I've Moved

Hi Guys!

I'm BACK! Oooh, and I've moved....

You can now find me writing on: Something to Smile About.

Would love for you to come and say hello. It's lonely over there.

Case of the Winter Blues

I don't know whether it's this cold weather, depression or hell, I've even considered mono, that's making me feel this way. Regardless of the reason I am so tired and despondent these days. I think people have started noticing that I'm "off" at work. I've tried to play it off as due to the stomach bug from earlier this week, or just allergies getting me down. The truth is, I'm highly sensitive, easily emotional and exhausted all of the time.

I've been going to bed two hours earlier than normal and still I wake up feeling barely rested. I have an internal struggle to get out of bed and go to work. Once there I feel mostly good but if something goes wrong, as it usually does, it bugs me even more than normal. I'm a secretary so I put up with a lot of crap during the day, however, for some reason I'm so much more an easy target lately. It's pathetic.

The thing is, how do I fix it if I don't know what's causing it? I've considered seeing my therapist. I haven't seen him in over 3 months, at least. Even then I saw him maybe once a month or so for a very small amount of time. And it's not that I don't want to see him again, he's a great guy, I just don't think that my exhaustion warrants a visit. Taking a day of work to see a doctor because you're tired seems pathetic too. Especially if this is just caused by "winter blues." So I'm going to hold off for a little bit again. I figure if Christmas, my favorite holiday ever, can't cheer me up then we have a problem. However, a little cider and mistletoe may be just the trick.

My only worry is that what if it isn't? I begin school in less than a month. Full time school and full time work. I will have no space for extra exhaustion and sadness. Best I can do is just force myself out of bed every day and cheer the heck up.

Is anybody else feeling this way lately? Please tell me it's only the weather...

Book Talk Tuesday: The Last Lecture

In 2007, Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch began giving his final speech "Really Living Your Childhood Dreams." If his lecture was a tale meant to inspire, teach and give courage to his students, then his book "The Last Lecture" is a humerus heart-wrenching love letter to his relatives, wife and children. In his book, co-written by Jeffrey Zaslow, Randy Pausch takes time from living life while dying of terminal cancer to share insight on how he got to where he is, all of the dreams for where his children might one day go and heart-warming advice and antidotes to help them achieve their dreams long after he's gone.

It should come as no surprise to you that I cried. Of course I cried. Written in his own voice it was not hard to see why Randy Pausch was so loved in life. Knowing though, that in 2008 Mr. Pausch was too pass away, well that was just too much to take at times. Especially when I thought of all those loved ones he would be leaving behind.

What should come as a surprise to you is how often I laughed. Pausch is incredibly clever. I couldn't help but sincerely listen to his advice as he gave it a very frank non-sentimental manner. He wasn't trying to make me cry, gosh darn it he was trying to make his readers laugh, reflect and most of all live.

If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend you check out Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow's "The Last Lecture."No matter what your age, religious beliefs and personal aspirations are, this will surely give you something to think about.

See the below video for the original lecture that inspired the book:

Giving It All Free for All

Dee from One Foot out of the Box was kind enough to ask me a very timely question for this week's Free for All Friday: What are my goals for the upcoming year?

I'm so glad Dee phrased it as goals and not resolutions. Because seriously, in the 25 years of my life I have not once made a resolution. However, I am chock full of goals. Here are my big ones for this year:

1. Head back to college so that I may obtain my teaching certification. While I have my bachelor's in English: Professional Writing, I haven't done too much writing since graduating in 2007. In fact, the closest I've gotten is blogging, a little television reviewing and a year's worth of editing. The rest of the time I've been working as a secretary. Which is not to say I haven't loved being a secretary. I seriously do. I'm a talker and getting to know a ton of new people has been fabulous. However, what I really want to do with my life is act as a Reading Specialist. Becoming a secondary English Teacher takes me one step closer to achieving my Reading Specialist goal.
2. My second goal is to grow up a little. I'm married now. I've been paying my own bills for the past four years. I'm the mommy to an adorable puppy full of spunk. I'm responsible, reasonable and kind-hearted (not too brag, but I think I sincerely am). However, I still rely on my parents for a lot. I turn to them for approval when I absolutely should be able to instead be more self-accepting and independent. My reliance on them ends up causing me a lot of pain. My mom and I have a rocky relationship at times which has a trickle effect on everyone else in my life. I firmly believe that if I finally convinced her that I'm an adult and no longer in need of unrequested advice, approval or financial help I'd be in a much happier place in my life. So, here's to that! 

Ok, so now it's Dee's turn. Please visit her blog One Foot out of the Box for her answers. I'm sure they'll be posted shortly :). Thanks again for the awesome question Dee. And to all readers, please feel free to play along again next Friday.

Free for all Friday

Alright, it's the end of the week and Saturday is so close I can feel it in my bones. Which means, I'm feeling both charitable and creative. That's why, from here forth, I shall christen today, "Free for all Friday."

Here are the rules:

1. You can each ask me one question. (Please leave your question in a comment below.)
2.  I will pick the winner based on what I deem the best question asked. As a reward the chosen one will have their blog featured on this site all weekend. If you have a button please do share.
3. However, the winner will also have to answer their question and link their entry back to mine on their blog as well. I mean really, if I didn't keep it even I could only imagine how wickedly clever you all might get haha ;). In any case, please be kind and keep your own response in mind.

Peace out lovelies! And remember, I've got stories!

Next Time, Just Go Back to Bed

When I woke up this morning I had an ominous feeling that something was wrong. Stupid girl. Instead of crawling right back into bed with the husband and begging off work with a "stomach bug" I told myself there were only two work days left and to shake it off. Stupid, stupid girl.

First, about five miles from work I realized that I was completely out of gas. I have like an obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to my gas tank nearing empty. I never let it get to E- ever. Call it a cautious habit from having lived alone in a different state from friends and family for a year.

Second, as I waited for a gas pump to open up I decided to step inside Turkey Hill and pick up a peanut butter and chocolate cappuccino. One step out of the car my left leg slid far behind me causing me to land hard on my knee. My instant reaction was to curse loudly, as is my response to all self-injuries. Apparently somebody had spilled their drink in the parking lot causing it to freeze into a nice size puddle of ice. I mean really, how dare they be so clumsy! Ok, I know, that could've been me on any other day.

Finally, as I was typing up a blogging comment I seriously tried to spell sophisticated "safisticated." It looked perfectly fine to me. The red squiggle line told me it was wrong but I couldn't get my mind wrapped around how to correct it. Ok, this may seem like no big deal to most, but to me this is huge. I'm an ENGLISH major for crying out loud! How will I ever teach the leaders of tomorrow if I can't get through an elementary school vocab word. Oh lord! Class starts up again in January. It will be my first time back in over three years. How will I ever cope?

Thirsty Thursday

We're not in college anymore, but can't we still have some fun?

Raise your glasses to this rum-spiked cider. It'll keep you warm inside. Warm outside. You won't be able to feel a thing. Well, you get the point...

Ingredients

• 1 quart water
• 3 orange spice tea bags
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 1/2 cups light rum
• 8 cinnamon sticks
• 3 teaspoons butter

Directions

1.   Boil water in large sauce pan. Remove from heat and toss in the orange spice tea bags. Cover and let steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar, apple cider, rum, and 2 of the cinnamon sticks. Heat just to steaming -- do not boil.
2. Ladle hot cider into 6 mugs and drop 1/2 teaspoon butter into each. Garnish with a cinnamon "swizzle" stick. 

Recipe originally from AllRecipes.com 

Now tell me pretties, what drink helps keep you warm inside during these cold winter months?