Sum... Sum... Summertime

The weather reports are predicting 12 - 18" of snow starting Monday night and blizzard like conditions on Tuesday. It's weather reports like these that encourage me to look at pictures like this one...



Helps me believe that all the nasty weather conditions mentioned above will soon pass. Before we know it, Summertime will be upon us!


Until later . .

Taking The Bump

A good friend of mine took her kids sledding the other day. When she told me about her plans the day prior I asked if I could tag along. I want to take pictures of the outing. A lot of pictures I've been taking have been of inanimate objects or different sites around town. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but periodically it's nice to shoot live action as well.

It was a fun outing. Especially since there was this bump in one area of the hill that gave them some flight during the ride down. As they were wrapping things up, I was asked if I wanted to make a run or two. I figured why not.

I'll admit I was a bit nervous as the only sledding I've ever done was many, many, many moons ago. It sounds funny to say, especially since I've jumped out of a plane, but I was a little nervous. The first run I made was purposely in the area I knew was flat. I wanted to get acclimated before I took on the infamous bump. That didn't take long - one run to be exact. I have to say, after my first encounter with the bump I understood why the kids loved it so much. (Even despite the fact that snow gets kicked-up in your face during the process.)

I'm thankful my friend let me to tag along - and that I was able to do a little sledding myself. It was nice to be a kid again . . . even if it was just for a brief moment.

As for the pictures I took - they were cute. Really cute. However, there is one shot that really sums-up the outing...

This is how you take the bump!



Until later . . .

I Believe

• That as a general rule, people are good

• Denying yourself happiness is a sin

• That hard work and perseverance are important

• That luck plays a part in our lives

• I've been blessed in many way I don't even begin to recognize

• "This too shall pass"

• In karma

• That my purpose in life is to help others

• I'm a better person because I've gone through difficult experiences

• In timing

• Gut feelings are well worth listening too

• In taking risks

• Living life without passion for something is not living at all

• In the power of yarn

Until later . . .

Before I Kick The Bucket

Apparently there is a movie called, "The Bucket List" which is about two terminal ill people who decide to do all the things they ever wanted to do in life before they die. I was not aware of such a movie up until last week. I was however, aware of a MTV show call, "The Buried Life" which has a similar concept.

Whether it's "The Bucket List" or "The Buried Life," it gets you thinking - what would I do if I knew I had only a limited of time left. Here's my list:

Plan C

I believe in the power of threes. This means I have three life plans - at least at the moment there are three.

Plan A and B are totally and undeniably very responsible, long-term plans. Plan C, however, is totally and undeniably very irresponsible and not long-term in any way, shape or form. (Honestly, that is what I LOVE most about it.)

Simply put, "Plan C" is to pack up all my stuff, put it in a storage locker and travel the world until every last dime I have is spent. Sound familiar? It's sort of "Eat. Pray. Love."-ish. The only difference is that I would not be doing this to find myself or seek out any life truths. I would simply be going to runaway, enjoy life and take lots of outstanding pictures.



Print Ready

I'd love to have one of my photographs published in a national publication. Or displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Either one would be rad!


License To Fly

It's not a secret that I enjoy skydiving. However, I am not licensed to jump on my own. This is something I've wanted to do since I first jumped.

The plan, at some point, is to take a week off of life and go through the training I need to get my Class A license.

Bonjour!

I got kicked out of French in 5th grade. Or, maybe I should say, my parents were "urged" to not have me continue on with French.

Though, Italian is really on the top of my list of languages I would like to learn, French is also on the list. I don't pretend that this goal is anything more than proving my former teachers wrong - even though I wouldn't know where to find them.

One Checked Off The List

I just embarked on checking an item off my bucket list. I hate saying that it is a "bucket list" item because honestly, it's not. It's been a goal of mine for years now. I just didn't feel like it was one I could tackle or was capable of achieving. At least, not until recently. This is where I'm going to so a special kind of annoying. I'm not going to give details about what I'm doing. For that apologize.

That said, I do not think it's important to say. What I feel is important to say is that it has given me back a sense of who I really am. I have jumped, once again, into something that I am not 100% sure will end the way I want it to. Will I be disappointed if it doesn't end the way I want it too? Yes. No doubt. However, I know at the very least that I will took a chance. A full-force chance which is something I have not done in a long time.


Until later . . .

It Could Be Worse

My week started out with a trip to the emergency room Monday night.

Nothing super serious, but potentially serious enough to warrant a quick trip. When a cut doesn't stop bleeding one gets a bit concerned. Thankfully, a good friend of mine agreed to take me there. After checking in with the main desk my friend and I took a seat. We knew the wait could be awhile. I was fine with this as long as I was provided with some gauze to help soak-up what seemed like the endless flow of blood. I was provided my wish so I fine.

Sitting across from my friend and I was a couple who had been in line behind me when I was checking in. She was 10 weeks pregnant and was bleeding. I guess I should say, her body was in the process of miscarrying. As I sat in my seat patiently waiting, I overheard the woman say to her husband something to the effect of, "If I lose the baby because I'm waiting here . . . " After hearing this, I turned to my friend and whispered what I had over heard. In turn, my friend whispered something to the effect, that had they thought there was a chance they could save the baby she wouldn't be waiting. It broke our hearts. It was evident this woman was upset over the events that were transpiring.

Not too long after this moment, I discovered my cut had stopped bleeding. Guess I didn't wait long enough. That's when I decided I didn't need to see a doctor after all - and not a moment too soon. After making this determination my name was called. I told the nice nurse that I had changed my mind, got my id and insurance card back and my friend and I headed out the door.

The woman who sat across from me is just one of many people in that ER waiting room that evening that made me realize how much worse "it" - whatever it is - could be. It's hard sometimes when it appears the universe is against you to believe that others have it worse than you.

Maybe that is the reason why I couldn't get my cut to stop bleeding Monday night. Maybe this was my brief glimpse that I don't have to that bad after all. Or, have it as bad as I seem to feel I periodically feel I do. If so, I hope that the next time the universe seems to be bitch slapping me, I can remember this moment in time and just roll with the punches rather and know that this too shall pass

Until later . . .