Once sticky in jello . . . now it's time to get down and DIRTY!!

Ok, so jello wrestling was a complete success and I had a blast! That is some slippery stuff!! Words to the wise: if ever given the opportunity to get jello near your eyes . . . DON'T!! It burns!! And although not bad, once a few bodies have rolled around in the goo, the slimy concoction doesn't taste the way it should. I think I'm going to steer clear of anything watermelon flavored for quite some time. :) All in all, though, the event was just as I'd planned it to be . . . HUGE!! And as predicted, I emerged as Jello Wrestling Champion. Question is are there going to be any contenders for my title in 2007?


And now that the super-slippery, extra-gooey, over-the-top slimefest is over for the year . . . I'm ready for more! Instead of jello this time, though, I'm going to be rolling around in mud! Muddy Buddy 2006, here I come!!

Here's the deal, the Muddy Buddy is a cycling/running duathlon where competitors race in teams. The course is cut into mile-long segments, which one person runs while the other bikes. The end of each segment is marked with an obstacle. The competitors go through the obstacle and then switch places--the biker begins to run and the runner picks up the bike and begins to cycle. The next mile they do it again. The competitors continue to leapfrog through the entire course like this until they hit the last obstacle--a gigantic mudpit--which they get to cross together to end the race! Doesn't this sound like fun?! I'm so psyched!!

So . . . my dear gal pal Debbie (she's the wrestler covered in jello with me above) and I are already registered for the Muddy Buddy as the "Dirty Divas." Wahoo!! Why "Dirty Divas" you may ask? Well, the etymology of "diva" is Italian, literally meaning "goddess," from Latin, feminine of divus (divine, god). Debbie and I are both divine in more ways than one (we're strong, confident women who know what we're worth!) and fully accept the little bit of "dirty" we know we've got inside, so it seems to fit well. Our motto is, "Embrace the goddess within." Our logo (created by a dear friend Albert--call me if you want his contact info) is as follows and is going to be placed on t-shirts and perhaps even tattooed on our backs:


The race is August 20th in Boulder, and all are invited to come and cheer the Dirty Divas on! (Of course, I do believe registration is still open if you'd rather race yourself! Check out www.muddybuddy.com for more details.) Now that I've had my fun in jello and mud is soon to be crossed of the list, I wonder which substance I'm going to play in next??? The adventure continues . . .

WANTED: Attitude Adjustment . . . NOW!

This strong, smart, courageous, fun-loving, energetic, and excited almost 24 year old is looking to find a new attitude as the one on her plate today does NOT meet her usual extremely high standards! Instead of the positive, bright, and cheerful demeanor she usually finds herself in, a number of circumstances have dampened the spirits of the day:

1. It's raining. Beyond that, the weather that has brought the much-needed moisture to our land is not conducive to playing in. : (

2. Best friend is MIA. My long-awaited ice cream date with a dear friend has seemingly been cancelled. Despite several contacts on my part (in person, over the phone, and by email), there has been nothing in terms of returned communication today. I'm sure the miss is not intentional, however I am saddened I will not get to see her as planned. More than that, though, I also am a little bit worried since the no-show and no-contact move is not like her. I do hope everything is okay.

3. The computer crashed. All 5000 photographs, dozens of important documents, and several forms and code lists (work-related) that were saved are gone forever. The kicker is, the back-up disc on which everything had been saved in case something outrageous like this happens (I'm too smart and too anal to not be prepared for something like this), is corrupted. Turns out it was re-formatted incorrectly by an un-named party who was attempting to help me out prior to the crash. God bless my mother.

4. Tomorrow is Monday. Normally, this point alone means nothing since my attitude is generally up-beat regardless of the day of the week (although admittedly a little extra effort is usually needed to keep Monday in good light), HOWEVER . . . the fact that today hasn't gone exactly as planned on top of the fact that I get to go to work bright and early tomorrow morning (and the big cheeses will be back in the office) seems to be contributing to the gloomy aura of the day. Knowing that Raleigh's short yet sweet vacation is also over has me a bit on the sad end as well. Somehow I felt more comfortable and relaxed knowing he was enjoying himself and knowing those long hard days of sleeping in are over is less than exciting for both of us, I'm sure.

Alright, that's about it. I am not able to bring myself to list any other semi-negative aspects to the day as I don't want to focus on them. Really, I don't. I'd much rather focus on the positive things and all the wonderful people that are present in my life. I am SO grateful for every single one of them and if I were to list them out, I'd see they far outweigh the measly 4 items I've listed above.

So that's that. A new attitude is wanted? Consider it done. Attitude adjusted. : )

And the truth shall set you free . . .

Ok, so I've said it for years yet it's finally hit me right between the eyes (or square in the heart, depending on how you look at it) . . . Life doesn't always have to be complicated!! There you go, that's it. Plain and simple. Right now, everything has seemingly fallen into place, just as I have long envisioned it would.

Did I ever doubt that I'd find myself here? Of course . . . however those moments were just that--moments. They never lasted for long as I'm too confident of a woman to think that I'm not worth every ounce of happiness I'm feeling right now. It's true it's been a long time coming, however I knew the day would eventually arrive. (If you are doubting me, check out my previous blogs to see my persevering positive attitude shining on even in the midst of dark and gloom . . . and then check your attitude to see if it's gotten you what you want today!) Anyways, here I am . . . content as a clam and oh so excited to see what the future is bringing.

So why am I smiling brighter than usual? Well, there have been lots of great things going on in my life lately, and upon reflection, I realized that I've finally hit all of the goals I'd set for myself this year (see my blog on Jan. 1 "2006, Bring It On!" for more details)! I've highlighted some of the biggest and brightest here:

*On May 12th, I mentioned I was looking for an amazing man to dance with me in life. Well . . . out of nowhere a super-sexy, passionate, giving, courageous, faithful, financially stable, emotionally available, kind, caring, supportive man who finds me as worthy as I know I am and continues to grow and improve himself as well has made his way onto the dancefloor of my heart and I am thrilled. There is something so easy about being with him . . . it just doesn't make logical sense. That being said, I'm not questioning it, rather I'm loving every moment I get to spend with him and every opportunity I have to get to know him better. And with each turn, I realize more and more just how wonderful he is (seriously--I don't think I've ever met someone who has jumped far above my incredibly-high standards as he has). Regardless of the outcome (although I'm anticipating it to be a rather good one), I'm having a blast with an amazing man that I'm certain will remain in my life forever.
*Earlier this year, I received the promotion in my career I've long been working for. The raise in salary (although smaller than I hoped) and offical title change was also achieved. It's true--To Think is to Create!!
*I'm still working on achieving my physical goal of an even stronger and healthier body (including a flat tummy and more toned biceps/triceps and thighs), however with each day I work out I get closer to closing (or at least maintaining) that goal. Jello wrestling occurred last weekend (what a blast!) and I feel very good about how I was feeling and looking at that event. Next up--Muddy Buddy in August 2006!
*And as always, I'm working towards creating #10 relationships with all of my friends and family. I would not be where I am if it wasn't for (at least in part) all the love and support I've received from my friends and family for as long as I can remember. Each one is very special to me (and if you're reading this, I'm talking to you), and I am determined to let each of you know by my actions and words just how much you mean to me. I love you all.

Ok, so that about wraps it up (well, the big things anyway) for now. I'm sure I'll have lots more to report on later, as those of you who know me well do know--I don't stop here. I'm a mover and a shaker and am not one to ever stop growing and loving and giving and living . . . so hang tight! I guarantee there will be more fun and smiles to follow as I don't do it any other way! :)

So I believe this is proof again--truth leads to liberty, true freedom. When things are this good, the skeptic in me often asks if this is "too good to be true?" Yet I'm shaking my head big time on this one--the truth does NOT have to be complicated. This is certainly not too good, and it's definitely true. And baby, I'm ready for more!!! :)

Phenomenal Woman

To all the phenomenal women in my life . . .

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

~Maya Angelou