Great Quote

I read this quote the other day. I have no idea who said it but I really like it.

Rosa sat so that Martin could walk. Martin walked so that Barack could run. Barack ran so that our children could fly.

Regardless of your political affiliation, that's a great quote.

Don't 'Cha Hate that?

I got gas on my way home from work yesterday. I paid $2.23 a gallon for regular. I know. I about did a dance next to the pump.

On my drive to work this morning, a mere 13 hours after I filled my tank, the very same gas station now has gas for $2.13 a gallon. Don't 'cha just hate that?

I was pretty bummed that I didn't wait a day. Until I realized it would have been about $.80 that I saved if I waited. I think I can deal with that 80 cents.

But still....don't 'cha just hate that?

The Story's Last Chapter?

If you live in the Philly area you know it POURED on Saturday. If you don't live in this area but tried to watch the World Series game 3 at 8:30pm you know it was pouring in Philly. Rain was blowing every which way. For hours. Guess what did not make its way into my apartment? That very same rain. It seems the leak has really, actually, officially been fixed.

[insert hallelujah chorus and happy dance here]

The Story Continues.....

Last month I wrote about the leak in my apartment. It has since been 'resolved'. I use that term loosely because it hasn't really rained any significant amount since the day it rained into my apartment.

When that happened, I wrote a letter to the apartment complex letting them know that my leak was very much not fixed as they previously stated. I casually reminded them of the health risks and asked that this be resolved quickly. They did move quickly, I will give them credit for that. However, they had to call a roofer, wait for him to come, wait for his proposal, approve his proposal, wait for the roofer to complete the work and wait for the painter to show up to repaint the wall (a.k.a. paint over the wet spots). All of that took two weeks.

My leak, however, was fixed. Do you know how I know it was fixed? Because the front office has a bill for the work from the roofer. Seriously, that's how the front office told me they know the roof is fixed. It took all I had not to laugh or make some smart alec comment when she told me that.

I still have no idea if there is mold growing behind the wall. The painter did come to paint the wall but you can absolutely still see the water stains through the new paint. Do you know how I know I can still see the stains? Because I can see them. (sorry, couldn't resist)

I do have a bookshelf that has sustained water damage. The entire bottom of the bookshelf is warped. Perhaps another letter to the apartment complex requesting a new bookshelf is in order.

Stay tuned for that.....

Seriously Wrong

It is really, really wrong that there are Christmas decorations for sale in stores already. The Halloween candy is barely on sale and stores are lining their shelves with items for Christmas. It used to be sad when we couldn't get through Thanksgiving without Christmas decorations on sale but this is a bit ridiculous. Pretty soon there just might be Christmas in July. It's seriously wrong people.

One night I was driving home with two friends. One of those friends had left her car at the train station and so we drove there to pick up her car. It was around 11pm. As she got out of my vehicle, I rolled down the window and joked that I’d wait to make sure her car started. We all chuckled, I rolled up the window and her car wouldn’t start. The chuckling stopped.

Being my father’s daughter, I have jumper cables in my trunk. The spot she was parked in was on a slight incline. I suggested she put her car in neutral and see if she could coast backward. I wanted to make room to pull my car up in front of hers. We popped the hoods and I unloaded the cables from the trunk. And I looked at them. I could not remember which car to start with and which anode to attach first. I remembered something about grounding. So my other friend called her husband and he was going to walk us through what to do.

Meanwhile, it had been raining. In our attempt to untangle the cables, two of them hit each other. Oh say can you see. The sparks that flew from those cables put on quite the show. Me, being the rational, sane and non-dramatic woman that I am, started freaking out. Luckily a stronger and braver woman than I pulled them apart. I’m grateful for my friends.

We did manage to hook up my vehicle to hers. We turned on my vehicle, turned on her vehicle and nothing. We tried again. Nothing. We followed ‘the husband’s’ directions but we couldn’t get her car to start. Being the mechanics that we are, we self-diagnosed a faulty starter. Or spark plugs. It was a toss up.

My friend called her insurance company and got a tow truck (or a wrecker for you southerners; that’s a story for another time). It’s now nearly midnight. Obviously no one was there to receive her vehicle. The next morning we drove over to let them know why the car was there and give them the key. What happened there is also a story for another day but suffice it to say, they found nothing wrong with it. The car started for them immediately and every time thereafter. That’s always helpful. It’s like having weeks of bad hair days until the day of your hair appointment or days of feeling horrible but your color returns on the day of the doctor appointment.

She ended up bringing her car to a different mechanic who diagnosed a problem, fixed it and her car has been starting since. Should there be a next time, I won’t let the clamps on the cables touch each other; and if I once again can not remember which vehicle and/or anode to start with, I’ll follow the nice drawing in my owner’s manual.

I'm going to tell you a story.....

Once upon a time there appeared to be a leak coming in through the ceiling in my apartment. I called the front office and called the front office and one day someone showed up. The leak was "repaired" and the wall was painted and I was told all was well.

As I expected, the water stains reappeared. Seems paint doesn't cover everything. In addition, the rug in that corner of the apartment is damp and the book shelf in that area is warped from water. So, I wrote a formal letter requesting the issue be taking care of. I wasn't messing around.

A roofer was sent out to investigate. Red tape and politics translates into the roofer writes a proposal, the complex attempts to get approval, the work is completed (however long that takes) and then who knows what happens next. I am still awaiting approval.

Meanwhile, it rained for four days straight here. On Sunday it poured. I mean poured. And so did the water, into my apartment. I stood by the wall watching the water run down in streaks. Good times. There is now quite the pattern of water stains on that wall. Who needs a picture or print when you have lovely brownish splotches?

This story currently has no ending. Seems I am waiting and waiting and waiting.....

I can only hope there isn't mold growing on that wall or under the rug or under the bookshelf. I can only hope they actually fix the leak and repair the damage. I can only hope they replace the bookshelf. I can only hope they either dry or replace the carpet. I can only hope I am not displaced for the repairs but if I am, I can only hope they pay for my hotel. I can only hope.....

To be continued.....

The Duchess

A few weeks ago I got free tickets to attend a premier of the new movie The Duchess. No, this was not one of those fancy Hollywood premiers with a red carpet but it was a free movie.

It's not that this movie is poorly done. The acting is impeccable. Ralph Fiennes does a great job of making you hate him. Kiera Knightley does a great job portraying The Duchess. The scenery and costuming are beautiful. But I hated this movie.

It's the content that bothered me. It's okay for a married man to share his bed with whomever he chooses. His wife is expected to look the other way; to support his decision even. It reminded me a lot of The Other Boleyn Girl if you've seen that. I just makes (made) me mad.

It also made me really glad I was born when I was. Really glad.

It's Not Jeopardy....It's Love

Right now I'm loving Sugarland's new album Love on the Inside. It's good. I mean really good. It's... roll the windows down, crank up the volume, sing as loud as you want and dance in the car without caring what the person next to you at the stop light thinks... good.

There is a song on the album titled Love. The premise of the song is this. If the answer is love, then what is the question. The song attempts to answer that with potential questions whose answer is love.

So I ask. If the answer is love, what would you say is the question?

Up, Up & Away

For years now I have wanted to parasail. Why, I don't know. I'm not the daredevil, seek out adventure kind of person. But something about parasailing intrigued me. So, when I went on my mini vacation, I decided to give it a shot.

Lucky for me I have two friends who were kind enough to come on the boat with me. Cindy started out strictly as a passenger but somewhere along the way decided to sail with me. Mandy stuck to her guns as an observer and took some truly spectacular pictures as our on board photographer.I knew I didn't want to go first. I wanted to see what I was in for. The 'captain' asked who wanted to go first and this little kid raised his hand. So the captain sent up the only couple on the outing first instead. So glad he asked who was going first. Seems we didn't have a choice for our order and Cindy and I ended up last.

The other guy on the boat got us both strapped into this swing type seat. As he was tying the swing seat to my life jacket he proceeded to calmly tell me to be aware of sharks. Just yesterday, he said, there was a whole school of them following the boat. Uh huh. And one of them was named Jaws right? Nice try dude.

It was our turn. We made our way to the back of the boat, got hooked up to the parasail itself and there was no turning back from there. Once attached we were suddenly flying and I do mean flying backward into the air. Seriously, that thing just shoots you up there. You can tell by my face that I'm not exaggerating.It's a very odd feeling. Once you get up to a certain height (I'm not even going to begin to guess how high up we were) you just kind of float in the air. You can hear the wind in the sail. You can also hear the quiet, except for Cindy and I questioning our sanity.
We were looking around and below at the boats, jet skis, beach, buildings etc. All of a sudden we are leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Or just lifted even higher into the air. Seriously, we were high up there. I looked down and our boat was so small. It looked like a toy.After what felt like days being left up there, we were suddenly being reeled in like giant fish. Slowly we crept out of the sky. In order to land we were told to keep our legs out straight and we would be gently place on the back of the boat. Obedient little bees that we are, we did as we were told and landed safely on the back of the boat.
I haven't been that happy to see land since I got off the plane on my way back from Turkey in 2004.

We did it. Another adventure under my belt. Although I'm not ready to sign up and go again this weekend, I am glad that I did it. And I am especially glad that Cindy went with me and Mandy was on the boat and taking pictures. Especially glad.

This, after all, is the great adventure and I'm glad that I've been given adventurers to travel with.

Operation Mini Vacation

I spent this past long weekend down in Virginia Beach visiting with some friends from college. It was so good to be with them. We have known each other for 16 years now, considering we met during freshman year. Actually Cindy and I met our first day arriving on campus since we were suitemates. I met Mandy shortly there after.

There is something to be said for spending time with people with whom you have a history. Although we have drifted in and out of each other’s lives over the years, I can’t help but think of them often. They each played an integral part in both my spiritual and life journeys. They come up in stories I tell about college life.

And now, after this weekend, they’ll come up again in stories I tell about crazy adventures I’ve been privileged to take. Who knows how many more they may be in in the future. After all, friends are friends forever……

Is It Me?

It's summer. It's vacation season. People are going places. Or having a 'staycation' instead. I get it.

What I don't get is people who write on their Facebook account that they are 'having a blast at [insert place here]' or 'loving being on vacation in [insert place here].' I can't help but wonder, if you are having such a blast and loving being wherever it is that you are, what in the world are you doing on Facebook? Maybe it's just me.

do you think this is true?

Man finds it hard to get what he wants, because he does not want the best. God finds it hard to give, because He would give the best and man will not take it. -George Macdonald

Now that is going to take some time to sink in.

Timber!

So there I am in CVS, innocently looking at their beach chairs (that are 25% off this week, by the way). For some reason they are all stacked on top of the shelves. Maybe they had no where else to put them? I don't know. I pulled a couple off the shelf to make sure they opened and closed. I took them for a test drive, aka sat in them. I decided on the one I wanted.

Rather than leave the ones I pulled off the shelf on the floor (as some people are in the habit of doing) I decided I would put them back up on top of the shelf. I placed one back up. I folded the next and put that on top of it, which is how I found it. In my effort to make sure it wouldn't fall off the top shelf and knock someone in the head, apparently I pushed a tad too hard. On the shelf behind the one I was re-stacking there was a row of ugly Igloo coolers. My attempt to return the chair resulted in several Igloo coolers becoming one with the floor. With great flair from what I could hear. (Hey, if you're going to do it might as well do it well.)

So I did what anyone else would have done. I pretended like it wasn't me and went about my business. Oh come on; you would have done the same thing.

*Note: no people or ugly Igloo coolers were harmed in the telling of this tale.

Too Much Profit?

With a show of hands, who likes to make a profit? Yup, my hand is raised too. That's how most of us get paid. I wonder, however; Is there such thing as too much profit?

I read the following on cnn.com this morning:

"Exxon Mobil once again reported the largest quarterly profit in U.S. history Thursday, posting net income of $11.68 billion on revenue of $138 billion in the second quarter. That profit works out to $1,485.55 a second."

What? This just really feels wrong to me. Nearly every business has reported losses. Gas and food prices are through the roof. The economy, whether the government will admit it or not, is in a recession. But Exxon is making billions.

Meanwhile families have to choose between buying milk and eggs for the refrigerator or gas for the car. The budget doesn't quite go as far as it used to. But Exxon is making billions.

Again, I get that everyone needs to make a profit. I'm not faulting Exxon for making money. It's just I have a problem with that much money. In a three month time period.

So I ask the question again. Is there such thing as too much profit? My empty wallet thinks so.

You're Out!

This past weekend I went to see the Phillies play the Braves. What an absolutely insane game. The first 4 innings flew by. Then the game, and the fans, took a turn for the worse.

The Phillies were leading 3-0 in the top of the 5^th inning. Run after run the Braves began scoring. So much for ace Cole Hamels. That scoring led to some taunting by a few Braves fans sitting in the section next to ours. Taunting and their team losing do NOT sit well with Philly fans of any kind. A Phillies fan took it upon himself to let those Braves fans know it. Punches were nearly thrown and the CBP security and police came running in to save the day. They threw out the Phillies fan but allowed the Braves fans to stay. If the Philly fans were upset before, they were livid now. Chants of not so nice words were permeating the ballpark. Apparently the Braves fans couldn't let bygones be bygones and they started their taunting again.

Now meanwhile the game is still going on and the Braves are still scoring. It's now 6-3, the Braves having taken the lead. Security came back in and finally (after much yelling from surrounding Phillies fans) threw out those tomahawk choppers. You should have heard the cheering and roaring of the crowd when those guys were removed. The only problem, the cheers came at exactly the same time as one of the Braves hit a 3-run homer. If you were elsewhere in the ballpark or certainly a player on the field you would have thought there were a lot of Braves fans in attendance. Not good timing.

In total the Braves scored 9 runs that inning. That's a deficit not easily overcome. But don't count the Phillies out; just ask last year's Mets team. The very next inning the Phils scored 7 runs and managed to hold on. The final – 10-9 Phillies. That sold out crowd went ballistic when Chase Utley threw out the last batter.

Twists, turns, fights, near punches, taunts, highs, lows; it was like an episode of the Soprano's, minus the guns and the cannoli. I loved it. Batter up!

Is This Normal?

I went for a run this past weekend. Since it was the weekend I went several hours later than 5am. I was not getting up that early on a weekend. It's a lot sunnier and warmer a few hours later than 5am. That makes the run a bit harder. Well, at least for me it did. I came away from that run with one thought going through my mind – I hate running.

I hated it this weekend. I got no joy out of it at all. I kept wondering why am I doing this. I kept thinking I get up at 5am for this.

Runners, is that normal? Are there days when you absolutely hate running?

I just hope I can put this in the 'this too shall pass' category.

I set my alarm for 5am this morning and my alarm went off along with some pretty serious lightning and thunder. So I did what anyone else would have done. I rolled right over. Heck if I was getting up to run in lightning and thunder. You've got to be kidding me. I like to curl up in a ball during thunderstorms not be out in them.

Truth be told, I was actually sad about it. I've gotten into a semi-routine and I'm really trying to stick with it. Good thing tomorrow is another day.

things that make you go....huh?

I was driving home from work tonight and I saw this woman pushing one of those jogging strollers. You know, the ones with the three wheels. She had her workout clothes on; her earbuds in. She was either ready to go or ready to go home. I looked over and there was absolutely nothing in the stroller. No baby, no kid, no water bottle even. Not sure what possesses someone to go for a walk or jog pushing a stroller with no one and nothing in it. Not sure what that was all about.

Thou Shall Not Walk

I am about to enter week 7 of my 9 week running program. (I would be in week 8 if it weren't for my falling off the wagon that one week.) This whole program has been a combination of walking and running for various lengths of time. This morning I entered into the world of all running and no walking (except for the brief warm-up walk at the beginning).

This morning I was tasked with running for 25 minutes with no waking. 25 minutes. Do you know long 25 minutes is? That's 1,500 seconds. That's longer than a 30 minute sitcom on TiVo when you skip through the commercials. It's a long time.

I'm so glad for my ipod. At one point Eye of the Tiger came on and I channeled my inner Rocky for a few minutes. Another point a dance song came on and I was suddenly dancing on Dancing with the Stars. Hey, you gotta pass the time somehow.

I kept telling myself I could walk if I needed to. I figured it's a mind game anyway so if I told myself I could then I probably wouldn't want to. I played the 'just run to that corner and then you can walk' game once or twice. I never did walk. I ran the whole way. I felt invigorated; sweaty and really gross but invigorated.

I need to figure out my breathing. Anyone have any tips about that?

In the meantime, from here on out, I'll take it one stride, one song at a time. It's a good thing because walking is no longer an option.