New and Different

I've been working all weekend. So to get out and offset spending a holiday weekend in the office, we took a trip out to Shenandoah National Park. I'd never been there before. It is so beautiful. Breathtaking views in all directions, and tons of deer.

I must have seen a hundred deer. They just stand by the road and watch you drive by. No fear what so ever. Not good, but it is what it is I guess. You can tell the city drivers. They drive 5 mph and stop dead in the road every time they see one. I can just imagine it "Look honey, a deer. Hey kids! Look!" Probably the same people that feed them and make them so tame. It's not the deer you have to watch, it's the damn city drivers stopped in the middle of the road watching the deer. Sigh..

The plan was to go night hiking so I didn't take my camera with me. Not really the best decision I've made this week. But I'll definitely be back, so I can take pictures next time.

This picture is from the Shenandoah Park Website. And actually it was pretty humid out yesterday so the visibility was about the same. I'll replace the pic as soon as I go back and take a few of my own.

So I'm sort of a scaredy cat. I was a little apprehensive about hiking through the woods at night. I mean, bears, coyotes, you never know what's going to be out there. But our night was absolutely uneventful in the danger category, and highly therapeutic.

It was just a short hike to test out the knee and get rid of my cabin fever. Probably 2.5 miles round trip. But it was awesome. We hiked down a trail that followed a stream. We listened to the water the whole way. The reason we chose that trail was the waterfall at the end. The path didn't really get close enough to see the falls. But we heard them. The hike back up was good exercise for my knee as well. Today my knee is really pretty normal. There's hope yet.

The very last part of our hike was down a small portion of the Appalachian Trail. We passed another hiker who remarked "that's not something you see every day" about meeting us on a trail at night. He was right. And it was sort of inspiring and comforting all at once. It's nice to know there are others that share your interests and posses that calm energetic quality that I think we all associate with the "outdoor" population. There's a certain romance to a lifestyle that embraces the outdoors.

Just before we got to the car we stopped to stargaze. It was a wonderfully clear night with not much moonlight providing perfect visibility. There were, of course, millions of stars, a few satellites, and then finally, the coveted shooting star. "okay, we can go now.."

It was probably 11pm when we started to head back. And to round out our adventure and accompany our 30 mile drive back out of the park, we picked up an interesting radio station. From the top of the mountain you pick up a huge variety of stations, many competing for the same frequencies. But the one we landed on was Dr. Drew (from MTV's Loveline) and Adam Corolla (from the original Man Show). People call in asking questions and making comments. It's the weirdest of the weird, but highly entertaining. Last night was unofficially "I'm attracted to transvestites" night. I mean, after an awesome hike, a beautiful night, and some stargazing, you sort of just say "well, I suppose.."

When (if) I grow up

Ever reason with yourself? I mean, not out loud. (I would never do that.) But like, try convince yourself that something is okay?

I am a Web Developer. I got my degree in Applications Software Development. But I don't really like what I do. I mean, it's alright. But I don't love my job. I like the people I work with, and a lot of the things I do, but I don't like just sitting around coding all day.

Duh, what did you think you were going to be doing when you went to school for programming??

Yeah, I know. But I just wanted to get through school, and I was already on my second major. I didn't know what else to do, and it was easy, so I stuck it out. I mean, I'm not hopeless here. I have a bachelors degree and they pay me to do what I learned in school. I'm good at my job. I'm just not in love with it.

I always have this guilt about wanting to change careers. I haven't been out of school that long. And I'm using my degree. But I want to do something different. In fairness, I never went through school intending to be a developer. I had more of a management career in mind. And I'm doing exactly what I had planned to do, get some experience under my belt and then move on. But now I'm also interested in pursuing my personal training and getting into nutrition.

So this morning, I reasoned to myself that I like some web development. And just because I don't want to be a code monkey forever doesn't mean I'm "betraying" my education. I'm growing. Yeah, that's what I'm doing. Growing. I could use my education to make web pages. Or get into some web design. I'm just giving myself choices. Right?

I'm not sure if it's working yet. But I do feel a little bit better every time I reason with myself. I'm glad we had this talk...

Tragedy at sea

Volvo Ocean Race Update

Since last Thursday ABN AMRO TWO has lost a crew member to the sea, Movistar has abandoned ship, ABN AMRO TWO turned back to pick up the Movistar crew, and yet the race continues. Nobody ever said it would be easy. But you're never quite prepared for what can happen.

Photo from www.volvooceanrace.com

You might be a redneck

S2H and his brother are both alumni of the Wanakena Ranger School in Upstate New York. A bunch of people from his brothers class still get together a couple times a year for campouts and parties. The first time I met them was at their annual cabin party. When we pulled in they were having axe throwing competitions and chainsaw relays. Yeah. You'd have to see it to believe it.

A couple of weeks ago S2H and I met up with them in the Adirondacks for a camping and rafting trip down the Hudson. Sadly, there was no axe throwing this time. So you're thinking.. the Hudson? Same river that's like a quarter mile wide, runs through NYC and is disgustingly dirty? Yeah, but way up in the Adirondacks before it gets big, polluted and flat.

Saturday night we camped in the middle of Adirondack Park. It was gorgeous. We lounged in front of the huge fire the boys built. It was so hot we all had to sit ten feet from it to keep our skin from melting off. Then they went and got a lot more wood. Boys.


When I woke up I realized we had pitched our tent about 25 yards from a beaver damn. Now tell me that's not awesome. I hiked around the pond, and took a few snapshots of the damn and beaver den before we headed off to the river.

I'd never been rafting before. And I'm not gonna lie, it was cold. We lucked out with a gorgeous sunny 65 degree day, but the water temp was still only about 40. Our saving grace was the full wet suit and booties we each rented from the rafting company. It took about five hours to paddle the river. We had a blast. Our guide Mark rocked. He has been rafting the Hudson for 16 years.

Seriously though, if you ever get the chance to go, it's awesome. Of course, Spring is the best time to go because the water is up. But if you want to bust into the sport easy, check it out in the summer!

Adirondack River Outfitters

The (Star)buck stops here

There are some things I just won't do. And on the top of that list? I will not drink green tea lattes. Even though they're probably good for me. Not even for Starbucks.

The one I got yesterday actually made me want to vomit. Who on Earth actually likes these things??

They taste like grass. And I totally like grass. You should have seen it when I went to dump it out. It was like green sludge on the bottom. Yuck. They've gone too far this time.

Announcement

I would just like to say that it's Wednesday and I'm sore. But I am not surprised. I think this means I'm growing as a person.

Some might question my sexuality

But I don't think that's entirely fair. If I lived with a male, perhaps.. but since ER and I have no readily available male.

Oh now stop it.. I'm not going to talk about that.

I'm talking about grilling!! ER bought a grill! And we have been grilling like fiends! We are awesome. We have had at least one barbeque every week for the last month. Birthday parties, friends from out of town parties, just because we're addicted to our grill parties.. you name it.

Sooo yummy. Besides, how else were we going to use the five pounds of garlic ER bought??

Bum leg blues

I hurt my knee again. It's bad this time. I'm giving up all of my classes. Two of them just for the next couple of months. But the rest of them permanently. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. It's like watching all of my hard work in building up these classes this past year just slipping away. You never realize how much you love something until you have to give it up.

What am I going to do with myself? I can't rock climb. No mountain biking. I mean we're down to the basics here. Walk carefully, don't do something stupid like climb a flight of stairs. I hurt my knee again a few nights ago in my sleep, just moving wrong. And I hurt it the other day just trying to put my knee brace on. That's about the time I broke down into tears. I'm so frustrated and angry. Self pity sucks, but I can't help it.

For a while my knee really seemed to be improving. I felt 100%. But all the nutrition in the world isn't going to help when I push too hard and tear tendons right? I need to learn to take it easy. I guess my body is screaming that loud and clear now. I had an x-ray. Waiting on the results of that. Hopefully this week I'll get in to see some type of knee specialist. I just can't wait any longer.

I did get these springy shoes though. They're z-coils. They feel awesome. Like walking on a cloud. Granted, they're a little strange looking. But people just sort of expect things like that out of me so I bet they don't even look twice. "There she goes again, more voodoo".

Longing for the sea

Sailing is one of those things that makes my heart ache. I want so much to be out on the water, setting the sails, plotting a course, visiting far away places.

The Brunel Crew getting ready for NY

This past weekend we went to the Baltimore Inner Harbor to see the Volvo Ocean Race Open 70s and Extreme 40s while there in port. They've just completed the fifth leg of the race and will leave this Sunday for NY. It gives me chills to see the seven boats remaining in the race all lined up at the dock. Each of them bares the names of the sponsors and carries with it the hopes and dreams of so many different people. The boats are undergoing as much maintenance as they can handle while they're in port. The crews are enjoying some much needed food and rest. And race fans from all over the country have flocked to the Harbor to see the boats and experience the race.

Movistar came away with the In port Race title.

Saturday we got to the Harbor while the 70s were out competing in the In-Port race. Nothing to see, the boats were out in the Chesapeake. But the Extreme 40s were playing around in the harbor. It's thrilling to see forty foot catamarans flying a hull in the tiny little Inner Harbor. There couldn't have been more than 10 knots of wind, but no trouble for the sleak cats. They popped their hulls out of the water with ease. Sunday we returned just in time to watch the last tour of the 70s leave without us. Bad timing. We stood on the dock watching the tour guide walk the last group past the boats. I just knew he was telling them something intensely fascinating. I wanted so much to be on that dock inspecting every piece of hardware, every line, every inch of those boats. Not that they would let us on board, but it would have been awesome just to get close.

Finally last night we took one last trip to Baltimore and barely made the last tour. PHEW! Sooo worth the wait. We had a fantastic tour guide. She was an adorable librarian, clearly a sailing enthusiast, and very knowledgable about the race, the boats, and the crews. And Oh My God are those boats amazing.

Movistar - still going strong

There are lots of different sailboat races. The Volvo takes place every four years and is one of the more publicized races. Crews of ten (down from twelve four years ago) race around the world stopping along the way to compete in In-Port races, make repairs on their boats, do some PR and rest. There are more extreme races like Around Alone, now called 5-Oceans, where a single sailor races around the world stopping at various ports. And crazier yet, the Vendee Globe solo non-stop no assistance circumnavigation, the Everest of Sailing Races. The World Sailing Games are starting in 9 days and the Fleet and Match races of the America's Cup Season has been ongoing since 2004. They will end with the climactic Louis Vuitton and America's Cup Matches in 2007. It's a huge World of excitement, but sadly not that well known in the US.

A member of team Erricson

Weekends like this one make my dreams of adventures burn strong and inspire me to work toward a life on the water. I feverishly search for ways to spend more time on a boat. Could I quit my job? What if I moved to Annapolis? Would I be able to crew on someone's boat for the weekly races? What if I take lessons? Could I buy a boat? It's contagious too. Even Steph, who hasn't ever sailed, caught the bug. She was swept up in our excitement and now is eager to try sailing too.

Good weekend.

Ow.

Dude, I am so sore. It's sort of awesome to feel sore. As long as I'm not too sore to move. I like it because it's proof that I didn't just imagine going to the gym yesterday, it makes me feel less like a slacker, and it means I kicked my class' butt last night! Yess!! Besides, it's fun to say "woah, I totally kicked my own ass!"

Today, it's my upper back and chest. I did most of a chest workout before class so I fully expected my chest to be sore. It's awesome. The perfect soreness where I take a deep breath and feel my serratus tightening around my rib cage just the right amount and my pecs burn when I try to hold my arm out. But my upper back was a little unexpected. Sweet. I'm totally getting better at this teaching thing.

But my consistent surprise at my soreness sort of makes me wonder. I had the following conversation with MM this morning. I'm not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.

GOSH! I'm totally sore!
Well, you had class last night.
Yeah but I must have worked them really hard.
Dude, you're sore every Wednesday.
Really??
Yeah.
Like, just lately? Or forever?
Well, like months.
That's forever. GOSH! I'm totally clueless!

I wonder if I look at everything with such skewed perception??

Not so fast

Morning ritual: Shower, blah, blah, blah. Drive to work. Stop at Coffee Shop for crack :). Narrowly escape brawl with guards. Sit down at desk and read the latest breaking news. And settle in for a day of work.

This morning things got a little screwy. The part where I read latest breaking news? Turns out it's homework. haha!! Somebody has to do homework! Oh wait.. RE.. that's me. Doh!

So the homework is that I have to tell the world six things they don't know about me. And then 'tag' six more people to do the same.

I'm not much into these things. But you know, MM's cool and stuff. And I really didn't have an idea for a blog today anyway. The really lame thing though?? I don't know anyone who blogs on here except MM. Oh wait!!! I can totally pull the "why haven't you been blogging?! You read my blog all the time and always say how you want to start blogging. Now's your chance!" card. Woah, that's a big card.

So ER. Ha! That's RE backward. Woah. Anyway, you're tagged.

Big Apple Girl.. you're tagged. Are you coming down this weekend btw?

You girls are way overdue on the blogging. So get 'er done! You can totally say "I made you do it".

Okay, yeah, I'll have to think on the other four. The assignment said six! I'm so lame, GOSH! Heh.. dude, can I borrow some friends?

So at long last... six things you really could do without knowing about me.

1. I snore. Not the cute little girl kind of snore. I mean, I SNORE. Probably lots of girls snore. It's just not the sort of thing we're supposed to admit to until you've said "in sickness and in health" and all that nonsense. But I was never really the type to follow the rules. My roommate ER refuses to let me crash on her futon EVER AGAIN. Some psycho babble about not being able to sleep. Personally, I just try not to let the little things bother me. :P

2. I'm a total wuss. I'm terrified of heights. I'm afraid of getting hurt. I mean, I try to act all tough and stuff but I'm a total weenie. It's been a long hard struggle pushing myself to rock climb and mountain bike. Seriously the first time I tried rock climbing. INDOORS. I could only go about 10ft off the ground. I'm getting better but still a sissy-girl at heart.

3. When I was in fourth grade I wrote a story in school about a dragon. My teacher and my parents thought it was this fantastic elaborate story. But I could have sworn the idea came from a cartoon or something I had seen. I'm not entirely sure. I remember feeling like I had cheated. But maybe not?? I didn't mean to cheat. People get ideas from all kinds of places. But I don't think I blatantly copied someone else's idea. Regardless, I still feel guilty about it.

4. I secretly don't think I'm very good at my job. But maybe everyone feels that way?? I work really hard and try to get a lot done. But I always have the feeling "someone will find out" that I'm really not what they think. My Dad said a lot of people feel that way. They're honest people, they just don't think they're good enough.

5. My room is very, very messy. And I would like to say it's a temporary state resulting from the extreme clogginess (see I can make up words) of my schedule. But really, it's rather consistently messy. I do clean it sometimes. Uh huh! There was that time.. back in November!! But it never stays that way for very long. I blame the fact that I have too much stuff. So this weekend my goal is to start getting rid of some stuff. I envy MM's house. She's so neat! And way uncluttered.

6. My clothes face left in the closet. I never wore braces. Never participated in a spelling bee. Did okay in shop class. (I had chicken pox before that.) Don't really have phone number issues. I don't like diet anything. And sunshine's cool, but I like the rain just as much.

Update: This was a total lie. My clothes face right.

Okay then! Now that you know some very random, and disappointingly negative, things about me. You can go on with your day. ER, BA Girl, I totally expect a blog by the end of the day!

I had no idea

I always joke about how I need to join a support group for Starbucks addicts. But after my previous blog I thought I'd see if there were any out there. There totally are. But there are also tons of other sites related to Starbucks. Who knew?

Addicted and Proud
Support your local coffee shop
What's in your coffee?
Starbucks vs. The Addict
Starbucks Gossip
IT Geeks who want to work for Starbucks

I'm fickle that way

I love Starbucks. In fact, I have on more than one occasion professed my undying love for their charred cups of delicious nectar in this very blog. But despite our involvement, I frequently cheat on them with the first available alternative. It’s not that I have anything against Starbucks. No, that’s not true. I have a lot against Starbucks. They're a seemingly enormous empire that sold themselves out for money and fame. Honestly though, I would have done the same. They have a hugely profitable enterprise. And they seem to be a good company to work for. Besides, it still feels like a small coffee shop even though they're a multimillion dollar business.

I go to Starbucks because they’re fast, friendly, consistent, and they don't tell me I need to make a purchase of $5 in order to use my debit card. It's amazing the things that influence consumer behavior. And also, it's on the way to work. I mean they're on every damn corner. But, as I discovered yesterday, so is Murky Coffee. On the way to work I mean.

Drawn by their clever name, and my desire to be wooed away from the evil clutches of Starbucks, I stopped in. I wasn't sure if they were open because it seemed deserted. But the tiny little sign said they opened at 7 and I peered in and spotted the laptop guy in the corner and the runner girl on the couch. I ordered a latte. Paid $4.25 (ouch). And waited.

And waited. And waited.

Dude was busy back there. And clearly an experienced Barista. But wow that latte took a while. But when I tasted it? Way worth the wait. And I totally dig cheating on Starbucks. It's almost like volunteer work. I feel I'm giving back to my community. Well, not quite. But you know what I'm sayin'. No need to line Starbuck's pockets. I'm trying to support the little guy here.

So Murky Coffee is where I shall stop for my morning crack until it becomes a pain or I find some other excuse to revisit Starbucks. I'm sure I will relapse. It's inevitable. But there's always rehab right? There must be support groups for this.

Hi, my name is uh.. Jane, and I'm addicted to Starbucks. *sob!*

The romance of travel

I love to go places. It doesn't matter where I'm going, but something about the getting there part is so intoxicating to me. It could be a long car ride, a plane ride, a bus, a boat, a train. It doesn't matter.

Last night I had a two hour layover in the Detroit Airport. It was just like every other layover in every other airport I've ever been in. I was wearing my favorite jeans and I sat curled up in the last seat in a row of vinyl chairs, the ones with arm rests in between so you can lay across them. I had my Starbucks coffee in hand (You can't imagine my excitement when I found a Starbucks on my way to the gate.), my bag sitting next to me, and my hair all tied up in a knot. The only thing missing was the attractive boy sitting next to me. If he had been there I would have leaned my head on his shoulder to complete the moment. Hopefully he'll go along next time. But I just sat there watching people and thinking about the richness of the experience.

It's like John Mayer's song 'Wheel'. So much sadness, so much joy, so much anticipation and excitement. And all in one place.

Airports see it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye
Blends in with someone's sigh
Cause someone's coming home
In hand a single rose
And that's the way this wheel Keeps working out
And I won't be the last to love her

Maybe that song has defined my emotions about travelling. But more likely, it so eloquently describes what I've always felt. I always find myself contemplating things more deeply when I travel. Perhaps it's the catalyst of the changes I feel when I'm taken away from familiarity. I consider my life as it is. The things I used to imagine for myself and how they have or have not come to be. And the future that lays before me. I consider friends, relationships, family, and all of the people around me. It's one of the only times I feel absolutely connected to reality and aware of the world and happy to be a small part of it.

I believe that my life's gonna see
The love I give return to me

Our first Friendiversary!

It was actually yesterday. I know this because I remember a distinctive smell emanating from one of the first people we met on our adventure a year ago.

"So, um... Celebrating?? he.. your eyes aren't red at all!"

Hey, where'd my food go?!

We're totally still bff.

Catch 22

Alright, so I want to be a nice person. But I don't want to be walked upon. But what happens when I have to choose? I mean, I can try to be nice while in fact telling someone not to walk all over me. But am I really being nice? And would it be nice if I let them walk all over me and just fumed about it??

People do dumb stuff. And sometimes when you say "hey, that was dumb" they get upset. So either, you let them do dumb stuff that affects you, or you say "stop it" and risk them getting upset.

I find that I have to decide whether or not the person is important to me. And then decide if I can prevent their stupidity from affecting me without actually having to confront them. Cuz, well, I'm not your mother. Grow the F up and stop being dumb. It's not my job to coddle you. But if they're someone I care about, then it becomes important to confront them, yet be as kind as possible, so that our friendship can outlast the current conflict.

But is it fair to stop caring about someone in order to avoid having to be nice to them? Weird question, I know, but I wonder this. Because I have de-friended people because it just seems stupid to sit there and boost their ego when they're the ones that F-ed up and really they just need to grow up and I never really cared that much in the first place. What if that were me? Honestly? I'd rather someone not have to cradle my ego and walk on egg shells around me because I was a little pipsqueek and couldn't handle a little criticism.

I have also de-friended people because I was forced to 'play nice' rather than listen to them whine about how I criticized them as I would a person I truly cared for and wanted to resolve conflict with.

Basically? I'd rather not be friends with you if I can't tell you something that bothered me without you having a tantrum that requires me to kiss your ass. Right? Problem. Discussion. Solution. Done.

Beware your judgemental thoughts

I was at work the other day, and a coworker asked me about Yoga as way to address some pain issues she has. I have sort of inadvertently developed a reputation as the go-to girl about exercise and health questions. But this particular person is not someone I would have ever expected to ask a question like that. She seems very healthy. Just not someone who would need or want advice from me. It took me completely by surprise. Pleasantly though. And I had to scold myself for my judgmental thoughts.

It seems it's the quiet ones you wonder about. The verbal or otherwise expressive people who share their thoughts and feelings with you are usually known entities. You pretty much know when they're pleased or not, and you can react accordingly. But the ones who keep to themselves, or seem to be displeased, those are the ones you have to work to understand. But it gets even more complex with some people. Expressive or not, you just never know.

I teach a few classes at my gym. Mostly BodyPump, but also Sculpt, and I'll soon be adding BodyFlow to my repertoire. So when you're at the front of the room with anywhere from ten to sixty pairs of eyes on you, you get a variety of reactions. There are the people who set up front and center where the action is. They usually laugh at my jokes and chat with me before or after class about this or that. There are the ones that hide in the back and try not to be seen. There are the ones who just sort of hang out in the middle and react some of the time, and everything in between. So I often wonder whether people get what I say, enjoy the class, wish I were dead, whatever. You just want to know.

But I have to remind myself that just because someone doesn't speak, doesn't mean they don't love my class. Or just because they're in the front row doesn't mean they're happy with me either. So I try to treat everyone as though they're just as happy to be there as I am whether they show it or not. And more often than not, I get very positive feedback for treating people this way.

I always try to encourage the new people taking that leap into something new, and I try to touch base with my hard core regulars. But it's a little more difficult to interact with the middle group. I want to help them along without "calling them out". I want to show them I'm excited to have them in class without putting them out of their comfort zone and even worse, make them shy away from coming to class. I do my best. Sometimes I suck at it. But sometimes I get a huge heartwarming smile or a very thoughtful comment that I would never have expected. And it's so rewarding and makes it all worthwhile. It makes me wonder why anyone would want to do anything other than teach group exercise. It's wonderful.

I mean, who knows, my class might be the high point in someone's day. It might be what keeps them going. Exercising might be something they hate doing, but my class makes it bearable. You just never know. So I remind myself to put my smile on my face, give my class everything I have, and beware my judgmental thoughts.

Easily amused

I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast every morning. I start sippin' away when I get to work around 7:30 and it generally takes until noon to finish. I put the same thing in it every time. Fruit, protein powder, flax seed oil, coconut oil, flax seeds, water, a little oj for flavor, and some nutritional yeast. Mostly it's just a fat free, protein rich breakfast, and I get some good oils and vitamins in the process.

Sometimes if I'm feeling exceptionally lazy, I'll just put the yeast in a cup of juice and call it breakfast. Yeast is awesome stuff. It's not the bread-baking stuff, it's more like brewer's yeast. It's nutty-tasting flaky stuff that has a bunch-o-vitamins and minerals. It does all kinds of things like keep me from having bad dreams, regulates my blood sugar, and gives my body a ton of amino acids.

So this morning I was feeling exceptionally lazy. I grabbed my juice, dumped in my yeast, and hi-ho-hi-ho, it's off to work I went. I had some form of granola around 8 that sustained me long enough to get some work done. And about 11 I decided to drink my juice.

Gulp, gulp..

About half way through I started to feel a little itchy. And then sort of warm.

Am I allergic to juice now too?!

Gulp, gulp..

Then my face starts to feel hot. I don't want to be allergic to juice! I like juice!

Gulp, gulp..done.

Okay, now the hair on my head is standing up. Is this what hives feel like?

Well, I guess it's a little late now..

Wait! I know what it is! I'm having a niacin flush!! Sweet! Well, sort of not. But cool! I haven't had a niacin flush in years!

Niacin, a.k.a. Vitamin B3, is one of the plethora of vitamins in my yummy nutritional yeast cocktail. It naturally dilates your capilaries allowing the cells in your body to dump toxins in the blood to be filtered out by the liver. But it also generates this nice warm flush and a bit of itchiness caused by the histamine hormone. Neat right?

You know you really need niacin when you get a flush, because you develop a sort of tolerance to the amount of the vitamin your body is accustomed to having. So I'm super excited! Even though it means I haven't been taking my niacin. Bad!! But yay! I love to see my 'voodoo' working for me.

No really, I'm not hungry.

Ever read those Chicken Soup for the Soul books? They've got these cute little stories in them about the little boy who wants the puppy with the bum leg because the little boy has a bum leg too. Or the guy putting the starfish back in the sea so they don't drown when the tide goes out.

Yeah, so I was sitting on the couch after Easter dinner and there's one of those pocket-sized Chicken Soup books on the coffee table. So I pick it up. Mistake number one. I read a few stories (they're really short), and I rememeber why I never read them. The damn stories make me want to cry. Every one. My eyes tear up. So you think I could just put the book down. Nope.

Stop reading!!! Stop it!

Still reading. My throat gets all tight again and I scold myself for still reading.

Why are you still reading?

Yes, I know it's a nice story but it's making you cry!! What's new? Everything makes me cry. I am an emotional wreck. Ha! Girl = Emotional Wreck.

Know what finally made me stop reading? I read them all. Damn! Anybody have a tissue?

I guess I need to stick with Buffy. Tree pretty, fire bad. Keep it simple. GOSH! Who writes these stories anyway?

Buy him... bids starting at $10

If this ain't the craziest thing I've ever seen, I don't know what is.