Casting My Ballot

I added yet another television show to my already lengthy list.

I couldn’t help the addition of this one. I felt like I was the only one that wasn’t tuning in.

Everywhere I would turn, I would hear something about this show, see the stars in a magazine not knowing who they were, or hear my friends singing a rendition from the show.

This popular, widely talked-about show is none other than GLEE!!

Since I am freshly new this season, I wanted to give it a little time to marinate before I gave my opinion. However, after last night’s episode…

I. Am. Sold.

This show has a lot to offer: highly entertaining, witty, makes you feel good, and awesome one liners.

Last night was all about Britney. Who doesn’t love Brit Brit? She’s hot. She’s got moves. Her life is drama, drama, drama. And she keeps you wanting more. What a comeback she has made!

The cast is so talented!! I couldn’t believe how much the girls sounded like her. And I am totally loving Brittany S. Pierce (cast member Heather Morris). I did a major double take during her fantasy “Slave 4 U.” Brian even said, “Is that her?!”

Brittany S. Pierce

Britney Spears

It brought me back to my dance team days. We had a dance to Slave 4 U and we thought we were the Shiz-nit while performing it. Oh Brit, thanks for bringing out the sexy in all of us. "It’s a Britney Spears Sex Riot!" LOL!

Did anyone catch Rachel’s comment after she woke up in the dental chair? “Is this real life?” I believe it was taken from the popular circulated video of that little boy riding in the car after he went to the dentist. Too funny! David After Dentist

Can’t wait to catch up on Season one via Netflix and continue watching this season. What a fun, quirky and entertaining show!

Bike MS

Well, I survived my first BikeMS ride! It was a wonderful experience.

Inspiring. Motivating. Heartwarming. Challenging. Fun. Worth It.

That's how I would describe it. But, there are many more things I could tell you about my experience.

We woke up bright and early (4:00 am to be exact) to meet the other 2,000 riders at check-in. We took off from Kansas City about 7:30am and rode to Sedalia, Missouri.

We ended up doing the traditional route, which is 80 miles. Not the century as I had hoped for, but 80 miles in one day is a great achievement (at least for me!). Brian did the second day ride back to Kansas City, another 80 miles.

He informed me it rained a lot, so I wouldn't have enjoyed it. He knows me all too well:).

The ride on Saturday was wonderful. We couldn't have asked for better weather and the scenery was breath taking.

Cruising countryside, vast spreads of fields, quaint little towns, farming lands, no buildings or noise, just the sounds of bike tires making contact with the pavement and gear shifting. And the shouts of thank yous and cheers coming from the roadside volunteers and spectators. It definitely made me appreciate the Midwest.

We consumed lots of water, Gatorade, PB&J's, granola bars, raisins, bananas, orange slices, fruit snacks and pickle juice. Yep, pickle juice. It reduces cramps while cycling, so you better stomach it even if you don't like it!

My favorite part was seeing all the riders, spectators and volunteers, and their motivation and spirit to help the MS society. It was so inspiring. Elderly folks who looked like they shouldn't even be riding a bike, larger individuals who were struggling but just kept going, volunteers with MS, small children with more energy than all of us combined, riders and people of all kind with a smile across their face...all there for one cause.

One roadside spectator really tugged at my heart strings. He held a sign that said his 9 year old son had been diagnosed with MS. He stood there on the side of the road, with nobody else, and thanked each and every rider that passed him for riding.

We accomplished this journey with our dear friends, Kathy & Ron. Kathy tends to easily talk me into things I don't think are possible. Such as Triathlon 2009, getting into biking as an amateur, Triathlon 2010 and now the BikeMS.

I can say with confidence that every single thing she has talked me into, I have absolutely loved and appreciated the experience!!

Things will always come and go in our lives. Some things we will remember and some things we won't. What matters is that we live our lives to the fullest, honestly and adventurously. Follow your dreams and achieve things you didn't think were imaginable.

 Getting geared up. 6:30 AM.

 Getting ready to start

 And we're off!

At the first stop

 Spandex is so HOT

Lunch time

One of the professional photos from the website. You got really good later in the day about making sure you smiled for your glamour shot. 

 Eventually, I had fun with it. You know me:)

 We're DONE!

Time for a much deserved brewsky!

Right after our massages.

Glad we did it together honey!

Finally Friday!

Fridays are da bomb. It's the end of the work week, the start of the weekend and a time to breath and relax!

And, it's jeans day at work! Well, only the last Friday of every month, which happens to be today. It's the little things that excite me these days. You would think a construction company would be more laid back. Nope, not my company.

But it's also Finally Friday! at the office today. A little event we partake in where everyone goes to the rooftop mid-day to have cocktails. We have a super awesome rooftop in downtown KC.

Staying consistent with my random posts lately, here's a follow-up to a bunch of random things.

MS Ride
I'm happy to report that fundraising went GREAT for both Brian and I! We both reached our goals! Yipee! Brian actually ended up smoking me. He had some big time donations from a couple subcontractors. Thank you to everyone who supported us. We are greatly appreciative.

Now, the fact that the ride is tomorrow is totally freakin' me out!! So much for a relaxing weekend. I am super nervous. I must admit, we have not trained properly or had nearly the amount of time it takes to prepare for something like this. We are definitely excited, just unsure of how it will go. I might end up only riding one day, but in my mind, a 100 miles is a huge accomplishment.

We'll see...should be interesting and something to add to the scrapbook.

Y&R
I have not watched one second of Y&R since I called it quits. I am so proud of myself!! I really thought I would think about it more, but no. Not missing it much at all. Happy to have the extra time! Except for the fact that I added a couple more shows to my TV addiction. I'll have more to report once I decide my true opinion of them.

Chimney Project
I have yet to have the time to research and purchase a new small, digital camera from my recent win of a friendly bet with hubby.  But -- Mark. My. Words. I will get one. I won the bet, fair and square. If anyone is wondering...the project still isn't 100% complete. Not keeping score or anything, just stating the obvious. It's completely visible from the exterior of our house. No paint yet.

Checkbook
I joined the 21st century and decided to stop manually balancing my checkbook!! After being compared to an old lady at the grocery checkout line from a friend (ahem, Ted), I have not opened my trusty old checkbook ledger since the day I clicked publish on that dang post. I know, I was major old school, but habits are habits.

Sidenote! (I love me a random sidenote of news worthy info!)
Our friends Ted and Megan are at the hospital RIGHT now having their first baby girl! Such exciting news for a beautiful Friday. Congrats to them and new bundle of joy, Gracie!

Happy Friday everyone!!

Not-So-Nice Thursday

My day didn't exactly start out great today.

Not that these three things are complete buzz kills to a great day or anything, but worthy enough to blog about, I guess.

Number 1:  I woke up to a blaring alarm across the room. Yes, across the room. I have an issue with getting up in the mornings so Brian started a new strategy yesterday -- moving my phone (I use it as my alarm) to his dresser, which is across the room, forcing me to get out of bed to turn it off.

Honestly, the mornings are a MAJOR problem for me. I am simply not a morning person AT ALL. I'm also a very deep sleeper. I sometimes turn off the alarm not even knowing I do it.

Well, I guess the obnoxious alarm is working because I definitely am noticing that it's going off now. 

Number 2: I forgot my freshly brewed cup of joe this AM. And it only took me the entire 22 mile drive to work before I realized I had left it on the counter.

Seriously, I am addicted to coffee. Why you ask? Please refer to Number 1. I only have one cup each morning, but it is a must for me. I never thought the day would come when I had to have it. I used to smell my dad's black coffee when I was little and think to myself, "I will never drink coffee. It's for old people."

Let's just say that leaving my perfectly, fragrant cup of Caribou Coffee Morning Blend brewed from my oh-so awesome Keurig maker just made my insides roar. The coffee at work is horrible. I don't know why I dislike it so much, but I won't drink it unless I absolutely have to. On a sidenote, I love our Keurig coffee maker and highly suggest it if you only have one coffee drinker in the house.

Number 3: My nephew was up for Player of the Week on a Southeast Kansas Sports website due to his baller skillz on the high school football field. Well, he was in the lead as of yesterday when all signs pointed to him winning! Next, we realized that some of the contestants were cheating!!

I'm not just being a sore loser now either. Everyone knows I'm competitive, but they are cheats I say! One of his contenders had 400 votes at 8:00 this AM and was over 1200 by 10:30. I was watching it online by refreshing and his votes would go up by 10 every few seconds. They have now taken down the polls. I wonder why...

My IT guy at work told me how to cheat the system and vote more than once on a computer. As any fair, honest person would do, auntie Krista chose not to partake in the game.

You mess with my family. You mess with me. (LOL! Name that reality TV show!)

Anyways, tomorrow is Friday! Yipee!

Trip Down Memory Lane

I was on a run last night, when I was suddenly stopped by something that caught my eye. I proceeded to bend down and pick it up as a ton of old memories came flying in.

It's a living thing. It's somewhat pretty. Err..sort of. You probably made something out of them when you were little. Anybody know what it might be?

They were those little white and purple flowers (I actually think they are weeds) that seemed to pop up all over the playground, and you made jewelry out of them.

Do you remember doing this as a kid!? You probably only did this if you are a girl. Rings, necklaces and bracelets. If not, I guess I was a strange kid, but I vividly remembering doing this as a little girl.

So, this post is entirely dedicated to my memories of being a kid in the 90s.

I know I have missed a ton of monumental things of growing up in this era, but these are some of the things that came to my mind:

Slap Bracelets
Totally rock! I loved these. My brother and I used to fight over these. Who am I kidding? My brother and I fought over everything. I'm glad we are finally past that in our lives. Well, most of the time. :)

MASH
Remember when we left the future of our lives in the twists and turns of a swirl on a piece of paper? The career I always hoped for was a news reporter. Ha!

Pogs
I wasn't in to these for very long, but my brother sure was. I would steal his slammers just to piss him off.

Origami Folds
Remember when it wasn't cool to pass a note if it wasn't folded in an origami fashion. Oh, and can't forget how you always wrote "pull" on the little tab. :)

Not sure about you guys, but I was a note-writing freak. So much that I kept many of them from my middle school/early high school years as "keepsakes." I went through some of them a few years back and it was a hoot!! The things my friends and I were concerned with back then are just sooooooooo different from today. Sigh.

Another origami activity I was reminded of when thinking about folding cool notes was the fortune teller game.

L.Y.L.A.S
I wrote this at the end of all my notes. Love ya like a sister! LOL

Skip It
I was obsessed with the Skip It. I think I went through a couple of them because my pesky brother broke so many. This is probably similar to what I looked like.

Little Sally Walker
Did anyone else play this relentless game at recess? Or was it just me and my girly cheerleader friends in the 5th grade? Here's a funny tidbit, we even got the boys to play! They liked is just as much as we did! No lie.

New Kids on the Block
I wasn't quite as obsessed with this boy band as some of my childhood friends, but it probably was only because I was putting on a front. I was insanely jealous of the girl down the street who had a decked-out NKOTB bedroom. Sheets, pillows, bed skirt, comforter, curtains, rug, posters, barbie dolls. You name it, she had it and I wanted it. Let's just say my mom didn't ever let me turn my bedroom into a NKOTB fan fest. Thank you mom.

Caboodles
You know, that big plastic, really convenient carrier that held all your blue and teal eyeshadow and bright pink lipstick?

TV of the 90s
Clarissa Explains It All, Double Dare, Saved By the Bell, 90210, Melrose Place, Boy Meets World. There were so many good ones. I'm not sure I should have even been allowed to watch 90210 and Melrose, but I sure loved them.

I can only imagine how many young girls are obsessed with Gossip Girl these days. Surely, the average high school girl can relate to everything S and B experience in that show, right? Getting into NYC clubs under age, excessive drinking, paparazzi, trips to Paris. Totally relative.

I wonder if any of these childhood memories will be making any epic comebacks? Or maybe kids today are still playing MASH, have a skip it, own pogs, pass notes in between classes and carry a caboodle?

Yeah right! Who am I kidding?! Today's teens don't give a damn about pogs!

A kid in the 21st Century is worried about updating their status on their facebook page (with their iPhone of course), watches Gossip Girl, carries a Coach purse and has carpal tunnel from texting.

Football Filled Weekend

I'm a little upset the weekend is already over. They just never seem long enough!

I wouldn't say our weekend was very productive. Honestly, it wasn't productive at all, but we got to partake in our first KSU football game of the season.

It just so happened the Cats were taking on the Cyclones at Arrowhead in KC, so it was very convenient for us. We also had several friends in town from Min-e-sooooo-ta.

Up at 5:30 am on Saturday ready to tailgate, it made for a very long day and lots of shenanigans (mostly thanks to Brian and his boyfriends).

Good weekend overall. The CATS won and the hawks lost!! :) Oh, and the Chiefs pulled a W as well. Can you believe it??

 Rockin' out our cool name tags from our financial adviser's tailgate

This is just a small glimpse of how their night ended up

Finally!

OMGoodness. I am so excited!!

Trader Joe's is coming to KC! Not one, but two locations!! Ward Parkway mall and Leawood.

Unlike typical grocery stores, which may carry 50,000 items, Trader Joe's stocks about 4,000 items, 80% of it being its own brand.

Trader Joe's describes itself as "your neighborhood grocery store" or "your unique grocery store". Products sold include gourmet foods, organic foods, vegetarian food, unusual frozen foods, imported foods, domestic and imported wine and beer (where local law permits), "alternative" food items, and staples like bread, cereal, eggs, dairy, coffee and produce. Non-food items include personal hygiene products, household cleaners, vitamins, pet food, plants, and flowers.

I have heard about this place from numerous peeps for a long while now. Soon, I can experience it for myself. What a great day!

Now if we could just get an H&M...

Trader Joe's Coming to KC

Misleading Foods

As an online subscriber, I receive the Cooking Light newsletter. They send a variety of resourceful information including recipes, healthy tips, suggestions for healthy alternatives, etc. Today's email was titled:

10 Foods That Sound Healthy (but Aren't). Some surprised me, others didn't. I thought I would share some of them with you.

Multi-Grain and Wheat Breads
Terms like multi-grain, 7-grain, and wheat sound healthy, but they may not actually contain heart-healthy whole grains. Many breads labeled "multi-grain" and "wheat" are typically made with refined grains, so you're not getting the full nutritional benefit of the whole grain.

How can you be sure? Read nutrition labels carefully. If the first flour in the ingredient list is refined (it will typically say "bleached" or "unbleached enriched wheat flour") you are not getting a 100% whole-grain bread.

I already knew this from a health seminar I attended at work, but many people don't know this. Read the labels!

Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Reduced-fat peanut butter is not necessarily a healthier version of regular peanut butter. Read the labels to see why. Both regular and reduced-fat peanut butter contain about the same amount of calories, but the reduced-fat variety has more sugar. But isn't it healthy to reduce some fat? Not in this case. Regular peanut butter is a natural source of the "good" monounsaturated fats. Look for a natural peanut butter with an ingredient list that contains no added oils.

What?! Not way! My husband doesn't allow me to buy the reduced kind, but I seriously thought reduced was better for you. Interesting...

Energy Bars
Energy bars are the perfect pre-workout snack, right? Not always. Many energy bars are filled with high fructose corn syrup, added sugar, and artery-clogging saturated fat. Plus, some bars (particularly meal replacement varieties) contain more than 350 calories each―a bit more than "snack size" for most people. It is a good idea to fuel up with a mix of high quality carbs and protein before an extended workout or hike. Choose wisely: one-quarter cup of trail mix, or 1.5 oz. of low-fat cheese and three to four small whole-grain crackers. Or, make your own healthy granola bars and trail mix.

We eat these quite often with biking and such. I always knew they were high in fat and calories (that's the idea a lot of the time), but check out Cooking Light's suggestions for the Best Energy Bars.

Smoothies
Even in most smoothie chains and coffee bars, smoothies start out pretty healthful. Most have a base of blended fruit and low-fat dairy. But disproportionately large serving sizes (the smallest is often 16 oz.) combined with added sugar, ice cream, or sherbet, can add up to a high-calorie treat. Some chains serve smoothies that contain up to 500 calories.

A smoothie can be a great way to start the day or to refuel after a workout. Just remember to account for the calories you drink when considering what you've consumed in a day. For the most economical and healthy smoothies, consider making your own.

I love smoothies. Yummy.

 
Packaged Turkey
Turkey is an excellent source of lean protein and a good choice for a speedy lunch or dinner, but many packaged turkey slices are loaded with sodium. One 2-oz. serving of some brands contains nearly one-third of the maximum recommended daily sodium intake. So make sure you buy low-sodium varieties or opt for fresh turkey slices. If you can't roast your own, the best rule of thumb is to find a brand with less than 350 milligrams of sodium per 2-oz. serving.

 
Sports Drinks
If you're going for a leisurely stroll or doing some light housework, skip the sports drinks. While most sports drinks do contain important electrolytes (like potassium and sodium) that are necessary for intense workouts or endurance training, you don't need a sports drink to fuel light activity. Many sports drinks contain 125 calories or more per 20-oz. bottle, so spare yourself the extra calories and opt for plain water or a calorie-free beverage to keep you hydrated.

10 Foods That Sound Healthy (but Aren't)

A Slice of Ranch

We headed southwest this past weekend to the The Ranch.

Near the Oklahoma border, The Ranch is a place we go to relax, get away, enjoy quiet time and great company. We also dabble in a little fishing and shooting; reminds me of when I was little. My grandparents live on farms and shooting targets is something we did every holiday.

I might have experienced some of the best home cooking ever. Fillet steaks, cheesy potatoes, corn with bacon tidbits, biscuits and gravy, Mexican wedding cake...you know, all the savory, melt in your mouth but straight to your ass foods we all love to indulge.

It was a great weekend spent with family. I even had time to drive to Ark City and visit my grandma M for a few hours. Grandma M is the greatest.

I also had the unusual chance to play around with my camera. Ever since we purchased this somewhat "professional" camera, I have really wanted to spend some time with it. Well, life hasn't really allowed me to dedicate much time lately, but me and my camera happened to be on bonding terms this weekend. It was great. I still have a lot to learn though.

Enjoy. Here's a little slice of The Ranch.

Beautiful blooms in front of Grandma's house

Grandma M

What a cute brother I have!

Handsome hubby

Ron

Brothers

Lori

Eric and Lauren

Jakey

Eric and his pups

My Boys

Lauren and cuddly Cooper

Nice catch!

Ace

Ace (the horse) and Jake (the runt). Jake is 4 years older than Ace!