Finding Zen

Look Ma. I'm Famous!

 

USC Tragedy

I'm sure most of you know, or have heard about the beachhouse fire in North Carolina.  The students were from USC, and friends (SAE frat brothers) of my cousin.  You can imagine the sinking feeling I had drawing the connections as I read the headlines.  Especially considering they had not been releasing names.

If you have some good juju to give out to the universe, please send it.  There are families, friends, and communities mourning the loss of seven young lives.  Including, a very special member of my own family.

Hey Ty, if you are reading this, I love you bud!

Disclaimer: Please Don't Try This At Home

May not be suitable for small children and The Uptight.

I have no words.  That looks fun, no?  I'd give that a 10.0 on technical skill alone.  Nevermind the perfect form.  Thats what I call Trusting Your Man.

The following has been brought to you, by none other than our very own Zen reader Wears Elastic Pants.  Thank you for that. 

Chickens

• Starbucks knows coffee.  They don't however, know pastries.
• Recently BOSSY complained about her ORECK vacuum.  I had to let her in on a little Stella Secret.  There is this amazing invention called a SHOP VAC.   Yes.  I vacuum every nook and crannie of my home with a RIDGID shop vac. 
• I just purchased the following shoes in Chocolate Brown from Ann Taylor Loft.  I modeled them for Zack in front of our widescreen tv during Sunday night football.  The audacity, I know.  But guess what?  The shoes won.

• I am on a fastfood strike.  It's been 22 days.  Impressive eh?
• Kat told me to watch Gossip Girls last night so I did.  Kat....SERIOUSLY?  We watched Bridezillas instead.
• Anyone see Dr. 90210? Dr. Will Kirby and my 'ex' were high school friends.  Which doesn't say much for my ex.  Oddly, even after watching him destroy that poor girls ALREADY SWEET face, I still fantasize about Botox in between my brows.  (SEE, even the Publishers of the New England Journal of Medicine say that Botox is the only real solution to my angry lines)
• So after the 'shoe show' Sunday night, I reluctantly watched the end of the Steelers/Broncos game.  I got two words for you.  Safety - John Lynch (so that was three, whatever).  I may be a Broncos fan.  And I can say this, because Zack doesn't hesitate to remind me how hot Jessica Biel is.  And she is.
• I also love me some Mike Rowe.  Did anyone see the Dirty Jobs episode with the ankle biting killer monkeys?  It was awesome.  Second to the Fainting Goats.
• The Modern Bride issue featuring our wedding will be out next month.  Apparently my copies are in the mail as I write this.  How exciting?!
• Speaking of BOSSY.  Everyone MUST READ her new Family Tree feature.  It is HYSTERICAL.  Only she hasn't figured out how to archive, so the newcomers can read from the beginning of the story.  BOSSY REALLY NEEDS TO FIGURE THAT SHIT OUT if she ever expects to be bigGER and famousER like her BFF DOOCE.
• Who just revealed she had a miscarriage, and I'm heartsick for her.
• I bought a new pair of running shoes.  You know, to run in.  The old ones were about 4 years old and needed to retire.   And yes, the shopping spree is over.  I was in the mountains for almost 3 months people.  So I went for my first run in my new shoes last night and I hadn't passed but four houses and I got a friggin stitch.  Then it started to rain.  So I went home and felt like I was going to puke for the next 2 hours.  Thinking maybe I'm out of shape.  My quads are SO SORE today.  And I "ran" maybe one block.  Perhaps tonight I will take my walker.

• Aren't they cute?  I think I'm just a runner-poser.  I like to say that 'I run/I ran/I runneth...'.  But I don't even really run.  It's like a very slow jog.  The SPEED WALK is more impressive than my run. 
• I have randomly come across the following picture.  Is this not the CUTEST DAMN THING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN???. 
• You never know what might turn up in a GOOGLE search of your name.  I just discovered that a piece I wrote a few months ago, for a local paper got published online last month.  Who knew!
• Go say hi to my new friend NIN.  She is super crafty and has the most delicious photos on her blog.  I don't know how she found me, but I'm glad she did.  I'm hoping I can convince her to make me a quilt JUST LIKE THIS ONE.  Because I need a quilt JUST LIKE THAT ONE in my life.  Because I DONT SEW.  Me and the sewing machine just don't jive.  Zack does the sewing.  And I will knit her something beautiful in exchange!  Sound good NIN? 

 

Password Protest

I am sick of keeping up with User Names and Passwords.  There is one for my blog, my emails, all of my online bills, my bank, my paypal, one to log into my computer, EBAY, my etsy account, the temp agency I work for, there is my k-pixie account, my cell phone, my friends 'password protected' blogs...and the list goes on.  When I'm at home this isn't much of an issue because my computer 'remembers' them all for me - but I'm screwed if I'm not at my computer.

It would be great if you could just use the same password and user name over and over again...but noooooooooooo, some want numbers, some want numbers AND letters, some numbers and letters but no more than 9 and at least 5 of them!  They even have Access ID's now in addition to the usernames and passwords. 

I don't ever remember them.  I always have to answer a litany of questions.  Half of which I don't ever recall having given to these people in the first place.   I HATE having to convince some stranger that I am who I am.  And sometimes they get fiesty!  Nothing like arguing with a phone operator about where you were born.  And I'm always resetting old passwords to new ones I won't remember for the next time I have to sign in.  Most recently because of fraud, I have had to LIE about my security questions!  So now I have to keep up with who has numbers, who is letters only, who is case sensitive, AND who I've LIED TO.  I feel like I'm dating 20 different men.

I hate it hate it hate it hate it.  Can we just go back to a computerless cash society?