I've Got It!

I have figured out what I am going to be for Halloween. I know you are probably thinking "Isn't it a little early for that?" Well in my office, there is a Halloween party complete with a costume contest. It's a big deal. And since it will be my first year I want them to know I am serious. I am in it to win it. There is a Target gift card at stake here people. I am not at this point in time disclosing my choice, because I don't want to hype it up too much, but when the time comes I will post pics. Anyway, it's been a busy week so I haven't been able to post. Have a great weekend!

Water, Water, Nowhere Near

If you live anywhere near where I do, (or anywhere in the Southeastern United States for that matter) you are quite aware of the extreme drought. In our area it is causing quite a stir. Water restrictions, people crying out about global warming, trashing the city council, the water police, it's craziness. Pure and simple. I am addicted to reading articles on local news websites and then reading the comments people post. You want to see how ugly people can be to one another? Just scroll through the comments on a hot topic article and you will see mankind in its finest hour. The best part is that some of the things people say is just crazy.

I read one comment recently where the person was saying how they didn't care if their grass died, it had not environmental benefit. Um, hello? Erosion? Yes, I know erosion can't take place if it doesn't rain, but come on. It seriously can't not rain forever. It will rain again. The sooner the better.

People also commented on how the city/county should stop issuing building permits. Now I don't know this for a fact, but I bet some of those people with those comments are directly affected by those hotly contested building permits. Maybe they have a job at a company that recently opened an office in the area and work in a new building. Maybe their neighborhood is a result of the development boom in the area. Let me just say, the construction industry is not at fault here. I will just leave it at that.

I am not going to completely bash the city council here, but I will say that as an area experiences significant development and a population boom it is their responsibility to help the infrastructure accommodate the needs of the residents. This means water, roads, schools, etc. But what do I know? I only have a Bachelor's in Political Science and took an entire class on State and Local Governments.

All I can do is pray for rain.

So This Is How the Other Side Lives...

On Saturday we went to the game and were finally able to celebrate a win again! Things were different for us this game though, instead of sitting in our normal seats we got to go up to the towers and see what life is like for the other side. Since I figured most of you won't get this experience I would share mine. We got of the elevators onto the first floor of the towers and could not believe what we saw. End to end, it was a plushy open corridor with tables, bar areas serving drinks (non-alcoholic of course) and buffet tables. We loaded up our plates with the free (free to us) food and sat down and watched the game from one of the many TVs. The food was good. They had salad, hot dogs, mashed potatoes (weird combination, I know) and cookies. There were boxes of popcorn up at the drink bar. After we ate we headed outside to the box seating and watched the game. The chairs were definitely comfy. (Way better than our normal metal bleacher seating.) At halftime, the buffet tables had been changed out and they were loaded down with nachos and chicken tenders. They also brought out ice cream that was made at the school's dairy. Believe me, it was more food that I needed to eat. The place was so nice you had no reason to leave (except for those interested in car barring it up at halftime). I don't think I even need to say that the restroom facilities were far nicer than those in the rest of the stadium. While I did enjoy my time up in the towers, I will have to say that I prefer my regular seats to the towers on a regular basis. Life is not the same up there. I felt disconnected from the game. It seemed that many of the people up there (no offense to anyone that has seats up there) are there for the social aspect, and maybe aren't quite the hardcore football fans that we are. It was cool, I did enjoy myself. But it wasn't the same. I look forward to my regular seats this Saturday.

What? Now My Neck is Fat Too??

So I recently joined a (free) website that allows you to track your nutrition and exercise for the purpose of losing or maintaining a healthy weight. For those interested in weight loss it has a place for you to enter your weigh following each weigh in as well as measurements. One of the measurements you are asked to track is your neck.

Apparently your neck gains or loses fat in proportion to your body. I did not know that. I mean, if your butt gets bigger, you do the unpleasant and buy a bigger size pair of pants. What do you do when your neck gets bigger? Is my neck fat now? Should I stray from necklaces and wear only collared shirts? What is a girl to do? You know how people notice when you gain (and lose) weight, well do they also notice your neck fat? I have never heard someone say "Wow, did you see how big her neck is? She really shouldn't be wearing that pearl drop necklace."

How do you know when your neck gets fat? Will someone come up and tell you? Is there a certain way you should be dressing if you have a fat neck? I know there are certain ways to dress if you are heavy on top, or heavy on bottom. What about heavy around the neck? I would just like to say thank you to that website. Because now I have to worry about something else looking fat when I get ready.

Remember

I am sure all Americans are aware of what day it is. Do you remember where you were, this day 6 years ago? I do. I probably never will forget.

I was a senior in high school. When the towers were hit I was sitting in my AP Calculus class. We had no idea at the time what had happened. It seemed like a normal fall day. Class was over around 10:00 am and I went on to my next class, World Geography (talk about a cake class). When I entered the room, the TV was on and my teacher explained the World Trade Centers had been hit, along with the Pentagon. The first thought I had was "Oh my god, we are going to war." I sat down and just watched everything that was going on. It was the only time I can remember that television coverage has gone for so long without any kind of commercial interruption.

I remember seeing the second tower fall and just trying not to cry. You couldn't that the second one hit had already fallen because of all the smoke. I remember just being in shock. We spent the remainder of the class period talking about terrorism and watching TV.

The rest of the day was pretty much the same. We just sat with the lights off, watching the live coverage. I remember feeling numb with shock. I just wanted to cry and cry. I didn't personally know anyone that was directly involved in the attacks (IE victims, or family/friends of victims) but still felt the pain and devastation that I think all of America felt that day.

I remember after school I had to run an errand and as I drove through town I almost expected for the sky to fall. It was so odd. I had never before felt so much fear and uncertainty. The radio didn't even play songs, it just had reports from NY and personal stories of those who had survived.

I remember coming home and the majority of the cable channels were covering it as well, which seemed so weird. Everything seemed surreal. Like a bad dream. Like I would wake up the next day and everything was back to normal.

I still think about that day. I still think about how I felt, how America felt. But it is our spirit that drives us forward, that helps up move on from tragedy and through the pain. Life is different six years later, but as long as we don't forget I think we are stronger for it.

The Unfortunate Toe Situation

*Warning to anyone that might be grossed out: This does contain info regarding a medical procedure and the gory aftereffects. *

This story actually begins back in March, when I had an ingrown toenail. Now this was a new experience for me, but it was a result of shoes that were a little tight, not a clipping (or lack there of) issue.

I went to the doctor and he had to cut part of my nail and the skin at the nail off. (I was properly numbed at the time, so this was not the painful part.) He then sewed the end of my skin to the top of the nail that was left. Ouch. The next 3 days were excruciating pain. I could not work, I could not walk, I could not sleep, I could not think. All I could do was writhe in pain. Once the stitches were out the pain had subsided and I began to heal.

Fast forward to a month ago. My nail had not completely grown back across, but was almost there. I caught the end of it on something and it ripped off (not the entire nail, just a portion). I didn't know this at the time, but a piece of the nail stayed in the skin and grew down, becoming ingrown. Last week my toe was red and sore so I went back to the doctor. He told me he would have to cut it again. I immediately regretted my choice to have it looked at.

He did cut the same as he had previously, but this time, instead of sewing it up he cauterized it. Let me just tell you, the difference between this time and the first was incredible. The first few days I felt no pain. Zero. (Side note: I was placed on an antibiotic both times to kill the infection.)

Currently, it is a little sore and starting to scab over. I clean it daily with hydrogen peroxide and then cover it with a band aid (mainly to prevent people from vomiting at the sight of it).

Needless to say, I can't wear any shoes that cover my toe at this point. Hopefully it will heal enough within the next day or two that I can head back to the gym.

Anyway, that is the story of the unfortunate toe situation.

Wanna Go For a Drive?

So I was watching the news this morning and one of their "stories" was that a poll was run to see which democratic presidential candidate would Americans choose to ride with on a cross country trip. Hillary Clinton was the major winner with about half the vote. Then came Obama, and last (but don't you dare call him least) was Edwards. So what does this mean? Well to me, nothing. I mean, can you imagine driving across country with any of these people?

Hillary would just spend the entire time she is not driving talking about how much experience she has and how well the trip would be going if she was in the driver's seat. She would talk about how we are headed the wrong direction, and which road she would take if she were driving. She would also probably sing in the car. Gag me. There is a reason Jobs invented the ipod.

Obama would probably whine when he wasn't driving. He would say how he is old enough to drive and he has plenty of experience. Experience he has gained by spending plenty of time racing go karts.

And then there is Edwards. He would probably want to stop along the way to visit those less fortunate. You know, nothing stamps out poverty like a handshake and a pat on the back. He would probably insist on taking the Benz though. Why should he have to suffer like those poor people? I mean, he was poor once, but he has earned his wealth like many hard working American lawyers, ambulance chasing and "interning" with hedge funds.

And who would I choose? Let's just say I would rather walk.