❤️ Top 10 “Rom Com” Picks❤️

Yes, I know “Rom Com” sounds like a nickname for a superhero at a Comic-Con convention, but it’s actually a much cooler nickname for those “Chick Flicks” that girls geek over & guys pretend to hate (despite what they say the male species loves “How to Lose a Guy in 10 days” just as much as we do, ladies).

Since spring has sprung in NE Ohio (fingers crossed) all members of the animal kingdom are being led by their carnal desire to procreate. For the most part, it would be unacceptable for humans to start sniffing each other’s behinds & making loud squawking noises to woo over a potential mate, we might be left with a bottle of wine & an opportunity to throw out some favorite pick-up lines (“I think you dropped your name tag”…*hands girl a sugar packet*). Since I adore making “lists” & love is in the air, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite go-to-girlie-chick-flicks.

While I only did my Top 10, this was narrowed down from a few dozen (yes, this is what I was thinking about when my mind should’ve been on work). Criteria is based on:

1.) Cute Factor; cute storyline. Are the actors uber-adorable together?
2.) Hilarity; did I actually Laugh Out Loud….#lololololololololo
3.) Awwwwwww Factor; when movie is over am I left with a retarded smile on my face from all the uber-smushy-wushy-ness.

While others made the list: The Proposal, Serendipity, Never Been Kissed; sadly, they were cut from the team to make room for these gooey goodies.

10.)The Prince & Me Yes, I know this is the stereotypical, quintessential “chick flick” but it’s about a girl who dates a PRINCE! And he’s hot! Hello!

9.)Runaway Bride While I’m not a big Pretty Woman fan (blasphemous, I know!) this movie does it for me. Julia & Richard are so funny together & those of us chicks with a “slight” fear of commitment phobia, can totally relate.

8.) Crazy, Stupid, Love Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone…funny, funny! Slightly raunchy, which is cool too. I’m a fan!

7.)GroundHog Day Its Bill Murray over…and over…and over…again (Bill F****g Murray) and it NEVER gets old.

6.)Return to Me this movie makes me cry…but it is totally cute & funny. A chick finds out that her transplanted heart came from her boyfriends dead wife. What??? Netflix it! I’m telling ya, girls! It’s good.

5.)Win a Date with Tad HamiltonDo NOT hate me for loving this movie. Okay, I won’t lie I was an obsessed 26yr old (I think) girlie-geek over this movie when it first came out. My nerd self saw it 2x’s in the theatre, maybe Josh Duhmel being shirtless had something to do with it??? Hmmmm….

4.)Made of Honor a male best friend turned love interest…#classic. Patrick Dempsey is McDreamy in everything!

3.)Letters to Juliet Italy…oh’ Italy. You can stage a ravenous murder slayer movie in Italy & it’ll somehow still look romantic. Good thing LTJ is your typical Italy based love-story-within-a-love-story that spans generations…cute!

2.)You’ve Got Mail everyone knows this one! Tom & Meg…Shop Around The Corner…F.O.X. Makes me smile!

1.)50 First Dates so many of my favorites in this one. Aside that it’s my favorite Adam S. movie, Drew’s my favorite actress & this happens to be my favorite movie of all-time…it’s just darn cute, hilarious & it has uber-adorable animals. Winner!

So there ya have it, folks! Make a weekend out of snuggling with your better half; mine happens to be wine & a Dairy Queen ice cream cake, and catch up on some love movies (not the porn related kind).

And yet another example of why people should never attempt at turning an exotic animal into a “pet”…

The good thing about having a blog is I can voice my opinion in a controlled environment in an attempt at a well-thought out debatable essay, especially when the topic is controversial & most people like the sound of their own spouting rather than say something worthy & substantial. Which is why I urge everyone to start a blog, it’s much cheaper than therapy & you reduce the number of people you want to shake & say, “really???” Everyone has an opinion, however, not everyone’s opinion is informative. Most are emotional & not factually based.

Recently in my hometown a spider monkey was euthanized after biting a human, without getting into specifics (you can look it up on Fox 8 Cleveland’s website) the outrage is getting a little ridiculous & in my opinion, the anger is severely displaced. I have worked in the animal industry for 12 years professionally & have earned several degrees over the course of that time all animal related (with the exception of a Business degree thrown in). While I by no means claim to be an expert, in fact, I’m humbled & excited by how much I have yet to learn, I do have a little more experience with the industry than most people voicing an emotional opinion. I have worked with horses, livestock, reptiles, domesticated, avian, wildlife, aquatics, pocket pets, & exotics. I have personally worked with spider monkeys both in a zoo facility & an exotic animal rehabilitation center, not to mention the rotation I did during college where I worked in the vet department of an animal testing facility that tested on Spider & Capuchin Monkey’s (don’t get me started on that!) When I say that these animals are NOT meant to be pets, that’s not an exaggeration.

I’m not here to bash the owner or all the supporters of the owner, their actions (or lack thereof) speak for themselves. It was an unfortunate situation with heartbreaking results & I’m sure after the emotion has died down, the owner(s) will realize the role they played in this situation & I’m trusting will not make the same decisions again. Whether it’s a domesticated animal or an exotic animal, when you choose to bring one into your home you have a responsibility to that animal to keep it safe. That includes obeying all laws, following all regulations & being knowledgeable about the animal that trusts you.

As I’m sure most of you amazing readers know, several years ago a guy let loose dozens of exotic animals onto the streets of Zanesville, Ohio. After that incident people were OUTRAGED over the destruction & mass killing of several of these animals…all senselessly. There is always good that can come from every situation and Ohio started adapting stricter exotic animal laws to more safely regulate what people can own & the standards by which they have to house these animals. Ohio went from being the worst (no exaggeration) state to being one of the most regulated. Ohio even created a whole department within the Department of Agriculture to regulate, monitor & fine private & public organizations and owners who have chosen to own exotic animals. While it has been costly for owners & organizations it also has cut down on people owning exotic animals & regulates how many animals a rescue can financially support. I know it may seem like another Government interference but (to me) it’s common sense to monitor this trend that is way out of control & long overdue.

People should not own exotic animals to keep as pets, ever! And you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone that works in the animal field to disagree. God created all things for a very specific purpose & when people try to change that purpose, senseless things like the recent Spider Monkey euthanasia happen. Love plays a big part on why people decide to incorporate an exotic animal into their home; they “love” a certain animal species, so naturally they want to own it. This doesn’t make sense to me. You “love” something, so you decide to keep it from living out its God designed purpose? Not to mention it’s a selfish way to think. Because YOU decide that YOU want to own an exotic animal YOU get one. You’re putting your needs before the welfare of the animal. The very essence & definition of love is putting somebody else’s needs above your own. The very animal that you decide to own can teach you that lesson by observing it in a natural environment; a mama bear will always protect her cubs before thinking about her safety.

My best-bud & greatest workout personal trainer I’ve ever had is my dog, Waylon, an Australian Cattle Dog. This dog loooooooves to be outdoors & is the epitome of energy! And I adore him for that. But Australian Cattle Dogs are designed to do exactly what their name implies. They herd cattle. This is their purpose in life, their instinct. What God has created them to do. I’m responsible for stealing his joy, on a daily basis, because I don’t fulfill that need in my dog. Is my dog happy…absolutely. Is he well taken care of…you’ve never met a dog more spoiled. But the level of happiness Waylon would achieve if getting that need met daily is nothing that I can provide him right now. He gets spurts of that activity; many chances to “herd” horses around the farm, squirrels & chipmunks are a daily roundup, he even “herds” me when we’re out on our daily walks/runs. As his owner, someone who he puts his trust in, it is my responsibility to make sure that instinct is met…and I fail at this, I’m 100% to blame & it is a selfish act on my part because I wanted this rescue dog. Just like other fellow dog owners who fail at this if they don’t provide the same opportunity with their dogs & their instinctual purposes. The difference is, these are “domesticated” animals. Through years of evolving, dogs are no longer wild & now know their place within the hierarchy of a human family unit. Exotic animals will never be domesticated, it’s a scientific fact. And even if some mutant gene forms & they do become domesticated, it will never be in our generation or in our great-great-great-gazillion great grandkid’s generation. When humans interfere too much with changing Mother Nature, we do more harm than good. She’s been around a lot longer than we have & is a hell of a lot smarter than we are. Believe it or not but humans are not entitled to own everything on this planet just because we “want” it, there are some things that don’t belong to us. Every time you support a company that does research using animals by purchasing their products, every time you buy an animal from a breeder instead of adopting or not spaying/neutering your pet, every time you pay money to watch animals being put on display (circus’s, rodeo’s) you are selfishly contributing to the destruction of mother nature. I’m guilty of this as well, it will forever be a lifetime of choices that you have to make. Not one person can save the world, but everybody can do their small contribution & that does add up.

I’m very passionate about animal rights, especially on rescue/rehabilitation work (not buying from breeders, spaying/neutering, etc.) & exotic animal rights. When you work in the industry you see the effects that human’s selfishness & stupidity can cause. If I was friends with myself, I would be annoyed with myself when I get on a soapbox about it. I know that I can nag about this topic, but it’s because it’s so important. Think about something you’re passionate about, something you’re willing to fight for…can you really nag it enough? I would rather beat this topic to death than know it’s going on & remain silent. Many times I’ve prayed to not know some of the things that I know & to not have seen some of things I’ve witnessed because the weight of the problem can seem overwhelming, especially when people don’t seem to care or heed your advice. But in those moments I’m reminded of the animals I’ve seen emaciated, beaten, left to freeze to death on frozen ground, of the animals I’ve personally had to put to death because people have chosen to buy from a breeder and/or not spay & neuter. The exotic animals behind cages who were meant to roam freely, the lab animals injected with cancer-causing agents so humans can get the right scent of body wash & the poaching of game who were unfortunate enough to be born with a much desired delicacy. If people are made aware of the problems, they cannot claim ignorance. Whether or not they choose to do something about their contribution to the problem is up to them & therefore the responsibility of that decision, good or bad, also falls on them. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.

Giving the Life List a Face Lift

Today’s my 33rd birthday!

I’m not quite sure what to make of my 32nd year on this planet. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a year of “change” like last year was for me, more that this year was a year of…closure.

I saw closure in a couple of areas, some brought freedom & some brought tears (and stress). But all of it brought a finality. I closed the door on a few chapters of my life & am (learning) to open new doors of trust & opportunity. This doesn’t come easy for me.

Recently one of my favorite people on this planet (ego-boost to her!) Pastor Heidi Strickler wrote a blog about her vision for Women’s Ministry at our church, Oasis (http://livinglovedlivingfree.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/oasis-making-time-to-sit-on-the-curb/) & how it came to fruition after the idea first appeared on her top 10 list. This, of course, got me reviewing & revamping my own Life List; something I first started working on when I was 16.  My Life List would contain the top 100 things that I wanted to accomplish/do/see/invent/visit with my time allotted on this planet. As of today, my list has 73 items & I’ve checked off 34 of them. Not to bad! If I was better at math I’d figure out the percentage or do a pie chart (mostly because I like to make things colorful & pretty), to fluff up the completed items. Heidi’s list, however, only contained 10….10. 10 seemed like such a small number to me. 10 things that you REALLY wanted to accomplish during your life…in the course of your WHOLE life??? Only 10??? Now that seemed to be unrealistic to me, to have to narrow down my potential 100 to only 10. I could NEVER do that!

But then I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I’ve reviewed my Life List more in the last few days & weeks than I have in the 17 years since I first started keeping it.

Once I started looking over my Life List & questioning if I really thought my life wouldn’t be of value unless I visited New York City at Christmas time (#23) or if my life would be considered a waste if I didn’t attend a taping of a movie or television show (#47). The answer was a definite NO!

While I’d love to see Paul McCartney in concert (#6) & a dream would be to see whales swimming in their natural oceanic habitat (#17…of course, that also involves my get over water fear, #4. Double-check-off-whammy!), am I really going to think of my life as stamped with “Failed” if those don’t happen?

NO!

I started narrowing my list down to things I felt I HAD to do & that was when I realized that nothing on my Life List I HAD to do because in the grand scheme of my whole life, none of those petty things matter!

What I ended up doing was a top 10 list that didn’t include anything on my original Life List (except travel to Africa on a missions trip). In fact, it ended up not even being a list of things to “do”, but a list of what I want to be known for; how I want to be remembered because of the way my life was LIVED & not from items checked off. Even though it does include things I hope to accomplish, those things are not active/physical things, but spiritual things. When my time on earth is over & I stand before God, I want to be able to stand before him with a clear conscious knowing that I represented Him & the family I came from, well. Surprisingly, what began as being a little overwhelming with deciding to narrow down 100 items to 10, I ended up rattling off my Top 10 in about 5 minutes; after I realized that what I wanted to do with my life wasn’t “stuff” but a “legacy” that’s left.

This is a very fitting lesson for me right now.

I can feel God doing something in my life. Something big that He’s working on. I’m not saying this to be pompous or to elevate my ego, but I can tell he is. Just from what he’s working on in my life; the bondage being broken, the “issues” I’ve had to work on & through. And from past experience in learning to recognize His direction & voice more & more (even when I think it’s not there!) its guiding me away from my comfort zone. I’m learning that God doesn’t like me “comfortable” & every time I start to get “comfortable” He begins to make me “uncomfortable”. This isn’t a bad thing & I’m finally at the point in my life where I don’t view it as a bad thing. Change is good! And when its God-Change you can move forward in confidence that its going to turn out great. I don’t know what adventure he has me moving towards, but I know that I’m not where He wants me to stay. And I’m okay with that…well, semi-okay 😉

I’m not quite sure what send-off to give my Life List, its been deeply personal to me for almost  20 years. But now I feel like it’s constricting; a road map with specific destinations & that’s not what I want in the next leg of my journey. Just tossing it in the trash or shredding it seems to diminish the important significance its had in my life, but I know if I keep it I’ll fall into the same old trap of fulfilling the desire to check things off (fellow obsessive List Makers will understand).

Even though I’m pretty open & try to not keep things hidden, my Top Ten is probably the most personal thing I’ve ever written for myself. So personal that I won’t even share it in my blog. Nothing against you lovely readers (whom I love & appreciate) but its something that is between me & God. I’m hoping that when he created me, this list is what his intentions for my life were. It’s a list that I’ve prayed over & asked Him to let me know if anything on the list is something that I should not focus on & so far nothing has been brought to my attention. It just feels right!

I come into my 33rd year full of expectancy, hope & faith that this is my “peace & settling” year.

What would your “Last Supper” be???

This question automatically sends my mind to thoughts of death row inmates. While I don’t know the future & would never even attempt to predict how my story is going to run, I’m going to guess with confident assurance & say that I’m most likely never going to hear, “Dead Man Walking” as I’m handcuffed between a bunch of men in uniform toting sidearms (unless my fantasies count *wink wink*).  I’m not real familiar with my state execution laws, does the state of Ohio even execute woman??? Let’s just stick to a quick Google-search on that one & not try to find out first hand, shall we?

Anyways, I’m choosing to look at this question & think of it in a different light.

“If you knew Jesus was returning tomorrow, what would your last supper be?”

A much more flattering way to look at it!

I can be pretty eccentric & extroverted, however, at my basement core I’m pretty simple. My final meal really isn’t that far off from what I eat every chance I get, which is what’s really cool about it. If you love something, stay true & loyal to it even up until the very end.

I’m a person with an addictive personality (shocking, I know!). If I love something, anything, I tend to love it hard & not waver.

Hence: TOMATOES

Specifically a Beefsteak garden tomato!

That’d be the very first thing to go on my Last Supper list.

Right now Ohio is in the beginning of garden vegetables being ready to harvest (I just love the word, harvest, don’t you?). I have eaten fresh garden tomatoes for every meal for the last four five days. I’ve had some variations, but not much. For instance, for breakfast yesterday I had a sliced tomato with garlic salt & basil…lunch: 2 sliced tomatoes with oregano & onion powder…dinner: (this is where I got creative) an Heirloom & Tomatillo tomato sandwich with vegan mayo, iceberg lettuce & garden-fresh cucumbers. (and for breakfast this morning, the remaining Heirloom & Tomatillo mixture, diced with cucumbers & mixed with Italian dressing & salt).

As you can see, lover of tomato’s here!

Fresh baked Italian bread would be next on my list. Just out of the oven, warm & smothered in fresh-homemade-sweet cream butter. Mmmmmm…don’t tell me you didn’t just drool a little.

I bake all my own bread & haven’t bought store-bought in months. You’d think I’d be sick of it by now, but again…loyal. Not even close to being sick of it! The fact that with every new loaf I bake I can taste how much better it’s getting, well that’s enough to keep me in the kitchen baking. And if you’ve never had farm-fresh sweet cream butter, I mean fresh-out-of-the-vat & onto-the-table-fresh, YOU HAVE NO I.D.E.A!

For drinks, gotta go with some hot loose-leaf green tea & a glass of Red Wine Sangria

(I’m not picky, I’d take the bottle too!)

I’m a hot green tea drinker, drink about 4-6 cups a day (addictive personality….you seeing it yet?). I don’t drink loose leaf tea very often, mainly because its time-consuming to make (not really, but usually my tea making/drinking is on the way out the door or while at work). Drinking loose leaf tea is an art form, one that I only indulge in on my days off. I use an actual stove top tea kettle to warm my water, pour it steaming hot over my tea leaves & let it steep for a perfect 5 minutes before straining.

Pure *Bliss*!

Loose leaf tea drinking gives me a false sense of fancy. I drink it while reading, journaling, blogging, or doing my Bible devotions. It remains my favorite way to start my day off in a calming mood.

And red wine is my favorite way to end the day!

I’ve only recently (within the last few months) been introduced to Sangria. I’ve always loved red wine (merlots, burgundy, chardonnay) but I avoided sangria assuming it’d be to sweet for my taste buds. Wrong, very, very wrong!

Fortunately my favorite brand, thus far, hails from a local winery in my hometown & happens to be not far from where I live now. Paper Moon Winery & Vineyards is (literally) right up the road & the wine is also sold locally at various locations.

Instant access, my favorite!

Wine drinking is an addiction that I do try to keep in check, surprisingly excessiveness (word check please) in this addiction might result in some negative consequences! And with the availability of cell phone video cameras, I try to not end up a YouTube star!

And last but not least, I’d have to round out my meal with dessert! Or maybe start, who knows! A Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake & my Grandma Martinez’s homemade pistachio muffins.

An original ice cream cake (not one of those Blizzard cake nastiness) with the ooey-gooey fudge & cookie crumb center…yowza! It seems like DQ’s are fading away (at least in NE Ohio) & if that company goes bankrupt one day the United States will suffer one of the greatest downfalls of our society; right behind The Civil War & the Great Depression. Altho, now that Pinterest is around I’m sure the cake will somehow live on in pinning infamy. And may I just add that whoever at DQ headquarters that came up with the idea of the DQ ice cream cake, CUPCAKE is nothing short of a genius. My thighs & hips are grateful for the reduced caloric size because I could feasibly eat a whole cake without having a cupcake option.

My Grandma’s pistachio muffins=nom nom heaven!

I first found these little gems while vacationing in Pinehurst, NC several years ago. My Grandma in her infinite ability to re-create dishes at home after eating them out, was able to copy these muffins. She’s not known for following recipes or writing them down, so I have yet to receive a handwritten copy of my favorite. She adds, she takes away, all depending on what she remembers goes into them. That’s okay with me because every time she makes them they always turn out divine.

*SIDE NOTE* Grandma if you’re reading this, it has been awhile since you’ve made a batch. (just putting it out there!)

So that’s my list…pretty simple & totally doable. And I can almost guarantee this would probably be the same list I’d order from room service on my first night in heaven. Do you think heaven even has room service???

Random Questions: What is your ultimate-all-time-most-embarrassing moment EVER?

*humbling myself before you people by revealing the utmost*

I don’t embarrass easily. When you’re as clumsy as I am & often find yourself in intimate positions with the floor, you tend to have a tough skin

(trying to take a short-cut by jumping a fence to get to the bar; early 20’s, working at Cedar Point, only to have your belt catch on the top of the fence  as you’re swinging your leg over. Instead of  your jeans gracefully ripping thus allowing you to fall to the ground, they decide to hold together & your body just hangs on the fence. Naturally it would be a time when a group of police officer’s were standing in the parking lot & notice this, therefore, never letting you live it down since you knew 3 out of the 4 in the group. Praise the Lord it was in my skinnier days & when my pants finally did rip & I was standing there mostly bare-assed it was a little less embarrassing. Of course the girlfriends I were with decided it was more beneficial to point & laugh then help me out).

Most situation’s I can shrug off; considering I have little to zero mouth-filter (pretty much if I’m thinking it, I’m saying it) this can result in being completely inappropriate at times

(attending a fellow co-worker’s mother’s funeral & when asked by your boss how the day went, replying, “We were so dead today, it was pathetic”, while standing in front of casket…smooth!).

Every job I’ve ever worked I’ve left a trail of embarrassing stories (“I’ve got the cat-bags!” *memory for Heidi H.*) & my current job is no exception. While I will refrain from ratting out a co-worker who told one of the most hilarious embarrassing stories I’ve ever heard  (tears it was so funny! & kudos to his wife who actually decided to marry this man despite this incident. Oh’ the things you learn while clearing away branches!),  I figured its been a rough week for many of us & we all could use a little humor to make tomorrow better!

I’ve got two all-time embarrassing moments in my book of life. Some have heard these stories before (and no doubt rolled their eyes & thought, “you’re such an idiot). So please laugh at my expense, I’m sure each of you have a closet full of your own embarrassing moments.

1.- I was registering for my final quarter of college. Normally you have to register with your department head when you’re in the homestretch for graduation, however, she was busy & I was on a time crunch. She asked if I wanted to register with the academic advisor for the law department instead (I was in the veterinary program), of course I said “Yes”…everybody in the school knew who this young stud was; recently hired & not a whole lot older than we were, and did I mention, Super H.O.T! So we’re in his office & after registering for classes we were just sitting there talking, he handed me my registration papers & I tapped them on the desk to straighten. At that moment one slipped out of the pile, fell to the floor & when I bent down to pick it up….totally farted, really loud! Wanted to die! I was hoping he would think it was the chair (even though I was sitting in a cushioned, wing-back), but I’m pretty sure he knew the truth. The only thought I can clearly remember thinking at that time was, “please don’t smell”….terrible, terrible memory. I wanted to run out of the room in utter-shame, however, my pride wouldn’t allow it & I simply stood up, shook his hand (and I swear he was trying not to laugh) & walked out of the office. Bet your ass I avoided him the rest of the year & I don’t even want to know how many times that story got re-told to his buddies out at the bar. When I stormed into my department head’s office & told her my story, expecting sympathy (and I, naturally, blamed her for this gas-ident) I was received with violent, uncontrollable laughter. Thanks for all the support..appreciate it!

2.-The second all-time embarrassing story (don’t ask me to pick which is the top, both are up there) happened, coincidentally, around the same time as the “farting-hot guy” incident. At that time, I had been dealing with cysts on my ovaries, so I became a frequent visitor at the gynecologists while we went through the procedures to reduce & eliminate the cysts. At one of the appointments I was having an internal ultrasound done, the camera they use looks like a vibrator & is (obviously) inserted the same way one of those would be (I’m sure ya’ll can figure out the logistics on your own). So I’m laying on the table, spread-eagle in the stirrups, & my doctor asks if I mind if her intern does the procedure. As any girl knows, you don’t have much dignity when your at the gyno so I said I didn’t care. A second later this young doctor comes in, male & good-looking (do you notice that most embarrassing stories happen around those of the opposite sex?) & around my age. I instantly knew this was going to be bad. He introduced himself & then proceeded to stand next to my doctor, between my legs. She’s explaining my case to him & explaining the equipment & the whole time I’m thinking, “oh my gosh, I want out of here.” Now I should warn you, when I’m uncomfortable, I’m in an awkward situation, when I’m nervous…my natural instinct is to try to lighten the mood by being funny. I could tell he was nervous, I was embarrassed & my doctor was oblivious to all of this…so after he lubed up the camera & asked if I was “ready”, what I should’ve done was say yes (and in my head it was telling me to shut-up & stick with that), however, what came out of my mouth was, “well, most guys buy me a drink first.”….silence, silence, silence…I instantly felt my face turn bright red & could feel it travel down the length of my body. Between my legs I can see my doctor looking at me over the top of her glasses & in a very authoritative voice goes, “really, Carey?”…silence, silence, silence. His face was red, mine was red, & my brain was saying, “you’re such an idiot. Why do you even talk?”

So there ya have it!!! My most embarrassing stories! That’s the great thing about being human, being alive, & having funny stories; laughter is one of the best things about life & proves that nobody is immune to being an idiot once in awhile. Don’t take life to serious & laugh it up whenever you can!

Random Questions: If you could have dinner with 7 famous people, dead or alive, who would they be & where would they sit?

It’s Wednesday, which means its my blog day. After my near-death-almost-met-Jesus-last night experience; thanks to my car brakes bombing out on me while driving home, I needed a “fun” blog to occupy my mind.

For starters, I’d choose the location to be somewhere chill & relax. For me, the most relaxing place in the world would be a cabin, in the woods, up in the mountains. So, I’m thinking the mountains of the great-West; Montana, Washington State, Utah, Idaho. Outside under the stars (no bugs to bother us, of course), a fire going & a table full of fresh homemade bread, wine, bowls of my Grandma Cooper’s potato soup, lots of fresh vegetables & different kinds of cheesecake for dessert, along with my Grandma Martinez’s pistachio muffins & copious amounts of organic green tea when the discussion goes on until the early morning hours (and it’s a given that everyone is to bring their dogs to lounge around at our feet).  Can you really have a more perfect evening than that? Not to me!

Some of my 7 dinner guests were relatively easy to pick. Others I bounced around on. What I did notice was all my picks were (mostly) scientists or religious figures. Makes sense because those are the two things that I seem to be in battle about. I love the Lord & am a proud follower of Christ, but at times I find the Bible & its teachings so far-fetched that its hard for me to wrap my mind around (God talking thru burning bushes-that don’t burn up, floods that destroy the whole earth, armies that go into battle with just music…c’mon that’s almost like drug-induced, hippy-dreams, right there!).

Regardless, I’m pretty satisfied with my final-7. Although, she’s not “famous” by world-standards, I’d love to add my Great-Grandma Henderson to this list. I’ve never met her, but from the stories that I’ve heard I can’t imagine that I wouldn’t have fallen in love with this lovely lady (country lady to the core!). A few years ago I had a dream about her (my dreams are always vivid, very real, & incredibly wacky) & that dream brought a conversation with her that I still cherish. She loved the Lord, so I know I’ll get to continue that conversation with her again one day. That’s the most comforting thing about God’s promises, its knowing you’ll be reunited with those you lost during your time on Earth & those that you never met, but still have shaped & prayed for you.

If you could have dinner with 7 famous people (dead or alive), who would you pick & where would they sit?

1.- Steve Irwin: I have been a Steve Irwin fan for as long as he’s been on television. I actually remember the very first episode of his show that I saw on Animal Planet (truth!) & my “Kennedy” moment (you know, everyone always remembers exactly what they were doing when Kennedy was shot) was his death. Aside from the fact that he was entertaining, I thought he was a brilliant TEACHER with the way he explained & broke things down, simplified. Such an advocate for wildlife conservation & what you saw was what you got. I’ve read all of his biographies/auto & still watch his show(s) on re-run whenever I can catch them. *Side-note, no matter how much his popularity & net worth grew, him & his wife lived in the same split-level, $30k fixer-upper they bought when they first married. His personal salary was averaged out to that of a zookeepers & anything made above that he put into his wildlife conservation organizations & various other organizations he supported*.

2. Pastor Joel Osteen: Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. My Grandma & Papa Cooper actually got me interested in watching him on television. I was hooked! This led to reading most of his books (haven’t read his latest) & several of his devotionals have made it into my library. Regardless if you’re a believer or not, watch him for his positivity & joy, its contagious. The enthusiasm he radiates is what the world needs more of. You can tell he’s on FIRE for Christ & has a true passion for leading people to Him. One of the items on my “Life List” is to attend one of his Sunday morning church services at Lakewood (a trip to Texas is always needed!).

3. John Lennon: I don’t really think I need much of an explanation why I’d have John Lennon at my table, he’s John Lennon. Period. End of Discussion.

4. Charles Darwin: He grew up very Christian, in a Christian home, but he had a deep love for nature & that caused him to question a lot of his beliefs. He came up with Natural Selection & the Theory of Evolution…to be able to have a discussion with him would blow my mind. And to have him on a panel with spiritual leaders would be an amazing discussion to watch (because I certainly wouldn’t be able to follow his thinking, way beyond what my mind can comprehend). *Side-note, Steve Irwin’s turtle, Harriet, was one of Charles Darwin’s famous Galapagos turtles that he studied while coming up with his Theory of Evolution… Mind-blown!*

5. Sarah: from the Bible. King David was originally on my list, but I kept coming back to Sarah (Abraham’s wife). She has been a key-figure for me over the last few years as someone I can relate to, biblically. God put a desire in her heart-she doubted & took matters into her own hands, it (obviously) was a train-wreck, but eventually that promise still came true-in God’s timing, despite her trying to control it herself. What a lesson! I’d love to be able to thank her, hear her advice, & listen to her testament on faith. Be like talking to your Grandma, one who has weathered all the hard parts of life.

6. Anna Sewell: author of Black Beauty. When I was in 4th or 5th grade, my Aunt Pennye, gave me Island of the Blue Dolphin, Where the Red Fern Grows, & Black Beauty to read as I was recovering from a surgery. Where the Red Fern Grows & Black Beauty remain as my top favorite books of all time & have had huge impacts in shaping the course of my beliefs & life. I’d love to have a discussion with the author of a book that introduced this young child to the horrors of animal-abuse & how everything can heal with patience, compassion, & love. I still remember bawling my eyes out & hiding this book in my closet because I didn’t even want to look at it, I was so heart-broken by the way Beauty was treated. This novel was the first (and only) novel written by an invalid & very sick Anna who died days after it was first published. One of my most treasured possessions is an early edition of this novel, from 1895 that I picked up at a friends antique store for $4.

7. Snoop Dogg: okay, quit laughing I’m not a fan of rap music, at all. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever really listened to Snoop Dogg’s music (although, I did watch his show Fatherhood…hi-larious!), but I am a fan of him! He is one smart cookie & every time I read anything he’s done or see him on television it makes me laugh & then go, “brilliant!”. He’d be sitting right next to me at dinner, for the sheer fact that I’d want to catch every little sarcastic gem he says. I love that he’s so “REAL” & his attitude is, “F**k it! This is me, take it or leave it”. He’s so chill & cool (possibly because of the mad amounts of weed he smokes), but hey, I dig it!

Random Questions…"Your Life in a Movie Title"

My blogs have been to heavy lately. I needed something light, something fun to blog about. Something that didn’t require to much thinking. I should know better then to ever assume I could do something that,”didn’t require thinking”. I over-analyze & over-think EVERYTHING.

This blog is no different.

Work days can be long, especially a slow-winter day. When you work with some smart-asses & most tend to think “outside the box”…you can come up with some interesting ways to get through a shift. The question, “if you could describe your love life/sex life using only movie titles” was the question posed via email, text & through the work place ranks. The guys, of course, bragged about, “ I am Legend, Anaconda, The Bone Collector”…while the girls were more subdued with, “Toy Story, Titanic, The Quick & the Dead”. I, as only I can do, read the text in a hurry, didn’t really grasp what they were going for & responded with “Must Love Dogs”. Major Fail!

I re-correcting & went with “50 First Dates” (aside from the fact that its one of my favorite movies) it also seems to describe how I never seem to get beyond the first few days before I bail (or they do) out.

 

 

 

This is the background story that led to today’s blog:

For me, this required some thought. While “Forest Gump” was the first movie that came to mind. Since its only supposed to be based on a Movie Title, that wouldn’t work. Of course, “Dumb & Dumber” was a top contender, followed by “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” & “A Goofy Movie” (I’ve got to have some kind of token 80’s Animated Disney movie).

“Flight Plan” was also on the list, since I rarely do anything or make any decision without analyzing every possible scenario that could possibly happen.

A friend suggested “Little Miss Sunshine”, which I liked, but didn’t think it described my overall life.

After some list-making (because that’s what I do!) & some narrowing down. I finally decided on “Bounce”. To me, I think that no matter what life has thrown at me, either through my fault or not; I keep getting up, keep moving forward. I may be knocked out for awhile, but eventually I pull through & get to the next challenge. Bounce…yep, Bounce.

Because life is about bouncing; not staying down but moving forward. And when you look back on what knocked you down, oftentimes, its opened the door for something great. Its “bounced” you into something better!!!!

I like it!

Bounce!