Meme?

I was tagged by Sara, who I could kiss on the lips for introducing me to Google Reader! If you haven't checked it out yet, do it. Now. You can kiss me later, and then kiss Sara.


Five Habits Meme

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Jeez... I was 22 and that was quite a year. I left one okay paying job for a GREAT paying job, that didn't last and at the time I was crushed and defeated, but my mom gave me the option of moving back in with her and getting back to school full time. I'd been working for a couple of years and had been out on my own taking night classes at the local junior college. I started that Spring semester (1999) at UHCL and it turned out to be the best decision I could have made.

Five snacks I enjoy in a perfect, non-weight gaining world:
Ice cream
Pringles
Those fried jalapeno string thingies
Peanut M&Ms
French fries


Five snacks I enjoy in the real world:

Fiber One Yogurt
Kashi Go Lean cereal
Peanut butter granola bars
Sugar free pudding
Pretzels with peanut butter

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Travel
Adopt a gaggle of children
Donate ridiculous amounts of money to charities like the ASPCA, Hopeline, and the LAF.
Buy a huge piece of property and rescue dogs
Set my family and myself up in a comfortable lifestyle-nothing too over the top, just comfortable


Five jobs I have had:

Exercise physiologist
Crisis Intervention Specialist at a Women's Shelter
Rehab coordinator
Substitute teacher
Compliance Officer

Five habits: (I'm so unoriginal on these things sometimes.)

First thing every morning, I check Myspace, email and Galleywinter (it all has to be done before the boss gets here)

My shower routine is a lot like Sara's. Wash hair and face, rinse, wash hair and body, rinse, condition hair and shave (or maybe not here lately), rinse.

Google Reader! I think I've said enough. Although, I rarely check it over the weekend... it makes for a very fruitful Monday morning. (It's the best invention EVER. Did I already mention that?)

I start every morning with a glass of Simply Apple juice on ice in the back yard while watching the dogs take care of their business.

While I'm getting ready in the mornings, the TV is tuned to GMA. I watched here and there for the last few years, but I've been addicted since Robin Roberts revealed she was battling breast cancer. It's refreshing to see the "cast" of the show really enjoy each other's company. And if they don't, they do a good job of acting like they do.

Five places I have lived:

Houston
Seabrook
Nacagdoches
La Porte
Lake Charles, LA

Five people I’d like to get to know better:
(Meaning, you're it!)
Christy H-The Second Step
Elise-Life's little ups and downs
Jenn-An intern's insanity
Angie-The Jackson 4
Amalia-A broken heart is the only way to be set free

Even if I didn't put you down here, I still want to know more about you!!

The spark.

We were walking from the main house to my garage apartment after our first date and he put his hand at the "small" of my back (it was certainly smaller then). That's when I felt it. It was like I'd been shocked with static electricity, but I felt it on the inside, not on the surface of my skin the way it usually feels.

And he said, "Did you feel that?"

And that's when I knew he was someone that was going to be very special to me.

God, I miss him.

"But a tan makes me look healthier..."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard that. Hell, I've probably said it myself. But does THIS look healthy? How about THIS?
Please watch this video clip.


I was all about the "savage tan" until a couple of years ago when I heard my friend Julie had melanoma, and when my mom's boyfriend and I had a long talk about skin cancer. He's had several bouts with basal cell carcinoma, and had one melanoma on his ankle. His never metastasized, thank goodness, but Julie's did. And fast.

THIS website contains very useful information on the different types of skin cancer. There are so many that it's pretty overwhelming.

Most of us are so young that we think we're invincible, that "it", whatever it may be, can't happen to us. Well, Julie was 35 when she died, leaving a husband and three young children. Hallie age 7, Jack age 4 and Kendall age 17 months. The second BTHO Melanoma benefit is September 14th and it's going to be weird without her there. The benefit was REALLY successful in raising money for various charities, and to help the Lyons family with travel expenses to Dallas for Julie's treatments. If you have anything you'd like to donate for the silent auction, please let me know, or send Angie an email through the BTHO website.

For you parents out there: Coolibar makes some great sun protective clothing for the kids, and for you, too.

I'll probably be back at some point to add to this post... There's a lot I want to say about the subject!

Please pray.

First, please pray for my friend, SD. Her ex killed himself a year ago on 7-7-07 and with the anniversary getting so close, she's not doing so great. I hate this for her. I would never wish any of this on my worst enemy.

Second, please pray for the CANTRELLS from Rayne, LA.

And, while you're at it, pray for Steph. She had her second round of chemo yesterday and says she doesn't feel too bad now, but days 3-5 were the worst after her last treatment.

Miss Independent.

Yep. That's me. It was a total bitch to get together and there were many times when I should have called someone over to come help me, but I just couldn't. Anyways, I'm happy with the way it looks. It's a vast improvement over what I was using as my entertainment center. I think it's actually my first piece of "adult" furniture that I've bought myself! Up next, a new bedroom set, but that will be a long time from now.
Before: (there was a little side unit to this that I had already moved when I remembered I wanted to take a picture)

After:

Talk about a fantastic weekend.

I spent a good part of Saturday with one of my most favorite couples:
I spent Sunday with this cool-as-hell chick:

Who looks like this now:
Can you even believe how beautiful she is? I found myself watching her Sunday and not feeling sorry for her, rather wondering how she can possibly be even MORE beautiful without hair than I ever could have imagined. And she is beautiful, isn't she?

My next post: Nicole vs. the 6,928 piece entertainment center.

My hero.

This was taken a LONG time ago, but I love it. And I love her.

Insanity.

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

I'm just sayin'.

There is no going back.
To that other person.
That other place.
This thing.
This stranger.
She is all you are now.
(From "The Brave One" with Jodie Foster)


That's the picture from my Senior year of high school that I mentioned in a post a few months ago.

Looks sinful, huh?

It's actually not. Tastes just like a Latte, but with about 1/10 the calories. It's a decaf Iced Americano (espresso and water over ice) with sugar free caramel (go for the sugar free vanilla instead-way better) with a bit of skim milk. About 40 calories MAX.