Simply the Best

It's my second day in a row to post! Not a record, but YAY I'm back for another day (don't worry I'll only celebrate for a few more days).

Today's prompt courtesy of www.dailypost.wordpress.com is:
NASA is building a new Voyager spacecraft that will carry the best of modern human culture. What belongs onboard?

I prefer to answer this in list format (because I love lists!) and in no particular order:

Paderno World Cuisine Rouet Spiral Slicer

• cheese
• spiral veggie cutter (because seriously, who doesn't love noodle veggies?)
• microwave (hopefully, whoever finds it will have electricity)
• refrigerator
• air conditioner / heater
• indoor plumbing & shower
• music player (be it a cd or mp3 player)
• crop irrigation system
• sewing machine
• industrial manufacturing machines
• dry erase markers
• velcro
• sleep machine
• books

Okay, WiFi is pretty important too!

Ok - I don't want to make an exhaustive list because I don't know how big this spacecraft is. I love technology, but I don't think that it's necessarily the "best" of modern human culture. While it makes information more accessible and daily life easier - I feel lucky for some of the "given" things we take for granted (indoor plumbing, temperature regulators, mass manufacturing technology). While I could (and did) go without a phone / smartphone in my pocket, I don't think I would last too long in a world where I had to go outside and dig a hole to relieve myself. Plus technology fails - books are forever :)

What would you add or remove? 

Coffee and Wine

Today I saw this little gem on Facebook and I just had to share.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE wine, coffee and encouraging words that can be summed up hilariously on an ecard? 

Lessons from the weekend...

1. Just because its been in the fridge, doesn't mean it's still good to eat.

2. $10 is NOT enough money to do laundry for one person.

3. Laziness DOES NOT pay off, but it DOES feel good.

4. It should not take 2 days for my chores.

5. I may have gotten dumber since I turned 35. Why, you ask? 

Because everything on the list, I already knew! (oh except for maybe #5)

No one to crush on...

For a long time Bobby (the guy on the far left) was my big "My Boys" crush!

Last month, while house / dog sitting I decided to resurrect one of my FAVORITE shows (Thanks Netflix) "My Boys", and up came an episode about being in a slump - and boy could I relate! 

Everything in this show centers around how life mimics baseball, so when you aren't dating or crushing on anyone - you are in a slump. Couldn't agree more! My slump has lasted way longer than I'd like to admit but I digress...

What a difference a month makes!

You know, the Morton Salt Girl and I have something in common...

Except she gets salt. I apparently get boys coming out of the woodwork! (Notice I'm not complaining)

It's been so long since I've had a man actually courting me, that I forgot what it was like. I'm a little sad to report that it is not like riding a bike... okay well maybe it's like riding a bike you still remember the concept - but your center of balance has probably changed. 

So for now, I'm plugging along. Trying to enjoy the attention. Trying to enjoy 35. Trying to make sure I don't end up holding an umbrella when the next dry spell comes along.

Well... What do you do when you're sick & can't sleep?!?

Me? I do what any crazy unmarried 34 year old woman does:

Design an engagement ring online while sitting on the can!

See! Don't I have great taste?!?

Now some of you are probably asking yourself... "Does Jennifer have a boyfriend? Is she even dating anyone?"

No. No, I do not.

Perhaps you think it may be bad mojo to design a ring before you have someone that wants to give you that ring. Well, I'll tell you like I told my ex when he found out that I had designed a ring: 

I did this long before you came along & will probably be doing it long after you leave. It makes me happy, so just deal with it.

And here you were wondering why I'm still single! 

The Blazing Race

The Amazing Blazing Race - or at least that's how we do it where I work. 

The Slimsons BEFORE photo :)

Today, along with a couple of coworkers, I competed in a scavenger hunt of sorts all over the university where I'm employed.  In an effort to become less fat-tastic, I have tried to become more active - which goes really well with this Slimdown Competition work is hosting. Our team, The Slimsons, is working on getting into our skinny jeans and this race was part of the goal.

We chose the low impact route and DAMN I'm out of shape! (Like it was that big of a surprise!) 

As we went along though, I realized a couple of things:

1. When you're too fat, your back hurts BAD when you walk.
2. The more active you are, the better you feel. DUH
3. My coworkers are really fun people (I kind of already knew that...)
4. This campus is HUGE (and yes, I realize "That's what she said")
5. I don't care what that stupid piece of paper said - we walked more than 1.14 miles!

My encouragement to you today is to get out there and walk or run or bike or whatever you do to be active. Looking down at the scale and tipping it to the highest you've ever seen it with your two feet standing on top is not a happy place, friends! 

Remember: Fitness is FUN!

750 Words

As some of you know, I teach computer classes at an organization that serves women looking to improve their situations by learning a new skill (e.g. computers). I came across this organization following the death of two of my co-workers almost two years ago. I'm on my 3rd class and last night we finished up the keyboarding portion of our course - which means we're a third of the way done with the program! Time seriously flies!!!

Anywho, a common thread among some of these women is that at some point they've been victims of domestic violence. Sometimes they suffer from low self esteem or self worth. They've never had someone tell them that they could do something - they've always been put down. This is where my 750 words comes in.

Think back to a time when you were learning something... say keyboarding. I take for granted that (once we moved to Texas) the schools I attended had computers and we always had a computer in the house (Thanks Dad!) so keyboarding is a skill I never really put much thought into learning. Now, I can type upwards of 75 words per minute. 

One reason I'm a stronger typist than others is that I spend a lot of time writing / blogging / etc. So I've encouraged my students to start doing the same. 750words.com is a website developed on the idea of Morning Writings. The thought is that if you write three pages every morning (roughly 750 words) it frees your mind and allows you to think more clearly for the rest of the day. The added bonus is that if you're learning to type, you can get practice and comfort typing to your little heart's desire. 

The thing I L O V E about 750words.com is that it is completely private - unless you change the settings. They also give you fun statistics (nerd alert) about your writing and who doesn't love getting into their subconscious? The only downfall at this point, is that they're going to a paid only subscription to assist in offsetting the cost of running the site. It is very modestly priced but my point is that even if you don't use this particular platform - getting those pesky thoughts out of your head every morning really helps you become a more productive and creative person. 

Give it a try. You never know what you might find out about yourself. Even if it's just that you improve your typing speed :)

The People You Meet

In my profession (even as it's morphed over the years) I'm always meeting new people. People are fascinating. 

But what I love is the stories we take away at the end of the day.

Just think, without people, you wouldn't have:

1. Awkward 1st date stories

2. Lessons to take with you on that next job, relationship, purchase, vacation, day in court (lol)

3. Entertaining stories to tell at cocktail parties

4. A kick-ass stand-up routine

5. Finally, who could do without those stories that are so crazy - they bond us together.

I love that people - all kinds of people - make the world go round. Without them, I'd laugh WAY less than I do now :)

Spellstravaganza

As I mentioned yesterday, I participated in the 2013 Tarrant Literacy Coalition Corporate Spelling Bee along with my fellow teammates from Mayor Betsy Price's young leader initiative SteerFW. 

We came in 9th.

We were one of the last 2 teams on our "side" of the stage (out of 11)!

I'm proud of our team. I'm also proud that we didn't know the word gallimaufry - which I had NEVER heard before yesterday. In case you're like me, and didn't have a freaking CLUE what the word meant it means: hodgepodge. 

My first inclination was to think: why not just use the word hodgepodge? but that's not what spelling bees are all about.

Now, let's talk about our costumes! We were the "Stellar SteerFW Spellers". Originally, we wanted to have an aviation theme, but since Lockheed Martin was also participating, we went starry. As you can see - we mean business! Shelly (on the right) was gracious enough to raid Party City for all of their star-themed paraphernalia  We got so many compliments and comments on our costumes - it was well worth it.

Spelling Anxiety (aka Spell-ziety)

I'm participating in a Corporate Spelling Bee for the benefit of the Tarrant Literacy Coalition and I fear I'm in over my head. 

The competition is tonight, I've studied (yes, I use that term extremely loosely), I've worried, I've quizzed, I've indulged in spelling juice (aka wine). Now the time has come for me to bite the bullet, get up in front of a ballroom of professionals and leaders in my community

and make a complete and utter ass out of myself. 

Yes, friends. I'm probably the most nervous I've been about an activity in quite some time. I've spoken to crowds, performed in plays, played an instrument, sang both alone and with a choir - but today I'm a little north of mortified. 

Did I mention, I'm on the team sponsored by Fort Worth Mayor? 
Did I mention that last year her team came in 2nd place? 
Did I mention, I'm the team captain?
Did I mention, I have a SEVERE ISSUE with saying No?

Okay, well with all that - it's time for me to leave work and go get ready (Did I mention, I'm wearing a costume?). Yes it's all in good fun. Look for the horrifying evidence photos tomorrow. 

Oh and if you're looking to contribute to a worthwhile organization that believes in parading community members around and making fun of them through spelling, might I suggest Tarrant Literacy Coalition? :)

Nutrition Counseling

A couple of weeks ago my employer held a benefits fair. All sorts of banks, insurance companies  local businesses and doctors eagerly showed up to share with my fellow employees about how great and wonderful they are. I go for the free stuff. I'm not even trying to front. I usually get a couple of work toothbrushes, some fun crap giveaways and a bunch of business cards I don't want or need (it would be rude not to take them, right?!).

As I was going down the last aisle, I noticed a brochure for food intolerance testing. I have a good friend that did an elimination diet (and as seen all over Pinterest and Facebook) Ain't nobody got time for that! so a blood test seemed perfect for a lazy-ass like myself. A quick call and I was in the next week. 


This doctor claims he can cure everything that ails me (including a couple of auto-immune disorders) and get me off all of my prescription medications in 12 - 18 months. I'd be crazy if I didn't take him up on it, right? So here I go. Setting off on the journey of eliminating (probably) everything I've ever loved from my diet. BUT the prospect of feeling good (not even great) regularly is an enticing carrot. I can do anything for a year, right?

I will chronicle my journey on my other blog: jennewilson.wordpress.com

Come on over and see how I'm holding up!

You hurt where?!?

You know those "brilliant" ideas you get when you're feeling good and your body isn't hurting - you almost feel like a kid again? 

No?

Well, in all my genius this weekend I decide that I should take my new bicycle out for a spin. So my friend Sarah and I take our bikes down to the Trinity River Trails. Awesome! I'm stoked. The weather is beautiful. I'm only slightly intimidated by the serious bicyclers. All's well. 

Until... No, I didn't fall, but it feels like I did. After 4 miles, I realize that I'm in desperate need of a new bicycle seat. Desperate need. 

I'm proud of myself that after a decade (or more) hiatus of bicycling, I'm able to make it as far as I did (without water much less), but y'all - I woke up this morning being grateful that I don't have a husband or boyfriend if you catch my drift...

So now, Tylenol is my very best friend - although I'm not really sure it's doing much in the way of helping and I'm determined to get a new seat and get my fat ass back out there and ride 5 miles this time!

Advice by the letter

Always be true to yourself.
Be the person your dog thinks you are.
Crack is whack, as are most drugs (legal or otherwise).
"Dun bun can't be undone."(Thank you Stephen King)
Early risers scare me, but they get shit done.
Farts are better out than in.
Grass REALLY IS greener on the other side, but it's not your grass so who cares?!?
High heels feel best when removed at the end of the day.
Icing is just as good as ice cream when you're sad.
Just keep swimming!
Kick a ball every now and then.
Love with all of your heart.
Mind (& take care of) your business.
Niceness is never wrong. Ever.
Own your life and choices. It's ALL YOU!
Put your phone down and have a real conversation. You know... like in-person.
Question everything!
Regret NOTHING!
Sing loud. Always!
Trampolines make you jump higher & feel like a 7-year-old regardless of your age.
Umbrellas aren't just good on rainy days!
Vocalize! God gave you a voice - use it!
Wear clean underwear. Always!
X-ray vision is expensive & unnecessary. (Don't believe me? Ask the TSA!)
Yawn contagiously.
Zealously live!

The Saga of the Slide

Who knew a McDonald's slide could cause so much angst?

I don't remember being worried about going to the top of the PlayPlace... Little A (my niece) on the other hand - makes it seem like the idea of going down the slide will be worthy of (at least) 5 years of adult therapy.

It's funny, the difference between siblings. My sister and I couldn't be more different, but I see similarities to each of us in her kids. J (my nephew) is fearlessly confident (like me) while Little A is confidently fearful (like my sis). The interesting thing though is that they're both insecure in areas that you would stereotype them by gender to be good at. Little A is probably one of the most aggressive competitors you'd ever meet, but has the social skills of a tree frog. Whereas, J would rather woo you with his wit than compete with you on any level.

Baby Fix

Yesterday, a co-worker brought his 3-month-old baby to work for about an hour so all the ladies here could get a quick baby fix. 

Yes, you heard me... BABY FIX

Only the women of child-bearing age who either haven't had a baby or are thinking of having another one know that feeling. New baby smell. The wonderment and awe in their eyes. The crinkle in their forehead when they're trying to strain to poop. You know, the adorable things that come with being around a newborn - that you don't have to get up with at 3 a.m. to feed. 

My uterus started to ache. A C H E, I say! 

Only the ladies that are in their mid-thirties or more that WANT a baby but for whatever reason haven't been able to HAVE a baby know what I'm talking about. That emptiness in the pit of your stomach that makes you long for your own new baby smell. 

Or maybe I'm the only one...

Abs, Mimi (me) & Julian in 2011
my "old" baby fixes

You see, I got the whole baby experience with my nephew - at least for the first 18 months. It was probably the best time of my life in so many ways. Now he's 9 and his baby cuteness wore off a LONG time ago. I had another (kind of) shot with my (now 5 year old) niece, but she wasn't a big fan of people that weren't her parents when she was a baby so I didn't get a lot of Mimi time while she had the new baby smell. (Of course, now she thinks I'm amazeballs!)

Anyway, if you have a new baby and you don't mind some crazy lady holding him/her for a few minutes with a few tears in her eyes... I'm your gal!

Guess it's been awhile

A friend asked me today "Why aren't you blogging anymore?"

I was taken aback. I'm ashamed to say that I kind of forgot I had a blog.

But never fear, my 4 subscribers! I'm back and going to make a commitment to blog EVERYDAY for the rest of January. 

Happy 2013!
Credit: Boulder, Colorado website

I can do that, right?

So here's an update on me: I got a new job.

YAY!

No really... Y A Y!

You are reading words straight from the brain of the new(ish) Assistant Director for Constituent Groups at the University of Texas at Arlington Alumni Association. Of course, i would be remiss if I didn't mention that all thoughts and opinions are mine and in no way are affiliated or reflect the views of the University. (Was that wording legal enough?)

I've hit the ground running in a couple of ways to start off 2013. One of which is getting a nasty case of strep throat out of the way. I'm also still teaching at The Ladder Alliance; and serving as a Vice Chair on the SteerFW Employment Committee - so of course, I'm busy.

A new(ish) man prospect is on the horizon, so stay tuned for the torture fun that ensues from that too. All in all, folks - Happy New Year! I look forward to letting you in and (hopefully) entertaining you a little this year.

Cheers!

My Television Addiction

Gotta LOVE Sheldon!

Like many I've struggled with addiction or obsession as it were - today I'm going to share my struggles with all of you - yes it is my addition to television. It's gotten so bad that I'm actually chronicling my indulgences through a fun little app called Get Glue.


What's so great about Get Glue? I love it because you can connect with new people that have the same interests as you do and learn about new shows and stuff that you may like. The other thing is stickers.


Yes. I said stickers.


They'll even send them to you for free! 


Yep, folks the little girl in me is still alive and well. 


And LOVING her stickers!


View Jennifer's stickers on GetGlue

Finally Sunny!

For those of you that don't know, my favorite color is yellow. It reminds me of bring sunny beautiful days of outside wonderment and joy. I can't look at yellow and be sad. 

So it warms my heart to be able to share that I finally got a new car! 

Bonus: it's yellow!

His name is Sunny Atreyu

He is not exactly what I wanted or even what I was looking for, but if you've ever looked for a car and had some financial difficulties - you learn to curb your expectations. 

Sunny is cute, fun and I think he'll be brave and adventurous - which is where his middle name comes into play. Sunny is a Chevy Aveo and while I telling a friend what type of car he was, the name Atreyu (instead of Aveo) jumped out of my mouth. Then I remembered how much I loved The Neverending Story when I was a kid and I just couldn't let my Sunny go without a middle name. In the movie, Atreyu was handsome, brave, adventurous and reliable. I think Sunny will fit all of those qualities and more. 

So now comes that amazing time where I have to learn all the new fun and funky quirks about Sunny A. I already learned that I don't have to shift him, but old habits die hard. I also haven't gotten the seat quite right and since I don't have to shift, I'm having a helluva time deciding what to do with my hands (yes they are on the wheel but where?). 

All in all, you'll be able to see us coming a mile away. He was made in America (go U.S. Manufacturing!) and he fits my personality. Win! Win! Win!

By the way, my niece thinks he's "handsome" :)

Dragon, Virgo, Bikers... Really?!

Today has been one of ^those^ days (not *those* days - which are worse). It was an eyebrow raising day hence the ^. 

A friend / co-worker invited me to her birthday party this weekend. She and her husband are really nice and funny and I really enjoy hanging out with them. 

We're talking about the agenda for the day of the party and it goes a little something like this:

Birthday Girl: We're going to meet at the biker bar around noon, have a few drinks and go for a ride.

Me: That sounds cool, but I don't have any one to ride with.

BG: That's okay, there's plenty of single bikers that will be there. Maybe one of them will give you a ride.

Me: (silently thinking) you want me to go drink and then get on a motorcycle with someone I don't know after they've been drinking?... What are y'all doing after the ride?

BG: We're going to meet at the house and have some food & drinks.

Me: Maybe I'll just meet y'all at the house.

Later on at lunch I get an earful about it being Lunar New Year and we're changing to the Year of the Dragon, which I find extremely fascinating (really I do!). A co-worker is taking off Friday - Monday because it is her year to cook for their group of families they celebrate with. She and I have a very good relationship. All she wants is for me to get married and have lots of babies. And I adore her for it. She won't give up. Here's a portion of our conversation about Lunar New Year...

Year of the *REALLY COOL* Dragon

MH: It's Lunar New Year this weekend. We are starting the Year of the Dragon.

Me: WOW! That's really cool. It sounds all fierce!

MH: The Year of the Dragon is a great romance year for Virgos.

Me (a Virgo): Really!?! That's encouraging. I really need to get out there and snag me a dragon! What happens if I don't make it happen this year and I'm still single at the end of the year?

MH: ... ...

I guess I really WILL be going to that party this weekend. Better get cracking!

Duh, Pinning...

It's what I'm doing now!

Are you obsessed yet? With Pinterest, I mean...


What is Pinterst, you ask? 


Pinterest (pronounced to rhyme with interest) is a vision board-styled social photo sharing website and app where users can create and manage theme-based image collections. (Thanks, Wikipedia)


Oh, & did I mention I'm obsessed?


I have 36 Boards, and (currently) a little over 3200 pins. 


Why couldn't I find something more productive to do, like writing on this blog or my Green Event planning blog? Because, as with all new toys, the shiny hasn't worn off yet. 


As some of you may know - I pride myself on being somewhat of a *foodie* and Pinterest has allowed me to go pretty much batshit crazy finding recipes. Even using ingredients I hate. It is official, if it's pretty and I'm hungry, I'll pin anything!


But the BEST board I have has got to be my "HaHa" board. It's like everything I've ever said, or thought, or was to slow to think of was captured, assigned a photo and a funky font and posted to Pinterest! 


Pinterest isn't all humor and recipes - there are a lot of cool DIY crafts, wedding & event ideas, home decor ideas, fashion, vacation spots and all the photos of Bradley Cooper & Ryan Gosling you could ever want to see (fairly clothed, of course). 


If you aren't on it yet, I highly recommend it. While you're there, give me a follow and laugh, craft and dream along with me as I become an even more sarcastic (fatter) foodie with great crafty aspirations. 


It may, or may not be considered the dark side - but it sure is fun!