Quote from someone's mom.

Last week, one of my mom's friends passed away suddenly. While this woman was not the picture of perfect health, she was not sick to the point where people would purse their lips, shake their heads and think "It's just a matter of time...it could be any moment..." She was living day-to-day, taking her meds, enjoying her friends and family. One day it was hard to wake her up, and the next day she was dead.

When my mom heard the news she was on the phone with the woman who is probably my mom's "best friend", if we're still doing that. This woman is very classy, poised, and proper. When you go to her house, not a hair on her head or a pillow on the couch is out of place. She wasn't raised in the south but channels a lot of southern charm, minus the pink lipstick (she does, however, sort of have big hair.) She's well-spoken and a gracious hostess. She is not someone you'd expect to drop f-bombs on the regular, but apparently she does (according to my mom, who wouldn't lie about something like that.)

After my mom returned to her phone conversation to tell Best Friend that the woman who my mom was planning on visiting in the hospital later that afternoon was now dead, can you guess what Best Friend said?

Something to the effect of "...and that's why we need to seize the fucking day, every day."

Truth. I am now going to say "STFD" to myself every morning when I wake up. I'm not going to worry about money when I'm planning a vacation. I'm not going to spend another year in an apartment that I've grown to resent. I'm not going to let my insecurities weigh me down and prevent me from trying new things, experiencing new adventures, etc.

How will you seize your fucking day? Do tell.

Closing out 2010.

The next couple posts will likely have to do with new year's resolutions; making them, breaking them, deciding on them, etc., as NY's resolutions are a favorite thing of mine.  I know they are not popular for many people, but I think they are fun.  It's fun to think of ways to improve your life/yourself/your habits, or to set little goals to accomplish.

One problem I generally have with making resolutions is narrowing them down.  I get a little out of hand and sometimes make various CATEGORIES, like "personal", "career", and/or "health & fitness", and then make several resolutions under each category.  F*** that noise - that is way too involved to be attainable.

I just read this article and am putting it here for your reading pleasure and for future reference, as my resolution making decisions have not been finalized.

The Big Easy.

Today I am on my way to New Orleans for the FIRST TIME EVER (also my first time in Louisiana).  Needless to say, I am very excited.  I want to get to all of the continental states (I want to get to Alaska and Hawaii in my lifetime but since those are not cheap trips I'm trying to be realistic.)  Louisiana will be my second new state this year (Minnesota got checked off the list in January.)

Blog posts are scheduled, so I will be stick to my April pledge while exploring a new (to me) city.  Yes, I will eat beignets.  No, I will not eat a Muffuletta sandwich, unless I can get one without meat (but would it still be a Muffuletta?)  I will definitely try the olive salad, because I love olives!

We are going to Nola for Jazz Fest, where I hope to see Lionel Richie, Cowboy Mouth, Better Than Ezra, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Allman Brothers Band. I'll probably be tweeting reviews from the shows, but since I have an ancient phone I can't get tweets until I sit in front of a computer...and not sure when or how that will happen.

Enjoy your weekend!

Whirlwind.

I am a girl who likes to drive. I enjoy the open road, my loyal Ford Escape, radio stations, and seeing new places.  The past two weekends I have drove from Chicago to Detroit, Detroit to Chicago, Chicago to Cincinnati, and Cincinnati to Chicago.  Today's drive back from Cinci was a pleasant one, due to sunshine and a relatively lax schedule that allowed me to stop at some interesting exits to make pit stops. 

If you are ever driving on 65 in Indiana, you MUST exit at exit 220 and visit Fair Oaks Farms.  I stopped today (um...and on Friday on the drive down) to get some of their mint chocolate chip ice cream.  HOLY COW.  It's perhaps the best ice cream I've had in my entire life.  I got a kiddie sized cone so I didn't have sweets guilt and it was a good thing I was about 15 miles away when I had the last bite or I may have gone for more.  I also got a sampler bag of their Sweet Swiss cheese and some milk for my cereal/coffee this week.

Perhaps I can get some friends together to go on the Dairy Adventure...ending the day with ice cream. ;)