Quote of the Day

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

-Herman Cain, American business man, author and speaker

Well, there I go.

Even I surprise myself sometimes.

Apparently, I surprise other people as well.

I surpass my own expectations some of the time.
I surpass others' expectations more often than not.

I gain confidence in the most unlikely situations.
I lose confidence in the most unlikely situations.

Once in a while, I figure out how awesome I am.
It's easy to forget sometimes.

Ladybugs

I had two ladybugs land on me today. One was an "accessory" and another slightly scared me as I waited for the elevator in my office building. I enjoy them but not when they are ON me. I remember thinking that they represented something--had some sort of symbolism attached to them. A co-worker actually printed out what a ladybug can represent:

"This tiny little beetle packs a powerful message. Because the life cycle of the adult ladybug is short it teaches us how to release our worry and enjoy our life to the fullest. When it appears in our life it is telling us to "let go and let God."

"Unlike other beetles, the ladybug stirs a feeling of joy within us. Its small size denotes a delicate and loving nature. It emanates the energy of harmlessness and can show us how to stop harming ourselves."

"The shell on its back serves to protect it from predators. Its wings fold against the body protecting its soft underside. Ladybugs have keen instincts and feel vibrations through their legs. This enables them to sense the energy of whatever they touch and is another form of protection. In spite of its size it appears to be fearless. A messenger of promise, the ladybug reconnects us with the joy of living. Fear does not live within joy. The need to relate our fears and return to love is one of the messages it carries."

"Ladybug teaches us how to restore our faith and trust in great spirit. It initiates change where it is needed the most. When ladybug appears it is asking us to get out of our own way and allow great spirit to enter."

Source: www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=98570

Positive Quote

"Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. And you can do it when things are tough."

-Richard M. DeVos, American businessman, co-founder of Amway and owner of the Orlando Magic NBA team

(I think I might have a quote addiction...)

QuoteS of the Day

The Abraham Lincoln Edition:

“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.”

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

And some quick facts:

• Even though he was strong, a talented wrestler, and proficient with an axe, Lincoln disliked killing and harming animals, even for food.


• His birth mother died from milk sickness.


• He was the first president to have a beard.


• Lincoln, one week before his death, had a dream of someone crying in the White House, when he found the room; he looked in and asked who had passed away. The man in the room said the President. When he looked in the coffin it was his own face he saw.

Facts from http://www.alincoln-library.com/facts-about-abraham-lincoln.shtml

Domesticity

w00t for me yesterday. After a long day at work I still managed to be highly domestic and productive!

Here's how it went down:

1) Grocery store for dinner and assorted items (managed to also help a little girl climb out of a ramen cave and she showed me all her boo-boos from those evil ramen boxes).
2) Made excellent healthy dinner of spaghetti with Morningstar Farms crumbles, zucchini, mushrooms, whole canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Amazingly delicious and I got my vegetables for the day.
3) Made chocolate chip cookies.
4) Cleaned kitchen and did dishes.
5) Packed up lunch and snacks for the next day.
6) Read two chapters of "Committed" which I HIGHLY recommend reading.

Pit Bull Myths vs. Facts

http://www.bullybreedresource.com/mythandfact.php

Excellent resource on getting to know more about the pit bull breed. A former boyfriend clued me in on just how wonderful this breed is and I will absolutely make a point of adopting one sometime in the near future. They are the sweetest dogs with built-in smiles!
________________________________
Myth:

All Pit Bulls are mean and vicious.

Fact:
It is reported on temperament tests conducted by the American Temperament Test Society that Pit Bulls had a passing rate of 82% or better -- compared to only 77% of the general dog population.

These temperament tests consist of putting a dog through a series of unexpected situations, some involving strangers. Any signs of unprovoked aggression or panic in these situations result in failure of the test. The achievement of Pit Bulls in this study disproves that they are inherently aggressive to people. (Please visit ATTS.org)

Myth:

A Pit Bull that shows aggression towards an animal will go for people next.

Fact:
Many working breeds have antipathy towards other animals - coonhounds go mad at the sight of a raccoon, foxhounds will not hesitate to tear a dog-like fox to shreds, greyhounds live to chase and maul rabbits and even dog-like coyotes. Even the ever-friendly beagle will slaughter a rabbit, given the chance. And yet the greyhound, coon and foxhound and beagle are among the friendliest of breeds towards humans. And it is the same with the pit bulldog. His work through the years has been control of other animals - never humans. A correct pit bull is more often than not submissive toward all humans, and adores children. A pit bull that snarls, lunges or growls at non-threatening humans is NOT typical of the breed." (Written by Diane Jessup) Pit bulls that do show aggressive behavior towards humans are not typical of the breed and should be humanely euthanized.

Myth:

Pit bulls are naturally aggressive

Fact:
What is aggression?Generally speaking, all dogs are, by definition, territorial predators. All dogs are “naturally aggressive” to some extent, as it is through “aggressive” behaviors like fighting, defending, hunting, guarding, barking, biting, and posturing that dogs’ predecessors survived. These behaviors are also the reason why humans domesticated dogs in the first place. Dogs have long been bred and used for hunting, protection, fighting, and guarding. Thus, aggression is a natural component of all dogs’ behavior. However, it is important to stress that aggression is not a state of being or a temperament (which would be solely affected by genetics). Aggression is a behavior. Behavior is the product of both genetics and environment (the way a dog is or is not raised and trained, and the circumstances a dog is put in by its owner). Therefore, a dog’s breed alone does not and can not shape behavior. Socialization, training, management, and proper care–or lack thereof–can have a strong influence on a dog’s behavior. Because a dog’s owner determines the situations a dog faces, the dog’s owner has total control over whether a dog has the opportunity or the inclination to exhibit aggression.

______________________________________________

Another great site is http://badrap-blog.blogspot.com/

This article is about what happened to Michael Vick's dogs. If you have ever heard or seen the documentary, you will have the utmost love and kindness towards this breed.

Uncomfortable Praise

I try hard to be a good employee (and friend) and am always interested in taking on challenges and helping where I can. I volunteer for a lot of things at work because I think that the experience is invaluable and anything new that I can learn will only help me in the future. I have also been given amazing opportunities because of my willingness to help out (i.e. puppy sitting and volunteering at networking events). If I were staying in the area, I would be able to have some major connections for future job prospects.

I do all of this because I genuinely enjoy it. It is the same thing when I help friends; I genuinely enjoy helping people out and knowing that my effort may have helped someone else. I take on things that I can do, can do well, and enjoying doing which usually relates to children, event planning and organization. Again, I love anything having to do with these subjects! I am a left-brained, socially aware female that enjoys working with people and being creative.

With all of this being said, I am incredibly uncomfortable with praise. Praise and accolades have been sweetly used quite a bit in my current position and although I appreciate the care behind it, I have no idea how to react. I have now resorted to smiling politely and giving a little "Thank You" when I hear anything but, and I am not boasting here, if I am called "rock star" one more time, I might just turn completely red and end up hiding under my desk! How do you react to that? Am I being crazy?

I am glad that I am doing good work and that I can be there for people. I suppose it aligns well with my future career goals and vast experience in non-profits, childcare and human services. Even a career matchmaker said that I was where I should be!

QuoteS of the Day

Theme Edition!

Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist, philosopher and author who is widely regarded as one of the most influential and best known scientists and intellectuals of all time.Einstein published more than 300 scientific and over 150 non-scientific works. Einstein additionally wrote and commentated prolifically on numerous philosophical and political subjects.

"A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be."

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves."

"Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler."

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

From Post Secret

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

It's always true.

Packing It All In.

I had no actual plans to start organizing my stuff this weekend but after someone was going to come pick up my dresser, I knew that I needed to just dive in.

Suffice it to say, the dresser is now hanging out in the living room along with six other huge boxes of my stuff and assorted side tables and hangers. I really should have taken pictures from when I first moved to my mom's house and over time how things have been reconfigured to accommodate a "bed" and then for functionality. Now, there is a great amount of space which I will be utilizing as I shuffle through papers, decide on books, and pack and repack items to fit in my car.

I am pretty proud of myself for getting rid of things I have had for far too long. I went through my entire iTunes list to sort through the random free songs and make playlists for the road trip.

I also downloaded:

Duffy-Mercy

Pink-Glitter in the Air

Train-Hey Soul Sister

Rhianna- Rude Boy

Jason Derulo-In My Head

Michael Buble-Just Haven't Met You Yet

OneRepublic-All the Right Moves

Paramore-Only Exception

Michael Franti & Spearhead-Say Hey (I Love You)

The Script-Breakeven (Falling to Pieces)

These are ones that I think will help keep me awake in the car. I also hope to borrow some CDs from kind folks (hint, hint) to fill in the gaps. I like my little collection though-it shows that I apparently like 70's, pop and heavy metal with a dash of ambient/techno thrown in.

Next, the books!

P.S. My dresser was taken Sunday evening and I almost cried! How sad is that? My little dresser wasn't anything fancy until I sanded it down, applied wood glue and clamps, and dressed it in luxurious black glossy paint. The handles and legs were sprayed silver and it has served me well over the years. On to the next project, I suppose.)

Henry Rollins

If you don't know who Henry Rollins is then I feel a little sad for you. He is a grammy winning singer, actor, social commentator, activist, and former front-man of the Punk Rock band Black Flag and he tours the world speaking about his travels, his thoughts, and disclosing all of the bullshit that is going on in the world. Having had the privilege to see him twice in person, I find his style and presentation unique and spine tingling. And as much I seem to love quotes, here are a few gems I thought I would share:

“Scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue. Realize the strength, move on.”

“They say true love only comes around once and you have to hold out and be strong until then. I have been waiting. I have been searching. I am a man under the moon, walking the streets of earth until dawn. There's got to be someone for me. It's not too much to ask. Just someone to be with. Someone to love. Someone to give everything to. Someone.”

“It's sad when someone you know becomes someone you knew.”

"Half of life is fucking up the other half is dealing with it.”

“Life is full of choices, if you have the guts to go for it. That's why I get immediately bored with anyone's complaining about how boring their life is, or how bad their town is. Fucking leave and go somewhere else. Or don't.”

“Sometimes the truth hurts. And sometimes it feels real good.”

“The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go.”

“Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.”

He is coming to town at the end of May and I just might have to indulge myself in seeing him one more time.

Quote of the Day

"Love the life you live

Live the life you love."

- Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician, (1945 - 1981)

Regret is near that river "denial" in Egypt

Yes, another heavy topic but maybe some sun this weekend will brighten things up.

Caitlin over at Healthy Tipping Point had this post about regret.

It really couldn't have come at a better time for me. Again, if you haven't read the last few posts, lately my head has been a big swirly mess of thoughts. I have a lot going on and with my move in the near future, it is bringing to light many different aspects of my life.

From Caitlin: "Regret is normal. We are forced between two options (or three or four or five!) options everyday, and sometimes we make the wrong choice. But holding onto the feelings of regret is not good for us. I see regret as something we must absolve and forget about, or we’ll waste away our lives."

Some of the comments ranges from similar issues of regrets to some amazingly positive people who have no regrets in their lives. I can't even imagine that! Maybe I am just not at a point yet to move on and feel that all my paths in life have brought me to a great position.

A reader's comment struck me : "I don’t regret anything because I am happy right now, in this moment. My past has brought me to where I am today, which is at peace with myself and relationships, so I can’t possibly regret anything."

And my "Aha!" moment comes. I see that all my daydreaming and contemplation of the past is because of how unhappy I have been in the past year or so. All the pain and ridiculousness (honestly) makes me feel like all the decisions I have made have been the wrong ones. I am not sure if that will ever change but I guess since my decision to change my future is still in progress, the "regrets" area of my life will be in a holding pattern. There is also the perspective that if there is no closure, you can't move on. I have yet to receive full closure for most of my past mistakes or closure with those involved even so maybe that comes with time?

Hell, I have no idea. Swirly thoughts make you think crazy things.

QuoteS of the Day

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop.

--Anonymous

There is love of course. And then there's life, its enemy.

--Jean Anouilh

The hottest love has the coldest end.

--Socrates

There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.

--Mother Teresa

Every man is afraid of something. That’s how you know he’s in love with you; when he is afraid of losing you.

--Unknown

Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it's better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together.

--Author Unknown

Self-inflicted therapy?

On my way home yesterday, I felt the need to just keep driving. I took a right, another right, then a left and I ended up in Woodburn. No, not for the outlet mall. I wanted to keep driving but as I saw my gas level lowering and I wasn't sure where else I would stop so that is where I ended up. I could have driven all night; it was just that kind of day.

I took 205 south to I-5 but the corridor between Clackamas and West Linn was particularly amazing. I could smell the flowers and the trees as I rolled my window down and let the fresh breeze in. The traffic was light and I smoothly launched on to I-5 and wasn't necessarily going towards anything. After my little shopping indulgence, I followed the same way home. The smells were too intoxicating and the views are pretty breathtaking. I pulled over to the view point to see Mt. Hood and the river. I could have stayed out there all night. Being out in nature with no other distractions or concerns was pure bliss.

After my pit stop, I blasted 30 Seconds to Mars and sang til my throat hurt. It was like my own little therapy session. I truly didn't want to return home but knew that I had all sorts of things to get done. The sun was just setting and the sky was a mix of blue, white, and this fantastic orange that you wish you could touch. Over the Glenn Jackson bridge, I could see the reflection of the setting sun on the water and I wish I could have stopped to breathe it all in.

My drive made me feel pretty confident that I will be able to not only drive cross country but also that it will be a cathartic experience if there ever was one.

Less than 90 days to go; I can't wait.

Quote of the Day

“Guilt is anger directed at ourselves.”

--Peter McWilliams

Nonsensical Analogies

Bare with me here. I have a lot on my mind but need to use analogies for it to all make sense to...well...me.

As children, we have one path. We grow from infants to toddlers to children and eventually to teenagers and young adults. We are on one path and then are sprung free into the world. We follow or flee by example.

There is this fork in the road. One direction leads you to a future of possibilities and it is what you are "suppose" to do. The other direction has been taken by many but rarely ever turns out right.

You start down that path and then have confusions, doubts, fright and are actually most afraid of ending up just like everyone else has. So, you make a last minute change that affects not only your life but those around you. Some say it was a good thing, others might end up holding it against you later.

You fight like hell to get back to the direction that led to your future of possibilities. You fight for that path; you end up straying on random tangents but always find yourself back to the path. This path that is suppose to make all of your hopes and dreams come true. This path that you aren't even sure was the right path in the first place.

Soon, you start to realize things and think about all those possibilities. You should have done this; you would have done that had you know how things would end up; you could have been happy. These "what ifs" end up creeping up on you when you least expect it and far more often than you would like.

You continue on your path, looking for the happiness and success that was promised to you. You keeping walking forward, step by step, day by day, wondering when the next fork in the road will come. It will be that time that defines what is left of your life. But if that fork never comes does that mean that this path, the one you have taken for the past 10 years, was actually the right one? All the experiences, all of the pain, all of the doubt and unhappiness was just part of the journey? Perhaps the battle will ultimately make you a stronger person? What if you were strong to begin with, without the pain or battle wounds?

You see signs. I believe that when we want to see signs, we see them. Usually they come one by one, mostly coincidences, but they somehow affect how we view the entire world for that moment. We notice some one's name and remember someone we used to love. We drive by an exit on a freeway and know exactly where it leads to. Individually these things will be forgotten in minutes but when they keep coming, one after another, is it a sign or is it truly because we want to see them? And if they didn't matter then why would they cause the hair on the back of our neck to stand up or send tingles up and down our spines?

If only I could understand why things happen the way they do and what the universe has in store for us, life would be so easy. I could get rid of all of my "what ifs."

P.S. If you follow all of that, you get a cookie.

Quote of the Day

You do not have to see the whole staircase to take the first step.

-- Martin Luther King Jr.

Attention? Hello?

Oh hey, attention span, what ya been up to? Would you perhaps like to come visit me and hang around for oh, longer than 26 seconds? That would be great. I can't promise cookies but I will show you a good productive time.

If anyone SEES my attention span then please make sure to tell it to go home, I miss it dearly.

Sincerely,

Losing my mind.....errr......what?

Lighten up, Ladies!

Lighten up on yourself to have a better life
By Elizabeth Gilbert, O, The Oprah Magazine
May 3, 2010 10:18 a.m. EDT
FULL ARTICLE AT LINK

"Nearly all the women I know are stressing themselves sick over the pathological fear that they simply aren't doing enough with their lives.
Which is crazy -- absolutely flat-out bananas -- because the women I know do a lot, and they do it well. "

"So here's what I want to know: Can we lighten up a little?
As we head into this next decade, can we draft a joint resolution to drop the crazy-making expectation that we must all be perfect friends and perfect mothers and perfect workers and perfect lovers with perfect bodies who dedicate ourselves to charity and grow our own organic vegetables, at the same time that we run corporations and stand on our heads while playing the guitar with our feet? "

"As a result, we each race forth blindly into this new maze of limitless options. And the risks are steep. We make mistakes. We take sharp turns, hoping to stumble on an open path, only to bump into dead-end walls and have to back up and start all over again. We push mysterious levers, hoping to earn a reward, only to learn -- whoops, that was a suffering button!

To make matters even more stressful, we constantly measure ourselves against each other's progress, which is a truly dreadful habit."

"So let's drop it, maybe?
Let's just anticipate that we (all of us) will disappoint ourselves somehow in the decade to come. Go ahead and let it happen."

"While you're at it, take the wrong job. Move to the wrong city. Lose your temper in front of the boss, quit training for that marathon, wolf down a truckload of cupcakes the day after you start your diet."

"Fall flat on your face if you must, but please, for the sake of us all, do not stop.

Map your own life. "

Website Shout-Out

Even though I am stressed out right now, http://ihasahotdog.com/ always gives me big happy smiles. Looking at those precious faces is just too much!

QuoteS of the Day

Four things a woman should know: How to look like a girl, How to act like a lady, How to think like a man, And how to work like a dog.
----Author Unknown

If you can make a girl laugh - you can make her do anything.
----Marilyn Monroe

No one knows how it is that with one glance a boy can break through into a girl's heart.
----Napoleon Bonaparte

If I were a girl, I'd despair. The supply of good women far exceeds that of the men who deserve them.
----Robert Graves

There are so many girls, and so few princes.
----Liza Minnelli

Who would ever think that so much went on in the soul of a young girl?
----Anne Frank

QuoteS of the Day

"Conflict is the beginning of consciousness"
---M. Esther Harding

"Conflict builds character. Crisis defines it."
---Steven V. Thulon

"What love we've given, we'll have forever. What love we fail to give, will be lost for all eternity."
---Leo Buscaglia

"If you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don't have it, no matter what else there is, it's not enough."
---Ann Landers

"Keep the other person's well being in mind when you feel an attack of soul-purging truth coming on”
---Betty White

Being a Big City Living Kind of Gal

I have discovered some amazing pluses of living in a city with a puppers. Although my time here is brief, six days, I have already acclimated to the "city living" lifestyle and understand just why people like it so much and how they stay in shape.

As I was taking one of our longer walks, I thought about what you need to live in a city and have a dog.

1. Have an apartment that has an elevator that you CAN take the dog in. There are strict rules about dogs in this particular building so I have had to learn the proper way to hold a dog that is about 45 lbs. in the elevator, down 25 stories, and out onto the street. I figured out I go in the elevator at least 4 times a day, more if I am going out to grab groceries or dinner.
2. Must have a park nearby the apartment. I am lucky to have a small park right behind the apartment building that is great for the nighttime quick potty trips. It is enough to go around the block, give the pups some relief, and then haul ass back inside, up the 25 flights of stairs, and happily fall into bed.
3. Have a varied terrain. I will say this of Portland: all the fun places to go! I have tried to vary my routes each day. For the breakfast and dinner walks, I head in one general direction and see how far I want to go. I have so far regretted not bringing my camera for each long walk because of the amazing sights I have seen. I somehow found myself down by the Cirque Soleil tent in the South Waterfront area and it was just a beautiful view of the river and the freeways. This morning I was smart enough to bring my camera as I made it across the Hawthorne Bridge and back down over the Morrison Bridge.
4. Don't be afraid. Generally, the homeless and especially fiesty "street people" of Portland leave me alone because I have a dog. I end up wandering into some interesting areas where, if I were alone, I would have been nervous but even with the cutest dog, people seem to just do their own thing.
5. A calm and upbeat attitude. You wouldn't think this would be a requirement, huh? Well the calm and upbeat attitude comes into play when you are encountering other people. I had a lady straight up just stare and me and the pups today and it made me uncomfortable but I just awkwardly smiled and went to order Thai food. Most people either give me the "awwww" smile or give the "awwww" smile to pupster. It is almost the same looks when I was a nanny and had the kiddos rolling around in the stroller. The reminder that animals and children are ultimately sweet and gentle gives us all a bit of a softer edge.

I proclaimed to myself today, very "toot my own horn" manner, that I am a good temporary puppy mom. I give love, I wipe various oozes, and try my best to get our walk on as much as possible.