Well, the USA got booted out of the World Cup today by Ghana. No real surprise there. The US wasn't that good. And I for one will be glad to not have to watch Clint Dempsey dive all over the place pretending to be hurt.
However, I did learn an interesting fact watching the game today- Tim Howard, the US goalie, has Tourette's.
Hmmmph. Who knew?
Thinking of all the goalies that I know, this doesn't surprise me in the slightest! :)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
dressing rooms
My mom and I went shopping at Von Maur a few nights ago because she needed a new dress. I was just there to keep her company. And give her moral support.
Trying on dresses can be a bit hard on the ego.
The women in the dressing room with us (where you have separate rooms but can hear everything) were cracking me up.
The first woman walked by me muttering "Great...something, something... kangaroo pouch... something... and it makes me look pregnant!"
A salesperson knocked on another woman's door and asked if she was doing all right in there. Her response? "No. It's going bad. Really bad!"
But my favorite was the woman who tried on a dress that was solid on top but sequined on bottom and was fairly tight (just the style of the dress) and she was trying it on because she needed a dress to wear when she got up and sang in her friend's wedding. She went out to show it to her boyfriend and I just heard her say, "Oh my god! My ass looks like a giant disco ball!"
I wanted to give every woman in there a big hug!
Trying on dresses can be a bit hard on the ego.
The women in the dressing room with us (where you have separate rooms but can hear everything) were cracking me up.
The first woman walked by me muttering "Great...something, something... kangaroo pouch... something... and it makes me look pregnant!"
A salesperson knocked on another woman's door and asked if she was doing all right in there. Her response? "No. It's going bad. Really bad!"
But my favorite was the woman who tried on a dress that was solid on top but sequined on bottom and was fairly tight (just the style of the dress) and she was trying it on because she needed a dress to wear when she got up and sang in her friend's wedding. She went out to show it to her boyfriend and I just heard her say, "Oh my god! My ass looks like a giant disco ball!"
I wanted to give every woman in there a big hug!
storms cont'd
Okay, I know these posts about storms are getting kind of old.
But they just won't stop! (The storms that is, not the posts!)
This morning around 4:30 AM I was startled awake by one of the loudest bolts of lightning/ claps of thunder that I have ever heard. And I must have been dreaming about soccer, because it startled me awake just as someone in my dream was about to kick the soccer ball which was actually kind of cool. Like, "Wow! He really hit that ball hard!!!"
Anywho, the storms are starting to freak me out. What is going on with Mother Nature this year?
Normally I really enjoy thunderstorms but this one freaked even ME out.
My camera didn't even pick up everything. My camera only recorded the bolts of lightning in front of me, it didn't show when the sky would light up from the bolts behind and to the sides of me. The sky LITERALLY lit up every three seconds. I've NEVER seen anything like it.
I mean, as it is, there are over 15 flashes of lightning in this 1:22 second clip!
I made it through. My room stayed dry. My computer didn't get zapped. Hooray!
Hopefully we are done with storms for a while so I can move onto better topics.
But they just won't stop! (The storms that is, not the posts!)
This morning around 4:30 AM I was startled awake by one of the loudest bolts of lightning/ claps of thunder that I have ever heard. And I must have been dreaming about soccer, because it startled me awake just as someone in my dream was about to kick the soccer ball which was actually kind of cool. Like, "Wow! He really hit that ball hard!!!"
Anywho, the storms are starting to freak me out. What is going on with Mother Nature this year?
Normally I really enjoy thunderstorms but this one freaked even ME out.
My camera didn't even pick up everything. My camera only recorded the bolts of lightning in front of me, it didn't show when the sky would light up from the bolts behind and to the sides of me. The sky LITERALLY lit up every three seconds. I've NEVER seen anything like it.
I mean, as it is, there are over 15 flashes of lightning in this 1:22 second clip!
I made it through. My room stayed dry. My computer didn't get zapped. Hooray!
Hopefully we are done with storms for a while so I can move onto better topics.
Friday, June 25, 2010
storms
I love thunderstorms. As long as I'm indoors, that is! We've had quite a number of crazy storms lately.
I jinxed us though. I was talking to my client from Alabama earlier this week and I was talking about nice it is living near Chicago because we don't get tornadoes this close to the city.
Well, we usually don't get tornadoes. Except for two days after I said that when the sky turned that funny color- you know what I'm talking about if you've ever been in a tornado. And then the sirens started going off.
I went to the bathroom, grabbed my book, water and chapstick (the necessities) and headed down to the basement.
A tornado did not hit my town (see, I was right, we don't usually have them) but we did have insane wind and three inches of rain in one hour! Can you say flooding?? Luckily my basement is unfinished and we are used to it flooding but for lots of friends that meant the destruction of their finished basements. Suckage. Especially for some people who flooded not just with rain water but sewage too. I don't even want to think about that!
Speaking of damage though, we have a new leak in the roof. (Thanks to our neighbor's stupid tree hitting our roof.) This one of course leaks right into my bedroom! Ahhh, I miss the days of renting when I could just pass this problem over to my landlord! Of course, if I was still renting I would still be in my basement apartment and would have had all of my stuff destroyed with flooding. Pick your poison I guess.
I didn't get footage of the tornado storm but I did get a little bit of footage of the storm from last Friday- before I freaked out and jumped back into the house! It doesn't quite do it justice but you can kind of tell how windy it is. Whoa, it's windy out here!
I jinxed us though. I was talking to my client from Alabama earlier this week and I was talking about nice it is living near Chicago because we don't get tornadoes this close to the city.
Well, we usually don't get tornadoes. Except for two days after I said that when the sky turned that funny color- you know what I'm talking about if you've ever been in a tornado. And then the sirens started going off.
I went to the bathroom, grabbed my book, water and chapstick (the necessities) and headed down to the basement.
A tornado did not hit my town (see, I was right, we don't usually have them) but we did have insane wind and three inches of rain in one hour! Can you say flooding?? Luckily my basement is unfinished and we are used to it flooding but for lots of friends that meant the destruction of their finished basements. Suckage. Especially for some people who flooded not just with rain water but sewage too. I don't even want to think about that!
Speaking of damage though, we have a new leak in the roof. (Thanks to our neighbor's stupid tree hitting our roof.) This one of course leaks right into my bedroom! Ahhh, I miss the days of renting when I could just pass this problem over to my landlord! Of course, if I was still renting I would still be in my basement apartment and would have had all of my stuff destroyed with flooding. Pick your poison I guess.
I didn't get footage of the tornado storm but I did get a little bit of footage of the storm from last Friday- before I freaked out and jumped back into the house! It doesn't quite do it justice but you can kind of tell how windy it is. Whoa, it's windy out here!
highlights of the week
So I thought last week was bad when I only had three clients. I might be on the way of setting a new record with only one so far this week. Yikes!
One of the things I worked on with my hypnotist was to not get freaked out and depressed when work is slow. That is one of the things that really triggers my depression. And it seems to be working. A little stressed, sure. But still happy. Convinced that it is going to work out. It will.
Anywho, is it wrong that the highlight of my day was getting a coupon for a free Chipotle burrito in the mail? Chipotle is the only fast food that I eat but I LOVE it. Yum, yum, yum. Plus I love their marketing campaign. I'm not immune to advertising. It's like they make all their ads with me in mind.
One of the other things that I enjoyed this week was watching my sister try to eat the world's biggest strawberry...
Lots of soccer to watch on tv. Lots of time spent with my mom. Life is good. Still, a client or two would be nice! :)
One of the things I worked on with my hypnotist was to not get freaked out and depressed when work is slow. That is one of the things that really triggers my depression. And it seems to be working. A little stressed, sure. But still happy. Convinced that it is going to work out. It will.
Anywho, is it wrong that the highlight of my day was getting a coupon for a free Chipotle burrito in the mail? Chipotle is the only fast food that I eat but I LOVE it. Yum, yum, yum. Plus I love their marketing campaign. I'm not immune to advertising. It's like they make all their ads with me in mind.
One of the other things that I enjoyed this week was watching my sister try to eat the world's biggest strawberry...
Lots of soccer to watch on tv. Lots of time spent with my mom. Life is good. Still, a client or two would be nice! :)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
best sport ever?
I promised that not all of my posts would be about soccer, and my last two haven't been- which means that this one gets to be! :)
When I was in college I was in an amazing class called "arts of oral presentation" which sounds extremely sexual but was actually just a class about giving speeches. You had to get up in front of the class and give four speeches. One was a story, one was explaining how to do something, one was something else (that I can't think of) and one was persuasive.
The day that I was supposed to give my persuasive speech I was lying hungover in my bed and thinking, "F*#@, I really should have prepared something, seeing as how class is in 15 minutes!"
I had pretty much convinced myself that I was going to skip class but then I looked up and saw my photo of Zidane on my wall. Zidane is a French player who was one of the best players in the world and who became a bit infamous for headbutting a player in a game.
You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITdPTKpGHuI
To be fair, however, that player was talking smack about Zidane's mom.
Anywho, since we need to have some sort of visual aid for our speech, I ripped the poster off my wall and brought it with me to class.
Then I gave a speech about why soccer is the best sport in the world. It was a hard sell seeing as how most of my class was made of football and frisbee players.
And I don't know that it is necessarily true. Comparing the different sports is like comparing apples and oranges. And I can understand why some people don't love it and find it boring. Especially with this World Cup where the players are apparently going for the Best Actor award. And I don't imagine that people who don't play soccer would enjoy watching it that much because they wouldn't realize how difficult some of the things that the players do actually are. The players make it look quite simple. I heard a statistic that professional soccer players run an average of 13 miles per game! And a lot of that is sprinting!
There are many reasons to love or hate soccer. But some of the reasons that I gave as to why it was the best sport were that A) anyone can play, even if you aren't amazingly skilled. People obviously get better as they get older, but little kids can have fun playing it too. B) You don't need a ton of equipment. Mainly just a ball. And people in really poor countries tie rags together to form a ball. The goals of most pick-up games are made by putting some bags on the ground to mark the spot. C) It is a universal sport and therefore most people already know how to play. You can't just go to some foreign country and start a pick-up game of baseball or basketball (though that is changing more and more) with people that you don't speak the same language as.
I think this last reason is one of my main reasons that I do love soccer. I was able to kick the ball around with people in France, Italy and Greece, even though I couldn't talk to them. And that was a really special and fun time for me.
Today, for my workout I decided to go to the park and kick around a soccer ball. It is somehow easier for me to run when I am chasing a ball.
This little ten year-old kid came out onto the field. His sister was with him but wasn't playing with him.
My town is right next to the ghetto in Chicago. So lots of people from the ghetto come to the park where I work out at. They don't have safe, clean places to play, so they come here.
The kid does his own thing for a while and then makes his way over towards me. I asked him why his sister wasn't playing with him. He told me that she finds it dull. He seemed sad. So I got in goal and let him take shots on me. Then we switched spots.
It didn't require any real talking. I never even learned his name. But we were having fun. And that's what a sport is supposed to be about. And that's why I love it.
When I was in college I was in an amazing class called "arts of oral presentation" which sounds extremely sexual but was actually just a class about giving speeches. You had to get up in front of the class and give four speeches. One was a story, one was explaining how to do something, one was something else (that I can't think of) and one was persuasive.
The day that I was supposed to give my persuasive speech I was lying hungover in my bed and thinking, "F*#@, I really should have prepared something, seeing as how class is in 15 minutes!"
I had pretty much convinced myself that I was going to skip class but then I looked up and saw my photo of Zidane on my wall. Zidane is a French player who was one of the best players in the world and who became a bit infamous for headbutting a player in a game.
You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITdPTKpGHuI
To be fair, however, that player was talking smack about Zidane's mom.
Anywho, since we need to have some sort of visual aid for our speech, I ripped the poster off my wall and brought it with me to class.
Then I gave a speech about why soccer is the best sport in the world. It was a hard sell seeing as how most of my class was made of football and frisbee players.
And I don't know that it is necessarily true. Comparing the different sports is like comparing apples and oranges. And I can understand why some people don't love it and find it boring. Especially with this World Cup where the players are apparently going for the Best Actor award. And I don't imagine that people who don't play soccer would enjoy watching it that much because they wouldn't realize how difficult some of the things that the players do actually are. The players make it look quite simple. I heard a statistic that professional soccer players run an average of 13 miles per game! And a lot of that is sprinting!
There are many reasons to love or hate soccer. But some of the reasons that I gave as to why it was the best sport were that A) anyone can play, even if you aren't amazingly skilled. People obviously get better as they get older, but little kids can have fun playing it too. B) You don't need a ton of equipment. Mainly just a ball. And people in really poor countries tie rags together to form a ball. The goals of most pick-up games are made by putting some bags on the ground to mark the spot. C) It is a universal sport and therefore most people already know how to play. You can't just go to some foreign country and start a pick-up game of baseball or basketball (though that is changing more and more) with people that you don't speak the same language as.
I think this last reason is one of my main reasons that I do love soccer. I was able to kick the ball around with people in France, Italy and Greece, even though I couldn't talk to them. And that was a really special and fun time for me.
Today, for my workout I decided to go to the park and kick around a soccer ball. It is somehow easier for me to run when I am chasing a ball.
This little ten year-old kid came out onto the field. His sister was with him but wasn't playing with him.
My town is right next to the ghetto in Chicago. So lots of people from the ghetto come to the park where I work out at. They don't have safe, clean places to play, so they come here.
The kid does his own thing for a while and then makes his way over towards me. I asked him why his sister wasn't playing with him. He told me that she finds it dull. He seemed sad. So I got in goal and let him take shots on me. Then we switched spots.
It didn't require any real talking. I never even learned his name. But we were having fun. And that's what a sport is supposed to be about. And that's why I love it.
over-rated
Do you know what I hate? People who are famous just for being famous. Not famous because they are talented, or good people, or really smart or doing something interesting. Famous just for being famous.
Reality TV stars are probably the biggest example of this. Why on earth should I ever KNOW the name Spencer Pratt? I shouldn't. He is nobody. He is not worth my time or anyone else's time.
A similar but slightly different grievance I have is when famous people rest on their laurels.
I went and saw Dennis Leary on Saturday night.
He was eh. (it would help if you could see me right now, I am doing a little frowny type face, a la the Godfather, and shrugging my shoulders as I say "eeeh")
The very drunk woman in front of us who was laughing at EVERYTHING didn't think he was eh. But I wasn't impressed. And even that woman's boyfriend kept looking over at her like, "really? you are laughing at this? why am I dating you?"
Dennis Leary was the main comic and MC. He also had three other men with him. Who were all HILARIOUS. And do you know why they were so funny? Because they had to be. Because nobody really knows them. People aren't going to come to see them just because they are famous, so they actually have to have some talent. People come to see Dennis Leary just because he is Dennis Leary. And he seems okay with that. I wasn't. You kind of sucked, Dennis Leary. Just letting you know.
It's not okay for me to give some clients some good massages a few years ago and then slack off.
It's not okay for a doctor to cure a bunch of people a few years ago and then stop helping his current patients.
It's not okay for a basketball star to win the first few games and then not score any more baskets.
Why is it okay for Dennis Leary to have been funny a few years ago and then just stop trying?
Reality TV stars are probably the biggest example of this. Why on earth should I ever KNOW the name Spencer Pratt? I shouldn't. He is nobody. He is not worth my time or anyone else's time.
A similar but slightly different grievance I have is when famous people rest on their laurels.
I went and saw Dennis Leary on Saturday night.
He was eh. (it would help if you could see me right now, I am doing a little frowny type face, a la the Godfather, and shrugging my shoulders as I say "eeeh")
The very drunk woman in front of us who was laughing at EVERYTHING didn't think he was eh. But I wasn't impressed. And even that woman's boyfriend kept looking over at her like, "really? you are laughing at this? why am I dating you?"
Dennis Leary was the main comic and MC. He also had three other men with him. Who were all HILARIOUS. And do you know why they were so funny? Because they had to be. Because nobody really knows them. People aren't going to come to see them just because they are famous, so they actually have to have some talent. People come to see Dennis Leary just because he is Dennis Leary. And he seems okay with that. I wasn't. You kind of sucked, Dennis Leary. Just letting you know.
It's not okay for me to give some clients some good massages a few years ago and then slack off.
It's not okay for a doctor to cure a bunch of people a few years ago and then stop helping his current patients.
It's not okay for a basketball star to win the first few games and then not score any more baskets.
Why is it okay for Dennis Leary to have been funny a few years ago and then just stop trying?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
gulp
At what point do I begin panicking about the fact that I've only had three clients this week? (as opposed to usually having at least 13)
I know it gets slow in the summer and people are out of town and thankfully I have the World Cup to distract me (hence all the posts about it) but this is getting pretty rough.
This is why massage therapists quit their jobs. It has nothing to do with not liking their jobs. It is all about how hard it is to live with the uncertainty.
People often ask me how I do it. Honestly, I don't know.
I know it gets slow in the summer and people are out of town and thankfully I have the World Cup to distract me (hence all the posts about it) but this is getting pretty rough.
This is why massage therapists quit their jobs. It has nothing to do with not liking their jobs. It is all about how hard it is to live with the uncertainty.
People often ask me how I do it. Honestly, I don't know.
team names
Okay, I promise that I won't make ALL my posts this week be about the World Cup, but I do want to talk a minute about team names.
I never realized that teams really had names. I thought they were just called by whatever country they were.
But then I was listening to the announcers who talked about Australia being called the "socceroos" which is about the most adorable team name that I have ever heard!
So then I had to do a little bit of research to find out if the US had a team name. We do. We are "the yanks." (yawn!) Boring!
Here are the other ones...
Algeria - The Desert Foxes
Argentina - La Albiceleste (the White and Sky Blue, the national colors)
Australia - The Socceroos (A fantastic combination of kangaroos, soccer, and Aussie sensibility)
Brazil - A Selecao (the Selection); The Samba Kings; Verde-Amarela (Green and Yellow); Canarinho (Little Canary); Scratch du Oro (the Golden Squad)
Cameroon - Les Lions Indomables (The Indomitable Lions)
Chile - La Roja (The Red One); El Equipo de Todos (Everbody's Team)... how did Chile with zero World Cup championships get two nicknames?
Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Les Elephants (This translation is a shocker... the Elephants, and it's an appropriate enough name for a country with Ivory in its name)
Denmark - The Danish Dynamite; Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang); Olsens Elleve (Olsen's Eleven)... the multiple nicknames here stem from unabashed love for longtime coach Morten Olsen.
England - The Three Lions
France- Les Bleus (The Bleu Cheeses, er, I mean... the Blues); L'Equipe Tricolore (The Tri-color Team, apparently disregarding the many other countries with three colors in their flag)
Germany - Die Manschaft (the Team, a very creative name for a very creative people)
Ghana- The Black Stars
Greece - Galanoleyki (The blue and white, representing the colors); the Phalanx (after the old, unbreakable troop formation); Ethniki (the National Team)... here multiple nicknames stem from a general disagreement about what to call the team, and a limited record of international success
Honduras - Los Catrachos (the Hondurans... appropriately enough); La Bicolor (The Double Colored, for the country's colors)
Italy - The Azzurri (The Blue... yes, international soccer teams love the color blue)
Japan - The Samurai Blue (international soccer's love of blue, combined with Japanese tradition)
Korea DPR (North Korea) - The Chollima (The Thousand-Mile Horse, a mythical winged horse)
Korea Republic (South Korea) -Taegeuk Jeonsa (The Taegeuk Warriors, Taegeuk being similar to the concept of yin and yang, the symbol of which is found on their flag)
Mexico - El Tri (The Three, for the colors of the flag... I tried to warn France that there were others)
Netherlands - The Oranje (The Orange); The Flying Dutchmen; La Naranja Mecanica (Clockwork Orange)
New Zealands - The All Whites (The country's national rugby team is the All Blacks)
Nigeria - The Super Eagles
Paraguay - Guaranies (An indigenous people from South America); La Abirroja (The White and Red)
Portugal - Seleccao das Quinas (National Team of the Five)
Serbia - The White Eagles (Take that, Nigeria)
Slovakia - Repre; The Fighting Jondas
Slovenia - Zmajceki (Dragons; also The Green Dragons)
South Africa- Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
Spain- La Furia Roja (The Red Fury); La Furia (The Fury); La Furia Espanola (The Spanish Fury)
Switzerland- The Schweizer Nati (The Swiss National Team)
Uruguay - La Celeste (The Sky Blue); La Celeste Olimpica (The Olympic Sky Blue), Charruas (indigenous South American peoples)
USA - The Yanks (sadly enough for fans in Red Sox Nation)
I never realized that teams really had names. I thought they were just called by whatever country they were.
But then I was listening to the announcers who talked about Australia being called the "socceroos" which is about the most adorable team name that I have ever heard!
So then I had to do a little bit of research to find out if the US had a team name. We do. We are "the yanks." (yawn!) Boring!
Here are the other ones...
Algeria - The Desert Foxes
Argentina - La Albiceleste (the White and Sky Blue, the national colors)
Australia - The Socceroos (A fantastic combination of kangaroos, soccer, and Aussie sensibility)
Brazil - A Selecao (the Selection); The Samba Kings; Verde-Amarela (Green and Yellow); Canarinho (Little Canary); Scratch du Oro (the Golden Squad)
Cameroon - Les Lions Indomables (The Indomitable Lions)
Chile - La Roja (The Red One); El Equipo de Todos (Everbody's Team)... how did Chile with zero World Cup championships get two nicknames?
Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Les Elephants (This translation is a shocker... the Elephants, and it's an appropriate enough name for a country with Ivory in its name)
Denmark - The Danish Dynamite; Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang); Olsens Elleve (Olsen's Eleven)... the multiple nicknames here stem from unabashed love for longtime coach Morten Olsen.
England - The Three Lions
France- Les Bleus (The Bleu Cheeses, er, I mean... the Blues); L'Equipe Tricolore (The Tri-color Team, apparently disregarding the many other countries with three colors in their flag)
Germany - Die Manschaft (the Team, a very creative name for a very creative people)
Ghana- The Black Stars
Greece - Galanoleyki (The blue and white, representing the colors); the Phalanx (after the old, unbreakable troop formation); Ethniki (the National Team)... here multiple nicknames stem from a general disagreement about what to call the team, and a limited record of international success
Honduras - Los Catrachos (the Hondurans... appropriately enough); La Bicolor (The Double Colored, for the country's colors)
Italy - The Azzurri (The Blue... yes, international soccer teams love the color blue)
Japan - The Samurai Blue (international soccer's love of blue, combined with Japanese tradition)
Korea DPR (North Korea) - The Chollima (The Thousand-Mile Horse, a mythical winged horse)
Korea Republic (South Korea) -Taegeuk Jeonsa (The Taegeuk Warriors, Taegeuk being similar to the concept of yin and yang, the symbol of which is found on their flag)
Mexico - El Tri (The Three, for the colors of the flag... I tried to warn France that there were others)
Netherlands - The Oranje (The Orange); The Flying Dutchmen; La Naranja Mecanica (Clockwork Orange)
New Zealands - The All Whites (The country's national rugby team is the All Blacks)
Nigeria - The Super Eagles
Paraguay - Guaranies (An indigenous people from South America); La Abirroja (The White and Red)
Portugal - Seleccao das Quinas (National Team of the Five)
Serbia - The White Eagles (Take that, Nigeria)
Slovakia - Repre; The Fighting Jondas
Slovenia - Zmajceki (Dragons; also The Green Dragons)
South Africa- Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
Spain- La Furia Roja (The Red Fury); La Furia (The Fury); La Furia Espanola (The Spanish Fury)
Switzerland- The Schweizer Nati (The Swiss National Team)
Uruguay - La Celeste (The Sky Blue); La Celeste Olimpica (The Olympic Sky Blue), Charruas (indigenous South American peoples)
USA - The Yanks (sadly enough for fans in Red Sox Nation)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
World Cup
I have to admit, I am pretty much totally caught up in World Cup fever.
While I've blogged before about how I don't usually watch sports on tv, now I can't seem to get enough. I've been getting up at 7 AM to watch soccer! What the hell?!?
My friend tweeted about how she was at a Italian restaurant and at 2:15 PM the day of the Italian game, the chef came out of the back and said "kitchen's closed!" so he could watch the game.
I love little things like that.
Do you know what else I love?
Lionel Messi.
He plays for Argentina and is thought to be the best player in the entire tournament. I watched him this morning for the first time ever and would have to agree. He's just beautiful. Like the ball is glued to his foot.
But, my favorite part about watching him is the announcers, because obviously when he has the ball they say things like a "Messi goal" or a "Messi shot" which probably is not funny at all in his native language but in English is kind of funny.
While I've blogged before about how I don't usually watch sports on tv, now I can't seem to get enough. I've been getting up at 7 AM to watch soccer! What the hell?!?
My friend tweeted about how she was at a Italian restaurant and at 2:15 PM the day of the Italian game, the chef came out of the back and said "kitchen's closed!" so he could watch the game.
I love little things like that.
Do you know what else I love?
Lionel Messi.
He plays for Argentina and is thought to be the best player in the entire tournament. I watched him this morning for the first time ever and would have to agree. He's just beautiful. Like the ball is glued to his foot.
But, my favorite part about watching him is the announcers, because obviously when he has the ball they say things like a "Messi goal" or a "Messi shot" which probably is not funny at all in his native language but in English is kind of funny.
Monday, June 14, 2010
still cracks me up
This is my volleyball jersey from junior high. Notice anything unusual about it??
What is probably the funniest thing is that I went to a very small and very conservative Catholic grade school. Pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
When it came time to get our volleyball jerseys they asked us what number we wanted.
I said 69.
Now, at that time, I had NO idea what 69ing was. The reason I chose the number was because of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
In hindsight I just can't stop laughing, imaging what my coach must have thought when I requested it! And why did they let me wear it?! They probably decided they would rather let me wear it than explain what it was!
cupcakes
I went into my favorite bakery on Saturday to pick up some lunch (they also happen to have really good soups and salads) and I saw these...
Cupcakes designed to look like ice cream sundaes.
Edible works of art.
Adorable.
I wasn't even tempted to get one, but I was impressed by their cuteness so took the pic.
Cupcakes designed to look like ice cream sundaes.
Edible works of art.
Adorable.
I wasn't even tempted to get one, but I was impressed by their cuteness so took the pic.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
housewife
I would have made a great housewife in the 1950s.
Except for the ironing. I hate ironing. The only chore I flat out refuse to do.
I worked on an older client the other day. She had a large family. She was going on about people nowadays and how they only have two kids.
Do you know what she thought about that? She thought that they were being selfish! And unwilling to sacrifice their time and energy for their family!
I think it has a lot more to do with wanting to be able to afford a decent standard of living.
She was a housewife her whole life and was going on about women these days who don't stay home with the kids. How they all want to be out in the workforce, letting someone else raise their kids.
I'm sure many women DO want to be in the workforce. But for the majority of Americans it isn't a CHOICE.
I, personally, 100% want to stay home and look after my kids until they are at least five. And you know what?
Men don't like that. Men don't like being the sole bread winner. Even those who can afford to do so. Why has that changed?
(and I definitely know of some guys who are the sole bread winner and who are awesome so I am not lumping them in with this, but again, it is my blog and I can generalize all I want to!)
Was it because of the feminist movement?
How did we change from women being ABLE to join the work force to women HAVING to join the work force?
I enjoy working, most days anyways. I'm not complaining about working. I'm just saying that my biological urges are for me to stay at home and raise my young. I do not have a single biological urge making me want to go out and succeed in the business world and make lots of money. But isn't that what makes us humans "better" than the other animals- we can overcome our biological urges?
It's sort of a moot point, seeing as how I am not even dating anyone and thus will not be having babies and be stopping working anytime soon, but it popped into my brain and there you have it.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
gay paris
Pourquoi est-ce que je n'habite pas a Paris??
Seriously, I know I have no money, and would have a hard time finding a job there, but why don't I live in Paris?
Sure, I love my family. I like being around them. I love my job here. Blah, blah, blah.
But why the heck don't I live in Paris???
I watched a bit of Amelie (my favorite movie) tonight and it's got me yearning!
I miss the difficulty and challenge of living in a foreign country.
I love going into a shop and being worried that they will have no idea what I am trying to say.
I love exploring someplace totally different than I am used to.
And I love when I fit in and people mistake me for a native- even asking ME for directions!
Seriously, I know I have no money, and would have a hard time finding a job there, but why don't I live in Paris?
Sure, I love my family. I like being around them. I love my job here. Blah, blah, blah.
But why the heck don't I live in Paris???
I watched a bit of Amelie (my favorite movie) tonight and it's got me yearning!
I miss the difficulty and challenge of living in a foreign country.
I love going into a shop and being worried that they will have no idea what I am trying to say.
I love exploring someplace totally different than I am used to.
And I love when I fit in and people mistake me for a native- even asking ME for directions!
massage from hell cont'd
So I did it. I wrote my evil client a letter. I told her:
Dear _____,
It's been very nice getting to know you. You are a really nice client. However, I feel that I am not the right massage therapist for you and I will no longer be working with you. I hope you have fun continuing to explore mediation (we talked about it during her last massage) as I think you will really enjoy getting that body-mind-spirit connection going.
Best of luck, Nikki
I mean, what could I write? I had to be firm and tell her that I wouldn't work on her again, but I didn't want to be a bitch. I tried to throw in some nice stuff and use "I" phrases.
But there is no way that your massage therapist can tell you that she doesn't want to ever work on you again that isn't going to be a little bit insulting.
So she got the letter and she called up the spa to talk to my boss and she was PISSED!
My boss told her that she really would like to speak to her about this but that she couldn't do it now and would call her back later. She wanted to talk to me in the meantime.
The client had told my boss how she hadn't really enjoyed the massage but she didn't say anything at the time because she had had good massages from me before.
My boss told her that maybe I had picked up on that and that is why I had said that it wasn't a good idea for us to work together.
You would think that after having a not great massage from someone that you would try someone else, but she kept coming back to me. REQUESTING me. If she didn't do that I would not have had to write the letter in the first place.
Anyways, my boss totally had my back which was really nice.
And she had to call her back and talk to my client again, which I don't envy her. Especially because there isn't much she could say. I mean, NONE of the other therapists want to work on her. It seems harsh to banish her from the spa, but she had to tell her that she wants a style of massage that none of the therapists are comfortable doing.
I'm just glad that it is out of my hands and that I never have to work on her again!
I feel lighter.
Dear _____,
It's been very nice getting to know you. You are a really nice client. However, I feel that I am not the right massage therapist for you and I will no longer be working with you. I hope you have fun continuing to explore mediation (we talked about it during her last massage) as I think you will really enjoy getting that body-mind-spirit connection going.
Best of luck, Nikki
I mean, what could I write? I had to be firm and tell her that I wouldn't work on her again, but I didn't want to be a bitch. I tried to throw in some nice stuff and use "I" phrases.
But there is no way that your massage therapist can tell you that she doesn't want to ever work on you again that isn't going to be a little bit insulting.
So she got the letter and she called up the spa to talk to my boss and she was PISSED!
My boss told her that she really would like to speak to her about this but that she couldn't do it now and would call her back later. She wanted to talk to me in the meantime.
The client had told my boss how she hadn't really enjoyed the massage but she didn't say anything at the time because she had had good massages from me before.
My boss told her that maybe I had picked up on that and that is why I had said that it wasn't a good idea for us to work together.
You would think that after having a not great massage from someone that you would try someone else, but she kept coming back to me. REQUESTING me. If she didn't do that I would not have had to write the letter in the first place.
Anyways, my boss totally had my back which was really nice.
And she had to call her back and talk to my client again, which I don't envy her. Especially because there isn't much she could say. I mean, NONE of the other therapists want to work on her. It seems harsh to banish her from the spa, but she had to tell her that she wants a style of massage that none of the therapists are comfortable doing.
I'm just glad that it is out of my hands and that I never have to work on her again!
I feel lighter.
accents
So here's my thought of the day...
Why don't we have British accents?
I mean, we started off as a British colony, right?
Australians, Indians, they have accents. Why don't we?
I know that we are a melting pot and all that, but that means that these people came over speaking DIFFERENT languages. When they learned English, they still would have done it with an English accent, no?
Was it our major form of rebellion? Losing the accent?
Why don't we have British accents?
I mean, we started off as a British colony, right?
Australians, Indians, they have accents. Why don't we?
I know that we are a melting pot and all that, but that means that these people came over speaking DIFFERENT languages. When they learned English, they still would have done it with an English accent, no?
Was it our major form of rebellion? Losing the accent?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
diets
I'm not really a big fan of diets. And the one that I was going to try... well, I've come to my senses.
It was a low-carb diet, similar to Atkins', only for vegetarians.
Only, there is no way I can give up all my fruits and veggies!
Get rid of my pasta, rice and bread? No problem!
Get rid of my fruits and veggies? Not a chance in hell.
The book talking about it warned me that I would probably need to take some extra fiber supplements because I would get constipated.
Nope. Not gonna happen.
So I'm on the self-proclaimed "lowER carb diet."
It was a low-carb diet, similar to Atkins', only for vegetarians.
Only, there is no way I can give up all my fruits and veggies!
Get rid of my pasta, rice and bread? No problem!
Get rid of my fruits and veggies? Not a chance in hell.
The book talking about it warned me that I would probably need to take some extra fiber supplements because I would get constipated.
Nope. Not gonna happen.
So I'm on the self-proclaimed "lowER carb diet."
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
sweet tooth
I've always had a sweet tooth.
Okay, maybe that is a bit of an understatement.
I had an entire mouth full of sweet teeth.
And when I wasn't eating sugar, I was craving it. Hard core. To the point where it was hard to think about anything else.
I've been trying to cut sugar out of my diet. I haven't been entirely successful but I've been eating about 75% less sugar than before and I have felt the difference.
I have less cravings. Less mood swings. Less crashes.
Before I start my carb cleanse tomorrow, I decided that I would treat myself to a piece of vanilla on vanilla cake- my fav!
I walked all the way over to Whole Foods and picked up a beautiful cake with pink flowers on top. I put it on a fancy plate and sat down to enjoy it while watching Glee on Hulu. It was going to be the perfect treat.
Only... it didn't really do it for me. And now, after eating it, I feel kind of blah.
All the literature I've read about giving up sugar has said that you stop craving it after a while, but can it really be this easy?
Here's hopin'!!
Okay, maybe that is a bit of an understatement.
I had an entire mouth full of sweet teeth.
And when I wasn't eating sugar, I was craving it. Hard core. To the point where it was hard to think about anything else.
I've been trying to cut sugar out of my diet. I haven't been entirely successful but I've been eating about 75% less sugar than before and I have felt the difference.
I have less cravings. Less mood swings. Less crashes.
Before I start my carb cleanse tomorrow, I decided that I would treat myself to a piece of vanilla on vanilla cake- my fav!
I walked all the way over to Whole Foods and picked up a beautiful cake with pink flowers on top. I put it on a fancy plate and sat down to enjoy it while watching Glee on Hulu. It was going to be the perfect treat.
Only... it didn't really do it for me. And now, after eating it, I feel kind of blah.
All the literature I've read about giving up sugar has said that you stop craving it after a while, but can it really be this easy?
Here's hopin'!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
parenting tip of the week
Sometimes the best advice is also the simplest. My brother and his wife Kelly were in town this weekend, and I always gleam a new tidbit of parenting advice from them whenever they are around.
This week's gem was the "five minute rule."
When at the playground, or any sort of fun, playing situation, it is very helpful to warn the kids that they have "five minutes left before it is time to go."
Really simple, right? But it is amazingly effective at cutting down the whining and cries of "I don't want to go yet!" The kids make sure to get a solid five minutes of playing in and really enjoy it, and then we are ready to go.
My other sister takes a similar but slightly different approach. She will ask her kids, "Do you want to leave now or in five minutes?" Thereby letting them feel as though they have some sort of choice and control of the situation.
While these tips might not always work perfectly, they worked a lot better than the parents I saw yelling at their kids that they had to leave right then.
On a similar note, I used to have a client who wanted me to warn her when she had ten minutes and then five minutes left in her hour-long massage. She didn't like to be caught unawares and she wanted to make sure she fully appreciated every minute.
This week's gem was the "five minute rule."
When at the playground, or any sort of fun, playing situation, it is very helpful to warn the kids that they have "five minutes left before it is time to go."
Really simple, right? But it is amazingly effective at cutting down the whining and cries of "I don't want to go yet!" The kids make sure to get a solid five minutes of playing in and really enjoy it, and then we are ready to go.
My other sister takes a similar but slightly different approach. She will ask her kids, "Do you want to leave now or in five minutes?" Thereby letting them feel as though they have some sort of choice and control of the situation.
While these tips might not always work perfectly, they worked a lot better than the parents I saw yelling at their kids that they had to leave right then.
On a similar note, I used to have a client who wanted me to warn her when she had ten minutes and then five minutes left in her hour-long massage. She didn't like to be caught unawares and she wanted to make sure she fully appreciated every minute.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
playgrounds
I find it fascinating how playgrounds keep evolving and changing. Now they include climbing walls and spider web things. When is the last time you saw one of those centrafuge things at a playground... otherwise known as the spinning wheel of death. Can you imagine if we still had those? With the overprotective parents that we have nowadays the kids would have to wear full body pads and a helmet before their parents would let them get on.
Not that parents aren't right to be protective. Kids are dumb. I had to sit my niece down and have a talk with her about why we don't walk directly in front of the kids who are on the swings. A foot to the head does NOT feel good.
This is my new favorite piece of playground equipment. A teeter-totter on steroids. Some of the bolder children stood in the middle and surfed while it went up and down.
This is Lily, once I finally got her to give me a real smile...
Not that parents aren't right to be protective. Kids are dumb. I had to sit my niece down and have a talk with her about why we don't walk directly in front of the kids who are on the swings. A foot to the head does NOT feel good.
This is my new favorite piece of playground equipment. A teeter-totter on steroids. Some of the bolder children stood in the middle and surfed while it went up and down.
This is Lily, once I finally got her to give me a real smile...
meltdowns
Older siblings really get the short end of the stick. And this is coming from a youngest child, mind you.
While hanging out with my nieces this weekend, I would see Lily, the five-year old, constantly have to give up stuff to the three-year old, Ella. Why? Because we knew that Lily could control herself and live with the disappointment whereas we didn't want to deal with Ella's meltdowns. How fair is that? Not fair at all!
But it does amaze me how many times a day little kids can break into tears. A) they seem to fall and hurt themselves a lot. I'm not sure if they just have low pain tolerances. Or if my nieces are unusually clumsy. But that happens at least ten times a day. And B) they cry out of disappointment.
It got me thinking about being an adult. I don't think our feelings change as we get older... we just learn to control them better. Can you imagine if we broke out into tears because our favorite TV show was not shown because of a stupid important breaking news cast? We don't. But is it healthier to keep all of our disappointments bottled in like we do?
I don't know if it is healthier, but I know that I don't want to deal with crying people all day long, so I am glad we learn to control it.
While hanging out with my nieces this weekend, I would see Lily, the five-year old, constantly have to give up stuff to the three-year old, Ella. Why? Because we knew that Lily could control herself and live with the disappointment whereas we didn't want to deal with Ella's meltdowns. How fair is that? Not fair at all!
But it does amaze me how many times a day little kids can break into tears. A) they seem to fall and hurt themselves a lot. I'm not sure if they just have low pain tolerances. Or if my nieces are unusually clumsy. But that happens at least ten times a day. And B) they cry out of disappointment.
It got me thinking about being an adult. I don't think our feelings change as we get older... we just learn to control them better. Can you imagine if we broke out into tears because our favorite TV show was not shown because of a stupid important breaking news cast? We don't. But is it healthier to keep all of our disappointments bottled in like we do?
I don't know if it is healthier, but I know that I don't want to deal with crying people all day long, so I am glad we learn to control it.
easter bunny
There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like walking in the door after a long day at work to find a man dressed as a giant bunny in your kitchen!
While that in and of itself, is always fun. It was ten times better because the man was a stranger!
Okay, so it turns out it was our friend's cousin, but I had never met him before. I'm still not sure how they convinced him to put the Bunny suit on. But we had an impromptu egg hunt and the girls were thrilled!
I mean, who doesn't love a visit from the Easter Bunny?
While that in and of itself, is always fun. It was ten times better because the man was a stranger!
Okay, so it turns out it was our friend's cousin, but I had never met him before. I'm still not sure how they convinced him to put the Bunny suit on. But we had an impromptu egg hunt and the girls were thrilled!
I mean, who doesn't love a visit from the Easter Bunny?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
the massage from hell
How hard is it to receive a massage? You would think that it would be the easiest thing in the world, right? All you have to do is f'ing lay there and relax!
Some people are really good at receiving massage. Some people are pretty good at it but still lock up their arms or neck when you try to work them.
And then some people are like the client I had today.
Two of the other therapists that I work with have already refused to work on this woman. I asked not to be put with her but she keeps requesting me which makes that awkward so I have just said okay and worked with her.
We think that she has fibromyalgia, though her stupid doctor said that she didn't. Not that he did any tests on her or anything, or even checked out her body, he just told her it was all in her head. How is a doctor like that still practicing??
Anywho, she is a massage therapist's worst nightmare. Not only does she like to micro-manage the massage, telling you what body part to work when (and it switches every two minutes) but she only like clockwise circles. Seriously. Clockwise circles on her body for an hour.
Normally, I just suck it up and do it. Today she took it to new lows. Asking me to do annoying things that were physically impossible.
I almost stopped the massage after ten minutes and told her we would just give her her money back.
I finished the massage but was practically in tears by the end.
That sounds crazy as I write it now. How could this woman have affected me so negatively? It isn't like she was a mean person. But she is an energy sucking black hole.
And she is crazy.
Thank goodness I have been doing this for a while, because if I had had a client like her in my first few months as a massage therapist, I am pretty sure I would have quit.
Okay, deep breath. It is over. I am never working on her again. Time to regroup and move on.
Some people are really good at receiving massage. Some people are pretty good at it but still lock up their arms or neck when you try to work them.
And then some people are like the client I had today.
Two of the other therapists that I work with have already refused to work on this woman. I asked not to be put with her but she keeps requesting me which makes that awkward so I have just said okay and worked with her.
We think that she has fibromyalgia, though her stupid doctor said that she didn't. Not that he did any tests on her or anything, or even checked out her body, he just told her it was all in her head. How is a doctor like that still practicing??
Anywho, she is a massage therapist's worst nightmare. Not only does she like to micro-manage the massage, telling you what body part to work when (and it switches every two minutes) but she only like clockwise circles. Seriously. Clockwise circles on her body for an hour.
Normally, I just suck it up and do it. Today she took it to new lows. Asking me to do annoying things that were physically impossible.
I almost stopped the massage after ten minutes and told her we would just give her her money back.
I finished the massage but was practically in tears by the end.
That sounds crazy as I write it now. How could this woman have affected me so negatively? It isn't like she was a mean person. But she is an energy sucking black hole.
And she is crazy.
Thank goodness I have been doing this for a while, because if I had had a client like her in my first few months as a massage therapist, I am pretty sure I would have quit.
Okay, deep breath. It is over. I am never working on her again. Time to regroup and move on.
mask
I had read about giant South American ground sloths before and I had sort of suspected the author of making them up. Here is proof that they existed!
I got this sweet Triceratops mask at the museum. After I left and as we were walking along the lakefront bike path, it got pretty cold and I like to amuse people so I put the mask back on. The mask was really warm, hence why it being cold matters.
The interesting thing about living in a big city like Chicago, is that most people don't even bat an eye when they see weird things like a girl wearing at Triceratops mask. Though it did make quite a few people smile or do double-takes.
My favorite was the one guy who was running past and sees the mask and starts to call out to me. What does he say?
"Hey... nice shoes!"
Raaarw!
So first I had my bird scare, then as I was sitting at the Field waiting for my friend to get there, I saw this...
And while this is meant to entertain little kids, when it suddenly pops up on the balcony directly above your head and lets out a very loud and unexpected roar, it can really scare the daylights out of a girl!
And while this is meant to entertain little kids, when it suddenly pops up on the balcony directly above your head and lets out a very loud and unexpected roar, it can really scare the daylights out of a girl!
suddenly the song makes so much more sense
Do you know what this is???
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It's a picture of the crazy-ass bird that attacked me yesterday!
I was just minding my own business, walking towards the Field Museum when this bird lands on my head! He scratched at my head with his sharp little talons and pulled my hair. I actually had to whack at him with my hand!
Of course, the one person who saw this was just laughin' and laughin'! Thanks Mr. Oh-so-helpful Grounds Crew Guy!
Apparently red-winged blackbirds make elaborately beautiful nests and wanted my luscious locks as part of that.
But as I was leaving the museum and saw some more of these birds, I saw one attack a seagull for no apparent reason, so maybe the bird is just a jerk!
I've never disliked a bird so much in my life. I would gladly take four and twenty blackbirds and bake them in a pie!
.jpg)
It's a picture of the crazy-ass bird that attacked me yesterday!
I was just minding my own business, walking towards the Field Museum when this bird lands on my head! He scratched at my head with his sharp little talons and pulled my hair. I actually had to whack at him with my hand!
Of course, the one person who saw this was just laughin' and laughin'! Thanks Mr. Oh-so-helpful Grounds Crew Guy!
Apparently red-winged blackbirds make elaborately beautiful nests and wanted my luscious locks as part of that.
But as I was leaving the museum and saw some more of these birds, I saw one attack a seagull for no apparent reason, so maybe the bird is just a jerk!
I've never disliked a bird so much in my life. I would gladly take four and twenty blackbirds and bake them in a pie!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
conflict
We always complain when we have problems but can you imagine life in which we had no problems? Where everything just works perfectly?
How mind-numbingly boring would that be?
We need conflict to grow. What if the cavemen had lived in a temperate setting and never gotten cold and had no animals chasing after them? There would have been no impetus to figure out how to control fire.
How we deal with conflicts is what makes us into the people we are. What has made you into the person you are? I bet it wasn't that amazing day when you got up late, ate some food, chilled out for a while on a beach and ate some more and then went to bed.
So why is there good and evil in this world? Because there needs to be. Otherwise we would get lethargic and complacent and do nothing and be nothing. We'd be blobs on auto-pilot.
I can't say that I always enjoy the conflicts but for today I am feeling very zen and thankful for their part in my life, in making me into me.
How mind-numbingly boring would that be?
We need conflict to grow. What if the cavemen had lived in a temperate setting and never gotten cold and had no animals chasing after them? There would have been no impetus to figure out how to control fire.
How we deal with conflicts is what makes us into the people we are. What has made you into the person you are? I bet it wasn't that amazing day when you got up late, ate some food, chilled out for a while on a beach and ate some more and then went to bed.
So why is there good and evil in this world? Because there needs to be. Otherwise we would get lethargic and complacent and do nothing and be nothing. We'd be blobs on auto-pilot.
I can't say that I always enjoy the conflicts but for today I am feeling very zen and thankful for their part in my life, in making me into me.
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