is a place in town that does have that homey feeling because they at least know my face!

Tucked away along a strip of cafes and shops along Highland Ave. in Manhattan Beach is my favorite brunch shop, The Local Yolk.

On a weekly basis (and sometimes more often), I drag myself out of bed and mosey my way to the Local Yolk to enjoy some extremely hot coffee and a delicious breakfast treat. Here, I am always greeted by Ramon with a hug, before he gets our coffee and turns us over to our server. And even the servers whose names we don't know greet us with a smile because they recognize our faces. There's nothing like living in a city of millions of people, but still having a place where you can show up and be greeted as if you lived in a small town. And in my life, that place is The Local Yolk.

So, the next time you find yourself in Manhattan Beach, I recommend stopping by The Yolk for some friendly faces and appetizing food.

A Tweet for a Treat

Today, I tweeted. It was my first time. I still don't know how I feel about it.

Yes, that's right. I'm on the fence about Twitter. The whole world seems to be tweeting these days, but truthfully, I don't fully understand the appeal. Basically, it's just a Facebook status, so why not just update your status? Clearly, the concept is lost upon me.

However, I have recently begun snooping around Twitter for the purpose of following a few of my favorite musicians (Matt Nathanson is always good for a chuckle) and some celebrities who are damn witty (like HIMYM's Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris). And in doing so, I decided to follow my favorite Bevery Hills cupcake shop, Sprinkles. You might be wondering how much a cupcake shop could have to say, but you'd be surprised. Almost daily, Sprinkles posts a secret phrase, and if you whisper this phrase at the shop, you get a free cupcake. Genius! And though I've seen these tweets come up on my phone and Carmen continuously reminds me of word of the day, I have never actually made it there to do the whispering.

Well, all of that changed today.

Today, I marched right into the shop, and whispered, "80,000," and for that, I got to pick a cupcake of my choice. And my choice was Chocolate Marshmallow. As I was eating my cupcake once I was back in the comforts of my own home, I was pondering how delicious it was. And while pondering, I realized that without Twitter, there would be no free cupcake. So, for that, I felt I owed the site a tweet. So tweet I did. And though I'm still a bit unsure about Twitter, I'd tweet again for a treat any time!

Wolves and vampires and pouting...Oh My!

Tonight, I saw the second Twilight movie. And though it was not an academy award winning film, it was still quite enjoyable. Let's be honest, if you go to a Twilight film expecting much more than a mindless cinematic adventure, then you have set yourself up for disappointment before you've even step foot in the theatre. But if you fully allow yourself to become immersed in a world of vampires and werewolves and cheesy romance, then you can set down a path to an enjoyable movie-going experience.

Now, don't get me wrong. There are definitely some matters of discontent for me about these movies. But mainly this is stemmed in my leftover bitterness at not having a teenage experience that included hot guys fawning over me despite my angst and whiney nature. Seriously?! What is so appealing about Bella Swan? I work with students like her everyday, and I find her apparent innate lovability the least realistic part of these stories (and mind you, she's surrounded by vampires and wolves!)

Alas, regardless of how likable I find this character, I am glad that her fictional existence provides me with the opportunity to retreat into teenage fantasy land where I can wish that I could be 17 and dealing with such a torrid love life. Instead, I'll remain 31 and dealing with a non-existent love life. And I might also pick up the Twilight books and do some rereading to pass the time until my vampire arrives.

The Sound of Silence

I am laying here in bed thinking about how much I love the sound of silence. As someone who spends a lot of time in her head, I am acutely aware that I tend to enjoy silence much more than the typical person. It is not unusual for me to be driving a long distance before I realize that I haven't turned the radio on yet. And I've been known to come home from work and just sit on the couch with no computer or TV to distract me. Silence is a very calming presence to me, and I've come to rely on it in many situations.

But as I lay here, I can't help but realize that I really like how silence sounds. It's so peaceful. You might think that it is an empty sound, but really, silence is very full of the small things you might miss when noise is present. When I'm in Jersey visiting my family, I love it when I am up after everyone has gone to bed or after everyone has left for work, because it leaves me alone with the silence of the house. There are certain patterns to the silence of each space that becomes so comforting. And no matter how long it is between visits, the familiarity to the silence of my childhood home never decreases.

And now, as I listen to the silence of my apartment, it's familiarity and comfort washes over me. Maybe it's because I so rarely get true silence here - due to the hundreds of college students that surround me - that I can't help but be humbled by its sound right now. But whatever the case, it's a beautiful thing. It makes me feel very safe and very much at home.

Spirit in the Sky

Today was the first LMU tailgate before the men's basketball game. The event has had quite the build up, given the lack of spirit events on this campus. When I got home from work to change my clothes, I was taken aback at how bright my bedroom was since there were no lights on. But, the big Lion shining off of Gersten and bouncing right into my window definitely was a sign that a new era of spirit had arrived.

The good news is that the tailgate was very much under control. It wasn't the madhouse of people that I was expecting. I pictured rows and rows of tents set up with students piled under each, boozing it up before tip off. Instead, the booths outlined Hannon Field and folks just wandered around and enjoyed themselves. We were all pleasantly surprised by the behavior of our students.

And as I entered the arena, I even got a rush of excitement that reminded me of my college days when I would enter Cole Field House with the anticipation of a close game between the Terps and one of their ACC rivals. I would be excited to cheer and yell with my peers. I would love to people watch in the crowded stands. So, as I entered Gersten, I was overwhelmed by my disappointment. First, it is unfair to compare Gersten to a Cole Field House because they are not in the same league of venues. The size alone made me feel like I was entering a high school game, instead of a Division 1-A event. And I stood there, waiting for the seats behind me to fill up and waiting for the seats across from me to fill up, and I realized what a daunting task it was going to be for our Lions to build some pride.

So, how does a University create spirit? How do we take a student body from not caring to caring so much they'd spend the night out for tickets? How do we pack the stands of Gersten in order to one day justify building a larger arena? I honestly have no idea. Should we be bribing students to come to the games in hopes that once they are there, they'll actually enjoy themselves and want to come back? If not, what is it going to take to get the seats filled?

I know one of the answers is that our team needs to win. But how do we recruit solid talent if recruits come to campus and see an empty audience? I'm just not sure how to solve the chicken or the egg conundrum. But something does need to be done.

In the mean time, I'll continue to come home to a Lion shining into my bedroom each time we have a home game. And each time I see that glimmer of spirit in the sky, I'll hope that we are one step closer to creating some true spirit here at LMU.

11/17

It's officially 11/17. Happy birthday John. I miss you very much.

The Pain in my Head

So, I had a terrible migraine. The type that makes me want to just curl up in a ball and cry. At one point, I truly thought my brain was fighting to escape from my skull. So, now that my head is feeling better, I couldn't help but look up the formal definition of a migraine.

When I first entered "what is the definition of migraine," I scrolled right past the first few results and went straight to the extremely reliable source, Wikipedia! After glancing through everyone's favorite online reference site, I went back to check out a more reliable source: MedicineNet. Both sites confirmed what I already suspected; during a migraine, my head is literally exploding! Okay, well that might be a little dramatic, but the blood vessels in my brain are actually expanding. So it's not that far off.

Fortunately, the pain in my head has stopped. At least for now. Since I get frequent headaches and semi-frequent migraines, I know there is more pain around the corner, but at least right now, I feel hopeful for a pain-free sleep. And sometimes, that's all you can ask for.

Frozen in Time

I've been having a rough week. This is not the typical rough week, either. I don't care about deadlines or laundry or chores or whatever other mundane things typically occupy my mind. This week, my heart's been aching a lot missing John.

I've been having many moments this week where the pain of missing him has been overwhelming. The kind of sadness that takes your breath away. And this type of mourning is so unpredictable. Who knows where it comes from or what brings it on. All I know is that he has been in and out of my dreams continually. I've woken a few times expecting to see him standing there because he just feels so close. And yet, when I wake, he's not there. And then the knowledge that he won't be there floods me with sadness.

One of the hardest things about missing John is that it feels like a very lonely journey. When the pain is greater than usual, I immediately wish I could be sitting with Jenny, laughing and hugging, like we always do when we're together. But I can never bring myself to pick up the phone and call her during these times because I know how much more difficult it must be for her. And it feels the same with all of our other friends. I feel like we all cope differently and very privately when it comes to missing John. But today, the pain was great enough that I had to at least put some of my thoughts into words, even if just the written word.

Coincidentally, John's birthday is this week. He would've been 32. Instead, he is forever frozen in time as a 22-year-old. Sometimes I watch my students do something or say something, and I see a glimpse of John in them. It makes my heart ache for who we all were when we were that age. And it makes me ache for the man he would be today. I miss the John he was and the John he would've become. And the unfairness of the situation just never stops burning.

The Good Tired

350 cheering, yelling, dancing, laughing RAs from around the region. After 12 hours, I am officially drained.

Today we hosted a regional student leadership conference at LMU. When we set out to do this over the summer, I kept wondering if I would ever regret the decision. And now that it has come and gone, I am happy to report, that I never did. In fact, I'm quite proud of the work that was done by the majority of the LMU staff. And as I stood back during the opening and closing sessions, and watched as the madness ensued, I couldn't help but smile heartedly. These are students...enjoying life...loving their jobs...and excited to make a difference. And I get paid to be a part of this. I'm a lucky girl.

And now, after hours of being on and organizing details, I am definitely tired. But luckily, it is the good tired. And it's nothing a little RockBand and a good night's rest can't fix!

The Droid has Landed

I did it. I bought the Droid. And in less than 24 hours, it showed up on my desk. Now I have a new gadget to learn and love.

Jersey Shore

Yesterday, I was flipping through the channels and came across a very upsetting commercial on MTV. (And by flipping through the channels, I mean watching an episode of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge that I had tivo'd. It's a guilty pleasure, okay!) Anyway...

Why does MTV have to torture the already strained reputation of my great home state by creating a reality television show based on the lives of the least lovely people who live on the Jersey Shore? These people are not representative of the majority of us who grew up in this great region of the country, and yet they are the ones who are flaunting themselves around and making an arse out of my state. It is so infuriating. And why must MTV sink so low as to exploit these idiots? They actually used the term 'guido' in the commercial to describe some of the characters. Seriously?!?

I should sue them for emotional distress.

"I'm Really Angry at that Kid"

Isn't it amazing how a television show can bring up such emotion in us? What happened to the days when we could watch 30 minutes of television where there was always some funny misunderstanding or lesson to be learned before the credits rolled? When Jason and Maggie would sit Mike or Carol or Ben down to help them grow from that week's episode? Sure, I might have teared up at "the very special episode" of each series, but somehow, these days, shows seem to bring a tear to my eye more frequently than not.

There's one show in particular that really brings up a lot of emotion for me. As I was watching the final few minutes of this week's episode, somebody on the show made a comment about being really angry at the person they used to be. In that moment, the tears started. For whatever reason, that one statement really triggered in me some of my own self disappointments, and now I am left in the silence of the room pondering these thoughts. It's amazing how you can be your own worst enemy or your own greatest frustration. How does someone get to that point? Do we learn this self doubt? Is this somehow reinforced along the way? And even when you feel like you've taken 50 steps forward, in a moment like this, it can feel like you haven't made any progress at all.

Again, all of this from a TV show. Amazing the impact it can have. And amazing how the silence that comes once the show has ended can often feel louder than those 30 second commercial breaks.

A Sign from a Droid

For the majority of my life, when I heard Android, I thought R2D2. Well, secondly, I would definitely think C3PO, but clearly I was an R2 girl from the first screening of Episode IV. Now, there's a new Android in town, and this time, it's biggest competition is an Apple.

Less than a week ago, Verizon released the Droid, the new major competition for the iPhone. As a Mac user and Apple enthusiast, I couldn't imagine there ever being a phone I would be eager to own other than the iPhone, but seemingly overnight, the Droid has entered my radar. All of the features without having to leave Verizon! Could it be true? In the five days since Carmen and Marci have purchased their Droids, they have been more than happy with it. It gave me great hope and excitement to see how their affection for their phones would continue until it was my turn to be due for an upgrade sometime in 2010.

Well, wouldn't you know that when I woke up this morning and began flipping through my emails, I noticed one with an intriguing subject from Verizon. Usually I immediately delete messages that I know are just advertisements, but something about this one made me curious. And when I opened it, I was definitely glad I did. It was an offer "for select customers only" to upgrade to a new phone - including the Droid - early! Now, though I know this is a marketing ploy to keep me with Verizon before I'm tempted to jump ship to the iPhone, I couldn't help but be pulled into the scheme. A new phone! Lots of apps! Cool touch screen! No leaving Verizon! Hmmm...

So, now the decision is: to Droid or not to Droid?

A New Look

So, the lovely Carmen was kind enough to help me do a little updating to the look of my blog. I figured if I am going to give this NaBloPoMo thing a shot, I might as well take the time to clean up the place! So this is just a small shout out to Carmen for her help! You're the best!

NaBloPoMo

What is it about a name like NaBloPoMo that would ever make me think that I want to participate in such an activity? The clever abbreviation? The funny sound it makes? You'd think so, and I'm not saying that neither of those played a part peeking my interest, but it was really it's similarity in NaNoWriMo that did the trick.

NaBloPoMo...NaNoWriMo... Considering both of these are activities geared toward those who like to toy around with the written word, one might think better names (or at least names that make sense) would have been selected. None the less, apparently November, in addition to being NaNoWriMo, is now NaBloPoMo. And I couldn't help but want to jump on board.

Let me start at the beginning. A few years ago, back when I was living in Massachusetts, I came across a book called "No Plot? No Problem." This book is written by the creator of "National Novel Writing Month" (affectionately referred to as NaNoWriMo), and it's a guide to doing exactly that: writing a novel in one month. For someone like me, this idea is genius. Writing a book is actually a dream of mine. I love to write, and am completely intimidated by the idea of trying to create a cohesive story out of few cohesive thoughts. This book helps to break down the process to make it less intimidating. The author even admits that his first novel is shoved in the back of a drawer somewhere, not worthy of others' eyes. However, with each passing year and with each completed novel, he has gained more and more confidence in his ability to string together a story.

When I read this book, I was intrigued. I immediately wanted November to come around so that I, too, could join forces in NaNoWriMo. However, by the time the next November came around, I was sailing somewhere in Asia with 600 college students and not enough focus to even try to write a chapter. And when the next November came around, I was settling into a new job and a new home in Los Angeles. And really, after that, it slowly was filed in the back of my mind as something I might do someday in life. Now, I could spend hours talking about all of the things in my life that have been categorized in this same file, but that's really venting for another post.

So, this brings us to today when AJ made mention of something Carmen posted in her blog. And when she arrived in my office, we laughed about the post. And when I went to her blog, she mentioned how it is her goal to post once everyday this month so that she can participate in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Well, intrigued by the similarity of the abbreviation with my aforementioned lovable NaNoWriMo, I had to inquire. Sure enough, it was the same pretense with a different writing outlet. Instead of creating a whole novel, all I needed to do was summon the energy to write something witty (or not even witty, but hopefully readable) once each day. Granted, I'm ten days behind, but since that's quite typical for me, I figured ten days late is better than never.

So here I am. Back on my blog. Now let's see how long NaBloPoMo can keep my interest.