simply--jen: 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Mardi Gras Memories

I think the my recent Mardi Gras adventure puts my Meme list to shame. I've been home over 24 hours and the likelihood of me completing the journaling and scrapbooking I always intend to do is already diminishing significantly. I admit it. I am too disorganized and distractable to create anything very appealing. There are so many stories I want to remember and tell for many many years to come. I feel like my trip could be a jeopardy game. Choose a category and a price and I'll give you a story. The categories would be: Travel Parades Food Parties Ball Music Costumes Friends Crime French Quarter ....

Here are a few Mardi Gras firsts for me:

1. Marched (which really means danced) in a parade call Jewlu from the Bridge Lounge to the Marigny

2. Rode a bike around New Orleans on Fat Tuesday dressed like Little Bo Peep...and it felt perfectly normal thing to do

3. Jammed with Rex and Zulu brass bands on Lundi Gras

4. Ate raw oysters from a backyard cooler, and grilled ones too!

5. Mingled with Cajun coon asses on the airplane and during backyard crawfish boiling...and the Coonass kids washing the poop and mud off (can you call kids that?)

6. Watched Thothe and Bacchus roll down St. Charles Ave. as actors from Reno 911 partied next to us

7. Caught beads on the French Quarter on Fat Tuesday...by holding up my Little Bo Peep staff and tempting tossers to try to ring it (no one did, but I got a lot of beads and did NOT flash)

8. Attended a Mardi Gras Day party at the Royal Lunesta on Bienville & Bourban in the French Quarter.

9. Threw beads off a Bourbon balcony at sweet looking old couples who were NOT flashing

10. Ignored the fact that an NBA star (Chris Paul aka CP3) was standing within 5 feet from me because I was too awe-struck by the sight of a million tourists on Bourban Street. (and I didn't know the guy was so darn famous in the basketball world!)

11. Drank coffee tequila

12. Drank moonshine

13. Had king cake and Abita Amber for breakfast

14. Witnessed the NOLA police catching cold blooded murderers

15. Dragged my luggage down St. Charles during the Friday night parade

16. Danced on Doug's shoulders to Kidd Rock signing Sweet Home Alabama during Endymion

17. Caught beads from float riders

18. Was hit in the face with beads- OWWIEEE!

19. Hung out with friends at an uptown New Orleans mansion

2o. Saw a crew of skeletons marching down the street on Fat Tuesday around 9am....and didn't find it the least bit odd

21. Attended MOM's ball

22. Chased down a float with a sign to help a friend with professional networking. Getting recognized and pelted with dozens of bags of beads.

23. Stayed up well past my usual 11pm bedtime

24. Met and befriended scores of New Orleanians who knew Kevin and/or Doug

25. Wore a wig 3 out of 5 days

26. Taxi cab adventure arriving in New Orleans during the Friday night parade

27. Realized the power of adrenaline to propel one through a 5 day party...without even a twinge of hunger, fatigue, hangover, pain, or stress.

28. Walked two miles to cross the street

29. Wore red fish net stockings

30. Always found a (relatively) clean place to pee, even on Mardi Gras Day

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Meme stolen from my friend Aleece who stole it from my friend Elisabeth. The rules are simple: bold the things you’ve done. Explanations are optional. Fun is guaranteed.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does Rock Band 2 count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (At Lake Mary in Flagstaff.)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
8. Climbed a mountain (I think Mt. Humphreys was the highest 12,643 feet)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (does a dog count?)
16. Had food poisoning (not that I know of)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (only seen it from a ferry)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (not technically, but I sleep every time I ride a train)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (how is this still on my to do list?!)
27. Run a Marathon (one day...)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (the Mexican version, yes- Rode a trajinera in Xochimilco)

29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (maybe a double at best)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (I went to Pound, WI where my dad was born)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (no, but I chartered a fishing boat once and my friend caught a pick up truck on the overpass!)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (Major League at County Stadium, baby!)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (I started cake decorating last year. Only did 3 cakes, though.)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen (not exactly, but I did prepare dinner for a group of prostitutes in Chicago)
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma I passed out the first three times I tried, but the 4th time was a charm.
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (yes, and I should have sued- I'm pretty sure they couldn't fire me because I was a female!)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (maybe a toe?)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (slightly speeding)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (hiked to the bottom!)
80. Published a book (not a book, but I'm going to count journal articles)
81. Visited the Vatican
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (not that I know of, but my life's been saved a couple times)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (ew! They allow swimming?! It stinks!)
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
Aleece's bonus things….
100. Competed in a triathlon
101. Adopted an animal from an animal shelter
102. Been to the top of the Sears Tower
103. Traveled to at least 3 continents
104. Stood up in a wedding

I'm adding...
105. Had a whirlwind romance
106. Camped out for concert tickets
107. Traveled to a rainforest
108. Changed a flat tire (not on my own yet)
109. Gotten really lost in a foreign country.

110. Mountain biked down a ski hill

Just Fine in 09

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Relax
2. Stop letting work cause me stress, anger, and fear
3. Live in the moment
4. Eat fewer sweets
5. Drink more water
6. Eat more veggies
7. Widen my tunnel vision
8. Play hard
9. Pray more
10. Be alert

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Engaged in 08, Just Fine in 09

As the calendar turned to 2009, I was trying to recall my 08 resolutions to see how I did. I thought I had promised something about being a kinder, more generous person, getting more involved in church, better stress management, and getting over my divorce. Or maybe that's just what I had actually spent the year doing.

Without looking at my 08 Rebolutions, I cited my accomplishments as follows:
1. I am a triathlete. (and a duathlete!)
2. I got involved in my church.
3. I donated a week of my summer vacation to the poor folk of Appalachia; and was a good role model for 20+ teens.
4. I learned how to do my job better.
5. I was a good friend to friends in need.
6. I attacked house projects in full force.
7. I asked for help, sometimes.
8. I bonded with my dog, except when I was plotting to accidentally lose him.
9. I formed new relationships, strengthened old ones, and moved on from dead ones.
10. I was a good auntie, sister, and daughter.
11. I shoveled, raked, and mowed. But mostly shoveled.

Haven't set specific goals for 09. Mainly I think its about just reminding myself "I'm fine in 09" as my friend, Doris, says.

I did run a lot in the first half of 08 but I've cut way back on running since the triathlon. I avoid it because it is hard, and even with my inhaler I cough a lot and wheeze. (I don't think I get good strong hits for some reason...) And I cut way back on biking and swimming, too. Dammit. BUT, alas, there will be a triathlon again in July 09 and I will train and be even stronger, faster, better than I was last July. To my credit, I have not given up exercise all together. I just shifted my focus to yoga, flexibility, balance, and strength training. Prepping my body for the cardio workouts that will pick up in frequency and intensity over the next several months. Winter sucks but I have strong associations now between the dark drive home from work and the wonderful rhythmic relaxing sensation of swimming since I did so much of it last year in the winter/spring's darkness. I swam last night (well technically took an H2O class, but got in a suit and spent 45 minutes in the water exercising) and have a couple of other times. I still dread that cold water. But really do love swimming. Will take some spin classes this year to get some winter biking in. Got a new mirror for my bike and also plan to add new pedals and shoes, maybe aero bars, and a light. New bike toys are fun.

Here is the real review of 08. I give myself an 85%. I still tend to run late and need to learn the whole still while awake thing since usually stillness for me equals sleep.

1. Be still. YES! I am the soundest sleeper you'll ever meet. Except when I'm super anxious and spinny.
2. Run. YES! Especially the first 9 months.
3. Be on time. Even early sometimes. YES! I mean NO! I'm later than ever before. Consistently 3-11 minutes late for work. I almost was 10 minutes early this morning (on a 7am start day, too!) so I stopped at Starbucks to kill some time and still arrived 3 minutes early
4. Engage. Fully. In the moment. Pay attention. Be alert. YES! http://eckharttolle.com/the_power_of_now
5. Read more. More everything! YES, but still not enough. Read more news, need to read more books.
6. Breathe more deeply. YES! well except when I don't breathe at all.
7. Be decisive/worry less/stop complicating things. Order more quickly. Procrastinate less, especially at work. Okay, and and home. YES, better
8. OHIO - Keep papers organized and filed/recycled/shredded at home. YES! Better.
9. Be greener. YES Fluorescent lights, buying more organic, more soy milk and less cow's milk, tried soy yogurt (gross.), composted all summer long, recycling Lean Cuisine containers (didn't realize you could!), keep driving my Civic though I'd like a new and bigger car, keep my heat low, unplug appliances when not in use.
10. Leave a light on. YES! I am super vigilant about how I leave my house. 95% of my bulbs are now energy star compact fluorescent lights. And the last few months my electric bills are way lower- these things really work!