Note From the Universe

To empower another, is to empower yourself. To celebrate another, is to celebrate yourself. And to free another, is to free yourself.

Note From the Universe`

My own personal policy is to only do those things that I want to do, with whom I want to do them.

BK Sign & Drive!

Note From the Universe

Changing what you have comes from changing who you are. And changing who you are comes from changing what you think. Changing what you think ultimately changes your words, your actions, the kind of music you listen to, the movies you watch, the places you visit, the friends you hang out with, and, yes, even how you look in jeans.

Note From the Universe

It's OK. Everything is fine. You've always been guided. Even now you are watched, and held, and adored. You've made great stuff happen, and you will make more great stuff happen. You've changed lives. You've changed your own. You've moved mountains and done the impossible. You've been scared and you overcame. You've been knocked down and you rose. And you've been lost, or so you thought, only to discover it was just the calm before another storm of creativity, love, and fun.


Humbled like the rest of 'em.

Note From the Universe

Have you noticed how moving toward a great dream summons from life's jungles the fiercest lions, the scariest tigers, and the grizzliest bears... who eventually turn out to be the noblest teachers, the bravest guides, and the dearest friends?

Note From the Universe

Appreciating what you already have is how to get more of what you don't.

Note From the Universe

Dare not wish to change even the slightest thing about a loved one without first understanding how it might change the rest of them. Besides, if the big picture is rocking you, why make a fuss over a few splots?

Note From the Universe

Little is more impressive, inspirational, or sexy, than watching someone in the throes of action, driven by purpose, oblivious to all but their aim.

Note From the Universe

Be the love you wish to see in the world.

Note From the Universe

What if I told you that you couldn't have anymore of anything... No more friends, no more money, no more anything, until you first got happy with what you have?

Today's Three Things

1) Chi O!

2) Finishing finals + homework

3) Sleeping in after a long night of flight delays & homework

Today's Three Things

1) Unexpected, warm days

2) My Momma & Daddy

3) Family birthday brunch

Today's Three Things

1) Family photos

2) Old friends

3) Weddings

Today's Three Things

1) Watching the Smokey Mountains and Ohio River from the plane

2) Going home!

3) Swenson's burgers

Today's Three Things

1) After-class happy hour

2) Mid-afternoon ice cream

3) Applying for my job

Today's Three Things

1) Green beer :)

2) Productive days

3) James

His name is Prada...

I've been looking for new food & water bowls for Prada for some time. As it turns out, cat foot bowls are ugly. They come in bright colors and have cutsey pawprints on them. Gag.

Imagine my excitement when I see these beauties in my inbox.

Too bad they're $86(!) for the small version, as they'd look quite fab in my house.

Today's Three Things

1) not bringing my computer home from work

2)Tuesday night marathons of The Office on TBS

3) Going to bed at 11:00

Today's Three Things

1) Birthdays!

2) Chocolate-covered nanners from Sarah

3) Relaxing

Today's Three Things

1) My husband

2) My kitty

3) Fresh pineapple

Today's Three Things

1) Carmel, ice cream & espresso dessert at ONE

2) Matthew!

3) Birthdays :)

Today's Three Things

1) First-time Homebuyers Tax Credits

2) Continuing Education Tax Credits

3) Property Tax Re-assessments

Today's Three Things

1) Boondock Saints

2) Good calls with good friends

3) 6.76 miles

Today's Three Things

1) Coffee with Kristin

2) Gym time

3) Finishing papers

Note From the Universe

I bet you could do something for someone today, Leslie, who'd remember it for the rest of their life. In a good way. On your mark, get set...

Today's Three Things

1) Thrashers Hockey

2) Top-down driving

3) Junior Achievement

Death by Caffeine

Ever wondered how many cups of coffee you could drink before it killed you?

You're not the only one, so the smart folks over at Energy Fiend made a handy little calculator called Death by Caffeine. It really puts all those Red Bulls into perspective...

Daily Candy Knows Me

Today's DC was tailor-made for me.

Exhibit 1:
Invoice for Day-Ruining

&

Exhibit 2:
Banana Bunker

Today's Three Things

1) Spring Break

2) Sleeping in

3) Top-down driving

Today's Three Things

1) NASCAR!

2) Sunshine

3) Fast cars!

Today's Three Things

1) Stew & Brew

2) reconnecting with old friends

3) philanthropy

Today's Three Things

1) cooking

2) Boondock Saints!

3) Sam Adams Noble Pil

Today's Three Things

1) Jimmie Johnson

2) Luke Bryan

3) Waffle House

Today's Three Things

1) the farmer's market

2) FINALLY getting back to the gym

3) laughing at work

Today's Three Things

1) Christmas-size snowflakes

2) Being on the news

3) Getting to talk about Garth Brooks on the news
Edit: I decided I want FOUR things today, as 12th-row Thrashers tickets are worth mentioning :)

Today's Three Things

1) Being in bed before midnight

2) Leaving work at 4 p.m.

3) Hugs

Today's Three Things

1) Hockey

2) NASCAR

3) BW3

Today's Three Things

1) Chi Omega

2) Top-down Driving

3) My TV

Today's Three Things

1) Fresh Starts

2) Two Buck Chuck

3) Letting Go

Today's Three Things

1) Marketing

2) Two Buck Chuck

3) Downtown Skylines

Today's Three Things

1) James

2) Not having class

3) my condo

Today's Three Things

1)Being on TV

2) Sunshine

3) Chi Omega

Today's Three Things

1) Drinks with friends

2) Not having a large tumor or aneurysm

3) Relaxing

Today's Three Things

1)Online classes

2) Fresh mozarella

3) family

Today's Three Things

1) Oysters

2) Photos

3) Family

Today's Three Things

1) Oysters

2) Photos

3) Family

Today's Three Things

1) sisters-in-law

2) Grey's

3) the end of work weeks

Today's Three Things

1) marketing class

2) The Office

3) sun-kissed skin

Today's Three Things

1) Skyline Chili

2) hubs

3) hugs

Today's Three Things

1) coming home to my condo

2) my kitty

3) the Atlanta skyline from the plane

Today's Three Things

1) quads

2) the desert

3) mountians

Today's Three Things

1) Garth Brooks!

2) Garth Brooks!

3) Garth Brooks!

Today's Three Things

1) Hoover Dam!

2) new friends

3) Old Vegas

Today's Three Things

1) Mountains

2) Visiting with old friends

3) Prada sunglasses

Today's Three Things

1) Vacation!

2) Vegas!

3) QT with DH

Today's Three Things

1) Half-asleep James when I leave for work in the morning

2) Good deals on cute clothes

3) Team lunches

Why Me?

This weekend, I experienced the single scariest thing that has ever happened to me. I write about this, not for attention, but for the clarity and understanding I hope it will one day provide.

James and I started having "date night," either on Friday or Saturday. It's a night when we can spend time, just us, to relax and enjoy each other's company. I've made big strides in my life in the last six weeks (more on that later), and this has been instrumental in my life changes.

This week, we decided to check out Steele, an Asian/sushi place in the Plaza Midtown condo complex off West Peachtree. We LOVE sushi, so it seemed perfect.

As we prepared to leave the condo, I started seeing spots, like I'd looked at the light in the mirror too long. No big deal.

By the time we arrived at Steele, less than 1.5 miles away, I'd lost my peripheral vision.

After we sat down, within 10 minutes, I couldn't feel my right hand, save the sporadic tingle.

In 10 more minutes, my hand was fine.

In 10 additional minutes, I couldn't feel the lower right half of my face.

In 10 more minutes, I was fine.

Soon after we'd sat down, I started getting a little spacey. I couldn't remember little details about our upcoming Vegas vacation. No big deal, though, as we've never been and I don't know much about the city.

As James' and my conversation progressed, it became apparent that something was wrong. I could not remember common information -- the name of the Hoover Dam, the Bellagio, gondola rides and the Venetian. One of my favorite artists is Dale Chihuly, and while I can tell you most anything about his career, I couldn't remember his name. I couldn’t' tell you the name of our friend who lives with us, the name of one of my best friend's fiancées nor write the name of the street on which I live.

When it became clear that something was awry, we decided to go to the ER. However, by the time we arrived at the car -- I was fine. I knew all I had not known a mere 10 minutes prior. Even more, I knew the surprise at my prior condition; I knew something had been wrong, and I could explain that I had been conscious of it the entire time, despite my inability to articulate even the most simple point.

I went to the doctor on Monday – he could find nothing wrong, but could only suggest what I feared, the worst – possible stroke, inappropriate stress, aneurysm, brain spasm – all things that a 24-year-old should never experience. All things that my young husband and parents should not have to experience.

Yet here we all are, experiencing the unexperiencable… and for the first time, I feel like I can legitimately ask – why me?

Today's Three Things

1) Wine

2) Being busy to a fault

3) True, spontaneous compassion

Today's Three Things

1) Neighborhood bars

2) Fellow nerds

3) Continuing education

Today's Three Things

1) Football

2) Sleeping in

3) Friends

Today's Three Things

1) "Family"

2) City life

3) Flip

Today's Three Things

1) My memory

2) My eyesight

3) My life

Today's Three Things

1) Four-day work weeks

2) Two Buck Chuck

3) My husband

Today's Three Things

1) Finishing seemingly unfinishable projects

2) Nice valets

3) Wonderfully Southern older women

Today's Three Things

1) Treating yourself to lunch

2) Corner "offices"

3) Good horoscopes

Today's Three Things

1) Early class

2) Good hair day

3) Happy friend

Today's Three Things

1) Watching the Grammys

2) Finishing homework

3) Live music

Today's Three Things

1) Good friends

2) Playing cards

3) Nights in

Today's Three Things

1) Acoustic sets

2) Happy Hour

3) Taking risks

I Appreciate Catchy Writing

I'm not really concerned about the subject of the following excerpt (Havana), I just love the opening. And I quote...

"When stuff happens you don't like, there's solace in knowing it was for a reason: when your hamster died, the little fella was old and not really enjoying himself anymore, and when the Buckhead strip closed, it was to keep you from being stabbed by visiting NFL players whose names rhyme with Ray Lewis." --from Thrillist

Today's Three Things

1) Leather couches

2) Marketing class

3) Kickboxing

Today's Three Things

1) Local restaurants

2) Walking down Peachtree Street

3) Husbands

Today's Three Things

1) Homework involving football

2) Soy milk. Who knew?

3) Drinks with the FIL

Did You Know?

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

Did You Know?

A pipe organ was the loudest sound that could be made in the year 1600

Did You Know?

In 1976, the 10 billionth gallon of "Coca-Cola" syrup was produced.

Did You Know?

Every second, Americans collectively eat one hundred pounds of chocolate.

Did You Know?

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first-class.

Why I Miss Ohio

Becuase in 5 hours, give or take, you can drive to a variety of awesomely entertaining places.

In Georgia, 5 hours puts me in a variety of middle-of-nowheres, and I'm over it.

Run, Forrest, Run!

I've watched Forrest Gump no less than 20 times in my life. I have the soundtrack. I've visited the square in Savannah. I can quote damn near the entire movie.

Even so, in my wonderful Midwestern existance, I never realized the value of Forrest's football career.

I get that all the occurances in Forrest's life were made to be happenstance situations that were actually signifigant parts of Americana. So please explain to me how I missed BEAR BRYANT?

I knew who Bear Bryant was in Ohio -- in fact, I still have a copy of some quotes of his that I took from the field house in high school. Good quotes, but I didn't know who he was to football, to college football or to Alabama. Imagine my suprise when it dawned on me yesterday that the man on my TV was not just wearing ANY houndstooth hat -- that was Mr. Hounstooth Hat himself!

It's such a shame I must hate Alabama, but Forrest Gump sure does make them slightly more likeable. :)

Today's Three Things

1) Managing Up

2) James vacuuming our condo without being asked

3) Sunshine!

Today's Three Things

1) Chi Omega

2) Deviled Eggs

3) Smoothies

Today's Three Things

1) New mascara

2) Pomegranate margaritas with James

3)ZGallerie

Today's Three Things

1) Step class

2) Night out with the hubs

3) Life-changing revelations

Today's Three Things

1) The Office

2) UV Rays

3) The Tavern

Today's Three Things

1) 6.7

2) Corp Comm

3) Cuddles

Today's Three Things

1) Leggings

2) Flights to Las Vegas

3) Finishing my homework a week early

Today's Three Things

1) Three-day weekends

2) Sunshine

3) Parks with James

Today's Three Things

1) Family

2) Sushi

3) Two Buck Chuck

Today's Three Things

1) Sleeping in

2) My clean condo

3) HGTV

Today's Three Things

1) Friday Jazz

2) The High (and annual memberships!)

3) Sushi

Today's Three Things

1) Taco Mac Thursdays

2) Marketing class

3) My husband

Today's Three Things

1) Trader Joe's fresh, whole-wheat, one-pound pizza dough for 99 cents

2) Gym x 2

3) Watching the purple sunset from my living room with hubs <3

Today's Three Things

1) Being thanked for my hard work on making Stew & Brew a repeated success

2) Getting a compliment on my aloe plants... again

3) 6.2 miles

Best.Sports.Bra.Ever.

Not feeling the pricetag though...

BodyRock Sport bras with built-in iPod pockets, tagless labels, and zippered compartments. Available at bodyrocksport.com, $70-$94.

Every Girl Needs...

Dark Wash Denim

Day 2: Leslie vs. Jillian Michaels

Jillian: 2
Leslie: 0

I can't straighten my arms from crossing the monkey bars too many times and my quads are so sore that walking down stairs is a challenge.

Best.Salsa.Ever

2 mangoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 purple onion
fresh cilantro

Chop.
Chill.
Eat.

:)

Day 1: Leslie vs. Jillian Michaels

I *finally* got James to find Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum for our Wii and oh.my.goodness. This is WAY different than the standard Wii Fit game.

I haven't exercised much since the Peachtree because of an ankle injury sustained somewhere toward the end of the fourth/beginning of the fifth mile. Well it's finally feeling ok so I'm back at the workouts -- in addition to Ms. Micahels, I got an exercise ball, joined the Atlanta Track Club (more on that later) and am even contemplating signing up for the gym at work to get away from my apartment complex's sub-par equipment.

I decided to start today with the Wii. Despite my recent gym hiatus, I figured I could still handle a little Jillian, so I chose the medium-level, 30-minute workout.

Wrong. Now I have a stabbing pain in my right foot and my arms are burning.

Jillian: 1
Leslie: 0