How to Get a Date Worth Keeping

On my last post of the year, I thought it would be good to finish off with a book that I highly recommend for singles. I think that if every single person read this book then it would revolutionize dating. It would help take away our preconceived ideas that each date must be "the one" and if he/she isn't then it isn't worth getting to know them. It also helps us to take a look at ourselves and what is preventing us from dating - what is going on the inside? One friend read this book with me and she had originally scoffed at the books’ ideas but she has taken them to heart and it has changed her approach to dating. I would say that for both of us it has opened up new doors and changed the way we look at and approach dating. Dating should be fun and not a chore so enjoy it! I recommend this book for all singles that struggle with dating and to any married person who has a single friend - tell them about this book! The book is "How to Get a Date Worth Keeping" by Dr Henry Cloud. He says you will be dating in 6 months if you follow his formula. I will keep you posted! So look for a post in June 2008!

Full 2007 book list and the rest of my Things to Do list summary coming soon.

Cities in 2007

As 2007 comes to a close, I am wrapping up my 29 themed Things to Do in 2007 list. You will see over the next few posts where I succeeded (and some cases excelled) and other places that I didn't come close. Either way, it was fun to track.

First up, all the cities I visited (and a cool feature I just found on google maps!). The final count is 23 cities - if I had only gone to a few more small towns in GA or counted all those cities I slept through on a 16 hr bus ride in Argentina...

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Eyes

I was told for the upteenth time today that I look like Erica Christensen. So I once again looked her up on IMDB and found one picture that if I squint, I can see it. I decided that we have similar eyes so that must be what people see and I guess we both sort of have round faces. So to prove this theory I put together a group of eyes - some are Erica's, some are mine, some are my sisters. So for those that know me, try to figure out which is mine vs Erica's and this will help prove my point.

Snoring on the Plane

This is not Snakes on the Plane but instead Snoring on the Plane. I wish I was able to blog this morning when I was experiencing the gentlemen next to me snoring firsthand. We sat on the tarmac for awhile and from the moment this rather large man sat down next to me, he was snoring. Of course it was distracting and rude and I kept thinking that I should tap him on the shoulder and politely say "Excuse me, just wanted to let you know you were snoring" but then the other part of me wanted to yell at him to stay awake and stop bothering other passengers. Of course, I was also upset because he was seeping onto my seat so I finally strategically placed my People magazine between my leg and his because I really don't like when strangers touch me. When we finally became airborne my dear seat mate decided to become very agitated and wouldn't stop moving, he reached over me and closed the shade (how rude), he jacked up the air so it was blowing directly on him and he wouldn't stop moving. So needless to say he has won the Worse Seatmate award. When we landed he immediately move the armrest up and by doing so hit my arm and he mumbled excuse me. I didn't want the barrier between us broken but I momentarily sucked it up because I knew my agony was about to end. What would you do in this situation? I immediately thought of weigh limits and requiring people to list their weight when booking a flight or do a weigh in at the gate. It is not fair for those of us that fit into seats to be taken over by the fat folks of the world. Sure they say it isn't their fault for being fat but do they exercise? Does their meal plan consist of McDonald's hamburgers? So that is my vent for today.

New Blog Title

After reading Eat Pray Love, I have had the inspiration to rename my blog. I have moved on from my list centering around 29 and I am embracing (at least trying to) the big 3-0 so in light of that, my blog will now be "Love Pray Eat".

Eat Love Pray

I justed finished reading Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything across Italy, India and Indonesia be Elizabeth Gilbert. I didn't originally want to read this book but after searching the book store and picking up book after book that followed the CSI type of formula, I decided to go for something different. This afterall is a memoir about a woman finding herself and I thought at least she goes to Italy which is one country that I have fallen in love with.

So I began the book and I really should have blogged along the way because there are lessons she (and I) learned as she trekked through Italy, India, and Indonesia. As you can probably guess by the title she ate a lot in Italy, prayed a lot in India, and fell in love in Indonesia. What I like about the book is that she rediscovers herself and really takes an indepth look at herself and fixes what is wrong. She is finally honest with herself and why her life has taken the path that it has and she rights it. I think Ch 58 was among my favorite when she talks about prayer being a relationship and how it should be deliberate and specific and not lazy. I enjoy all of her tales of Italy and all the places she goes and all the places she eats and how she learns Italian along the way. I attempted to learn Italian before I went there but there was no hope for me. I loved learning about India and Indonesia - 2 places I have never been and really never thought about going. Reading about those cultures was fascinating to me.

The chapters are each centered around one central theme and some are as short as a page which made the book for quite an easy read. I don't agree with some of her beliefs on Christianity - I think she needs to do some more soul searching in this area but I do think she has some good ideas about quieting the mind and removing the distractions of life and being still. I don't think I will start daily hour long meditation sessions but I can see how those can be a useful tool as you navigate the busy American life style. Liz is quite candid in her storytelling and lets you see her most inner thoughts so that you feel like she is one of your best friends. I would love to take a year off and travel the world in 4 month increments. Where would you go if you did that? I think I would start with Italy but who knows where next...I will have to ponder that more. I do think it is good for all of us to take a step back and be introspective and not let life pass us by. What do we all really want out of life? What is life all about for us? We should answer these questions and make it happen.

So despite some disagreements with the author's religious beliefs and my initial hesitation in reading the book, I would definitely recommend this book.

Live Together or Get Married?

I will start with a disclaimer to say that many of my friends have chosen to live together before marriage and I in no way mean to offend them or judge their decision, this is just a blog about my own personal beliefs for myself.

So it seems our generation is faced at some point in a relationship with the question of whether or not to move in together or to get married? They may not view the question as this but it really is what it comes down. My living together you get to "test drive" marriage without the commitment. It seems that over the last few days I have learned that a good percentage of my co-workers live with their significant other. It got me thinking about why they made that decision. For me, I wouldn't even consider it unless I was engaged and close to getting married and even then I don't know if I would do it. To me they are sitting up house and doing everything that married couples do without the total commitment to each other. It is no wonder that so many of these relationships fail because by just living together there is an "out" clause. I guess some would argue that divorce is the "out" clause of marriage but if you really want to be married and really believe in the vows of better or for worse and sickness and in health then you don't include an "out" clause. I don't understand why so many people chose to live together. I can already hear the arguments...it is cheaper, we are together all the time anyway, we are committed...well if all is that is true, why are you scared of marriage? I think so many marriages fail is because we have forgotten what the intent of marriage is and we have forgotten to take it so seriously. We fall in love but don't bother to answer questions like: Are we compatible? Do we both agree on how to handle money? Do we share common religious beliefs? Do we both want kids and if so, how many? Do we prefer to live in the city? Do we want to live near family? Will both people be at home (aka not travel) once we have kids? There are so many questions like this that most couples don't think about but if they took the time to answer these questions (and many more like these) honestly and seriously then maybe we would start to get more marriages right and we as a society wouldn't feel like we had to "test it out".

Vent - Rude Wait Staff?

Multiple people including myself have encountered an interesting phenomenon at restaurants lately. It seems that the waiter/waitress feels like it is in their job description to join in and interrupt your conversation while they wait on you. It is one thing to ask if I want more tea but for the wait staff to enter my conversation and overstay their welcome by participating in my table mates and my conversation. What is going on? Can't a waiter/waitress just take my order, check on me, bring my food and give me the check? I don't need their advice, I don't need their friendship...I just need my food! So this is my vent for the day.

Josh Kelley Rocks!

I just went to the Josh Kelley concert at Smith's Old Bar this weekend. Right now he is touring with Pat McGee and the show was awesome. Josh is quite the entertainer. He not only easily connects with the audience, his songs and voice rocks. He had the whole room grooving to his music and jamming with his band. He is a very likable character and easy on the eyes for us ladies! He mingled with the crowd after his set and while Pat McGee was playing. If you haven't heard his music, then I would definitely check out his website and his myspace page. I usually compare him to Jack Johnson and John Mayer but after going to his concert I think he blows both of them out of the water. I have his CD "Just say the Word" but his Fall Sampler is even better and has some great new and creative songs and is not quite as mello as "Just Say the Word". His music usually falls under the Folk genre but I wouldn't necessarily classify it as Folk, more new rock with a mellow twist. I can't wait for his new CD which comes out in Feb!

Pat McGee put on a good show but not near as entertaining as Josh. About halfway through the show they mentioned that it was the anniversary of the death of their drummer so after that I understood the low key atmosphere a little more. The opening act Sons of William also deserve a shout out. They were not as entertaining as Josh (which makes since because they are newer artist) but their music was pretty good. Definitely check out all these artists! Oh and I will throw out some love for one of my new favorite bands Lady Antebellum. This is a country group made up of Charles Kelley (Josh's bro), Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott. The two guys and Josh all are from Augusta my hometown so I have to give them a shout out and show some love. Their music is great too so if any of these folks come to your town, it is definitely worth checking them out.

Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships by Chip Ingram

Seems that my blog has kind of turned into a review blog. Yes, this is another book review. Maybe I missed my calling in life to write...that can be another blog entry. So onto Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships by Chip Ingram. I just finished reading this book. I actually listened to Chip's talk on this topic about 3 years ago so some of it sounded familar. This book has come at a good time in my life. When I first started the introduction, I immediately but the book down because I didn't want to read something that made me feel bad about being single or read yet again more tips on how to find a mate. I begrudingly picked it up again a few weeks ago and am glad that I did because it has revolutionized how I think about dating, love, and marriage. This book isn't just for singles either it is for married folk, divorcees, young people, old people, etc. I would recommend this book for all ages. I won't attempt to do the book justice by trying to capture the main themes but in general I now of a new and better outlook on how I am going to approach finding love. Instead of waiting for the right person, fall in love, and put all my hopes in a person, I am going to instead become the right person, walk in love, and put my faith in God (ok, so I stole one theme). I am also not going to pressure myself to find the one or fall in love, instead I am looking for male friends. Not dates, friends and if it develops later then great. I think I missed out on some of my greatest loves in college that were my friends because we could never be on the same page about dating. Either I liked them and they didn't like me and vice versa. Good thing is that while I may have missed out on being their great love, they are still my friends to this day. So I encourage everyone (single, married, divorced, dating, etc) to read this book. It will challenge your way of thinking and make you look at relationships in a whole new (and better) way.

Two Urban Licks

I just went to Two Urban Licks last night for dinner. I have one word - Trendy. Well, two words - Trendy and Yummy. We had a 730pm reservation and the place was packed. When we left there were probably 50 people waiting so key to going to this place is going early and having a reservation. The outside porch and far dining area have an awesome view of the skyline of Atlanta. The food is a little on the expensive side - expect to pay $100 for 2 people. This would be a great 4th or 5th date place or a good place for an anniversary. It is a little loud on the inside so it isn't ideal for date number one but a good special occasion place. The restaurant isn't in a rush to turn over tables so you are able to enjoy your meal at a leaisurely pace - if you are looking for a quick meal, you should try somewhere else. The restaurant is in a a warehouse just off Ralph McGuill and not many other restaurants are around. It is definitely a hidden spot - much like Eclipse de Luna. This is a definite must if you haven't visited her before. Next time I go, I plan to request outside seating or a booth and definitely go with a date!

God is Closer Than You Think by John Ortberg

I just finished reading God is Closer Than You Think by John Ortberg. It is a quick read at about 170 pages. The chapters usually start with good visual images like the picture of Adam and God at the top of the Sistine Chapel (The Creation of Adam), the Where's Waldo book, A Beautiful Mind movie or the Princess Bride movie and then Ortberg explains how these concepts can relate to your relationship with God.

One part of the book talks about how you shouldn't feel guilty for reading the newspaper over The Bible or watching TV. Instead you should invite God to do these activities with you. God wants to be part of your life not just be part of the moments where you need him. Also, it talks about which pathway you most connect with God. Some people are more intellectual, others relational, some are activists while some are worshippers or servers and some are contemplative and others are creationist. I think I fit in a couple of these areas - intellectual, relational and creationist. We all our own ways of experiencing a relationship with God.

I think this book is a great (and quick) read and it can help jump start your relationship with God or just offer some good ways to connect with God.

Fighting Cancer

My sister is currently undergoing proton therapy radiation treatment in FL for a brain tumor. We didn't know anything about this kind of treatment yet it is on the cutting edge of fighting cancer. Proton radiation is different from photo radiation in that it doesn't have an exit ray so healthy tissues on the exit side of the tumor are not hit. Proton therapy can also be more precise than photon.

One thing we have learned about doctors throughout this process is that they don't know everything, a 2nd opinion can save your life, and doing research on your own on the internet is a good idea. To help pass this information along, I wanted to do a blog posting. There are currently 5 proton centers in the US and they are building more here and abroad. They can treat brain tumors, prostate cancer, bone cancer and probably other cancers that I don't know about. They are working on treating advanced forms of breast cancer and tumors in movable areas like your lungs. There is new technology that is able to track your breathing patterns and how your body moves so that the radiation will move as you breathe and hit the tumor spot. This helps reduce the error field and therefore reduces the good cells that it hits. Please share this with anyone you know that has cancer because it coult work for them. We have found that a lot of doctors don't know about this kind of therapy because they just haven't heard about it.

The FL proton center is a very positive place. The atmosphere is more like a doctor's office than a hospital - the staff doesn't wear scrubs and the walls are warm colors not white. The staff and patients are very friendly and it really feels like you are surrounded by family. They have an excellent patient support system in place - lunches, dinners, and donuts! I have seen how sharing your story and hearing about others can really aid in the healing process. I have also seen that having a positive attitude makes all the difference in the world in the healing process.

Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicolas Sparks

I just finished reading Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicolas Sparks. When I originally heard that this book was coming out, I pretty much dismissed it as something I didn't want to read. I have read many of Sparks' books to date - The Notebook (twice), Dear John, The Wedding, Bend in the Road, etc. But this new book was about a trip around the world that he and his brother took. I changed my mind about the book after I planned a 4 week with my sister. While my trip isn't around the world - it is just down to FL - it is a once in a life time adventure as my sister undergoes radiation. So I bought the book and ironically at the same time my grandmother bought the book for my sister. So upon my arrival in FL, we started the book together. Little did I know that in addition to reading about all the great places around the world, I would also be reading a memoir of Nicholas Sparks' life. The book in quite introspective and you come to love his parents, his brother and sister and his family just like he does with each turn of the page. You become so connected to the story that you begin to see yourself in the story and you begin to feel his hurts as he experienced the deaths of his mother, father and then sister. This story hits close to home because his sister has a brain tumor and while she is able to fight if off for several years (7, I think) she ends up dying very leaves behind with two small children and a husband. My sister has a brain tumor and while her prognosis is much sunnier, it definitely reminds you about what could go wrong and the pain that you could feel. But as the book reminds you, you must continue to love, trust in God and live. So I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore themselves, read about cities around the world, and share in a beautiful story of family, faith and love.

Cooking Light

My sister and I cooked this yummy recipe today. Most people know that I don't cook but this was quick and easy and very yummy so I had to share. We made blackened chicken and grilled avacado tacos. I was suprised at how tasty the avacados were and it is a nice twist on an old fashioned mexican dish.

Kissing on a First Date

I saw this video posted on MSN and thought it was pretty funny. It is about a 3 and a half minute video about reading the signs on whether or not to go in for the kiss on the first date. It made me laugh because I think the older I get, the more I revert to being 16 when it comes to dating. Maybe it is because I am out of practice or maybe it is because I have moved past the haze of college when everything seems acceptable. Hope you enjoy this good laugh too.

Atlanta is #3

Atlanta is #3 on the List of Best Cities for Young Professionals. I was kind of surpised - thought we would be 5-8 but glad we are at number 3. Of course my stat to figure this information out isn't even accounted for because I didn't go to the likes of Harvard and I stayed in the same city as my college. The article is pretty interesting, any guesses on #1? It shouldn't be a surprised - actually most cities aren't really a suprise just the order they fall in.

Halfway to Dooms Day

Everyone keeps telling me to stop referring to turning 30 as "the death march to 30". That is easy for you to say because you are either over the hill and are glad for me to join you or you are far enough of way to later say to me that it is so great to be 20. So from where I sit right now in July, I rather be heading towards any birthday in my 20s than my 30the birthday. I love college and would trade it all for those happy go lucky days. Maybe I romanticize the college days because studying for Thermo or writing an English paper was sure no phone but waking up at 10am, 11am, noon was great and always having someone around to stuff with was awesome and going to a party down the street from your house every weekend wasn't so bad either. While I reminiscence about the good old days and try to think of new ways not to look like I am that old girl in the club, I will recount for you where I am on my List of Things to Do in 2007....

Drum roll please....

1. Flights - 52, I think I am on my way to doubling 29 on this one
2. New restaurants - 24, a very distant 2nd but close to my goal of 29
3. Cities - 13
4. Books I have Read - 12, definitely doable to make 29

And that pretty much rounds out anything that is close to 29. I think I will accomplish my 29 hrs of skiing because I am going skiing for 5 days soon and have already been for 3. I probably have met 29 people but if I didn't catch your name or didn't have a meaningful convo then I haven't counted you. I have field 2 kickball teams where I have maybe know 5-10 people so that in itself would hit the 29 mark. The date category has not changed since my 1Q checkin - I would like for that number to improve. I am sitting at goose eggs for hrs at the beach (this makes me very sad) and holes of golf (maybe I should strive for hitting 29 balls at a driving range).

Despite my list be less than complete, I feel like to date I have accomplished a lot this year and will have found memories of 2007. I did the muddy buddy race again, I went biking on the silver comet trail with my family for Father's Day, I have had several good vacations to the mtns and have a great vaca coming up. I will strive to hit my marks on my list but I know some goals were high and would be like climbing Mt Everest. I have other personal goals that weren't on the list of 29 so I am also happy about that. So this is me checking in, back to day dreaming of the good old days...

The Sunflower

I just finished reading The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans. It is probably the most touching book that I have a read in quite so time and what makes this unique is that it is a based on a true story. The book is exotic because the story takes you on a journey following a humanitarian effort through the jungles of Peru. It is also a love story and how love is more powerful than pain. Each chapter is a diary extert of one of the main characters and follows the journey of a woman finding herself and a man who has done so much for others finally finds peace. I would encourage everyone to read this book - it is a quick read and I think you can find out a lot about yourself and how it is important to remember that you are one in this huge world and what may seem like a big problem to you is a luxury for others. And that we all have the strength to go on, we sometimes just need that extra push from a friend and someone to believe in us that we have the strength to do anything. Anyone want to go to Peru?

Knocked Up

My sisters and I saw Knocked Up with Katherine Heigel and Seth Rogan. I thought it was funny and definitely a guy and girl type of funny. I was a little shocked by the vulgar language but I should have expected that since it came from the same director as the 40 Year Old Virgin. The movie did make you root for the couple to stay together and you begin to like Seth's character even though he is clearly a loser in the beginning. I will say that in real life there is a .001 chance that the couple who has a one night stand and end up pregnant will actually get together and last. They won't have these fun moments shopping for the baby or going to the doctor. The story was entertaining but if you put it in perspective and think about it in real life then it would never happen that way. The ending wouldn't be so clean and everything wouldn't wrap up nicely. I have seen this happen to people and they are forever broken - even when they are whole, the smallest part feels broken.

Big Love

I watched Big Love last night for the first time on HBO. It is a show about a polygamist family. The show is not short on star power with Bill Paxton, Jean Tripplehorn, Chloe Savigny, and Gennifer Goodwin playing the husband and 3 wives. The show was quite interesting to me. It was especially interesting to see that the 2nd wife said she married both the first wife and the husband not just the husband and then the 3rd wife said the same thing about the 2 wives and the husband. They seemed to work as a team and not really harbor any jealousy - but I do know it was a TV show. I have never watched this show but think I will continue to watch it to see how the storylines develop. The 2nd season just started with the family being outed as polygamists - the first wife had the hardest time with this b/c she was married to Bill for 12 yrs before he took in his 2nd wife and she was dealing with how her life had changed. I can't even imagine being part of a polygamist but they seemed like a typical family full of love.

One note on the latest book that I read - "Wild Justice" by Phillip Margolin. The book is a typical criminal drama/whodoneit kind of storyline. While the plot has a twist at the end, I thought the twist was pretty predictable. I will say that the book made me want to sleep with the lights on and had me jumping at any noise around the house making me think that there was an intruder!

Oprah's Debt Diet

I just watched today's episode of Oprah and the show was on getting out of debt. She had a lot of good suggestions and most are posted on her webite at http://oprah.com/jean. Jean Chatzky (author of Make Money, Not Excuses) gave her expert advice to do the following 4 things to start saving and get out of debt:
1. Max your Income
2. Spend less than you Make (ie pause before you buy)
3.Invest the money that you aren't spending (should be earning at least 5%)
4.Protect your money

I thought I would put this great advice out there on the web. I have said many times that I think colleges do a dis-service by not havine a required class about budgets, 401Ks, investing, etc. So now is the time to learn ourselves with a little effort. There is also a link to find money groups in your area - one group on the show was called the "Smart Cookies". They said it was good to find a money group so that you can have someone hold you accountable ans have people to share your financial goals. One point they made too was that it is important for women to have money in their own name so when you marry, make sure you have control over some of your own money.

Google Earth

Tonight I was watching part of the Glenn Beck show on CNN's Headline News. The anchor that was in for Glenn - MICHAEL SMERCONISH - was asking "expert" - JOHN PIKE, DIRECTOR, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG - about this concern over terrorists using Google Earth.

His response was - "Well, I`m not overly concerned about it. I think that it speaks to the relatively low quality of this terrorist plot. I mean, the problem that you`ve got with the imagery in Google Earth is that you don`t know how old it is. You don`t know whether you`re looking at an image that`s a month old, a year old, or a decade old."

Then he is later asked about this type of technology falling into the wrong hands and he says - "Well, no, I think that we need to continue to look at this. I mean, one good example of it is that we`re going to be having a new series of commercial imagery satellites. They`re going to have much better pictures than the existing satellites do. And one of the speed bumps that the government has put into place is that you`re going to be restricted to getting yesterday`s image tomorrow. The satellite could give you this morning`s image this afternoon, but just to have that extra measure of precaution, there`s going to be a 24- hour hold back, I understand, to make sure that you`re only seeing what was happening a couple of days ago, rather than earlier today. So we`re always drawing the line as the technology develops to make sure that we`re striking a proper balance between security and freedom.:

Does anyone else think he contradicts himself? The moderator didn't even call him on his contradiction instead he just ended the show. In one answer he says the Google Earth is safe b/c you don't know if the imagery is a year old, a month old and as part of the interview he says that in the time between when the pictures where taken and when you view it then a security checkpoint could have been built or troops could have moved positions. But later he says with improved technology that you will be able to see this morning's images in the afternoon and that the government is drawing a line in the sand. I would argue a very thin line and although it isn't real time - a security booth isn't going to be built where there wasn't one in 12 hrs. I do think the government needs to better monitor tools such as Google Earth. They should log people who are looking at airport layouts for instance or maybe restrict access to potential risky areas on a map. (Quotes and full transcripts can be found at the Glenn Beck website for 6/5/07.)

Also Google Earth just release a street level map which is cool for users who may want to find a place down the street to eat but is a very scary tool if it is used in the wrong hands. I think we need to safeguard ourselves by monitoring what is put on the internet for just anyone to use. Why doesn't the government put restrictions on what Google Earth can do and better yet why doesn't Google Earth police themselves and ask what is best to put on the internet to keep our citizens safe vs potentially endangering them.

I hope this sparks discussion/debate or at least gets your wheels turning - this is my attempt at educate myself outside of the Hollywood knowledge and to spread the word on issues that concern me.

Bobby Kennedy Jr

Ironically in the same weekend that I watched Bobby, I also read an article that my mom found - an interview with Bobby Kennedy Jr in the January 2007 Oprah magazine.

There were several exterts that caught my attention. One being Bobby's opinion on how we can reduce fuel costs and reduce our dependence on oil in the Middle East. I wish I had the article so I could explain it but basically if we all reduced our consumption (ie drive a prius what gets 44 mpg intead of Hummers that get what, 10 mph) then we would be helping the economy. He has a theory of pollution-based prosperity which was an interesting take on how to improve the environment.

He also pointed out that all of American is in love with celebrities and gossip and his point is that we know more about who wore what at an awards show or who won American Idol than what is going on the news. I think this is true and very very sad. I know that I for one read Entertainment News everyday and even get People magazine every week. Maybe I should change that subscription to Newsweek. I do think as American it is our priveledge to learn about different issues and form opinions. Maybe I should have an opinion outside who should win Dancing with the Stars or American Idol - I think we all should. It is our right and our duty as Americans.

One extert from the interview about this Bobby talks about his Father's legacy:

"he felt ..America is the last best hope for humanity. And that we had this historical mission to build a country that would be a paradigm to the rest of the world and to about what human beings can accomplish if they work together and maintain their focus on a spiritual mission....He wanted to invite people to our country who were communists and who were all kidns of people and debat them, because he believed on the merits that this country was so good and that is ideas were so good that we shouldn't be scared of debating or meeting with anybody.''

Makes you ask what America missed out on by not allowing RFK to lead this country. What would he have done? Where would we be now? I think it would have been an interesting ride and wish we could have seen it..lived it.

Another topic that Bobby Jr and Oprah discuss was how the opinion of America has changed since the JFK/RFK days. I think he said it well and I tend to agree with his words. Here is a short extert:

"When I was a boy, my father took me to Europe-Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Italy, Germany, England, France. Everywhere we went, we were met by huge crowds, sometimes hundreds of thousands of people who came out because they loved our country. They were starved for our leadership. They looked to us for moral authority. They proudly named their streets after our presidents. And I remember after 9/11, the headline in the French newspaper lea Monet was WE ARE ALL AMERICANS. For two weeks after 9/11, there were spontaneous candlelight vidils in Tehran, initiated by Muslims who loved our country. It took more than 200 years of disciplined, visioniary leadership by Republican and Democratic presidents to build these huge reservoirs of public love. We were the most beloved nation on the face of the earth. And today-in six short years, through monumental incompetence and arrogance, this White House has absolutley drained that reservoir dry. America has become the most hated nation on earth. There are five billion people who either fear or just don't know what to think about the US. For me that's the most bitter pill to swallow."

In my opinion, we have lost that American feeling. We now live in a land where everyone feels that they have a right to sue someone for looking at them wrong. We live in a land where we think we are the greatest, the smartest, the best and every other country should be glad that we reach out to help them. That is not why America was founded. I hope that we are able to reverse the damage that has been done to the environment over the last 10 years and I hope that we are able to repair the American spirit not just at home but across the globe.

Movie Reviews

So I am cheating by writing this review right after my book review but waiting to post it. This weekend, I saw The Good Shepherd and Bobby.



The Good Shepherd

This movie was loooong - 3 hrs long. I think a few scenes could have been cut so the movie was shorter. I must admit the setting that I watched this movie was a little loud so I missed some of the quiter moments of the movie - and there are a lot of these. I think overall the movie was good and Matt Damon did a good job - even though he doesn't really say much. It is kind of like watching Tom Hanks in Castaway and he just is my himsel on the island. Anyway, the movie is good if you have 3 hrs to spare and a quiet place to watch it. Angelina Jolie is in the movie but in a very small role. Alec Baldwin is even in the movie and I for one barely recognized him. As a side note, it also had Gabriel Macht in a very small role - I first saw him in the romantic comedy Because I Said So and think he is very good looking and apparently is was in an episode of 90210 (my college TV show of choice)! I give this movie a B.



Bobby

I wanted to see this movie when it first came out last Nov but it seems that it made a quick run through the theatres and the critics weren't too kind to the movie. At about halfway through the movie, I would have agreed with the critics but the ending of the movie makes the movie. You see how all the people the movie has been following (the kitchen mgr, bus boy, campaign workers, hotel mgr, salon owner, lounge singer, couple on vacation) all are affected by the tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being shot. I thought the movie did a good job of seamlessly transition between real footage of the shooting to the movie shots covering the same event. My dad and I watched this part of the movie in silence. After the movie ended, it gave us a lot of food for thought. What would have happened had he not been shot? Why did Bobby get ahead of his security? Why were all those people in the kitchen? RFK went from a high to a very big low - he had just won the CA primary and given a speech to a roomful of supporters only to be shot a few mins later and dash a roomful of people's hope... a country's hope. You see how all the people spent their day leading up to the shooting and how after the shooting, they are all equal and only one man doesn't survive. I give this movie an A+ mainly for the conversations that it will start and a glimpse into history that is slowing fading in our country's memory.

Book Reviews

I have taken a break from blogging - not purposefully, I just havent had inspiration. But of course, inspiration hits all at once so I am going to write a few blogs and post them over the next few days. So first up, Book Review time!

I have recently read Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama. I picked it up in the airport bookstore after going through about 20 books and finding none of them satisfying. Every back cover seemed to either be like a romantic themed book or a murder/mystery book that I had read a 1000s times. So I went with the lesser traveled road and purchased Obama's book partly because it was different but mostly out of curosity to find out more about the man who has thrown his hat in for the presidency. I would say that this book is a memoir - a true memoir not a memoir like A Millon Little Pieces is a memoir. Obama wrote the book after law school and the book traces his life from childhood in Hawaii, to his first big job in Chicago, and then to Kenya to explore his father's past and find out who this man was that loomed in his life yet never really played a role. I thought the book was well written and interesting. I would say the years in the Chicago were least interesting to me but were important in explaining the journey Obama has taken through life. My one argument with the book is that Obama keeps seeking to understand who he is as a black man. But he isn't a black man - his mother is white and his father is African. He is part white yet he is always struggling as a black man in a white world. I do appreciate the journey and the experiences he has, I just don't know why he doesn't feel equally compelled to trace his white history as well. Overall, an A+ and a good read that I would recommend.

As an aside, while I was reading this book I sat next to a young man in college who had read the book and was starting The Audacity of Hope - Obama's recent book. We discussed the merits of Obama and I think his ideas are great and would be behind him for the presidency except that he seems young and doesn't have the experience. I wish he had waited 4 more years or 8 more years to through his hat in because I think his unique life experiences and opinions would (and will and does) serve our country well.

Enough of the political banter, on to the next review. I just finished The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer. I have read several of his other books and classify his writing in the same strain as Dave Balducci. His books always center around the White House and major players in the government. This was a great read and while it follows the traditional murder mystery outline, it has a lot of good twists and turns and several underlying plot lines that keep the reader interested. I think his writing is a breath of fresh air in the murder/mystery genre. I will keep coming back for more as long as his books involve characters from DC who play major roles in government whether that be in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch. I hope he continues to write interesting books for us all to enjoy.

For Lost Lovers

Here are 2 websites that I have found very helpful in helping me navigate the world of Lost and to help me see the things that I missed.

Screensnaps of things you may have missed - http://losteastereggs.blogspot.com/

Lost Wikipedia - http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Now that we won't see Lost for 8 more months, I have even more questions than before and a lot of unanswered questions that I think have been lost (excuse the pun) in between the Others, the hostiles, the back of the plane people, and the original cast. In an attempt to keep the Lost questions fresh ...for 8 long months. Here are my thoughts/questions after the finale...

1. Do they really get off the island?
2. Why didn't Charlie run out of the room and then shut the door?
3. Why did Locke kill Naomi only to walk away seconds later when Jack calls for help?
4. If Ben really didn't want Jack to call for help, why didn't he give a bette reason than "you don't want to do this"? If I was Jack, I definitely would want to do it because Ben and the Others kidnapped me and killed some of my own people. Hello, Ben!
5. Who is Jacob and how is he related to everything?
6. Does Richard really not age or was it bad make-up?
7. Why doesn' Mikahil ever die?
8. What happened to Ben's friend Annie? Did she get gassed too?
9. What happend between the gassing of the Dharma Initiative and the plane crash?
10. Who was Kate going back to in the flah foward?
11. Is the flashfoward going to come true?
12. Where are the igloo people that Penelope hired to find Desmond?
13. What's with the smoke monster/machine on the island?
14. Did Walt and Michael really return home?
15. Juliette - friend or foe? What is her motivation?
16. For Kate - Jack or Sawyer?
17. Does the guy who plays Hurley get his feelings hurt with all the fat jokes?
18. Who did Jack talk to on the phone? / Who was Naomi working for?

I tried to get to 20 but I am done thinking about this for 8 looong months!

Map of Visitors

I can check where folks come from to view my page via StatCounter so I wanted to share who has visisted recently because I thought it was pretty cool. I have had visitors from Australia to Thailand to Egypt to the US. This is where the servers are located so the people aren't necessarily in that area but I am thinking that if the server is in Egypt then someone in that area is probably checking out my blog. Very cool!

Element and Artuzzi's

I ate at 2 new restaurants this weekend – this is has been one of the easier lists to complete. I am already up to 29 new restaurants! Element is in the former Cherry location on West Peachtree in Atlanta. It was fairly empty when we were there and we were there 8-11pm on a Sat. They server Spanish tapas and I would definitely recommend this place to friends. The restaurant is multiple levels and they even have some lounges separate from the dining tables that are perfect for a happy hour. We all ordered several tapas – my favorite were the tuna, goat cheese, asparagus, and chicken. Element seems good for groups (we were a party of 9) but also cozy enough for a romantic dinner for 2. Parking may be the only bad thing about this new restaurant – they utilize the AVS parking next door but that is only 6 spots so you either have to find street parking or pay in one of the midtown lots.

I was pleasantly surprised with my dinner from Artuzzi’s. When I walked in, I thought I was at Moe’s or one of the other Raving Brands restaurants because of the bright décor and dining area. Like Moe’s you can see your food being prepared but you can chose dining service vs takeout. I ordered mushroom ravioli with freshe sauce (eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, basil) and it tasted just like one of my favorite pastas from Figo. Artuzzi’s seems like a fast food Italian restaurant but the food was up to par with Maggiano’s and Figo. The prices were more than Eats (my favorite dive in Atlanta) but I definitely plan to go back because the pasta was fresh and very flavorful!

Celeb Sighting

I had my first celeb sighting (if you don't count Mike from the Real World NY and I don't count him) in Atlanta on Sat night. I saw Charles Barkley at Lotus Lounge. I got there at 1115 and he was already there and he was still there when I left at 130. He was just hanging out at the bar. My friend got her picture taken with him because it was her bachelorette party but I only got within about 5 ft of him. I did talk to his trainer for a few minutes but that is close as I came so meeting him so I guess I am 1 degree away from Charles now. For the most part, he seemed to be hanging out and people weren't really bothering him too much. I would hate it if I was trying to hang out with my friends and kept getting interrupted. Ironically, we were in a VIP lounge and he was just at the bar so he was very accessible and seemed very friendly.

One Decision

It is kind of crazy to think that one decision can totally alter your life. Of course when you think of all the mini-decisions that make up your day and combine them with you big decisions, it definitely makes for a wild ride called life. I was thinking about this today because of 1 recent conversation and 1 recent news event. First, I was thinking of a friend who had a child in high school and basically that decision that was worth 5 secs of pleasure has cost a lifetime. I am not advocating that the child shouldn't be born, I am just pointing out that his life was forever altered and some may consider that it is a grade B life when it could have been grade A because that decision led to more seemingly "bad" decisions. I also thought about all the kids the decided to go to class one Monday morning at VT and others that slept in - this ended up being a life or death decision. Very scary. I then thought about a car accident that i had a few years ago, I almost got off at the exit before (I was so close to doing that) but went one more exit and got into an accident. It makes you wonder about all of the little decisions that you make (going back inside because you forgot something, waiting for a stoplight instead of running it, going jogging at 4pm instead of 6pm, etc) that could have totally altered you life. It is so crazy! Kind of like that movie Sliding Doors with Gweneth Paltrow - I wish I could know which decisions would lead to a more fruitful life and which ones would lead me down a bad path. Guess this is why life is an adventure and we all do the best we can. Something to think about.

Why I wouldn't date...

MSN posted 2 articles this week - Why I wouldn't Date Him and Why I dumped Her. I thought these 2 articles were interesting for a couple of reasons. One was that the article about why I would date Him hit home with many. Many of the reasons listed are the reasons I wouldn't date someone - bad manners, being cheap, zero ambition, being neglectful, and being too indepedent. I can remember one date where the guy barely tipped on our dinner and I thought he was being cheap. I have dated a guy and a friend has dated a guy where you often wonder what their ambitions are, they move from job to job aimlessly and just want them to get their act together and priorities straight. I also think communication is important and once you have been dating awhile then sometimes the guy does become neglectful. Once I was waiting up for my boyfriend to come by at 11 and he didn't show up until 1 - I didn't care that he was late, I was mad because he didn't call to say he was going to be late. Not because he has a curfew and has to check in with me but because I worried that something happend to him. I don't think I have experienced a Mr Independent but I am sure that that would bother me and of course bad manners speaks for itself. If you are rude - a boyfriend or a friend - I rather not spend time with you.

So aside from the "him" article mimicking most of my own thoughts, I thought it was interesting that the "him" and "her" articles were quite different. It just shows you what is important to women and men are different. The dumping her article includes reasons such as being dependent, nagging, being obsessessed with marriage, wanting more affection, and wanting to make over the guy. Some of the reasons tend to match up - men dumping women for being too dependent and women dumping men for being too independent. I can easily see why a guy wouldn't want to be a girl with these traits.

Phidippides

Last Friday, I went to Phidippides in Atlanta to buy some new running shoes. Normally, I just buy the cutest pair of New Balance around but after running 13.1 miles and wanting to get back into running and minimize my pain, I thought it was best to get some advice on running shoes. As soon as I walked in, someone offered to help me. First I jogged to the front of the store with my current shoes and the guy watched me. Somehow from the short jog, he knew that I tended to roll my foot in when I ran and we needed to correct that. I also filled him on some of my common injuries so he could figure out the best shoe for me. So from that point on, I think I tried on 8 pairs of shoes. I have never tried on that many. After trying each pair on, I narrowed the shoes down by puttong one shoe on one foot and a different one on the other and jogging through the store. I even swamped L to R a couple of times to try both sets of shoes. After all of that - probably 20 runs through the store - I settled on a Nike pair. I did tell the guy after awhile of trying on shoes that I was just going to pick the pretty ones - he thought this was entertainging. Of course I think every pair I tried on was some version of navy so they pretty much looked the same. Then the guy suggested going up a 1/2 size - who would have thought! So today, I wore my new size 9 Nike shoes for the first time tonight and they are great. My run was good and my feet felt awesome so from now on, I plan to go to a running store before I buy any shoes! I definitely recomment Phidippides - it is near the LA Fitness in Ansley Mall. The folks are very nice and it is a local store with one other location. They also sell the sports jelly beans and athletic clothes.

Unisex Bathrooms

I know it has been awhile since I have posted but I have been busy and haven't had much inspiration. However, inspiration hit last night when I went to Cafe Asia for dinner with 2 male co-workers and 1 female co-worker. One of the males excused himself early on in the dinner to use the restroom. When he came back, he told us that the bathroom was unisex. I of course checked it out for myself and I will admit it was rather strange to round the corner and see a guy washing his hands as I was walking to the bathroom.

To be a little more descriptive and paint a better picture, here is what it looked like. The sink is like a trough - one long stainless steel sink with a lot of facets. All of the stalls have doors that go to the ground and have ceiling to floors walls. There are actually portals on the doors with etches of men or women. I think you can go in either because the stalls are the same but it does kind of force you to pick the girl or guy one depending on your gender.

The unisex bathroom challenges a lot of social norms like girls going to the bathroom in groups to talk/gossip about their dinner companions. I noted to one of my male co-workers that I could now ask him to go gossip in the bathroom. Of course that also leads to thoughts of the mile high club bathroom scene but it wouldn't exactly be mile high. Also if you think about what goes on in the bathroom, I am not sure I want to know what guys are doing and vice versa. So this unisex bathroom idea intrigued me. I thought it was interesting - not necessarily bad but an interestering experiment that challenges social norms. Thought I would share so you all could ponder.

1Q Update on the 29th Yr

I thought I would post an updated on how I am doing on my 29 Things list. Some areas I am doing great, others are still at zero. So from the top down, here is where I stand.

1. Number of Flights - 25, it helps when you travel twice a week
2 Hrs of skiing - estimate 18 hrs but probably skied 29 miles
3. New Restaurants - 14
4. Ran 13.1 miles - not sure I am up for the 26!
5. Hrs spent on dates - 12, I am surprised it is this high, maybe I need to count in days:)
6. Cities - 9
7. Books - 6
8. Exercise more than 4 times a week - 5
7. Hrs of Community Service - 2
8. Donate - $150

And coming in at zero - Meeting new people (surely, I have met new people this is just hard to keep track of, even writing this I thought of 3 new people that I have met at work), Save (I have saved money but I may spend it so we will know at the end of the yr how this turns out), Play 29 holes of golf (this may not happen), Beach for 29 hrs (need to work on planning this), Cook 29 meals (I need to be at home to do this one), lose 29 lbs (that is probably too many but so far it is 6).

When God Winks on Love

Yes, I just wrote a review on the book When God Winks and I followed that up with a more recently published book by SQuire Rushnell called When God Winks on Love. This book was filled with more examples of god winks in the love department - so definitely a book probably geared towards women. There were some good takeaways from the book which I decided to share in this review.

• SQuire mentions that Love LAUGHS and the key to a sucessful relationship is Laughter, Appreciate, Understand, God, Honor, and Support.
• Godwinks are like signposts - they don't tell you where to go, they just support that you are going in the right direction.
• Start everyday with the expectation that it will be a good day, don't just hope that it will be a good day. This will change how you experience each day.

There are some other good points but I will leave it for you to find those when you read the book!

J. Paul's in Baltimore

My parents and I ate at J.Paul's in Baltimore on the Inner Harbor. The area reminded us of a mix of Jacksonville, FL and Sydney, Australia. I don't think the folks in Australia would appreicate being compared to Baltimore - so instead of riding on a 22 hr plane ride, just head on up to Baltimore. Baltimore is known for their crab cakes and there are any number of places that have them in the Inner Harbor area. Some of those places are chains - McCormick and Schmidt's, Cheesecake Factory, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Legal Seafood - so you can eat at most of these places throughout the US. So we hoped we picked a local chain by going to J.Paul's. They roped us in with a free appetizer coupon that we picked up at the Visitor Center. We got the crab cake slider appetizer - they looked like Krystal burgers but with a crab cake instead. Dad and I got the crab cake sandwich and Mom got the crab melt. All the food was excellent. And to distinguish themselves from other restaurants, the meal comes with a side of pretzels instead of the usual bread or rolls.

Review Time!

I rented three movies this weekend - I was only going to rent 2 but when I was at Blockbuster, I couldn't decide so I just got all 3. Here is my review of those movies.

Casino Royale
Casino Royale was awesome. I wish I had gone to see it in the theatre. It had a better storyline than some of the Bond movies and it was action packed. It wasn't quite the predictable storyline of Bond gets bad guy and Bond gets girl although it did use that formula. I think this movie protrayed a different side of Bond. You see him care about a woman and fall in love with her, not just use her and go on to the next Bond girl in the next movie. I also like the plot better and thought the movie did a good job of using cool gadgets (ie the car with the defiblator). I would definitely buy this movie - it helps that Bond is hot and it has a good love story. The opening scenes in Uganda are kind of slow and you wonder if you are watching Spiderman as Bond chases a guy up a crane and through a building. I do love the shower scene where Bond is comforting Vesper - love it! This is definitely a must see movie.

The Holiday
I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this movie. I rented it so I could watch a romantic comedy and maybe have a few laughs. I think both the Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslett storylines were well done. I thought Cameron's storyline made me laugh and cry more and Kate's really touched me as she grew into her own skin. Kate's story mirrors my own past so I guess that hit home and Cameron's story just made me laugh (and cry!). This was definitely a feel good movie and I am glad I rented it.

Little Miss Sunshine
I really wasn't sure what to think going into this movie. I had a vague idea about what it was about and knew that it had gotten acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival (I think that is where it came from) and then was really popular. This is a good story about a family and how family's grow together. I must admit when the story began and when they were all sitting around eating dinner, I thought "why am I watching this when I could just have dinner with my own family - who happens to be very funny". But the story grew on me. I thought the message at the end was really good. One of my favorite quotes/themes was that life is really a beauty pageant. Everyone is trying to be the best - look their best, act their best - when really we should all just be ourselves. This was a good "message" type movie.

2:32:40

That is how long it took me to run (and sometimes walk) 13.1 miles through Atlanta. It was a hot day, I am glad the race started at 7am! We go to see the sun come up at we were running through the 4th ward, then headed into the shady area of Inman Park, through Little Five, down Freedom Parkway (that is a lot of concrete and was very boring), through Va Highlands (always entertaining and also shady), through Piedmont Park (what a good idea!), around midtown (not sure why we looped Juniper) and then down Peachtree (or should I saw up Peachtree) to the finish line. I was glad to take part in the inaugural ING Half-Marathon in Atlanta. It feels like quite an accomplishment - especially to finish in 2:32:40 - I was hoping to be under 2:30 but was a little slow on Peachtree. There was a point during the race - mostly when I was on Peachtree - that I thought I might die. It was everything I could do to go past 14th, 13th, 12th, etc streets. I did put on the iPod about that time and it got me through to the finish line. The cheering crowds throughout the race definitely helped. I will say that I haven't felt just right all day which kind of stinks but the face that I can say that I ran 13.1 miles is kind of cool!

Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner

Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner is a very entertaining intellectual read. The book doesn't really have a theme according to the authors and I would agree that there is not one common thread throughout the book. Each chapter could stand on it's own. The chapter titles themselves are very entertaining - Why do drug dealers still live with their mom? to What do school teachers and sumo wrestlers have in Common? The book attempts to look at every day questions and apply math to figure out causality or correlation. The book has supplied me with great work lunch conversations and has made me think outside the box on certain topics. For example, the authors explain the decline of crime on the legalization of abortion. This has proven to be a very controversial topic which surrounds the book. This argument at the very least leads one to realize that maybe we should dig deeper when given an explaination for a particular situation. Maybe the Brady Bill or more police doesn't really help reduce crime. Maybe there is something out there that happend 40 years ago that later caused crime to drop. So next time you hear the news or listen to a politician, stop and think about what they are saying and what really may be the cause of the problem. This is definitely a good read if you want to be entertained while learning something.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

I went to the Oceanaire Seafood Room this weekend in the ATL, it's roughly at 14th and Peachtree. It is actually a chain - but what isn't these days. The menu changes daily because they fly in fresh fish every day. We kind of took a tapas approach to the menu even though it isn't a tapas place. We had the shrimp and grits appetizer (too yummy!), crab cakes, spinach salad, and lobster bisque. Had I saved room, we would have had the baked alaska. They light it on fire and it looks really cool so I will have to do that next time. So if you are in need of a fancy place to take a date (the place is fancy but you can wear business casual or even casual), then this is your place. This is restaurant #12 in my New Places to Eat category. I am doing well in this area:)

When God Winks by SQuire Rushnell

I just read When God Winks by SQuire Rushnell on my flights from DCA to ATL. I have actually started 2 books in between this book and my last read Everyone Worth Knowing but I am still working on them. This is a very quick read - it just takes a prolonged flight of about 2 hrs. The full title of this book is actuall When God Winks: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life so really it is no coincidence that I am now writing this book and no coincidence in the timing of my life and reading this book. This book has some good insight into how life really has a path and that God has certain coincidences planned to let you know that you are on the right path or to let you know that He is thinking about you. The book gives many examples of winks in other peoples' lives and encourages you to think about all the winks in your own life. While I didn't have anything to write down my thoughts while I was reading (which the book recommends), here's one that I don't mind sharing:

When I started grad school right before the orientation, I was standing in the hallway with all of the other students. No one was really talking - I am guessing because the folks didn't know one another and some didn't even speak English well. The girl standing next to me strikes up a conversation and through a series of questions we find out that not only are we both starting the PhD program, we both lived in the same area of town, and in the same apartment complex. This girl is now one of my good friends and was there for me throughout grad school when I needed a good friend. Ironically, a lot of our evenings were spent watching Friends together and just haning out. Looking back, I know she was placed in my life for a reason and the fact that we started talking that first day of school and that we lived in the same complex was God's way of saying I was on the right path.

So if you have been wondering about all those coincidences in your life or wondering if you are on the right path, I would encourage you to read this.

Everybody Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

My latest review is for Lauren Weisberger's book Everybody Worth Knowing. This book is by the author of The Devil Wears Prada. If you are in the need of a good girly read about a girl, a hot PR job in NY, and love then this is your read. It won't stretch your imagination but it is entertaining. Not much else to say other than it was entertaining and a good way to pretend you are part of the NY night life!

Men and Women Can't Be Friends Part 2

So again my theory that men and women can't be just friends has been proven true. I do think some married men and women can be friends and even single people and married people of the opposite sex can be friends but that is getting off the topic. Men and women can't be just friends because eventually someone will want something more. And once the line is crossed - whether by action or words - you can't go back. Things will be wierd. You can try to make it not be wierd but it will be. Because now you wonder what each and every action means. You try to interpret it, analyze it, beat it to death. Of course this is where us women should realize that actions mean NOTHING to men. They don't think, they don't plot, they don't scheme, they just do. They mean nothing by anything that they do. But us women ALWAYS want it to mean something so we try to figure it out. So once that line is crossed and one party isn't interested or doesn't want to pursue things, then please do us women a favor and shut the door. Don't leave the door open or even cracked because then we will wonder, ponder, analyze. If the door is shut we will just think you are a jerk but the good news is that we probably think you are a jerk anyway so either way you lose. I know that I am personally guilty of not shutting the door - you say "sure we can go out again" but really you don't want to and you don't return calls or avoid the person because you don't want to hurt their feelings. I have done this - guilty as charged. But being on the other side of things, please hurt my feelings. Just tell me how you feel and what you think. Either way, I will think you are a jerk and I will be mad, hurt, upset but I will get over it. And I will still think you were a jerk.

After all that bashing and channeling Meredith Grey from Grey's Anatomy, I feel like I should leave on a positive note. Here is an article that my mom sent me about How to Choose a Man to Marry.

Why?

Why is it that some people ALWAYs have a boyfriend or girlfriend? You know the people I am talking about. They get out of a 2 year relationship or a 6 month relationship and next thing you know they are seriously dating someone else. Or if they aren't seriously dating someone else, they are serially dating - one guy/girl Fri night, a different girl/guy on Sat, etc. The bigger question is why can't I be one of those people? I think I was that girl in college - I always had a steady boyfriend - maybe a few months of singledom here and there but I was alwaysdating someone seriously. Then somewhere between a year out of college and now, it has been nothing. Well, not nothing but not anything to be excited about. I think I lost my mojo, I need the eye of the tiger again. I don't know if it is because I am content doing my own thing, I am not in the right place to meet people, I don't seem available. I just don't know. Someone send me the eye of the tiger!

I know you have missed it - I am getting all SATC on you again. I must admist my last few posts have been boring and pretty poorly written. I will vow to do better! I guess now that I have material, I am more inspired to write something interesting/funny and of course related to being single!

Kimpton Hotels

I highly recommend Kimpton Hotels. I have ben staying at the Topaz Hotel in DC for several months and they are the nicest people. I almost feel like I come to a second home here which I think they strive to make their guests have that feeling. Today, I even have goldfish in my room - like 3 real goldfish - a white one, a gold one, and a small one. They are so cute. I have pets in my hotel. How great is that! The staff here definitely take care of me. They give me the same room every week that I like, they have my key ready when I get to the hotel on Monday, they have passes to the nearby Y so it is like working out at my own gym, they put apples in my room, they sent me a Christmas gift. If you have to travel for a living - give the Kimpton Hotels a chance.

Home Depot

I was driving near a Home Depot this weekend - it is actually a closed Home Depot but has always been a spot where folks hang around waiting to pick up work. I watched a mini-van drive through the empty parking lot and the van was literally swarmed by people. If I had been inside, I think I would have been more than a little bit afraid. Apparently the folks in the mini-van weren't looking to pick up day laborers and continued to make their way through the parking lot. After witnessing this, I thought why does this group of 20+ men stand and wait to see if they might get work day after day. It was already lunchtime by then and I don't think too many people would start to look for workers after lunch but maybe they do. How could you live day to day, hoping to get work and being so desperate to beat out your neighbor for work that you would swarm a car? I can't event imagine a life like that. I suppose they do it becasue they are illegal immigrants and can't do legit work. But how sad.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

I just finished Nicholas Spark's latest book Dear John last week. It was the 3rd book I started this year but the 2nd one for me to finish. I am still working may way through the 2nd book. I think I have cried at the end of every Nicholas Sparks book. His books really are all the same - he makes you fall in love with the characters and then some tragedy happens and it makes me cry. The ironic thing is that I am not a cryer - I didn't cry during We are Marshall and that movie was really touching given it was based on real events. So I was pretty mortified when I am on a plane crying because I just finished the book. I wouldn't even say this was my favorite Sparks book. Of course I fell in love with John and Savannah the main characters but really only Part 1 of the book was good. Part 2 and 3 didn't really give a lot of detail and hear I am crying anyway. The first book I ever cried while I was reading was The Notebook - another of Sparks books. I have actually read it twice and was able to keep my eyes dry during the 2nd reading. I watched The Notebook on Friday night and luckily made it through with dry eyes - I still love that story though. So there is my not-really-a-review of book #2 in 2007.

Ban Smoking Govenor Purdue

My friends and I went out last night and what I learned was that NY, CA, DC and many other cities/states have it right. Smoking should be banned in all restaurants and bars. I don't want to smell like smoke or inhale smoke when I go out. Please ban smoking in all bars in Georgia.

I LOVE Grey's

Grey's Anatomy has to be the best show on TV. Every week I watch, the show somehow tunes into something relational that I can related to. This week Derek and Meredith show that when you are in a relationship and fight, you still show up. You still love each other even when you disagree. Kristina learned that you don't have to win - sometimes just running the race is enough. Addison and Kereve learned that just because a kiss happens - it doesn't have to change anything. And Richard learned that life will pass you by if you wait to long. Such good lessons. I love it.

It is Friday

I don't really have a cohesive idea for this post so it is really just going to be a bunch of random things that I just want to put out there in the world. First thing is that my new favorite song is I Don't Feel Like Dancin' by the Scissor Sisters. I listen to the song like 4 times a day and it is always in my head. It has a good beat - kind of reminescent of the Bee Gee's. Definitely good times!

Last night I watched Grey's Anatomy. I think I have figured out why the show is so good - it is because we can all relate to the storylines and these storylines sometimes hit straight into our heart. For instance, last night when George was having to decide to let his father go and then say goodbye - I was actually crying because I have been there before (never had to say good-bye - not yet - but I have still been in that hospital room when you don't know if this could be good-bye). I am not a crier either so you know it is touching if I am crying! I also like the simplicity of the struggle on how to sleep between Meredith and Derek. After the intial excitement of the relationship, what makes the relationship stick or come unglued is the everyday - the living together and compomising. It is good to see that part of a relationship on TV and not just the lustful/romantic parts. These parts are real.

Since I was on a plane last night, I watched another episode of 90210. I thought that show was good when I was a teenager/early 20s but now it is almost laughable. Maybe the later seasons get better but the first season is weak and full of bad hair, bad slang, and bad outfits!

That's all for now. Happy Friday!

Music - Social Networking

A friend of mine just introduced me to this new website that will track what music you are listening to called Last.fm. It is pretty cool because it shows you what you listen to, gives info about the artist you are listening to, compares your musical tastes to your friends, and lets you make friends with folks that like the same music as you do. It is sort of like MySpace centered around music.

It is kind of scary that I am freely letting someone track what sort of music I like. I think if you are smart enough and have access to enough computer databases, you could probably put together a file on everything I do from where I eat the most, what music I listen to, when I go to the gym, etc - everything we do nowadays is tracked so if someone wanted to map out my life then they probably could. Very scary.

Red Flags for Dating/Relationships/Marriage

A co-worker and I were discussing dating this week and came up with a list of red flags for dating and once you have moved into the relationship. And while neither of us have been married, we know some things that could be very damaging once married if you don't pick up on them before you get married. So in no particular order and mixed together, here are the flags (ie the things you should stay away from):

1. Be of the opposite sex (as in if you aren't of the opposite sex then it is a red flag)
2. Smoking
3. Have a crazy religion (individual's can define this on their own)
4. Short (too short for a girl and not tall enough of a guy)
5. Bad teeth (sure you can fix this but if they haven't noticed by now, they don't care about dental hygiene)
6a. If your date/boyfriend/girlfriend tends to morph into you. In other words, their likes are now your likes and they don't seem to have their own individual likes. From the movie Runaway Bride, know the kind of eggs that you like don't just like scrambled eggs because I do.
6b. In a relationship, if you are always doing what one person wants then that is bad. Have your own likes and don't follow what he/she wants to do. Stand up for what you believe in and like to do. It is fine to do things you don't like because the other person likes to do them but don't give up your personality for the sake of them. This is similar to #6a so I put them together.
7. Beware of folks that seem to have a hidden side. You don't want to marry them and find out that this whole time they were hiding something from you or didn't disclose everything. This is tricky to identify so just be on the look out for strange behavior.
8. They are an only child - only children seem to be selfish so just beware. On a related note, if they have a crazy family or seem extra attached to their family/siblings then try to digger deeper about what is causing that connection and see if you want to be a part of it. It is always good to ask "Do I want these people to be my child's grandparents, aunts, and uncles?"
9. Overweight- at this age, we should be in the best shape of our life and should eat/exercise like it
10. You don't want to eat breakfast with them for the rest of your life (ie you can't imagine waking up to them everyday and having to talk to them at breakfast).

I will end on 10 because it is a nice round number. I may add more later but that is all for now.

Old School 90210

My sister gave me the greatest Christmas present this year - the first season of 90210 on DVD. I just laughed and laughed when I got the present because it is so great. In college, 90210 reruns would come on at like 4, 5, 6 and 11 and I remember sophomore year just watching the show over and over again. I remember when Dawson's Creek came on the air and the young-ins in the sorority wanted to take over the house TV to watch that and us old folk wanted to watch 90210. We were so into the show that one of my boyfriends said "Brooke, you know that Brenda, Dylan, Donna, Kelly and Brandon aren't real people!". Very funny memories.

So I have begun watching my new prized possession lately. So far I have watched the first 2 episodes of 90210 which by the way came out in 1990. I cannot believe how bad they dressed - I mean pants up past their waist, yellow leggings with a pink skirt and a print top, ripped jeans with plaid fabric behind it - it is just crazy stuff! The hair is bad too - especially Shannon Doherty's in the 2nd episode because she has hideous bangs. They even say old school stuff like “nimrod” – who even says that today?

I am not even sure that I ever saw the original premiere of 90210. I did notice that they must have taped the premiere and the 2nd episode a few weeks/months apart. Here are my observations of the first 2 episodes. First, Brenda's hair color and style is different - that is the most notable one. Second, the front of the Walsh's house is different looking and same with the interior. Third, Dylan McKay (aka Luke Perry) isn't even in episode 1 - he was definitely my favorite character. Fourth, Dylan lives in a hotel in the 2nd episode and I am pretty sure when he is college age/after college that he goes back to living in a hotel - that is when he was dating Valerie and Vanessa Marcil's character. Fifth, there are a lot of guest stars in 90210 that are famous in their own right now.

The Camel Club

I just finished reading The Camel Club by David Baldacci. It is a fiction book centered around a mystery involving The White House, Secret Service, the NIC, and some guys who meet to discuss conspiracy theories and call themselves The Camel Club. The book is long - about 560 pages in paperback. Not only was the book a good story, it also gave me a lot to think about culturally and how folks outside the US view Americans. The story includes context of real life events like the war in Iraq and the struggle between the radial Muslims and the US. One character is a women who has moved to the US for the sole mission of sacraficing herself for Alah. She view Americans as excessive - excessive weight, excessive car size, excessive "stuff". She hates everything Americans stand for because she grew up with bombs falling all around and she lost all of her family members to violence. By the end of the story she does find herself envying the peace of American but still ends up sacraficing her life for the great cause. The book also talks about how Muslim countries are afraid of the US because of all of our fire power - this makes senses because they are surrounded by violence. As Americans we don't believe our country will resort to nuclear weapons but as a person growing up in this radical countries, they don't know that because all they know is violence. The book gave me a lot to think about as to how the world views Americans and while we take for granted our lifestyle, we really do have it great and should appreciate the little things in life and not live to excess. We should also take the time to understand the other cultures and viewpoints of the world - understand the history of those views and what has shaped their views for 100s of year. If you want a good read, I would definitely recommend this book because it tells a good story and leads you to think introspectively about our culture. Incidently, it is Book 1 of 29 on my 2007 list!

Corteo

I just saw the Cirque de Soleil show Corteo this evening in Atlanta. This is the best Cirque show that i have seen (I have seen Allegra and then knock off Cirque show called Cirque Dreams). This show is not to be missed. The music is great, the acrobatics and performances are awesome, the story is interesting, the acts are funny and the costumes are cool. As I was sitting there I thought back to ancient times when performances would entertain kings and thought this was surely a show fit for a king. It was amazing what some of the performers could do. I think my favorite was the trampoline/acrobatics but they also had performers hanging from chandeliers, balancing on ladders, rolling in rings, jumping from bars and even playing a song with just glasses. The funniest thing was the midget attached to huge balloons and she just jumped from hand to hand in the audience just floating - too funny. It was a good mix of entertaining acts (ie the midget and balloons) to amazing physical feats (ie the acrobatics). Here is an official list of acts from the website: Adagio Duet, Bouncing Beds, Chandeliers, Cyr Wheel, Juggling, Ladder, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Paradise, Teeterboard, Tightwire, Tournik, Helium Dance, Glasses, Teatro Intimo, and Puppet Artist. Upcoming shows are in the following cities: Dallas, Houston, Columbus and Denver. Book now because the show sold out in Atlanta. If you don't want to take my word for it there is a min preview of the performances on the website - definitely check it out.

The Year of the 29

This year I turn 29 and to honor my final year in my 20s, I have decided to theme my "Things to Do in 2007" list towards the number 29. Some of these "to do's" may or may not be achievable but I think it will be fun trying. So to supplement my usual list, I now have a 29 themed To Do List. So to kick off 2007, here are some of the things that I want to do this year...

29-Themed To Do's

• Meet 29 new people
• Read 29 books
• Visit 29 cities (this may sound crazy but I travel with work now and think this is doable)
• Eat at 29 new restaurants
• Save at least $2900
• Give at least $2900 to a charity
• Do 29 hrs of community service
• Go on 29 hrs worth of dates - and this will not be a continuous 29 hr date:)
• Work out at least 29 mins a day/4 times a week
• Play 29 holes of golf
• Fly on 29 flights
• Spend 29 hrs at the beach
• Spend 29 hrs skiing
• Run 29 miles (okay, 26 miles in a marathon)
• Lose 29 lbs (No worries, not going to do anything unhealthy and I already started counting against this number in Fall 2006)

Places to Visit:

• Phoenix, AZ to see Callie
• Syracuse, NY to visit Mindy/Andy
• Austin, TX or Puerto Rico with Jane
• Boston, MA to visit Andrew
• Prague, Czech
• Ski somewhere
• Beach somewhere

Things to do:

• Go/Be in Weddings: estimated 5

Carryover's from 2006 list:

• Steeplechase in Atlanta
• Art Walk on the First Thursday or Castelberry Hill Art Walk
• Complete a sprint triathalon
• Take a dance class
• Skiing in Chile

You may ask how I plan to keep up with all of this but have no fear, I have an Excel spreadsheet and will post what I can at the end of 2007 so you can see how I did. I will also probably add to the list as the year goes on so stay tuned for updates.