2009 GAP Christmas commercial

I adore this commercial. Favorite part is when the little blond girl screams, it cracks me up!

The Ghost Cat Chronicles

It's seriously been almost a month since I've posted a blog...
how have I become so slack? Oh wait yeah I'm in grad school!
Let's see...what's new... Oh yes, I believe I should start with the story of the Ghost Cat....

My apartment does not allow pets. A blessing and a curse.
My first time I encountered the Ghost Cat was a dark night. I had left my phone in my car and didn't not realize it until about bedtime. Already in my pjs, I quickly ran down the stairs to the parking lot. Unlocking my car and seizing my phone, I briskly walk/run back.
Suddenly out of my peripheral, I saw a grey furry mass running after me at full speed. My mind raced. Was this a rabid racoon? Angry bunny? Gary Busey?
Shrieking I bolt up the stairs and rush into my apartment and close the door.
What the heck was that and where did it come from?
Peering through the shutters, I hear a meow on my front porch and I see this large long haired grey cat. Now anyone who knows me know that I am a) allergic to cats and b) don't really care for them once they are past their kitten phase.
My second encounter several weeks later was once again late at night and I parked next to this big truck. As I'm getting out of my jeep, I heard a strange scratching noise and see a furry something move in the truck bed. The cat then suddenly jumps out and approaches me. Fleeing the scene as quickly as I could, the cat continued after me.
Being chased by a cat at night is startling and terrifying.
The latest meeting with the Ghost Cat has been less intense. It was waiting for me on my steps. I noticed that Ghost Cat has collar, so it must either have or had an owner, but I've never seen it go after anyone else or perch on any other porch.
Strange huh..
The Ghost Cat Chronicles: To be continued...

Onslaught

love this video. It's quality.
http://www.dove.us/?dl=/features/videos/default.aspx%7Ccp-documentid=8354359%7Cvideo-id=2&source=shareBlogger

Making my scholastic comeback

A love for learning, desiring to read and discover more knowledge are feelings that I haven't experienced in years.
Until this past Friday.

My trips to the library has been few and far between, however I found myself gazing for over an hour at the hundreds of different psychology books. I litterally sat on the floor and turned the pages of the works of brilliant men and women. I think I also liked the history behind them. Dusk whipped around in the air as I took some off the shelf, like they hadn't been touched in years. One book I looked at was how to use poems in therapy. It hadn't been checked out since the early 80's.
I left with three, although I wanted more.
People who are passionate about their careers read about how to be better at it. They want to know as much as possible, so that they can be highly effective at what they do.
I glad I'm at this point in my life.



Today was the perfect rainy day. I did artsy crafts in which I deco podged some canvases. I wanted to put a quote on one of them and thought of the one that says "hope springs eternal" and "To err is human, to forgive divine."

Oddly enough, they are by the same man, Alexander Pope. Who would have known. Obviously, I didn't.

So I spent the greater later half of my day learning about Alexander Pope and his famous quotes. Here are some I like.

• “No woman ever hates a man for being in love with her, but many a woman hate a man for being a friend to her.”


• “For fools rush in where angels fear to tread”


• “Some old men, continually praise the time of their youth. In fact, you would almost think that there were no fools in their days, but unluckily they themselves are left as an example.”


• “Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll; charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.”


• “The learned is happy, nature to explore; The fool is happy, that he knows no more”

Just for amy...

amy,
here is the blog i promised you.
Seeing as we are both in grad school, I figured I should maybe discuss things that I've learned... I've learned there's not enough time in the day.
I am old and can't hang like I used to.
Trust my instincts. They are right most of the time.
Living/being alone is now preferred whereas I used to be intimidated by it.
I'm smarter than I thought but I'm not as smart as I would like to be and managing my money is still not my forte.

As I was reading in my sociology book the other day, I was interested in the different types of roles we have in our society. One thing that stuck out to me was exit roles. An exit role is the process by which people disengage from social roles that have been central to their lives.
The process of becoming an "ex" is discussed in research by Helen Ebaugh, herself an ex-nun. Being a nun was her role, her identity and then to leave the community that was your life and home creates a whole new world and identity to create.

The moment I read this, I thought about heartlight. For me leaving HL was exactly like leaving the Catholic church for Ebaugh. After leaving the nunnery, she became a wife, mother and professor. Her book is called Becoming an Ex: the process of role exit and if it wasn't checked out in the Clemson library, I would be reading it. It was interesting to me how we try to adapt to life in a new role and how we deal with the old one. I am thankful for my friends who worked with me there and left around the same time, because I knew that there were people to relate to. I think one reason we all still keep in contact is because of the roles we shared together and exited together. It also made me think about some of the kids we worked with and how even though they claim they hated HL, they still seem stuck to it in a way. They can't seem to let it go and take control of their new lives.

I can't wait to visit Texas in less than a month! Funny side note: Amber told me that Kristina used to call us HL staff nuns, because we had limited contact with men and the outside world!

Conservation doesn't always help everyone

Clemson is trying to do it's part in saving the world. They have a Solid Green program which encourages conserving energy, not littering and recycling. On the light switches they have a put little signs saying Solid Green, turn off the light when you leave...
This little fact is crucial to my story.
My office building is not designed well. There is no female restrooms on my floor, I either have to go up a floor or next store to the connecting building.
So I walk in, passing a woman walking out of the first stall. I go into the 2nd stall and proceed to use the bathroom. I hear the water stop. She dried her hands and left the restroom, turning off the lights when she left.
LIGHTS! was all i could manage to yell out.
She didn't hear me and as the door closed, trapping me in the darkness. I laughed to myself cause my intutition told me this was going to end badly.
I was left with two choices...
1. Fumble around in the darkness, midway pee and turn the lights back on and return to business while risking the possibility of someone walking in and wondering what I'm doing.
2. Finish my business and hope no one comes in.
I went for option 2 however my plan was not exactly how I intended.
A few moments passed as I sat in the darkness finishing my business. Then I saw a beam of light shine from the door and lights flipped on.
Snapping my feet off the ground, I had to make a quick decision. Timing in this situation was of dire importance. Either way, I was now that weird girl who peed in the dark, but if I planned my exit well, we wouldn't have to make eye contact. The other lady entered the first stall and as soon as I heard her lock the door, I wiped, flushed and washed as quickly as I could. I made it out of there without any contact with her.
No one wants to be that weird girl who pees in the dark.

September. The greatest of all months.

Isn't September the greatest month ever? Football starts, the weather starts to cool and it's full of amazing birthdays! Yours truly graces September 7th along with Evan Rachel Wood, Devon Sawa( remember him, Casper, Little Giants), and Queen Elizabeth I.
Today is Linds birthday! Other favorite Virgos include Mere,Wade and Crystal, and of course my boy Joel Houston!
6 days till I cross over to the other side of my twenties... What your favorite birthday memory? I do recall my 16th birthday party being off the chain.. Mere and I had a combined Sweet Sixteen and rented out the restaurant at the top of Finaly Park. Why was it awesome... there was a DJ, Karaoke, great food, pretty much my entire high school in attendance and some fireworks, which weren't ours but we pretended that they were!
Have i constructed a birthday list...of course. Am I getting to old for one? Never, but I have noticed they are getting shorter.

1. ipod touch. Seriously, I have the oldest ipod, the original pink mini that they don't make anymore and people mistake for a regular ipod. It's lasted several years and it's time to upgrade! 2. How I Met Your Mother Season 2. It was on sale at Target last week and they were sold out and didn't have the rain check things.
3. Running shoes/gym shoes. I don't technically run unless something is chasing me, but I'm going to try to start running more.


So I made my list mentally a few days ago and then saw this http://www.borninseptember.org/
check it.
It's really cool and it made me feel a bit guilty, cause I still really want an ipod and
yet people need clean water.... to live. Not just cause they really want it.

I've joined the dark side

I'm a hypocrite. A conformist.
Over a week ago, I created a Twitter account. Why do i tweet?
Primarily for stalking purposes.
You know twitter is the new facebook stalking.
I'm sorry. I just felt like I should be honest with you.

Summer Shows

Some people hate summer televsion shows, however I love them! They are like summer romances; fun, entertaining and come August you know the relationship between you will change. The romantic walks on the beach will be repleaced with the occasional phone call and slowly but surely the relationship dies. I hope that these shows will stick around, but once fall comes I probably will revert back to my old life with my old favorite shows.
Here for your viewing pleasure is a list of shows that I have fallen head over heels for this summer.

1. Locked up Abroad: Wednesday 10pm National Geographic Channel
Ok, granted this show is not a summer show, but I just now have gotten really into it. These people kill me who act like the victims and yet they were locked up for SMUGGLING DRUGS!
2. Glee: Wednesday 9pm FOX
This show could be my new favorite. I haven't watched a show on Fox since the OC, but I feel that Glee could be my new OC. My hopes are high for this show. Go watch the pilot and love it too!
3. Merlin: Saturday 8pm NBC
This is the nerdy side of love. The show is really not that good and the special effects/computer graphics are awful, but for some reason I find myself eager to watch the next episode.
4. Kings: Saturday NBC...but it really doesn't matter cause the show has been cancelled. A quick lived love. The modern retelling of the story of David and Goliath and I thought it was interesting.
5. Dating in the Dark: Monday 10pm ABC
Oh this show is awesomely ridculous. Couples go on "dates" in the dark to see if "love is blind." This show provides tons of material to make fun of people.
6.Royal Pains: Thursdays 10pm USA
The premise is about a dr who gets fired and becomes a conceriege doctor in the Hamptons. It's a solid show and I can't help but have a slight crush on Hank, the doctor.

Honorable Mentions:
When I'm bored, Hulu provides a multitude of ways to be entertained.
I catch up on Jimmy Fallon and Conan. I also occasionally take it old school X-Men Evolution and Inspector Gadget!

break the chains

How my heart hurts when I see my old heartlight girls sucked back in a world that they once had seemingly left.

They all had different stories, various components added together to create a formula for the possible destruction of their young lives.


In the midst of heartbreak, joy struggles to the surface. A joy of knowing that their stories are not finished. Change can still happen. Addictions can be broken. Lives can be healed.
Redemption is near.



In the midst of the world broken down

You are all we have now