What's The Hurry ?

How many of you wonder why people are in such a rush these days? People drive too fast, push past you in the mall, sigh heavily as they stand in line behind you, and try to get done with tasks as quickly as possible! Sometimes without regard of any common courtesy.

Sundays for me are my day to relax, I work on my laundry while I surf the web, read the paper while I drink my yummy coffee, and enjoy the calmness of the day. Sometimes I even fit a nap in there. Every now and then when it is a three day weekend, the DH and I go food shopping. We decided to go today, which I new (from last year) would be a little CRAZY!

We arrive at the store and as we are walking through the overcrowded produce section I hear a woman gripe, "Gee I made the wrong decision to come here today!" I laughed to myself because I know I said the same thing last year. People were pushy, blocking areas with their carts, and had a total disregard for others. I wanted to ask, "What is the rush? Where do you have to be?" Most people have and extra day off because tomorrow is Labor Day!

We head over to the deli, which I normally avoid on a weekend, but I wanted cheese. I grab my number and wait for my turn because there are three people ahead of me. Well, the one deli clerk yells, " 7...8....9...10" in rapid fashion! Before I even get a chance to say "That's me" a male customer yells "I'm 10!" and began to order right away. I wanted to scream, "HEY.. WHAT ABOUT 9... I'm 9!!!!!!!! "

It was so crowded, I just waited for the next deli clerk to yell out a number, " I had to scream three times, " Excuse me... Excuse me, EXCUSE ME .... but my number was skipped! " Then the guy who jumped ahead of me actually looked at me and rolled his eyes at me. What is a 40ish year old man doing rolling his eyes at me when he was clearly the one in the WRONG? WHAT A JERK!!

Walking through the rest of the store is a challenge. Carts moving every which way. Customers walking side by side in the same direction, down an already too small cereal aisle. It was madness. I just wandered along trying my best to ignore the madness of it all. When it is time to go, it is always fun to watch the mad dash to the shortest checkout line. I love how people see you are heading to a specific cashier and cut you off in the process. I often wonder if they drive the same way!

I did not know I shopped and checked out at Daytona 500 Food Mart. Does the rudest, fastest shopper win a prize? I have never received one! So I ask, " What's the hurry? Can't we all just slow down a little?"

Life Happens When Making Plans

It is Friday afternoon and random thoughts engulf my brain. I tend to think a lot about my life circumstance and where I am heading. I have always been a planner. I like to know where I am going and what I am doing next. It keeps me grounded to have a plan.

Where does this need to have a plan come from? Is it part of my human nature? Was I born this way or is it a learned behavior? I grew up in a house where plans were made and schedules only changed with the season. Tuesday nights were girls scouts, Friday nights we went to visit my Gram, winter weekends were for ice skating, summer weekends were spent on our boat. My Mom had a schedule for her daily chores as well as for her children. This doesn't mean we were overscheduled like kids are today. I remember days when I complained, "I'm bored." My Mom would respond, "Enjoy being bored, relax, go read, or get "UN-Bored!"

As an adult, I have a schedule. I do not like it when I have to miss my Tuesday/Thursday spinning class. I do laundry on Sundays while I watch football. I like to know what is going on in advance. I plan for the future, for events coming up, and I often feel frustrated and stressed when plans change at the last minute.

There are always unpredictable events that cause chaos. People get sick, cars won't start, traffic is too slow, that 5 minute phone call turns into 30 minutes. Life happens while we are making plans. A few months ago my older brother was diagnosed with Stage 2 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It was shocking to all of us. My brother is the total opposite of me - carefree, reckless, daring, a true risk-taker. He had to make plans, change his habits, follow a treatment schedule. I watched as he faced his illness head-on. He is a fighter and has been taking things in stride. Treatments are going well, his health and body are improving.

Here is my.... "If I Knew........... I'd Know' question of the day! Was this life experience, part of the plan? Has his life been leading up to this moment and if so, was this moment a lesson for all of us plan makers out there to stop, look around, and say " The Hell with My Plans!" ? If I knew that this one life plan was heading my way.... would I have known to stop worrying about my schedule and enjoy the daily beauty that surrounds my life?

I am not saying I have changed my routines and my need to plan out my weeks. I am a typical Type A Gal!! After all, I still went to my spinning classes on Tues/Thurs, but I also added some more gym and pool time this summer. I wanted to enjoy feeling good about myself. I still did my laundry on Sundays, but I also let some loads sit until Monday. However, this summer the grass looks greener, my flowers smell sweeter, I look at my family with a little more love. I realize the time I am with them is all the more precious. I am listening more, watching more, praying more.

So, here is to random thoughts, making plans, and taking risks! A little bit of all three makes for a beautiful life!

Life is Full of "Firsts" - Today.. First Day at New Job!

This evening I had my first day at my new job. I was nervous and excited. It was a lot of paperwork, learning the lingo of the store (which as I sit here, I have already forgotten some.. YIKES), watching a video, and learning some of the closing procedures. I really like my boss. She is down to earth and is very nice.

I trained with another girl who is 18 years younger than me. In my head, I was thinking "YIKES, she could be my child!!" This cracks me up! In my life, I have worked with a variety of people in a wide range of ages. I have trained co-workers, I have had a boss who was younger than me, and I also work with children during the day! Isn't life interesting?

I guess as I get older, I think to myself... "Wow.. did I act that young at 20?" I swear I did not, but I probably did.. LOL! I also wonder, "Do I look silly learning a new task, feeling confused, and a bit flustered even though I have a Masters' degree?" Is it strange that an educated, thirty-something, woman will still blush when training? I guess it comes down to the fact that life is full of a lot of "firsts."

I embrace learning, trying new things, having new life experiences! I look forward to my next shift. I know with each one, I will feel more confident in my skills at this new job!

Salute to Summer !!

I am looking at the calendar and feeling a bit shocked that it is the last week in August. YIKES! I just love summer. I have a lot of free time and really enjoy myself. In order to salute the summer, I went around and took some pictures to express some of my favorite aspects of summer. I am hoping once winter arrives, I can look back at these photos and feel warm and toasty!
I have been a "fish" since I was a kid! I love being poolside! (I am a Pisces afterall.) This summer, I did laps at least twice a week! I also enjoyed some relaxation time on my raft. I have my Mom to thank for letting me come over whenever I want to swim! The pool is one thing I miss the most once summer fades away!

I love to spend time in my garden. It is nice to see the fruits of my labor as summer progresses. This summer my garden has really come together after four previous years of hard work, pulling out old bushes, and trying different arrangements of flowers. Colorful flowers make me happy! Yes, these are my sneakers. What do they have to do with summer? I wear these sneakers whenever I go for an evening walk with my husband. We wander around our neighborhood, talk about a variety of things, and just enjoy some time together. It reminds me of the days when we were dating and we would go for romantic walks and talk about our furture. Summer walks are peaceful and lovely!

Summer always goes way too fast! I must admit Fall is my favorite season, but I sure will miss summer once it is very, very cold outside!

Strange Things That Infomericals Say

Disclaimer: Not for the easily offended !

It is a typical Saturday evening. There is nothing on the t.v. (I am one of the few people left in the modern world that does not have cable.) I am flipping through the few channels I do have to see what I can watch. I happen to land on an informerical. For some reason, I feel the need to be entertained and stop channel surfing. Within minutes DH and I are rolling on the floor with laughter at what is being advertised.

There is a doctor telling his host how people are stressed, overweight, tired, edgy, sick, hyper, rash covered, head achy, acne prone, and feeling down right old because......... YOU GUESSED IT.... THE ARE FULL OF POOP!! I swear... I do not lie! This doctor was giving details of how he looked at his daughter's poop and noticed how different it was from his own. He began to wonder "Why doesn't my poop look like this?" Thus he began a quest to create a new product which my dear husband referred to as the "colon blow pill"

Our favorite part is the testimony of the users of this product. One woman actually said "She was tight until colon blow and then she became loose." I kid you not! Another man claimed "his whole insides became free." The doctor also said how long my poop should be and that I have 5 to 22 pounds of poop stuck inside of me. ICKY!!

I am still laughing hours later as I type this post! I think I better go see my doctor and ask if my colon needs a cleaning!

What is this world coming to?

P.S. I blame this silly post on the 4 hour killer test I had to take earlier on this beautiful, warm, sunny, summer day!

Sneakers, Sports Bras, and Sephora ???

I belong to a gym and I love it (SHOCKING, I know)! I go to the women's club. I do not go to the "co-ed meat market." The male clerks there tend to ignore my Mom and me when we need something. I guess we are not young and glamorous enough.

I love the women's club! I never worry if my clothes are wrinkled, who is next to me, if my ponytail is off center, or if my shirt matches my shorts. Sometimes, I even roll out of bed, wash my face, and tumble into my favorite spinning class.

One would think all the women who come to this club have the same attitude I do. OH NO. It is hilarious to see how some women come to the gym. I especially love the women who come in full makeup! Who gets up at 7AM, puts on their make-up, matching pink juicy couture pants and comes to a women's spin class? Who are you trying to impress? Did you drive to the wrong gym? What is with the short pig tails and the hat you wear? And why is there always that one skinny bitch who insists on sitting right in front of me with just a pair of daisy dukes and a sports bra? I want to scream "Lady, look at yourself, you might be an exercise bulimic.. SEEK THERAPY IMMEDIATELY!"

So I ask all of you women ( and even men ) out there: Do you see this insanity? Do you ask yourself: Why?

I know, I do!!

Test Anxiety

I thought I was at the point in my life when I was finished taking tests. Recently, I decided to take a test for my professional career in order to try to advance myself and obtain the job I really want!

The test is right around the corner. I have been reading and reviewing for the past few days. There is one section that has me filled with some anxiety. Normally, I am not a nervous and jerky person. I take on new challenges whenever I can. I am a perfectionist, as well, which fuels my inner fire to be the best! I know there are some things I will never be: a size 6, a scientist, an Olympic gold medal winner! I also will never be a perfectionist at test taking.

In school I was most successful in my English classes. I never had to study too much for those English tests. I always remembered the books I read because I usually loved them! When it came to other tests, I have had a wide range of successes and failures. This is where my anxiety level kicks into high gear as I review daily and the test gets closer and closer. I really want to do well! I am hopeful that because the test is for something I love and studied thoroughly in graduate school, I will be successful.

I can only hope the need to be perfect will overcome my test anxiety! Wish me luck!

Michael Phelps Swims Into History

I have to admire a person who makes a goal and reaches it! Phelps had the drive, the perfect swimmers body, and the heart of a winner.

I watched with a mixture of excitement and nervousness as Phelps swam in each Olympic race this past week. I found myself screaming at the t.v. (as I am sure all of America was doing) as he went for the gold and swam into history with each race.

My favorite picture of Phelps is from the relay, when his joy and excitement of their team win could be seen across his whole face and body. He is a true champion in my book on so many levels. The second best part of watching these swimming meets was seeing the tears of joy on his proud Mom's face! Simply said, it was priceless!

Life is a little sweeter when I can watch a young man set goals, fight like a true champion, and become a world class success! Oh.... and it doesn't hurt to look at him either!

Congrats on a job done to perfection!

Stop Talking... Start Spinning!

I try to remember a time when people actually used their manners and followed a basic respect for others. When did being polite become a luxury? I know there will always be one bad apple in the bunch, but I did not think a whole tree could be spoiled.

Here is a perfect example: I belong to a gym. I am there to workout, get rid of my daily stresses, and take care of my health. I am not there to have my stress level increased by the rotten apples of the world.

I was in a spinning class with my mom ready for a hard workout. The music started, the instructor had me motivated and I was spinning away! Out of nowhere some woman decided it was coffee talk hour. She was two rows behind me and all I could hear was an incessant, high pitched squeaky voice grating on my last nerve! I looked to my mom and we had the nonverbal exchange of "Are you friggin kidding me?" I actually turned around and glared at the woman. She became quiet but, not even two minutes later, she start up again. In between songs my mom and I both turned around and glared. That gave us about five minutes of peace and then she started up again.

As far as I am concerned, if you can talk in a spinning class, you are not working hard enough! Plus, the sign outside the spinning door states, "Please do not talk once class starts, so everyone can hear the instructor's cues." As I tried to lower my blood pressure and resist the urge to get off my bike, slap this woman silly, and tell her where to go I wondered: What ever happen to manners?

Class ended, I turned around for one last glare. Then I noticed the loud mouth was a Mom with her teenage daughter. How sad is that?

This scenario speaks volumes... and well, tells me the spoiled, rotten apple tree is learning its rudeness from the granny and momma smith tree!

Welcome to my world !!!

Let me begin by explaining where my blog name originated. I was chatting with my husband about random things. I asked him a question about a coworker of his and his response was, "If I knew..... I'd know!"
I laughed and replied, "Interesting answer, Yogi. That could be an answer to anything we ask in life." Then he grabbed a post it note and wrote it down.
A few days later, I told him I was starting a blog and asked if I could steal his words. He said, "Sure, as long as I get the credit!"

Now for the URL ...

It has the phrase "word-cafe." Well, the definition of a cafe is "a small and informal establishment serving various refreshments." I see a blog as a word cafe. The various refreshments I will "serve" you are my random thoughts.
Pretty cool if you ask me.