Big Brother (and a couple of other freaks) is Watching

We all have seen the reports on the Today Show or GMA about how people are being targeted for what they put on Facebook, Myspace or blogs etc. It can be anyone and everyone from long lost friends, to possible stalkers to future/current employers who are using the internet to gather information.

At some point I think we have all wondered how stupid can some people be to put really personal information out on the web. But I think the more important question that shold be asked is who is out there surfing the internet looking for your indescretions? I want to believe that many of these people were randomly caught by someone innocently surfing the net and stumbling upon the damaging information. You know, a friend sends a link to a site and you are shocked when you log on and see someone you know....Unfortunately that is not how many people are being caught. In a lot of cases people and companies are actively surfing the net looking for information.

Million dollar question...if you have to worry about everything you post (predators, theives, stalkers and now your employer) is it worth posting anything? What exactly are we so desperate to share with the world that we are willing to take these risks? Is it our generation's attempt at quasi-fame? What are we trying to communicate to the world with out posts? And does anyone really think that posting pics of themselves doing jello shots in a bikini on a bar surrounded by 30 servicemen won't be misunderstood???

I have the best self-policing answer for the internet, friend your mother and a few of her friends on Facebook or Myspace. Trust me, knowing that everything you post will have instant visibility to your mother, is a great way to censor one's self and postings! Lord knows it works for me, and will too for most people. That is unless your mother is next to you on the bar doing jello shots! If in that's the case, my favorite flavor jello shot is sour apple. Bottoms Up!

Just exactly how old do I think am....

So can anyone explain to me why at 41 years old I have decided to get in the best shape of my life??? I am down 31 pounds and 4 pants sizes!!! Isn't that good enough? Apparently not. Now my goal is to make everything firmer and possibly lose another 10 pounds. My quest for this new goal has led me to TRX class. A sick, twisted form of exercise where you use your natural body weight while hanging from straps as resistance. Oh my gosh, this class kicked my butt. I have cramps in places that I didn't know that you could cramp. But if I can get strong like Heather (instructor) then it will all be worth it. It will won't it??? The only that stinks is that class doesnt end until 9:15, which means that by the time I get home and shower, it is 10 pm. Who wants to eat dinner that late at night, ME. But I didn't, glass of milk and a protein bar is my dinner tonight. It doesn't help that I am watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives right now. Damn that Guy Fieri! He is just making me even more hungry. Maybe I am too old for this crap and I should quit while I am ahead....Oh yeah, did I mention that the husband is baking cookies at 10:45 pm! I really believe that he is a closet chubby chaser, he knows that cookies are my crack! It is going to be a long night....pray for me.

Ready for The Betty....

I am so ashamed to say that the cliche of getting drunk while on a business trip is alive and well! Hmmm...I just got back from spending the past 5 days in Las Vegas for a major national tradeshow. Crazy! 5 days is too long in Vegas...at certain point between dinner and cocktails you begin to actually feel your liver pickle. I can't remember the last time I drank so much, consistenly for multiple days in a row!! On the plus side, with age has come a freakish tolerance, that allows me to drink ALOT. And for those of you who remember the curb incident of 2008, there was no repeat accident.

Being "stuck" with co-workers for 5 days is a little weird. Your relationships start to take on a different dynamic, in other words sometime you learn more about people than you wanted to. On the other hand sometimes you are pleasantly surprised by the things you learn. Alcohol can spark deep introspection and lead people share stories of life, love and disappointment. What is weird is that all of the shared experiences/lessons you discussed the previous night are never talked about in the light of day. I guess it is one of those what is discussed in the bar, stays in the bar....Strange bedfellows in deed.

While I enjoy my co-workers, most are really good people, I do not know that I would willingly spend 5 straight days with them if I were home leading my normal life. Yet in Las Vegas, they were my best friends, unable/unwilling to make a move without them. We were like an old gang, a demented version of the Sharks or Jets from West Side Story and it didn't help that we were all wearing the same company jacket everywhere we went!! Thanks Becky! Oh yes there was dancing, but nothing Jerome Robbins or Bob Fosse would be proud of. There were definitely some embarrassing moments, but all in all it was a good trip, but I don't know if I will be making eye contact with certain people for a while and I am still not sure how much work was accomplished. I am jsut glad to be home. Being away makes you appreciate what's waiting for you at home.

2010 - New Year

Happy New Year! 2010, another year the beginning of another decade. Or is it? They are still debating it, so who actually knows. So this is the time of the year when you take stock of your life, make changes, committments to do better, be better. So I am curious, how did I do....my number one resolution is always to lose weight. So far I have lost 30 pounds, give or take the day. Sometimes it's 30, other days it's 27 other days it's 32. But no matter what, I finally have put myself on the road to weight loss. Still need another 10 pounds gone and then I can concentrate on firming everything up. My goal is to wear shorts this summer and not feel self-conscious. I think that is an attainable goal. Everything else, all of the other goals, kinds of a wash. No better, no worse than last year so I guess that is good in some respect.

My focus for 2010 is learning how to relax and be present. I spend so much time worrying about the next thing, that I never really enjoy the moment. I am going to work really hard at this, because with a small child all of the fun happens in the here and now. If I am constantly worrying about tomorrow I am going to miss all of the really cool things that Ben does and is! The other thing is I have to let go of my desire to be the "good/fun" parent. I let Mike play the heavy role too often. I have to make sure that I am reinforcing all of the lessons/discipline that Mike is trying to instill. Besides that, I want to recommit to my faith and making it a priority as well as realy focusing on my family and those who love me. I am going to try and let go of all the pettiness that has been a focal point of my life for so long. Big goals...i don't know if all of this is attainable, but if I am on path working towards them then that is progress.

I love a good sale!

To know me is to know that I love to shop! My true passions are shoes & accessories, but let's face it, it doesn't really matter. I can get the same high from shopping at the grocery store or CVS that I get at the Macy's one day sale, as long as the items are on sale. Now if I have a coupon, all bets are off because I am in overdrive. Recently I have decided to channel my love of retail into something positive, like saving money for my family. So yes, I have become one of those crazy coupon Moms and I am damn proud of it! Anytime you can go into the supermarket and buy chicken, pork chops, bacon, cereal, milk, bread, fruits, veggies, miscellaneous snacks and spend less than $50.00!!! Yes I am a coupon clipping MOFO! Since I started doing this I have been able to reduce our weekly grocery bill from $100.00+ per week to less than $60.00 per week. Hey, in this economy it adds up. I love it. I come home from the supermarket and put my register reciept on the refrigerator right next to my son's art projects from daycare. These are my gold-stars for the week.

Now I can't lie, my next big sale target will be at Parisian this week. They have the Goodwill sale going on right now, which means for every donated item of clothing they will give you a 20% off coupon. I have already been to the sale and maximized my old clothing inventory. However, I just found out that for the next 3 days they are offering double coupons on all purchases!!! (THANK YOU SUE FOR HOOKING ME UP WITH THE INFO). So I am taking back all of my receipts from last week's shopping binge to see if I can get an additional 20% off all my purchases. I added up all of my receipts and if they give me the additional 20% that is a nice little chunk of change that could send me back to the shoe and accessory departments again! :) Pray for me!

Flip Flops...Not Appropriate

Okay so this is a continuation of my earlier Cultural Anthropolgy blog, sort of. As I have been walking around Washington DC, I have been struck by the number of women who think that flip flops are appropriate footwear that go with all outfits. Let me be the first to say, they are not! I get the whole comfort thing, especially when you live in a walking city, being comfortable is key. And lord knows I don't support the whole sneakers and power suit look, (Think the movie Working Girl) but at least sneakers have support for your feet! Being a person who is sort obssessed with bad feet, I am amazed that more women have not realized that the lack of support and cushioning in a flip flop, will lead to corrective foot surgery in their later years. I am not a medical professional but I have common sense enough to know that a 2 mile walk in flip flops is going to make my feet hurt worse than if I wore sneakers or flats! And don't even get me started on the whole hygiene thing! Don't get me wrong, I love the flip flop, I own at least 5 pairs but I don't think they are acceptable for all purpose use.

I guess I just don't understand, there are so many cute styles of flats, that wearing flips is just a cop out. Anybody who knows me knows that I never met a high heel I didn't like. I not crazy, no 5-6 inch heels, mostly 2-4 inches. (I look thinner when I am taller!) But even I have given in sort of to the whole flat/ballet slipper craze. Well sort of...I just bought two pairs both have a little bit of heel (approximately 1/2") but that is flat for me.

I would also like to give a shout out to the crazy women trying to walk around in 4-6 stilletto heels! These even more than flips, were not made for walking around a city! These are shoes that go from home to the car, to the bar, where you promptly sit down, cross your legs and allow everyone to admire your shoes from a seated position! Again I say why, when there are so many cute flats!

Fallen arches, bunions, calluses, split/cracked heels, etc. this could be your future.

By the way, after random comments from people, I am going to start carrying my digital camera with me so that I can post more photos and random pics. It should definitely liven up the blog! :)

Our Nation's Capital

So I am in Washington DC for the next few days attending a conference for work. While here I decided to take advantage of the alone time and power walk through the city. I have been here countless other times but I dont know that I have ever been here by myself. This city is wonderful! It is truly awe-inspiring...from the monuments to the park greens that populate the city this place showcases all that is good about city living. I love the fact that the downtown area is designed as a walking city. Everywhere you look there are people walking...old, young, tourists, city residents. Not having an actual city in Detroit really makes you appreciate a real city when you visit one. What is really cool is that cars actually respect/defer to pedestrians here! They wait for you to cross the street!! Being from the New York/New Jersey area, I am used to a survival of the fittest contest when it comes to crossing city streets, so this is a definite change of pace.