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

What's in a name?

Kim (Old English)- Chief
Kimberly or Kimn (English)- Ruler
Kimberley (Old English)- Royal Ruler
Kimball (English)- Leader of the Warriors
Kimimela or Kimama (Native American)- Butterfly
Kimi (Japanese)- She Who is Without Equal
Kimatra (Hindu)- Seduce

So . . . what's in a name? You tell me . . .

I Am a Magnet

Magnet (noun), from Middle English magnete: something that attracts interest.

auto broker/sales (x2)
banker
bartender
carpenter (x2)
computer tech (x2)
consultant
doctor-internal medicine
engineer
flooring specialist
financial planner (x2)
handyman
landscaper
mechanic
med student
personal trainer
petroleum engineer
photographer
physicist
pilot
police officer
recruiter
teacher
tv/film editor
????????

It's a Dance

Ballet, tap, salsa, belly, square, hip hop . . . every type of dance has its own different moves. From the head to the hands to the hips to the feet, each part of the body moves in a particular manner at a particular time in order for everything to come together. Beautiful dance occurs when everything moves at the right time and as that happens, everything else seems to fall into place.

So . . . that brings me to my current dance. It hit me yesterday that I have a pattern in life (don't ask me where I took lessons) where I begin a dance, start to get the moves down, head in the right direction and then BAM! I trip somewhere on the dance floor and end up making a clumsy move that sets me back in the music by at least a few steps. I can recover (always have, always will), yet it may take a moment or two to catch the beat and rhythm of the music again. My stumble doesn't tell me I'm a terrible dancer or that I should leave the floor altogether; rather, it just reminds me that I'm not yet where I want to be and still have some learning to do. And even though as of now I'm still dancing solo, I know it won't remain that way forever. One day I will be guided to the floor by someone who wants to dance with me--stumbles, slips, toe-stepping and all--and we will become permanent partners, gracefully (and not-so-gracefully) moving to the music together. I look forward to that day. Until then, I'll be the creative dancer I am and will just boogie to the music in my own special way.

So whether it be tap, jazz, or ball room . . . I'll learn where to put my feet when. There is one dance I'm not so sure I'll ever master, though. It's called LIFE, and it's the most intricate dance of them all.

Tagged!

TAGGED!!

I've been tagged! The first player of this game starts with the topic "Six weird things/habits about yourself" and the people who get tagged must write a blog about the same subject and then tag six others . . . and on and on . . . In the end you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names at the bottom of your blog. Don't forget to comment them on their page with this: "You are tagged . . . go read my blog."
Ready, set, . . . go!

1. Ok, so it may not be "weird," however I am slightly obsessed (perhaps a bit of an understatment?) with ice cream, stars, and pajamas. Any combination of those and I'm really in trouble!

2. I wear open-toed sandals (dress or casual) year-round, even in the snow. I know, I know . . . I live in Colorado . . . I figure that means why not wear such shoes as even when it's cold and cloudy the sun and heat will come back soon! Plus, my toes are just so darn cute! :)

3. I think I have a case of OCD when it comes to setting my alarm clock. I have to switch the alarm on and off at least three times before feeling comfortable it's set correctly . . . and if I lie in bed without making sure I've done my on-off ritual, I am not able to fall asleep until I get up and do it again, so that I know that I know I set it properly . . .

4. Eating rice gives me hiccups. Never fails.

5. When I put any form of lip moisturizer on, I have to go over my lips several times before feeling I've gotten enough coverage--even if my lips are already smooth and slick.

6. I have a thing with the back of my neck . . . it's very sensitive. Any sort of touch there drives me absolutely wild (in a very good way). It's so intense, watching someone else get touched there can drive me just as crazy. Shhhh . . . this one's a secret; please don't tell. :)

Ok the next people to be tagged are: Tiffany, Debbie, Nick, Paula, Jaime, and Sean

Tongue Trouble

So those of you who know me best know that I tend to say things that are often misinterpreted. From time to time the innocent comments that come out of my mouth are somehow transformed into something a little less clean than I originally intended. A hearty laugh often ensues directly afterwards by all parties involved, of course that's only after some blushing on my part and a few moments of awkward silence and a "Did she really just say that?!" look on the faces of those around me.

Of course after the years of giggles and unintentional innuendos, I've learned to laugh off my tongue trouble with a smile (and some slightly rosy cheeks). And after much prodding on behalf of those who have giggled with me, here's a sneak peek into what some might consider my Top Ten:

10. I go at it with my mouth wide open.
9. There's nothing like getting wet and slippery with good friends.
8. Friends are like a bowl of ice cream I enthusiastically lick clean.
7. Do you have a sensitive head?
6. Stiff is good!
5. The harder the better; I like a good challenge!
4. It's HUGE, isn't it?!
3. I'm brave . . . I'll swallow.
2. I like being on top; how about I start on top and then we can switch? Either that, or I can always just stay on top.
1. Now you can't go down on me . . . you're just going to have to play with it.

What does all this mean? Well, here's the decoding key to the statements above (you didn't think I actually meant to make those comments the way they sounded, did you?):

10. My innocent response to the age-old question, "How do you eat an elephant?"
9. A comment I made when making plans to go to Water World last summer. (And I suppose I could say this again in regards to my jello wrestling plans for June . . .)
8. I shouldn't equate friends to my most beloved edible treat--no matter how I say it, it sounds very wrong.
7. This question (asked to a male) was in the context of a discussion regarding scalp massagers.
6. A comment I yelled at the airport when instructing friends how to stand while posing for photos. I suppose "Don't slouch." might have done the trick, too!
5. My response to a question about the difficulty level I prefer on games and puzzles.
4. My poorly-timed response to a male friend who was telling me about getting out of the shower by a mirror . . .
3. What I said at a crowded candy store said when debating on whether or not to spit out some nasty candy I tasted.
2. Compromising with a dear male friend when discussing sleeping in bunk beds while camping.
1. My response while eating (and fighting over) a brownie and ice cream with a male friend (it's a long story).

I'm sure there's more . . . these are just the few I haven't been able to forget! I guess there's a reason why I won the "Best Unintentional Innuendo" award followed by the "Oops, I Did It Again" award by my PLD teammates last July, huh? :)

Just call me Dorothy

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore; it's starting to look a bit more like Florida . . .

Yesterday I was approached by my boss with a rather large proposal to move to another state (can you guess which one?) for 2 years to help set up a branch office, train staff, and get things moving smoothly. The benefits include a slight pay raise, a promotion by title, and the experience I'd gain from making the move and stepping into such a leadership position. Oh, and not to forget the warm weather and near proximity to the beach. :) The drawbacks include: first and foremost, being away from my friends and family whom I love very much, moving out of my condo (which I've worked so hard for and have totally made mine), and leaving my current job duties (which I love) far behind to take on a completely different role in my field. I know two years doesn't sound like too long to some, however if it doesn't turn out like I envision it, two years (no matter where I'm at) can be a very long time.

I'm still attempting to analyze the situation from every angle before I make my final decision (which shouldn't be a problem since I'm the best thinker and over-thinker in town ), however I've got so many thoughts rolling around in my head right now I feel as though I'm caught in a twister with no real sense of which direction will bring me out of the dark chaos into the light of peace again. I keep hearing voices swirl around me telling me which way to lean and why I should lean that way and how one direction is better, smarter, or more right than the other . . . and I feel the tug of friends and family wanting to support and encourage me to take the risk yet secretly wishing me not to leave . . . and I'm fully experiencing the fear and uncertainty of the unknown in front of me regardless of my decision . . . Argh! Why am I making this so tough?!

I definitely see that I'm not really going anywhere fast when it comes to arriving at a final decision to go or stay, however every day I think and pray about it a little more and every day I come a little bit closer to my answer. I'm not revealing that yet (not until I'm 100% positive my answer is final and I'm completely at peace with it), however the other side of the rainbow isn't too far away. I'll catch you all on the flip side . . .