A Likely Story!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Life is cyclical... the last several weeks have been rough. Am on an upswing now. You have to experience the not-so-good times to appreciate the good and REALLY good times.

These make me smile and give me a warm fuzzy feeling :

* The generosity of friends to be honest when honesty is needed

* The generosity of family to be generous when you honestly need it

* The new K9 Advantix commercial with the little yellow lab puppy at Summer Camp that is beyond PRICELESS

* Volunteering for Betty Castor (for US Senate in FL) and Jim Stork (for Congress-22nd District)

* Hearing my dad tell me that my brothers and sisters and their kids along with my cousin and her kids are all having a great time at a Dodger game.

* Seeing Fahrenheit 9/11 with my Deaniac buddies and knowing that my friends understand that I can't talk about what I just saw because I am for once in my life utterly SPEECHLESS!!

* For Tom making me laugh so hard at work today that my Coke went out my nose instead of down my throat...yeah, Respiratory Therapists are wicked in that regard.

* Seeing that Dooce and Jon are going to SF with Leta and Dooce has open comments!

* Having a balanced checkbook for the first time in 6 months

* How a nice long phone chat with a good friend can energize your soul

* Having 3 political events planned for this week and being totally jazzed about it

* Knowing that my favorite holiday is almost here

* Asking God to send me a sign and having the sign appear in less than 12 hours....you go, God!!

30 Days Notice

So the House of Saud is giving terrorists 30 days to turn themselves in to avoid prosecution for terrorist activities.

What a crock.

Give the murdering bastards terms they can understand.

72 hours sounds about right.

Looking for a new ISP

Currently have Earthlink dialup...not very happy with them as I get about 5-10 disconnects per day.

Having DSL is not that important to me...just want something reliable, half-way speedy and unlimited internet hours for as little moola as possible.

Any suggestions?

Bridge The Gap For Healthcare

On my way out the door to particpate in a "Bridge The Gap" event being staged by one of my DFA buddies!

WTG Gordon!!

Bridge the Gap is a nationwide call to action to raise awareness of the meager state of insured care in America and help achieve quality, affordable healthcare for all.

All over the US concerned citizens (including yours truly) will be out in force on bridges here and there, far and wide, calling attention to the fact that 44 million Americans are uninsured when it comes to healthcare. I am fortunate to have healthcare thru my employer. Yeah, I pay triple the cost of what I paid two years ago but that is another subject for another time. Bottomline, I am grateful that I have healthcare coverage.

So please do your part in whatever way you can!

Participate if you know of a local group that is sponsoring this event. Give a friendly wave and honk if you drive by a group of "Bridge" supporters. And most importantly, give your vote to candidates that have shown by their actions that they are committed to helping us achieve our goal.

Tom Tolbert, Part 2

Thankfully, Tom dropped the Dead Clown Leisure Suit Look! YAY! He looked much hotter tonite...

And the Piston's won...double YAY!

Mext year, the Dallas Mav's will bring it home!

Tom Tolbert

Watching Tom Tolbert during the Pistons-Lakers half-time show.

OUCH!!!

What is up with his wardrobe? Who dressed him like that? Is he wearing his ensemble on a bet? A dare? Is he colorblind? Is he blind??

Ok Tom, we need to talk.

I've watched you over the last several NBA seasons....you went from wearing all beige the first season, started wearing more colorful choices last year (the burgundy and black combinations looked especially good on you) and that is why I am shocked...stunned...nauseated by your ...well, whatever it is you're wearing tonite. Sorta a cross between a blue/carmel/beige leisure suit.

C'mon Tom, you can do better.

Ask for help. Carson Kresseley of the Fab Five would be more than happy to help. Ask your anchor buddies. Ask Pat Croce...he always looks great, no matter what he wears.

You're a great commentator, Tom...one of my favorites.

Please get some sartorial SOS during the break.

Is the circus over yet?

I want my TV back.

Thank God for HGTV!!

Ronald W. Reagan

Haven't been able to decide what aspect of Reagan's passing I wanted to comment on until I saw the funeral in Washington D.C. this evening.

Watching Nancy Reagan as the pallbearers carried her beloved husband's casket broke my heart.

All the anger I felt towards Reagan for ignoring the AIDS crisis is still there, in my heart, and is a valid anger.... but I was also able to see the sadness and heartbreak reflected in Nancy's face and the sadness on the faces of her children.

And it dawned on me, that's what we have to focus on. We have to focus on the people. We have to focus on the disease and NOT that the owner of the disease is gay, Republican, Democract, poor, rich, Black, White...we have to start seeing everyone as equal and deserving of help.

I will admit to feeling disgusted when Nancy Reagan implored for stem-cell research last week. How ironic, given Ronnie cut spending to special needs programs while he was in office. He and the so-called Religious Right (oxymorism at its finest) IGNORED the AIDS crisis that resulted in so many people feeling what Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family felt today....incredible sadness at the passing of their loved one. And the very cynical and snarky part of me wished I could decree that stem-cell research be put on the back burner for the same amount of years that the AIDS epidemic was ignored....tit for tat, you might say.

But that is mean-spirited, and more importantly, it's just not right.

So this is what I propose. Let's move ahead full-force with stem-cell research...and match it dollar for dollar with additional funding for AIDS prevention and research...and have them both honor Reagan's legacy. The past is the past...we need to look towards the future.

Focus on the person and realize that each person is unique and special and equal. And no one should have to watch a loved one die due to a disease that could have been prevented.

My deepest sympathies to the Reagan family on their loss.

Ready, Set, ORGANIZE!

Finally!

After 3 years of saying I was going to do it, I am now officially licensed in the State of Florida and in Palm Beach County to be a Professional Organizer...except my title according to the County Tax Assessor's office is 'Space Organizer'....hey, it's fair and it works for me. Don't think I'll be confused with organizing trips to Mars anytime soon :-)

So what's next?

Getting my portfolio in order, completing my NAPO certification, shopping for business cards and planning my introductory letter. This feels so very right and I am on cloud nine.

Have a great weekend...I know I will!

Life Is NOT A Dress Rehearsal

Hello? Hey you! Yeah, YOU!

This is for you and you alone.

Life is way too short.

Are you spending what little time you have living? Or are you going thru the motions? Spending time with people and projects and things because you 'should'? Or because it makes you so happy you couldn't live without them, those or it? WHAT are you spending your precious time and equally precious life on? Are you making a difference? A wonderful positive difference or just a ho-hum, life is crappy, so-so sort of a difference? Is the status quo killing you but you keep hanging in there, hoping and praying and waiting for things to get better and they never really do but you still keep hanging in there thinking 'today might just be THE day'??

Well guess what? I'm here to remind you that nothing is going to change unless you make it happen. And yeah, I know you know this only too well, thank you very much....but if you know it so well, why are you still in your rut or your purgatory or your so-so comfort zone that really isn't all that comfortable once you think about it...but why think about it because to think about it would mean you might actually have to get off your butt and DO something about it...and God forbid you actually do something about it because it is so so SO MUCH EASIER just to sit there and think 'what if'.

This is your shake-up call, or your wake-up call if you will. You deserve the best...you really do. So please stop procrastinating on doing what you were meant to do or what will make you the happiest...which could be one and the same...and just get off your butt and do it. Today. No questions asked other than are you living your life to your fullest potential. Well, are you????

It's your life...you decide.

On a somewhat related note, filed my paperwork for sole proprietorship for my organizing business. Applying for my Occupational License today, next step is the NAPO certification, then up and running by the end of June.

I am finally pursuing my long-time goal of being a professional organizer. And the only thing holding me back was me.

Please don't make the same mistake with your life...cause life really is too short, ya know??