5 Dresses

Dress: Forever 21 Handbag: Hype

Dress: Forever 21

Dress: Twelve By Twelve Jewelry: Handcrafted in Maui

Dress: BCBGeneration Jewelry: Zida

Dress: BCBG

Upgrade Me.

From: NWA Info
Subject: Elite upgrade notification - upgrade confirmed


Dear Crista :

The status of your complimentary WorldPerks Elite upgrade is as follows:

Flight: NW 438
From: Minneapolis - St Paul, Minnesota
To: Tampa, Florida
Departure Date: February 28, 2009

First Class Upgrade Status: Confirmed

Seat: 04C (Seat changes may be available at nwa.com.)

Your complete reservation and flight details are available at nwa.com. If you have further questions, please contact Northwest Airlines.

My condo is spotless (see: full of moving boxes) because the realtor is coming over this weekend to list the property. Crossing my fingers that is sells before April 1st. (Slightly creeped out that people will be in and out of there while I am gone)

I am wearing a short sleeve shirt, long shorts, and K. Cole flats despite the 16 degree weather in MN.

I am full on fresh organic fruit smoothie , NOT looking forward to the meal being served on the plane this afternoon. (see: CREEPY)

Just got word: Possible skydiving activities on my trip. I hope I packed a pair of appropriate shoes.

All of the fresh food in my refrigerator was gifted to a friend this morning. I can not stand to see fresh, organic, pricey food go to waste.

Praying to baby jesus, teenager jesus, AND grown-up jesus that MN will be snow-less upon my return.

That's all.

She Gone.

Starting Over @ 26 - Take 5

Last night, I sent a farewell message to my co-workers & colleauges, celebrating my last day on the job. It read a little something like this:

....Peace Out, I'm on to new beginnings.... xo Crista

(not really... but kinda)

In response, here are a few e-mails I received:

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;] You will be missed however I look forward to keeping in touch and coming to see you next time I am in Chicago! Luv you lots and thank you for all that you did here as well…You definitely made an impact in more ways than one.

K

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Congratulations on your exciting move Crista!
I dreamt about you last night!

I will miss you more that you know, however I’m so thrilled for you.
You are so young in your career. Keep moving forward & excel.

I’ll see you soon!

B

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dear crista, my very best to you in the new step in your career. its been my joy to work with you, and i hope we cross paths from time to time to catch up. you deserve the best. sincerely, DHC ps keep in touch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Crista,I wish you much luck! Thanks for all you did for me any my salons, you will be missed!

Please keep in touch-as I and my salons will be thinking about you!

C

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You will be missed!:). I wish you well- lots of happiness and success! You deserve it! Take care and we'll see you out and about!

S

--------------------------------------------------

Crista,

Thank you for all of your support to not only the MN team, but also the support you gave me.

Best of luck, M

--------------------------------------------------

Best wishes to you too!!!

S

--------------------------------------------------

I am currently unemployed, and will be for the next two weeks.

:) :) :) :) :)

Starting Over @ 26

Shoes A-Go-Go

In preparation for my 18-day tropical get-away, I have been forced to make one of the hardest decisions of my life:

How many pairs of shoes will the girl attempt to fit into 3 bags (full of an un-godly amount of clothing)???

My prediction was that I would NEED to pack 20 pairs of shoes to get me through 18 days, but somehow or another, I was able to narrow it down to 11 pairs.

Below are Shoes A Go-Go and ....the Rejects.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

SHOES: A GO-GO

#1DOLLHOUSE: These sandals come complete with a low heel and a blingin' jewel mirrored and angeled in such a way that they provide a view up my dress... if one is looking hard enough.
#2CHINESE LAUNDRY: My mother passed these strappy silver sandals down to me. They will accompany me to evening dinner.
#3DOLLHOUSE: Due to the fact that high (or low for that matter) heels do not work on soft white sandy beaches and in crystal clear waters... one must come prepared with the Flips.
#4BCBG MAXAZRIA: Silver Flats that whore attention. Comfort & Style uncompromised.



#1KENNETH COLE REACTION: Loafer-style, mahogany flats. World-wide travelers. Within the next 18 days these flats will cruise through: MSP, ATL, TPA, San Juan, and LAX airports. I may also wear these to a meeting in Tampa.
#2CARLOS SANTANA: Red, Strappy, Corked heel. Hottness. Cruise wear. Possibly, meeting-friendly.
#3J CREW: Hawaiian-inspired flips. In rememberance of my trip to Hawaii last June. Chaka!
#4BCBG MAX AZRIA: Jelly egyptian sandals purchased in Wailea, Maui. Does it get any better than these?

#1GUESS: Be-jeweled strappy gold sandals. Evening Wear.
#2CHINESE LAUNDRY: Black strappy sandals. I refuse to wear the same pair of shoes two evenings in a row.
#3XOXO: Pink! Be-jeweled comfy slippers. These go everywhere I go. (there were in Duluth, MN two days ago)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

SHOES: REJECTED

#1GUESS: Again, purchased in Hawaii. These ALMOST made the cruise, BUT I made the decision to NOT wear a little black dress on the cruise. I am going all out tropical colors & patterns. Busy dress + Busy shoes = ...eh... tryin too hard?
#2BEBE: Chunky wedge? Maybe when I was 19. Give me a spike.
#3RAMPAGE: Again, busy shoes. Made for daytime. Daytime = Beach. Heels + Beach = Do Not Mix
#4BCBG: Closed Toes? Not on this cruise. BUT these do happen to be my most favorite and the most reliable pair of shoes I have ever owned. I have had them for years.........




#1STEVE MADDEN: Chunky Wedge? eh.......
#2GUESS: Silver HIGH heel? Love em, but they didn't make the cut.
#3BCBG: Love this low-heeled strappy sandal, BUT the strappies are becoming fragile. I will not tolerate any mis-haps on this trip.
#4MOSSIMO: Love em. BUT a girl can only carry so many pairs of closed toes shoes to the tropics.

The Surreal Life

I spent the last two days in Duluth, MN, a small city that sits on Lake Superior 2 1/2 hours North of the cities.

The challenge with Duluth is the restaurant selection. There are no Panera Breads, no Chipoltes, no Starbucks, no organic grocery stores in existence in Duluth. Food options are limited to: Applebee's, Perkin's, Old Country Buffet, and The Great American Grill... a lil Wendy's and Burger King..... ick.

As I have said before, traveling is not always glamorous. In fact, here are some of the things I was exposed to within my 2-day trip to Duluth:

• a girl blow drying her hair with a hand dryer in the restroom of a gas station. she was literally flipped upside down with her head under the hair dryer. (i must add that the gas station was located in no-man's land minnesota)
• toilets filled with yellow water. no, not pee-pee. YELLOW water.
• in a room full of 20 chicks, at least 10 of them were wearing white sweat socks with black pants and black shoes.
• a lack of food that was raw & fresh. a lack of Naked Juice. ok, absolutely NO FRESH RAW FOOD.

While on the road, I had some time to reflect on the last 6 months of my life. I have spent 5-6 months filled with anxiety, disappointment, & dissatisfaction. I have been back-stabbed, & I have been the subject of people's laughing matter. I have not been supported, and have been ignored. I have not been encouraged to follow my dreams, but instead led down a different path.

A glimpse of what I have experienced:

....my coworkers- the ones that I work closely with... all happen to be women. Women that THRIVE on gossip....

....my job could often times be compared to a bad joke....

....i spent the last two days driving to Iowa* and driving back home from Iowa. in a snow blizzard....

.....I want to be happy. I want to feel excitement. Instead, I am often reminded of the disappointment I am causing others to feel......

......my work life becomes more and more unpleasant every day. i am on the verge of tears more often than not these days.....

....I just told my boss that I do not feel she is supportive of me.....

....accused of being appointed this job that i have been interviewing for since october....


Tomorrow marks the last day in this chapter of my life. Tomorrow is my last day with my current job. Tomorrow is the last day I will work in the state of Minnesota. Tomorrow is the last day that I work for people that do not support me living out my dreams.

Saturday marks the first day of the new chapter of my life. Saturday marks a new beginning . On Saturday, I fly to Tampa and I will not come back to Minnesota until March 18th. I will come back to a condo filled with boxes.... my life packed in those few boxes.... all ready to make a move. A move that will fulfill one of my dreams.

Now, time to focus on that Cruise................

Those who risk, win.

xox ♥Happy Me.

Starting Over @ 26 - Take 4

NOTE: I entered my 26th year more aware of my health and well being than I had ever been in 25 years. Because I started a new life then, and continue new beginings, I thought I would share this post that was originally written on 9.23.08 just after my 26th birthday party... in a different blog that no longer exists. enjoy :)




In an attempt to have a vegan birthday party (with 100% carniverous attendance), I refused to supply meats and non-foods to my friends. This also meant I, and I alone prepared all of the food.
I made Fruit Sushi Roll-Up that consisted of red bell peppers, carrots, mango, pear, and apples wrapped in Nori and drizzled with a fig coco sauce. They were to die for - and a big hit, might I add. The recipe was inspired by the RAW Cookbook - the un-cook book.



I also offered Hummus & Tabouleh. Garlic Hummus topped with Red Onion, and Regular hummus topped with olive tapenade. -Of course served with a variety of pita breads and crackers. I will admit that I offered chocolate covered edamame and a small variety of cheeses served with grapes. eek! -I have extra cheese left-over sitting in my fridge. Trash it?I also offered a black bean dip w Jalapeno chips, marcona almonds, and a variety of wines. No birthday cake. :)

Another Birthday Post

Starting Over @ 26

I'm Not The Only One

miPhone

this is the post where i share most of the applications i have downloaded into my iphone. MOST are free, although i did pay a minimal amount of ching for a few of them. my favorites are marked with a ♥ .

NEWS
BBC Reader - BBC News
♥ NY Times - the New York Times... on the go.
Tribune News - Chicago News
NPR Mobile - NPR. Free. This American Life not included.

REVIEWS / TRAVEL
Local Picks - by tripadvisor.com (my fav website for finding estaurants, hotels, vacation destinations) plenty of reviews to read. i'm simply bummed that ONLY restaurants are featured in this app. it would be nice to have access to all of the information on their website.
Where - restaurant, starbucks, movie, zipcar, gas, and concert finder. it's ok. i don't use it much. but, it's free. if i were forced to delete any one app on my phone, this one would be the first to go.
Yelp - online reviews ala yelp.com. kinda cool. free.
Urbanspoon - randomly selects restaurants for you to try based on your criteria. it's ok. it's free.
SitOrSquat - a place to find and record restrooms all throughout the US. find a clean restroom near you. report a dirty restroom. sitorsquat.com
Metromix - find restaurants, bars, clubs, music, movies in most major cities. metromix.com
Citysearch - restaurant, hotel, bsalon, shopping reviews. free. citysearch.com it's ok.
♥ BlackBook - insider reviews of the hottest, most fashionable restaurants, bars & clubs, hotels, & shopping worth checking out. includes most major cities. free & beautiful app.
Grub Hub - discover restaurants that deliver. view menus, ratings, and reviews before placing your order. available in four major cities: chicago, san fran, boston, and new york. free & necessary on a lazy sunday.
♥ Veg Out - a vegetarian restuarant guide powered by happycow.net. this app actually categorizes the restaurants in to 3 categories: vegan, vegetarian, and veg friendly.

SOCIAL NETWORKING
Facebook - yeah yeah.
Myspace - yeah yeah yeah.
Loopt - i downloaded this app after being invited by a fellow iphone user. share your exact location with friends, and see their exact location. update your status twitter style. you can share your status with verizon, sprint, metro PCS users as well as at&t users. free.
My Snaps - although i have not used this app much as of yet, it seems cool. organize your photos into different collections & catagories. share photos with your friends. also available, celebrity gossip, news, fashion, beauty, etc... free. limelife.com

MUSIC
♥ Pandora - internet radio that allows you to create your own stations by entering artists or songs that you like. you can create more than one station. pandora.com. free & amazing.
♥ Shazam - this app will listen to any music that is currently playing and instantly tell you what the name of the song and the artist. it's free.

SHOPPING
♥ Amazon.com - i shop amazon.com often so this app come in handy. my wishlists, shopping carts, and payment information are all included in the app. i can purchase any item from my phone, and add items to my wishlist at any time.
Craigsphone - the free version of craigslist.org. browse classifieds, or post.. even upload pics to your posting! there are other versions of craigslist for cost, i am satisfied with the free version.
Carries Closet - a la sex & the city, create an online version of your closet. pair items together, create outfits, & accessorize. share with friends. enjoy music from the sex & the city soundtrack while wardrobing. free.

REFERENCE
Go Green - go green. get green tips that are saved to your green list. a new green tip every day. free.
♥ Wordbook - not free, but the best dictionary app for ihpone. worth it.
Inspired Ones - inspiring quotes. a new quote every day. free. inspirational.
Who Called - reverse phone lookup utlity. i haven't used it yet.... free.
♥ Google - google anything ala voice search. google while you drive ala voice search! get directions to any destination straight from this app. free.

LIFESTYLE
Style.com - men's fashion, parties, fashion shows, style file blog, style videos. free.
Yum Yum - vegan recipe book. the blog: http://www.veganyumyum.com/
Green...LITE - information from The Green Book ....the everyday guide to saving the planet one simple step at a time. free.

RANDOM?
Darkroom - a photo app that will only take pictures when your hand is steady therefore eliminating blurry pics.
Art Camera - turn your photos into a work of art, or just make a funny picture with lots of different vivid photo and art filters. i love it.
Flixster - movie finder. good ish. free.
♥ Backgrounds - this app is free and allows you to download as many backgrounds as your little heart desires. all images are beautiful. there are 40+ categories of pictures. i believe the pics are pulled from flickr.com.
Wi-Fi Finder - need i say more?


obesessed? not quite. missing anything? let me know............



xox bird*

life is precious.

my best friend has a son who is suffering from severe anxiety, depression, and addiction to Rx drugs. my heart dropped and my stomach turned when i heard the news today. his son made the decision to purchase a gun. a glock. we got word through a friend of his.........

Depression is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may not be able to go about your usual daily activities, and depression may make you feel as if life just isn't worth living anymore.

Addiction is a primary, progressive, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over use of the substance, preoccupation with the substance, use of the substance despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking.

my brother carries a gun daily.... every where he goes. it makes me nervous to be in the same room with him. there is no comfort in sleeping in the same house as him. i worry that he will loose his temper in an argument and pull his gun on someone. i worry that something will happen on accident.

until now, i never worried about my brother using his own gun to shoot himself.... but he currently has a shitty job, can't pay his bills, car reposessed, has no vision of the future..............

during my high school years, i dated a guy that chose to shoot himself with his best friends gun..... in front of all of his friends. he had an alcohol problem and quite possibly, suffered from depression. no one saw it coming...... in fact, his closest friends still call it an "accident" ... "he wouldn't do that to us," they say.

within the last year or two, i have come in to contact with so many people that have been through "the program." due to the fact that the salon owner at the salon i work in is a recovering addict, recovering addicts are prevalent guests of the salon. after 6-7-8 years of being sober, these people still attend meetings every week. these people are happy. the salon is a safe and positive place. they are recognized as being recovered and encouraged to continue moving forward in a positive direction.

personally, i have never had an addiction to anything. i have never suffered from depression. at the most, minor anxiety. i do not understand. i can not relate.

i am sick. my stomach is in knots. i need to know that everything is going to be ok.

Starting Over @ 26 - Take 3

Despite a lack of support, contrary to what many people believed would actually happen... I received a formal job offer in Chicago. i win. accused of being appointed this job that i have been interviewing for since october. multiple interviews. interview after interview after phone call after meeting after phone call after question after interview after phone call after meeting. i have given a formal departure notice to my current boss. he later yelled slash screamed at me... told me to grow up. i did not yell and scream back. i still win. no emotion. no emotion. no emotion. simply, reality. they can no longer bring me down. it's a done. deal. job starts march 1. moved to chi april 1. done. deal. i win. i greatly appreciate those who have supported me from day one. i highly despise those who worked diligently to slow me down. to back me up. to bring me down. i still win.

i ♥ chicago.
i ♥ chicago.
i ♥ chicago.

i'm headed back home. Starting Over @ 26

xox Happy Birdie

just another THURSday...

3:15 am Alarm Sounds
4:00 am Smoothie in hand
4:20 am Pack my laptop/books/notepad into my laptop bag
4:22 am Hop in the car - headed to the airport
4:45 am Arrive at the MSP airport
4:50 am Discover the security line is long. VERY long. with no shortcut for Elite/First Class Passengers
4:55 am I manage to cut t least 50 people in the security line
4:59 am I hurriedly rush through the airport (in heels) in order to make my flight on time
5:00 am I am discovered by a shuttle driver and am basically thrown in to his shuttle as it is moving and am transported to my gate at the other end of the airport
5:06 am In line for a bottle of water and a not-so-organic banana
5:11 am Board plane to ATL
5:40 am With Paris Hilton's Confessions Of An Heiress
8:49 am Via the BBC Newsreader iPhone app., I discover Chicago is in the lead for Olympics 2016
8:59 am Deplane in ATL
9:00 am Rushing through airport in order to catch my connecting flight to TPA
9:19 am Bitched out by some woman sitting in MY seat. she thought she was right. I knew she was wrong.
9:49 am With Paris Hilton's Confessions Of An Heiress
11:04 am Arrive TPA
11:34 am @ Marriot Airport Restaurant meeting with my new (potential) bosses for a final interview
12:30 pm Did my interviewer just order a second plate of food??
1:00 pm Did one of my interviewers just get up in the middle of our conversation to make a trip to the gift shop, only to return with a Valentines Day Gift for his wife?
1:15 PM Giving my interviewer instructions on a DIY Valentine's Day card
1:30 pm Meeting over. On tram back to Delta Gates
2:00 pm plugged in at a station in the business center, I scour tripadvisor.com for things to do while on cruise in March
4:00 pm Board a plane back to ATL
4:06 pm Plane smells like piss and sweaty socks
4:20 pm With Confession's Of An Heiress
5:45 pm Deplane in ATL
5:50 pm Rush to the opposite end of the airport to catch connecting flight
5:59 pm Just in time for the attendant to not close the aircraft door in my face. last one to board the plane
6:02 pm Seat 39A? Fuck.
6:15 pm I am reminded for the FOURTH time today that my seat cushion doubles as a flotation device
6:20 pm I need to quit my job and become an heiress
6:35 pm With The Secret Life Of Bees movie
7:59 pm Steadily watching every move the plane makes on Delta GPS, counting down the minutes unil I can get off the f'n airplane
8:11 pm Arrive in MSP.
8:23 pm Deplane.
8:40 pm Shuttle to long-term parking, blue ramp, Acura parked in the first row.

cruisin'

Mid-March, I am headed back to the Caribbean Celebrity Cruise style ..... a 7 day trip that will be squeezed between divisional meetings in Tampa and an artist training in LA. I will be gone from home a total of 17 consecutive days.

[image yanked from DailyCandy]

Upon arrival to San Juan, I anticipate shopping, and delish vegan puerto rican food (does it exist... COULD it exist??) Due to the fact that I am boarding a CRUISE SHIP and can not stay in Puerto Rico (for very long) and PLAY, I will am thoroughly disappointed in missing an opportunity to swim amongst the jellyfish in the BioBay at midnight.

Maho Bay is located at the Southwest shore of St. Maarten and has a feeling similar to that of the Las Vegas Strip. The beach sits on the southern end of the airport runway and warns that "Low Flying and Departing Aircraft may cause injury." Seriously.

In the Dominca, we will put on a wetsuit and helmet... and prepare ourselves for rapelling through waterfalls, scrambling over logs jams, and wading through rivers and pools Extreme Dominca Style.

Nestled between the exotic and magnificent tropical rainforest, flora, fauna and history of the Balthazar Estate, Grenada offers a river tubing experience that is sure to be the "thrill of a lifetime." While aboard a glass-bottomed boat, I will be sure to check out the underwater sculptures.

In Tobago, how do you choose between beachin' at heavenly Castara Bay or snorkeling in the Nylon Pool which is an off-shore sandbar, a swimming pool in the middle of the ocean?

I have passed up the opportunity for surfing lessons one too many times, In Barbados, I will not pass up the opportunity to ride the waves.

Saint Valentine

February 14th & Juno Fructifier or Juno Februata:
The Romans celebrated a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno Fructifier, Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses as well as goddess of marriage. In one ritual, women would submit their names to a common box and men would each draw one out. These two would be a couple for the duration of the festival (and at times for the entire following year). Both rituals were designed to promote not only fertility, but also life generally.

February 15th & Feast of Lupercalia:
On February 15, Romans celebrated Luperaclia, honoring Faunus, god of fertility. Men would go to a grotto dedicated to Lupercal, the wolf god, located at the foot of Palatine Hill and where Romans believed that the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were suckled by a she-wolf. The men would sacrifice a goat, don its skin, and run around, hitting women with small whips, an act which was supposed to ensure fertility.

St. Valentine, Christian Priest:
According to one story, Roman emperor Claudius II imposed a ban on marriages because too many young men were dodging the draft by getting married (only single men had to enter the army). A Christian priest named Valentinus was caught performing secret marriages and sentenced to death. While awaiting execution, young lovers visited him with notes about how much better love is than war — the first “valentines.” The execution occurred in 269 CE on February 14th.

St. Valentine, Second and Third:
Another Valentinus was a priest jailed for helping Christians. During his stay he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and sent her notes signed “from your Valentine.” He was eventually beheaded and buried on the Via Flaminia. Reportedly Pope Julius I built a basilica over his grave. A third and final Valentinius was the bishop of Terni and he was also martyred, with his relics being taken back to Terni.

Christianity Takes Over Valentine’s Day:
In 469, emperor Gelasius declared February 14th a holy day in honor of Valentinus instead of the pagan god Lupercus. This allowed Christianity to take over some of the celebrations of love and fertility which had perviously occurred in the context of paganism. Pagan celebrations were reworked to fit the martyr theme — Christianity did not approve of rituals that encouraged sexuality. Instead of pulling girls’ names from boxes, both boys and girls chose the names of martyred saints from a box.

Valentine’s Day Turns to Love:
It wasn’t until the Renaissance of 14th century that customs returned to celebrations of love and life rather than faith and death. People began to break free of some of the bonds imposed upon them by the Church and move towards a humanistic view of nature, society, and the individual. Moving towards more sensual art and literature, there was no shortage of poets and authors connecting the dawning of Spring with love, sexuality, and procreation.

Valentine’s Day & Divination:
As with so many other holidays that have pagan roots, divination came to play an important role in the development of modern Valentine’s Day. People looked to all sorts of things, primarily in nature, in order to find some sign about who might become their mate for life — their One True Love. There were also, of course, things which came to be used to induce love or lust.

Commercialization of Valentine’s Day:
Today, capitalist commercialism is the biggest aspect of Valentine’s Day. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on chocolate, candies, flowers, dinners, hotel rooms, jewelry, and other gifts used to celebrate February 14th. There’s a lot of money to be made from people’s desire to commemorate the day. Only Christmas and Halloween come close in the way that modern commercialism has transformed and adopted an ancient pagan celebration.

Valentine’s Day as a Pagan, Commercial Holiday:
Valentine’s Day is no longer part of the official liturgical calendar of any Christian church; it was dropped from the Catholic calendar in 1969. It’s not a feast, a celebration, or a memorial of any martyrs. A return to more pagan-like celebrations of February 14th is not surprising — and neither is the overall commercialization of the day. Millions of people all over the world celebrate Valentine’s Day in one fashion or another, but it’s unlikely that even one of them celebrates it in an even remotely religious manner.

This has resulted in some backlash among reiligious leaders in some societies. Some of the negative reactions are due to the pagan and commercialized elements, but some must be attributed to the long-term Christian character of the day. In India, Hindu nationalists threatened anyone caught observing any Christian holidays, including Valentine’s Day. Some young lovers caught in public together on Valentine’s Day were even assaulted. Government officials in Saudi Arabia prohibited Muslims from doing anything at all associated with Valentine’s Day.

A few Christians seem to be interested in restoring some semblance of religion to Valentine’s Day, though not in any traditional sense. They don’t want to use it as a means for memorializing saints, but as a means of evangelization. In Kansas, for example, Christians sent roses to high school girls that were accompanied by Bible verses. It’s not clear whether they were trying to reclaim a lost Christian holiday or merely trying to appropriate a secular, commercial holiday for their own purposes.

The truth, though, is that American culture has so taken over Valentine’s Day that no amount of Bible verses will be able to change things. Commercial interests make so much money from Valentine’s Day that they aren’t going to accept any changes that won’t lead to even more profits. Christians helped make Valentine’s Day a cultural holiday, and now it’s entirely out of their hands.

[source: http://atheism.about.com/]

love is... never forgetting....

love is... following your heart

love is... being there to share in their achievements

love is... an empty space when they are gone

love is... helping to make the world a more caring place

love is... seeing them larger than life

love is... a labyrinth

Starting Over @ 26 - Take 2

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anxiety anxiety Anxiety Anxiety anxiety anxiety Anxiety anxiety Anxiety
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anxiety anxiety Anxiety Anxiety anxiety anxiety Anxiety anxiety Anxiety
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"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

[Henry David Thoreau]

Starting Over @ 26 – Take 1

rise & shine

the alarm clock rings. 6 AM. the world is still dark as my eyes slowly open. my hands feel around for my buzzing phone to cut the ear-piercing sound.

as i hop out of bed and turn a light on, i immediately begin my search for the pooch. i am never quite sure where i will find him in the morning.

that's right folks, last week i spent the WHOLE week (5 consecutive days!!) waking up to an alarm clock at the crack of dawn.

as long as i am in bed at a decent hour, i do not have a problem waking up early in the AM... not even in bone-chilling temperatures. my condo stays warmer than necessary. the pooch, on the other hand has no desire to be up at the crack of dawn. often times, i have to pick him up, carry him outside, and demand he potty as i already struggle to be on time.

by the time i drag myself (and all of the things i need for the day) out the door, the morning crowd is buzzing. i look around at other people in their cars and wonder what time they got up this morning and what time they hit the road. how is it that they had extra time to hit Starbucks, and i hardly had time to take the pooch out for his morning relief??

traffic is heavy in the morning and requires that i leave extra early. you see, when you don't ride morning traffic often, it is a challenge to predict how many cars will be headed in the same direction as yourself.

i enjoy CNN headline news, BBC Radio, and NPR on XM in the morning. i am always curious as to what time those people have to get out of bed in the AM to be at the station ready for broadcasting the news straight to the speakers in the Acura.

it doesn't matter how early i am forced to wake myself and rise from the bed... there is always someone that has experienced the rise and shine earlier than me.

i am certainly not a morning person, but will admit that it feels good to get up and get a move on the day.

monday morning... tomorrow... i will be forced out of the bed at 6 AM for the 6th consecutive work day. february is going to be a productive month for me.