This post doesn't necessarily mean I'm making a comeback… but then again who knows?!
I am testing out posting from my G1 phone!
Happy New Year blogging friends!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
look what I found in my wallet today...
The Treasury Department has issued a new dollar bill for our economy!!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
updates
here's two for you:
1. i hate myspace. for the second time in probably about a year, my account has disappeared. literally it's there one day, and then after not being able to log in for a few days it's magically gone.
2. i love motogp. we have been in lovely monterey, california all weekend at the race. i'm officially addicted.
more to come later...
(that statement is more for me than you - i'm trying to make a blogging comeback so let's see if that helps me get there)
1. i hate myspace. for the second time in probably about a year, my account has disappeared. literally it's there one day, and then after not being able to log in for a few days it's magically gone.
2. i love motogp. we have been in lovely monterey, california all weekend at the race. i'm officially addicted.
more to come later...
(that statement is more for me than you - i'm trying to make a blogging comeback so let's see if that helps me get there)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
time flies!
wow, has it really been 3 weeks since i last posted? where are the weeks going? i'm in one of those super busy "slumps" at work but should pulling out of it in the next few weeks. i'm looking forward to things settling down.
i received an awesome forward today which i think you all will appreciate!
(and thanks for checking on me, Jessica!)
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China .
If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs,
If we purchase a computer it will go to India ,
If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico , Honduras , and Guatemala ,
If we purchase a good car it will go to Japan ,
If we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan.
None of it will help the American economy.
We need to keep that money here in America.
The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the only businesses still in the US.
i received an awesome forward today which i think you all will appreciate!
(and thanks for checking on me, Jessica!)
REBATE CHECKS
As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would get a rebate check to stimulate the economy.If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China .
If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs,
If we purchase a computer it will go to India ,
If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico , Honduras , and Guatemala ,
If we purchase a good car it will go to Japan ,
If we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan.
None of it will help the American economy.
We need to keep that money here in America.
The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the only businesses still in the US.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
my mind feels blank this morning...
so i'll try to be comical with some funnies! ...
i'm not a big fan of horses or cats but this is just sweet! ...
i'm not a big fan of horses or cats but this is just sweet! ...
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
say goodbye to my annoying 2 foot long wire handsfree headset!
say hello to my new Jabra BT8040 Bluetooth cell phone headset!
cute, eh? it weighs less than 10 grams and has a range of up to 33 feet!
the talk time is 200 hours and it has no over the hear hook!
however, i think the best part of all is that it came with different size ear gels rather than the standard one size fits all extra large size that most headsets have! my little ears are enjoying the comfy small size gels!
(thanks honey! xoxo)
cute, eh? it weighs less than 10 grams and has a range of up to 33 feet!
the talk time is 200 hours and it has no over the hear hook!
however, i think the best part of all is that it came with different size ear gels rather than the standard one size fits all extra large size that most headsets have! my little ears are enjoying the comfy small size gels!
(thanks honey! xoxo)
Sunday, April 27, 2008
StrengthsFinder 2.0
For all of you personality test junkies out there, here's another one for you. This is one I was required to do when I started my new job, well job transfer I should say.
Sooo... Below are my top five themes of talent, ranked in the order revealed by my responses to the Clifton StrengthsFinder.
As you may know, the Clifton StrengthsFinder measures the 34 themes of talent determined by The Gallup Organization as those that most consistently predict outstanding performance. The greater the presence of a theme of talent within a person, the more likely that person is to spontaneously exhibit those talents in day-to-day behaviors. Focusing on natural talents helps people build them into strengths and enjoy personal, academic, and career success through consistent, near-perfect performance.
Here are my top 5 strengths:
1. Communication
You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. This is your Communication theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so you turn events into stories and practice telling them. You take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. You believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. You want your information—whether an idea, an event, a product's features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson—to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in. This is what drives your hunt for the perfect phrase. This is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations. This is why people like to listen to you. Your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act.
2. Competition
Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people's performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don't compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.
3. Includer
"Stretch the circle wider." This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. You want to include people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others. You want to expand the group so that as many people as possible can benefit from its support. You hate the sight of someone on the outside looking in. You want to draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. You are an instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few judgments. Judgments can hurt a person's feelings. Why do that if you don't have to? Your accepting nature does not necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important. Thus, no one should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the least we all deserve.
4. Activator
"When can we start?" This is a recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action. You may concede that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield some valuable insights, but deep down you know that only action is real. Only action can make things happen. Only action leads to performance. Once a decision is made, you cannot not act. Others may worry that "there are still some things we don't know," but this doesn't seem to slow you. If the decision has been made to go across town, you know that the fastest way to get there is to go stoplight to stoplight. You are not going to sit around waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view, action and thinking are not opposites. In fact, guided by your Activator theme, you believe that action is the best device for learning. You make a decision, you take action, you look at the result, and you learn. This learning informs your next action and your next. How can you grow if you have nothing to react to? Well, you believe you can't. You must put yourself out there. You must take the next step. It is the only way to keep your thinking fresh and informed. The bottom line is this: You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases you.
5. Positivity
You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious. Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure. You seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. You inject drama into every project. You celebrate every achievement. You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital. Some cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down. Your Positivity won't allow it. Somehow you can't quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one's sense of humor.
Sooo... Below are my top five themes of talent, ranked in the order revealed by my responses to the Clifton StrengthsFinder.
As you may know, the Clifton StrengthsFinder measures the 34 themes of talent determined by The Gallup Organization as those that most consistently predict outstanding performance. The greater the presence of a theme of talent within a person, the more likely that person is to spontaneously exhibit those talents in day-to-day behaviors. Focusing on natural talents helps people build them into strengths and enjoy personal, academic, and career success through consistent, near-perfect performance.
Here are my top 5 strengths:
1. Communication
You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. This is your Communication theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so you turn events into stories and practice telling them. You take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. You believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. You want your information—whether an idea, an event, a product's features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson—to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in. This is what drives your hunt for the perfect phrase. This is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations. This is why people like to listen to you. Your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act.
2. Competition
Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people's performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don't compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.
3. Includer
"Stretch the circle wider." This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. You want to include people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others. You want to expand the group so that as many people as possible can benefit from its support. You hate the sight of someone on the outside looking in. You want to draw them in so that they can feel the warmth of the group. You are an instinctively accepting person. Regardless of race or sex or nationality or personality or faith, you cast few judgments. Judgments can hurt a person's feelings. Why do that if you don't have to? Your accepting nature does not necessarily rest on a belief that each of us is different and that one should respect these differences. Rather, it rests on your conviction that fundamentally we are all the same. We are all equally important. Thus, no one should be ignored. Each of us should be included. It is the least we all deserve.
4. Activator
"When can we start?" This is a recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action. You may concede that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield some valuable insights, but deep down you know that only action is real. Only action can make things happen. Only action leads to performance. Once a decision is made, you cannot not act. Others may worry that "there are still some things we don't know," but this doesn't seem to slow you. If the decision has been made to go across town, you know that the fastest way to get there is to go stoplight to stoplight. You are not going to sit around waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view, action and thinking are not opposites. In fact, guided by your Activator theme, you believe that action is the best device for learning. You make a decision, you take action, you look at the result, and you learn. This learning informs your next action and your next. How can you grow if you have nothing to react to? Well, you believe you can't. You must put yourself out there. You must take the next step. It is the only way to keep your thinking fresh and informed. The bottom line is this: You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases you.
5. Positivity
You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you. Their world looks better around you because your enthusiasm is contagious. Lacking your energy and optimism, some find their world drab with repetition or, worse, heavy with pressure. You seem to find a way to lighten their spirit. You inject drama into every project. You celebrate every achievement. You find ways to make everything more exciting and more vital. Some cynics may reject your energy, but you are rarely dragged down. Your Positivity won't allow it. Somehow you can't quite escape your conviction that it is good to be alive, that work can be fun, and that no matter what the setbacks, one must never lose one's sense of humor.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
giving back
it feels good to give back... have you done it yet?
American Idol Gives Back
just $10 buys a mosquito net to save a child's life.
$100 feeds an orphan in kenya for a year.
you choose the amount.
what's also great about this year is that some of the money is going to help the needy right here in the USA. our country does so much to help other countries, but often not enough to help our own.
over $60 million has been raised so far! so go count up your piggy bank and GIVE BACK!
American Idol Gives Back
just $10 buys a mosquito net to save a child's life.
$100 feeds an orphan in kenya for a year.
you choose the amount.
what's also great about this year is that some of the money is going to help the needy right here in the USA. our country does so much to help other countries, but often not enough to help our own.
over $60 million has been raised so far! so go count up your piggy bank and GIVE BACK!
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
the last 2+ months of my life: PART 2
so let's see part 2 of this story is mostly the month of march which included me working a lot. and mike working a lot too. mike had to get used working 12 hour days instead of the 8 hour days. so he's typically working 3-4 twelve hour shifts per week from 7am-7pm. i work 10am-7pm for the most part. the evenings aren't real exciting. i get home around 7:15pm, cook dinner, we eat around 8pm and by the time we eat and i clean up the kitchen it's 9pm. and then we try to be in bed before 11pm. it literally took me 6 weeks to get used to my schedule here. that's half the reason i haven't had much of a blogging life, or any life for that reason. i mean, in the last 8 weeks i've only seen one of my girlfriends. we went to their place once, and they came out here this past weekend. work was consuming my life. there was something about being new at the office and never feeling like i was getting enough completed and working all day and then coming home and working at night in the evenings. and then i would work from home on the weekends some. i've finally got to the point though were i'm just like "that's it for today, i'll finish the rest tomorrow." at first i really missed being in DC and the my job there, but now i like this position and my office here even more. i do miss my sister and niece and mike's sister, but they are just an airplane ride away!
also in march my grandmother passed away. it was good friday actually. this was my mom's mom who lived in michigan. this is the grandma i was closest to and grew up visiting her frequently as she lived only an hour away. she was 85 years old and back in fall 2007 she started going downhill. i knew when i saw her in january while we were in michigan that that would be our last visit with her. in the 2 months following that visit, she was in and out of the hospital 4 times and her quality of life became very poor. i'm happy that she's not suffering anymore, but it's still hard to accept that i'll never see her or talk to her again. i mean, she was the coolest grandma ever. i'll have to share some stories at some point.
so there was that death in the family which pretty much made the rest of march sucky.
now here it is the second week of april already and we've been here in SoCal for 2 months. my how time is flying by!
i celebrated my 27th birthday on saturday. i was quite content at 26, but as one of my coworkers put it today "it's a little too close to 30!" ... way to make me feel better! we didn't do anything exciting like last year, but that was my choice. the presents were just as good as last year, except nothing still tops the best gift ever! anyways, i just wanted a nice dinner out with mike. although i'd made reservations at a fancy schmancy restaurant here in orange county, i was craving hibachi steak/chicken and the awesome japanese steakhouse style of food so that's what we had! it was quiet and simple, but just what i wanted this year!
also in march my grandmother passed away. it was good friday actually. this was my mom's mom who lived in michigan. this is the grandma i was closest to and grew up visiting her frequently as she lived only an hour away. she was 85 years old and back in fall 2007 she started going downhill. i knew when i saw her in january while we were in michigan that that would be our last visit with her. in the 2 months following that visit, she was in and out of the hospital 4 times and her quality of life became very poor. i'm happy that she's not suffering anymore, but it's still hard to accept that i'll never see her or talk to her again. i mean, she was the coolest grandma ever. i'll have to share some stories at some point.
so there was that death in the family which pretty much made the rest of march sucky.
now here it is the second week of april already and we've been here in SoCal for 2 months. my how time is flying by!
i celebrated my 27th birthday on saturday. i was quite content at 26, but as one of my coworkers put it today "it's a little too close to 30!" ... way to make me feel better! we didn't do anything exciting like last year, but that was my choice. the presents were just as good as last year, except nothing still tops the best gift ever! anyways, i just wanted a nice dinner out with mike. although i'd made reservations at a fancy schmancy restaurant here in orange county, i was craving hibachi steak/chicken and the awesome japanese steakhouse style of food so that's what we had! it was quiet and simple, but just what i wanted this year!
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