Could I please get an extension?

Regarding the 101 in 1001...I think my due date is almost here. And I've failed miserably, for different reasons. There's been a lot of upheaval in my life over the past 18 months or so (moving from Detroit to Chicago, starting graduate school, various bouts of anxiety/melancholy/etc.) and the list took a backseat.

I want eight, maybe ten, more months. Will the internet allow that?

Kopfschmerz

I am totally not unhappy right now, but I thought this quote was nice.

"Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain."
— Helen Keller

"Silences make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts."
— Margaret Lee Runbeck

I finally heard it knocking!
"Luck is when opportunity knocks, and you answer."
— Anonymous

"Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance."
— Samuel Johnson

"There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life."
— Anonymous

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble.
— Frank Tyger

You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
— Mark Twain

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
— Oscar Wilde

Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.
— Kahlil Gibran

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
— Scott Adams

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
— Benjamin Franklin

F you Fox News!

Election Day is next week. Way to go John Kerry for igniting a fire storm and calling some attention to this election cycle. No, there is no presidential election, but we do have the chance to fire some Republicans and have the Dem's grab control of the Senate. I live in Illinois but I have given money to Senate races in Tennessee and might give some to Missouri before the week is up.

I honestly can't believe people do not care more about politics. I GET SO FIRED UP! These politicians are all so motivated by their greed and their lust for fame.

John Kerry did not mean the troops in Iraq are EDUCATIONALLY DEFICIENT. I think he was sort of referring back to the Vietnam War, you know, with the DRAFT, and how young men who failed out/dropped out of college, for WHATEVER reason, often were immediately drafted in to the war (and I can speak to that, because my Father, who is one of the most intelligent men I know, failed out of college and got immediately drafted. Although he was against the war, he went). Kerry was not saying soldiers are STUPID. That is just so f'in lame that people think he was INSULTING our troops. So, so, so completely infuriating!

Tuesday can't come fast enough. I am so sick of the lame, poorly produced commercials. I also would love to give someone money to punch Ann Coulter in the face.

Monday nights can change your life

A discussion between a friend and I today regarding "What about Brian?" (on ABC):

Friend - I really love WAB. It speaks to me....which is weird I know. It strikes the same cord that Dawson's used to. :)

Me - Oh Dawson's! That show practically changed our lives. I have two or three season's on DVD (really should double check) but I can't watch it without being creeped out by Joey Potter/Katie Holmes.

WAB is teaching us to not agree to an open marriage, to not let any potential children sleep in our bed with us, "chicks before dicks" and "bro's before ho's", and to not hide any fertility treatments from our Italian husband for fear they will be killed while filming a movie, or however they are going to write him off.

Tee Veeeee.

As someone who has not had cable television since 2004, I am limited in what I can watch religiously. I admit to a cable obsession when I am at my mom and dad's (I once sat on the couch and watched a Laguna marathon for 3 hours), but otherwise, I avoid it. Therefore, my favorite TV shows are all on basic cable, such as ABC, NBC and Fox.

Grey's Anatomy - love this show. Not sure about it's direction right now, but I will tune in every week religiously.

Lost - addicted. I love, love, love it and love to wonder what's going to happen, what all the symbols mean, etc.

What About Brian? - I started watching this when it premiered last year and I plan on tuning in again...although it's up against one of the other shows I will mention. "Brian" is interesting, part of me wants to be all "Dude, go make new friends", Matthew Davis is smoking hot and the whole open marriage thing? Yeah, that's so NOT going to work out for them.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - my new passion. I like it...a LOT. All the blogs I read are tearing it apart for being "pretentious" and snarky (well, more specifically they are saying Aaron Sorkin is all those things), but I think it's a great show! BUT, it's up against What About Brian? With no Tivo or DVR, I'm going to have to make a tough choice!

79 to go

I reviewed my 101 in 1001 list today after completing the Race for Cure, because that counted.

I have 22 done. I am planning on taking care of at least two in the next two months (learn how to play Texas Hold'Em and calligraphy) through a community education class.

Some I am unsure of:
Swim with dolphins
Attend the Kentucky Derby
Bonnaroo or some other music festival
Snorkel (goes along with swim with dolphins)
Give up cheese
Run a mile in under 9 minutes
Body fat percentage (thanks to my cheese addiction...oh, yea, drinking too!)
Learn how to cook more
Learn to play piano
Become a better knitter
Make a home office
Fall in love (I mean, it's not ALL up to me!)
Become emotionally unavailable (its such a distinct part of my personality!)

I could take a class titled "Bondage and Domination, An Introduction", from said community ed class, but that's not on the list.

How normal am I?

Your Normalcy Quotient is: 49 out of 100.

Your quiz results make you a Wonderful Eccentric

You've earned the title of wonderful eccentric, and while you're not a wild, gun slinging maverick, you certainly like to follow your own way. Of course, you probably don't think of yourself as eccentric. As Einstein might say, "It's all relative."

So...I'm pretty weird, huh?

My choice is the Teen Choice

1. Dane Cook - I have heard so much about him, about how he's SOOOO FUNNY, but I did not see that last night. He wasn't very funny at all. Can he not be "clean funny"? He probably can only really deliver inappropriate jokes, which is fine, but maybe not the best choice for the Teen Choice Awards.
2. Jessica Simpson. I don't want to go there.
3. Mischa Barton looked so confused when Dane handed her a sandwich. She was all "What is this wrapped contraption and what does one do with it?". She honestly looked like she had no idea what it was, and she definitely didn't get the joke.
4. Loved when Nick Lachey won for best love song or whatever and started off his acceptance speech by saying "I just have one thing to say...AWWWWKKWWWAAAARRRDDDD". Loved it. That was a perfect way to get in a jab.
5. Orlando Bloom's "joke" about being hot because he sweats alot? Um, not funny.
6. Does anyone else think it's weird that 14 year olds find Johnny Depp so hot? I mean, yes, he's hot, but he's also old enough to HAVE a 14 year old.
7. Jensen Ackles looked totally ashamed while presenting "Best Grill", which I loved. I mean really! Best grill?! Let's hail people who waste money by putting PRECIOUS STONES in their teeth while the majority of people on THIS PLANET live in poverty? Quite sickening, really.
8. Chad Michael Murray...why do teenage girls like him? Don't they realize he's a slimeball?
9. Say what you want, but I still love Britney. She's trashy, she's pretty dumb, she really needs to kick the chewing gum habit, yes. But I love her. I give her credit for showing up at a TEEN CHOICE awards show about 8.5 months pregnant. I thought she looked cute. I'm not going to say she looks big/fat like a lot of people are saying, because hello, I'm from the midwest so I'm probably fat.
10. K-Fed. I sat and laughed through the entire performance, so I can thank him for giving me three to five minutes of laughter, because it's healthy to laugh. Is he serious? Who is egging him on? Why?

PS - I just posted TEN things about the Teen Choice Awards, and I was born in 1977. WTF?

Possibly another down from the 101 list.

I had Crown and Ginger the other night at the Hard Rock party and it was delish. I had two last night and think it might become my drink.

I will have to give this a lot of thought. Your drink defines you, in a way (haha), so I have to make sure I'm committed to it.

No, for reals, I have to order it somewhere I have to pay for it and we'll see if it's a bank breaker. Drinks are expensive, which is why I have stuck to beer for all these wonderful years.

My apologies!

Wow, I have been bad at blogging. I have been reading the blogs I read but not writing anything at all. So, this is my feeble attempt to put something up here!

I was finally able to stay in town this weekend without many commitments. Yesterday was productive, as I hung pictures, ran errands, purchased new running shoes and a wrist-pouch to put my keys and ID in (because the whole "Where do I put my keys when there's no pockets in my exercise pants and I want to keep my hands free when I run?" issue was inadvertantly delaying my hopeful running addiction) and some new running socks (so really, the only thing standing between me and my running addiction is my flabby, lazy a$$, but whatever). While at the running store I also picked up information on 5K's in the near future, so tonight I am going to go online and sign up so I'm committed.

I had to "work" for a little bit last night, and by "work", I mean entertain clients in a private prayer room before a concert. The concert last night was SuperDiamond, and if you've never seen them, I highly recommend it. I am not really a Neil Diamond fan, but man, this band is so entertaining! The opening act was "Polkaholics" and they were equally smile-enducing. Good times!

Went to a club last night and OMG! Clubs are so funny. For one, it was $20 cover. I'm okay with that in VEGAS, but I wasn't in Vegas. I happily paid, because it's not like I do that often and we were out for a friends birthday. The DJ was great, which also made it worth the cover, but man...people are really crazy. I don't know that I'll call them skanky, because maybe they aren't, but honestly. Does every girl have to be practically orange with enough makeup on to pass for a tranny?