Protect the Polar Bears!

I ran into Greenpeace again. This time they were trying to appeal to my animal loving side by encouraging me to save the bears of the far north. Perhaps, because I’m so cute, they think I have a special bond with other cute things. That might be a good theory.

But first, I’m not sure how cute polar bears actually are. Sure, they are fluffy and white but they are still actual bears and I’m a firm believer that past the age of enjoying little stuffed bears there are no more bears that are cute. Second, I don’t really know anything about polar bears, I mean, are they actually endangered? Do the Eskimos hunt them? Probably. Finally, if they are hunted by Eskimos I have no idea how I could personally save them. Oh if only we could stop global warming and Eskimos!

Anyway, one thing I do know about polar bears is they like Coca-Cola, especially around the holidays. So, for the first time ever, I decided to take Greenpeace’s challenge. I’m sending a case of the good stuff to my fellow cute friends chillin at the pole. I hope this helps with the whole endangered thing…and I sure hope they share with the penguins because they are cute too.

Cute, sappy...and so true

It is no secret that I enjoy cute, little things and I have yet to stop the rumors that I’m fairly skilled with crafty projects and such. It is also not a secret that I do NOT like sappy-cute-crafty things. I don’t care for motivational wooden plaques, feel good embroidery pillows, silly animal pictures with cheesy sayings, ridiculous generic forwards adorned with angels and I certainly don’t scrapbook. It’s just not my thing.

Sure, my own taste in craft projects might not suit another, but the brilliance is I don’t care. I know what I like…and I’m mostly ok with others enjoying the crap they like. Sometimes I feel bad if I gag when you show me your little puppy pillow embroidered with: “I wuf you”…but it is not my fault you have creepy taste.

Sidetracked…anyway, my best friend is a member of a card making club which she really enjoys and is rather good it. It is a form of scrapbooking that I’m not completely opposed to so I’m ok with it. Occasionally she shows me something that is a bit cheesy, she admits it and I just giggle. Overall, they are really beautiful and rather sweet and I enjoy getting them. Recently she posted one of the cards she made on her blog and for the first time I saw a cheesy, gag inducing quote that actually gave me a genuine smile:

“A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same”

This simple little quote described our friendship better than I ever could. Our friendship has lasted more than a decade because we truly know each other and we love each other despite and because of what we know. There are not too many people in my life I’d be prepared to say that about and without question she makes the top of the list. We have seen each other from laughter to tears and together we have forged through the wonderful and the despair. A friendship like this does not come along every day and when a cheesy but beautiful quote appears as a reminder you find yourself most grateful for the opportunity you have for them to be in your life.

I did not intend for this posting to be homage to my best friend, in fact I was prepared to bash more warm-fuzzy quotables, but perhaps this is long overdue. We are human, and honestly just not that easy to love sometimes. Some of us pose challenges because we are clueless, guarded, broken or quite simply a tad bit feisty but we all desire to be and have good friends. A true friendship is more than completing sentences or bursting into laughter by the look of an unspoken joke. A true friend loves you despite all faults and cares enough to patiently encourage you to overcome them. A true friendship stands the test of time, distance and change. As two peas in a pod, together, we have weathered all three. I am so lucky to have a friend like her that can make a cute, sappy quote mean something very real to me. I am proud to call her my best friend.

Little Purple Things

I finally caved last week and purchased a new iPod nano… a purple one. It is a very good purple and it suits me well. I can honestly tell you I purchased this iPod for two reasons: it’s small and it’s an amazing shade of purple. When I saw the ad release for the new generation iPods I was filled with glee – you put anything in the right size and color and I’ll buy it, so good job Apple. After my joyful purchase, a friend of mine generously loaded my new baby with some sweet jams and I drove home in high spirits singing and dancing with my new pretty purple pal entertaining both myself and fellow roadies.

It has been just over a week and I have proudly displayed it to everyone I know as if they have never seen one. That little electronic gem has brought me so many warm fuzzies. I feel slightly bad for my old fatty iPod because he just was never that pretty, but he has a new owner so I am sure he is just fine. BUT, the point is, the current joy. I am truly amazed at how happy I have been to get in my car after work and sit in traffic so I can play with my new friend -I actually look forward to it. Although this strikes me as somewhat strange I think the real reason is rather quit simple. It is the simplicity of it.

Recently I’ve been stressing in my life over huge things. I am starting to feel a tad older and daily more aware of things I thought I’d be doing by this point in my life and am not. Unfortunately, long ago, I approached these goals from the wrong angle, placing unnecessary time frames and silly expectations, so instead of standing as pieces of hope and excitement they have continually brought discouragement. Maybe I’m naive, but I guess I thought goals should be motivating and rarely discouraging, so…ooops.

While I know there is a place for long term goals and a genuine focus on the bigger picture I have spent far too much time recently overlooking the small things in life that bring happiness every single day. Thank you my pretty, purple iPod for reminding me of the little things that make life worthwhile on a very, very small and simple scale.

Election Exercise

I did not vote for a President yesterday. I did not care for any of the candidates and this whole campaign season has really been a huge disappointment. I voted yesterday because I can. I voted because years ago a group of inspired, wise, strong individuals fought for the right to be heard, to choose, to vote. I voted yesterday because just shy a century ago a few brave women stood up in a society telling them no and paved the way for me to have the right today to be heard, to choose, to vote.

My heart ached yesterday when I heard the indifference of some of my friends and colleagues. “Who cares, my vote doesn’t count anyway,” “I don’t like any of the candidates so it’s just not worth voting.” What a sad state our nation is in when today we are unable to appreciate the simple privilege of heading to a local polling station and casting a vote when there were so many willing to die for it. I refuse to take this for granted no matter how poor the ballot may look when I get to it. I refuse to silence myself by apathy. I will not pretend to think my individual vote will flip any election but it does not really matter because it is my vote and that is the most important vote to me.

Yesterday I voted simply to exercise a privilege given to me long ago by others who would not be silenced. I voted for them and I voted for me. I voted because I am woman and I voted because I am an American.

Protest Sin

On my way back from lunch today I passed a small group of individuals shouting at the top of their lungs. When I got closer I noticed a big yellow poster saying something about sin and then, in red, bold letters: Repent Now or Be Burned. Eek! Then I heard the guy tell a clearly drunken student they were out ‘protesting sin’ on this fine day. Amen to that is what I say. I think we should all protest sin more often, perhaps even every day, but maybe with something a bit classier than yellow poster board and sharpies. I’m thinking t-shirts.

That's My Spot!

This morning when I pulled into the parking garage there was a small red car just sitting there in my spot. When I say my spot, I mean exactly that, it’s MY spot. Every time I find a car misplaced there I feel a small burst of anger flood through my body and I make a little growl noise to myself. Grrr! Now, we do not actually have reserved parking spots in this garage but still I feel some sense of ownership over this spot. I mean, I’ve been parking there for over 4 years so I figure it must be some kind of common law privilege. But every month or so I go through the same thing – new people that don’t know they've parked in my spot and I have to inform them…in the nicest way possible. I’ve been saying forever that I want to put up a sign to announce to the noobs this location has already been claimed, please park elsewhere, but clearly my laziness outweighs the temporary flash of bitterness towards the spot stealer.

Last night I was watching Project Runway and there was a hilariously over-dramatic blow-up between two designers about a sewing machine. Apparently one of the designers had claimed a certain sewing station and found another designer had changed the thread and was using it! Gasp! I mocked them through the screen, of course, but found myself thinking I’d probably feel much the same way had it happened to me. After all, I was irritated with little red car this morning and I can remember being irritated when those annoying kids tried to sit at our lunch table in elementary school. I can also remember shaking my fist and mumbling under my breath back in college when I would walk all the way up to the top floor of the library only to find my favorite study/sleeping cube filled to capacity with a fellow student I would now despise forever. And…I find myself actually getting slightly flushed and disoriented when I walk into church and somebody is sitting in my row. What is happening here?!?!

Honestly, I don’t think my reaction is entirely unfounded and irrational; although it is probably way more intense than it should be, but that’s not really anything new for me. Since the beginning of time we have been sectioning off territory for specific groups of people or individuals and we fight over it…still…today. We want our own space and probably for some deeply ingrained reason – we need something to call our own. Currently, I have my cubical at work and my bedroom – this is MY personal area so don’t touch my stuff! As a human race or maybe just an American race we all want a bit of space dedicated just for us. It makes us feel secure, comfortable, perhaps even gives us a sense of control or power. I like and want all of those things and so I guess that explains the desire for retaliation when someone tries to take it all away from me by parking in my spot.

Well, that’s just a little introspection for the day. Turns out, I’m possessive. I said it. There you have it. So, please, don’t take my spot!

Color Me Good

I love color and I love wearing it.

I shant give away any of my secrets but every day I spend a minute or so deciding what color I’m going to wear based entirely on how I’m feeling, who I'll be seeing or what I’ll be doing. It’s amazing how much a little bit of color can affect my mood and the rest of my life. There have been plenty of studies surrounding color; what they mean or what they might say about the individual. Although I don’t know enough about color theory to support it as a pure science, I certainly find it very fascinating and worth exploring further. After all, there is no denying the role color plays in the advertising world so color must do something.

Since I clearly ponder on color a lot, I happen to know of a fun little online color quiz. Now, I’ve never really given too much credit to personality tests and although I feel this is very similar to an all encompassing horoscope or some creepy fortune cookie that sorta fits my current perspective, I found these results eerily close to accurate on a simply basic level. Interesting:

Your Existing Situation: Easily affected by her environment and readily moved by the emotions of others. Seeks congenial relationships and an occupation which will promote them.

True

Your Stress Sources: Has an unsatisfied need to ally herself with others whose standards are as high as her own, and to stand out from the herd. Her control of her sensual instincts restricts her ability to give herself, but the resulting isolation leads to the urge to surrender and allow herself to merge with another. This disturbs her as such instincts are regarded as weaknesses to be overcome; she feels that only by continued self-restraint can she hope to maintain her attitude of individual superiority. Wants to be loved or admired for herself alone; needs attention, recognition, and the esteem of others.

True, give me more attention.

Your Restrained Characteristics: Believes that she is not receiving her share--that she is neither properly understood nor adequately appreciated. Feels that she is being compelled to conform, and close relationships leave her without any sense of emotional involvement. Circumstances are forcing her to compromise, to restrain her demands and hopes, and to forgo for the time being some of the things she wants.

Mostly true, but what is emotional involvement – sounds lame.

Your Desired Objective: Takes easily and quickly to anything which provides stimulation. Preoccupied with things of an intensely exciting nature, whether erotically stimulating or otherwise. Wants to be regarded as an exciting and interesting personality with an altogether charming and impressive influence on others. Uses tactics cleverly so as to avoid endangering her chances of success or undermined others' confidence in herself.

True, I am cleverly tactic.

Your Actual Problem: Has a fear that she might be prevented from achieving the things she wants. This leads her to employ great personal charm in her dealings with others, hoping that this will make it easier for her to reach her objectives.

True, I am most charming.

Your Actual Problem #2 (cause 1 is not enough): Greatly impressed by the unique, by originality, and by individuals of outstanding characteristics. Tries to emulate the characteristics she admires and to display originality in her own personality.

True, originality is my middle name when I’m not conforming to others I admire.

Ok, so that was fun but I’m not really sure what all of this means. If my preference to a certain color led the computer to identify all these problems I have why does it not tell me with which color to solve them all. It’s probably red, red is the best, good thing I have a ton of it.

So, now I’m wondering, what does color say about ya’ll?