New Friend and Forgot to Eat Today

 
  I met a woman today that could be one of my best friends in the future.  We have great parallelism in our lives, only she has the experiences in a different role in a similar scenario that we have both been through.  We each have a different perspective to bring to our conversation because of this role difference.  From what I have been through during my life and especially the last year and a half, I am surprised and grateful to find someone who has gone through the feelings and emotions that I have gone through at a similar time in our lives.  It was crazy to listen to what she was saying and see myself thinking and saying the same things because I felt so alone and isolated when I was going through them.  It is very interesting to me to hear how she coped, or did not cope, with what was going on and at what stage she is within the process right now.  I think we were meant to meet each other.  It is too bad we did not meet sooner, but maybe it was meant to be this timing in our lives to facilitate the next chapter in our book of life and how we will influence each other along the way.  I am excited as to my job change and she too is making that same job change at the same time.  We are going to take classes and likely going to test for our license at the same time.  I welcome the opportunity to share this experience and want to take full advantage at potentially having a partner in crime.  I love collaborating and hope I am not too collaborative for her liking.  I want to get along, but I am going to be true to myself also.  That is all I would want from someone else also, so I would hope that would be good for them too.

  Talking from 10 AM to 3 PM was unexpected and surely changed my day plans for today, but I still got to go to an appointment, workout and spend dinner with my husband.  My stomach did try to remind me it was lunch time at one point by growling a couple of times, but in ignoring it I did not have a problem.  This indicates to me that my internal meal meter is off and not always needs to be fed.  So much for a schedule.  I am glad my body and my schedule can be flexible.  I am glad I can do more than I know of myself and can expect more from myself in the future.  To share the experience of becoming a real estate agent sounds fun to me.  I am excited to get started and want to hit the ground running.  I also got to pick up my Super Bowl winnings and that felt so good.  I cannot remember the last time I won something, anything, and this is a sign to me of better and more positive plus lucky opportunities coming my way.  Today was positively stimulating and interesting compared to the last 2 days where I spent over 14 hours getting my modem and wireless router to work together.  I still do not know the magic trick that finally made everything click, but we are up and running with wireless internet.  Now I only have to get the printer to print wirelessly and we are golden.  It is always something else that will come up next on my to do list and I have to acknowledge my victory of getting the wireless internet to work so I am so happy with myself for figuring it out on my own.  Cheers to the curves that you cannot see the other side of until you are right smack in the middle of it.

SUPER BOWL XLV

 
  OK, so I put some money on the game for the Steelers and Packers to strong man it out to the end.  It doesn't matter who wins, it matters what the score is at each quarter.  This is an easier and more likely way to win.  Four chances to win and I want it.  This has been an exciting game.  Lots of action.  Lots of Steelers flags and penalties.  Lots of Packers threading the needle to complete passes and get touchdowns.   SUCH an exciting game with money on it.  Steelers just scored and made it so if the clock runs out I win $50 or if Packers score ANYTHING right now and I lose this quarter.  And the verdict is.....

  I am a WINNER!  Yeah-whoooooo.  LOVE it.  This game is so much more fun with money on it.  Love the back and forth and the scoring.  Half time show of the Black Eyed Peas, so far, is lame. Neon green dancing back up arrow people.  The neon LED lights on Fergie's chest are not impressive.  They do not sound very good either.  Problems with the microphones and live feedback.  Fergie fails miserably to sing like Axel Rose.  Ack, terrible! Slash, the poor guy, did the best he could with what he had to work with, namely Fergie. Usher just showed up!!! USHER!  Oh ya, there are so many ways to love ya.  Oh, Oh, Oh, My Gosh!  Sweet Skinny Jeans that are baggy at the same time.  Hot. Awesome, with pyrotechnics.  Well, he just changed my opinion of this show.  Brings it up a few notches.  He should have headlined.  They should have had Usher headline with LL Cool J and LL wouldn't have needed a neon or sparkle glitter shirt or outfit as he could have just gone without a shirt.  They both could have for that matter.  Oh man.  Love. Where is the Love?  Red glowing back up people.  Love Will I Am's silver glitter microphone.  Fergie's glitter shoulder pads homage to football.  Synchonized running man, whaat whaat?  Here we go we gotta rock.  Party every day.  How do they control the lights on the people's suits to synchronize them properly?  Glee is going to be on new after the Super Bowl!  Whaat?

  Johnsonville Brat of Lambeau Field commercial with guy on PA is funny.  All the ladies free Brats in the booth.  Ha ha.  Second half, here we go! Already 2 penalties on the Packers who touched down the kick in the end zone and it's only not even 2 minutes in.  Packers threaded the needle again, but the receiver did not hold onto it, but it went right between his hands.  Now they called a face mask penalty on Packers, but it was actually Steelers face mask that should have been called.  Horrible Super Bowl call!  Bieber and Ozzy in the same commercial, 6G phone.  Crazy! Steelers just scored!  Mendenhall ran it in, a one man hole just for him.  Whoa.  Test baby!  HomeAway.com Ha ha.  Loud Steeler and Packer fans.  Big hit on Jordy Nelson who did not hold onto the ball.  Packers QB sacked!  The Steeler towels are a flying.  Short Packers punt.  Steelers have good field position.  Steelers only down by 4 now.  Packers have cooled off and the Steelers went from looking defeated to pepped up.  Steelers is gaining ground and the Packers thought they had it won and that is not the case.  Bastard totally boots the kick.  The Steelers kicker barely made the after the TD point their only TD of the game.  That would have given me fifty more dollars.  Ugh.  Ace Ventura bad kick.

  Eminem in 2 commercials, interesting.  I wonder how much he cost for them?  Pricey I bet.  Steelers are in possession and punted from too far away to make a kick for points.  Another flag on the Packers, personal foul.   Packers will end this quarter and I did not win this quarter.  Agh.  Packers 4th consecutive punt this quarter.  Flag again, ineligible player on Packers.  Re-punt.  Better field position for Steelers to kick but they let the time run out.  Fourth quarter baby.  Steelers fumble.  Packers recover.  The fire has burnt out from each team.  There is no more fight.  They want the game to end mercifully quick.  Packers threaded the needle again and the receiver didn't catch it again, 4 times this game.  Sacked QB this time.  Touchdown Packers! Oh my, ruins my chance for a 4th quarter win if they do not score by a kick one more time.  I want the Steelers to get points by kicking too.  Then I'm good.

  Flag on Steelers called for holding.  Wow, lots of flags. Steelers touch dowwwwwn!!  Oh man, now only if the kicker boots the extra point now. With a 2 point conversion! Oh man. No way to win the fourth quarter now.  Oh well. Bugs, a black beetle with white middle racer stripes to go black betty bam alam.  Das Auto Beetle.  Lots of stars in these commercials.  Packers sacked.  False start Packers. Packers are tramping down the field.  2nd n goal Pack.  3rd n goal.  4th n goal.  Packers kick to score 3.  Steelers 25, Packers 31.  OK Flag again.  Personal foul, half the distance to the goal Steelers take possession.  Steelers go four downs without being close to a touchdown or to kick.  Packers intercept.  Packers take a knee twice and end the game.  Final Score Packers 31 Steelers 25.  I did not win the bet for the fourth quarter.  That is ok. Stupid end to a game, but appropriate.  Glad it is over.  One hour until Glee.  Slap in the face of a new Wendy's sandwich.   Lame trophy going back to Lambeau field.  Good for them.  The theme for this Super Bowl was tattoos and beards with some long hair thrown in for good measure.

Acupuncture saves my life every time

 
  The intent of acupuncture therapy is to promote health and alleviate pain and suffering. The method by which this is accomplished, though it may seem strange and mysterious to many, has been time tested over thousands of years and continues to be validated today.
The perspective from which an acupuncturist views health and sickness hinges on concepts of "vital energy," "energetic balance" and "energetic imbalance." Just as the Western medical doctor monitors the blood flowing through blood vessels and the messages traveling via the nervous system, the acupuncturist assesses the flow and distribution of this "vital energy" within its pathways, known as "meridians and channels".

  The acupuncturist is able to influence health and sickness by stimulating certain areas along these "meridians". Traditionally these areas or "acupoints" were stimulated by fine, slender needles. Today, many additional forms of stimulation are incorporated, including herbs, electricity, magnets and lasers. Still, the aim remains the same - adjust the "vital energy" so the proper amount reaches the proper place at the proper time. This helps your body heal itself.

  Acupuncture is just one form of therapy used within the coherent system of healing known as Oriental Medicine. Oriental Medicine includes herbology, physical therapy, dietetics and special exercises (such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong), and is a complete medical system unto itself and is not another branch of modern Western medicine. Acupuncture evolved from principles and philosophies unique to Oriental thinking and Oriental Medicine, and is most effectively applied when done in accordance with those principles.

  I always feel so much better immediately after treatment.  I feel more open and relaxed.  I could not have conceptualized how acupuncture would have effected and benefited me prior to treatment.  I lucked out and got a really great practitioner locally, in this rural place.  I do not see how people go through life and not get treatment.  I am interested in my progress through time, I am only improving.  I can feel the change happening in me.  Positive, positive, positive.  Chakras, meditation and mantras can only help.  I'm not needle phobic, but the tenderness of my body really could be intolerable to a weaker person.  I am strong enough to go through what I need to come out better on the other side.  Acupuncture is not for the weak.  It can help weak people, but mostly I think those people do not seek out treatment.  I was looking for whole body treatment and this is the experience I could never have foreseen.  So pleased that I was open to the experience.  Anyone that wants more information about what an acupuncture appointment is like, please just let me know.  Off to bank into the curve today.

January: Month in Review and a dream last night

January:
Recycled all cardboard from my attic and Christmas (2 carloads of them)
Sealed some windows with plastic seal and the house is warmer than ever (why did I not know about this earlier?)
Accepted a position at State Wide Realty Agency
Organized all of my 2010 receipts for tax purposes (hours of sorting)
Went to Green Bay for a seminar in the Atrium of Lambeau field with my husband and woke up to -13 degrees before windchill factored
Attended my friend Erika's office 70's themed party
Went to church by myself for the first time in about 6 years
Scheduled and attended Smart Zone business networking meeting
Worked out at Curves 4-6 times a week

Goals for February:
Real estate classes and then test for licensure
Try Tai Chi and the Crane technique for the first time
Try Mantra Meditation for the first time
Read the Newspaper daily
Participate in the Michigan Technological University All-nighter ice sculpture competition
Read the book about Fibromyalgia and finish Worry and Anna Karenina
Send Valentines out in the mail to the friends and family on the west coast that I do not get to see often
Plan and book my AZ fiesta via hotel, car and accommodations
Take a media vacation at least 2 days this month (this includes TV, phone, internet, etc.)

  Windy day today did not get me down.  Very strange night last night.  I went to lay down in bed by 11:00 PM, but did not fall asleep until after 2 AM.  I last looked at the clock at 1:40 AM.  I have chest tightness, but it does not feel like anxiety.  It is likely caffeine related.  I have been trying to dose me little by little to gain some tolerance, but it seems that that is not working.  I tried enough to use a new buckwheat pillow last night also.  I tossed and turned, nothing was comfortable.  I had a fitful sleep.  I woke this morning dreaming.  I dreamt that I was in a bar/mall area that seemed endless with stairs and dark halls with various neon lights and smokiness that did not bother my eyes or lungs.

 
  I was walking alone and then with friends sometimes.  Nameless, faceless friends that I could feel their presence next to me, but I did not see them.  I was deep in thought and would talk out loud, but not have conversations.  I would come across some guys, two guys in particular, that kept looking at me.  One was making funny faces at me and then his friend would talk to him in his ear.  I, at first, did not recognize them.  Then, after a couple of passes, they became more familiar.  They seemed to be people I knew before.  The friend of the guy making funny faces at me came up to me and said he couldn't believe that I would show my face let alone stick around after seeing them after what I did to his friend.
  I still didn't remember what exactly happened in the past, but something was ringing a bell.  All his friends started talking to each other about how much he was hurt by me and how hard he took it.  Also, how right now he still wanted to be with me, but was mad at me.  I didn't remember all of that, but I could vaguely get that feeling that they told the truth.  I woke with the feeling that I could recall guys in my past that somehow thought that we were dating unbeknownst to me.  I know they felt slighted and I was the target of their feelings, but I was so self involved or oblivious that I did not know how they felt or that they thought we were dating.  They never "officially" asked me out on a date, we would just hang out.  I kept things casual as my heart was already taken most of the time.  Not that the guys could tell that, I guess I found that out. The guys faces of the two friends in the dream, I could see their faces and neither one of them were faces I know in real life.  They were just dreamed up.  Weird.  I'm watching Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy is on next.  Sweet dreams my curve ball life.

Toe socks and more Anna Karenina

 I got toe socks as a gift 2 weeks ago.  I have not had toe socks since junior high school.  I used to dislike toe socks very much because of that feeling I would have of the thick presence between my toes.  My delicate toe skin did not like the fabric.  Now, I know the importance of keeping your toes straight as women in my family get older their toes tend to overlap with themselves through wearing improper shoes and socks.  To prevent this overlapping, toe socks are the trick!  They also have skid proof patches on the bottom for ease of walking on our hard wood floors at home.  Such a great gift, thank you Erika!

  So, what is going on today?  Sewing, sewing, sewing.  The sun is out, I am pumped I got my workout in yesterday and read some more Anna Karenina.  Anna's plight of being married but living with her lover/baby daddy is getting more ominous as she sees her lover pulling away coldly from her as Anna is not divorced yet.  Vronsky wants Anna to get divorced so he can legitimize their child and future children, as Vronsky wants an heir to his developing estate and money.  Vronsky feels society will be kinder to them both if they marry each other.  Anna finally agrees to write her husband for a divorce, but these things take time.  Months that is to go into action.  Meanwhile, Vronsky leaves on business all the time like he is a bachelor and only wants to talk of his success financially until Anna can get her divorce.  Anna still feels no love for the cute baby girl that she birthed for Vronsky.  She holds love for Seryozha her son from her marriage. Kitty is full term pregnant with Levin's child, but is passed due.  She is calm, but everyone else is concerned about her and her baby.  Kitty ran into Vronsky, her old flame, and handled herself calmly as could be expected.  Levin's jealousy was diminished when hearing of her calm demeanor in front of him.  They are all in the city of Moscow right now.  And the saga continues.

Real estate here I come

  Well, I was talking to a friend of mine and discussing my future via my career.  I said that locally there are few options that are available, let alone that I am suitable for.  He said that I have the qualities that would do well for a real estate agent.  He had a friend that is a real estate broker and would talk with him the next day.  He said he would mention my name and see what he says.  The next day I got a phone call from my friend that said his broker friend said it would be good if I gave him a call.  I called the broker and set up a time to meet to talk about my prospects.
  The meeting was casual.  A tour of the office.  An introduction to one of the agents that works there.  Sitting at the conference table talking about positive potential and what it takes to be an agent.  He recommended meeting with another broker in the office and so it went.  The next meeting felt more like an interview than the first one did.  This meeting got to the nitty gritty of the job and whether I would still be interested in it.  I asked all the questions I could think of and then some more.  He gave me a good picture of what the job is like and I was intrigued.  He said the two brokers would have a pow wow and get back to me.
  I got the call a couple of days later.  They offered me a spot at their agency.  I was so elated and excited at the possibilities of what doors this can open for me.  I cannot wait to get started!  I promptly signed up for the real estate classes down state in mid-February and then will schedule my licensure test.  Sweet.  This will give me a chance to stay with a friend down state and look at starting at what could be my calling.  I am working on what my business cards will look like and what phone I want to get to start working.  I have to get a different work vehicle and take further classes to further my cause to know as much as I can to get started.  This is the next curve in my life and I am ready to go for it.

Sunglasses and Snow storms

  So I got sick of being an old woman at my age and wanted to stop using the clip-on sunglasses.  They also gave me no side coverage, especially for driving.  The clip-ons were convenient because they were light and fit into the same sunglasses case as my glasses.  Then I went into the Vision Clinic to see what they had to offer for prescription sunglasses.  I wanted something big for good coverage and I wanted something with wide side frames for lateral protection.  I wanted black or brown with a fairly dark lens.  For all the brands that they had, there were only 4 that I was interested in.  The deciding factor was comfort of the nasal bridge of the frames and the width of the side frames.  It so happens that the ones I chose are Juicy Couture.  This brand are worn by the likes of Katherine Heigl and Usher.  I did not know this when I decided to get them.  I ordered them up and they took 2 weeks to come in.

  I love love them.  I feel famous wearing them and cannot wait to wear them in sunny places.  Snowshoeing is one thing, but the sun of Arizona is another.  I got them not polarized so I can see my LED dashboard and speedometer in my car.  I want to walk through the light with my head held high and it is a cheap price to pay for a little time living "large."  I do not splurge on much, but this was not a bad one as my insurance paid for 3/4 of the price happily.  Sweet times ahead I am sure.  Sunglasses are a must.  Cannot wait until the Arizona sun hits my skin and not my eyes.

  The snow is coming, among other things for other states.  The snow, however, is NOT coming our way this time.  This winter has been positively bearable for those that are not in love with the cold and cannot get out to enjoy a winter sport on a daily basis.  I have been indifferent to the cold and snow as it has not hindered me this year.  We have only had a little over one week that was legitimately cold (below 15 degrees as the high without wind chill) this year.  I have been able to use the low riding car the entire time without a thought of getting stuck or worrying about clearance.  That has been sweet as the car does not like the cold and has a hard time starting up when it is cold.  The car hesitates and makes you think for a split second that it is not going to start and then it kicks in and revs up.  Yesterday was the longest hesitation that I have ever experienced with the car, a couple of seconds, but it still performed like a champ once the engine fired up.  I love being able to use the more fuel efficient car during the winter or anytime really.

  Tony has been able to keep up with the snow removal and I have the proper U.P. gear to get me through even if he does not keep up.  I can live anywhere with the proper gear.  Too bad my gear is not short shorts and bikinis, but warm flannel will due for now.  Short shorts will come in April.  As I am lotion tanning and working out I prepare for the times when I will have more skin exposed than gear on. Despite longing for the sun, I earnestly wait for it as by then I know that I will have earned it.  The timing works out best and fatefully anyway.  April it is and the seminar combo with the fun better be worth taking up my time in the sun for a conference room and fluorescent lights all day long.  Thank you missing us snow storm of 18-24 inches.  Looks like I curved away from this one this time.