Month: May 2010

I like my superheroes flawed. Who wants perfection? I love the snarkiness of Tony Stark, the angst of Bruce Banner, the guilt in Bruce Wayne, the anger of Ben Grimm. Lately the movie versions of these characters have lived up to my expectations. I have read comics it seems all of my life. I think we all know I love the superhero genre. These characters are not just for children, as a matter of fact, most of these movies are really for the adults who grew up with them. I guess you can surmise that I just saw another one of these movies since it is in the forefront of my mind. Yes I saw Iron Man II yesterday and it totally rocked. I loved the ending, and I mean the very ending, after all of the credits. I can hardly wait for the Avengers movie, directed by the great Joss Whedon I might add.
So I read an article yesterday that said women should be consuming 120 grams of protein a day. I don’t even know how to do that! I would have to consume so many calories! I can do the 500 calorie, 50 grams of protein a day thing, I guess if I did 1000 calories a day I could do 100 grams of protein a day. I am going to try it. I am trying to think of high protein foods, I know salmon, cottage cheese is another, and eggs are a good source. Well I will figure it out and of course you know I will tell you of my findings.
For the record, just because I am from Oklahoma and a weather watcher does not make me a redneck (not that there is anything wrong with that), nor does it make me crazy. If you are wondering it was someone on facebook that equated weather watching and being from Oklahoma to being a redneck. Seriously when will the ignorance stop? I am so beyond tired of people putting down Oklahomans. Let’s take a look at some Oklahomans shall we? Will Rogers ring a bell with anyone? Let me remind you; He was born near Oologah, Oklahoma, he was part Cherokee, his parents were prominent citizens in Oklahoma, his father Clement Rogers served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. Rogers County, Oklahoma is named in honor of Clement Rogers.
Our history is filled with greatness, sadness, tragedy, embarrassment and all of the stuff American stories are made of. I have said it here before; I will say it again, I am immensely proud to call myself a daughter of Oklahoma.

Today is Monday and I took the weekend off. It was a highly emotionally charged weekend. Something happened Friday, that although it did not happen to me, I still am reeling from it. I cannot and will not say what it was, just suffice it to say, it was shocking.
So Saturday, I invested in some retail therapy, plus it was international adopt a shoe day, so I did the only thing I could. I gave 4 sets of twins a good home! I am still indecisive about two sets. They are flats and I have not worn flats since I was 12 years old, so we shall see. Saturday night was spent in Grayson County, watching Freddy graduate. Freddy is Elizabeth’s boyfriend and Jeffrey’s best friend. We are all very proud of him.
Sunday was Mother’s Day, I got to see Elizabeth and Freddy and Alex, not Jeffrey as Tessa was ill and Jeffrey was not feeling very well either. I did get to talk to him on the phone though, so all is good.
I spent most of the day with fiancée; we went shopping, for him! I know, shocking. Then out to eat at Texas Roadhouse, I really do like that place. I don’t know why it appeals to me, but it does. We had a great waitress named Jessie, she was total greatness. So a pleasurable experience was had by all.
I watched The Tudors this morning, another wife beheaded. Henry really did have a penchant for going through the wives! However here is the interesting thing, they had an advertisement for a new show, The Borgia’s!! OMG, who is not fascinated by that family??? Seriously, I am so excited! I hope that it is as good as The Tudors, as they really were accurate with that one. I am going to have to go to imdb.com and see who will be playing Lucretia; she is one of my favorite figures in history, really the only one to survive the horrendousness of that family.
I wonder who will be next, oh; I hope they do one on the de Medici’s. Now that is a fascinating family. Starting with Cosimo and ending with Lorenzo. Well, Monday off is jam packed, Iron Man 2 and running errands! I hope everyone has a great start to their week!

I have a secret I can’t tell anyone and it is driving me bananas! Soon I can tell but not today. So this morning I tested the Starbucks is open at 5:00 A.M. theory, and they are! I have my Starbucks and I am a happy, happy woman! I hope everyone’s Friday starts off as good as mine has.
It will be a jam packed weekend and I didn’t even know it was going to be. Freddy, Elizabeth’s boyfriend, Jeffrey’s best friend, is graduating tomorrow, so I will of course be attending that event. Sunday is Mother’s day, and well I am a Mother, so I am sure my children will want to see me…. Hint, Hint to the ones that read this. I am off work Monday, so yay me.
I was on a conference call last night, it was a Mary Kay conference call, speaking of, please feel free to visit my website http://www.marykay.com/abarsi for all of your skin care and color cosmetic needs, and I offer free shipping. Please pass the website to your friends and family!
As I sit here and enjoy my coffee treat I can’t help but think about the Grey’s Anatomy episode from last night. It was about sensitivity, sensitive to others, sensitive to the circumstances that brought the patients to the hospital and their family members. It made me think how much I use those skills in my job as a DSL technician and how I use those skills in my Mary Kay business. I use them with the person on the other end of the line to walk them through troubleshooting their connectivity to the internet issues. Calming telling them it is their computer and due to the fact that no one takes the initiative or time to learn anything about the expensive piece of equipment they have brought into their homes, they will have to pay to have someone fix it, unless they know someone who has a modicum of understanding of how computers work.
I enjoy using those skills more with my Mary Kay career, I enjoy helping people with their skincare needs and choosing just the right colors for their color cosmetics that will compliment their skin tone and how to apply those color cosmetics to highlight their eyes or cheek bones or their lips. Depending on what they see as their best feature. Sometimes women don’t realize that their eyes are so pretty until they see them brought out with just the right eyeliner or a little mascara. It is so much fun to watch them discover just the right lipstick for their special night out. Or the perfect lip gloss for going to the soccer field, or discovering that skincare is really simple and they don’t have to spend hours a day to achieve good skin. I love it. I hope it comes across to my customers how much I truly care that they are not only happy with their products but happy with how I deliver those products.

It is Thursday and a happy Thursday it is! I know without a doubt in my heart it is going to be a great day. Don’t ask me how I know, I just know. Tomorrow is Starbucks day and today is the day before; it is the anticipation that is all a part of the experience. I don’t know what I will have tomorrow; I am kinda in the mood for something different. The Passion Tea was amazing. This is how you order it, size is your choice, Passion Tea, shaken, no water, no sweetener. OMG, amazing! I don’t use sweetener in my tea so I am used to that, to me any additives take away from the flavor. Tomorrow however is coffee treat day, caffeine overload day if you will. I am very much looking forward to it!
I have a three day weekend as I traded days with my good friend Gladys, she is going to work my Monday and I will work her Saturday. I know I will enjoy sleeping in on Monday.
So this week has been stressful for various reasons, yesterday afternoon it actually got better and the clouds parted and it will all be ok, my grandma was right again, it all works out in the end.
Ok, now for the Does This Make My Dog Crazy segment:
I am a shampoo and conditioner fanatic, I look for the newest and latest and the best smelling, well one day I found this amazing shampoo and conditioner, could not wait to wake up the next morning and use it. The next morning, as expected the aroma was intoxicating as I lathered up and rinsed and conditioned. I had longer hair then so I was blow drying leaning over, basically cousin It. All of a sudden the most horrible stench reaches my nostrils, I panic, I think OMG did the heat from the blow dryer somehow make my new shampoo and conditioner change? Panicking I turn off the blow dryer lift my hair out of my eyes and scream! Chewie is right in front of me panting right in my face! It wasn’t my hair it was old man dog breath! I promise you as he trotted off he was chortling. Does that make my dog crazy or mischievous?

I am having an angry week. I have residual anger from some things that happened last week and now other things are happening this week that have made me even angrier. When I am angry I tend to climb on my soapbox and just rant. I have done that several times this week and well it is just Wednesday morning. I am going to tell you a few things I am angry about. I am angry that occupational employees take up causes that are against their peers. We should not be doing this. We should be working together not in conflict. I am angry with people spreading rumors when they themselves do not have the facts. And then you say oh I have it from the horse’s mouth then refuse to name the horse. Well let me tell you I know the only two horses that would have that information and I know they never neigh.
Ok, am over the anger, have gotten it out of my system. Mothers day is coming up, don’t worry, I have already talked about my mom, so will not be making anyone cry with stories of her. However, my grandmother is fair game! But the memories I have of her are all funny. She was total greatness.
I find myself completely addicted to grapefruit these days, I found these fruit cups in the produce section that are 40 calories and packed in their own juice, no sugar added. A little salt and it is sheer perfection. Grapefruit is filled with good things, tons of vitamin C.
Have been discussing Starbucks with a co-worker this morning, I am so excited that it is almost Friday! Oh speaking of coffee, did I tell you I found Godiva Crème Brule’ coffee? It is hard to find, but I found it at Marshall’s of all places. I love this coffee, it is so good, they used to carry it in Dillard’s but they don’t anymore. I had the best weekend coffee wise; I not only had the Godiva coffee I also had the organic coffee from New Flower. It totally rocked!

On Saturday I took Tessa to the Asian Festival, and yes I know I have already stated this, however, I saw something that has been bothering me ever since. The illegal immigrants march. I am so angry. Now don’t get me wrong, if you want to come to this country, do it the right way. Let’s check a few facts shall we:
If you cross the Iranian border illegally you are detained indefinitely, if you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot. If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally you will be jailed. If you cross the Chinese border illegally you may never be heard from again. If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed. If you cross the Cuban border illegally you will be thrown into a political prison.
If you cross the U.S. border illegally your get:
A job, a drivers license, a social security card, welfare, food stamps, credit cards, subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house, free education, free health care, a lobbyist in Washington, billions of dollars worth of public documents printed in your language and the right to carry your county’s flag while you protest that you don’t get enough respect. I just wanted to make sure I understand why illegal immigrants are protesting.
I am seriously angry, while I believe that Arizona has gone too far, what are we to do regarding this situation? I have no issues with people coming here from other countries, just do it the proper way. The legal way, as a matter of fact, my fiancée is an immigrant, a legal immigrant. He is not a citizen, however, he renews his legal status when he is supposed to, he pays taxes, he does not live on welfare nor food stamps, doesn’t have free health care. I have many other friends who have come here from different countries; once again, they did it the proper way, legally.
My ex-husband’s grandparents were immigrants from Italy; they came through Ellis Island, no picnic there. However, once again, they came here legally. Settled here, made huge contributions to this country.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”
That is what it says on the Statue of Liberty, we mean it, we just want you to come legally. Like you have to in any other country.

I know I promised the story of Chewie on Saturday however, I was busy. So you get it today.
Chewie is an old family friend, he actually belongs to Jess, yes the same one made famous here. Jess became acquainted with the aforementioned being when he was just a pup. He spent countless hours training him to be the great companion he is now.
Well, first there were two, then three, then four, then five. Jess married, and then they actually got a companion for Chewie, a female pup. Then a baby joined the mix. As time went by, it turns out baby was allergic to the pups. So a new home was sought for both. The late comer was younger therefore easily placed. Chewie being more mature a little more difficult.
Chewie used to spend time with us, when Jess was out of town. While I was explaining the predicament that Jess found himself in, trying to find a new home for Chewie to Alex and Elizabeth, they both said um why is that dog not here right now? So I informed Jess of our family decision to take Chewie into our house. I admit it took a little work to get Nocona used to him. She is not overly friendly with dogs bigger than she. But with Elizabeth’s hard work that task was soon completed. They are great friends now and Chewie definitely adds a richer dimension to our lives.