Pain...I better Seriously Gain

When I woke up this morning it hurt to stretch out my arms over my head. Yesterday's pullup are definitely being met with soreness today. Not much but enough where I don't want to reach up for anything much for the rest of the morning. Do have errands to run. Bank then post office to mail out this COBRA and unemployment stuff. There shouldn't be a problem with either and I hope everything runs smoothly. Just want to move on with the next employment adventure. I better get going.

McRage and McDreamy

A woman actually called 911 because she couldn't get a refund for McNuggets? Seriously? How crazy was that story. Still makes me laugh. I still don't understand why McDonalds wouldn't simply refund her money since they didn't have what she ordered. Is it really that hard to refund under five bucks? Come on now. I hate to say it but common sense isn't used often enough. As for the woman who called 911...she's stupid too. People are getting raped, murdered, robbed and she's calling because she didn't get her fast food. Let's be real here.

For the most part it was a quiet day for me. Went to work out. Jeff was all over me like white on rice. In a way its good and bad. Good because it forces me to work harder. Bad because it forces me to work harder. Ha ha. I've had this low grade headache all day but I didn't wake up with it. Started somewhere around 10am. I did sleep well last night. Got in a whole six hours. Can't remember the last time that happened. Usually I'm waking up in the middle of the night and falling back asleep. Sometimes that's not too bad waking up at three or four am. It's really quiet. Really calming. I'm looking forward to an upcoming gala in a few months. It's nice to get all dressed up and feel extra beautiful. Of course I won't have a date but who cares...I'll still know that I clean up well. It's a couple of months off but I can already see how fabulous I'll look in my favorite back dress with the roses on the bodice. I've had this dress forever but it still looks amazing on me so why mess with a good thing? LOL.

I better wind down since I'll be waking up at some absurd time. I think I want to have a great dream about a handsome guy cooking me dinner and totally turning me on. I read somewhere a long time ago that if you keep thinking about certain subject matters you can literally program yourself to dream about it in some capacity. Hell...if I can't have it in real life I might as well dream right? LOL. Oh...a girl can dream. More tomorrow.

High School Horror

So I had one of those high school type OMG moments today at the gym that initially left me horrified but then had me laughing so much today. After a particularly hard workout I went to go wash my hands before changing to go. Of course somebody was in the bathroom so I proceeded to change and then went back. After I left the bathroom to go get my coat to leave, I had a brain lapse and didn't even realize it until I found myself walking into the men's changing room! Oh My God! And who happened to be in there but of course the hot guy who is good eye candy and an added motivation to just show up. LOL. Fortunately he was not naked (although that would have been an extra bonus...ha ha). I don't know what the hell I was thinking. What a brain fart to have. Sharif was cool about it but still...I was mortified for at least thirty seconds and then I found myself laughing. He was even joking when he came out telling Jeff I was sneaking a peak. My response was it's not like you have anything I haven't seen before buddy! LOL. Well at least I won't make that mistake again and will probably laugh now every time I pass the men's changing room.

I'm feeling slightly stiff now but a good night's sleep will help with that. I'm really excited and terrified about my commitment to do this half marathon. Especially since I am not working it gives me more time to train and plan (but finding employment still trumps workouts) but I'm terrified in the sense that the fundraising goal, while not outrageous could be difficult for me to reach since I don't know many who will part with money towards any other cause aside from their own. Makes me think how flexible I am (shameless plug for myself). Looking at my donation history, I contribute alot with a very modest income to many diverse organizations. Good for me! OK end of my shameless plug. If I don't rise the money, I'm on the hook for it. Kind of tough since I don't have any income coming in. However I'm going to be optimistic that I can raise the money, train without getting hurt, and successfully complete the race and help out a good cause all at the same time. Everything will work out well. I just know it.

Quick blurb about New Jersey's initial plan to possibly implement furloughs to shore up a budget deficit. I absolutely hate it when I hear government employees bitching about not getting paid for three week. Is it difficult to go without pay? Absolutely. But have they thought about what if instead of a furlough it could be a layoff with no income? I'd rather take no pay for a few days rather than no job or benefits any day. As for the Rhianna and Chris Brown stuff...who cares. Why is this still in the news? Why did it ever make the news to begin with? Isn't that why we have entertainment shows like ET and Access Hollywood? Same thing with the Octomom. What a nut job she is. How selfish is she in my opinion? Very. Her mother is an accomplice. That's what happens when parents enable children. If the mom wasn't around to help take care of the first few would she have kept going to get impregnated at a clinic. I don't think so. Oh well...now 14 more kids have to be provided for in this world.

It was so cold outside. Love it. I know it was cold because my eyes were watering and I had the sniffles on my walk. I was dressed warmly though. o.k. better go. have some stuff to work on and I'm getting even stiffer sitting here typing a the computer. more tomorrow.

The Government and AIG

What the hell is going on with AIG and the Government? We, the taxpayers, already bailed them out once and the government authorizes even more billions of dollars to keep it afloat? What the hell? I have a theory that this was all the makings of Hank Paulson and his personal feelings getting in the way of professionalism. Yes...human feelings can create so much trouble. Granted, investors, banks, flippers, some home buyers got greedy and created this mess. However, in my opinion, when it came time for the government to step in and do something about it, failure came in the form of emotion...human emotion. I truly believe had Paulson authorized a bailout for Lehman Brothers, we would not be seeing this systemic mess today. Dick Fuld's refusal to listen to warning and act swiftly was another problem. Combine all this with two men who want to pee all over their territory and be right and well....look where we are now. My IRA portfolio is half of what it use to be because of all of the tumultuous activity on Wall Street. However, with that said, I'm still going to dollar cost average. In theory, I still have time...30 years to be exact, to build up some type of decent retirement package. Who's going to bail us out if all of these corporations keep being greedy and want help after they've done wrong? There's only so much that Obama and future presidents can do to reverse the mess that has built up for decades. I'm still going to be optimistic.

I went outside today and took a nice walk around the neighborhood. I made sure to walk into every single snowdrift I could find and leave footprints all over. I also found a great spot in the park and made a snow angela. It turned out so perfectly I had to stop for a few moments to admire my work (smile). Lori says she doesn't think she's ever made a snow angel in her life. I highly recommend that everyone do so just once in life. There's nothing like the feeling of falling into a bank of snow, looking up at the winter sky, spreading your manmade wings, and feeling the snow falling on your face as you leave your own artistic print on a small part of the Earth. Some guy across the street in a moving truck was looking at me like what the hell is this adult doing. I think secretly deep down he probably wanted to make a snow angel too. I hope he did when he got back to wherever he was going. I'm a hard worker but I like to play too. I think too many people never really find that balance between work and play.

It was so cold outside but I didn't feel it since I was dressed warmly and have a great winter jacket and boots. Made me thankful to have these necessities also. I made a loop over to the market after the park and picked up some bananas before heading inside. Cooked a huge pot of chicken soup with rice. Nice and warm. Going to work on some tasks for a few minutes and then read a little. I was invited to join in on a running group training for half marathon but need to ask some more questions before I decide to join the group or remain solo. I am but a mere novice so I don't want to be the slow one of the bunch. Looks promising though. Still have work related issues to wrap up including sending back my form to the company. Going to send that return receipt requested since Sean and Erika are evil and lie too much. Taking no chances with them messing up even more paperwork. Also filed for unemployment today too. Let's pray they not do the wrong thing. O.K. better go. Don't feel like talking about data rot and migration tonight but will pick up with it in the week. More tomorrow maybe.

Playing in Snow in the Hills

I'm so excited that the events of the last few weeks seem like history. Just the mention of snow makes me happy. In a few hours we will have a winter storm upon us in New York. If the weather predictions are right (and this time it looks like so), we will be getting almost a foot of heavenly white snow. Millions and millions of snowflakes quietly descending from the sky to blanket us. Love it! I probably wouldn't love snow as much if I had to shovel but since that's not the case I truly am in love with snow. Another love affair (travel better watch out). I found another good thing about being unemployed at least for tomorrow...that means I get to stay home and then go out and play when I feel like it! I'm going to make sure to have a really warming cup of hot cocoa and watch from the window for a while then I'm going to go for a half hour walk and find someplace to make at least one Snow Angela. I'm looking forward to it. On CBS Sunday Morning there was a good piece about this guy who photographs snowflakes. How beautiful they are. I never knew that there are never any snowflakes with five or eight sides. Learn something new every day right? All unique and temporary...human beings are just like snowflakes...unique and here for such a short amount of time.

Data rot and migration was also a good subject on the show this morning. Talk more about that maybe tomorrow.

I have picked up again with doing morning pages and have set my first artist date for later in the week. There's an exhibit at the museum that ends later this month that focuses on the Black Experience so that should be a good date. I'm feeling more awake and focused. Firing up plans in this head of mine. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. I've put an end to some relationships and others have put an end to it for me. Feels right. I feel as if I have broken a cycle I kept putting myself into..especially with men. I won't go into detail but something in me in different this time and I feel very powerful, confident, and sure I am making the right decisions for my life. Years ago, one of my former friends said that my standards/requirement for men are too high. I countered by saying that if needing a man I can trust, someone who loves me as much as I love him, someone who will work as a team, and someone who isn't afraid to communicate with me are too high standards then I'd rather be alone. I'm holding to those standards. I will continue to fill my time learning and growing so that I'll be ready when I meet that guy or he finds me. If it doesn't happen for whatever reason (meeting) then I will have to say then that was God's plan for me. As Lori would say "Let Go and Let God".

I heard back from Frank yesterday. We led several volunteer training sessions together a couple of years back. He says it took him three years to commit and actually run the marathon. He amazes me. Such a kind spirit. I told him I'm going to pick his brain for as much help as I can get in this process. No excuses, just do it. I'm doing it. Thanks to the government subsidy of up to 65% towards COBRA, I should be able to pay into coverage until December. If I get hurt at least in the temporary if no employer type benefits are had I'll have something. That is of course pending receiving unemployment benefits. I am going to work hard to create several streams of income so that I can continue to fulfill my dreams.

ok. better go. have ten more minutes of cleaning up pockets of mess. Why do I always have stuff sitting at the end of the sofa?!? In my defense I don't everything does double duty up here so why should the sofa/coffee table be any different? I'm not a slob thank goodness but I'm not a neat freak either. My space is lived in and I feel good energy when I am in it. I hope that when I move on to the next place to live I can match and increase the good energy. I hope the next place I land will be my home. More tomorrow...let it snow! Love it!

11:05pm...Had a tremedous amount of garlic this afternoon. Thank goodness I won't have to come into contact with anyone tomorrow. I think garlic is oozing from my pores! It's snowing outside. The street is getting quieter as the road starts getting coated. The only thing that takes away from my "snow high" is the impending sound of shovels at 6am! Doesn't matter though...snow will still be there (smile).