You spin me right round ...

The COOLEST thing. EVER.

Did I forget to MENSCHon (mention) my Mother?

My Dad shared with our family, via email, a terrific message about the important women in our lives: our Mothers. It was his own sentiments followed by those of Thomas Friedman, an op-ed columnist for The New York Times. Most know Tom (yup, first name basis!) from his book, The World is Flat. I read that book (version 1.0 shortly after it was released), and it while it provided interesting, thoughtful, and relevant points, sometimes I thought the tone of the book was a lil' flat. Sorry. Point being, for Mother's Day, Friedman wrote this touching column.

For those that have met my Mother, you can agree that she is unbelievable. Everything she does is right. It IS!
She's thoughtful, considerate, compassionate, independent, stubborn!! (I have NO IDEA why I'm like that?), open-minded, a problem solver, devoted wife and mother, she is the most perfect example of one who makes sacrifices, she laughs (especially at herself, and even more especially when it's late at night), she's driven, resourceful, creative, organized (thank you for that one Mom!), tactful, respectful, humble, beautiful, obedient, loves unconditionally, is forgiving, and is a friend.

This is not a polished list, however it was not intended to be. I have a tendency to go tangential. My original thought was that this column confirmed that I wish I spoke Yiddish: "She put the mensch in dementia.” Hopefully that does not detract from the love and respect I have for my Mom.

Mensch: a person of integrity and honor; a person having admirable characteristics, such as fortitude and firmness of purpose

What a TERRIFIC word.
What a MENSCHonable Mom I have! :)

My So Called Life

Sort of the perfect end to a week that lasted a lot longer than it should have (or at least felt that way).


Proud owner of all seasons; thank you work. I feel appreciated! (Allow me to make the connection for you; collection was purchased with a gift card I received from work for Staff Appreciation Day).


Also, a random self observation that came to me as I meandered the aisles of DSW: when I'm "older", I'm probably going to own a lot of grasshoppers.

Getcha Some

Spawned by my fondness for Toby Keith and in honor of his (35) Greatest Hits cd release, take a moment to contemplate if you should have been a cowboy?

Oy Vey!

There is a Yiddish Proverb that says: If you want your dreams to come true, don't sleep.

I may have taken that literally. Sleepless nights are becoming too common. I could blame it on the end of swim season; this is the first week sans swim practice and this might be a preview of what those retired folks talk about. The transition from busy to calm is not an easy adjustment, however I have enjoyed the "leisure" time thus far and have no shortage of activities in queue to fill the void.

As a shout out to the swim team (who had a terrific season), I present their performance at the spring sports rally, which was during school and I was not in attendance. They were quite proud of this spoof.



If you'd like to see the original or familiarize yourself with the YES dance, do a quick google/youtube search. It's not necessary to watch all of the original to capture the full flavor.

In conversation this weekend about my coaching gig, I mentioned to friends that as much as I enjoy it, sometimes I feel like a part-time parent or a step-parent, because I only see them at practice. I coach with a friend who is also a teacher at the school and has 100% involvement in the lives of the swimmers/students. She's probably more invested than she'd like to be!

I could write numerous entries on the gratitude I have for and the life lessons taught to me by coaches in my life. My efforts are not in competition for their spots as role models but a way to hopefully give to others. A thought from my current read "The Blind Side", It's easy to beat a kid up. It's harder to build them up.

Runners World Doctrine

From the June 2008 issue of Runners World:

Q: Will diet soda hurt my running?

A: Studies indicate that drinking a few cans of diet soda a day will not harm your running or your health. The caffeine in diet soda will not dehydrate you, and the carbonation is harmless (but it may cause stomach distress if you drink it right before running). It's also a myth that soda decreases bone density. Artificial sweeteners, the most controversial ingredient in diet soda, have been heavily tested and shown to be safe at 10 or more cans a day (bold added for emphasis!). While recent research suggests a link between diet soda and weight gain, this research is very limited and far from conclusive. Many scientists, including those with the American Heart Association, consider diet soda a healthy option to control calorie intake.

So for all the haters in the world, please embrace the dark tasty beverages ... and do so guilt free.