a.m.g.

if you watch the biggest loser, you know who i’m talking about.  what a badass!  He’s a hardcore trainer, but my favorite part is how caring and inspirational he is with his contestants.  He finds that one good thing that people can find in themselves and totally builds their confidence on that ONE thing (I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because of some of my classes and now that I’m hoping to start teaching in the fall… so I’ll probably post a blog about that later on because it’s just one more of those things that I’ve been holding in the back of my mind and it’s popping up everywhere i turn).  People who just feel too fat, lazy, unmotivated - "I’m too fat, I’m too lazy, I’ll never be able to lose all of that weight, I’m worthless……" and so on and so on… it’s a vicious cycle of self deprecation.  But he really knows how to get in there and make those wheels turn in the opposite direction.  A few of my friends hate watching The Biggest Loser because it’s "too unrealistic" for this kind of dramatic change to take place in a person.  But… really??  Are you really that pessimistic?  I think it’s absolutely possible and it shows in the interviews with previous contestants, current contestants… their lives are truly changed along with their thought process.  Love it!  Bob Harper is sort of my idol in that respect.  I’m by no means a health freak or a gym rat, but I do love his approach.  He accepts no excuses.  It’s all about your choices and most of you who know me pretty well are aware of my stance on this — it’s all about the choices you make.  But… I digress. 

AND i say all of that because: he is going to be at the Books-A-Million in Discover Mills tonight!!!  I’m seriously considering skipping my 5pm class to go meet him.  Or would that completely be in opposition to this whole "choices" thing?  Haha.  

i seriously cannot believe that this semester is almost o-v-e-r!  thursday is my last class day.  while i’m DEFINITELY ready for summer (my first summer break since the one before i left for college… why did i take classes every summer???), i am a little sad that the months passed by so quickly.  but, just three more class periods, two papers, a test and a final and i am done and it will be SUMMER!  i don’t know if i said this or not but, ummm, i really can’t believe it!

Posting for Kathy and because I don’t want to forget to plug this: To Write Love On Her Arms.  You can read all about it on the website and learn a lot about it from the FAQ’s.  You’re probably asking what it is and here is a simplified answer, straight from the website’s FAQ’s:

But, for me, the most appropriate description and call to action is on the main page in Renee’s story.  There is a reference to Miller’s Blue Like Jazz, which is funny since I seriously JUST referenced it in yesterday’s posting.  For me, this is the heartbeat of their message (emphasis is my own):

Love is something better. I have been challenged and changed, reminded that love is that simple answer to so many of our hardest questions. Don Miller says we’re called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.

We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love. ……………..

[I wish that people would realize this is a better way to change the world than doing it through politics.  Welfare and all the healthcare plans in the world won’t show people that they are loved.]

So, yea… go check it out.  And when Kathy gets her new blog up, I’ll ask her to post her own blog about it again and link you guys to it.  Donate if you want (I bought a $1 bracelet from the store… with shipping it was a little more, but any donation is worth something).  Or boldly plug it if you don’t have any extra money.  Or do both if you really believe in these guys and their organization.  Or, don’t do any of these things.  Your choice.  But I think it’s a worthy cause, especially if you’ve been touched by this kind of illness or know someone who has — you’ll get it without even needing to read the story. 

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EDIT:  Kathy put up her blog.  You can read it here.  

Stanie before his bath:

And then after…

And again after shaking it all out…

What a cutie 

Confession: I am a junkie.  A caffeine junkie, to be exact.  (Wait… I’m not sure this is officially a confession since all of my readers are probably well aware of my dependence.  This is more of a turning point… a spiraling out of control that I’m publicly acknowledging.)  I’ve officially arrived at that itchy, twitchy, mid-morning headache (allllmost a migraine on the worst of days) stage of my caffeine addiction (I’ve been at a mild version of this stage for several years now and finally it has decided to take the next step).  Only when I haven’t had any, of course.  You want the sad part?  Some mornings, I actually wait for this to happen, just to watch myself return to a "normal" state after I pop an ibprufen and start my IV drip. 

And without further adieu, my favorite psalm:

Caffeine is my shepherd;
I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures;
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz;
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal;
For thou art with me;
Thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of Juan Valdez;
Thou anointest my day with pep;
My mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the House of Maxwell for ever.
Amen!
–Stolen from a quote website last semester for a public speaking project.

[Disclaimer: (for that staple Crazy out there that is going to no doubt take this blog seriously and find out where I work, who my parents are and call the cops).  No, I do not actually administer my caffeine intravenously.]

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Stay tuned… starting sometime soon (maybe even tonight) I’m going to occasionally start featuring a few of my lucky readers, one at a time.  Just an excuse to brag on my fabulous friends.

i must say, it’s been a pretty great day.  slept in.  played some kickball with friends at the intramural fields.  (and forgot my sunscreen and now have a good burn on my scalp and shoulders ).  did a little cleaning around the house.  worked on some greeting cards (more about that in a minute).  and spent about an hour in borders sipping on my new favorite iced latte (hazelnut) and lusting after books i can’t currently afford (boo, hardbacks!).  i bought three books and one gift for under $25 (!!! — oh how i love the discount).  

back to the greeting cards — i used to make cards ALL the time my senior year of high school and, after some suggestions from family friends, considered selling them.  but college applications and squeezing in those last months with friends put my potential little card "business" on hold.  now, i’m back in the swing and am once again thinking about selling them through one of the local boutiques.  we know a woman who does the same thing through one of the local boutiques in downtown lawrenceville and she is pretty successful.  i love greeting cards and especially value those that are handmade and heartfelt.  i just hope the rest of athens agrees with me.  in the next few days, i’ll post some pictures so i can get some feedback.  

but right now, i’m going to attack one of my new books and eventually call it a night.