two hundred forty three

pushing yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable can end in three ways: (1) you're still totally uncomfortable, (2) it turned out much better than you had anticipated and you actually enjoyed yourself, or (3) you can at least say you came out with a funny story.

after my kayaking adventures with a 40+ singles meetup group, can you guess how my my day ended?

two hundred forty two

i will never be the champion of beer olympics. and i'm okay with that.

two hundred forty one

congress is the only occupation i can think of that you still get paid for not only not doing your job, but for refusing to do your job.

two hundred forty

doing yoga in my favorite park in seattle (gas works) - feet in the grass, sunshine on my face, warm breeze thru my hair - has got to be one of the best experiences i've had in this city. oh, and the fact we awakened from savasana to a group of male folk dancers prancing about with jingle bells on their legs seriously made my day.

two hundred thirty nine

the current generation of middle-aged women are the most stressed out people in america, and they are the first generation of women who may not outlive their male partners by 5 to 7 years as a result.

ladies - take care of yourselves!

two hundred thirty eight

patience is a virtue that i am realizing i've been losing as i've grown older. i hope i can regain the seemingly endless patience i once held.

two hundred thirty seven

according to my OT colleagues, there are apparently tools out there ("leg spreaders") to assist with self-catheterization.

two hundred thirty six

even when you're pretty sure things won't work out the way you might hope, going with your gut when making big decisions is still the only way to ensure you never have any regrets.

two hundred thirty five

americans, many of my friends included, reached a new low today. i saw a total of 3 - THREE - posts on facebook discussing the absolutely horrific events that transpired in norway, and too many to count regarding the death of singer amy winehouse.

now, i think amy was an extremely talented artist who unfortunately could not control her demons, and i mourn the loss for her family and the music industry. she was far too young. but the fact that her death seemed to make more of an impact on us than 85+ people being murdered by a right-wing christian extremist in a terrorist attack in norway.. i am saddened. i mean no offense. but come on. and to have the headlines next to each other. it just seems wrong.

rest peacefully, amy. and rest peacefully those innocents in norway whose lives were tragically cut short. and may we keep them in our thoughts.

two hundred thirty four

1 out of every 3 people born in the usa after the year 2000 will develop type II diabetes. that ratio changes to 1 out of 2 minorities (source: food, inc.. which i've seen before but for some reason missed that statistic). something must be done.

two hundred thirty three

alex steinweiss was the creator of the album cover.

after WWII, columbia records came up with a new format, the long-playing record, and alex was given the task of creating a protective jacket for this new LP. before the 1940s recorded music was sold in plain packaging, often in thick books (hence the name album) with the titles merely written on the binding. alex became the first art director for columbia in 1939 -- and it was here that he introduced album art as we know it today. between 1939 and 1973 when he retired, he designed roughly 2500 covers.

mr. steinweiss just passed away on 18 july 2011. thanks to NPR's all things considered for introducing me to this interesting man who is such a part of music history, and to wikipedia for filling in the details.

two hundred thirty two

and on the gazillionth day, god said "let there be free birth control!" what a wonderful thing this would be.

two hundred thirty one

it's all about the journey, not the destination.

two hundred thirty

i can do a push up - the real kind, not the knee kind. i can only do 1 with good form, but i can do it. curious to see where i'll be in a few months..

two hundred twenty nine

we can't control where our minds wander, as much as we might try to. time just has to take it's course.

two hundred twenty eight

it is what it is.

two hundred twenty seven

it may be waaaaay past my bedtime, and it may be kinda dorky - but i don't care.. attending the midnight showing of the last movie of one of the most beloved series of all time was a once in a lifetime experience. farewell harry potter. you will be missed!

two hundred twenty six

i had no idea fight club the movie (one of my favorite movies ever) was based on a 1996 novel by chuck palahniuk.

two hundred twenty five

thanks to my friend vicky from my younger years, i now know the origins of glory days, my favorite of all favorite bruce songs. despite it's cheesiness and simplistic features, it can put me in a good mood no matter what happened in my day.

two hundred twenty four

serendipity is real. but it can lead you in very opposite directions, depending upon how you choose to act or not act in that particular situation.

two hundred twenty three

today is 11 July 2011, or "7-11" day, when you can get a free slurpee at 7-11 stores. on the news, they gave a bit of info on the history of how the slurpee came to be.. read all about it here, and enjoy one for free!

two hundred twenty two

baby shower registries are far scarier than wedding registries.. burping towels, diaper disposals, nursing bra pads. oh my.

two hundred twenty one

today i learned the very basics of roller derby, having gone to support a friend for the first time. it was awesome. and i will totally be a spectator again.

two hundred twenty

it's a small world, after all. firm believer in the six degrees of separation after tonight.

two hundred nineteen

doing something to please someone else is never a wise decision. owning up to the fact you don't want to do that something, while disappointing to the other party, is ultimately the way to go.

two hundred eighteen

a study recently published concluded that in regards to long term relationships, cuddling is more important to men and sexual satisfaction is more important to women. kinda bucks the ol' stereotypes, huh?

two hundred seventeen

sometimes chemistry is instant and sometimes it isn't. but just because it's instant doesn't mean it will work out (as i know all too well). and just because it isn't instant doesn't mean it's not worth another shot.

two hundred sixteen

i have the ability to run a 5K without stopping.. laugh if you must - but for me that's a MAJOR accomplishment! wahoo firecracker 5000!

two hundred fifteen

signing up to run a 5K the night before the race, without officially training, just because you had a few cocktails and thought it sounded like a good idea.. is actually not a good idea.

lesson: never commit to something while intoxicated (even if only mildly). peeing my pants with nerves for my first 5K tonight at midnight. yikes.

two hundred fourteen

if you set your expectations too high, you'll most likely be disappointed. but if you set your expectations lower and perhaps more realistically, you'll often be pleasantly surprised.

two hundred thirteen

we all know sunlight is a natural source of vitamin d, and why folks in seattle are essentially all deficient b/c there's such a lack of sunlight here. well, today i learned it's also a source of vitamin k. i've always known to eat my green leafy veggies, but a little sunshine will also help boost those levels.