It's a Cult

Well, maybe not a cult, per se. But everyone wears the same colors, chants at the same time, sways together, sings songs and only does this when the "Leader" tells them. They're silent when supposed to be silent, they're loud when supposed to be loud and they "Whoop!" But, you know, maybe that's not quite a cult.

It is a team that kicked our ass. We had a shot in the beginning and completely threw it away. I suppose with threw it to the other team - twice - but figuratively that's pretty much throwing the game away.

This weekend will be better. Lots better. And I can't wait to play at home and experience the entire thing. It's been TOO long!

The Letter

I went to a breakfast this morning for my alma mater to hear the football coach speak. I don't attend a lot of alumni events, but I've heard here and there that's he's a very spiritual man, a genuine man and a truly loving man. So I was looking forward to seeing him off the sidelines. I was so impressed listening to him speak this morning. It was well worth the 5 o'clock hour wake-up.

He outlined six daily keys to succeed. Not keys to success, but to succeed as your best self. I'm going to put that in a blog on my company site. But the most impressive part to me was his story about Elvis, by way of Wayne Newton.

He had a chance to meet Wayne Newton, who was a huge Elvis fan and memorabilia collector. Apparently, the night before Elvis died, he was at the Las Vegas Hilton. He returned home and died 24 hours later. As the cleaning ladies were touching up his hotel room, they saved the crumpled pieces of paper with notes and lyrics. Wayne Newton spent thousands at an auction buying these papers and framed them behind his desk. When he fell on hard times, he took Elvis' final words and put them to music. The Coach saw him perform this song, and was given this story firsthand. He was so moved by the song that typed out the letter himself and carries it around as a daily reminder every day since.

Years later, when he had the chance to meet Wayne again, Wayne wrote a personal note to the Coach on this letter that he still carried around. The following video is the best I could find and it isn't able to embed, only link. So check it out. But I'll type the lyrics below anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNFfy2v5IGE

"The Letter"

One more phone call from a friend

Just to say how hard it’s been
How their hopes and dreams have scattered
With the wind
They don’t see that I’m there too
How it breaks my heart in two
Just to make it through this night’s all I can do

Help me Lord
I need the son to drive away
The shadows in my mind
Help me Lord
I need someone to guide me
When the path is hard to find
Even though the crowd surrounds me
I’m still standing all alone
When I know I can’t go on
Help me Lord

As I awake again today
And my pain won’t go away
And the face I have to wear
Shows a smile
Now my nights are so alone
I just wish I could go home
I don’t know if I can make it another mile

Help me Lord
I need the son to drive away
The shadows in my mind
Please help me Lord
I need someone to guide me
When the path is hard to find
Even though the crowd surrounds me
I’m still standing all alone
When I know I can’t go on
Help me Lord

I feel so alone sometimes
The night is quiet for me
I’d love to be able to sleep
I am glad that everyone is gone now
I’ll probably not rest tonight
I have no need for all of this
Help me Lord

Help me Lord
I need the son to drive away
The shadows in my mind
Please help me Lord
I need someone to guide me
When the path is hard to find
Even though the crowd surrounds me
God I am so all alone
When I know I can’t go on
Help me Lord

Won’t you come and take me home
Help me Lord

Happy

I'm happy. And that makes me happy.

Let me explain.

I've spent almost a year feeling like I couldn't be happy. That even when things were fun and I was enjoying myself, I was struggling under the pressure of all the stress in my life. So many things had happened to and around me that it was hard to feel happy or excited about anything. Everything, including getting dressed in the morning or drinks with friends, felt like crossing off a to do list. So to truly feel happy - which I have on more than one occasion over the last couple weeks - is something that in and of itself makes me happy!

I'm able to get that elated feel with a favorite song, happy memories from certain melodies. I'm enjoying work, no matter the hours. I'm looking forward to a night with friends, celebrating this last year. I enjoy cooking again and creating something new in the kitchen. I had relegated to leftovers and ordering in. No more.

Just today - I woke up and made my cinnamon hazelnut coffee (happy) and got dressed in my Uggs and a super cute leggings and BCBG tank with Rory earrings and Iisli cardi (happy). I listened to a fav song on repeat while driving my new car (happy). I'm watching NFL playoffs drinking tea at work (happy) and ordering really cute clothes for the store for each winning team (happy). I made a sugar free jello, fresh fruit, cool whip, rum dessert last night to share with friends (happy) and am taking it to Slideshow tonight (super happy). And next weekend is wedding fun for a close friend and the weekend after for another and my bestie from LA comes in town to visit (happy, happy, happy).

Being happy makes me so happy!

Way to go, Boys

This is awesome.

Me-oh-mi-oh!

Me oh my! I cannot believe I am sitting here in the apt alone listening to the Adult Alternative TV music station! Tea in the old Deeg mug. All I need is my purple lights and I'd feel like I was back in my tiny cave in NYC. Not sure how my living room now feels like that - maybe it's just me that feels like that. (Man, I miss that place). (And I believe with Halloween approaching I could actually find some of those purple lights. Two sets. Bedroom and office).

But I am happy and healthy and all around excited! I just had a little sample sale in my living room. Girls in the building had me bring stuff home for the big fooseball game this weekend. It's quite the shindig down at the beat up stadium south of downtown. OMG, we might even have tickets this year. And, funny thing, I know just where to get a super cute dress for the occasion...

The weather is super Fall-ish in the mornings and apparently cooling again, the store - aka my dream job - is doing amazing, I received a request for an interview in-store next week with a local pub!!!! and I have a wonderful and relaxing massage scheduled for Monday morning. I'm heading to the swanky hotel down the way for a 1/2 off aromatherapy massage. I am stoked. I need a serious, serious relaxation day. I'm going to try and top it off with girls dinner the next night. Done and done.

So needless to say, the uplifting mood is much appreciated and overdue. It's been a long month without any medication and my hormones are happy to be balanced again.

Off to catch up my Rachel Zoe! And drink my floral tea and sit back in my scrubs chilling in my alone time with the dog. *sigh* So nice.

Perfect Sunday!

This has been the best, cleaned-laundry done-grocery shopping-Target hunting-sheets changed-gourmet dinner-wine-football sort of Sunday! Ugh, I'm in heaven.

The day began with Brunch at a local fav. Then I spent the next two hours traipsing through Target (two different ones) finding the perfect Halloween costume for Misty. OMG, she is the cutest flower ever! Such a perfect costume for her. She's a brat. Well, she's always a brat, but she's a costume brat. She won't wear anything on her head and if it isn't fitted around her back she sits and refuses to walk. So a neck costume is the best and the $4.99 price tag is awesome! And then continued to find a great black and white, snap front flannel. Sometimes you can't beat a good fashion deal from Tar-geh.

The real treat; however, was the farmer's market and cooking. I made an antipasto snack a couple hours before dinner. Fresh spinach, washed and tossed in an olive oil spray, salt, pepper and drip of balsamic vinegar, Mozzarella balls tossed in basil, rosemary and olive oil spray, whole wheat saltines, sliced red bell pepper and salami. Yummers!

Meanwhile, I marinated chicken in lemon rind, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. I threw it on the grill a couple hours later; browned pancetta in a skillet with some frozen peas, then tossed with mint, salt and pepper and put whole wheat boucle in the oven. Made a fresh lemon juice, parsley, olive oil sauce for the chicken. SERIOUSLY! So freaking yummy. Topped with my Cupcake Merlot (less than $10) and this night cannot, CANNOT get any better.

Go team!

Party in the USA

So apparently I'm still capable of a hangover. However (thankfully) they are subtle and caused by a minimal amount of adult beverages. No matter that cause, I did not want to get out of bed this morning and am still walking around with my eyes half open. I'm certain the cold rain beating steadily on the window and the sound of water under the tires of passing cars isn't helping. That is such a "naptime" setting. I'm rambling.

Boo made coffee this morning, warning me it was stout. I think it tastes fantastic and I would like a gallon. Perhaps an IV. But all is worth it! (well, the headache part doesn't really feel qualified). Last night was the Super Bowl and quite a fantastic party. I was able to make food, be ready on time, enjoy myself with friends and even have the placed cleaned up before going to bed. Perfect party! It was also my first party to host as an actual resident. A friend of a friend in from NYC told me my place was beautiful. - pat on the back -

Since moving in I've made a few decorative changes and think the place looks quite good myself. Loving the accolade. Oh, and the Saints won. That always helps. I wore my black and gold in support. And I currently need more coffee. I swear I only had 3 diabetic mimosas. I mean, full size plastic cup versions, but I used the good stuff. The black bottle, Freixnet, or something like that. It's fantastic. And Trop 50! Half the sugar and calories. Oh, whatever. I just need coffee.