ONE

 1 !!!!!!

Maya Angelou

Legendary Maya Angelou died today at age 86

ARROW

 An arrow can only be shot

 by pulling it backward. 

When life is dragging you

 back with difficulties, 

it means it’s going to launch you 

into something great. 

So just focus, and keep aiming.

THREE

3

May 27

5

The People Who Love Their Lives Are Doing Things Differently

Surprise, surprise… happy people live their lives differently. They don’t have different lives. They just do a better job at living them than those who are unhappy.

Happiness is the result of subjective interpretation of perception. Of course, what we perceive isn’t always done so by choice — life does throw things our way.

However, most of the time, we find ourselves in the situations we are in because of actions we took and decisions we made. It’s the way that you live your life that largely decides whether or not you will live happily.

They don’t bother trying to make others like them — mainly because they don’t care if they’re liked.

They like themselves and they are the only people they ever answer to. You could like them. You could hate them. You could pay them no mind whatsoever — doesn’t make a difference to them.

They do what they do because they decided to do it. They aren’t trying to gain your approval or acceptance. They don’t want to be part of your team — they’re a team of their own. They live their lives the way they see fit and if you like them for it, great. If not… then so be it.

---

They do things because they want to do them, not because they believe they have to do them.

They don’t believe they have to do anything. Other than pay taxes and die of course — everything else is a decision followed by deliberate action. If they are doing something, going somewhere, participating in something, it’s because that is exactly what it is that they want to be doing.

No one coerced them or tricked them into doing it because they value their opinion above everyone else’s. They do what they believe is right and don’t bother to ask for permission — they just do it.

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They love their friends but don’t rely on them.

Friends are tricky because they aren’t really yours, are they? You don’t own them. They are their own people who have their own wants and needs — people who will always put themselves ahead of you and your goals. Friends are great to have, but relying on them too heavily will leave you disappointed.

Those who live happy lives have very close friends, but they keep their independence in order to avoid those moments. It’s the lack of independence and over-reliance that often comes to ruin friendships — all relationships for that matter.

---

When you ask them what they do, they don’t give you a job title.

They tell you about the things they are doing with their lives — the places they have visited and are planning on visiting. The projects they are starting or part of. The problems they are working towards solving and the communities they are working with to get those problems solved.

When you ask them what they do, they respond with what they do in their lives, not what work they do in order to pay for the lives they want to one day be living. The real trick is that these individuals know better than to wait to live the lives they want to live. You live life whether you accept or ignore the fact, how you live it in the moment determines how happy you are.

---

When you ask them where they live, they say, “At the moment…”

Happy people tend to move around a bit. Maybe it’s because traveling does the soul good. Maybe it’s because the stagnancy of staying in one place their whole lives bores them.

Maybe it’s because they love meeting new people and having new experiences. Maybe it’s because they haven’t found the right place to settle down just yet. You see, these individuals see the world as their home — no single country or city. If you ask them where they live, then they’d answer “earth” if they wouldn’t come off sounding highfalutin.

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They have their own philosophies, their own religion they created and live by.

You don’t need a book to tell you how you ought to live your life. You can live your life by whatever philosophy you wish — as long as you found truths that satisfy you. They have a strong grasp of right and wrong and are their own judges.

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They embrace their impermanence.

They know they’re only mortal — having this knowledge and accepting it fuels their every step. You will too. Why? Because it is inevitable. There is no way of avoiding it, only dealing with the fact.

The happiest of people don’t fear death. They don’t do their best to avoid it. They see it as the inevitability that it is in and live their lives by their terms. They may not be able to control death, but they know they sure as hell can control their own personal lives.

---

They see the world as their playhouse and their mind as the conductor.

They don’t believe there is a single way that the world is — a single reality that exists. Instead, they believe themselves to be the originators of their reality.

They believe they have full control over how they interpret what they perceive. They see the world the way they choose to see it because they understand the power such a skill has. We all live in a reality of our own construction. Some of us just construct our realities better than others.

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They live in the moment, but dream in the future.

Happy people have hopes, dreams and goals. They have wants and aspirations, but they don’t allow themselves to get caught up and lost in them. There isn’t so much a time and place for dreaming as there is a maximum allotted amount recommended.

You can’t live life doing nothing more than looking towards the future because you’ll miss the only time that things actually matter or exist: the present. The present, the immediate moment is the only moment that you can actually live in. The rest is only an illusion.

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They don’t bother changing others, but instead learn how to deal with them appropriately.

Devoting your energy to changing other people is a waste of it. People do change, but they only do so on their own accord. They have to decide to change themselves and that only happens in time — you can’t push and force because it doesn’t work.

On the contrary, it often does the opposite of what is intended. Instead of wasting time and energy trying to do the impossible, why not do the next best thing? Learn to deal with people as they are in order to get the result you desire. If you can’t change them, then guide them to do as you wish. Otherwise, let them go!

Live Like You Were Dying

He said: "I was in my early forties,

"With a lot of life before me,

"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.

"I spent most of the next days,

"Looking at the x-rays,

"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."

I asked him when it sank in,

That this might really be the real end?

How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?

Man whatcha do?

An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,

"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.

"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,

"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."

An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,

"To live like you were dyin'."

He said "I was finally the husband,

"That most the time I wasn’t.

"An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.

"And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,

"Wasn’t such an imposition,

"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.

"Well, I finally read the Good Book,

"And I took a good long hard look,

"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,

"And then:

"I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,

"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.

"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,

"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."

An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,

"To live like you were dyin'."

Like tomorrow was a gift,

And you got eternity,

To think about what you’d do with it.

An' what did you do with it?

An' what can I do with it?

An' what would I do with it?

"Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,

"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.

"And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,

"And I watched Blue Eagle as it was flyin'."

An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,

"To live like you were dyin'."

"To live like you were dyin'."

"To live like you were dyin'."

"To live like you were dyin'."

"To live like you were dyin'."

WHEN LOVE TAKES YOU IN

Steven Curtis Chapman - When Love Takes You In by StevenCurtisChapman-Official

I know you've heard the stories
But they all sound too good to be true
You've heard about a place called home
But there doesn't seem to be one for you
So one more night you cry yourself to sleep
And drift off to a distant dream

Where love takes you in and everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in

And somewhere while you're sleeping
Someone else is dreaming too
Counting down the days until
They hold you close and say I love you
And like the rain that falls into the sea
In a moment what has been is lost in what will be

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
And this love will never let you go
There is nothing that could ever
Cause this love to lose its hold

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in it takes you in for good
When love takes you in

eek KY

My Heart Hurts

I watched my baby leave for school today.
She ran back home to hug me,
She told me she loves me.

Our world will change today.
My heart hurts.

FRIDAY NIGHT FUN

FRED and BLYTHE

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

I would like to do a road trip on this one!!

EEK in INK

This was the first place we went.
The walls were painted amazingly,
but the place was really creepy,
the guy was very unfriendly.
 we waited 45 minutes to talk to the
him and he never made time for us.
So, since we were the ONLY
people in the place, we figured
he didn't need the work.
We took our business else were!

DRUMMOND JENTZEN
with
TOP ROCKER TATTOO
http://toprockertat2.com/

 THIS PLACE WAS GREAT 

REALLY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. 

Drummond helped Mark turn his idea 

into exactly what he wanted. 

The lick and stick temporary!

THIS IS MARK'S FB ENTRY

My son has my heart! EEK PJ!

TODAYS TODOS

1. PUT DINNER IN THE CROCKPOT
2. WASH BEDDING
3. PULL WEEDS
4. TAKE DONATIONS TO GOODWILL
5. GO TO LIBRARY
6. MAIL INVITES
7. PRINT SON'S PAPERWORK
8. LUNCH DATE WITH MARK
9. DDS APPOINTMENT
10. ORTHO APPOINTMENT
11. CONFIRM VISION APPOINTMENTS
12. SET FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT

ACT UPON THE MOMENT

Jessette calls me on her way home from work many several days a week, I think it is lovely!!! Today she told me that when she had moved her car for a co-worker earlier today she saw that the "Service Engine Soon" light was off on her dash. This was a huge deal. She has been haunted by this demon light for some time. Knowing full well that it always means big bucks at the repair shop. So my thrilled daughter did the brilliant thing any sensible girl would do.........after work she headed right over to the MVD to have her emissions tested! We chit chatted the entire way. I love hearing about her job, and how she is the only employee who does not speak Spanish, she is the "the token white girl". We both hoped that the MVD wouldn't close before she made her appearance at the Glendale Airpark. I even pulled up the website through Google to find the times. I never found the hours of operation, but they had a nifty, up to the minute "line cam", so you could see how hilarious the line in front of you is. When she got there there was only the white car in front of her (the one I could see on the "line cam"), I never saw her, because they got her right in. She called me right back after they were done testing her car. And she proudly announced that her little car passed emissions! We continued to chit chat as she headed home, only for her to get three miles for the MVD and have the "Service Engine Soon" light come back on!!!! No Kidding!!!!

So as always...my darling daughter, so beautiful and wise, acted upon the moment and made the best of the situation! 

She makes her mommy proud!!!! 

iFOOD

An iSandwich

MONDAY NIGHTS FINAL

KENTUCKY'S Game was good.
Their boys were all freshmen!
I had fun watching it,
I was more than a little
impressed with NCAA.com
They know how to broadcast live!
SUPER JOB!!

TONIGHT'S SUNSET

 Centennial's Field at Sunset

APRIL 9th

 I reread email and texts 

from today's date in 2011.

We have learned so much 

more about each other,

We have grown closer, 

we have faced trials and shared joys,

We have made dreams come true 

and glimpsed our future.

We have always been meant to be together! 

We knew it then, 

just as we know it now . . . .

. . . as always KC, 

you have my heart, 

I love you!

THOUGHT of THE DAY

Our greatest weakness 

lies in giving up. 

The most certain way

 to succeed is 

always to try 

just one more time. 

 Thomas A. Edison 

MY BRACES ARE GONE!!!

The Last Day Of Braces!
Four bands at a time at the end.
Just a week shy of 3 years!

This is ERIKA
I love love love her!!
She and Alison were
the only reasons
I did not kill all
5 orthodontists. 

This is all the stuff that they had in my mouth.
Prior to the xray hardware that is. 

NO MORE BRACES!

SEXY RIGHT!!!!

The Ortho gives each successful
BRACE Graduate a
Treasure Bag.
It reminded me of the "Ladmo Bags"
from when I was little.
I asked Erika why they would give
 kids this stuff, she said
"Job security!"

I came home to this 

on our kitchen white board!

I have brushed my teeth
 6 times today, and 

I have flossed 4 times. 

It is just so nice to be normal again. 

I love the way they feel, 

I love the way they look. 

Next week I get the retainer 

and we start

the bridge work. 

By the end of May

I will be all finished.

I can't wait!!!

HUMBERTO MURRIETTA

I have blogged about the people I work with before. We all agree that we don't love the job or the company, but we love our work family. Today that is even more true than ever before. 

For quite a while now I have been in a pod with all boys. I have missed having women to chit chat with, but I love the boys on my team. Humberto and I have been sitting together for nearly a year. Our chairs collide all day long and we are the 'turn to' person for the other, if there is a question. When there is a lull in service levels it's Humberto I chat with. 

He answers every call by saying his name in a way that makes it sound like it's a song. He said that his brother and sister have typical American names, but he was named after his dad. I always thought his name fits him perfectly, although I would never say it out-loud, because he hums constantly. Whenever he concentrates he hums. Not really a tune that you would recognize, just a bit of a hum. He isn't conscious of it I don't think. He even does in when he is on the phone with his clients. I did some research years ago, about concentration, and how some people do little things like bite their lip, tongue or even hum when they are concentrating, and this helps them focus. I told Humberto I had researched this, because I have children that are deep thinkers and tongue biters, and he was surprised. He said he thought he was just odd. I told him he was just using more brain power to concentrate, and humming to keep out the rest of the world. I think his name is perfect for him. .

Working so closely, you learn things about your co-workers, even when your co-workers are private people. I have learned that Humberto is very protective of his father, and worries that his sibling will take advantage of him. I have learned that Humberto, like most of us, would also get burned out on making dinners, because menu planning sucks. I also leaned that he is very lonely. I had read an article while waiting at for an appointment, that talked about a loneliness being an epidemic in Americans between aged 40-55. I shared the article with him. I think it only depressed both of us more. 

Humberto started losing weight. He is a thin guy to start with, I figured it was because he was under stress; house repair, family issues and work. Then he stopped eating. He just wasn't feeling well. He kept saying he would go to the doctor, but he just didn't. Then one day he left work early (2/21). I am glad he had taken my cell number, but I didn't have his, so I knew nothing! A day or two later Humberto texted me, he said he would be out of work two weeks. He was seeing a doctor. I texted back, and thanked him, told him I would pass the word to Carolyn (work family), and to please keep me posted. 

March 4th, Humberto let me know he had been put in the hospital with an infection in both lungs. He wasn't sure how long he would be there. Just letting us know. I did't want to pester him too much. I know he likes to stay private. So I would send a text once a week. But when I got back to work after taking a week off for spring break with the kids, and Humberto still wasn't back and no one had heard from him I started to panic. My texts got more frequent, and so did the bosses phone calls.

Sunday March 30th, I got a text from his niece. She let me know he was not doing well. That he misses his work family. That he was still in the hospital, but they were hoping to get him to hospice soon. 

(Hospice....what for????) I thanked his niece and asked her to please keep us posted, and let us know if we could do anything to help.

Connie, my team leader, got the phone call Monday night, that Humberto had passed away. Yesterday our team was pulled into a meeting at 8:30am the next morning so we would all hear the news together. The news was given very nicely, our department manager let us all know. All the team leaders were there. They had a grief counselor on sight for us, we all had time off to digest the information. Funny how a huge conference room suddenly seems so claustrophobic. Watching each one of my associates grieve and cope in their own way was hard. Watching Ronnie was the hardest, it hit him the hardest. He shares our pod, he has a new baby boy. Life is so very precious to Ronnie right now, it was like he was raw. The hardest however, would be Carolyn. She wasn't at work, she was out for a few days. Carolyn and Humberto are very close work family, and she will be crushed. 

This morning 14 of our work family took time off to pay our respect to Humberto. It was not my first funeral by far. But it was the first funeral of a friend. And even though I was told many times that there is really no death, just moving on, I can tell you that my heart is still broken. I kept my composure until I returned from the viewing, the man in the casket did not look like my friend, that made it easier. But the photos of him being played on the screens above, they were him. They showed how fun and real and wonderful he was. That was so hard. Hugging each work family member, letting them know that they are loved, that was emotional. They played "Somewhere over the rainbow", it seemed to fit Humberto. 

I love my work family. 

We had all talked many weeks ago about doing an out of bank activity, Humberto said he just didn't want to go to the movies, but he was okay with anything else. Well the movies would have been far better. 

Humberto will be forever missed.