100 Truths

001. Real name → Julie Marie Jones
002. Nickname(s)→ Jules, JJ
003. Status → Single
004. Zodiac sign → I don't believe in that
005. Male or female → Female.

006. Elementary → Howard Park, Calvin E Rodwell, Hilton, Dicky Hill and Deer Park
007. Middle School → Deer Park Jr High and Woodlawn Middle - I would love to completely forget those years
008. High School → Milford Mill Sr High - It was awesome...so I'm told!
010. Hair color → Brown, Black.
011. Long or short → Short.
012. Loud or Quiet → Quiet.
013. Sweats or Jeans → Jeans
014. Phone or Camera → Phone
015. Health freak → In theory, not in action
016. Drink or Smoke? → Drink, but not much.
017. Do you have a crush on someone? → Yes.
018. Eat or Drink → Can't I do both?
019. Piercings → Only in my ears
020. Tattoos → No

FIRSTS:
023. First piercing → five or six years old.
024. First best friend → Keia Smith
025. First award → yeah, right... like I remember that
026. First crush → Some little boy in the 7th grade
027. First pet → A Cat, I think her name was Bianca
028. First big vacation → Cuarnavaca, Mexico
030. First big birthday → I remember my 9th or 10th birthday because I got an Atari

CURRENTLY:
049. Eating → I just ate the most awesome chocolate chip cookies... .thanks Gina!
050. Drinking → Water....nature's soda
052. I'm about to → wash my hair.
053. Listening to → Linkin Park
054. Plans for today → Wash my hair, go the kingdom hall.
055. Waiting for → LOST to come back on

YOUR FUTURE:
058. Want kids? → Not today, maybe tomorrow
059. Want to get married? → Yes.
060. Careers in mind → Theatre Management or Technical Theatre or maybe both.

WHICH IS BETTER WITH GIRL/BOY?
068. Lips or eyes → Eyes
069. where did this question go?
070. Shorter or taller → Taller
072. Romantic or spontaneous → Romantic
073. Nice stomach or nice arms → what an odd question
074. Sensitive or loud → Sensitive
075. Hook-up or relationship → relationship.
077. Trouble maker or hesitant → neither

HAVE YOU EVER:
080. Lost glasses/contacts → constantly
081. Ran away from home → Not successfully
082. Held a gun/knife for self defense → No
083. Killed somebody → No, only threatened...long story
084. Broken someone's heart → Yes
085. Been arrested → No
087. Cried when someone died → yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
089. Yourself → mostly
090. Miracles → Yes
091. Love at first sight → No
092. Heaven → Yes
093. Santa Claus → really? No Virginia, there is no Santa Claus
095. Kiss on the first date → No.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
097. Is there one person you want to be with right now → yes
098. Are you seriously happy with where you are in life → mostly
099. Do you believe in God → Yes
100. Post as 100 truths and tag 10 people → so bossy

Trick Knee

I found out from the doctor today that the reason why I've been having knee pain is that I have calcium deposits in the lower quadrant of my knee. Now I have to go see an orthopedist to follow up. Hopefully, nothing evasive has to be done.
I'll keep you posted.

Melinda's Blog

I read my friend Melinda's blog tonight and realized just how insightful she is about current events. As I typed that last sentence, I realized how horrible it sounds. It was only recently that we became friends, although we've worked at the same college for a while. We bonded over Facebook and our mutual love of our dogs.

But reading her blog tonight gave me great insight into her thinking. She wrote about the election, Rolling Stone's "greatest (fill in the blank) of all time" lists, the insanity and insensitivity of the common man, and a college catalog that seems to haunt her days and nights.

The election
The excitement surrounding the election has been more than I could stand at times, mostly because I am politically neutral. I can appreciate that this election was historic and in many people's minds, as a country, the United States has made a giant step forward in terms of race relations. However, one of the things that Barack Obama had going for him was that he wasn't George Bush. There were a lot of people who wanted "Anyone But Bush"... That campaign strategy didn't work for John Kerry in 2004. But this time around, people knew that GW was leaving and they just didn't want another version of GW in the white house.

But Melinda makes a good point in her blog. There are people who aren't happy that Obama won. They think the economy is going to get worse. They think that the world is going to end shortly after January 20th. What is worse, they think that Obama's plan to help the middle class will be nothing but a handout to help undeserving people. Wait! Isn't GW doing that now? He's just calling it a bailout for the greedy banks that gave out bad loans to people who couldn't afford them.

Don't get me wrong. I don't hate GW. I don't know the man. I think he made bad decisions as president. But what president hasn't? Even FDR who started the WPA and other programs to help stimulate jobs during the Great Depression was criticized for helping out the lower class. And in a way, I get it. Those programs were never meant to last indefinitely. But there are remnants of those programs in existence today.

But I guess what really gets me are the people who think that government programs to help people get back on their feet are wrong and support laziness...that is until the critics need help themselves. I have been seeing reports of middle class folks who are losing their homes and having to go to food pantries to get help to feed their families. When I see these stories, I wonder how these folks felt about government programs before they needed them. Here's another question - Is it wrong to help low income families, but ok to help middle income families? Some people would have you believe that it is.

One thing is for certain, at least in my mind. The scene of American politics is definitely changing. Some people will think that since we have an African-American president, then we, as a country, must not have the race relation issues that we've faced in the past. There are people who will continue to think that a "colored muslim" shouldn't run the country. They won't want to admit that they don't even know who Obama is and what he stands for. They will only see a black man. I've even heard bad jokes about what will be served at the inauguration (fried chicken and other assorted foods associated with African-Americans). It just shows that no matter far we have come, we aren't where we need to be.

Reba and Kelly, part 2

So I just got back from seeing Reba and Kelly and IT WAS AWESOME!




I've seen Reba perform 6 times, but it was my first time seeing Kelly. She is amazing. She has so many sides... so many genres that she can sing. I'm so glad that I saw her...

I guess I can say this... it is my blog after all... but I was sitting in front of some interesting people... OK...they seemed like rednecks.... the kind that would give Gretchen Wilson a run for her money. One even admitted that she hadn't taken her ADHD medication, so she might get a little hyper. It was fine, until she actually got hyper. I was so glad when Fancy finally came on because then she calmed down a bit.

I guess I dont' really having anything reflective to say about the concert. Except that one song in particular got to me. I have always loved the song "And Still". It's about a woman who, in a far away town, runs into the love of her life. The only problem is that they aren't together anymore and to make matters worse, he's married... but she still loves him and can't even tell him. It hit a little too close to home for me this time and I got a little teary eyed. I think Reba did too.

Reba and Kelly Clarkson

Finally, I'm able to get my thoughts together to sit down and blog again. I finally have a day off from the box office and I'm treating myself to a concert. I'm going to see Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson in concert at the 1st Mariner Arena.

I've seen Reba in concert 5 times; the first time was in 1995. Coincidentally, I met Reba at that concert. She was very nice. Reba put on a great show back then. Her concerts were very theatrical with costume changes and set changes. When I saw her in 2004, however, she had scaled back the show. Some people complained, but it was actually refreshing for me. See, it had always been about the music for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved the show. But ultimately, I went for the music.

Now Reba's with Kelly Clarkson and if it's anything like the CMT crossroads, I know I'll love it. Melissa Peterson, Barbara Jean from Reba (the show) is the opening act and from what I can tell, Reba and Melissa still have great fun together. They really are like Lucy and Ethel. It was a shame that the CW cancelled their show. REBA was one of the only shows that families could watch together on the CW.

I'll let you know how the concert goes tonight.

Neither Red, Nor Blue

Below is an excerpt from an article called "How do Jehovah’s Witnesses view voting?" from the November 1, 1999 Watchtower Magazine.

Of course, in some democratic lands, as many as 50 percent of the population do not turn out to vote on election day. As for Jehovah’s Witnesses, they do not interfere with the right of others to vote; neither do they in any way campaign against political elections. They respect and cooperate with the authorities who are duly elected in such elections. (Romans 13:1-7) As to whether they will personally vote for someone running in an election, each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses makes a decision based on his Bible-trained conscience and an understanding of his responsibility to God and to the State. (Matthew 22:21; 1 Peter 3:16) In making this personal decision, the Witnesses consider a number of factors.

First, Jesus Christ said of his followers: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:14) Jehovah’s Witnesses take this principle seriously. Being “no part of the world,” they are neutral in the political affairs of the world.—John 18:36.

Second, the apostle Paul referred to himself as an “ambassador” representing Christ to the people of his day. (Ephesians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:20) Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Christ Jesus is now the enthroned King of God’s heavenly Kingdom, and they, like ambassadors, must announce this to the nations. (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 11:15) Ambassadors are expected to be neutral and not to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries to which they are sent. As representatives of God’s heavenly Kingdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses feel a similar obligation not to interfere in the politics of the countries where they reside.

A third factor to consider is that those who have a part in voting a person into office may become responsible for what he does. (Compare 1 Timothy 5:22, The New English Bible.) Christians have to consider carefully whether they want to shoulder that responsibility.

Fourth, Jehovah’s Witnesses greatly value their Christian unity. (Colossians 3:14) When religions get involved in politics, the result is often division among their members. In imitation of Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s Witnesses avoid becoming involved in politics and thus maintain their Christian unity.—Matthew 12:25; John 6:15; 18:36, 37.

Fifth and finally, their keeping out of politics gives Jehovah’s Witnesses freeness of speech to approach people of all political persuasions with the important message of the Kingdom.—Hebrews 10:35.

In view of the Scriptural principles outlined above, in many lands Jehovah’s Witnesses make a personal decision not to vote in political elections, and their freedom to make that decision is supported by the law of the land.

song snippets

I only got 4 minutes... to save the world :)

***************
All that matters, that you recognize that it's just about respect!

***************
Maybe we'll meet at a bar
He'll drive a funky car
Maybe we'll meet at a club
And fall so deeply in love
He'll tell me I'm the one
And we'll have so much fun
I'll be the girl of his dreams maybe

***************

In my head there is a mirror
When I've been bad, I've been wrong

***************

actually, bottom line, you tell the truth sometimes,
and sometimes you tell the truth like you're pulling taffy.

***************

Now I gotta cut loose, footloose
Kick off my Sunday shoes

***************

We all wanna feel special...

This special need
That's within us
Brings out the best
Yet worst in us

***************

I believe in love, I believe in love
A love that's real, love that's strong
Love that lives on and on

***************

I’m gonna take that mountain
Ain’t nothing gonna slow me down
And there ain’t no way around it
Gonna leave it level with the ground
Ain’t just gonna cross it, climb it, fight it
I’m gonna take that mountain

***************

The more I live - the more I learn.
The more I learn - the more I realize
The less I know.

***************

I've seen the fires of deep division
The hearts of stone, the cold ambition
But I have found my sacred mission
To live in this world and still believe
That there is

One sky above, there is just one source of love

the internal contradiction

so many feelings
race through my mind

frustration
fear
stress
worry
sleeplessness
anxiety

at the same time
i feel

relief
accomplishment
anticipation
love

i crave
sleep
reassurance
peace of mind
a calming hand

The Karate Kid, Balance, Degrees and such...

So here's the thing... I've been on my new job for four weeks now. I'm losing some of my IT skills, but I'm picking up new ones. I still don't feel like I'm in charge of the box office, but my managerial skills have been put through the test.

I keep watching the Karate Kid movie and although I feel stupid for saying this, it has taught me something that I need to do to make it through this new job. Mr. Miyagi's whole purpose in teaching Daniel karate isn't to be able to defend himself against bullies; although that is a major reason. The most important reason for Daniel to learn karate is to learn balance; balance in life, balance in relationships, in everything.

I think I have spread myself too thin over the years and I haven't achieved that level of balance that I need to live a happy life. I've been working on my bachelor's degree for three years now and I don't feel any more intelligent or even knowledgeable than I was before I started. I'm at the point where I don't like it anymore and I almost feel resentment for having done it. My original goal was to get the degree so that I could teach. Then the rules changed. I may not be able to teach now without a masters. And everyone is trying to tell me that I have to get one. I don't think so.

From what I've seen, there is a certain amount of disrespect for those of us without a certain level of degree. I almost have my bachelor's. But when you work in an educational institution, one of the first things people ask is "where did you get your degree?" as if that is the defining aspect of your life. Heaven forbide you don't have a degree and people will either devalue everything you say or they will make it their personal mission to save you from your own ignorance. The fact of the matter is that not every job requires a degree and not every person is cut out to go to college. There are a lot of jobs that require non-traditional education, including and especially the IT field. What I've seen in recent years is IT people being treated like dirt because, in general, they don't have degrees. But when someone with a degree has a computer problem, suddenly the IT person is a genius. There's definitely a disconnect.

But it's not my aim to complain about the educational snobbery that I've encountered. I guess I needed to vent. It is my last semester of classes and I truly want it to end soon.

The Dewey Color System®

Introduction

The Dewey Color System® is the world's first and only validated, color-based personality career testing instrument. Based on our experience and your interests, your best suited occupations are listed below.

Best Occupational Category
You're a CREATOR
Key Words:
Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional
These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer.

CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature.

Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.


2nd Best Occupational Category
You're a SOCIAL MANAGER
Key Words:
Tactful, Cooperative, Generous, Understanding, Insightful, Friendly, and Cheerful
This very social type enjoys working in groups, sharing responsibilities, and being the center of attention. Fields of interest are instructing, helping, nurturing, care giving and instructing-especially young people. They discuss and consider feelings in order to solve problems, lead, direct, persuade, guide, organize and enlighten others.


http://www.careerpath.com/career-tests/colorcareercounselor.aspx

Making Progress

For the past couple of days, Petey has decided that he doesn't want to eat dry food anymore unless there is moist food in the bowl. And even then, he only eats the moist food. For the past two days, I didn't have any moist food so I tried compensate with either mixed veggies or fruit. Petey ate the fruit, but he wouldn't eat anything else.

So today I decided not to put the fruit in the bowl because I've been told by a couple of people that I have to get him back to eating the dry food without any moist food. This way he won't get even more finicky than he has become. So this morning I made him a bowl of food and encouraged him to eat but he wouldn't go near the bowl.

Also this morning I started watching the Cesar Milan DVDs to get a handle on how I should train Petey. I'm learning about being a pack leader and teaching Petey how to be a follower and listen to me. He's basically a good dog, but he generally doesn't sit when I tell him unless I have a treat. He also doesn't stop barking when he sees other dogs.

But here's the thing. I got Petey to eat some of his food. I took a little bit of his food and put it in my hand. Petey thought it was a treat and ate some out of my hand. Every time he ate some food, I put more food in my hand and moved my hand closer to the bowl. Eventually, my hand was in the bowl and then he decided to eat out of the bowl himself. I was very proud of him to get back to eating dry food.

I'm going to try this again later in the day so that he eats the rest of his food.

A difficult task

I don't know why it is so hard to say the things that are deep down inside our hearts. When you are close to someone, it should be easy to tell them exactly how you feel and to articulate it in a coherent way.

I tried it today and am only 40% sure that I managed to say exactly what I meant to say. I didn't say 100% of what I was really feeling and the more I talked, the harder it became to say it. I felt like a babbling idiot.

Does that make me a coward?

A new chapter

Well, there you have it. I have a new job. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I'm going to leave the familiar surroundings of the IT world for the flare and excitement of the arts world.

When I try to put my feelings into perspective, I feel a sense of apprehensive calm. The past month, I have waited in eager expectation of the moment when I would get the call, thinking, of course, that it would be an exciting, overwhelming moment. Oddly enough when I got the call, I could only answer "OK, cool" because my mind was singularly focused on my American Government final exam. The call, while greatly anticipated, came 30 minutes before my final exam and only served to steal away the last precious moments that I needed to study. Don't get me wrong, it was great to get the call. I just didn't anticipate getting it at that moment.

On Sunday, I sent out my goodbye email to my co-workers. I had it carefully planned with a long list of recipients. And then I sent it and it all became all too real to me. I'm really leaving. I am not going to be in IT anymore. The thought fills me with anxiety - not because I feel that I'm losing something. It's more that I have the learn something new and be really good at it in a short period of time. No pressure, right?

Some of the keys to getting through this will be 1) prayer 2) determination 3) balance and 4) breathing.

Listen by Beyonce

Listen,
To the song here in my heart
A melody I've start
But can't complete

Listen, to the sound from deep within
It's only beginning
To find release

Oh,
the time has come
for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turned
Into your own
all cause you won't
Listen....

[Chorus]
Listen,
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home, in my own home
And I tried and tried
To say whats on my mind
You should have known
Oh,
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what, you made of me
I followed the voice
you gave to me
But now I gotta find, my own..

You should have listened
There is someone here inside
Someone I'd thought had died
So long ago

Oh I'm screaming out, for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside or worse
Into your own
All cause you won't
Listen...

[Chorus]

I don't know where I belong
But I'll be moving on
If you don't....
If you won't....

LISTEN!!!...
To the song here in my heart
A melody I've start
But I will complete

Oh,
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what, you made of me
I followed the voice, you think you gave to me
But now I gotta find, my own..
my ownn...

The adventures of Petey the Dog

Ok, so I was on the couch most of the day. I asleep until 4pm. I got up for a little bit around 11:30am when friend called. But for the most part, I slept my life away.

That is, of course, until I decided to go to the store to get soup. Petey really wanted to go, but I can't take him to Safeway. So I promised him that I would be right back. Well... I guess I took too long because when I got back, I found that he had torn into the bag of snacks and had even eaten part of the paper bag. In addition to that, if that weren't bad enough, he peed on the floor... oh wait, I mean carpet.

I couldn't even be mad about it. I felt more sad, like I had let him down. If I had just taken him out before I went to the store this may not have happened. My mom came home with me and she started cleaning up the urine stain. Tiffany took him outside and I just wanted to cry. When we got back in the house, Petey kept having pre-vomitting convulsions. Every time he just kept burping instead of actually vomitting. He couldn't eat his dinner, but he did keep drinking his water.

Petey has been asleep most of the night. I hope he'll be ok. My mom said that this is what it's like to be a parent.

Ice Cream Man

I was getting out of my car today and saw the ice cream man. You know the song from the ice cream truck? Well today, I get out of the car and I heard the song and started thinking of that christmas song that says, "in excelsis deo". I thought that Mr. Ice Cream Man, it's July!

Happy Anniversary!

10 Best Jobs Requiring Two-Year Degrees

By Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

To continue school or not continue school? That is the question for many high school graduates.

Although college can improve your career opportunities and increase your lifetime earnings, it also takes four years (or more) of your life and a lot of money. Plus, few majors can guarantee a financial return that will offset the financial debt many students will accumulate during college.

More...

Weight of the World

Feels like the weight of the world
Like God in heaven gave me a turn
Don't cling to me, I swear I fix you
Still in the dark, can you fix me?

Freefall, freefall, all through life

If you love me, then let go of me
I wont be held down by who I used to be
She's nothing to me

Feels like the weight of the world
Like all my screaming has gone unheard
And oh, I know you don't believe in me
Safe in the dark, how can you see?

Freefall, freefall, all through life

If you love me, then let go of me
I wont be held down by who I used to be

If you love me then let go of me
I wont be held down by who I was

If you love me then let go of me
I wont be held down by who I used to be

It's hot

It's disgusting how hot it is outside. I hope that my car is fixed today because I don't want to walk in the heat another day.

John Adams (HBO)

The creators of John Adams dicuss the making of the miniseries. For more information about John Adams, log onto HBO.com

It's a Boy!

The Price is Right

The New 90210

I used to love 90210, so I don't know why I'm so irritated that there's going to be a new spin-off.

LA TIMES ARTICLE

Finding Erin Hamilton

It's funny... I think that I've always had dreams about meeting Carol Burnett. In my dreams it's never anything special. It just seemed that I knew her and there wasn't anything special about. I was supposed to know her, like she was family... Aunt Carol.

Then I met her and I went dumb. I could barely utter my name. You can read about the experience in another blog entry. Now, here's the funny thing. Now that I have met Carol, my dreams are exactly the same. I know her and it's not a big deal. She's like Aunt Carol again. But in the latest adventure, Aunt Carol set us (my trustee sidekick Jimmy Fallon and I) on a mission to find and draw out her daughter Erin.

At the outset, I should mention that in my dream, Erin was the same as her real daughter Erin. In my dream, she was teenager who hardly emerged from her bedroom, in part because she was painfully shy and in part because she was a teenager and teenagers just want to be left alone.

As our story begins, Jimmy is receiving an award for a performance in some show and he asks me to come up on stage with him to accept the award. In the front row, we both see Carol and she says that she's brought the family photos Jimmy asked for.

After the awards ceremony, Carol finds us and tells us that she needs some help with her daughter. So we go back to Carol's house and she shows us the door to Erin's room. We go in and find Erin sleeping under a massive white down comforter. Her room doesn't look like the average teenager's room. It's clean and organized. There aren't posters of music groups or movies stars. She wakes up and just sighs when she sees us. She knows why we're there and so she tells us to go away and pulls the comforter back over her head. She's isn't rude, but it is obvious that we aren't the first to invade her personal space.

Jimmy and I leave the room and try to figure out ways to draw her out and get her more involved with people. We decide to go to her school and organize a dance where she can get to know people. We decide to organize a series of mini dances in various classrooms along with a larger one in the cafeteria. Once all the students arrived, we set out looking for Erin. We couldn't find her anywhere. We figured that she just didn't come.

After searching all the rooms, we finally find Erin. She is sitting off to the side in the cafeteria, trying not to be noticed. We look at the stage in the cafeteria and Phoebe Buffet comes out to award the best art project award. She drew a name and it was Erin's name. Erin was thoroughly embarrassed and she reluctantly went on stage to get her award. However, a lady standing near by a slip of paper out of the box of names and discovered that Erin's name was the only name in the box. The crowd got upset and became clear why Erin was reluctant to accept the award. The crowd knew who Erin's mom was and they began saying that the only reason she won the award was because of her mother. Of course, Erin was even more embarassed. Kids can be so cruel.

Then -- I woke up. Stupid alarm clock. I want to finish a dream for once in my life.

Atlantic City

So here's the story... I know I've taken too long to tell it.

On Saturday, I drove to Atlantic City to see Carol Burnett. The whole time that I was driving, it wasn't exactly real to me. I had my ticket, I had my hotel reservation, I even had snacks for the 160 mile trip.

It took 4.5 hours because I hit Delaware beach traffic, not once, but three times. But I eventually made it to the hotel room in Pleasantville, just outside of Atlantic City. It wasn't black and white like the movie and I didn't see Tobey Macguire nor Reese Witherspoon. The hotel, The Best Western was AWESOME. It had a full kitchen and a great king size bed.

I arrived around 3pm and got settled in quickly. I grabbed a bite to eat at the Burger King next door and then took a nap. My mom suggested taking a nap so that I would be awake for Carol. I woke up at 5:30, took a shower, and got dressed for the evening. I decided that I would leave at 7pm so that I could walk around the boardwalk a while before the show. At 8pm I went the theatre, the Circus Maximus, which was inside Caesar's Palace. At that point, it still wasn't completely real to me.

Then it happened... the lights went down, the screens came down and the video montage began.



After the montage, Carol emerged from behind the curtain and it finally hit me: I'm in the same room as my childhood hero. I was excited and numb at the same time. Carol was great and funny. She started the show with a tribute to Harvey Korman. He passed away a few weeks ago. He was arguably one of the funniest men on television of all time. I could tell that it was hard, but it was necessary for her to get it out and for us to hear it. I was reading an article afterwards, that it the first time she spoke publicly about his death.

For me, watching Carol on stage was incredible. So many people talked about how she influenced their lives and some people asked questions that I'm sure that Carol is asked all the time. I was sitting next to two guys, Sunny and Dwayne. Dwayne raised his hand and told his story and asked if he could get a hug. Carol told him that he could come backstage after the show.

So during the last few questions of the night, the usher was furiously trying to get Carol's attention so she would call me. Finally, Carol looks over in my direction and I'm the only with an arm raised. Carol looks over and says, "yes ma'am" and points to me. OH BOY, OH BOY, it's my turn, stand up and ask the question... this is what I said to myself. Then out of no where the man in front of me stands up and asks a question. The usher looks at me apologetically and says that she's going to get the mike from him and give it straight to me. OK,OK, it'll be ok...

Then Carol says that it's time to go and the famous closing music starts... I was never so sorry to hear her closing theme song in my life. I didn't get to ask my question :(

After the show and curtain call, Dwayne heads over to the stage to find out where he needs to go to backstage. When we get to security, the guard tells him that he can take one person back with him. He looks at me and Sunny and Sunny tells him to take me backstage with him. I'm forever grateful to Sunny for that because I needed to go backstage to meet Carol. I couldn't envision myself leaving without meeting her.

So we get backstage and for a few minutes, it feels like an eternity... I felt like we were waiting forever. But then Carol emerges and the line starts to move. My turn came and I handed my book to her assistant. After that, Carol tells me to come on over and she gives me a great big hug... well, I hugged her and she hugged me back. All I could say is that I was so happy to finally meet her. I had so much more to tell her, but then she asked me a question: "What is your name?". Once she asked me that, my mind went blank. I could barely get my name out. But I think I played it off well.

I remember taking the picture with her, but it went so fast. I wanted to tell her how much she influenced my life... how my earliest memories are from her watching her show as a child and how watching her show helped me develop my sense of humor. I wanted to tell her that reading her book encouraged me to move through my problems, it helped me through depression as a teenager, and how it gave me the inspiration to write.

Lastly, I wanted to tell her about a passage from the bible that I think epitomizes how many people feel about her. The passage says, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow". In the broadest sense, it talks about how there are things that we do in life that influence people...we plant a seed. The person may or may not decided to act on that seed, sometimes we never know and sometimes, people will come from all around to tell you just how much of an impact you had on them. Saturday was just such a night. Carol got to see first hand the amazing growth of the seedlings she has planted throughout the years. We all had benefitted from her activities in some way or another and we all gave her back that love on Saturday.

Carol sets a good example for all of us. She uses her life to help others and entertain us. I loved being there and loved meeting her even more.

Carol and Me

I'm not sure what else needs to be said about this.

Carol and Me in Atlantic City

Well folks, the day is finally here :)

Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett
Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, NJ
Sat, Jun 21, 2008 09:00 PM
This is a non-televised event.
This is a lecture, question and answer event.
"LAUGHTER AND REFLECTION WITH CAROL BURNETT"
A Conversation with Carol where the Audience asks the Questions.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0200407C14855A03

Facebook

I've decided that Facebook isn't the complete and total nuisance that I made it out to be all along. On Friday, thanks to the new chat feature in Facebook, I was able to reconnect two people I haven't talked to since I was a child. One friend was a childhood friend and neighbor from elementary school, the other a Friend from middle school and high school. Each have led interesting lives that have taken them to new places.

These are the moments when I envy this generation of teenagers who grew up with instant messenger and email. They will have an easier time maintaining friendships with people after graduation. The internet has really changed the fabric of our society.

Anxiety

Jesus' advice about dealing with anxiety.
Matthew 6:25-33

25 “On this account I say to YOU: Stop being anxious about YOUR souls as to what YOU will eat or what YOU will drink, or about YOUR bodies as to what YOU will wear. Does not the soul mean more than food and the body than clothing? 26 Observe intently the birds of heaven, because they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses; still YOUR heavenly Father feeds them. Are YOU not worth more than they are? 27 Who of YOU by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? 28 Also, on the matter of clothing, why are YOU anxious? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they are growing; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I say to YOU that not even Sol´o·mon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 If, now, God thus clothes the vegetation of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe YOU, YOU with little faith? 31 So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. For YOUR heavenly Father knows YOU need all these things.

33 “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to YOU. 34 So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.

Small steps

I don't know why doing my laundry feels like a small achievement. I've needed to do it since I got home from Orlando over a week ago. The magic kingdom managed to rob me of my energy. I haven't felt the same since I got home.

I haven't felt myself in a while. I'm feeling super nostalgic for the past month, but in a way that makes me pensive...not always in a good way, but sometimes in a great and joy-filled way. I have had a lot of joy in the past few years, but also moments of difficulty.

But now, I find myself at a turning point in my life. I find myself at an open door that leads to new existence. Who I have been for the past few years is changing... evolving. I find myself concerned about different things; things that matter more now than they did in years past. It's so unbelievably scary. Yet, I'm not afraid... OK, I am...but I think it's OK.

Orlando, finally

Now is the time when I detail all the wild things that happened in Orlando during the NCORE conference.

Now, if you believed that... I have a bridge to sell you ;)

Actually, nothing really wild happened. But we did agree that what happened in Orlando would stay in Orlando. That being said, here's the abridged version.

We arrived in Orlando on May 25th, two days early, which was news to Kim. I think I was the only one who realized how early we were going. I wasn't going to say a word because after all, we were going to the most magical place on earth (*sigh*) right?

On Sunday, we arrived and get checked into the Disney Coronado Springs Resort and spent the day just resting. Here's the thing about the Coronado Springs Resort. This is Disney's description of the resort:

"Embrace the legendary cultures of Mexico and the American Southwest amidst Mayan architectural flourishes at this lakeside Resort hotel."

While Disney gave it a try with the whole Mexican theme, somethings are just a little bit off... like the pyramid that doubles as a water slide. Nevermind the fact that pyramids of that sort were used to sacrifice the village virgins in honor of pagan gods. Nevermind that the food which is supposed to be mexican taste only about one step better than taco bell at four times the price. Throughout the week, I kept for the magic to rear its head.

On to the conference. NCORE stands for National Conference on Race and Ethnicity. So it was a conference on diversity, cultural competence and all the things that go with that. I went to so many workshops, I can't possibly tell you about them all. So I'll stick to the extracurricular stuff.

Downtown Disney, it's interesting... it actually reminded me of the Inner Harbor, except with a bunch of Disney stores. We went to the Wolfgang Puck Cafe, which was wonderful. We walked around for a while each time we went, but didn't do any real shopping. After all, it is Disney - Downtown Disney, which means Disney junk at inflated Disney prices.

One cool thing that we discovered was the water slide at the main pool at the resort. I wasn't going to get on the water slide because I had just gotten my hair done. But after some serious peer pressure from Kim and Carol, I decided to just go for it. The water slide is the best thing ever invented :)

On Wednesday, we went to Epcot for a welcome reception which turned out to be one big party. Even though we didn't get to roam around Epcot, it was still a fun time. Here's the part where I leave out the rest of the story to protect the not-so-innocent.

The remainder of the week consisted of conferences, trips to the pool, and conversations with Anton, a black british guy who couldn't dance. We inadvertantly took him under our wings and taught him how to do some basic steps...at least all the ones that he should've already known, like the electric slide.

Mixed in with the week was a loose bear at the Hard Rock Cafe resort, wild fires, and gas prices that rose to over $4/gallon. All that and no internet :(

I've grown tired now. I'll have to tell you my adventure when I was attempting to come home from Orlando.

Capital Jazz Festival

I went to the Capital Jazz festival today and listened to jazz for 10 hours.

I'm going to write more about this tomorrow.

I'm too tired right now.

Orlando, Carol Burnett, and American Government

The next few weeks are going to bring on a whirlwind of activities. This Sunday I'm going Orlando for a diversity conference. We'll be there from Sunday May 24 to Sunday June 1. I'm looking forward to being in Orlando with Carol and Kim. I suspect that we're going to have lots of fun and quite a number of inside jokes. I'm trying to figure out some places where we can go in the evenings. I'm armed with travel guides and a need to explore.

On June 21st, I'm going to Atlantic City to see Carol Burnett. She's hosting a Q&A like she did on the Carol Burnett Show. I've been wanting to meet Carol Burnett for years, so I'm hoping to get the chance at show. It'll be my first time to Caesar's Palace. It should be interesting.

While all this is going on, I'll be taking an American Government class, much to the chagrin of my family and friends. I think that everyone wants me to graduate so that they don't have to hear about my classes. My mom said that she thinks that I try and find ways to drive everyone crazy with my classes each semester. My friend Marie can't understand why I would pick a class that requires me to read. I have a bit of a reputation when it comes to reading for class. I'm going to give it a good try.

It's a sunshine day

I think i'll go for a walk outside now
the summer sun's callin my name
(i hear ya now)
i just can't stay inside all day
i gotta get out get me some of those rays
everybody's smilin
sunshine day
everybody's laughin
sunshine day
everybody seems so happy today
it's a sunshine day

Can't you dig the sunshine
Love and sun are the same
Cant you hear him callin your name?

Oh, I think I'll take a walk everyday now
the summer sun has show the way to be happy now
I just cant stay inside all day
I gotta get out get me some of those rays
everybody's smilin
sunshine day
everybody's laughin
sunshine day
everybody seems so happy today
it's a sunshine day


- That's right - it's a song from the Brady Bunch. You know you love it!

The end of the road

This week marked the end of the spring semester. The end of homework, the end of worrying endlessly, the end of worrying that I'll never be done.

I would like to say that there is a part of me that enjoyed this semester, but I really can't. I started the semester with high hopes, envisioning myself walking across the stage of the Comcast Center in May. I took on high ambitions, 12 credits. In hind sight, I realize that it was a fool hardy attempt to finish my program before its natural end. So I decided to extend my stay at UMUC for two semesters.

For my summer adventure, I decided to take GVPT170, American Government. It will fulfill my social science requirement, although my advisor suggested taking an upper level social science. So since I'm taking a lower level social science, I'll need to take two upper level electives. I'm not sure what I'm going to take, but my goal is take two courses that seem like they'll be fun.

Final Exams

I took my final exams this weekend. I've never been so happy to see a semester end in my life. This was supposed to be my last semester, but it's not. I'm going to take three more classes. I only need two, but I'm taking an extra one to avoid a prerequisite.

Here's the thing about school. Someone once told me that he tassel is worth the hassle. I don't know if believe that every moment of the day. But it does help me get through some days. Most days it feels like a futile exercise in following directions, not learning. I can't always put my hand on tangible things that I'm getting out of my classes. But I keep going because it's almost over.

This summer, I'm going to take GVPT 170 American Government. My fall schedule remains to be seen. The only thing that I have decided is that I'm not taking any face-to-face classes. I plan to have a dog by the beginning of summer and it will be the perfect excuse to come home on time after work.

Dancing with the Stars - the Widget

My new phone

It should be arrive in three to five business days.

Overview
The Pantech Duo is a Windows Mobile® 6 double slider phone. It features a 12-key numeric keypad and a QWERTY keyboard inside one impressively compact design. Stay in touch with email, Instant Messaging, plus Picture and Video messaging. Edit Microsoft Word®, or Excel® files and view PowerPoint® files with Microsoft® Office Mobile. Enjoy Music and Cellular Video capabilities at 3G broadband speeds. Utilize simultaneous voice and data--browse the web and talk at the same time. With the Duo's dual slider keypads and cool convertible design, it's nothing like you have ever seen!
Included Features
- Windows Mobile® 6.0 with Direct Push
- Dual slider keypads - Standard and QWERTY
- 1.3 megapixel camera with 4x zoom
- Bluetooth® Wireless capable with A2DP
- Edit Microsoft® Word or Excel files & view PowerPoint files
- AT&T Music, Billboard, Music ID, XM, Napster, Yahoo
- Cellular Video capable - Get news, sports, and video
- Microsoft® Office Outlook® Mobile and XpressMail capable
- Instant messaging using AOL®, Yahoo!® and Windows Live®
- Quad-band GPRS/EDGE with dual-band UMTS/HSDPA
- Internet Explorer Mobile for surfing the Internet
- Telenav Maps and Navigator(TM) support
- Windows Media® Player 10 Mobile
- MicroSD(TM) memory expands up to 2 GB
- Simultaneous voice and data capabilities
- Text, picture, and video messaging
- Simultaneous voice and data capabilities
- Communication Manager 6.5 supoort
- 5-way navigation key
- Speakerphone

Springtime

Springtime has been associated with rebirth and starting anew. This spring feels no different and yet it feels completely different.

Two weeks ago, my department moved into a new office. It's smaller, but gives us the space we need. We have less traffic through our space and I think that has been good for us. We even have a patio. It's great.

At the same, I've been doing a lot of committee work. Diversity week was last week and I helped out with some of the presentations. It was hard work, but it was a great experience. My friend, Carol and I are gearing up for our "reign" as Diversity Committee co-chairs and last week was like a baptism by fire. But it was good for us.

So...

Now I sit here thinking about the months ahead. I feel like this is going to be a great summer. I'm getting a dog and I'm really excited about. It's almost like I'm expecting my first child. I'm waiting until June to get the dog, but in the meantime, I have to start getting supplies.

It's all a lot to take in. But it's all exciting too.

Textbook Bitterness

I found this video today and I can safely say that all of us have felt this at one time or another.


Click here if the video doesn't load properly

Alternative Spring Break: In Summary

I know I was supposed to write about my experiences at the before now. The truth is that I haven't had time and really, I haven't had the inclination. This experience was great and it had an inmeasurable impact on me. For the life of me I can't put into words exactly what I got out of the trip.

I will tell you this:

• I miss Marge and her great meals.


• I loved my campfire fried potatoes because my little Zambian family worked together to make them.


• I want a baby goat.


• We were sowing the seeds of love (smile Carol).


• I still don't want to go near Sloppy Joe.

Blogging

I've been hearing talk lately that blogging is going out of fashion. I hope that isn't true. I enjoy blogging and I enjoy reading blogs. I have to admit that I haven't been keeping up with my blog as of late. But trust me, I've had plenty on my mind.

School, of late, is a chore and drudgery to me. Not because I don't want to be there (which I don't), but more because I have over committed myself and I feel like I'm losing control over the situations in my life. As a closet control freak, I need to know how tomorrow is going to play out so I can plan accordingly. That doesn't seem to be happening for me this semester.

There's also the fact that I've taken on more at work than I can realistically handle. I'm having a hard time keeping all the balls in the air and I'm trying my best to maintain the smoke and mirrors. So far, it's working. But I have a feeling that if I keep up this pace, it'll burn me out.

Superlatives

I think that if you asked my friends, they would tell you that I'm "most likely to die while reaching for Purell".

R-Can-Saw

I'm in R-Can-Saw Baby!

I have so much to tell you about the trip. But'll it'll have to wait until I get home so I can "process" it (as we say on the ranch). Needless to say, this has been a great learning experience for me about world hunger and sustainable means of maintaining an improving our environment.

My Mag Debut

MagMyPic.com

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

I saw Cat On a Hot Tin Roof on Broadway today. It had the most amazing cast ever: Terence Howard, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad, and James Earl Jones.

I wasn't even planning on seeing a play today and I just happened to walk by the theatre and was drawn right in. I got a standing room ticket for $26.50. Despite the fact that I had to stand the whole time, I loved the entire play. For this being Terence Howard's first time on broadway, he seem completely comfortable... completely at home on the stage. He brought a sense of geniuneness to the part.

Amazingly, no one played their roles like the movie version. It was new, fresh approach to the play. That's what made it so great. Even though it was written for a white family in the middle part of the 20th century, it could've been a black family as well. The story itself is universal... sad to say.

But anyhow, I loved it and you should go see it.

Three Legends and Me

I had the oddest dream, which will be of no surprise to anyone. I dreamt that I was walking in New York City and and I stopped into some sort of meeting place for some reason. Inside was Carol Burnett and she told me to come with her. We went outside to a car and she told me get in. I got in the back seat and then caught sight of the other passengers in the car. Driving the car was Lucille Ball. Carol Burnett was also in the front seat. I was in the back behind Lucille Ball and next to me was Bette Davis.

I'm not sure where they were taking me... I woke up before we reached out destination. But as you can imagine, I was thoroughly confused by the situation because, well, Lucille Ball and Bette Davis each died years ago. But there they were telling me about the good old days.

Then I woke up...

American Masters: Carol Burnett - A Woman of Character

A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun has got to be one of my all time favorite books. I read it in the eleventh grade and immediately loved it. Then I saw the Sidney Poiter movie and fell in love with the story. How can you not love Sidney Poiter? He is a genius to put it plainly. He brings dignity to every role.

Tonight, ABC showed the 2008 remake staring Sean Combs, Audra McDonald and Phylicia Rashad. I wanted to see them perform this on broadway a couple of years ago. Now I know why the play received so many Tony nominations. This remake was as good and as moving as the Sidney Poiter version. Who would've thought that Sean Combs could've done such a good job. He was able to take Walter Lee to a place I don't remember Sidney Poiter going. It was a powerful performance.

I hope you saw it.

Home Grown Xenophobia

There's a growing movement towards xenophobia in this country and it's a little disturbing. All of a sudden, immigration is all that anyone wants to talk about. We keep hearing about illegal immigrants getting licenses or being banned from speaking any other language besides English in government buildings. There's even legislation in Taneytown, Carroll County that is aggressively trying to eliminate non-English speaking immigrants from their town.

Now, here's my issue. Whenever we hear about illegals, we always here about those immigrants to our south (i.e. from Mexico, Central and South America). Here's the problem. English speaking Canadians walk over our borders everyday and no one says a thing about that. People turn a blind eye to that. It all seems like blatant racism to me. Of course, I'm not saying this because of any negative feelings about Canadians. My point is that because they look American in many cases and if they are English speaking, they just blend right in. On the other hand, Spanish speaking immigrants stand out and because of that they are targeted by politicians trying to get elected.

Let's not forget that all of us come from somewhere else.

Five Years Ago This Week

Seeing Anna (Patty Duke)in "Oklahoma!" on Broadway 2003


I made my way to NYC this weekend to see Anna in Oklahoma and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed Anna's performance. Keep in mind, I had never seen Oklahoma before and so when the curtain went up and then she didn't utter sound for like five minutes, I was a might concerned. But when she did start, in my mind, I was like, “I can't believe that I'm actually here watching Anna perform." I really enjoying the show, despite fact that I had only had about 2 hours sleep since Thursday night... (It’s a long, long story).

Now, would be a good time to mention that I left Maryland for NYC on Friday night and arrived at hotel at 7:30 am on Saturday because of a series of stops. My friends and I knew of the upcoming snow in Maryland, but hoped for the best. By 7:30 am Saturday, my mom called me and said that they had 2 inches of snow on the ground in Maryland and that more was predicted to come. Carrie also told me that they were predicting snow for NY, so we decided not to stay too in NY too long.

Back to my story...

We stayed in a hotel in Long Island, Hicksville, specifically. The hotel guy told us that I could take the train into the city to see the play. So like a brave girl, I took the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station. I met to nice older women who told me about the train system and they filled me in on the fact that Penn Station had a fire on Friday, but not to worry because everything should be ok. I took the train in and it took about 45 minutes to get into the city. Well, because I'm not always the most intelligent person, when I forgot the address to the Gershwin theatre and to make matters worse, the play was scheduled to start in 45 minutes. I was on 34th street and had to get to 51st street. Common sense would tell a thinking person to catch cab at this point. But not this gal...I gotta do things the hard way. Not only was I going to walk in 20 degree wind, but I was also on the look out for a camera and a gift for Anna. Foolish, I know...

Well, I didn't get Anna a present, (Billy don't be ashamed of me, but I could see myself walking 17 blocks in that wind with flowers). I got to the theater with about 10 minutes to spare and by this time I was starving to absolute death. To prove the point, I actually purchased a $3 bag of M&Ms and was perfectly ok with the exorbitant pricing structure of the theatre. I found my seat, which was in the rear mezzanine, which is really high up. I was on the aisle, but it was ok. To make my day even more interesting, I discovered that a trip to the ladies room might have been a good idea before the play started, but being the fool that I am, I just sat there thinking dry thoughts until the intermission.

Now nothing terrible interesting happened to me personally during the second act except that I got to watch Anna some more. Once the play was over, I went to the stage door to wait for Anna. Everyone and their sister came out of the door and for about 10 - 15 minutes I waited out in the cold for Anna. With the wind chill, it felt like it was 0 degrees out; my fingers, toes and face hurt from the cold. But I waited. Now there was a girl who was not from this country out there with me. She wanted everyone's autograph and she wanted me to take her picture with everyone. Now because I was raised to be nice to people in general, I didn't mind at first. However, when it became obvious that I might miss Anna, then I got irratated. Eventually Anna came out and these burling men swarmed over to her and asked for autographs on what seemed like thousands of photos. They also inundated her with facts about her life and with seemingly inane questions; at least, they seemed that way because they were questions that I could've answered myself. The only thing that was useful out of their conversation was Anna's announcement that she will be appearing on the series finale of Touched by an Angel this spring. She's really excited about this and who wouldn't be really.

Then the ultimate thing happened. The two guys departed and then the foreign girl turned to me and said, pointing to Anna, "what is her name again?” I could've slapped her right then and there, but I didn't want Anna to think I was a nut, especially since I was going to tell her that I was friends with Carrie. The girl got Anna to sign her playbill.

Anna said, "well I've got to go now and get dinner so we can be back in time.”
Julie: "Ok, I'll be the last one. My name is Julie and I'm friends with Carrie and Bill. They told me to come say hi to you"
Anna: "Oh really? Isn't that nice. Did you want me to sign the program too?"
Julie: "No, the playbill is enough?"
I said no because the program has Andrea Martin in it and if I'd known that, I wouldn't have bought it.
Anna: "Well, it was nice meeting you, we really have to go."
Julie: "Ok, thanks."

Here comes the foreign girl...

FG: "Can you take my picture please?"
Julie: "Well actually, I wanted a picture but ok.”
Then Anna left... I got no picture, but she did sign my playbill.

I called Carrie, my new NYC travel agent, got directions back to Penn Station and went back to the hotel. Now, had it not been extremely cold, I would've just waited for Anna to come back to talk to her, but again, it felt like 0 degrees. I made it back to Long Island safely and nestled in for a cold winter's night.

My mother called at 7:30 this morning and said, "Come home now. There's a foot of snow on the ground they just said that it's not going to stop snowing until tomorrow night. We may get up to 2 feet of snow." Well, we started out at 7:30 am and what is normally a four hour trip took us 10 1/2 hours in the snow. I took lots of pictures of cars stuck in the snow, including one of a tow truck. As soon as the Governor lifts the ban on driving, I'll get the pictures developed. Right now, you can get fined $1000 for being on the road.

So that's my story. Even though it was only for a minute, I'm really glad that I got to meet Anna. Hopefully, in a warmer season, I'll get to meet her again.

Genesis 2:18-23

. . .And Jehovah God went on to say: "It is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him." 19 Now Jehovah God was forming from the ground every wild beast of the field and every flying creature of the heavens, and he began bringing them to the man to see what he would call each one; and whatever the man would call it, each living soul, that was its name. 20 So the man was calling the names of all the domestic animals and of the flying creatures of the heavens and of every wild beast of the field, but for man there was found no helper as a complement of him. 21 Hence Jehovah God had a deep sleep fall upon the man and, while he was sleeping, he took one of his ribs and then closed up the flesh over its place. 22 And Jehovah God proceeded to build the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and to bring her to the man. 23 Then the man said: "This is at last bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh. This one will be called Woman, Because from man this one was taken."

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

Detox

When starting a diet, many people decide to use the first few weeks as a period of detox. They eliminate meat, sugar, and other foods that are ultimately harmful from their diet. I did it when I started dieting last May. For the first nine days, I didn't eat any meat, no caffiene, no starches, and no sugar. It was something that I thought I wouldn't be able to do, but I survived and felt much healthier for having done it.

I think that the same thing happens when we decide to make changes in our lives in other areas. We need to detox from destructive habits that only serve to hurt us. I have found in my case that whenever I make strides towards improving my spiritual routine, the devil is right there to bring out a hidden toxin to pull me back.

The latest involves a rather odd and depressing dream that drew from a mixture of unfortunate incidents in my life. The dream had me depressed for days and in some ways unable to function at a normal emotional level. Although I am happy to report that the moment has past, it's not a great feeling to know that I still get to those depths of despair. But I guess that even the most faithful servants of God have moments of despair. Faithful servants like Job had moments of crisis. But Job never lost his integrity to Jehovah.

So I guess I'm not worried. The detox period can be trialsome. But it can also lead to better life in the long run.

Spring Break 2008

With only five days under my spring sememster belt, I've already got my spring break plans worked out.

Here's the information about the Spring Break Trip : http://www.howardcc.edu/students/centerforservicelearning/spring_break.html


Information from the Heifer International site: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.737833/

All over the place

When I got home tonight, I don't know what was going on with me. I think that I was having some kind of weird chemical reaction. I wrote down what I feeling at around 6:30.

Heaviness
weighing on my chest, my lungs
my heart

anxiety over what? I don't know
the fear inside
the need to run
thoughts racing out of control

It's 11:37 pm and all those thoughts are gone. It was just a passing moment.

Writer's strike

How come the daytime soaps are still on if there's a writers strike? I don't get it.

Blogger's block

Have you had so much to say, but not know the words to get your thoughts out? I don't if this counts as writer's block because I think that writer's block involves not having any ideas. I have a million thoughts running through my head but no constructive way to express them.

I think I need some rest and time to figure this all out.

A New Year... A Beginning and an End

It's funny but it doesn't feel like a new year yet. I think it's because I'm still in a fall class. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately with work and school. The winter break helped a lot, but not quite enough.

This spring is going to be so hectic, I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it. Here's my schedule:

BEHS 343 Parenting Today 3 units
An overview of critical issues of parenthood in the United States today. Topics include characteristics of effective parenting styles and capable parents, the role of nontraditional parenting techniques, and the social forces that cause changes in parent/child relationships and give rise to varying styles of parenting as developed in the United States. Some cross-cultural comparisons are included.

CMST 311 Advanced Electronic Publishing 3 units
Prerequisite: CMST 310. A project-oriented study of the advanced concepts and methods of electonic (desktop) publishing. Emphasis in on effective transfer of electronic files to service bureaus and printers. Features essential to multimedia presentations are integrated with techniques for capturing and editing photos to produce business publications. Students learn to publish printed documents on a Web site.

CMST 340 Computer Apps in Management 3 units
Prerequisite: CMIS 102, CMIS 102A, CMST 103, or IFSM 201. An overview of computer-based information-system concepts and operations and how these capabilities are applied by management to improve the work processes of business, government, and academic organizations. Topics include management planning at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels necessary to effect continuous improvements. The interchange of electronic information and the application of various computing tools such as spreadsheet programs are introduced.


SPAN 318 Commercial Workplace Spanish 4 units
(Video programs, Windows 95, sound card, microphone, and CD-ROM required for online sections.) Prerequisite: SPAN 211 or equivalent Spanish proficiency. A study of business terminology, vocabulary, formats, and practices. Emphasis is on everyday spoken and written workplace Spanish, using authentic text from native speakers. Written and oral practice is provided in finding and communicating information, especially on commercial topics in business and other workplace situations. Assignments include a project involving specific vocabulary, forms of professional communication, and cultural protocols relevant to the student's workplace or major.

2008

Being positive everyday is a challenge. There are days when things go smoothly and nothing goes wrong. And then there are days that make you wish you never got out of bed. I want this year to be more like the smooth sailing days.

I'm going to take four classes this spring so that I can graduate in May. I'm also going to take on a few new responsibilities. The next few months will be filled with change, hopefully all positive.

One of my few new responsibilities will be a new family member. I'm getting a dog in April. I'm still not sure if I'm getting a puppy or an older dog. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Spring Break at the Ranch

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201573/

One of the Best Grammy Performances Ever

I read that Mary J Blige said that she wrote this song after 9/11 and it reflected what was going on in her life, but also the world. If you see the music video, you'll understand what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWkqDwfpN0o&feature=related

Beyonce - Listen