two hundred seventy four

speedos actually can be attractive.. on the right guy. "no balls seattle" runaway bride hash - you've got my vote!

two hundred seventy three

i should have been more consistent with my spanish lessons, now that i'm going to a country that speaks spanish.

two hundred seventy two

apparently baby fever is real: read. my favorite quote of the article, tho?

Conversely, hearing a baby screaming, smelling a dirty diaper or being exposed to spit-up or other "disgusting" aspects of babies, led other people to not want a baby or come down with what you might call "anti-baby fever."

two hundred seventy one

after 3 nights of not sleeping, even my very uncomfortable bed can seem appealing.

two hundred seventy

hurricane irene can't stop the wilsons (and rugers) from having a good time. congrats to two dear friends on starting a beautiful life together.

two hundred sixty nine

i get really cranky when i'm tired and i take it out on people who do not deserve it. that's not cool, and i'm working on it.

two hundred sixty eight

sometimes all it takes is talking to the right person (even if you have to go through many others first) to get the answer you're looking for.

two hundred sixty seven

even when you know you're making the right decision, knowing that you're also hurting someone in the process really stinks.

two hundred sixty six

when you have to really think about when the last time you saw a person was (hint: it was approximately 3 months ago), it's been far too long.

two hundred sixty five

it is possible to inspire others without realizing it. and it feels pretty darn good when they tell you, in all honesty, that your actions truly changed their behaviors.

two hundred sixty four

having a close male friend that can give you free and honest advice, especially when it comes to matters of the heart: priceless.

two hundred sixty three

you can only ignore things for so long.

two hundred sixty two

i've never seen depression spun in a positive way until i read this:

"it is often, finally, a woman's own pain and sadness that make her change her life. finally it is impossible to deny her feelings any longer..

"into such a life, depression comes as a gift, bringing the chance to strike root in a deeper ground inside oneself. depression comes as a gift forcing oneself to listen to the voice of the self within..

"depression serves a woman as it presses down on her forcing her to leave behind that which was not of herself, which had influenced her to live a life alien to her own nature. her suffering, now substantial, insists that she no longer deny its truth. she can no longer 'keep a stiff upper lip,' or 'pack up her troubles in her old kit bag and smile, smile, smile'..

-- excerpts from "circle of stones" by judith duerk

it got me thinking.. what if we didn't live in a world that said we had to be happy all the time? that crying or showing 'negative' emotion is a bad thing? what if we were allowed to embrace these feelings as a wake up call to change our lives, rather than just masking them with fake smiles and suppressing them with medications? how different would things be?

two hundred sixty one

this may be the one and only valid argument for getting married: read. though i still ask, are those extra 10 years quality years? or are they miserable b/c you're stuck in an unhappy and unhealthy relationship? (hmm.. i might be a *bit* biased..)

two hundred sixty

one in 5 american children live in poverty; mississippi is home to the largest ration at 31% of kids living in poverty. the devision between the haves and have-nots just makes me sick.

two hundred fifty nine

strong really is the new skinny. slowly coming to terms with this after a lifetime of struggling with body image and eating habits. here's an oldie, but a goodie.. read.

two hundred fifty eight

'bachelor pad' is by far one of the dumbest tv shows ever. i couldn't even watch it for a half hour. that said.. a recent australian study claims that watching tv for 1 hr every day will shorten your life by 22 mins.

two hundred fifty seven

if you sign the designated driver pledge at a mariners game, they give you a free soft drink ticket.

two hundred fifty six

i have the potential to be a total bitch. and i hate that. always working on my inner self..

two hundred fifty five

choose your travel partners wisely.

two hundred fifty four

sometimes your gut is wrong and things work out. sometimes things go exactly as your gut warned you.. like when you miss reception "open" hours and have to spend the night in your car. in your sleeping bag. in iceland.

two hundred fifty three

some people are just harder to let go of than others. seeking inner peace and acceptance..

two hundred fifty two

industrial strength ear plugs are one of the best inventions. ever.

two hundred fifty one

a trip to the blue lagoon is the single best way to start a trip to iceland.

two hundred fifty

waking up at 4am to catch an early flight is no fun. nor is spending 40+ bucks on a cab b/c the light rail isn't running. but listening to the old crooners on the radio in the cab ride to the airport makes it a little bit better.

two hundred forty nine

deleting photos from a memory card is never easy. especially those that you kept merely because they once brought such comfort just by gazing at them. but it is yet another necessary step in moving forward from a past that will never again be the present.

with a still very heavy heart.. goodbye, g..

two hundred forty eight

always burn a scented candle while cooking fish.

two hundred forty seven

today i learned it's a bad bad idea to drive anywhere in seattle during seafair week.

two hundred forty six

a bruised back does not make for good form during sit-ups.

two hundred forty five

kinesio tape works wonders. especially when it's hot pink.

two hundred forty four

reality bites.