Year End Wrap-up

2009 has finally come to an end. I can hardly believe it. This year, like many others, have gone by way too fast. It seems like yesterday we were preparing for the Y2K bug. And now we're entering the 10's.  I had so many great expectations when this year started - Didn't we all? I can honestly say that I am ready for this year to end.

What happened in the 09:

• I didn't run a 5k race, but it is still on my to-do list for 2010.
• I tried to write a novel and failed. It's harder than I thought.
• I started a book blog and I love it! I should have done this years ago.
• I went to a Nora Roberts book signing with my favorite gal pal Court.
• I decided to grow out my relaxer and go natural. No more creamy crack for me.
• My new favorite store is Trader Joe's. Can't believe I'm just now discovering it!
• My dad finally retired. Woo hoo!
• We went to St. Maarten for our summer vacation.
• This is Darrius' last year in elementary school!
• I left my old company during a recession and high unemployment (what was I thinking?!?) to start fresh at a smaller, lesser known company. Despite second guessing myself, I believe I made the right decision.
• My uncle lost his battle with sickle-cell anemia.
• My cousin got married.
• Hubby finally opened his franchise.
• We elected an African-American President
• The world lost a great entertainer - Michael Jackson - as well as other great actors, musicians, celebrities
• We are still at war

Farewell 2009. I think the consensus is that the year started off with great hope and expectations but quickly started stinking towards the middle and end. I know many are ready for this year to end and to start anew in 2010.

My wish for 2010: Peace, Love, Joy and Blessings!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. - Burton Hills


Merry Christmas everyone. May Peace and Love be your gifts at Christmas.

Where have I been, you ask? Well, let me tell you...

Sorry! I know it's been two weeks since my last post. It's the holiday season and life has gotten in the way. You know how that goes. I haven't trained since my last post which completely sucks because that sets me back. By how much? I won't know until I hop back on that treadmill. Last week I was lazy; pure and simple. I felt so bad about my laziness that I thought I could make up for it by going to the gym over the weekend. But Mother Nature had other ideas. We got hit with a buttload of snow starting Friday night and ending Sunday morning. The only exercise I got was digging out my car for 2 hours. My back is still recovering.

The first couple of days after "The Blizzard of 2009" (That's what the local media is calling it. So dramatic!) driving was still treacherous due to the melted snow re-freezing overnight and many sidewalks had not been shovelled. I rushed to get home before the sun went down. Once inside, I knew I wasn't going back out.  I have to manuever around black ice and chunks of unshovelled snow that has chunks of ice underneath. Once I get to my car, I have to make sure I don't bump into the 3 foot pile of dirty snow that's next to my car. My point in mentioning all this is to say that I can barely get to my car in the morning to drive to work without it being a process. There's no way I'm making a second trip outside to go to the gym. Plus, it's Christmas week. I've missed out on 3 days of shopping because of the snow. I have a lot of catching up to do. My goal is to be back in the gym this Saturday. Yeah, we'll see about that.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone has a chance to spend it with their loved ones. I am always thankful for my husband and beautiful son and my family. I'm thankful that I have a stable job in this tough economy and that my husband was able to realize his dream and open his own business. I am thankful for my health. And most importantly I am thankful to wake up each morning and start a new day.

Eat lots of turkey and dressing and enjoy the time you spend with your family.

Mother's Day

Dedication to my mom:

I love my mom. Who doesn't love their mom? I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have a great relationship with their mother. I treasure the fact that when my brother and I were growing up, she stayed at home. I was lucky to have my mom at the bus stop in the mornings and the afternoons. Whenever there was a school play or function in the classroom, she managed to be there (even though she didn't know how to drive at the time). It wasn't until we moved from Memphis to Virginia that my mom had to get a job and work outside the home. I cherish the years when I didn't have to share her with the rest of the world.

My mom is a very outgoing person. Sometimes I wish I was more like her in that aspect. She's also funny, sarcastic and loving. Her laugh is contagious. I laugh like her - LOUD. She speaks her mind and does not mince words. With my mom - what you see is what you get. She does not believe in pretenses.

I realize as I get older, I am becoming my mom. At first I feared it. For a daughter, the worse thing that could be said to you is "You're just like your mother." I've heard many times from my husband and used to say "No I'm not". But now I don't deny it. In my mind I'm saying "Thank you" because my mother is da bomb! She's a strong woman. She loves her family. I know that I can go to my mom for anything. I grew up knowing that this woman loved me. And I always feel loved when I'm around her. Even as an adult, she's still "mommy" to me.

I tip my hat off to C.W. You are my hero. And I am honored to be just like you.

Happy Mother's Day!

"Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. "

"We never know the love of the parent until we become parents ourselves."

Happy New Year!

May you and yours have a blessed and prosperous 2009!

9 Goals for 2009

Every year we make the same resolutions - to lose weight, get finances in order, stop smoking. And every year, by February, the resolutions have been broken. I've decided that I'm not making any resolutions for the new year. Instead, I'm going to have goals that I want to achieve in 2009. I hope to accomplish all of them and become a better person because of it. Listed below are my 9 Goals for 2009 - in no particular order.

1. Run a 5k race. Anyone who knows me well, know that I am not a runner. I hate running and scoff at anyone who tries to get me to run. Earlier this month, I decided that I was going to participate in the 2009 Race for the Cure. As I was perusing their website for race info, something clicked in my head. I could try to run the 5k instead of walk. It's 3.1 miles which I walk anyway on the treadmill at the gym. It's doable. So I GOOGLED how to train for a 5k race and found the information I needed. The training - if I stick with it - takes 10 weeks. Plenty of time to get ready for the race. I can' t wait to sign up for The Race for the Cure so that I cross the finish line as a runner for the first time in my life.
2. Read a great American Novel. I am an avid reader. Books are my joy. But there are lots of great books that I have yet to read. Every summer I tell myself that I'm going to read a great novel by a great author - something that I would have had to read in English class when I was in high school; you know, a "smart" book, a "serious" book. And every summer, I never do it. This time it's different. I know I am missing out on some of the best literature that this country has to offer. So to help me decide what great novel I will be reading, I GOOGLED (gotta love Google) "great American novels." I clicked on a list of what people consider the 100 greatest novels. As I'm looking at the list, I see that there are some books on there that I've actually read. Cool. I have two books that I'm leaning towards: "The Great Gatsby" and "The Grapes of Wrath". I may buy both and hopefully will have read both in 2009.
3. Be a better citizen of the world. I want to become more active in making this world better. I know - sounds corny - but that's how I feel. After the election and witnessing the historic win by Barack Obama, I started thinking that I needed to do more. I need to participate more. A cause that I am interested in and have done extension research on is the Genocide in Darfur. The atrocities that are going on are astounding. And yet it's a blurb in the media. My plan is to join a group in Alexandria and do what I can to help bring attention and resolution attention to that area. I feel like I can no longer sit back and be a spectator. I need to be an active participant. I also want to be an example to Darrius and show that just because something happens on the other side of the world doesn't mean that it doesn't affect you. Any slight against humankind is a slight against you.
4. Stop sweating the small stuff. Like most people, I let little, stupid things get to me. I let it ruin my day, ruin my mood, ruin my outlook. I need to stop it. There's no point in getting worked up on things you can not control i.e. bad drivers on the road (see: road rage rant). It accomplishes nothing. I am going to start letting that stuff go. I don't want my good day ruined because I let an insignificant thing ruin it for me. Easier said than done, I know. But it's worth a try. And I intend to be successful.
5. Stop using negative phrases. I am a pessimist. The glass is half empty, not half full. I think the bad so that I don't get disappointed. It's a crappy outlook to have on life and I want to change that. Alfred asks me all the time why do I have to be so negative. And I just say, "it's easier to think the worse so then you won't be set up for disappointment." Well that outlook sucks. Doesn't that make me a Debbie Downer? I am going to change that. I will stop using phrases like, I'm going to try. Instead I'm going to say, I'm going to do it and succeed. I don't like being negative in my thoughts because it doesn't fit with my personality. I am a funny person. I like to laugh. I like to make jokes. So why be a pessimist? It doesn't fit. I'm going to change that. YES I CAN.
6. Take a writing class. When I was in high school, my favorite class was Creative Writing. I used to write short stories all the time. Once I went to college and was out in the real world, working 9-5, I stopped. I miss that creative outlet. I've been thinking about writing again and possibly write short stories for publication. Since I'm rusty, I'm going to take a writing class to improve my writing skills. I'm looking forward to it and can't wait to get my creative juices flowing again. Even if I don't publish one short story, it's okay. I just want to get back to something that I loved doing when I was younger.
7. Decide what I want to do with my career. I've been going through what I think is an early mid-life crisis. I've been questioning whether or not I'm headed in the right direction. It's more than not liking my job or tired of going to work. It's more about do I want to stay in the Finance/Accounting field until retirement? And the answer I keep getting is NO. In college, I knew I wanted to work with numbers. I loved taking business and math classes. After college, I slowly made my way into the Financial world. Nothing big and fancy. I started off as an office manager of a gym and then moved to billing at USA Today. Then Cost Accounting at my current company and now I am a Financial Analyst. And I am not happy. Somewhere along the way, it stopped being fun and interesting. Now it's tedious and boring. So where does that leave me? I'm reading "What Color is your Parachute?" hoping that it will help me find the way. The two things I love are books and writing. Let's hope in 2009 I can find a career where I can incorporate both.
8. Finish swim lessons. My resolution for 2008 was to learn how to swim. I didn't like that I was in my 30s and didn't know how to swim. Also we would go on these vacations to the Caribbean and I watched from the sideline as Alfred and Darrius played in the pool or the ocean. I wanted to be out there with them. So I started swim lessons at the local rec center. I got over my fear of being underwater and I learned the basics: holding your breath, breathing bubbles, floating. After the 8 classes, I received my certificate of completion and went on vacation a month later. I have not signed up to continue on to the next level. I need to do that. I am not a swimmer yet but I know how to float!
9. Continue to improve. I will not be complacent. I will continue to step outside by boundaries and comfort zone. Try new things. Become a better ME.

New Year's Day is two days away. I was going to start my on my 9 goals before New Year's, to break the typical "resolution" trend. But I decided January 1 will be the day. I don't know which goal I'm going to tackle first. Some are on going without a real ending. The more tangible ones may be easier to start. I'll update my progress as I tackle and achieve these goals in the new year.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Day

We had a great Christmas. The weather was nice. It was sunny and in the 40s. Darrius managed to sleep in until 7:3oam. I told him we have to wait until 8am to open the presents. He patiently waited, which was suprising. Darrius had a great Christmas because Santa brought everything he asked for. His favorite present was the game Rock Band. He got the entire set - guitar, drums and microphone. Alfred managed to surprised me this Christmas. After much fussing and complaining, he bought me a new laptop. Yay! My old laptop's at least years old and it is slow as mud and likes to get attacked by viruses. I was not expecting a new laptop. I also received another shocker...a new cellphone...the Blackberry Storm, no less! I was shocked. I'd mentioned in passing how if I'd known that phone was going to be coming out, I wouldn't have upgraded over the summer. I wasn't hinting for a new phone cause I knew we'd have to pay full price for it. What I really wanted for Christmas was the iPod Touch. But no complaints from me. My birthday is in a couple of months so maybe I'll get a new iPod then. :-) My hubby is so generous!

After opening presents, we headed to my parents house for Christmas Brunch. The food was delicious as always. After brunch we opened presents. My dad played Santa Claus.

After we finished opening gifts, we decided to play Rock Band. Darrius brought the guitar and the microphone to my parents house. It was TONS of fun. My favorite song on the game is Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi. It's the only song that I know. :-) So we spent a couple of hours playing the Wii (we moved onto Wii Sports after we exhausted every song in the Rock Band playlist).

Here's a clip of Ricky and Julianna singing "Roxanne" by The Police. Darrius is on guitar. The sound quality may not be that great. Poor Adrian was crying in the background. I didn't think the singing was that bad! LOL!

We spent most of the day at my parents house even though we were supposed to leave around 4pm to go to Alfred's aunt's house. We didn't get there until 8pm and mostly everyone had left. Oh well. I hope Christmas doesn't come around so quickly next year. I really wasn't prepared this year but managed to pull it off somehow.

All in all, it was a great day. Any time spent with family is always a great day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

May you and your family have a blessed and joyful Christmas.

Thanksgiving

Mom and her siblings with grandma

Some of the grandkids with grandma

My uncles

Tunica, MS

Aunt Lorraine, Ricky, Aunt Jackie

Darrius and Julianna

My parents - at the Waffle House

We spent our Thanksgiving in Memphis, TN. As always, it was great seeing my aunts, uncles, and cousins. When I'm around my family I still feel like a kid. I don't feel like an adult. It's weird. I had a great time. The trip was entirely too short.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm headed off to Memphis, TN to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I will be back to post losts of pictures and recap the great time I had down South.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.