Photomontage of Happiness

In visiting the Wide Open Spaces blog recently, I came across a posting titled, "10 Things That Make Anna Spiro Happy". Just as the photomontage process describes, this process is one in which you cut and join parts to form a whole; in this case, a lifemontage in the form of pictures.

Q-Tip's Scene is Set

After a recent conversation with friends, I was inspired to write this post. My friends, who will forever be known on this blog as Q-tip, Queen and Smore, and I were reflecting on what has been; more specifically, we were thinking back to exactly 1 year previous to today's date and re-living the emotions, the state of our personal and professional lives and the relationships we had at that point with friends and boyfriends.

This topic sort of came out of nowhere but, once it did, it was something we continued to think back to all day. It really is an interesting scenario to wrap your head around; where were you 1 year ago and what were you thinking/feeling/doing? Are you happy with the way things turned out 1 year down the road? Whew...talk about a complex cognition of your life and where it stands today.

With the scene set, my friend, Q-tip, remembers back to a time in her life where everything was in disarray; it seemed as if her life would never turn around and she contemplated going back home to New York to run away from it all. As her world began to break down around her, she envisioned a new future for herself without her current job, apartment and friends. For reasons beyond her control, she made the decision to stick it out and see what life would deal her next. Today, while wondering how she made it through that rough patch, she elicits those memories with adoration for what her life has become 1 year later.

She doesn't want to live her life through the rear view mirror, but she will probably frequent that time in 2008 often in order to appreciate where she is today.

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Like Me Yet

I heard this song tonight and couldn't remember who originally sang it, so I YouTube'd it and found this video. It obviously isn't the original singer, but I like Adele's version and this video just stood out to me in my search...

Hail to the Redskins, Hail Victory, Braves on the Warpath, Fight for Old DC

Does anyone actually know the rest of the song? Maybe the Hoggets, Chief Zee or the Skins' marching band but, for the most part, this is the part of the chant all Redskins' fans recite before, during and after the game.

Today is the first Redskins game of the season and I cannot wait to put on my Cooley jersey and cheer them on. I'm not one of those lifers who grew up in a hog heaven family; on the contrary, I grew up liking the Oakland Raiders. Bo Jackson was my favorite player and when I was growing up, he was their star player. However, when I moved to the DC area about 2 1/2 years ago, I quickly noticed the passion the fans held for the Redskins and I couldn't help but adopt that passion myself. It took me about a year to find my favorite player but, once I did, it was obvious he was the epitome of Washington Redskins' football. The video says it all, really. But, the picture shows his crazy/funny side. If you've never checked out his blog, you definitely should (http://chriscooley47.blogspot.com).

Here's to hoping the Skins have a better season than last - that JC doesn't get sacked every other play, that Moss, Randle El and the other WRs don't drop the long ball, that Carlos Rodgers holds onto an interception for once, that Haynesworth earns his $100 million contract and that Orakpo proves why he was their #1 pick. Of course, we all know COOOOOOOOLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY will provide us with game changing plays and humorous, sometimes inappropriate pictures and posts (aka pictures of his "man region").

New Board

I went out to Colorado the week of the fourth of July this summer and, of course, they had some pretty sweet sales on all of their snowboards, skis, boots, bindings, etc. So, I purchased an '08 board for 60% off - I'd love to try it out on the slopes out west this winter...we shall see. Here it is!

Take Chances

A friend recently posted this on her blog and, after reading it, I couldn't help but feel as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I'm a firm believer in the saying "everything happens for a reason." So, this quote definitely resonated with my belief that we create our own destiny...

Fall Weather

'Tis the season for change. Every season holds its own reoccurring occurrences and, while I always miss the summertime, fall happens to be one of my favorite seasons.

The leaves begin to change, the air turns less humid and more crisp and fresh, football season has officially begun, a change in my wardrobe has come, the all important Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte becomes available (which means I, inevitably, make the switch from the slightly cheaper, iced coffee) and you begin to take on those fall-like activities. We lose those trips to the beach, the outdoor happy hours, our summertime schedules at work, backyard bbqs, sundresses and shades and, of course, the seemingly never ending day as the sun continues to shed light on our lives.

You leave each passing season with stagnant memories of what was; the people you've met, places you've traveled and resolutions you've made. I always find myself reminiscing to songs like, "Summer of '69", "Don't Stop Believing" or "The Boys of Summer" in instances like this.

Once the season comes to a fold, you realize so much of what you meant and so desperately wanted to accomplish over the past few months has somehow slipped right through your fingers. In pondering over this fact, stop quick enough to ensure your reality changes - The days of summer have not yet passed, so it's not out of reach.

So Beautiful

I love One Republic and I think all of their music is amazing; this song just popped up on my iTunes and I forgot how truly beautiful the music and lyrics are.

Come Home - One Republic

It Has Been a While

Ok, life as we know it officially took over my ability to blog. I find that I have a little time on my hands this afternoon after wrapping up a conference in Ohio and decided, what better time?

This Summer has officially been quite the whirlwind for me. In fact, I find myself looking at my calendar and wondering where the Summer actually went. With this and the fact that my birthday is tomorrow, I began to think back on the past year - the purchase of my puppy, moving to a new apartment, getting a new job - and I realize why not only this summer, but this entire year has been such a whirlwind. All of the above have dramatically changed aspects of my life and, seeing as how I'm just now really taking a step back to realize that, I can truly appreciate it.

Change is one of the hardest things to go through and something that isn't always embraced by others. However, change is not always hard to endure and shouldn't always be feared. Change, very simply, is a blessing in disguise.

The topic of change intrigues my thoughts on life and takes me back to something that was written by my favorite poet, William Wordsworth, "Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present to live better in the future."

Sangria. YUM

I LOVE sangria. It's the perfect summertime drink and I wish I made it more often. I frequent eatingwell.com often and was just looking over my bookmarked pages and found this one from August '07: White Sangria I never actually made the concoction, so I'm really glad I found it. I usually drink red sangria, so this will be a nice switch.

A True Legend, Remembered

It is a sad day, indeed. I find that I am EXTREMELY nostalgic in learning about Michael Jackson's death. I grew up dancing to his songs and immolating the Thriller video at sleepovers. His music was ingenious, his performances awe-inspiring and his impact on the music business was revolutionary. Michael was a silent genius. I know he'll be missed by many, especially me.

I Keep Bleedin'

Another FANTASTIC interpretation. This one depicts a husband that works way too much and his wife is acting out against it because it's tearing them apart. I love the message and I love the moves. Tabitha and Napoleon are the choreographers (they're married, who'da thought?). I wish I could dance like this.

So You Think You Can Dance

So you think you can dance dance dance dance. If you've seen the show, you know what I'm talking about!

One of my favorite dances ever was last season. This is a dance interpretation of a soldier who has just been called to war and his girlfriend doesn't know how she's going to "breathe with no air" without him. I love this show! It's on tonight at 8/7c.

Rainy Days

Have you ever woken up and asked yourself, "what am I doing here, really?"

Rainy days are great "contemplate the world" days. They're usually one of the few days in which you really want to spend all day inside. They're perfect days to catch up on that book you're reading, that movie you've been wanting to watch or, in this case, that blog post you've needed to make. I spend many days in general contemplating life and its many different intricacies, but even more so on a day like today. If you simply watch the raindrops as they softly thud onto your windshield, bedroom window or eyeglasses, you can truly appreciate their existence. More often than not, we wish away the rain. However, its existence is not only important, it can also be very soothing and eye opening.

I've come to enjoy the way in which the pooled up rain on the road skids by as a roaring car comes to a halt or the noise the tiny droplets make as they fall on your umbrella. It definitely makes for an interesting commute, but if one is able to take just a moment to really watch the droplets, it's really eye opening how pretty they can be.

Great Rainy Day Song - "One Day You Will" by Lady Antebellum

LIFE IS BEAUTY FULL

I found this in a little shop last night and absolutely fell in love with it...

Eventide

I love rooftop bars. On a recent trip to LA and San Diego, I fell in love with the fact that rooftop bars were normal at most clubs and restaurants. So, when I heard this restaurant was coming to town AND it had a rooftop, I jumped for joy. Looking forward to trying it out...I like the name too.

Many Musings to Come

After much deliberation, here I am...at last, my very own blog. My experiences will lay the foundation and I hope to see many comments along the way. This will continually be a work in progress and one I hope to enjoy with many of you. Enjoy.