feelings of gratitude

Picture from flikr

Today I took a walk around campus during lunch and delighted in how the foggy it was outside - white clouds covered the lake and wrapped itself among the trees creating an air of mystery all around. There was something simply magical about it all...almost as if I was taking a walk in the clouds or walking in a dream state. I wish I had a camera to capture the essence of it because it was a perfect walk in every way. This Flikr picture doesn't quite capture it, but maybe with a little imagination, you might just get the gist.

Peace n love to you all. Have a Happy Thanksgiving holiday. (woot! woot! to only one more day of work this week!)

obama slacking?

Now, I have been crazy about Barack Obama for years, but this recent article detailing how he has been slacking on his senator duties since he announced his presidential bid has me a bit peeved.

Apparently, during the last two and half months, Senator Obama has not voted on important issues bought to the Senate 80% of the time: missing voting more than any other presidential candidate currently in the senate. Now, I understand running a presidential campaign is both energy and time consuming beyond belief, however I feel there is no reason, short of a family emergency or physical impairment, adequate enough to miss out voting on Child Healthcare, the war in Iraq, and the escalating issues that have been coming up with Iran. He didn't vote on any of those important national issues, yet he made the time last week to appear on Saturday Night Live for some indulgent self-promotion.

Needless to say, I am sincerely disappointed in Barack. Here he is preaching about everything he would be doing to help the country as president of the United States, but yet currently isn't doing everything in his power as the Illinois Senator as it is. This is the man that is supposed to be representing me, a citizen of Chicago...and I feel cheated because he obviously feels he is too busy to participate in such proceedings. I sincerely don't know if these factors will deter me JUST YET for voting for him, but I will certainly keep this in mind when I hear him speaking about "should have, could have, would haves" in debates, interviews, and the like.

busy as a bee

Again, I can't believe how time has flown right on by since my last post. Life has been hectic and much to my surprise, weeks have gone by feeling like mere minutes. Can it already be November ? OH MY!

Some of the things that yours truly has been up to:

Since my school books seem to be the only thing I have time to open, I have found myself enjoying books audibly on my ipod at rapid rates on my daily commute to and from work. The last have been:

• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - I swear, people were staring at me like I was a crazy ass because I couldn't help but cry during the last chapter during my morning commute. Even though I knew what was coming, this story never fails to touch my heart and soul.
• Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems - After watching the Dog Whisperer on Cable I felt compelled to read this book and see what the guru had to say about helping my crazy ass Taz. Needless to say this book was a very informative guide to understanding my hyperactive, headstrong mutt. I'm still struggling to be his pack leader, but am trying. I have to add: on a side note, that I think Mr. Milan's Latino accent is very sexy so listening to this book was especially captivating. Hee hee.
• The Secret - This was the most disappointing selection of the bunch. So disappointing in fact, that I didn't even finish it. Usually, I'm not really into self-help books, and this was no exception. However, I have heard a lot of hype on the book so I figured I would see what all the excitement was about. The central premise of the book was that positive thinking makes all the difference in getting the things in life. If you think you have something, and truly believe you do, lo and behold: the universe gives it to you. While I wholeheartedly agree that positive thinking is a powerful and necessary component to happiness, I just think its absurd and STUPID to "think" your way thin or rich. It just can't be done. IT takes hard work for many people and this book just ignores that fact. Instead of focusing on the books negatives, I will say that it did remind me that a little positive thinking can go a long way and to NEVER say NEVER...

Also keeping me busy of course, is school. I am happy to report that next week is my statistics final. And after I finish that horrid test and final lab, I will be class free until January of next year. Needless to say, after the final I will commence a lovely celebration laced with tequila and dancing with a few classmates. Hee hee.

In other fronts, my slipped disk is somewhat improving though sometimes I fear my back will never be the same. I definitely need to start focusing on working out again on a regular basis to ensure that my back and stomach is strengthened and stays that way. Hopefully, my workouts, coupled with this wonderful contraption, and a little more TLC from physical therapy and I will be 100% again.

During the course of the year, I have also fell more in love with knitting. Through time, TLC and lots of patience, as each project evolves, it somehow retains a piece of me with it and I truly do fall in love with each project I take on. When I do give out something I made with my hands, I do it with pride. I'm so addicted that I even started a knitting diary where I attach a swatch of my work to the pattern instructions and make a photocopy of a portion of the actual work. This way, I can always reference back something I have done in the past. Currently, I have 3 knitting projects I am working on. Two of them are x-mas gifts and one is FOR ME! I am currently working a grey Chevron scarf for my brother, a tan-ish brown checkerboard scarf for my sister-in-law, and a pair of fun lavender socks for me. After working on the baby blanket for so long, the scarfs are simply a cakewalk for me. I could be doing them in my sleep and should be done with them in no time.

I am also patiently waiting for the next 5 weeks to be over so I can indulge in 2.5 weeks of vacation. I am so looking forward to de-programming, sleeping in, and just enjoying life as much as possible. What a way to ring in the new year!

the official I'm getting old post

It's official...I am getting old. After 2 months of back pain, I recently found out I have a herniated disk in my lumbar region (it was a hell of a birthday present to find this out, lemme tell you that!). For the past few weeks I have been going to physical therapy two times a week to try to mend my back issues but, alas, this dreaded pain doesn't cease. It doesn't help that my commute to and from work is a whopping 2 hours and that my job requires extensive amount of sitting behind a desk. I found that these are possibly the worst things I could be doing, as they exert even more pressure on my poor slipped disk. I sit here at work both mentally and physically exhausted...feeling something which seems to be a recurring theme in my life: I FEEL LIKE A VIEJITA.

Another reason I have been feeling old lately: a number of my little cousins - all which I helped diaper as babies- are starting to move out of their parent's houses, have their own children, get married, are starting careers, and going to college. They are no longer little people causing havoc and running around during family functions. Now they are just causing havoc in their own lives. It is clearly evident that everything's changed and my family - which was once was so tight - has fallen apart at the seams . Back in the days, our family get-togethers had well over 50 people in attendance...but, nowadays they run a measly 15 to 20 people deep. It seems everybody, especially all my "newly grown" cousins, are way too busy with their own problems to sort through, errands to run, or knee deep in "relationships" that are more important than hanging out with the fam. It wouldn't even be so bad if they were trying to do well in life. It's quite the opposite. A lot of them are starting to hang "out on the block", some are in destructive relationships with people who continually slam them through the sewer, and yet others are having babies when they themselves aren't grown. And it's so sad. I try to be supportive, and be there as much as I can for them. Yet, nothing I say or do seems to make any difference to them and while I know we each have to deal with the consequences to our own actions, I just wish I could somehow bring the feeling of family back. Somehow, I think that would make all the difference in the world. I can't help but think if our abuelitos were still around, things would be so different...

mind in the gutter...

DID YOU KNOW?…SEX edition:

*** Sex is biochemically no different from eating large quantities of chocolate. *** For every 'normal' webpage, there are five porn pages. *** The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation. *** Each day, there are over 120 million sexual intercourses taking place all over the world. *** Sex burns 360 calories per hour!

Wow...you got to feel sorry for those indonesians!

for those like me...

You may be approaching middle age and yet still have no idea what you want to be when you grow up. You may have even read books like "What Color is Your Parachute" yet..hmmm...can't seem to conceptualize it.

(Enter light bulb )

Career Cruising
Username: bloomfield Password: bombers

Here's a website where you can answer a few questions about your likes and dislikes...then it populates a list of 40 occupations that match to you. From the 4 people whom I know did it, the list seems to match up pretty well to interests. Though, there were some crazy one-offs here and there. Like Look at my #8. When looking at my list I noticed occupations in the top 10 were mostly on point, appealing to my raw desire to change the world.

For those who are interested, here's the top 15 careers it pulled for me.

1. Child and Youth Worker

2. Career Counselor

3. Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

4. Management Consultant

5. Principal

6. Art / Music Therapist

7. Adoption Counselor

8. Funeral Director

9. Addictions Counselor

10. Association Manager

11. Health Care Administrator

12. Clergy

13. Psychologist

14. Economic Development Officer

15. Massage Therapist


A big thank you to Kerry for the link

fall's rollin on in...

It's officially fall ya'll...and the weather is perfect. Not to hot. Not too cold with a nice breeze that just just makes me yearn for all my windows to be open. Living in the midwest truly makes you appreciate the distinct changes that each seasons brings. And right not I am loving the beautiful colors starting to erupt in the trees. Just witnessing their beauty seems to make my one hour commute to/from work a little more tolerable.

Just a few of the things making me smile lately:

~ Me & the boyfriend tearing down and installing new vinyl siding on the back side of my house this past weekend. It was a lot of hard work and I have tons of bruises and scrapes to show for it, but the outcome is so beautiful I want to cry! Slowly but surely, my money pit is becoming less of..well...a pit!

~ My family from California coming to Chicago on a surprise visit for my father's birthday tomorrow. I have to ask my abuelita how she liked the hat I knitted her.

~ Getting a call from an old college friend that I haven't talked to in at least four years out of the blue!

~ Drinking cup upon cup of Octavia's Organic Wild Blueberry White Tea. Oh my...it's just too good to drink with a frown!

~ Watching the new HEROS episode yesterday in HD. Every Monday night with be the official Heros night at my house.

~ Doing my statistics homework and actually conceptualizing what the hell I am doing.

~ Doing said homework in less than 2 hours!

~ Getting a well deserved raise right before my 29th birthday!

What's making you smile ?!!