a lil bit of taxi trivia

did you know...

there are two ways to swim upstream, err drive uptown, in manhattan.

way one: float the green stream. sometimes, just sometimes you catch the green lights just right and can follow them all the way in. very few stops. ideal. avg cost: $11.50

way two: get caught at a red light. that means you can travel seven blocks before you stop at the next red light. more than a few stops (7 since you are traveling exactly 70 block uptown). not so ideal. avg cost: $14.00

That's your cab lesson for the day. give my best to park and madison avenues.

A lil bit of pet peeve ranting

Really... if you need to say "it goes without saying" and then proceed to say that which, by your own admission, "goes without saying," then just leave it without being said.

It's like using a cliche and then immediately following it with "so to speak." Really, you're following one cliche with another? Really?

a lil bit of remembrance

Today is 9/11. It's a bit different spending this day in New York City.

I was touched by this man's story of survival. He was on the 85th floor of the North Tower. He survived the initial tragedy of the day, but like so many others he struggled with feelings of guilt and sadness for years. He is a survivor. He, like so many others who didn't make it, is worth remembering.

May we always remember with hope.

http://bit.ly/4AOSMT

a lil bit of betting

so we just finished watching the bachelorette season finale... no worries, no spoilers here, but we know what happens. jill's happily ever after is now common knowledge--at least here on the east coast.

so, as soon as we turned the TV off we started speculating on how long this relationship will last... because the really, we were only waiting all these weeks just to find out who she would break up with in a matter of time.

here are the terms: each person had two months--either together or separate-- to determine when the inevitable breakup would happen. the person closest to the correct time would get something from the two LOSERS. in the case that they stay together, we all will donate time or otherwise to a charitable cause.

here are the guesses (with coded names of course!):

Gooch (okay, maybe not so coded): 8 or 14 months
dancing queen: 3-4 months (and she liked the chosen guy... that's a bit pessimistic)
sassy ballerina: 9-10 months

cheers

a lil bit of freedom

in light of the iranian protests and other conflicts going on around the world, i was/am especially grateful for the freedom i enjoy and all too often take for granted. this video says it well.

a lil bit of coaching points

Okay, so I had to be a coach for a minute and record my thoughts on the US Men’s National Team thus far. I’ve missed coaching since I left Utah, don’t tell Skyler, so I’m getting my fix on the blog…

Direct play: All too often, when we win the ball as a team we look like Jo-Jo the idiot circus boy with a pretty new pet (yes, that’s a Tommy Boy reference). We get the ball and we just want to go. Our midfielders run forward before running wide and creating space. Our forwards put their head down and their backs to the ball and just go. That makes it hard to keep the ball and you saw the effects of that in the second half of today’s game and for most of the first two games.

Onyewu: How good has Guc been for two straight games? He wins everything. His instincts are incredible. It’s been out of form for a while – weeks into months - and all of a sudden he found his form against Egypt and was phenomenal against Spain. If anyone knows anyone who knows Onyewu, please introduce me. He is perhaps the sexiest man alive in my book currently…

Bocanegra: I’m impressed with the way he performed against Spain. There’s no saying how difficult it is to be out of game action with an injury and then have your first game back against none other than the best and hottest team in the world, Spain with a mobile, creative and tactically and technically superior attacking side. His touch was impressive, his fitness good, his decision making up to par. I’m pleased with our skipper.

Red cards: How ridiculous is it that we feel the need to challenge for unwinnable balls? I don’t get it. Stupid. Dumb. Unnecessary. You can say all you want about the decisions of the referees but three different refs in three different games on three different occasions gave straight reds… not even two yellows, but straight reds. Ridiculous. Our central midfielders need to figure themselves out.

Final: Who do we put on the field instead of Bradley? That hurts. If Sacha gets the start, I call a 3-0 loss (you heard it first here) with his poor decisions/touch directly responsible for at least two Brasilian goals. Just saying… give Feilhaber a shot. He’s earned it. Please, PLEASE, puh-lease leave Beasley and Sacha off the field… only if you want to chance to win.

Onyewu: Can I just mention how attractive his scruff is? Yes, I like that.

Donovan: I’ve always admired his work rate, but I’ve never seen him work so tirelessly as he has this tournament. In the first couple games he resorted back to not taking enough responsibility in the final third and passed opportunities he should have taken himself. That said, he is the most important player on the US squad. Our best will almost always be our keeper, but he is the most important and he wore the captain’s armband well. In the second half of the Spain game he played endline to endline, LITERALLY. He was on the end of crosses in both of the final thirds. That’s work. Also, his set pieces were almost always dangerous. His services had great pace and gave our guys a chance. Not much more you can ask.

Dempsey: After not defending for basically three games, he came out and had a great all-around game. He came back and defended well and obviously went forward well. He created some good chances on goal and finished one. It’s good to have him back with a chip on his shoulder and playing with his team. Let’s hope that stays.

Casey: As a second half sub in the Italy game Connor came on and was lazy. Really? You’ve been watching your teammates cover the field with 10 for most of the game and are put up front to direct the opponent’s flow of play and make them predictable so the defense behind you can get a bit of shape and you walk? You walk? Then jog and walk more? So unimpressed by him. There has to be another striker in this great country that is willing to work when playing against some of the best teams in the world. Just a hunch. In the Spain game he was better, but not much. Just write his name on the seats next to Beasley and Sacha.

Whining: I’m sick of our reactions. In our first two games let’s be honest, we made millions of mistakes- that much was all too clear. What I don’t want to see is the DeMarcus Beasley hand slap on the ground before he decides to get back. I understand that you have to sppeal calls, just do it as you work, don’t stop working to turn and talk to the ref. if you think a forward is offsides, throw your hand up, scream like mad, and GET BACK. I expect to see us make mistakes, I don’t ever want to see a reaction to the mistake. Seriously, so sick of this.

Spector: He did well for himself this tournament. He’s no Steve Cherundolo (cue University of Portland and Clive Charles love), but he was close to solid. His GLARING weakness, defendin the cross on the far post. He was nearly always beaten to the ball by his mark to the cross on the backside and it cost us at least one goal I can think of right now and multiple other chances. Ya, he should work on that.

Onyewu: And that body…really? Um, that’s nice too. Let’s just say I like him. A lot.

Harkes: Worst. Announcer. Ever. (Skyler, those periods are for you since I know you might be the only one who reads this!) He is unabashedly biased, and adds absolutely nothing to the commentary. He says nothing that makes you think, nothing that opens your eyes. Basically, he says nothing, and yet he says it over, and over and over again. Just for fun I think I’m going to count how many times he says “again” in the final.

Guts: who knew we had them??? This performance is exactly the result you knew we could have as a group, but for so long, with the exception of the 2002 World Cup, the whole has been less than the sum of all the parts. We’ve always boasted some of the best pure athletes in the world, but we’ve lacked the tactical and technical greatness that the best in the world possess—outside of our keepers. That can be attributed a lot of factors that I won’t go into here, but finally in these last two games we’ve decided to grow a pair, take a bit of pride in our work, scrap a bit and leave something on the field. I remember back in the day when April Heinrich was the coach of the WNT and she addressed the regional teams at a tournament in Boca Raton and she said she was worried that soccer was becoming elitist, prima donna, like we were owed something. It wasn’t about being dirty and getting the job done, it was about looking good and doing it “right.” I think she’s mostly right. For two games, the MNT proved her wrong.

Bradley: After the first two losses in this tournament in which the team forgot that this game is played best when passion and heart are involved, his job was in question. Actually, doubts started in a stadium in Costa Rica and were reaffirmed for the most part of the game against Honduras in Chicago. But, he was resilient and made some great personnel decision in the Egypt and Spain games. His decision to put Dempsey upfront was HUGE. Let’s be honest, it saved his job. Well done Bob, well done.

Onyewu: It’s official. I would have his children.

Go USA.

a lil bit of dad

there are so many things to say on this day, but i decided to just say one thing- say one reason why my dad is special. basically, one reason why i am crazy about this man...

last summer the abc series wipe out was all the rage in my household. i never missed an episode. so when i saw the previews for season 2, i was anticipatory! but, to be honest, i don't think i'll watch a single episode. why? because i realized that when i watched wipe out my head was not toward the tv and my ears were not tuned into the sound-- i was fixated on the high-pitch squeal of a laugh coming from my papa bear. i looked forward to seeing that forehead vein rear it's protruding face (shocking, i know!). the joy behind that laugh was pure. it was real. it was childlike in its sincerity. and that big kid is my dad, a father in every meaning of the title and the role. and i'm grateful that i get to hear that laugh for a very long time in this life- modern medicine is a miracle- and forever as an eternal bond in an eternal family!

that's just a lil bit of dad... but it comes with a lot of bit of love!

a lil bit of thievery

brand positioning: the place a product occupies in the mind of the consumer that both defines the brand and differentiates it from others.

certain fashion brands, namely

u r b a n o u t f i t t e r s & a n t h r o p o l o g y

have positioned themselves, or set themselves apart, as being fashion forward and unique. they are chains that have more of a boutique feel than the large department stores. you can imagine my shock when i learned this week that these VERY stores shamelessly and repeatedly rip off the designs of working artists.

my dearest friends Heather and Heidi Palmer are entrepreneurial spirits to the very core. they've been developing businesses since they could walk... literally! their latest venture is True Birds. These glammed-up accessories have donned the pages of the hottest fashion mags out there and have been picked up by some major stores including N O R D S T R O M and F R E D S E G A L!! But they're always looking for more... so they sent look books and physical samples to both of the aforementioned stores (the mean ones!). months later, the boxes returned with very few samples and NO look book. hmmmm, interesting.

so, last weekend i was looking for the perfect shawl/cardigan/unique piece to pair with a black sundress. naturally, one of the first places i thought to go was the aforementioned a store. while there, i was looking at their accessories (a guilty pleasure, i know) and i saw a bunch of pieces that looked almost exactly like True Birds pieces. so much so, in fact, that i picked up the head bands and looked for the brand tag... nope, not TB. now, just to be clear- this was not one similar styles- it was SEVERAL.

now, sunday night i'm gabbing with hp (read: heather) and she told me about how she was looking on certain stores' web sites and they were featuring literally almost exact replicas of the birds' designs. then i told her of the rest of the designs that i had seen during my jaunt at the mean store... and the fight was on.

ya know, it's just sad that a store that has set itself apart for originality hides behind the corporate face while two real and personal designers put their face on their designs and make it personal. i'm mad. designs belong to the designers and their kitchen table, late night sewing sessions. how do you fight the giant?

anyone know erin brockovich?

a lil bit of separation anxiety

i hate when shows end. i hate when movies end. i hate when things in general end...

[think soccer, london, mission et al]

i think that's why i was able to watch chasing liberty three times in one night once...

i think that's why i can only stomach watching the first act of camelot - i know eventually everything goes to pot in the second act... but king arthur's dream can't really end, can it? and his love?

i think that's why bonus features are my favorite part of every dvd - when the movie ends i get to watch at least two more hours of footage! it keeps going, and going, and going

i think that's why i cheer extra loud at the end of a show- thinking i'll make the difference, we'll be the exceptional audience, we'll get an encore

has "he's just not that into you" taught us nothing? we are not the exception... we are the rule. i am the rule. it's over. it ends. done.

p.s. i l-o-v-e-d mary poppins tonight. absolutely FABULOUS! laugh out loud funny, if i were the crying type i may have even shed a tear... and great family values and message.

cheers to disney.
cheers to broadway.

cheers to disney on broadway.

my mom always, but so much more!

"I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights." ~Adabella Radici

one day, these words, don't begin to be enough.

i guess the idea of honoring someone with 24 hours devoted to appreciation for their life-long service is a good gesture. brilliant, even. insufficient at best. dreadfully insufficient.

to quote mr. lincoln who said, "all that i am, i owe to my angel mother" would be accurate. but, lacking.

to amend his words and say, "all i am and can potentially be that's any good i owe to my angel mother" is better. still lacking.

to say, "all that i am, the best possible version of myself, the self that loves, feels, serves and cares, i owe to my angel mother" is even better. still lacking.

so, while insufficient, i'd like to say that my mom, best friend, confidant and mentor is special for a plethora of reasons... but i would only like to name a few.

1- as a daughter, i ALWAYS knew my mom loved me. there was never any doubt. now, maybe being the baby girl in the family, i positioned that love in such a way that i could get what i wanted (my sisters would read [spoiled]), but she will never be found guilty of not loving me enough. that love has saved me at times.

"Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved." ~Erich Fromm

2-she's always been available. if i needed her, my mom was available. now, that's not to say that she's not busy. raising six kids, often on six teams at a time, making dinner, lunches, keeping the house together, and working to help out (what family can live on one income these days?) meant my mom probably felt more like hired service on many days. i'm sure the thank yous were few and the hours were long. and yet, she was ALWAYS there. i always felt a priority. she was never too busy for me. i, on the other hand, often convinced myself that i was too busy for her, but the inverse was never true.

"Mother - that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries." ~T. DeWitt Talmage

3-she sure does know how to listen. for someone who has a famed reputation of loving to talk on the phone, my aunt sharon is also endowed with this talent (which comes first, the talent then the daily conversations, or does the daily conversations develop the talent? this chicken/egg idea merits a later look), my mom knows when all i need is a shoulder, an ear, a hug, a "ohhhh honey, i'm sorry." when she does offer her nuggets of wisdom... she always seems to be right and right on time. but mostly, she lets me talk, lets me think, lets me vent. she's good at that.

"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children." ~William Makepeace Thackeray

4-she lets me fly. and sometimes, i fly far away. and sometimes, she knows when i'll be back. and sometimes, she doesn't. and yet, like every loving mother, she'll help me strengthen my wings, and let me plunge out of the nest. and then when she sees me soar, a feat for which she is almost entirely responsible, she seems simultaneously awed and unsurprised. her faith in me is limitless. it's an anchor.

"My mother is a poem
I'll never be able to write,
though everything I write
is a poem to my mother."
~Sharon Doubiago

5-she sees with celestial eyes and offers that view to others. in general conference in october 2008, president eyring spoke of people in our lives who see us much more like the savior than we see ourselves. he was talking about my mom. now, i would be remiss to say that she is the only person in my life that fits this bill, but i say with full confidence that she has most consistently seen me with the savior's eyes. and, far more often than i probably want to admit, sorrowed that her little girl couldn't see herself through that same lens. the first time i felt that yearning i was in the beach community of caraguatatuba, brasil. we were teaching jessica. jessica was 14. jessica had no idea who she was. she shied away from looking into the reality of her own worth. i prayed. i fasted. i prayed. i pleaded. i prayed. i wept. i prayed... hoping that jessica would awaken to understand her divine nature, her innate deity, her value as a daughter of God. and then, in that little beach town, i thought back to the time i came home from high school to find my room clean (and we know that's not how i left it in the morning) with a book on my bed "daughter of a king." she wanted so badly for me to see it, to know it, to feel it, to trust it. she might like to know... she's rubbing off. even if it's still hard.

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible." ~Marion C. Garretty

a lil bit of a detour

have you ever taken the long way home, just so you had more time to read?

ya, me neither... i was just wondering.

on an unrelated note, i finished my book today.
i bought it monday...night.

a lil bit of miss liberty

on what started out as a cold, windy, rainy day, we spent saturday visiting "the lovely lady of liberty" and ellis island.



it was definitely a throw-back to the europe days where museums and trips were a part of the routine... i must say i missed my cohorts. my girls are just the best people to tour a city with- hands down.

i tried to make miss liberty personally meaningful, just to better understand what those millions and millions of immigrants felt as they saw her rising out from the hudson bay fog.



i remember driving home from utah every year. as soon as we hit the columbia gorge, i knew we were close! those last miles seemed to drag on... hurry up already... but i drew comfort in knowing that the 12 hours in the car was short lived and almost over.

with that in mind, i better understand what seeing the statue of liberty meant to these journeying hopefuls. upon seeing the copper figure, after more than 12 days on a boat (sure puts 12 hours to shame), these passengers knew their journey was reaching an end. while many faced uncertainty on ellis island, the bulk of their waiting was over. what a welcomed sight!

for old time's sake



"and there she is, the lovely lady of liberty"

fun fact: the statue is only as thick as two pennies!

a lil bit of Bo

The Obama's finally unveiled the first pooch.

I must agree, the puppy's got star quality.

And he doesn't shed hair.

And he's portuguese.

Let's just say he's got a lot of things going for him!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7999253.stm

a lil bit of spontaneity

a true story:

taylor: ali, where do you want to go for your birthday dinner?

ali: stanford's

taylor: what's that?

ali: it's a restaurant in portland

taylor: let's go!

ali: don't toy with me

taylor: do you really want to go back?

ali: i haven't been back for five years

taylor: then we're REALLY going

two plane tickets later (thanks southwest for having $71 weekend fares!) we are going to portland april 16-18.

happy birthday to me.

happy grateful forever to taylor.

that's love.

a lil bit of snow, only a lil

as i was pulling in to my parking garage last night (thank heavens for underground parking), my windshield caught drops of rain mixed with snow. when my roommate came home, the mixing had given way to full-fledged snow. it was coming down all white, all night.

then...

i wake up and the sun is shining and the sky is blue--a perfect contrast to the fresh blanketing of snow!

i hereby cast my vote for all future snows to follow these simple guidelines:
1-must only snow at night
2-must be cleared off the streets by 7 a.m.
3-must be followed by blue sky and sun
(this is sounding a bit like a song from a certain musical "Camelot")

that isn't to much to ask is it?

25 things you now know about me

this has been circling facebook for weeks. i broke down and did it... and since my mom doesn't have f-book i'm posting it here too for your viewing and reading pleasure! enjoy.

1. Certain people refer to me as "Ali, uh with the junk."

2. AP style overwhelms me. I have become obsessed with it--more for necessity than for desire! It even sneaks in to my verbal communication. No ending sentences with prepositions here...

3. Rice and beans make me happy. No, really. I eat every bite with a smile. "E' o amor!" If I could eat them everyday for the rest of my life I would. Literally. Maybe that's why Brasil is my FAVORITE place in the whole world. It must have something to do with it. At least a little.


another reason i love brasil


4. I have a mild dislike for animals. I don't get the pet passion people have. They are animals. Aren't human. Don't talk. Don't clean. Make messes. Inevitably die tragically. What's not to love, right?

5. I am a procrastinator. Right now I should be writing scholarship essays. Case in point.

6. I LOVE cities. All shapes, one size:BIG. There's something about pollution, traffic, public transportation and high rises that gets me. Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today (being the 26th of April). I want to be a part of it...New York, New York.


big city love


7. Soccer. It owns my heart. My mom once made fun of me that I cared more about what I looked like at soccer than I did at school...it was true. Can you blame me? Soccer apparel was an obsession. I'm currently recovering (only because I'm poor--just wait 'til I actually make money). Soccer tournaments are some of the highlights of my life. I've been kicked out of hotels and ostracized to the balcony. I've packed an old-school VCR to watch in hotel rooms. I've played dress up at Target. I've taken some really ugly pictures. Anything can happen when you travel with soccer girls. Nicknames and hand shakes are ALWAYS in order... Skali, Skmar, Skhil, Skyra!

8. Apparently I'm superstitious. In high school I had my adidas and nike cleats to go with the outfit of the day since I adamantly OPPOSE mixing brands. I wore my adidas cleats in one game, at McMinneville, and played SO poorly I never wore them again in a game. They were relegated to practice cleats only on the rare adidas days. I was always a nike girl anyway... what was I doing branching out into the adidas world? Sorry Uncle Ron.

9. I win. I'm like the kid on Big Daddy that says "I win" after everything. I say it too--except I legitimately win. There was once a cheating streak in me to satisfy said winning desire. It got so bad that I used to cheat as the banker when I played Monopoly with the kids I nannied. I've changed. Now, if I beat you it's because I'm just better. The end.

10. My broseph happens to be one of my favorite people on the planet. I don't have a single childhood memory that doesn't involve him. They are all happy. Even the one when I made him go first down a zip line we made off the neighbor's second-story balcony with rope and a hanger. I love Tay-tay, Handles, T-Cash Money Bling Bling et al. Even after the zip line incident and years of back problems later, I'm pretty sure he loves me too! Even though I know he won't do one of these things, I'm going to tag him anyway.


the broseph


11. Boo snow. It serves no purpose for me. I don't ski, snowboard or like sledding. If it must fall, it belongs in the mountains. If it must.

12. When I was 16 I totaled my dad's car in Ladd Canyon driving to Oregon from Utah. It traumatized me. I didn't speak for 24 hours...ME!!! I know, right? Stop shaking your head and saying no way and ask my sister Heather. She was the passenger and witness to it all. She repeatedly told me to stop as we were spinning out of control and crossing lanes of traffic before running into a rock wall. She got whiplash. She had a laceration on her forehead. I was...sore? The ER doctor who saw us both said the following (oh so tactfully)
-Dr: You're 16?
-Eu: Yes
-Dr: And you were driving?
-Eu: Yes
-Dr: And you look like this (unscathed) and your sister looks like THAT?
-Eu: Yes
-Dr: She must be pissed at you!
No wonder I cried everytime it snowed for the next two years just thinking about driving in it. Is it possible this relates to #11? No, it couldn't possibly!

13. I love sports. I love sportscenter. I love sports. I love sportscenter. I learned everything it all from my mom. She's the biggest fan I know. Back in the Blazer glory days (pre jail blazers bad era and b roy good era) when not yours, not mine, but Arvydas Sabonis was our best answer to Shaq's LA domination, the cable company blocked all Blazer home games unless you subscribed to Blazer Television. Yeah right. Instead my mom and I went out to dinner every game night and watched the game from the restaurant. Many a night was spent at Sportsnation. Those were the days. Rip City. Bust a bucket.

14. American Idol...I'm a fan. Big fan. HUGE. I have seen EVERY SINGLE episode aired since season one (excluding drawn out Hollywood week) except for anything aired between Oct. 10 2006 and May 1 2008. However, I have only voted for ONE contestant. Count 'em... ONE! But I would vote for two solid hours on at least two cell phones and a house phone. Nikko Smith. He's a taurus. I'm a taurus. It's right; it fits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVNeLrKGGDY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1mLtaNxMEo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaLnSHw6mX8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dYAY2Jvdns&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CULuvx0Z9O0&feature=related

That year Heather treated me to tickets to the American Idol tour. I made us Nikko shirts. I have the pictures to prove it. We almost got backstage because Scott Savol was eying my sister. We didn't. I still love him. I won't vote for anyone else out of principle. I just can't.


the Nikko shirts


15. I have a purse problem. I can't have enough big, shapeless bags. I currently have 10 bags hanging on the back of my door--and those are just the ones I have in my apt. I need NO coaxing to purchase a new bag. It's always a good idea.

16. Speaking of purchasing. I also love belts, earrings, bangles, headband-type things, rings and scarves. You can never have too many. Ever. Period. At least I'm consistent.

17. I heart PR. Like a lot. Really. I'm so lucky that I chose a profession about which I'm passionate (see the placement of the preposition?). I love reading about the industry. I love putting together and executing campaigns. I love writing. I love editing. I love crisis communication. I love public relations. Yes.

18. You dance and I'll watch. No, really. America's Best Dance Crew, Step Up, So You Think You Can Dance, You Got Served... all faves. Can I dance? Ummmmm- let Solomon answer that question! Ha.

19. When I was in sixth grade my sister walked in to the cafeteria at Twality Middle School on my birthday with a bouquet of balloons and took me out to Applebees. I got lunch and, of course, a blondie. I've been to Applebees for a blondie every birthday since (at least those spent in the states).

20. Movie quotes are a part of my everyday vernacular. I do it so much people no longer recognize it as a quote--they just write it off as an Ali-ism. It helps that I have a steel trap for a memory and that I used to grab bear claws two at a time...

21. I am Avery's favorite Aunt. She told me once. I remind her (and her other aunt who happens to be my sister) often. My goal is to be the favorite aunt of all the nieces and the nephew. That means I paint finger nails, give candy, and run around, fall and squeal a lot. Hey--whatever it takes to reach my goals.


avery with her favorite aunt


22. I have a habit of setting lofty goals and then admiring the miracles the Lord enacts to make it all happen. I often stand in awe of my own life thinking, wow, I did NONE of that. Ergo, I like to say I'm the most blessed person in the world... not for anything i did or deserve.

23. I love to travel. All it takes is pulling out one of my olive green suitcases and looking at my ridiculously meticulous folded piles of clothes to get me smiling from ear to ear. Airports are perhaps my favorite place in the world, especially when located in a big city (see #6)

24. I have 10 pillows on my bed. Most are for decoration. Four stay on and sleep with me. I also have four inches of foam heaven on top of my mattress that my grandfather received in the hospital when he broke his hip. Needless to say, I push snooze a few times in the morning!


heaven on a bed


25. I love words, phrases, the way things soar to our ears. Little stimulates me more than a well-worded speech, a well-written book, a well-thought out poem. I carry a notebook with me EVERYWHERE in which I record words and phrases I like and want to remember. It can be from the latest book I'm reading. It can be from a random conversation. But it stays with me at all times just in case. It'll come in handy one day when I write my book.

gratitude is in order

many have asked me recently if i'm excited. in a word, YES. but more than that, i'm grateful. why? i've accepted an internship at Middleton & Gendron, a PR firm based out of manhattan.



this is one of the PR firms i identified in my internship search at which i would love to work. i have heard great things about their corporate culture and the character of the people there--from top to bottom.

then last week, i received an e-mail from a professor who had been in contact with them. she informed me that m & g decided to offer the position and wanted to hear back as soon as possible... i asked for 24 hours to think about it.

after much thought and prayer i decided to accept. i start april 27th. the office is on 5th Ave. three blocks from rockefeller center.

the Lord is Great. I am grateful.

*****none of this could not have been possible without the help and recommendation of my dear HP... fanks love!

valentine's in january

with my job at the college of nursing i often have the chance to interview faculty for various college stories. i was interviewing a new faculty member the other day and i asked her to share her initial impressionsof campus. she mentioned how warm and welcoming everyone was... then went on to say that it was a very "lovey dovey" campus.

when we went outside to take her picture we walked through a trail of red rose petals in the jfsb atrium. someone had a romantic proposal!

the trend continued... i show up to my religion class thursday night and i sit right next to the epitome of said couple campus. they were sitting hand in hand and when she found something worth writing down they would somewhat awkwardly unhook, she would note no more than the bare essentials, then they would relatch and the loving husband would resume stroking her hand.

that's not all.

right behind me there was couple number two. they both had paper and pen out, but still found the time to hold hands and loving husband #2 just loved caressing the jean-clad leg of his beloved.

i was almost tempted to turn to the guy next to me, grab his hand and plant a big wet one on him. too bad he was sleeping.

one way ticket

On an east bound plane? And why not... headed to



Why? How? it's all about doing this in april


2009 has some big things in store... big
HUGE