my decade

i entered a writing contest today with instructions to describe "the most memorable thing that has happened to you in the last 10 years," using no more than 175 words.  my entry is below.  (limiting it to 175 words was tough!  my original draft was over twice that much and i had to cut it down.  hopefully the overall feel still comes through).

Choosing the most memorable event from the past ten years is not an easy feat.  Sure, some stick out more than others: deciding to quit pharmacy school (and telling my parents), my cousin Diana’s funeral (witnessing Dad cry for the second time ever), our wedding day (so cliché), or that fateful call from my mother (it was cancer).  So can I really pick one?  My memories are strung together, connected and linked; where one goes, another follows.

If I had to pick one worthy of the title, Most Memorable of the Decade, it would be my 30th birthday.  Intensely dreading it, I agreed to a quiet girls’ lunch, never guessing a surprise party was waiting at home.  The moment came once the shock wore off.  There was reason to celebrate.  I’d finished school on my own terms, found the job, the husband, the house.  I thought of Diana, who had never had that chance.  And I hugged my mom extra hard, still there, still fighting.

When you pull one out, the others come with it.

duet

today the hubbie and i decided to spend our extra day at home to cook and grill together.  during the week we don't have many chances to do this, if at all.  neither of us typically makes it on time for dinner, and we're always looking for something quick to whip up after a long day at work.

despite the almost-unbearable heat, we cooked our food outside and enjoyed our lunch on the back patio with music.  we worked rhythmically alongside each other, prepping the food, setting them on the grill, clearing our plates, finishing our drinks.  we were a team again.

wallflower

during one of our management development exercises, we were told to list 3 items about ourselves regarding the way we worked.  then we went around the room to share them with each other.  one of my coworkers wrote, "i am not the life of the party," which i thought was pretty clever, especially because i felt like i could instantly relate.

i am the quiet one at social gatherings.  it's just in my nature to want to sit on the sidelines.  contrary to popular belief, it doesn't mean that i'm not having fun or enjoying myself.  i'm just mellow.  i feel most comfortable not being the center of attention.

usually, i'm alittle nervous going to parties, even if i know mostly everyone who will be there.  i've always felt like i'll run out of things to say.  luckily, my husband is such a good conversationalist that i can take him anywhere and trust he'll be able to talk to everyone.

this weekend we went to a number of get-togethers, met new people, and had some really great discussions.  whenever i am able to step out of my comfort zone, i find a nice treat on the other side.

confessions of a shopaholic

even though memorial day weekend is often coined 'the unofficial start of summer,' i spent the afternoon tackling some spring cleaning: my mountainous clothes pile (well, one of them.  the closet is another project entirely).

today i was just concentrating on tops, but even that took me about 2 hours or so to get through.  my shirts ranged over 4 to 5 different sizes and plenty of different styles.  there was the urban wear (guess, dkny, polo, etc.), the stuff that looked like kid's clothing (bebe, express.. seriously, how do people fit in these clothes?  how did i ever fit in these clothes?!), the still-wearable basics i'll never be able to part from (thankfully some things still fit), shirts i was actually okay with tossing, others that were thrown into the donation pile (or donate-to-sister pile), and the rest pretty much fell under "interesting" (sleeves with slits in them?  really?).

not surprisingly, some tops still had the tags attached.  in my defense, a few were gifted and i didn't feel right getting rid of them, but a majority of the others were from impulse buys.  it's obvious from my wardrobe that there are times i get that itch to shop, and shop i do.  i'm not even sure i particularly like to shop.  but the action of perusing and buying seems to release something from me.  and i know there are occasions that i'm buying for no other reason than to buy.

so yes, i'm an emotional shopper.  guilty as charged.

(and if you add to that my hoarding tendencies and realization that once i get home i'm not the same fashionista i was in the dressing room, the end result is my closet and mountains of clothing, shoes, accessories...)

luckily, in recent years my rational side kicks in and drags my impractical side back to the store's return aisle.  if only i could reason with myself before my brain tells my foot to gas it towards the mall.

managing

as a manager, i strive to be honest and judicious.  over the years i've learned that doing this successfully is very much like walking a balance beam.  on one hand, i want to be fair to each employee and/or situation with respect to the team as a whole, and on the other, i know that not every employee is created equal.  so would it truly and rightly be objective then, to treat every case in the same exact manner?

i've read a couple management theories and structures that focus on star performers.  generally, every team has one, and only one.  according to these models, the thought is to spend most of our energy developing the superstars.  but i think these setups are somewhat flawed.  i'm not saying we shouldn't recognize or reward extraordinary accomplishments.  but what happens to good performers who are just shy of superstar status?  wouldn't they notice the "special treatment" and develop some feelings about it?  frustration?  resentment?  and then how does that help the team?  should we just expect them to accept it and sit quietly or look for opportunities elsewhere?  and what about the mediocre performers?  why aren't we utilizing their strengths when we have the chance or finding ways to mentor them to their utmost potential?

i think that in order to be equitable, a manager should look at their people as people, rather than as numbers.  we should consider the individual, not only his/her skillsets and abilities but his/her circumstances as well.  really walk in his/her shoes.  every person has a different method or approach.  every person works in a different capacity.  every person responds in a different manner to different situations.  every person has different motivations.  if we can not only see these distinctions but understand them, it's rather clear how best to handle each staff person.  the struggle becomes carrying this out fluently and consistently.

because i sincerely care about each and every one of my employees, i don't play favorites.  i don't point fingers.  i steer us toward a common goal, while recognizing the role that each of them plays to get us there.  and in order to stay true to all of them, i've often had to be forthright and make difficult decisions.  sometimes i'll be up much of the night weighing my options, determining what i feel is just, realizing my choices ultimately affect them.

it's walking the line, balancing that beam.  maybe one day i'll feel like i've crossed it, ready to jump off (and stick the landing), but for now, it's one foot in front of the other and eyes straight ahead.

this is what management is all about, isn't it?

road ragers

whenever we have the first gloriously sunny day of the season (especially after a string of stormy/cloudy/rainy/crappy days), the maniacs on the road come out.  you know who i'm talking about.  drivers who whiz by when you're already going 75 (tractor-trailers are the scariest because the road trembles beneath you as they barrel down the highway).  the zigzaggers, treating other cars like an elaborate obstacle course.  the tailgaters, coming up so quickly behind you that you barely have enough time to switch lanes as they're already sticking to your trunk.

i found a new bunch.  the anti-yielders.  i'll be going straight down the expressway and people entering on will honk, gesture, and flash their lights at me if i don't slam on my brakes to specifically let them on ahead.  don't i have the right of way?  isn't the yield sign on their side?  is there some new traffic regulation i happened to miss?

anyways, i have a feeling that the police are cognizant of the sunny day = insane driving phenomenon.  i saw 10 patrol cars out and about yesterday, 6 of them on the same stretch of road.  perhaps one of my favorite things to witness is one of these crazies passing me and then suddenly tapping the brakes as they spot the officer, ensuring they're on their best behavior when they drive by.  what they may not realize is that by the time the cop is visible, he's already seen them.  so it's probably more noticeable if they make a big spectacle out of slowing down. 

(on a side note, i do have to admit there's an immediate sense of authority when you see a car with lights overhead.  i'll be doing the quick glance in the rearview, checking to make sure the car hasn't pulled out to follow me, even when i'm going the speed limit). 

well, i don't know what the point is to this post (if there is one), but seriously though, when the sun comes out, watch out for the nutty drivers out there.

extended family

i went to an alumni event tonight and was pleasantly surprised to run into 4 classmates (since i already knew my bff was going) from my graduating class ('04, represent!).  i don't think i've seen some of them since graduation, though we've kept in touch here and there.

we recounted some of our favorite memories, like the infamous movie we were forced to watch, or when B fell off his chair when he fell asleep in class, or when fellow classmates interviewed for the same job i did (and how i was the one who was hired).  we talked about other grads we've remained in contact with, some who have moved out of the area and doing other things.  although we ourselves have moved in different directions with our degrees, conversations were easy and light, as all of us were excited to see each other. 

i was also able to briefly catch up with other alumni who i've met over the years through various venues and our awesome professors who are exactly as i've remembered them.  it was a mini reunion of sorts.

when i was leaving, one of my classmates quipped that he'd see us in another 8 years, and i thought, 8 years?!  has it really been that long?  attending a "class" in the student center on campus made it feel like only yesterday when we were all together like this.

it was then that i realized that we are very much like a family, at first bonded by circumstance, but now comforting and familiar at once, despite the passage of time.

flip-flop

lately, i've been catching myself steering my car in the wrong direction more often than usual.  in the past few days alone, i've had to find awkward ways to u-turn at least 2-3 times.  it's like my brain has been unplugged or something and i'm running on autopilot.

i think the main reason i keep driving the wrong way is because, as someone who craves routine, i'm programmed to do the same things, even when it comes to the most minute details.  and recently (without even fully realizing it, as if my body was telling me to), i've been switching up my "usual," doing the opposite of what i'm normally doing or where i'm normally going.  how many mundane, useless, time-consuming tasks do i participate in, every day, throughout each day?

it's hard to break the mold sometimes.  just look at the minutes i've wasted turning my car around and the aggravation i've caused myself for not paying more attention.

but aren't those small prices to pay?  i think so.  because every day i change it up alittle, i find myself alittle changed.

round and round

this afternoon, i watched an ant walking in circles for probably a solid minute.  i'm not sure if that is typical ant behavior, but there was something oddly comforting about it.  maybe because i felt like i could relate.. going through the motions, one leg in front of the other, but moving nowhere.  off-track.

inside joke

after leaving the symphony last night (which was a nice treat, especially since we were surprised by front row seats!), hubbie and i headed to the parking garage a few blocks away.  neither of us were carrying any cash, so i partly joked/partly mused aloud that hopefully the garage took credit cards.  hubbie assured me that credit was fine, so we made our way to our car and proceeded to the exit.

where the attendant told us that cards were not accepted.

unsure what to do, we instantly patted our pockets and began searching the car, feeling foolish and flustered.  hubbie told the attendant we had no cash, which was the truth, and she looked as unprepared to hear it as we felt telling her.  i started digging into my wallet for quarters, wondering if i could really find $5 worth in change.  after a few awkward moments, she told us we could pull over onto the side to let the line of cars behind us to pass, as long as we promised to pay her once we came up with the cash.

i did eventually find enough coins to be enough, so we paid her and went on our way.  as we drove home, we succumbed into a fit of giggles, laughing at ourselves and the constant idiotic situations we find ourselves in.

one such instance that immediately comes to mind was the very first cruise we took together when we first started dating.  we were set to sail from miami to jamaica and the cayman islands.  hurricane wilma happened to pass through a few days before we were to fly down to miami.  when we arrived at the airport, we realized that our flight had been canceled, so i called the cruiseline to ensure the ship was still leaving from the port of miami as scheduled.  we were told it was, so decided to fly to the closest open airport, which was ft. myers, rent a car, and drive the 150+ miles to miami.  we would barely make it, but it was worth a try.  once we touched down in ft. myers and were coasting down alligator alley, i called the cruiseline again to be informed that the port was closed and ship would not depart until the next morning... oh, and also that our itinerary had changed and we would not only be losing a couple days, but our destination was now the the bahamas.  good deal, right?  i think this was when i busted out laughing.  i remember hubbie's face then, asking me what was so funny about what was happening.  i told him that at this point, we could only laugh.  what else could possibly go wrong?

so we continued on, hoping we'd find a place to eat and stay for the night once we reached miami.  it was a ghost town, and not surprinsingly, in a state of disarray.  stores, restaurants, and gas stations were closed (though we did witness looters trying to break into the mini mart), and hotels were booked full (since people could not stay on the lower floors because of flooding).  it was dark by the time we found a hotel with a vacancy, though without electricity or hot water.  the front desk had to use a pencil and paper to imprint our credit card during check-in.  that night we feasted on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a pitch-black room, where we lay side by side, laughing hysterically at our circumstances.

my husband and i like to tell this story because it was a building block of our relationship.  even though everything that could possibly go wrong, did, we were in it together, and still able to find it all rather humorous.

so whether or not we'll make it to our intended destination someday, we'll always have something to laugh about.

apocalypse not now

hello may 21, 2011.  it's 6 p.m.  and the world, as i know it, has not ended.

that is all.

let it flow

these days, i find myself tearing up at every wedding i attend.  tonight it was when the groom's older brother delivered his best man speech.  he talked about how he used to tease his little brother (our friend) and their dad pulled him aside and told him that if he stopped, he'd have a best friend for life.  and so he never teased his brother again.

i don't know what it is about these moments, the moments within the moments, that cause me to cry.  perhaps it's because the person speaking is usually emotional and it's contagious, or whatever they are saying is applicable to me and my relationships.  it could be a number of things.  but these are the moments i love the most.

may we always cherish and celebrate all of our moments, even the smallest ones, especially when they make up our happiest days.

true colors

my youngest sister is going through a rough time right now that is equally surprising and appalling.  i won't go into specifics, but it reminds me of a situation i found myself in (when i was not much older than her) with an old friend/roommate who introduced me to his cousin, who happened to be a pathological liar and cunning thief.  it was weeks, maybe months, before i realized that she had been stealing from me.  the money and property i could deal with losing, but it was the betrayal i never quite recovered from.

it is sad to say, but sometimes the most friendly, charming people, even those closest to you or the most unexpected, can stab you in the back.  what do you really know of them, when you've only scratched the surface?  people are complex creatures, and it takes time to peel back all their layers.  you can only hope that when their true colors are revealed, that they shine in the same direction as yours.

cheated

now that the schwarzenegger scandal has hit the airwaves, it has spurred discussions on the topic of cheating through local media outlets.  this morning a listener wrote into the radio station i was tuning into asking whether it was considered cheating on her married boyfriend if she was hooking up with her ex-husband once in awhile.  no kidding.  and what was more ridiculous was that one of the station DJs was adamant that it was not considered cheating, because the boyfriend is technically married and so has no right to be upset about his divorced girlfriend consorting with an ex.  the others on the show were trying to explain to her that the evaluation was not on what was right or wrong or should or shouldn't be, but rather that the girlfriend is in a committed relationship with her boyfriend and therefore cheating on him with another person.  in other words, when you remove all the excess stuff from the equation, cheating is still cheating.

thank you, voices of reason.

some days i think, where did all this grey come from?  when did things stop being black and white?  are we, somehow, cheating ourselves by blurring the lines?

botox-ic

last thursday, a story came out about a mother that's been injecting her 8-year-old daughter with botox.  yes, botox!  apparently, the mother had heard about this practice through the beauty pageant circuit (using the fact that she's not the only one doing this to her defense) and claims that her daughter asked for botox to rid her of wrinkles (which actually appear to be her dimples). 

there are several things that bother me about this.  for starters, i find it hard to believe that an 8-year-old thinks about wrinkles, but if she does, that she knows about botox.  during the interview on GMA, when the daughter was asked why she was receiving botox, her first response was "i don't know," followed by some prompting about the "wrinkles" and "lines" that she believes she has.  secondly, the mother would not disclose who or where she was obtaining the botox from, which should almost be a sign that something is amiss.  and can we discuss what the heck this mother is thinking?  what about the potential psychological effects that could be caused by doing this?  isn't she the parent here?

the more i thought about this broadcast over the weekend, the more it aggravated me.  on monday, there was a follow-up to the story: the girl was taken from her mother's home upon a CPS investigation.

what ever happened to telling your child she is beautiful just the way she is?

sanctuary

today i found out that someone in our extended church family had passed away over the weekend.  he had been sick for awhile, but it is never easy to hear of someone you know passing, especially when a wife and 4 children are left behind.

you know that part in the obituary where it says, he/she is "survived by" so and so?  that sentence always gets to me.  i often think about how these people pick up the pieces, find a way to carry on.

i was stuck in a storm driving home from work tonight.  it came abruptly, and brought with it torrential downpours and flooding.  as i drove on towards home, the clouds parted, sky brightened, and rain diminished until i reached dry ground again.

perhaps that is how survivors endure their loss.. by believing that there is a stretch of road untouched by rain, with the promise of home and solace.

congrats grad

the youngest member of our family graduated college today.  by now, i've decided that she will always be little to me, probably even when she's 50 years old.

graduation, as a bystander 7 years later (or maybe only 3, since the middle sister's turn), still feels the same -- a moment of closure, like the end of a long journey, but also a time of new beginnings, like the start of a new voyage.  'commencement' to me is an interesting word -- i often associate it with a conclusion since it is used at graduation -- but it actually means the mark of a new beginning.  a dawn.  a birth.

there were a few particular quotes the speaker, nobel prize-winning author toni morrison, delivered that resonated with me and captured this feeling poignantly:  "the narrative of a worthy life is yours to write... you can invent the language to say who you are and how you mean in this world... the plot you choose may change and even elude you, but being your own story means you can control the theme."  i loved her use of analogies to pass on a clear message: live.  live for life, liberty, and the pursuit of "meaningfulness," in her words.

so congratulations (!) to our little one -- to new beginnings, to new stories.

pitch-perfect

my cousin is a professional pianist so we went to see her play tonight.  it's been years since i've been able to attend one of her concerts and was a first for my husband.  he couldn't get over how quickly her fingers moved over the keys as the church's acoustics echoed mozart and beethoven, spilling into the street.

during intermission, a man approached my cousin to express how much he enjoyed her performance and how impressed he was with her playing 45 minutes by memory.  my cousin was humble in her response (just as i knew she would be), but i couldn't help feeling a flutter of pride.  i started playing piano at the age of 5, but i certainly don't play like that.  and this is my cousin, awing an audience with the touch of her fingertips, pouring her heart out through a melody, evoking emotion by the sound of familiar notes.

TGIF

friday the 13th.  pshh, what about it?

"it's been one of those days," my coworker remarked this morning.

"it's been one of those weeks," i responded.

she couldn't argue with that.

so i say again... friday the 13th..  what about it?  today was relatively tame compared to the week i've had.

hello weekend!

i'm good

i haven't been able to get into bed any earlier than midnight any day this week so far.  my husband, sensing my exhaustion (compounding my stress and leading to increased crabbiness, which is probably what he really noticed, now that i think of it), gave me an assignment today: find something good that happens today to share with him later tonight.

so i set off on my mission in high spirits.  sunshine, check.  that's good, right?  scraping my foot with my car door, not so much.  traffic, boo.  where did all these cars come from anyway?

i made it to work unscathed, still in a great mood and with my homework in mind.  now that i'm halfway through my day, i can report that i've managed to blow up my lunch in the microwave and ruin my manicure all in one swoop.  but i'm still smiling.

perhaps that was the whole point of the exercise.. just the thought of having my husband there when i get home, ready to hear about my 'good' thing has pulled me through this.  so despite whatever happens, whether good or bad, he'll be my one good thing today.  and every day.

what's in a dream

since i can remember, i've had crazy, vivid dreams.  the subject matter has progressed as i've grown older, but overall they are no less chaotic.  i often dissect the dreams the morning after, trying to make sense of the images i've conjured up in my head.  usually, once i've started to reconstruct the big picture with bits and pieces from my memory, aspects of the dream come into view, and i am able to connect them to thoughts, worries, people i've run into, or minor details of my day.  sometimes the anatomy of the dreams are clear; other times they seem completely random.

last night's dream was weighted towards the latter.

i dreamt that i was in the jungle, preparing to be strapped to a zipline.  i could feel the heat, taste the sweat on my skin, hear my heart thumping in my chest, adrenaline running through my veins.  have i ever ziplined?  no.  have i thought about ziplining before?  sure.  but recently?  not that i know of.  and i'm not sure where the jungle part came in, except that i've probably seen ziplining and the jungle relating to each other.

then i began wondering what my subconscious was telling me.  the wheels were churning, my powers of deduction hard at work.  did i hear about someone's vacation recently?  yes, but no ziplining there.  did i see this image somewhere?  maybe.  in the newspaper?  doubt it.  magazine?  probably not.  on TV?  aha!  perhaps it was that royal caribbean commercial, with the kid ziplining (through the jungle?) while his parents watch, the narrator talking about milestones every parent should remember..

whatever it was, when i flicked on the TV tonight, the scene in front of me was of the MTV real world cast going ziplining.  my first thought: how weird?  a coincidence, of course, but still a bit freaky.

our minds work in mysterious ways.  i've managed to figure out that much.

fear factor

is today really only tuesday?  i feel as if i've aged tremendously in just 2 days.

the expression, "when it rains, it pours" keeps running through my head, as well as the simple fact that things never stay the same.  change is inevitable.

the thing is, the events that have transpired over the last couple of days have not surprised me.  it's almost as if i knew all along, but hadn't been ready to face my fears.

so here i am, fear, i've been waiting for you.  let's do this.

cryptic

"in order to make an omelette, you have to break a few eggs." 
--from coworker's 'quote of the day' calendar

word to your mother

happy mother's day!  and in honor of today, here are some quotes from this weekend by some spectacular mothers that stuck with me (as best i can remember them):

"there are only 2 times when families get together.  let's make the most of this time and enjoy it."

--mother of the groom

"it's not that you're leaving your family -- you're starting your own, building on ours, so our family will continue to grow." 

--translated from auntie #1 (my mom's oldest sister)

poetry

it didn't really hit me until i was giving my sisters' speech.  i got to the part about how my sister used to sneak into my gymnastics class and how i learned how to ride a bike when i saw her without her training wheels.. and totally lost it.  i saw her as a little girl again, small and awkward, in a shirt that served as a dress because it was too big on her.  and here she was in front of me, somehow all grown up, standing in this white dress (that fit this time) and beautiful, suddenly a beaming bride.

so here it is, our wedding poem (first names have been removed):

ODE TO STOUCHEL

Today we toast our middle sister
Ever the fearless one
We've been waiting for this day to arrive
And are delighted it has come

To someone with a lust for life
Who knows how to make a splash
Who leaves a lasting impression
On all who cross her path

Who makes her mark upon the world
With energy and laughter
We wish you all life's blessings
Both now and ever after

Time has given us a multitude
Of experiences tied to you
So we each have some words to share
We hope that it gets through

As the oldest I felt a strong desire
To protect and shelter you
But soon I found myself the follower
A step behind your shoes

You did cartwheels in gymnastics
When you snuck into my class
You weren't scared without your training wheels
Which helped me catch up fast

And despite your little size and frame
You stepped up in the court
You showed us that with confidence
We wouldn't come up short

R, we've come a long way since
Our days of dancing in backyards
Sparkly red, matching sweaters
And ballerina leotards

Now that we are older
Fights are something we outgrew
You're no longer just my sister
You're my confidante, too

As you continued blossoming
Into a woman strong and sure
It wasn't a surprise to us
When love came knocking on your door

In J, you've found a partner
Who is loyal through and through
He is goofy at the heart of it
Who can be silly-fun like you

He's a real-life Mr. Fix-It
Without asking for applause
He's like an honorary member
Of Best Buy’s geek squad

Even when it's limited, he gives time
To family and his friends
He kept searching through Dad's van
Until he found my contact lens

He is someone of great character
Who has faith and trusts God's plan
We know that you'll be blessed by Him
As you walk hand in hand

R and J, this was your journey
And we're glad you got it right
As you embark on new adventures
Remind yourselves of this sweet night

Now that you are newlyweds
You're together as one heart
We're so glad to share this moment
And your new life about to start

Today we toast the both of you
With love and our best wishes
You started out as friends, and now
You're a mister and a missus

Join us now, and raise your glasses
High up in the air --
To celebrate the bride and groom
To show them that we care

May you be each other's allies
May you treasure what is rare
May your loving arms be comfort
In times of hardship and despair

May you keep your sights together
And remember what you share
May we wish you many blessings
To a lucky, blissful pair

© glo & s

wedding bells

it's my sister's wedding weekend!!  off to the salon for some sister time and then.. countdown to the aisle begins!

durh

newfound side effect of stress:  forgetfulness.

open doors

i don't know how many times i've heard the expression, "kids these days" used all around me.

well, let me tell you about a couple "kids these days" -- sometimes they can surprise you with the smallest gestures, in the most unexpected places.

today i made a quick run over to the mall over my lunch break.  when i was both entering and exiting the building, a tiny boy (the first time) and little girl (the second) waited and held the door open for me to pass.  they were no more than half my size, and there they were, struggling to keep the heavy doors cracked enough for me.

perhaps the children in this county are exceptionally behaved, but i was impressed.  there are some adults who haven't even held doors open for me!

so "kids these days" -- there's hope for you after all.

hot potatoes

sometimes i wonder if, as people are venting their frustrations on me, they realize what i have on my plate..  the stress i deal with on a daily basis and don't talk about or burden them with.

probably not.  i bet everyone does or has done this at some point.  i'm sure i have.  shuffling our problems to each other, passing them on like hot potatoes.  spreading them like a disease.  infecting each other with diseased hot potatoes.

i feel sorry for whoever's left behind when the music stops.  buried under a mountain of hardship.  or just potatoes.  but i wouldn't doubt it really burns.

united we stand

the first thing i read this morning was a text from my friend that told me bin laden was dead.  unsure if my eyes were playing tricks on me, i flicked on the TV and sure enough, the news confirmed that he was killed by american forces in pakistan yesterday.

after hearing this, i could not escape the tragic images of 9/11 which that man caused.  i can not believe an entire decade has passed since then.

may we never forget.

coach

this afternoon, the hubbie and i took a nice bike ride along a river trail which ended up being about 7 miles.  the first half wasn't so bad because i was excited and it was mostly downhill, but i was struggling on the way back since my legs were tired and the road consistently sloped upward.  hubbie was patient with me, urging me to keep going, telling me i could do it when i said i couldn't.

he has always been my #1 fan, pushing me forward, being the constant support i need.