Are you ready for some football?

Patriots vs. Giants. Take 2. Are you kidding? This is like deja vu, except in warm, sunny, Arizona. And instead of going into the game 15-0 the Patriots are now at 18-0 with one game to go. And it is making me nervous. Remember? I was at Giant Stadium Dec 29, and even though it all turned out fine, the Giants gave the Pats a run for their money. Questions remain....what is up with Tom Brady's ankle sprain? I knew something was wrong last week..he was not himself. And then there's Randy Moss...they are all over him, both literally and figuratively. And I wonder how the Pats will perform outside of their arctic envirnment?

One can only hope Baby Eli loses his composure. The Pats defense needs to step up and take charge. Tom Brady needs to score early and score often.

The good news is I will be sitting in my living room in the comfort of an easy chair, sharing the game with Pats fans.

Are the Patriots one of the most hated teams of all time? That's not a very nice thing to say. They are, perhaps, one of the most talented TEAMS of all time...but I think other teams are starting to learn from their lessons...so they better watch out. Team spirit, team play and winning are contagious...

It was a Red Day

Red. The color of war, danger, power, energy, passion, and love.Today was a red day.Emotionally intense.I woke up and decided to wear red. Red and black....awesome. So there I was trying to answer the question, "Where is the computer lab?" How can computer lab be missing...."Can you set the projector up so I can show the dvd at lunches today?"
"Why isn't anyone getting my email?"
"Why can't I log in? This is taking forever...my password doesn't work...see? I tried it a million times!"
"The printer is jammed...It's jammed again....and again, and again."
"Where IS the lab?"
"My Internet isn't working." Did you fill out an Incident report? "No, because I thought everyone was having trouble...."
"Is anyone in HERE today?"
"WHERE IS THE LAB?"

To the elevator....to deliver the projector cart downstairs....the door opens and the elevator is already occupied....there waiting patiently for someone or someone's mess to clean is a lonely stand-up Hoover vaccuum. And it is red. I share my elevator ride with a red Hoover. Suddenly the frenzy of the morning seemed less threatening somehow, sharing the elevator with the red Hoover.

Hours later, delivering the projector back upstairs to the lab....the elevator opens, and the red Hoover is standing tall, occupying the same spot...all day long.

The day ends and as I walk out the door down the hallway with a colleague the custodian remarks..."What is it a red day today? Everyone is wearing red!"

Even the Hoover....

Questions of the week that noone can seem to answer

So every now and then random questions pop up....and when I go to someone for an answer? Well...sometimes I don't get the simple answer I was looking for. Like for example, what is the best food to eat before a workout? After a workout? I can tell you that a small French vanilla coffee and a bagel, or a coffee and a muffin is not the right answer, because I know from experience. It seems coffee and anything probably isn't the best choice. So ask the trainer, she'll know.... "I don't know! That's a very good question! I usually have toast and peanut butter, or peanut butter and crackers. But I'm not really sure...you need to eat something!" I figured that much out. But not coffee.

What is my golf swing speed? I may need to wait to get the answer to that one..but I want to buy new clubs, and I cannot even look at clubs until I know my swing speed....I thought I found a good deal, but only if I have a slow swing speed...I don't think I do.

And what is it with Deal or No Deal? I don't understand why I like it so much, I've only seen it twice..but it rocks. Is it Howie? Or the contestants? Or the mysterious banker. No one can answer that one.Deal...or no deal!

And finally, what makes people say nasty, mean things about others? And what makes people think I have all the answers? I do not have all the answers. If I did, I would quit my day job. Today.What ever happened to the Golden Rule? I think people just like to complain and whine, but I'm not sure. I feel bad for them..those people who go on and on about what others are saying or doing.I don't get it. We're all just here trying to live a life and be happy.

How far would you go?

I am a news junkie....every morning, at least two newspapers, three morning news shows on television, and my usual new sources online. This morning's newspaper resonated with a sad reflection on the time we live in. Why do people make the choices they do? What hidden ambition, desire, or stupidity makes otherwise intelligent people do stupid things?

Since I love sports, let me begin with the sad state of competitive sports:

Golf- Kelly Tilghman is on a 2 week suspension from the golf Channel for making a wisecrack about Tiger Woods on the air....what was she thinking?

Baseball- Steroids: the two terms are synonymous. The US Olympic Committee is now joined by MLB and the NFL in conducting anti-doping research and collaboration. Remember how we felt when it was clear Eastern communist countries made a habit of cheating during the Olympics? How fair was that? And how can anyone justify giving themselves an unfair advantage? And don't you dare say "but everyone else does it...."

SPYGATE: The Pats play tonight-trying to go for 17-0. Was it really that big a deal? Or was it just good coaching.


Marion Jones is going to prison. For six months. For lying to investigators for taking performance enhancing drugs. She had to give back her 6 gold medals. For years my youngest daughter wanted to be an Olympic athlete. Only the best can make it to the top....


Figure Skating- I know you're thinking, 'Is that really a sport?" Former National Champion and Olympian Christopher Bowman- dead at the age of 40 after years of struggling with a cocaine habit.

And then we have stories about those that we hold in high esteem:

IVY LEAGUE Harvard grad admits stabbing to death someone who made fun of him; Hanover (Dartmouth) High School students disciplined in cheating scandal: only those that confessed will be punished!!

The year has been filled with sad stories about famous athletes and their less than conscionable acts. And those are the ones that have been caught.

We are living in times where the line between right and wrong seems to be in constant motion- hard to see, hard to find, hard to define. What about rules and laws? Those seem to be pretty clear cut...but then again, just ask a lawyer.

Examples of otherwise smart people doing really stupid things seem to be the norm, these days. And this is the world our children see..this is a reflection on our society. The good news is sometimes the cheaters, fakers, and bad guys get caught and we can read about it. The bad news is that it happens at all.

Hopefully, the Tiger Woods's, Jim Rices and Chris Carpenters of the world will continue to have a more positive impact on the character and moral compass of our youth than Roger Clemens, Michael Vick and Marion Jones.

Why Work?

Okay, so I think it may be possible to not work. You know, not have a real job. Lately work is interfering with life, and that isn't a good thing. I feel like I'm 22 again. My daughter..who is 22, who knows she doesn't want to get up at 6am each day and be to work by 8. "This schedule is not working out," she says, "it's just not for me." Maybe that's my issue. The schedule really goes against my inner clock.

What would the perfect job look like? Well, to start, the perfect job day would begin around 9am, with about 30 minutes to check and respond to email, make a list, and actually think about a plan of attack for the day. Then, there needs to be time to check in with your people. You know who they are, the positive people who can get you charged up and energized to start your day.

So around 10:00 your day begins with whatever you have on your list...and you start knocking things off, one at a time, with little distraction, music playing softly or loudly, depending on the task. Perhaps your people stop by to say hi and check in on you. Perhaps your supervisor stops by to acknowledge that you exist and that you are doing a fantastic job!

Noon time-lunch!! And imagine a job where you get 60 minutes for lunch! Just like a grown up. You could eat, go for a walk, run a quick errand or two, and be back, ready for the afternoon by 1:02. The afternoon would be spent finishing tasks, reading, learning, teaching, sharing and basking in your own productivity.

3:00- time for a bit of caffeine- an afternoon pick me up and a snack. Time to straighten up, organize and plan the next day. Time to read email, take notes, and tie up loose ends.
4pm- lights out and off to the gym!

I guess I could work until 5pm like a normal person. But we are talking about the perfect job, remember? Oh, and did I mention a 3 day work week would suffice? No Fridays, and possibly no Mondays. Although sometimes I like Mondays...the beginning of a new week. But starting your week on a Tuesday wouldn't be so bad, either.

Well, I am seriously contemplating working extra long and hard to pay off all my bills so I won't have to work any more. You know, stay home and do what stay at home people do: clean, shop, cook, watch soap operas and game shows, and have lots of energy for the gym and a night life. I think it could work. I don't really need to spend all the money I do, I just spend it because it's there and it's necessary retail therapy brought on because of the undue stress of working. So no work- no stress- and no need for shopping. Theoretically.

So why work? Lately, it is not bringing about much satisfaction, and it is eating up a huge chunk of time that could be spent learning all kinds of cool new skills.

So what would you do if you did not have to work? How would you spend your time? Lately, I am beginning to wonder....I bet I could not work and get away with it. What do you think?

Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people....

I love this quote. I didn't see the movie..but I love the quote. Life is a journey, right? A cosmic journey if you ask me....one in which you never know quite what will happen, or who you will run into to. Maybe that's the beauty of film, and books....the writer knows how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Seemingly random characters from random walks of life connect in ways only a writer can fabricate.

I love a good story, who doesn't? And sometimes, life gives us the best stories of all, with twists and turns and intricately woven connections that couldn't be replicated by even the most gifted of writers.

So how does it happen in real life? How does the journey begin? You never know. You never know what someone will be when they grow up, you never know who will meet, and you never know what fate has in store. I've listened to some pretty amazing stories. Six degrees of separation? Perhaps...a little more than coincidence or chance? Definitely. Everyone has a story, and when the stories are told, then connections are made. It happens every day. If you listen and get to know people, their stories, you will see. The connections are there, like pieces in the puzzle called life. I hate doing puzzles..but I love finding two pieces that fit together. Each piece is unique, and only two pieces can connect in any one configuration, but it takes all the pieces to complete the puzzle.

So let the journey continue...who will you meet today?

Happiness is in the heart....

Not in the head. So thinking is overrated, and just being and doing seem to work just fine. What makes you happy? I gotta say, it's amazing what a random list it is. But whatever it is, make time in your day for it and do it. Whatever it is. Do not try to analyze, discuss, force, brow beat, or beat yourself up. Just do it. Is that why the Nike ad is so successful?

So there is a really good blog out there called ZENHABITS http://zenhabits.net/2008 and I highly recommend it if you are trying to get to happy. Of course, the latest post is about spending too much time on the computer...which is how I found this cool site to begin with, so go figure!

A happy body equals a happy head....and it appears to be true. Going to the gym, to exercise, or exorcize, is good for the soul. Eating bad equals feeling bad, not happy...Sleep brings sweet dreams and much needed rest...and work, people, is work. Sometimes, work can be fun, but if it is not, it is just work.

Take time to have fun..every day. But first you must know how to have fun. What makes you happy? What kind of fun will you have today?