“Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” ~William Shakespeare
If we all lived each day of our lives being great, we would be able to solve the problems of the world, we would find solutions to the economy, to hunger, to global warming. I truly believe, if we all lived to our fullest potential and did what we loved, every single day of our lives then there would be happiness and joy, and potentially peace on earth.
If you can find it in your heart to give, help these animals. I know if I had a home big enough to take them all in, I would. If I had tons of money, I would give it to find these adorable animals a loving home, but since neither is true, all I can do is share the information here in this blog.
Honestly, as much as I hate it I totally see how the world in which we live is so much about appearances. Way frustrating if you ask me, but oh soooooo true. Today was a prime example. I travel often and have a pretty set system, wear comfortable clothes, shoes or slippers, snacks, bento or musubi’s, jacket, glasses, no makeup, pillow (if i remember) and pack everything in a backpack.
Well today was different. Since I’m wearing a different hat today I decided to change it up a bit. Still comfortable, jeans, cute top, slippers, simple sweatshirt jacket, hair in place, light makeup, accessories, food for the plane (quiche and quinoa), 24hour planner (a must for achievers…lol), 4 books, 2 more books I couldn’t resist ($ for food, $ for books, you can see what won…the perpetual learner in me), books to write in, paperwork for my trip in a folder, all organized perfectly in a chic briefcase…LOL!!!
I say all of this because of the difference in help, service, conversation these changes made. The security folks on the street created me with a smile and a friendly have a nice day. I walked in the door to check in and was greeted by 5 airline personnel eager to help, check in was a breeze, agriculture, no worries and off to security. Friendly, friendly men and women, off to the store to take a quick peek, excellent customer service, despite the busy atmosphere and prior irate customer. Made a few new friends after some simple conversation.
I’m not saying that people aren’t genuinely nice, but honestly it really felt like being in alternative reality. If you know me well, my personality doesn’t change much, I could be wearing my sleep clothes and make a new friend but this was over the top.
Does appearance make this big of a difference?
its chinese new year, and for some odd reason it seems like so many people who normally havenʻt made a big to do about this day seem to be this year. so much so that there was a lion dance ceremony at the State Capitol in Hawaii to bring good luck to the Governor and the Lt. Governor. it seems a bit odd to me, but all the same it is what it is.
as for me, i am the year of the ox, and iʻm always interested to see what my chinese horoscope says that is in store for me. here is what it says. i left a link at the bottom of the page so you can look up yours as well. have fun with it. i know i do.
Bull (Ox) in 2012 will feel the stress of business affairs, but such prospects that he never dreamed of will immediately open. Hard work does not scare a representative of this zodiac sign, dedication and perseverance to follow his line of conduct would be enough. Bull will see some difficulties in early 2012 as impregnable, but under a certain activeness, they can easily succumb and crumble to dust, freeing up the road. Bull should not seek solely to self-enrichment and acquisition of luxury – for him, is much more important to develop flexible work tactics and methods for efficient conduct of business, because the beginning of the year 2012 of the Black Water Dragon is the best time to start very important and innovative projects.Bull’s work in 2012 can be called a mission – so solemn and important that a representative of this zodiac sign will do all that is required to move forward. It will be good if Bull starts training, self-education – the year 2012 will be favorable to change job or even profession. In the upcoming 2012, Bull’s sphere of communication will be tantamount to the sphere of his core business, and he should make use of this favorable trend to expand his network of partnership and business cooperation, make new friends and put his personal life to order. Bull should not forget about charity – the Black Water Dragon favors those who help the needy. A representative of this zodiac sign needs not to overly and actively storm problems – he needs to apply flexible work tactics to achieve greater results with fewer applications of forces and lack of risk of loss. He should not move not studying the way. The year 2012 requires careful planning of each affair and act so as to get rid of spontaneity in his activities. Spring can be a critical time in business. An unemployed representative of this zodiac sign can find a job or get an unexpected flattering offer of a new post. A Bull who is a businessman may discover a new trend in business, engage in expansion or reorganization, get acquainted with influential people who can help in his further affairs. Bull should be very careful and cautious even in small things, not entrusting the decision of financial and important business matters to people at random, he should check everything himself. In spring, a Bull who is an employee can demonstrate his ability to his bosses and colleagues, come up with rationalization proposals for open discussion in a team and defend his point of view. In this painstaking and very long work, it is very important to maintain peaceful relations with everyone, not start ambitious accusations and arrogant aggression against those that disagree with him. If Bull in 2012 will be too stubborn in resisting the team, in summer, he risks being drawn into conflicts that will for long not allow him to work quietly and efficiently. In summer, Bull’s affairs will slow down a little bit, however, his budget will almost stop being replenished with new infusions of funds, and Bull may feel the futility of his previous efforts. During this period, it is important not to weaken his work, and at the same time – not to try and change it or do a revolution because this period is not for change but for orderly continuation of work, without jerks and stops. In fall, Bull will be glad there is now clarity in his affairs, while his budget is actively updated with new infusions of profit. This is a good time to plan for the future as well as for a reasonable distribution of earnings, in order to save and multiply earned capital.
The position of the planets in January 2012 is favorable for the development of relations in a couple – if Bull will not be too busy at work. Most of the trouble in a relationship that may arise are often caused by Bull’s changing mood, his lack of restraint, and ambition. Spring will be a quieter period in the relationship. During this period, a single Bull may meet the person of his/her dreams. In summer, the couple may have conflict and quarrels. Bull needs to be more calm and restrained. In fall, the couple may relax, at the same time, Bull can take very important decisions concerning not only his business but also his personal life.
http://www.gotohoroscope.com/2012/chinese-new-year.html
i know it may sound strange, not saying “hi” to someone you know, but trust me, there are times that i think its just best. today was one of those days. i had stopped by at a 7-11 to grab some water, i was headed home, but felt really thirsty so said why not, it will be a dollar well spent. as i was leaving, i looked across the street and saw a familiar truck pull into a zippyʻs restaurant parking lot. i decided to head over to zippyʻs thinking i would pick up a pastry or two for my dad and yes to be a bit nosey. well as i pulled in, it happened, i knew why the truck looked so familiar, it was “him” standing there yelling across the street to “her”. ”she” was walking past the pastries.
i know, i know, vague as hell, but lotʻs of folks know my business so everyone will know exactly who iʻm talking about, for those of you who donʻt, it was one of those guys that kind of just keeps reappearing in your life. guys, iʻm sure you have a woman or two that does the same thing so you can totally relate. well, “he” was one of them. we met years ago actually and although we could have been something back then, it never really happened and over the years, we, letʻs say, had a few random encounters.
itʻs one of those cycles, the ones that sometimes you wait for, other times you just hope it never happens again. most times when we run into each other, i will stop and say hello, stand for a bit to catch up and then it starts a whole cycle of text messages or calls and meeting up. this time, i simply kept my eyes straight ahead and kept driving. sorry pops no pastries for you.
as i think back to that moments, iʻm in awe of how much you can see and absorb in a few seconds, i forgot just how tall he was, how he stands with his shoulders back, that he holds his cigarette like most people hold their joints, big oversized t-shirt, rubbah slippaʻs….he put on more than a few pounds, looked a little scruffy and rough around the edges, but essentially looked the same.
as crazy as it sounds, i sometimes wonder why i had a thing for him, other times, i know exactly why. the why yes i had a thing for him was simply because i found him attractive from the first time i met him. it was years ago and he was just out of high school. he was skinnier then, well, so was i, but he just had this confidence about him. a total “local” boy with the most amazing eyes. i remember we all went to sing karaoke and he moved into our booth sitting right next to me, it was so close i could feel the heat from his body. donʻt worry, iʻll save steamy details for another blog, but i suppose, like those movies, whenever i never him, i see the person he was then, not the person he is today. so many years have come between then and now, we are both older, and fluffier, but inside i think we are still those two kids who found some level of attraction all those years ago.
i guess thatʻs the reason i didnʻt stop. at one point i really thought in our adult lives something was developing, but we have really bad communication skills. i donʻt read minds well, and well he didnʻt really talk about stuff. well, i take it back, he talked a lot about his kids and about the land and about being hawaiian, i learned a lot from him, but he never really talked as if there were an “us” and so i guess i played it safe and never brought it up either. there were always other complications too, and people who didnʻt want us together, i respect peopleʻs opinions and learned just a few months ago, it wasnʻt out of jealousy, but out of caring for me.
i kicked myself in the butt so many times, and chucked it up to not being the “right” person for him. i suppose sometimes i felt a bit used and not really respected and other times, i really thought there was more there than there probably was. back in the day i really thought something was seriously wrong with me, that i wasnʻt enough for him, or really anyone, but as i look back, “we” were just not the right oneʻs for each other. itʻs tough to say, but its the truth.
today was tough, i canʻt honestly say that i didnʻt want to stop the car and say hello, but realized sometimes in life, its more about knowing when not to say “hi”.
if you believe things will be okay, they will, if you know what you want, then you can have it. nothing is outside of your reach if you just believe. i truly believe that anything and everything is possible not only for me but for everyone. individually we can do much, together we can do more!!!
okay, so this one was a bit of a cheat, cheat mainly because it came out of a package…LOL!!! the only think i did was modify the ingredients a bit, I used coconut oil instead of regular canola oil, used egg whites instead of a whole egg, and added dark chocolate shavings. it turned out soooooooo yummmy that even my dad a totally anti health food freak loved it. he didnʻt even notice the difference except for a mild coconut flavor. next time if i add a bit of coconut and almonds it could be an almond joy bundt cake. oooooohhhh that could be another experiment for the year!!! iʻm super excited now 
Well, unfortunately there is no photo for this one, it was a little bit of a flop. I knew I shouldnʻt have listened to the recipe, but oh well, I did and it totally did not stick. My mom was awesome and said at least it kinda tastes like meat…lol, that was a Jedi mind trick if nothing else. it fell apart, not enough to bind it, but the flavors are pretty much on point and of course, nothing that a bit of ketchup and tabasco canʻt help. hahahahaha!!!
SocialVibe