After another day of feeling like death and waiting for Nicole to get home to relieve me of my crippling ennui, I decide to stop being a victim and take matters into my own hands. Armed with my laptop and a wealth of information at my fingertips, I research homeopathic remedies for colds and sinus infections and devise a plan (insert evil laugh here).
I drink tea. Echinacea, said to boost your immunity, is best ingested in tea form - especially if you add honey and lemon which also have healing properties. I can't say that it made all that much of a difference for me, but it sure did make an awfully yummy tea and any day that I get to squeeze honey out of a happy little bear is a good day.
I pop pills. In addition to the decongestants, antihistamines and Zy-Cam nose swabs, I take Vitamin C, zinc, and a multi-vitamin. But truly my favorite is the Benedryl for sleepy time.
I gargle. As a kid I was told that gargling with warm salt water will help heal a sore throat and I've come to learn that this is no wives' tale. It actually works. Take a glass of warm water and dump in as much salt as you can handle. Don't worry, that gagging reflex is completely normal.
I steam. Breathing in warm, moist (I can't believe I just typed that word, ugh) air helps to open and nourish the nasal passages. There are two ways to do this. The first is to take a scalding hot shower and turn your bathroom into a rainforest. Not only is it 70 degrees out and the last thing I want to do is take a hot sweaty shower, it's a waste of water. So I opt for option B, leaning over a boiling bowl of water with a towel on my head. Added bonus - it's a facial too! And it works , especially when I add a little bit of eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils. Ahhhh....
I eat garlic. Raw. And lots of it. Garlic has been used for centuries for it's medicinal properties and ancient Indians believed it was an aphrodisiac (who are they kidding?). When consumed raw, the acids in garlic have been observed to kill 23 different types of bacteria including salmonella. This is great! Surely it will cure those nasty germs that have taken up residence in my sinuses. I ate six, yes, six, cloves of raw garlic in one day and I believe my burning esophagus and tearing eyes were every bit worth it. And boy did I smell good.
I eat hot sauce. Actually, I drink hot sauce. Spurned by a number of favorable reviews for a "tomato tea" I found online, I heat up some V8, add a few dashes of lemon juice, a couple of cloves of garlic and a healthy dose of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and sip. Supposedly the tomato juice provides an ample amount of vitamin C, the garlic, as discussed above, has various benefits, the hot sauce clears the sinuses and I have no idea what the lemon juice does. Sipped a couple of times a day, I actually enjoyed the way the warm tomato juice felt on my throat and the hot sauce had me constantly reaching for the tissues.
I drink apple cider vinegar. This is a new one for me and, I'll admit, a desperate attempt to get better. Through my research I discovered that many people swear by a concoction of 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) with 8 ounces of water drank first thing in the morning or slowly throughout the day. Not only do folks attest to the clearing of sinuses but many other great benefits like improved digestion, less heartburn, more energy, and a clearer complexion. Careful to not believe everything I read about this wonder cure, I'm still quick to text my dear girlfriend to bring me home a bottle of ACV. The smell reminds me of coloring eggs on Easter and is almost comforting. The taste isn't even that bad... kind of like drinking watered down apple cider with a splash of salad dressing. Whether it actually helped or whether I was already on the mend, I don't know, but two days later I was breathing a whole heck of a lot better. And still smelling damn good too.
September 25, 2008
September 24, 2008
Sick Day 1
I'm a girl on the move. I'm busy, I have a lot on my plate and I like it that way. A run before volleyball? Sure! Bike 18 miles round trip to work, go to yoga, cook dinner, and clean the house? Easy! (you think I'm exaggerating?) Well sometimes I can't even keep up with myself and my body reminds me that, contrary to how I run it, it is not a machine and it slows down...way down...until I am a prisoner of my mortality, held captive until I promise to be a good girl and rest.
Ok, fine, you win filthy icky germs. On the couch I go. You would think that an entire day on the couch with a mug of hot tea, the Dalai Lama's See Yourself As You Really Are, a soft fuzzy blanket wrapped around my shoulders and the cats curled around my feet would be the picture of relaxation and contentment, but somehow feeling like I'm swallowing razors and sucking air through a hole the size of gnat makes it slightly less enjoyable.
I've got my tea and my blanky, I'm inspired by Mr. Lama, and it's nice for the first, oh, half hour or so, but then I get anxious. My eyes keep going to the window where a gorgeous 70-degree sunny day is shaping up without me. How dare the sun shine when I can't enjoy it? It's not fair! I was born to breathe in days like this, to bask in the sunshine, to smell the clean, crisp air. Of course that would require both breathing and smelling, neither of which I am currently capable of.
Nobody to talk to because all of the healthy, functioning people in the world are either at work, school or out enjoying the gorgeous, mocking day, I turn on the TV and I'm shocked to find that out of 172 channels, absolutely nothing is on. After watching bits of Friends, The View, and Mystery Diagnosis I settle on the movie Capote since I've been meaning to watch it and it will at least make me feel like I'm being somewhat intellectual. That's two hours of my life I will never get back.
Next I pick up my laptop and try to write because I'm always wishing I had more time to write. No distractions, the apartment to myself, a perfect opportunity. But instead I stare at a blank screen for a few moments and give up. It seems the germs have taken hostage every functioning brain cell or ounce of creativity I possess.
Bored, frustrated, and depressed, I take a few deeps breaths and give in to napping. Ah, finally... time well spent...
Ok, fine, you win filthy icky germs. On the couch I go. You would think that an entire day on the couch with a mug of hot tea, the Dalai Lama's See Yourself As You Really Are, a soft fuzzy blanket wrapped around my shoulders and the cats curled around my feet would be the picture of relaxation and contentment, but somehow feeling like I'm swallowing razors and sucking air through a hole the size of gnat makes it slightly less enjoyable.
I've got my tea and my blanky, I'm inspired by Mr. Lama, and it's nice for the first, oh, half hour or so, but then I get anxious. My eyes keep going to the window where a gorgeous 70-degree sunny day is shaping up without me. How dare the sun shine when I can't enjoy it? It's not fair! I was born to breathe in days like this, to bask in the sunshine, to smell the clean, crisp air. Of course that would require both breathing and smelling, neither of which I am currently capable of.
Nobody to talk to because all of the healthy, functioning people in the world are either at work, school or out enjoying the gorgeous, mocking day, I turn on the TV and I'm shocked to find that out of 172 channels, absolutely nothing is on. After watching bits of Friends, The View, and Mystery Diagnosis I settle on the movie Capote since I've been meaning to watch it and it will at least make me feel like I'm being somewhat intellectual. That's two hours of my life I will never get back.
Next I pick up my laptop and try to write because I'm always wishing I had more time to write. No distractions, the apartment to myself, a perfect opportunity. But instead I stare at a blank screen for a few moments and give up. It seems the germs have taken hostage every functioning brain cell or ounce of creativity I possess.
Bored, frustrated, and depressed, I take a few deeps breaths and give in to napping. Ah, finally... time well spent...
September 23, 2008
A Golden Temple
I watched more television during the Beijing Olympics this summer than I had watched in five years. Every night men and women from all of the world competed in swimming, gymnastics, track and field, beach volleyball, diving, synchronized swimming and my new favorite, water polo. It was a captivating summer of firsts including Iran and Bahrain's first ever Olympic medals, beach volleyball's first ever back-to-back gold medalists, and of course, the record breaker of all record breakers, swimming phenom Michael Phelps who on 08/08/08 finished the Olympics with an astonishing eight gold medals in eight events. Now his face is everywhere. Phelps will do for swimming what Tiger did for golf. Look for children everywhere to throw down their barbies and baseball bats in lieu of seven irons and a pair of goggles.
Every Olympic athlete is amazing and an inspiration, but why was Phelps able to do what no other human has ever done? Simple - the man is built for swimming. His body is a temple alright, a gold one. To us he looks like a gangly awkward 22-year-old with too many teeth, but his short legs, long torso, huge feet, 4% body fat and double joints make him perfectly engineered for gliding and propelling through the water with the least resistance and greatest speed. Contemplating Phelps' physique, a friend recently posed the question, "what if all of our bodies are perfectly engineered to be great at ONE thing and we never find it?"
Well, friends, unless consuming mass quantities of dark chocolate is an Olympic event, it seems I have sadly missed my calling.
Every Olympic athlete is amazing and an inspiration, but why was Phelps able to do what no other human has ever done? Simple - the man is built for swimming. His body is a temple alright, a gold one. To us he looks like a gangly awkward 22-year-old with too many teeth, but his short legs, long torso, huge feet, 4% body fat and double joints make him perfectly engineered for gliding and propelling through the water with the least resistance and greatest speed. Contemplating Phelps' physique, a friend recently posed the question, "what if all of our bodies are perfectly engineered to be great at ONE thing and we never find it?"
Well, friends, unless consuming mass quantities of dark chocolate is an Olympic event, it seems I have sadly missed my calling.
September 22, 2008
Raednig is fnudamnetal. Sepllnig not so mcuh.
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh?
And I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt...
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh?
And I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt...
September 15, 2008
September 11, 2008
Polar Bears and Women Against Palin
Many of you know how I feel about the polar bears and the disappearing arctic. Many of you also know how I feel about Sarah Palin and the disappearing of women's rights. Eve Ensler summarizes both beautifully in this article entitled "Drill, Drill, Drill."
Better Than Planned
Since I turned the ripe old age of 25, every year around my birthday I think about the past year's accomplishments and failures and reflect on where I thought I would be at that age (e.g., I thought for sure I would have a corporate gig in a high-rise in Chicago by age 25). As I am well past 25 and nowhere near corporate, things haven't exactly turned out as planned. In fact, they're better. And the reason they are better is because I have learned to embrace the unexpected, live simply, and take joy in the little things.
Not that this epiphany happened overnight, mind you. I spent a good part of my mid-20s feeling like an underachiever simply because I didn't have a corner office or a closet full of suits. I spent a lot of time and energy trying to stuff my square peg of a body in a round hole of a plan, only to end up discouraged and bewildered. Then, a couple of years ago, something amazing happened - I was dumped.
You know what it's like to be dumped, feeling heartbroken and lost as if your life is over and you'll never never happiness again. But then you emerge from the darkness to find that your life has actually just begun and that the happiness that lies ahead is far greater than you imagined. Up sprung a string of new friendships, endeavors, and possibilities of which I never before dreamed. The people that came into my life during this time I hold so dear and can't imagine my life without. They once again opened the doors to my creativity and sense of adventure, to laughter and love. You know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
So last year around my 31st birthday, I again reflected on the past year's triumphs and losses, but instead of dwelling on where I thought I "should" be, I reveled in all that I had experienced. I had cruised the Hawaiian Islands, watched the sun rise from atop a volcano, hiked through waterfalls and canyons and sailed alongside killer whales. I had biked the Golden Gate Bridge and walked the beaches of Lake Michigan in the rain. I had scanned the skyline from atop the Empire State Building, paid my respects at Ground Zero, took a zillion shots of produce at Union Street market and walked the brilliantly lit streets of Times Square. I had danced the moonwalk in a full knee brace, fired my first gun and strummed my first song on the guitar. It was a year of discovery for me but there was so much more I wanted to experience, see and do so I did what I often to - I made a list: "Things I Want to do Before I Turn 32."
Without much thought or precept, I jotted down 21 things I wanted to accomplish before August 2008. From the very silly (make out in a movie theater) to the very serious (contact my dad) to things I had no control over (fall in love), the list encapsulated my wishes, hopes and goals. I posted the list on my myspace blog and never really looked at it again until just before my birthday this year. Below is a copy of the list along with a report on my accomplishments.
1. Make out in a movie theater, in the back row, for at least 3/4 of the movie. This is the most detailed and specific item on the list and the one that started it all. Sparked by a conversation with a friend about making out in the movie theater and the realization that I had never done it (we all know how much I like my movies), I decided I needed to experience this rite of passage. And while I didn't fulfill it entirely, I can tell you that I never saw an entire movie during the months of December and January. And I'll leave it at that...
2. Ask a girl out on a date. Check! The asking took place on December 10, 2007. And, get this, she said yes even though I was lame and asked via text. Luckily she didn't hold it against me.
3. Ask a girl to dance. This one is tricky. Did I walk up to a girl and utter the words "Will you dance with me?" No. Did I ask a girl to show me her Michael Jackson moves in the middle of Buffalo Wild Wings on a Sunday night? Ah yes...
4. Learn to play the guitar and play the songs I write. Check! Ok, so I haven't picked up my guitar all summer but I know more than three chords now (at least five or six) and I did write a couple of songs, one of them even has some semblance of a melody. I also added three serenades to my repertoire including a rousing rendition of Blowing in the Wind.
5. Skydive. Not yet. But it's on the horizon...
6. Paint something worth hanging. Check! Two of my paintings will be displayed in my new apartment. One because I think it is good enough, the other because I painted it more with my heart than with my hands.
7. Complete an adventure race. This goal has been replaced with a mini triathlon at Disney World in May 2009. Now I just have to learn how to swim...
8. Contact my dad. Not yet. And in the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that..."
9. Enter a photography contest. I haven't taken any action on this one but I would like to. If anyone knows of any amateur contests, please pass along the info. I have a whole slew of produce shots that are worth at least an honorable mention.
10. Take a girl on a picnic. Not exactly, but we did eat our dinner watching the sun set around our campfire while the Mackinac Bridge twinkled in the distance and fireworks spouted all around us. How's that for a close second?
11. Buy a kayak. No kayak buying is in my foreseeable future so for now I will continue to support my local liveries by renting them.
12. Buy a bike. Check! It's green. It's fast. I like it.
13. Make amends with an ex. I put this on the list because I don't like to have negative energy in my life especially when it comes to relationships - of any kind. It's a work in progress but I'm happy to say that I have found peace with the past.
14. Take my mom to see Wicked. Check! I cheated a little bit because I took her three days after my birthday but it was a delight and a treat and a day I'll never forget. "Toss, toss."
15. Learn to meditate and do it on a regular basis. Check! With the help of my yoga practice and an introduction to meditation from a friend, I have a much better grasp of the art but, in truth, I do not practice it as often as I would like. We have deemed the second bedroom as the Office/Meditation Room, however, and I was looking at pillows at World Market just yesterday. Again, it's a process.
16. Climb a real rock. By a "real rock" I was referring to climbing outside in the elements and I can safely say that this is something I will not likely pursue with gusto. I rather like the controlled environment, padded floors and pumping...uh...rock music at Planet Rock. Belay on!
17. Learn to ice skate. In progress. And kind of a requirement for playing hockey. Can't wait to get baked. Or my skates baked. Whatever!
18. Take an improv class. Not yet. Maybe I can fit it in during my copious amounts of free time this Fall in between volleyball, softball, and hockey. And writing this blog. And playing the guitar. And learning how to swim. And...
19. Go to Oregon. Sigh...still very high on the list of places I want to go, right up there with New Zealand and slightly more affordable.
20. Fall in love. Check! And here is where I could do one of two things - I could go on and on gushing about the wonderful, amazing woman in my life or I could go on and on gushing about the wonderful, amazing power of lists. I will do neither of those things now, but look for them in future posts.
21. Find a freelance copywriting gig. Ah, I knew there was a reason I started this blog...
Not that this epiphany happened overnight, mind you. I spent a good part of my mid-20s feeling like an underachiever simply because I didn't have a corner office or a closet full of suits. I spent a lot of time and energy trying to stuff my square peg of a body in a round hole of a plan, only to end up discouraged and bewildered. Then, a couple of years ago, something amazing happened - I was dumped.
You know what it's like to be dumped, feeling heartbroken and lost as if your life is over and you'll never never happiness again. But then you emerge from the darkness to find that your life has actually just begun and that the happiness that lies ahead is far greater than you imagined. Up sprung a string of new friendships, endeavors, and possibilities of which I never before dreamed. The people that came into my life during this time I hold so dear and can't imagine my life without. They once again opened the doors to my creativity and sense of adventure, to laughter and love. You know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
So last year around my 31st birthday, I again reflected on the past year's triumphs and losses, but instead of dwelling on where I thought I "should" be, I reveled in all that I had experienced. I had cruised the Hawaiian Islands, watched the sun rise from atop a volcano, hiked through waterfalls and canyons and sailed alongside killer whales. I had biked the Golden Gate Bridge and walked the beaches of Lake Michigan in the rain. I had scanned the skyline from atop the Empire State Building, paid my respects at Ground Zero, took a zillion shots of produce at Union Street market and walked the brilliantly lit streets of Times Square. I had danced the moonwalk in a full knee brace, fired my first gun and strummed my first song on the guitar. It was a year of discovery for me but there was so much more I wanted to experience, see and do so I did what I often to - I made a list: "Things I Want to do Before I Turn 32."
Without much thought or precept, I jotted down 21 things I wanted to accomplish before August 2008. From the very silly (make out in a movie theater) to the very serious (contact my dad) to things I had no control over (fall in love), the list encapsulated my wishes, hopes and goals. I posted the list on my myspace blog and never really looked at it again until just before my birthday this year. Below is a copy of the list along with a report on my accomplishments.
1. Make out in a movie theater, in the back row, for at least 3/4 of the movie. This is the most detailed and specific item on the list and the one that started it all. Sparked by a conversation with a friend about making out in the movie theater and the realization that I had never done it (we all know how much I like my movies), I decided I needed to experience this rite of passage. And while I didn't fulfill it entirely, I can tell you that I never saw an entire movie during the months of December and January. And I'll leave it at that...
2. Ask a girl out on a date. Check! The asking took place on December 10, 2007. And, get this, she said yes even though I was lame and asked via text. Luckily she didn't hold it against me.
3. Ask a girl to dance. This one is tricky. Did I walk up to a girl and utter the words "Will you dance with me?" No. Did I ask a girl to show me her Michael Jackson moves in the middle of Buffalo Wild Wings on a Sunday night? Ah yes...
4. Learn to play the guitar and play the songs I write. Check! Ok, so I haven't picked up my guitar all summer but I know more than three chords now (at least five or six) and I did write a couple of songs, one of them even has some semblance of a melody. I also added three serenades to my repertoire including a rousing rendition of Blowing in the Wind.
5. Skydive. Not yet. But it's on the horizon...
6. Paint something worth hanging. Check! Two of my paintings will be displayed in my new apartment. One because I think it is good enough, the other because I painted it more with my heart than with my hands.
7. Complete an adventure race. This goal has been replaced with a mini triathlon at Disney World in May 2009. Now I just have to learn how to swim...
8. Contact my dad. Not yet. And in the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that..."
9. Enter a photography contest. I haven't taken any action on this one but I would like to. If anyone knows of any amateur contests, please pass along the info. I have a whole slew of produce shots that are worth at least an honorable mention.
10. Take a girl on a picnic. Not exactly, but we did eat our dinner watching the sun set around our campfire while the Mackinac Bridge twinkled in the distance and fireworks spouted all around us. How's that for a close second?
11. Buy a kayak. No kayak buying is in my foreseeable future so for now I will continue to support my local liveries by renting them.
12. Buy a bike. Check! It's green. It's fast. I like it.
13. Make amends with an ex. I put this on the list because I don't like to have negative energy in my life especially when it comes to relationships - of any kind. It's a work in progress but I'm happy to say that I have found peace with the past.
14. Take my mom to see Wicked. Check! I cheated a little bit because I took her three days after my birthday but it was a delight and a treat and a day I'll never forget. "Toss, toss."
15. Learn to meditate and do it on a regular basis. Check! With the help of my yoga practice and an introduction to meditation from a friend, I have a much better grasp of the art but, in truth, I do not practice it as often as I would like. We have deemed the second bedroom as the Office/Meditation Room, however, and I was looking at pillows at World Market just yesterday. Again, it's a process.
16. Climb a real rock. By a "real rock" I was referring to climbing outside in the elements and I can safely say that this is something I will not likely pursue with gusto. I rather like the controlled environment, padded floors and pumping...uh...rock music at Planet Rock. Belay on!
17. Learn to ice skate. In progress. And kind of a requirement for playing hockey. Can't wait to get baked. Or my skates baked. Whatever!
18. Take an improv class. Not yet. Maybe I can fit it in during my copious amounts of free time this Fall in between volleyball, softball, and hockey. And writing this blog. And playing the guitar. And learning how to swim. And...
19. Go to Oregon. Sigh...still very high on the list of places I want to go, right up there with New Zealand and slightly more affordable.
20. Fall in love. Check! And here is where I could do one of two things - I could go on and on gushing about the wonderful, amazing woman in my life or I could go on and on gushing about the wonderful, amazing power of lists. I will do neither of those things now, but look for them in future posts.
21. Find a freelance copywriting gig. Ah, I knew there was a reason I started this blog...
September 9, 2008
Ego Pads
If you had told me two years ago that I would take up the sport of hockey at the age of 32 I would have no doubt spewed a few expletives and laughed in your face. Well it's a good thing you didn't say that two years ago because I would owe you an apology.
I just signed up for my first hockey league. Gulp.
First, let's talk about the equipment. Helmet, helmet cage, elbow pads, shin and knee guards, chest protector, gargantuan socks, shorts with garters to keep up your gargantuan socks, padded pants, oversized gloves and ice skates. Yeah, sure it takes me an hour to get dressed, but I am impenetrable. A warrior on ice. (warriors fall a lot, right? Please say yes.)
Did I mention that hockey is played on ice? For many, growing up in Michigan is the only prerequisite needed to take up the sport of hockey. Drive through any random subdivision or lake community in the mitten state (except for the big D...not too much hockey going on at the corner of Mt. Elliot and Gratiot) and you're bound to see kids bundled up, skating around and dreaming of being the next Wayne Gretzky.
And then there's me. Convincing me to play outside in the winter is like convincing a cat to swim the English channel...a politician to tell the truth...a three-year-old to use chopsticks...you get the idea. I'll skip the frostbite and go directly to the hot chocolate, thank you very much.
So how does one play hockey when one doesn't know how to skate, you ask? There's a reason I spend an hour in the sweltering smelly locker room (for those of you who don't know, hockey is indeed the smelliest sport on record). For every piece of equipment I put on, I don a shield of courage and confidence and the assurance that while I may run into a 6'5" woman who is as broad as she is tall and the boards are there to stop me when I'm spiraling out of control, if I fall, I won't bruise anything except my ego.
I just signed up for my first hockey league. Gulp.
First, let's talk about the equipment. Helmet, helmet cage, elbow pads, shin and knee guards, chest protector, gargantuan socks, shorts with garters to keep up your gargantuan socks, padded pants, oversized gloves and ice skates. Yeah, sure it takes me an hour to get dressed, but I am impenetrable. A warrior on ice. (warriors fall a lot, right? Please say yes.)
Did I mention that hockey is played on ice? For many, growing up in Michigan is the only prerequisite needed to take up the sport of hockey. Drive through any random subdivision or lake community in the mitten state (except for the big D...not too much hockey going on at the corner of Mt. Elliot and Gratiot) and you're bound to see kids bundled up, skating around and dreaming of being the next Wayne Gretzky.
And then there's me. Convincing me to play outside in the winter is like convincing a cat to swim the English channel...a politician to tell the truth...a three-year-old to use chopsticks...you get the idea. I'll skip the frostbite and go directly to the hot chocolate, thank you very much.
So how does one play hockey when one doesn't know how to skate, you ask? There's a reason I spend an hour in the sweltering smelly locker room (for those of you who don't know, hockey is indeed the smelliest sport on record). For every piece of equipment I put on, I don a shield of courage and confidence and the assurance that while I may run into a 6'5" woman who is as broad as she is tall and the boards are there to stop me when I'm spiraling out of control, if I fall, I won't bruise anything except my ego.
September 4, 2008
In a world where... previews will never be the same.
I may be a bit antiquated in this feeling, but going to the movie theater will forever be a treat for me. Maybe it’s because I go so seldom, but the excitement never gets old. The smell of popcorn mingled with carpet. The sticky floors. The overpriced tickets. The oh-so-enthused 16-year-old ticket taker. The reclining theater seating. The latest in surround sound. And no matter what movie I see, I can always count on thrilling, entertaining and spine tingling previews. My favorite part of the whole experience is when the lights dim and the cell phones are shut off and the screen goes green with promises of PG rated previews suitable for the entire family. I tingle with anticipation upon hearing that deep powerful voice boom all around us with that well-known phrase “In a world where…”
You know that unmistakably unique voice. It’s the “move trailer guy.” That’s Don LaFontaine, who sadly, passed away on September 1, 2008. His voice never ceases to whisk me away to another world – a world of cartoons, terrorists, superheros, geeks and aliens. A world of tragedy, love, mischief and triumph. He’s the voice you hear on over 5,000 trailers including Shrek, Batman Returns, Cast Away, Good Will Hunting, Home Alone, Die Hard and Independence Day. Perhaps you took him for granted. But for me, movie previews will never be the same.
Rest in peace, Don LaFontaine… far from a world where… you will be missed.
You know that unmistakably unique voice. It’s the “move trailer guy.” That’s Don LaFontaine, who sadly, passed away on September 1, 2008. His voice never ceases to whisk me away to another world – a world of cartoons, terrorists, superheros, geeks and aliens. A world of tragedy, love, mischief and triumph. He’s the voice you hear on over 5,000 trailers including Shrek, Batman Returns, Cast Away, Good Will Hunting, Home Alone, Die Hard and Independence Day. Perhaps you took him for granted. But for me, movie previews will never be the same.
Rest in peace, Don LaFontaine… far from a world where… you will be missed.
Drum roll please.....
I'm starting a blog.
No, really, hold your applause.
Please... stop....
Thank you.
Now, as I was saying, I'm starting a blog. I have wanted to start blogging for some time now but, well, I haven't. The good news is I have tons of ideas and stories stocked up and ready to share.
So, please, sit back. Relax. Stay a while. More to come.
Peace,
Mel
No, really, hold your applause.
Please... stop....
Thank you.
Now, as I was saying, I'm starting a blog. I have wanted to start blogging for some time now but, well, I haven't. The good news is I have tons of ideas and stories stocked up and ready to share.
So, please, sit back. Relax. Stay a while. More to come.
Peace,
Mel
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