Wednesday, September 27, 2006

I really really really want this.



And you can get it here if you wanted to buy me a present.

I have ALWAYS wanted to have hot pink hair.

Or, at least, since the mid-eighties, which feels like always and (O.M.G.) is before some now bar-legal babies were born.

The obstacle has been, simply, that whole *work* thing. The places I've been working at since my 19th birthday would, let's just say, "frown" on it. At minimum.

But.... Here's my chance ! ! ! ha ha ha ha ha!!!

Monday, September 18, 2006

Things I just don't understand

So, how is it possible that the 1 3/4 oz. Lance "Hot & Spicy" peanuts are better for you on some stats than the 1 3/4 oz. "Salted" version?!

Like this:

H&S - 290 calories
Salted - 310

H&S - 190 Fat Calories
Salted - 220

H&S - 21g Total Fat (32%)
Salted - 24g (37%)

Now, granted, the Sodium in the H&S is a killer (680mg vs 240mg for salted), but the rest of it? I don't get it! And how can the Salted have 6g Fiber, while the H&S only has 2g?!

Something's foul in Denmark. Or, in Charlotte, NC, as the case may be.
Did you ever have that moment, where someone mentions something to you, and you had totally forgotten that you had told them about it? That, "oh, shi*" moment, when you think to yourself... "Hmmm. Uh oh. (mentally scanning) Is there something I shouldn't have said/done/written about since that person knows about that?!"

Like, when my Dad (Hi Dad! Love you!) mentioned that he can read my blog to keep up with what's new with me, since we don't talk too often on the phone (have I said already, how I detest the telephone? I think yes).

Which, I had forgotten that I had sent him a link for way back when. Ha ha... hah... Yeah! Uhm... Daddy, if you've learned anything about me that you are less than proud of, uh... sorry?

But really - I'm not one for regrets (a great trait, learned from none other than said Daddy), so I'm not really too sorry. The good news is, now maybe you know me a bit better than you might have otherwise, and I just can't find a way to feel bad about that.

And, if you want to turn a "blind eye" to any of my unsavory quirks, I'm ok with that too. Luckily (?) I'm pretty boring, really.

Or maybe the Trix Rabitt and the Cocoa Puff Cuckoo?

Don't you think that Frankenberry and Count Chocula would be AWESOME halloween costumes?!


JB's being a hallo-weenie, saying he won't participate in the (as yet unidentified, possibly nonexistent) parties we will be invited to.

"Lite fare" dinner club, anyone?

Back on the (chuck) wagon

I've been lying to myself. It's easy, you know. You see, I'm addicted to food. Not just food, because technically, greens and low cal stuff are "food," but I'm addicted to the bad stuff.

In part due to a long period where I could eat whatever I wanted (through my 20's), much of my life has been spent existing on large quantities of spaghetti, chips (and dips!), and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Not to mention beer. Oh, how I love a frosty beer on a hot day.

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I recenly lost about 25 pounds on the South Beach Diet. I got on the scale today, after fooling myself for more than a month into thinking that I could really go ahead and eat that funnel cake at the fair yesterday, a bunch of chips and dips and other breads the day before, drink beers on Friday night, and on, and on... Guess what I saw on that scale? Yep. Slapped in the face by reality. I saw a big round "165."

So, it's back on the wagon again. I am a person of extremes. Since I've proven I'm unable to handle bad foods in minimal or moderate quantities (oh, yes, I neglected to mention the Ben & Jerry's on Saturday, and what else...?! Quite a lot...), I have to go back to my rigid discipline.

Help keep me honest, folks! Help me get back to my numbers. This time I'm shooting for 155. 150 would be better.

So, today is the day. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Carpe diem. Seize the moment. Any other cliches anyone can think of?

Keep track with me at http://c-rella1.blogspot.com/.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Variations on a theme

So... did I mention I got a promotion?

Yeah...
There are a lot of people out there who look around and say "why do good things always happen for that person, and not for me?"

Instead of looking at what the successful person is doing, and emulating it (or --gasp!-- evaluating themselves to see what could be holding them back), these people are the ones who sit back and insist that they are a victim of their circumstances. They are The World's Victims. Victims of all those other people who fail to realize the Victim's potential. Victims of the successful people who are "out to get them" or "making them look bad."

These are the folks that think that, in order for their own light to shine, everyone else's has to be dimmer or unlit. Other people shining threatens them and causes them to draw back in fear and confusion. They gather their weaker subordinates close at hand to feel stronger in solidarity, but fail to see that by maintaining and nurturing close associations with less successful people, they are denying themselves opportunities to learn and grow.

If you ask them directly, call them out and ask why they don't emulate the successful person and try to align with them to learn ideas on things that have enabled the success (which most successful people are happy to share), the victims will look down their noses and say "well, I wouldn't want to be like that person," and go on to find or create problems they have with the successful person. Or, they will respond "well, what that person is doing obviously won't work for me because of X, Y and Z external factors that are clearly beyond my control." And all the while they will congregate together, negativity breeding negativity, gathering to whisper "oh! poor us!" and "isn't it terrible."

What these people (the Victims) fail to recognize, is that when they say "I wouldn't want to be like that person," what they are actually saying is:
"I am choosing not to be successful, because I elect not to change my behaviors to try to emulate those who have been successful"

And when they say "what that person is doing won't work for me because of X, Y and Z," what they are actually saying is:
"It is easier for me to convince myself and others that I have no control or contribution to my own success than it would be for me to take ownership and identify and make the changes that will work for me in order to become more successful."

Now, I understand, you may not like or respect everyone who is successful. That's fine! It is OK for us all to have personal differences, we are human. So here's my challenge: pick one. Select one successful person, ask them how they became successful and then actually try to change yourself or your behaviors, so that you are emulating a successful person. Instead of whining negatively about how you are a victim, you, yourself, take ownership of the situation and step forward and take a positive, proactive action. This is what separates the lions from the lambs, the successful from the unsuccessful. Own your situation. Change it. Stop originating from negative space and start originating from positive space. No one is holding you back but yourselves.

I can't abide a victim. Nobody here is a victim, except being a victim of your own poor choices.

Success is hard work. I've only attained a very small amount of it myself, but I am constantly working and learning and changing, to try to achieve more. And at the end of the day, when I look around and ask why I am not the most successful person I know, I recognize it is only my own lack of effort and my own personal shortcomings that I have to work to overcome.

But I believe that it's not too late for all of us to change! We can all grow. I have hope that we will all become successful!

And if you perceive me to be successful at something that you are not, then come on! Ask me - align with me! Let go of drama, victimhood and negativity, and present control, positivism and effort, and I will seek you out and align with you, if you let me. I don't have to put your light out in order for my light to shine. Your light cannot detract from mine, and vice versa.

So again, there are choices: get on board, or understand and come to peace with your own decisions and get over it.

Friday, September 08, 2006

This DailyOM resonated with me.

September 8, 2006
Alive In Joy
Dispelling Drama
There are scores of people in the world who seem to be magnets for calamity. They live their lives jumping from one difficult situation to the next, surrounded by unstable individuals. Some believe themselves victims of fate and decry a universe they regard as malevolent. Others view their chaotic circumstances as just punishments for some failing within. Yet, in truth, neither group has been fated or consigned to suffer. They are likely unconsciously drawing drama into their lives, attracting catastrophe through their choices, attitudes, and patterns of thought. Drama, however disastrous, can be exciting and stimulating. But the thrill of pandemonium eventually begins to frustrate the soul and drain the energy of all who embrace it. To halt this process, we must understand the root of our drama addiction, be aware of our reactions, and be willing to accept that a serene, joyful life need not be a boring one.

Many people, so used to living in the dramatic world they create, feel uncomfortable when confronted with the prospect of a lifetime of peace and contentment. The drama in their lives serves multiple purposes. Upset causes excitement, prompting the body to manufacture adrenaline, which produces a pleasurable surge of energy. For those seeking affection in the form of sympathy, drama forms the basis of their identity as a victim. And when drama is familial, many people believe they can avoid abandonment by continuing to play a key role in the established family dynamic. The addiction to drama is fed by the intensity of the feelings evoked during bouts of conflict, periods of uncertainty, and upheaval.

Understanding where the subconscious need for drama stems from is the key to addressing it effectively. Journaling can help you transfer this need from your mind onto a benign piece of paper. After repeated writing sessions, your feelings regarding the mayhem, hurt feelings, and confusion often associated with drama become clear. When you confront your emotional response to drama and the purpose it serves in your life, you can reject it. Each time you consciously choose not to take part in dramatic situations or associate with dramatic people, you create space in your inner being that is filled with a calm and tranquil stillness and becomes an asset in your quest to lead a more centered life.

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Got no drama. Want no part of it. Maybe I'm boring? TFB.