Mid Summer Night's Update

I really had several things to say today, so instead of changing my Facebook status multiple times I decided to BLOG!!  I started a Twitter account yesterday and wanted to Tweet some things but no one is following me, so no one would hear what I have to say.  I surprisingly like Twitter.  However, I'm glad that I held off for as long as I did.  So, let the updates and randomness begin:
1.  Due to this article that Josh sent me:

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201206/61-easy-ways-lose-weight  particularly 27. To burn more calories, stay upright. This means not sitting in front of a computer, TV, phone, etc., all day. Stand and you'll burn more and be more productive. This could even save your life. DiscoverWhy Your Office Chair is Killing You.  I decided to stand as much as I could today.  I think in my 10 hour work day, I stood about 5-6 hours today. 

2.  I wear flip flops around the office because I saw on the Today Show that heels are bad for the calves.  Today, I did wear my flip flops while I was standing and wore them home today!

3.  We did a fitness challenge at work and part of the challenge was to eat 5 servings of fruits or veggies for at least 5 days during the week.  I've realized that is hard to do.  You pretty much have to make one whole meal of fruits and/or veggies per day!!

4.  This time last year, I could hardly run 2 consecutive miles.  And I was running at a 10 min mile pace.  Yesterday I did 6 miles straight running at a 9 min mile pace!!  It's crazy.  I am thinking about doing a 1/2 marathon in November.

5.  In January, I tried to train for a 1/2 marathon but injured my hip.  I started doing hot yoga and I have not had any hip issues as long since, as I am consistent with hot yoga. 

6.  Cody has been working for mom this summer.  He has been spending a lot of time with her.  And Brayden has been going to stay with Grandma a couple of days a week.  I am glad that they are both getting this time with Grandma and GG. 

7.  Between the major, minors, Cody, and Brayden I think I will see about 50 baseball games this year.  WOW that's a TON of baseball...

8.  I like the symphony.

9.  I started listening to Symphony Hall XM station 76 and today when I got into the car after work, I smiled when symphony music played.  It's pleasant music.

10.  Even though it's pleasant, symphony music makes me think of psycho killer movies.  Like when the murderer or psycho is getting ready they typically play soothing symphony music.

11.  I used to blog about my dreams and I haven't lately, but the only recent dream that I can think of is this dream that I had last week that my grandma was pregnant!!!! 

12.  I'm in my Master's program now.  I've done 2 classes and I'm on a break for July.

13.  I need to start volunteering again.

Words

When I was in school, I was not very good at spelling. I'm still not good at spelling. But in school, I didn't really care and I didn't like grammar either. Maybe I didn't like it because I wasn't good at it, maybe I wasn't good at it because Korean was my first language. I tried to blame the fact that I wasn't good at spelling on the fact that Korean was my first language, but I highly doubt that had anything to do with it. As I've gotten older, I've taken more of an interest in words. Maybe it is because I work at a University or maybe I just like words or maybe I care more. Anyway my interest in words are 2 fold. #1 I like pronouncing words correctly. The biggest one that I am known for at work is "verbiage". We use that word regularly, but most people pronounce it without the "i". The correct pronunciation includes the "i". However, my coworkers have called me out for "churching" up chosen words. They don't allow me to pronounce certain words differently just because it "sounds" better. Like envelope. I think it should be pronounced like "on"velope, the correct way is line "in"velope. But I like "on"velope better. For the sake of correctness, I will say "IN"velope.

#2 My 2nd interest about words is learning new words, using new words, and using words properly. Oddly enough (I know, I'm a nerd) my new favorite website seems to be dictionary.com. Here are some of my favorite words, try to use them today:

Kerfuffle - misunderstanding, or disagreement. A brouhaha
Brouhaha - see above :)
Kvetch - to habitually complain, a complaint, a habitual complainer
panache - grand or flamboyant manner, flair
verklempt - choked with emotion
Palpable (this one became a fave because it seemed to have been the buzz word a couple of years ago) - obvious, evident, capable of being touched, felt, or tangible.
Qi (thanks to words with friends) - chi
AND...
floccinaucinihilipilification - rare, yes this long huge word means RARE!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

NO - you know why I don't love football season? Because people get SO obsessed with football. I, for one, never get obsessed with anything. However, seriously, I never hear guys talk so much until football season. All the guys at work talk about is football. So many posts on Facebook about football. I went to a baby shower and the WOMEN were talking about football. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Friday (in prep for the weekend) it is football. Football, Football, Football.

AND - football tickets are so expensive. Who can afford to go to these games. For me, it would require a 3 hour drive, an overnight stay, and about $600!!! WHAT? Ridiculous. Cody can go to an NFL game, when he is an adult and he can pay for his own ticket and drag his wife to a game! Since I have 2 sons, I do have to indulge them in some football talk. I will here and there try to know a little about football and talk a little football for their sake, but that's enough for me.

I have friends that are so determined to turn me into a football fan. I keep saying that I will resist. One friend is determined to wear me down and prove me wrong. Josh tries the argument, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's not going to work either. I will dig in my heels and stand firm. I don't HAVE to be a football fan!

Mystery Texter

On the iPhone, you can get an app that will let you text for free. When you get this app, you get a new number assigned to your texting app.

Ok, so 2 weeks ago I get this random text message from some saying that they have been thinking about me. When I ask who it is, they respond that it is my husband/love of my life. I then ask if this person knows who they are texting and they respond, yes Kira.

So, they know me. I still don't know them. They give me some hints on who they are, but they could be lies, which I'm pretty sure that they were. I continue to try to guess and I text this person back and forth for the evening.

By the next day, I get bored and stop responding to the texts. I call the number & it is a texting only number, thus I assume an iPhone user. So I starting calling some possible iPhone guys and get no where.

About a week later, I told this person to stop texting me if they are not going to tell me who they are and they still randomly texts me every other day. Today, I got 2 texts. What am I going to do?

Updates

Virginia - To make this short & sweet. We went to Virginia Beach, we stopped by Williamsburg and then our last night there we went up to Baltimore to Inner Harbor. We met up with the Poff family & really enjoyed that time. THERE IS A LOT OF TRAFFIC in that area - ALL OF THE TIME. We did a lot but still have a lot left to do up there. I really appreciated the Spillers' hospitality

Wardrobe - still doing my color weeks. Last week, I did blue week. This week was black week. I think next week will be light pink week or purple, I haven't decided yet. Probably light pink.

School - I found out the bus pick up/schedule and I have accepted the fact that Brayden will be riding the bus. He only has to walk like a block to the bus stop. And Cody will be home before he is so Cody can make sure that he gets home safely. I think I am more anxious about the new school year than they are.

I'm back in classes & should actually graduate with my first bachelor's degree next year!!! My new major is now Communication Sales & Marketing.

No Reason

Because I have a lot of clothes, I am compulsive, I have nothing better to do, I don't like to pick out my clothes, and my brain works in odd ways, I decided that I am going to start dressing in weekly color themes. This week was hot pink week. I have A LOT of hot pink. I wore hot pink all week. I have a lot of light pink too, so I will have a week of light pink too. We will see how it goes. I did not take a picture of every day, but here is a sample from this week:

This day was a Spirit day at work. We had a Western theme, but I managed to incorporate my hot pink theme!

Willis Tower

A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that the Sears Tower will be renamed the Willis Tower. After the new major tenant the Willis Holding Group take occupancy.

I understand this company wanting their name on a building, but they should find another building. Companies should be allowed to put their name on a building if they are paying enough money, I guess. But they should not change the name of US Landmark. And to top it all off the Willis Holding Group does not even own any part of the building - they are just renting the space.

News reports stated that many Chicago residents may never make the adjustment, but I'm sure sooner or later they will. I guess I will have to take the boys back & take a new picture with the new name. So off to the Willis Tower.

S-C-R-A-B-B-L-E

I was never a big fan of Scrabble, mainly because I can't spell. But recently I have been playing it and kind of like playing. I appreciate the challenge. Today on Yahoo there was this article about changing the scoring system due to the addition of some words. Three words to be exact. The 3 words are Za (slang for pizza), qi (something about a bodily function or urban dictionary said like a spirit around your body) and zzz (like sleeping). And since these words were being added and used what used to be unique letters that the scoring for those letters should be lowered.

1. I have not even heard of 2 of the 3 words, so would never even know to use them.
2. I probably will not remember the words again to use them the next time I play.
3. I hope I never become so crazy about Scrabble that I care that z's & q's can be used now so the score should be lowered.
4. I am happy that there are more words for Z & Q, I always felt like they were not pulling their weight in the alphabet. Now for that crazy X!

Have you used these words, in life or Scrabble?

Let me introduce...

??? - I don't know their names because I do not know who they are. I just decided to smile as I walked through the photo that Eric was taking of them. Eric works for Kodak at SDC & he was supposed to take their photo, but I do not think that I was supposed to be in the picture.

It's harder than it looks

So, several weeks ago I blogged about the NETI POT that was shown on Oprah.

Well, I purchased my very own Neti Pot to try out for myself. I went to the health food store & asked for one, surprisingly they had several. I asked the lady if she knew that it was on Oprah & she said yes. I asked her if they ever sold any before it was on Oprah & she responded that they sold very few & once it was on Oprah they sold so many that they could not get them in fast enough. Amazing what Oprah can do for a product.

Brayden & I both had some allergies bothering our sinuses. I did it on him first. It was fine, he did really well with it. I'm not sure how much it helped him, but he said that it helped. Then when I did it on me, I poured in one nostril & nothing came out the other side. But I started to feel all this pressure in my head & feel like I was snorting water. Still nothing came out the other side. So I removed the Neti Pot & all the water came out the same nostril. So apparently if you are too congested, it does not work.

But a couple of days later as I started to drain, I tried it again, and here is the picture (if I look like the blood it kind of running to my head it's because the blood is kind of running to my head). The lady on Oprah looked a lot better doing it! I'm not sure if it helped yet or not. I need to try it again because I can tell that my sinuses are acting up again, but I really did not notice any improvement the first try.

The Neti Pot

Dr Oz was on Oprah again Thursday. He has very interesting topics when he is on. Well this show was no different & it was very helpful too. But the most intriguing part of the show was the Neti Pot shown in action below & a blurb from the show. But the Neti Pot is a nose bidet. For more info click HERE

Before you try pouring water into your nostril, Dr. Oz offers some neti pot pointers.

First, mix warm water with a quarter teaspoon of salt."You never want to wash [human] tissue without having saltwater in them," he says. "Your own cells like it more."Dr. Oz says washing out your sinuses with regular water can be irritating. Cold water may make you feel like you're drowning in a pool.

Amy, an audience member who suffers from sinusitis, demonstrates the proper way to use a neti pot. "I thought it would feel like drowning, but it feels good," she says.It may look strange, but Dr. Oz says this treatment may be more effective than medication. "The [ear, nose and throat] doctors who are specialists in this area will often say this is a better treatment than a lot of the other drugs that we try to offer folks, because it mechanically cleans out the problem," he says.

Neti pots are available at health food stores and most drug stores.

Have you ever used a Neti Pot? Have you ever seen a Neti Pot before?

The Suiter Revealed???

I love to download ringtones on my cell phone. I love music so I like to hear my fav tunes when people are calling. My top 5 people have their own ringtones. Starting with the Suiter. His ringtone is My Love by JT.

The other day when I was at the cleaners. The Suiter called me. The girl at the counter commented that she liked my ring tone. I told her, "thanks, that's my boyfriend." Her response was a very perkie, "HE'S MY BOYFRIEND TOO!!" Her reaction caught me TOTALLY off guard. It took me a minute to figure out what on earth she was talking about. When I did, I gave her a puzzled look, smiled & shook my head yeah as I left.