Point To Ponder

"If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
- Ronald Reagan

Lunch

As if the food and the prices weren't disappointing enough, these have been spotted in the cafeteria at work. I am completely grossed out.

What a day not to have packed a lunch...

Brace Face

Tomorrow Lolly gets braces. Tomorrow I become a bit poorer...

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Lolly read the Kurt Cobain Journals while she was away this summer. Now I am overdosing on Nirvana with a side of Foo Fighters.

One can only take so much grunge...

Calling Early Adopters and Tech Geeks

Anybody using Google+?

1410

1410 - That's the average SAT score for incoming freshmen at the University of Notre Dame. A fact we discovered during a behind the scenes tour of the university. That's stressful. Good thing we bought this book the day before at the campus bookstore.

We'll need the book, it's secrets, a lot of prayers, and a backup plan...

Enough

Am I the only one whose heard enough already about the Casey Anthony verdict?

All I really know is that I am glad it wasn't my decision to make, that the family dynamics seemed off from the very beginning, that guilty or not guilty I don't think things will end well for Casey Anthony in the long run.

Top Three Tuesday - Bucket List

1. Become fluent in three languages
2. Live overseas for a few months
3. Earn a PhD

What's on your list?

Vacation Snapshots

God Bless America

Have a safe and happy fourth!

Top Three Pet Peeves

1. Hearing someone chew, snap gum, chomp ice, etc.
2. People who cut in line
3. People who let their kids eat and drink during church. Seriously, it's a hour, they can make it. And we wonder why we have a generation of overweight kids. We teach them to eat for
entertainment.

However, comment problems on blogger may soon crack the my top 3...

I can't drive 55

or 65, or 45, or anything within 5 miles of the posted speed limit.

Nothing like a newly permitted driver to make you realize how little you really remember about the rules of the road.

Maybe we should get one of these magnets now that Lolly's driving.

image

One Week

This time next week I'll be on way home. (Mister thinks it strange that as a middle aged woman (gasp) I still refer to my parents place at home.)

I am looking forward too many things while I am on vacation...an 11 hr road trip with Lolly, a wedding, a 4th of July baseball game, a large does of extended family time...

But most of all, I am looking forward to unplugging from work. I am there. You know, that place where the little things that you normally brush off are now enough to drive you crazy. Ya, that place. I am living in it till the end of business next Thursday. I've told my co-workers if you hear me sobbing in my cube, just ignore it. But, I am gonna be strong. I think everyone is ready for a vacation and I am worried if I start to cry it will set off a chain reaction. You know the kind, like when one baby starts to cry and then every baby in the vicinity joins in... one week...

Top Three Things to Accomplish this Summer

1. Clean out the storage area
2. Lose 5lbs
3. Take a trip to Indiana.

ok so #3's not so hard but the first two - wish me luck.

Anybody else have a to do list for the summer?

Monday Already

Who the hell stole my weekend? Still yawning after 2 cups of coffee.

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Sent using my BlackBerry

Meet the Silver Lady

Seems when the dealership needs to move some vehicles they actually can sell a car for what they once said was not possible.

I am lovin her. She's loaded with all the bells and whistles and lots of safety features. All very nice for someone stuck in traffic 2 hours a day Monday thru Friday.

Top Three Tuesday

Top Three Ways to Relieve Stress:

1. Run
2. Watch movies
3. Read

At first I really thought eating should be on the list but when I thought harder I realized that eating is really a stress enhancer. Eat to relieve stress, then stress about what you just ate and how you're going to lose 10lbs. Vicious cycle.

How do you relieve stress?

In Need of Rehab

I've fallen off the wagon. I am puffy and cranky and craving sugar. I tell you it's like liquid crack to me.

Tomorrow - cold turkey. No diet pop and no sugar, minus the two Newman O's I'll allow myself. (one step at a time)

I should have been a teacher

Not because I love children or want to contribute to the betterment of the world (all of which I do) but because the idea of having the summer off sounds so stinkin awesome.

Momentary Lapse of Sanity

This weekend I thought I wanted to buy a new car. One with everything. One to drive until the wheels fall off.

I started with Honda CRVs but just didn't feel it. If I am going to make a long term committment I have to feel the love. So I moved on to Toyota RAV4s. Found one with all the bells and whistles. Loved it, made my skip a beat.

But alas, 2 dealerships, 2 salesman, 2 managers, and no RAV4 for me. I am a bottom line kind of girl. If you can't meet the price I want to pay there's no amount explaination, sales techniques, etc that are going to work. And I have no problem cutting you off, thanking for your time and getting back to livin life and rollin around town in my used based out Rolla.

Go Big or Go Home

I received a small promotion yesterday at work. I am very happy but feel a little funny about it in that it was long in coming. (Something I should have probably asked for coming in the door, but while I can negotiate for others, I am not that good at for myself.) Yesterday when I was living my boss's office he asked how I'd like to handle the announcement because he'd like to let the rest of the team know. My reply was can we keep it on the down low.

A little hard to keep it on the down low when Mister sent these flowers. And in true Mister style the flowers came with a box of candy, a teddy bear and a Congratulations balloon. I love that man!

How the heck I am getting these out the building without any questions?

Top Three Tuesday

Give me your top three places you love to vacation.

Mine:

1. Indiana - seems lame but there really is no place like home.

2. New Orleans, actually make that the French Quarter with a drink in my hand people watching.

3. I'd like to say Florence or Paris, but I've only been once. So I'll go with some place on the water - I am not particular, or in a particular hurry to get back to the water since putting on a swimsuit seems far from relaxing these days.

Man, I want a vacation!

Memorial Day

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

photo credit

Top Three Tuesday

What are your top three favorite ice cream flavors?

Mine:

Chocolate Chip (old school chocolate chip, not chocolate chip cookie dough)

Extreme Moose Tracks (Kroger Private Selection)

Strawberry (preferably with chunks of real strawberries)
photo credit

Small Message, Big Impact

I just finished reading Small Message, Big Impact by Terri Sjodin



I was interested in this book because it's about how to put the power of the elevator speech effect to work for you. You know the elevator speech - the three minute spiel to sell yourself, your services, your ideas, etc. The elevator speech makes me uncomfortable because selling anything makes me uncomfortable.


While I was interested in the book it took me a while to actually pick it up and start reading. I didn't have to read far into the book to realize I should have picked it up right away.


This book is full of valuable information and helpful tools, whether you are developing an elevator speech or a longer presentation. I can count at least three missed opportunities where I could have benefited from the information in this book the week before I started reading this book. From the basic of how to have structured a presentation I gave down to how to determine the amount of time spent of each area of the presentation to how to define my intention when presenting an idea to my boss for buy-in.

Good for anyone in sales, anyone who presents, and more importantly anyone who is not comfortable with either of those situations.