Manic Monday

i sit here waiting my turn at the car wash. my car needs a good cleaning, hose down all the salt and other crud on the sides. i sit here thinking about my last post. the successes and the unchanged. i do the dangerous thing, think and over think. maybe i am just tired and cranky... maybe i just need to just get away from work, finances, social engagements, and other things. maybe i am just getting jaded and frustrated. maybe i just need take a couple days off to take care of some items on my to do list i have been neglecting.
on my list:
-schedule appointment with doctor: long overdue
-clean house: long overdue, but not as pressing if i dont have visitors to show off my place
-take down christmas decorations: ehh, it has been up longer before
-organize a game night: something want to do but want to take of above items before this
-do taxes: normally a last minute filer, but may want to do them now to get refund... which i should be getting.
-look into refinancing my house and maybe even my car: could do better financially
-look into getting a part-time job: extra income is always good, keep me busy and wrapped up in something else, puts me out there to meet new people.
-get myself in a regular exercise routine again.

carwash is almost done. time to head home and get some dinner.

Since then...

Since my last regular blogs:

THE NEW:
-Went Skydiving: had a blast!
-Bought a Townhouse: Great to be a home owner, but expensive.
-Picked up gardening: Created several flowerbeds and a made a rock garden featuring a 110 pound lava Rock: A lot of hard work, but well worth it.
-Lost a group of friends: Its probably for the best.
-Gained even better group of friends: It is the Best!
-Did 3 polar bear plunges: Raised over $1000 for a great cause and had a lot of fun in the process.
-Played a season of Dodgeball, Kickball and 3 seasons of Bowling: Not done with leagues yet!
-Went innertubing down a river in Harpers Ferry: So relaxing, such a great day it was!
-Took an amazing trip to Denmark (and a day in Sweden) for close to 2 weeks: Saw and experienced a country I MUST visit again.
-Did Karaoke the second and third time in my life: the second time went well and well-received, the third time was umm... not as much. But still fun times.
-Made some good strides at work for the community: Getting jaded, but still moving forward.
-Became a certified Basic First Aid/ Child, Adult, Infant Instructor: Wanted to become one for a long time, now I have and certified over a hundred thus far.
-Went to my first vineyards: Developing a better taste for wine now.
-Went to my first drive-in movie: A triple feature... can't wait to go again!
-Became more active socially: More regular with different people.

THE SAME:
-Despite the successes and new experiences, my mood, my confidence and my feelings have not changed much (made a lot of great steps, but still ways to go): baby steps still.
>I am still incredibly reserved, yet I have opened up a lot, thanks to facebook and better key people in friends.
>I feel conflicted internally with different people, worried about mixing different groups of people and have difficulties coordinating social functions.
>Fearing what people think and worrying about people getting sick of me, still dreadfully haunts me.
>Day-by-day is still unpredictable, in terms of moods. One day I am more confident, open and outgoing, other days I am struggling to get words out to add meaning to a conversation. Some days I feel like I am on top of the world for no reason, other days I just want to be a bump on the log.
>Relationshipwise- There are some great people in my life, some with some interesting "potential", but right now, I am feeling better off single and alone. Not that it is a bad thing. At times I just don't know what I really want.

Steps in the right direction and on the right path, just ways to go.

Back in the writers seat

After a long while without a post, I am back. Figured, why not. Why did I stop anyways. First step it to review my old archives and see how much is different... then and now. More to come. Need to wake up early for the Boys LAX clinic at Towson University. Each year a few hundred boys attend this event. I will be helping the sponsors set-up and get things started. I prefer this behind-the-scenes role where I am busy and focused on the tasks needed to be done. Tomorrow is another day, lets see how much I stick with this blog this time around.

Movin' on Up...

I think I am beginning to get back into my groove again. I arrived a bit late for the warm-ups, but after the 4th frame I started to smack those pins down. The first game: 182... got a couple early open frames that hurt the score. Second game: 245. Third game: 225. Total: 652. Old Average 194, new average 195.
Despite the good games, my team was made fools out of... they were really racking up high scores. We only won one of the four (the third game). On the next lane over someone bowled a perfect 300. I think it was her first. Congrats to her.
Going into tonight we were tied for 7th (in a league of 34).. only 3 games out of first place.

Valentine's Day Heart's True Meaning

I read an article, Female Bum Behind Valentine Symbol? It says that the Valentine's Day Heart was modeled after a woman's butt. I don't know if I should be insulted or in ecstasy.

"The Greek goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, was beautiful all over, but was unique in that her buttocks were especially beautiful," he explained. "Her shapely rounded hemispheres were so appreciated by the Greeks that they built a special temple Aphrodite Kallipygos, which literally meant, 'Goddess with the Beautiful Buttocks.' This was probably the only religious building in the world that was dedicated to buttock worship."

He admitted that it was possible that the heart symbol represented both male and female glutes (the group that includes the three large muscles of each buttock that control thigh movement), but he said, "I think the Valentine's heart more closely fits the rounded female anatomy rather than the angular, compact and slimmer male butt."

I thought that was interesting. I think that the next "American Pie" movie should hint at that instead of an Apple Pie. I will never look at a Valentine heart the same again... after we are all being mooned in front of the innocent kids. Worse than that, the kids themselves are mooning everyone!

I must admit, I am a bad judge of shape sometimes... I am would not be too sure which ones are a male heart or a female heart. I will be more skeptical from now on whenever I receive one.

Ok, time for bowling.

The Spec Sheet

I was roaming the Information Superhighway and came across the Olympics website. Within, I stumbled upon the "Viaggio della Flamma Plimpica". Sounds like some sort of fancy-schmancy Italian dish, but in actuality it is the Olympic Torch. It is the spec sheet and the performance sheet for the torch people run with all across the world! It was hilarious that there is even one in existence! Did you know that the Resistance to Wind/Speed is 120 km/h maximum? No, and I don't even know what that means.... does that mean if Joe Torch Bearer is running over the speed of 120 km/h, he/she would no longer be wind resistant? I can see it now... an average citizen running at a remarkable speed of 121 km/h then suddenly, the torch flies out of their hand. All of this must be done within the "Burning Duration" of 15 minutes and within the performance specs indicated. For optimal Flame Colour it must be orange-yellow for optimal visibility and better video reproduction. hmm... you could have fooled me....I always thought for the best visibility you would have the torch-bearer get caught on fire to make a bigger flame... oops. There is a "combustion system" that is designed to prevent the flame from reaching the fuel pipe, thus ensuring the safety of the bearer.
But I must admit, on the original link to the Torch site it showed the different Torches from the different winter and summer games. It was interesting to see the different models. I guess I kinda like to see history.

The Deeds

The weekend was a blur... or maybe it was just because I was watching outside too much and the snow blurred my vision. I must admit I was impressed with how quickly the snow crew cleaned up the roads and walkways... with the amount of snow we received, it could be considered a wasted snow storm. There was a time this amount of snow would have closed schools and businesses for a week. Yes, schools were closed today and most likely will be a late arrival tomorrow if there is a lot of ice. But just one day is not enough!
I went walking around the 'hood on Sunday afternoon... wanted to get my exercise and just to see the state of the roads and such. Maybe I was the only one in the world without a camera to take pictures. Eh, I saw all the shots I would have taken already on another's blog or perhaps that other one. Anyways, I was listening to the radio then all the sudden an 80 year old lady walking in the opposite direction gets my attention. She asked me, "Should I be walking on the sidewalk or on the street?" She explained to me that she was new to the area and was walking to the supermarket (maybe 1-2 miles away). Only half the sidewalks were shoveled and the streets are 75% plowed. I posed her with this question, "If you were walking on the sidewalks and they were not plowed, what would happen?" She answered, I would get tired and I might fall. That gave me a sense she was at least thinking. I asked if she knew if the supermarket was even open. She didn't know, so I whipped out the handy-dandy cell phone and called 4-1-1... yes, indeed, the supermarket was open. We talked a little bit longer and she finished by saying, "Thank you very much you did your good deed for today." She was a nice lady.
But my "good deeds" for the day did not stop there... I helped 3 different people dig out their cars. I was jsut glad to get out of the apartment and get some fresh air and exercise. After, I got back to my apartment, what did I do? Vegged out in front of the TV and ate potato chips and chili dogs. Those were dang good chili dogs I must add. They were the first I have had in over a year. It was not until about 6pm I got a text message alert that schools were closed for Monday... even though it does not affect me working, it does affect my programs. I am fine with that.
Also, on Sunday, I finally (and I mean finally) finished the book I was reading. I have been slowly chopping away bits and pieces of it since...umm... November! It was a very book book, but when you are tired , you just don't read as much. Now, I am reading my next book, The Year of Yes.
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Developments

Today was an interesting day at the office. At the staff meeting two enormous projects/ additions were announced. It may not happen, the community needs to behind it, but regardless, it is most likely to change the dynamics of my job. New huge projects, one which I am highly in favor of and have been pushing for since the day I started, the second would be the first in the area, so there will be a lot of scrutiny in how it all works out. I am looking forward to the new developments, but at the same time, I am worried about the unknown and significant additions to the already hectic job description. Carpe Diem... and "bring it on!"

I then had to announce those developments to a different meeting I had tonight and the second of the two projects got mixed reviews. But all in all that monthly meeting always tends to be a source of ulcers, but it was not tonight. Glad it turned out very well.

It turned out to be a very good day with the exception of a tragic loss of a fellow blogger's loved one. My thoughts and sympathies go out to her.

Computer update

Since I have been having trouble with my computer I have been thinking about an upgrade to Windows mfe. Wait a second. I think I already have this!

No Bowling Tonight

Tonight I did not going bowling... there was a community service meeting I needed to attend. That is the nature of my job, day or night, weekday or weekend there may be something going on. I just gotta do what I gotta do. Got another meeting tomorrow and Thursday evening as well.

At work, my computer has been acting up. It is very much outdated computer and gives me the dreaded Blue Screen of Death on a regular basis. I am not surpised because it needs more memory to function more properly. I need to devote some undivided attention to the computer to fix it up and perhaps try reinstalling some programs that may cause it to seize up... I doubt it would solve the prob, but it is worth a shot. At least I have a good window that opens up so I can toss it to make me feel better. So if you are in my area... WATCH OUT BELOW!