Happy Leap Day

Today is leap day and I feel jipped. Today is the day we get to collect on the extra time we've been saving up for the past 4 years. Kind of like when you were a kid and would save up all the change you could collect and finally go to the store and buy that prize you've had your eye on. So today is our extra day that we only get to cash in on every 4 years. What are you going to do with it? Well, if you're like me you are probably working. That is where I feel jipped. I mean, if we're going to get an extra day, why not make it a holiday? As it is, this extra day is for my employer. I get paid by salary, not by the hour, so today is an extra day to benefit my employer and I feel a little disgruntled. This extra day we're giving to the man... another one of life's ironies. Like meeting the man of my dreams and then meeting his beautiful wife. I think Leap Day should be made a national holiday so we can all enjoy the extra tidbits of time we collect during each 4 year stretch. I mean don't we all work hard enough? An extra holiday every four years would really give Leap Day the recognition it deserves.

On a side note, one of my friends is getting married today. I believe it was the groom's wish to get married on leap day so he would only have to celebrate (and buy something for his wife) every 4 years. I say it better be darn good to make up for the other years.

O Holy Night

This is a hillarious clip from South Park with Cartman singing "o Holy Night" and messing up the lyrics. This is not available on youtube, so you will have to copy and paste the link below to your browser.

http://www.shoutwire.com/articles/102009/Southpark_Cartman_O_Holy_Night.html

Any one up for a Cuddle Party?

I came across this new phenonmenon and found it quite interesting... Cuddle Parties: a place where adults can come together and explore affectionate touch and communication without it become sexualized. See www.cuddleparty.com

Sound wierd? Here's the website's response: "While coming together for an event such as this might seem a little odd, our need for contact, touch, and affection is proven. Affectionate touch is necessary for healthy immune systems, good mental health, and the development of our brains and nervous systems. It can reduce stress levels and help sick or injured people to heal. Touch is a means of communication with the people around us. Practicing welcomed, affectionate touch without sexualizing it can improve relationships of all kinds."

"This is the real weirdness: past the age of twelve or so, we're supposed to curtail our physical contact with other adults. As adults we STILL NEED TO BE HELD! Held, hugged, touched, stroked, caressed, piled atop on, reclined across, nuzzled, and affectionately massaged. Cuddle Parties are a place to begin exploring and reclaiming the sense of affectionate touch and play we naturally displayed and enjoyed as children, and that we need to be happy, healthy adults."

This is a true point, although I find cuddling with a bunch of strangers to be wierd and uncomfortable. But I could see a Mormon single party spin-off of this... where you could actually cuddle with people you know or would like to get to know :) I do agree with the need for affection in a good healthy way and I'm glad some people are turning to this rather than promiscuous-ness. But I have a hard time wrapping my mind around cuddling with strangers... it's just too intimate.

The site goes on to answer all the frequently asked questions surrounding cuddle parties. Some interesting terms:

FTCs: First Time Cuddlers
Puppy Pile: When a bunch of people crawl atop one another and cozy up, like puppies do just before they fall asleep
Cuddle Lifeguards: a select group of amazing individuals who are specially trained and certified in how to facilitate Cuddle Parties
Cuddle Caddies: Cuddle Caddies assist the Cuddle Lifeguards.They too are trained, but their training isn't as intense or long as the certification to become a Cuddle Lifeguard. Think of Cuddle Caddies as the flannel sidekicks of the Cuddle Party Dynamic Duo.
Spoon Press: See picture above

Very strange, very strange indeed.

Where should I live?

There's a fun website I was told about to find out the best place for you to live considering your tastes and preferences. I decided to try it out to see if SLC is the place for me. It wasn't even in my top 20. The website is www.findyourspot.com I tried to be as honest as possible and this is what came up... I'm not sure how accurate this list is. It doesn't take into consideration location of family. So Denver is my #1 spot... interesting because I've always been drawn to living in Denver. It is my birthplace. Maybe this is a sign? The only deterrant is the fact that I don't have any family there. But its definitely a place I could settle down in. I like the fact that it is close to the mountains and has all the out-doorsy stuff that I like. It has a strong LDS-based community without it being overwhelmingly LDS like Utah is. It has a plethora of ski resorts that actually provide great skiing deals to the locals (unlike Utah) and it has every major professional sporting team. Denver has a great downtown with great shopping and restaurants. Plus, I don't think it gets the nasty inversions during the winter like Salt Lake Valley gets.

1. Denver, CO
2. Seattle, WA

3. Carlisle, PA

4. Cinncinati, OH

5. Knoxville, TN

6. Charleston, SC

7. Kent, WA

8. Fort Collins, CO

9. Tacoma, WA

10. Jacksonville, FL


www.bestplaces.net is a site that shows you the cost of living in any zip code in the US. Handy for seeing how far your paycheck will take you in any of the locations findyourspot tells you is your place of compatibility.

Bigger

I came across this and it really resonated with me...

I feel like there is so much more that I am capable of than what I am currently doing in my life. There is so much more I can give. There is so much more that I want out of life...

Battle at Kruger

Ok, I just learned how to post a youtube clip to my blog. You got to check this video out... pretty freakin amazing...

21 days for new habit

How long does it take to actually form a new habit? The common response is 21 days. Studies have actually shown that if you practice a new habit for an average of 21 days, it actually becomes easier to do the new habit than it is to NOT to do the new habit. That's fantastic!!

I've always been really into working out and being healthy, but the past few months I've gotten into a slump and made plenty of excuses for not going to the gym. I actually dreaded going to the gym. Looking back, I can see how this really effected me physically and emotionally. I was in a relationship and so going to the gym took a back seat. Now I see there needs to be a balance in all things.

Making a commitment to run a half marathon (Nike's Women in San Francisco) in October, I decided the time of slacking off needed to come to an end. So a couple of weeks ago, I started going back to the gym. I really dreaded going back and it took a lot of discipline to go to the gym every day. I was surprised at how out of shape I had become. I stuck to it and grudgingly would go and "put in the time." It has now been only a couple of weeks and I cannot believe how differently I feel! I feel so much better and I feel like a weight has been lifted (no pun intended) from me emotionally. Exercising is truly theraputic. Now, amazingly enough, I look forward to going to the gym and "clearing my head" through running. I love the rush I get after I push myself to go just a little further on my runs. And even on days where you really don't feel like going, you never regret that you did once it's all over. Only 14 days and a new habit has been restored!!! This has really instilled in me just how effective and necessary exercise is for over-all well-being. I've always known the importance of exercise and now I remember why i've been so devout in my exercising in the past.

Here's a quote that I like:

"If you keep doing what you've always done, then you will keep on getting what you've always got."

Here's to new constructive habits!