I've been tagged...

Thanks to the ever-entertaining DorkyDad, I have been tagged with a meme. However, it's not one of those 3-hour endeavors, so I am okay with it. I am tasked with sharing 6 weird things about me, or if I cheat, 6 weird things that have happened to me. Hmmm... Decisions, Decisions. I'm SO not a cheater, so I guess I'll go with "about me."

Number One (1)
I have, at one point in my lifetime, either have been or wanted to be each of the following professions:

• Lawyer - way too much reading
• Professional Athlete - p-ha, well I needed a little more talent for that one
• Teacher - too many kids
• Wife - Homemaker to a hot firefighter preferably (Still working on this one.)
• Mother - Nah, I love other people's kids better.
• Professor - too much going to school
• Architect - too much responsibility. I didn't want to be responsible when the building fell
• Pharmacist - purely for the money and hours, so not interested enough
• Graphic Designer - including, but not limited to environmental designer, packaging designer, print designer, art director, etc. - too much creative on demand
• Operations manager - too boring
• Something in Organizational Change - waaaayyy to stressful
• Marketer - too general... half of the girls in college want to be in "marketing"
• Advertising Executive - Been there, done that.
• "Strategic Planner" - haven't fully figured out what it was, but like it thus far.

Number Two (2)
I have been a vegetarian since the day we went to a farm in the 5th grade and drew with purple chalk on big black cows where all the different types of meat came from. To this day, I am totally grossed out by meat. If my food touched it, I won't eat it. No broth. NOTHING. I will, for some reason, drink milk and eat cheese, but eggs are SO out!

Number Three (3)
I don't see movies. It is not that I don't like movies... I just don't see them. Some, I refuse to watch... just 'cause. A sampling of movies I have not seen that will make you "wonder a little" about me:

• Goodfellas
• Godfather (NONE)
• Star Wars (NONE. Not old ones. Not new ones.)
• Lord of the Rings (NONE)
• 16 Candles
  
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Casablanca
• It's a Wonderful Life
• Apocalypse Now
• Batman (None)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Dirty Harry
• Fight Club
• Spiderman (None)
  

Number Four (4)
I have a FABULOUS sense of direction; however, if you didn't know this already, I am incapable of telling my right from my left in pressure situations - i.e., when driving or giving directions while in a car. I will typically just turn whichever way my preconceived notion tells me to turn, despite the directions being provided. Despite not getting this simple R/L correlation, my brain SOMEHOW comprehends the transient and complex nature of "This Way" and "That Way."

If I am talking to someone, "This way" is the direction that is closer to me than it is to them. "That way" would be the direction closest to them. However, in this same situation, if they were talking to me "That Way" is close to me, while "This Way" is closest to them. Sound complicated? Try being in a car with me!

Yea, I'm nuts. Not sure why "Left is Left and makes and L" doesn't work for me. Unfortunately, I must be crazy.

Number Five (5)
I hate socks.I hate them on my feet. I hate them on other people's feet. In general, I am not a fan. However, they are NEVER to be worn in bed. It's unattractive and annoying.

And Number Six (6)
If you'd ask my friends, they would probably refer to one of the following as a weird thing about me:

• I lose my cell phone, wallet, check card, etc. on a regular basis.
• I break my cell phone on a regular basis
• I'm allergic to everything on the planet - dogs, cats, trees, grass, feathers, dust... you name it.
• I get sinus infections every February
• I am OCD... down to straightening the fringes on the throw rugs.
• I am one extreme or the other... stuff is either super clean and organized OR I am am a total, complete disaster. This is because it takes too much effort to make it perfect, and "almost perfect" won't do, so I have to be all or nothing.
  

But my number 6 is this... I cannot stand repetitive tapping noises, whether it be drips in the sink, fingers on a desk, clicks of a pen, tapping of a foot, the 15 seconds of Madden that plays over and over when trying to pick a play or techno music. The more I hear it, the more I focus on it and the sooner I will end up in a round room with padded walls.


OKAY, so maybe I went overboard, and now everything not only THINKS I am weird, but KNOWS what is weird about me. GREAT! I should have taken Dorky's road and done what happened to me... at least then, I'd appear less crazy, right? ;)

OK, I guess I have to, I mean GET TO, tag 6 people... AML, Running Rabbit, Doc Steph, Toothy, Dan-O, and Bob. Have fun, and can't wait to read about ya'll!

Quiz time

I did Jlee's little quiz, and it kinda fit my procrastinating perfectionist nature, so I thought I'd share. We will talk later this week about the following line:

"In love, you inspire and enchant your partner. You are often an object of fantasy and desire." p-hahaha

Your Life Path Number is 3

Your purpose in life is to express your unique self. You are a creative and artistic person with an interesting view on life. Witty and outgoing, you enjoy sharing your crazy ideas with anyone who will listen. A total social butterfly, you're the life of any party. In love, you inspire and enchant your partner. You are often an object of fantasy and desire. While you are very talented, you sometimes lack the ambition to put your talents in play. And while your wit carries you a long way, you occasionally use it to mask your true feelings. Your natural abilities can bring you all the success in the world ... if you let them

What Is Your Life Path Number?

New Blogger...

I am official. Blogger.com made me change to new blogger today, which is, I think, why half of your comments are showing up anonymous today. So, I guess we will see if this thing makes it easier for real, or is a total P.I.T.A.

So, I decided to be boring and lazy, and do nothing of any value this evening. I was tired, and haven't done that in a while... so tonight was the night. We drove to Louisville to listen to the current trends in alcohol consumption today for work. (NO, I am not kidding. And as a side note, I will probably spend part of April in Miami, LA, NY, Poland, and Prague doing vodka research. That just sounds WRONG!) That was a 3+ hours in the car, and 1.5 hours in the meeting. And I had to be at work early, so I was exhausted.

I came home early and napped on the couch for an hour, then flipped through the remote control the rest of the evening. Exciting eh? My friends all went to the rodeo tonight. I'm sad I missed it, because the people watching in South Ohio at the rodeo is well worth the price of admission! Ehhh... what can you do when the mood just isn't there?

Does anyone know the show 1 vs 100? I actually like it. I wonder how these mob idiots don't know the answers to the questions, but I like the concept. It's so much better than Deal or No Deal. I ended flipping through and watching Mike the Mouth and the Sheik fight again in the 2005 World Series of Poker. That never gets old. Mike is always annoying, but together they are pure entertainment. The Sheik, however is at least pleasant to look at. :)

Everything else that is on is just an encore of a show from earlier in the week... BOO! So, I rented a movie for later - Talladega Nights. It's supposedly funny... so we'll see.

I also decided I was poor and needed to do my taxes... so I did. They are done. I just have to check them and hit the e-file button! SWEEEEEET. I love free "not really free but they took it from me when they shouldn't have taken all that much" money.

And I'm looking at a real vacation... suggestions that include clear water, low price and hammocks?

Oh yea, and I get to spend part of tomorrow snow tubing with my godson and his brother, and my best friend, their mom. I can't wait. Guess I need to find my snow clothes!

Happy Jan26 folks!

Ciao for the evening...

Very, very funny...

So I was doing a little research in UrbanDictionary.com, and stumbled across this fantastic little tidbit...

What is your Sexual "Market Value?"

I think the concept should be blown out even further than it is... We need comparisons. Who would have the highest SMV in the world?

And I am not exactly agreeing with their formula, or their car quotients. How is a Vespa 600?

Hmmm... This is definitely something to think about. How would you calculate SMV?

Embracing my inner nerd...

Tonight, I experienced what very few will have the opportunity to experience...

It's life altering...
It's Earth-shattering...
It's live...
It's...
THAT IS RIGHT... Tonight, I spent the evening with an ex-NKOTB member, a Lachey brother, Joey "Whoa" Lawrence, "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry..." and Lisa Renna, with hubby Harry "I should stick to LA LAW" Hamlin. What I learned? Please see below.

• Joey is still a dork (both of them)
• Whoever runs the show HAS to be in charge of Joey McIntyre's record sales
• NKOTB turned Sinatra is a BAD idea.
  
• Lisa Renna has "dream abs" and can dance as well as all the pros
• Her husband, Harry, CAN'T
• Ladies love men who can dance (duh)
• Pasa Doble ,err however it is spelled, means two passes (of the big red bull thingy)
• Save a horse, ride a cowboy
• Fake tanning stuff CAN turn into a royal tragedy and appear as cellulite on even the most ideal legs
• Dancers legs move faster than seems humanly possible
• My obsession with male arms continues... (wow)
  
• Ramba, Samba, and tango just sound sexy
• I am a wimp for ever complaining about the pain involved in shoes, because I don't do THAT in THOSE heals.
• That show has some crazy DIE HARD fans

That is all I can think of for now! It was fun... a little hokey, but well worth it. I am proud of my inner and OUTER nerd. If I was so inclined, I could have met Joey McIntyre and bought a shotty CD to get signed! I, however, was NOT so inclined!

Happy Jan17
~T

If I had a million dollars...

I can't complain about life right now... so I won't. I went to Jeff Ruby's lovely WATERFRONT for dinner on Friday night. It was fancy and nice, but looking around at the "locals" made me think a little. If I never had to worry about money as an issue, what would life be like? My answers are below, and I am VERY curious about yours...

What are the top three things you'd do more regularly, that are more like "special treats" right now?

• Weekly massages and chiropractor visits
• A "true" personal trainer (not the kind I can visit once every 4 months with my gym membership, but one to workout with me 3x a week.)
  
• Mucho travel... (Many of you may have thought I would say gambling... however, I cheated, as I would make this travel include trips to Vegas and participation in WPT tourneys, along with hammock lounging and scuba diving in clear water destinations.)

* Please note, none of this says fancy drinks and fancy foods in restaurants that make me feel wealthy - but out of place.

What "good," if any, would you do for the community.

• I'd fund the At-Risk youth program we are doing at work.
• I'd spend more time with and money on kids who need it.
• I'd work with cancer research.
  
• I'd do something for the older folks at nursing homes who are often neglected and forgotten.
  

Would you work?

• Of course. We all know I need to feel like my brains are being put to some good use, or I would have no idea what to do with myself.

What would your first "rich person" purchase be?

• A sweet lake house, paid in full (Eff mortgages) and remodeled to my liking. Not a big house, but a sweet house. THEN a HUGE party for all my friends and acquaintances, and maybe I could get Dane Cook as entertainment?
  

What simpler things have you been holding out on buying, that you would go get ASAP!

• I'd get wireless at home, a laptop, TIVO, a new cell phone, and then drop TMobile QUICK.
• I'd get more and better Bengals tickets... somehow!
  

What would you buy for someone else?

• I'd make sure everyone around me who really meant something to me was as happy as I could.

I don't know. I don't think I'm the kind to be ridiculously frivolous. It's not about things, it's about experiences. Fun times, good friends, etc. I may get some better clothes or shoes, but I would not be seen with different Prada bags and shoes each day, unless they were knockoffs from a NY streetcorner. It's fun to dream, isn't it? Someday, right?

Ciao for now.

Two addendums...

Today, I was told something that I found interesting...

"People will only change when staying the same is harder than making the change."

That rings true to me! AND, go figure, AOL caught on and found some experts to help my friends:

The Pursuit of Happiness: Six Experts Tell What They've Done to Achieve It - AOL News

Happy Jan2!

Today's note: When I stepped on the scale tonight, I had gained 1.0 lbs over my drunken holiday. My WW leader said "Was it worth it?" I thought about it and said "Yes" and he said, "Well there you go then. We have nothing to talk about until next week!"

Happy freaking New Year everyone!

Consider this your official welcome to
the YEAR OF HAPPY.

I have a friend who doesn't get it.
She wants me to lay out the "rules," so here goes...

Rule #1 --- Figure out what makes you happy.
Rule #2 --- Do those things.
(Or figure out a way to make them happen!)

SO...

• If you love to read... then take the time to read.
• If you aren't happy with what you do for a living, or where you do it... revise your resume and send it out.
• If you really want to be living life and working in Denver, CO, Australia, or NY City... start looking for jobs and places to live. Make it happen.
• If you spend too much time at work... fix your life balance.
• If you really want to be in better shape.. there's no time like the present.
• If you really need to forget about football until August because the Bengals blew it... then do it.
• If Tivo is what really makes you happy, get Tivo.

So yes, there is restrictions on what you can do. Obviously if a huge mansion with servants would make you happy, then your going to have to work your ass off this year (and the next couple.. err 50) to make that happen. You probably can't just quit your job to stay home and watch Oprah either. Telling off your boss, not going to be the best idea.

But, my point is this... When I was 12 years old and my brother died, I decided that life was short and we needed to find our niche, live life without regrets, and just be happy. I was serious. Ask anyone who knew me back then. I became an all new, fun, energized person.

This past year or two particularly, I found myself working too much, smiling too little, being snippy, seeing friends only on "occasions," and just being relieved when the week was over.

Yes, the idea of the "YEAR OF HAPPY" arose one night at dinner, and my friends think its because of them. But it's really because I saw all this happening in me, and very similar things in a few of them. We were all kinda "just getting by," instead of, to be cliche', "taking life by the horns."

So, for me, this isn't a resolution, persay. It's life, and I am choosing to grab some freaking horns... Here's a few ways.

1. First, I have a new job. It's what I have spent years working toward... and I plan to work my ass off to make everything I can from it. That includes taking full advantage of my 13 weeks of training at Miami Ad School (Minneapolis) this summer.
   
2. Second, I am a happier me, when I am a healthier me... so WW continues. Minneapolis in July will be brand new swimsuit time.
3. Third, I will have ONE, if not TWO, of my Mom's houses SOLD by the time I leave town. And if it is only one, the other will be up for sale. We will move, and she will have less stress and more time to enjoy the kids and life. I guess that means she would buy a new place too.
   

That is not an exhaustive list, but just a few examples. So it's what I called a "challenge" a few months back to anyone who reads this. Just remember life is short, people are everything, and, for me, "it's JUST advertising."