Great Quote from a Lululemon Athletica bag

"The world is changing at such a rapid pace, if you wait to implement changes, you will always be 2 steps behind. Do it now. Do it now. Do it now."


enough said!

love and peace

http://www.lululemon.com/

Last Week of School!!! Teachers, go home and relax!!!

Think you have it hard with your corporate job and it’s grown up problems? Try keeping a bunch of toddlers and tykes in check ALL DAY!!!

You have got to give it up for Teachers!!!

Even the best behaved child is a handful; now imagine 12 to 24 more of that, every single day!!!

It takes a real gift to be a teacher.

Every time I find myself in my son’s school environment I am reminded of this fact.

Coming from a medical background, I know many people who just got into the medical field for the prestige of the title or for the bank account that may come with it.

But teaching…that is something you need to WANT to do. You need to have a passion for these kids no matter how many tantrums they throw. You need to not only be willing to teach, but be able to make them understand you…that is to say…speak their language. You need to remain creative and open minded to be able to see through the eyes of a curious 5 year old and make complex uninteresting learning, fun! You need to be up always, no down days for you…You can’t come into the office with an attitude or make excuses about PMS, a headache or a lack of sleep. You need to care…sincerely and truly, about the welfare of children you did not bring into the world.

Teachers are amazing!!!

And if you feel you have the gift for it....I encourage you to listen ot your inner voice and go teach! We need you! Our children need you! The future needs you!

Special thanks to my partner, C.C. for finding and formatting this 80's public service announcement for me

 

And now it’s the end of another school year.

Please make an effort to thank the teachers who are helping you raise your kids.

A school donation is always nice, but you could make it more personal with a gift, a card, a bouquet of flowers, chocolates, a gift card maybe.

If you are strapped for cash, get busy with your kids, have them make something nice and pop in a note from you. Teachers may be moved to tears when their students present them with pretty homemade gifts, but I can guarantee that they welcome the appreciation from us, the parents who dump our kids on them for 8 hours and run off to work with grown-ups all day. In fact, I can confirm it: today, I gave my son’s teacher a gift basket and a thank you card. She hugged me and said “it feels so good to know that parents know” “Oh, I KNOW!!!” I said, “cos I would surely be in jail by now if I were watching kids.” We laughed.

Teachers deserve our thanks!

 Let’s give honor where honor is due! 

Teachers, here’s to you!!!

                                                         Applause Applause

Good teachers...and parents...give our kids the Greatest Love of All

...and to the Earth

Yesterday I dedicated a Michael Jackson song to humanity, today I dedicate the song to the Earth....the glorious planet on which we live, and which we sorely disrespect everyday...

but we can make a difference if only we choose to do so....

Today, the second anniversary of Michael Jackson's passing, here's another powerful one...

The Earth Song

Finding Sarah

I was just watching "Finding Sarah"on OWN.
I should be doing a show like that called Finding Susan, cos God knows I haven't found her yet!
Anyway, I think I like that show.

So today is day one of week 4 or is it already week 5 of our fitness challenge.
I did NOT do good this week, I worked out only twice and only one of those times was an 'official' workout.
I did NOT drink enough water. I did NOT blog every day.

Boohoo!!! Shame!!!

Okay...it's a new week of Challenge. Let's get up and go and make it happen this week.
Will call 4everFab for this week's challenge.

In the meantime,just another sign that time waits for no one and never stands still.....it is already TWO whole years since one of the greatest entertainers of all time passed on.
The genius and extremely talented Michael Jackson died two years ago tomorrow.
It's one of those events where everyone remembers exactly where they were that day and how they heard the news.
I remember that I was...where else?...at work, when I got, first a text/email from a friend, then I checked the internet, then I got a phone call and all of a sudden it was everywhere, everyone was talking about it, every radio station was playing his music. It was not a prank. This time it was real. The King of Pop, that he undeniably was, was gone.

And life goes on. But it is interesting, that every time you do hear a song of his, it hits you again - He is really gone. There will never be another song. Another video.

I admit I was a fan. I got to see him live on September 10th, 2001, that was the night before the terror attacks of 9/11.

It was the Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Celebration at Madison Square Garden.

I was as intrigued by the audience as I was by the King himself, because looking at the audience showed what an impact this man had on music and on the world.
There was every age in the house, every gender, every color, every language, every culture.
We all looked at each other in excitement, knowing we all felt the same no matter who we were or where we came from. Then, when he came on stage and sang we all screamed the same, waved and clapped our hands to the beat the same, danced like crazy the same and sang along to every single word  the same.
For those brief moments we were - the same!!

I marveled at how music could cross bridges in a way that other means could not. In my idealistic self, I felt sure that somewhere in the future there really was the hope of a world with no discrimination, no hate, no wars.....
...and then the next morning....the unthinkable.

Today I heard this song on the radio played in tribute to him, and I'd like to play it here as a reminder to us all that a world free of hate, suffering and war IS possible, but it starts with each of us....
remember to listen to the lyrics...

How do I suck?...let me count the ways...

...NOT!

Meaning that is NOT the right thing to say to myself!
I must remain positive and encouraging, remember?

Yes, but all I can think of right now is....I suck!

Did I even mention what our challenge for this week was? er..NO cos I have hardly even blogged this week.

4everFab and I decided to go back to basics. Maybe we were incorporating too much too fast. So here was the challenge this week (ends tomorrow)

7 days of working out - anything
6 glasses of water daily
7 blog posts

now let me see...how have I fared??? well needless to say, if it was a school test paper it would be scribbled over with RED and a big fat F!!!

BUT!!!!!....I shall remain positive, for instead of telling myself that I just can't do it and so just stop, I shall just pick myself up and continue where I left off.

I wake up every morning with good intentions and go to sleep every night with guilt.

BUT!!!...yes, I shall continue. It is hard to be honest and to tell you and especially my work out partner, who is probably jogging round the park right now, that I have not kept to the challenge. I could easily say, and who would know any different: "Hey I ran a mile or was it more? I benched 100lbs, wow! and I drank a whole bunch of water and the only reason I have not blogged is cos I was either in the bathroom letting go of all the water I drank or I was at the gym of course, where else would I be?"
But I guess that would help noone...cos I'd still be looking pregnant and probably feeling even more guilty.
So here I am...honest.

BUT!!!!...honesty alone is not going to get me there either! I have to do the work...there is no escape. If I want a certain result, I must do what I must to reach it...and besides...have we forgotten about the dreaded C word??? I made a COMMITTMENT!!!!

OK...So I don't suck...well, maybe just a bit...well, yeah I do...Susan, Get your butt up and go work out!!!!

End of Story!!!



Yay!! I did a blog post today...on the right track here. :-)

A throw back to the 80's....

...and ALWAYS true

Sunny, Sunny, Wherefore art thou Sunny???

June 15, 2011

It’s been FIVE long days since my last post. And I have really missed writing. 

4EverFab and I revised the fitness/weight loss challenge for week three which started on Friday and I can’t say that I have done any of what we are supposed to do.

Welcome to my life in an average working week. There is not enough time or energy for anything!

When I began this blog, and also the challenge, four of my managers were away on business for three delightful weeks. Work was a breeze and I came home to work out and write. But since they have all come back, it’s been back to the craziness. It is non-stop from 9 – 5pm then it’s homework, dinner and bedtime and  back to the laptop to finish off some work….and then a workout??? A blog post???

I was able to squeeze in a work out on two of the last few days, but not the blogging, my brain was too fried!

Then I crash, and then I wake up the next morning and do it all again. I always have my laptop on standby on the subway incase I can do some writing during my commute, but I invariably fall asleep and wake up, luckily, right at my stop.

This is why I need out!

It takes way too much out of me, I get too tired and it makes me too miserable.

I was able to blog today, but it is 9:31pm, I didn’t get to work out and after I click on the “publish” button I am going straight to bed.

Having said all that (boring) there are 

 days left on my countdown of working days!!!

 Does David Beckham represent a possible move to L.A.???

Why not? Why limit dreams???

Have a Great Night Folks!!!

I'm DONE!

Dreams do come true

The Title of this cover is "Girls just wanna have Fun" - Very appropriate!!!

Thirty - Five Working Days to go

Did you guys see one of the last Oprah shows that was dedicated to “besties” (Best Friends)?

The Behind the Scenes show on OWN about that one was just the best show ever!

I loved when Gayle spoke the very words that we all were feeling. She said that the end of the Oprah show would be a big hole in her day. She explained that Oprah didn’t feel it the way she was feeling it, because Oprah never experienced the show as a viewer – but Gayle had watched every show. And it brought a lump to her throat to think that this was the last time she would be on the show. Oprah kept saying “it’s not such a big deal” but to Gayle it was!!! It was a HUGE deal!!!

And so it was to us, the audience, as well.

Watching the Behind the Scenes shows is sometimes bitter sweet. It’s fun to see all that goes into putting the show together and to see some of those shows again and what went on between takes and so on, but it is sad to do the countdown again, because this time, it really will be FINAL.

It is so funny to see Oprah so excited about it and everyone else so sad.

But I do understand the position Oprah found herself in….It’s kind of how I am feeling about my job right now. Just that no one knows it….yet!!!

Talking about my countdown, I noticed something interesting.

I have threatened to leave very often, a couple of times I even gave my notice.

I would get this clear inspiration that I simply HAD to leave. I would make my decision and announce my leaving….and suddenly everything in my Spirit would go quiet. No certainty that I was doing the right thing (no doubt either), no excitement about leaving (but no sadness either)…all around, just silence.

Then something ‘good’ would happen at work and I would quickly read it as a sign to stay on…and I would stay. But it would not be too long before the next urge to leave would come again and every time it comes back it has an ..."are you still here??" attached to it.

I am beginning to think this silent period is like a test period. I think the God or the Universe is testing me to see if I am truly going the take the action I decided on. Because He is there waiting to fulfill what comes next…but first I must take that step.

But again and again, I retreat and take back my decision. How then can He bless me?

Bible Quote: James 1

(vs 6) ...He that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (vs 7)For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (vs 8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Deep!!!!

Well, it’s that silent test time again. I cannot hear anything in my Spirit, work has not been too terrible. I begin to hear the voices again “why don’t you stay? Is it really that bad? Can’t you still fulfill your destiny while staying on here? Does this job really interfere?

To these voices I say..."Silence!!!”

To the countdown I say “Keep counting”

To me I say “Choose Life”

I am certain beyond any doubt, that once the first step is made, everything else will make sense and align with the grand plan of my destiny (which I have eluded by not listening to my inner voice for the past few...but too many...years)

On this same “Besties” Oprah Show – Behind the Scenes, Oprah found out that she would be sleeping over at the Ralph Lauren Ranch in Telluride, Colorado. And she said “All dreams do come true..”

I will hold on to that one. All dreams do come true!!!

Life is Short, Love is Forever

Please don’t waste a moment, don’t take anything for granted.

A smile, a hug, a visit, a helping hand, a quarrel, the make up afterwards,

It’s all part of this gift of life that we have been given

And no one but God alone knows what is in store for us

And hard as it may be

It is up to us to accept the challenge He throws us

And to go forward with praise on our lips

As we give ourselves in total Faith to the One who has made us

The Source of all that is, was and ever will be

And whatever the end…

Always there will be the one thing that ever will remain

There will be LOVE

Say to your loved ones NOW, today and every day – “I love you”

Forgive those who have offended you

Make peace with those that you have offended

Live for life, not for your paycheck

Enjoy your time with fullness of joy

For it is indeed a gift.

Play! Dance! Touch! Be Still and Listen!

There is LOVE.

My family was hit with a blow today when we found that my sister’s breast cancer has returned. She has been in remission for nine years. She will be undergoing surgery and chemo.

This is the hardest part about being an immigrant in another country. Your family is somewhere far away and there is nothing you can do but pray. But there is power in prayer. The Bible says that the prayer of the righteous man availeth much! Please join me. As we lift up my sister and other breast cancer sufferers and survivors everywhere.

This was yet another reminder to me of why it is of utmost importance that I take my life back

T-O-D-A-Y!!!

I want to make the most of my every waking day, to live fully and joyfully and filled with and surrounded by LOVE.

So here’s to number....

...Days to go!!!

Peace to you
 

Get your Gym on

38 days to go.....next stop...London's Victoria Station!!

(New to our countdown - everyday, there will be an image of the bright future matching the number on the countdown. Enjoy!)

I think I apologize for my ranting and raving last night. I think I just felt a little despondent that things were not happening as quickly as I would like.

But in all honesty, things ARE happening. Ok, so I appear to have gained 2lbs, but look…I have completed a week and a half of our fitness challenge. I have gotten into working out again, I am conscious of what I eat, I drink enough water and I am blogging daily….yes, things are happening and even though my mood may change now and then, over all, I already feel much better than I did 2 weeks ago.

So the challenge continues and I am happy to report that today was an awesome day.

For my workout, my partner and I tried out a new gym. And I am so glad we did.

Although I use the gym at work, going to a “real” gym is a whole other experience. One I have not had in about 5 years.

I promise you, if you are looking for motivation, go to a gym.  Just the air in there can get you inspired to work out as long as your body can take. Seeing all those machines and hearing the pumping music makes you want to do just that – pump. And then seeing the people – some like peacocks, strutting their stuff…flat abs, big shoulders, perfect gluts…others a little less impressive but working out with all the fervor of a work horse..and then those obvious beginners learning the ropes for the first time, battling to move their bodies in ways they either have never done before or have forgotten how to. Very enthusiastic trainers smile as they egg their clients on and in the studios, you might see folks having what seems to be a party as they Zumba their extra pounds to oblivion. It’s incredibly inspiring! Could be scary for some, but definitely inspiring for me.

So when we walked in, I knew immediately that I was fit and healthy….until I saw myself in the mirror… and after the initial shock, I remembered that I’d have a little way to go, but I could most certainly get there.

This was a big Aha! Moment kind of thing for me, because for the first time since we started this challenge I actually got a clear vision of my goal….the new me that I am aiming to become. I saw her clear as day; For a moment there on the treadmill, I felt like I was her. Then on the machines, when I saw my reflection, though my apparent reality hit me, I also realized that my vision is also a reality…it is the TRUE reality..the one inside me that just needs to be given the permission to spring forth.

When we have such moments, it is important to welcome the vision.  Most times, we just want to say “oh..that’s the real me in the mirror…why am I fooling myself here? I am a slob…I am fat….it’s just the way it is...” and other such really 'polite and self loving' things.

No No No!!! Decide to see what you WANT to see…the vision…the truth…the goal…the finished product.

And this is Me:

YEEEHAAAAAH!!!!

OH YES!!!! I CAN!!!!

Mad as Hell...

...and I am SO tired!

It has truly been ‘one of those days’.

It was my boss’s first day back in the office after an extended business trip so you can imagine that it was a little 'all over the place'. I am always just trying to keep up at work. I had to bring work home, but then couldn’t do the bulk of it because of a technical glitch which could not be fixed because that particular part of our help desk had closed for the day. So we know what awaits me tomorrow. While I was working on some other stuff, I got an email from the same boss, asking for something that I was supposed to have done weeks ago. There was no way to cover this up. I had to confess to him that I had not done it. He was very nice about it but too many of such incidents are not a very good look.

You know you have been in a place too long when you totally start losing your touch. Things just keep slipping through the cracks…I know I am busy, but still. I think I have just shut down part of my brain concerning this job…I just really don’t care enough about it anymore.

I am proud to say that I did do my work out today though. (at least that did not slip through the cracks J) I went down to the gym at my job in the morning and working out felt really good, BUT I also weighed myself, and I am so unhappy because I seem to have GAINED 2lbs. yes! GAINED!!! I thought I was at my heaviest in the earlier post with my ‘before’ photos, but now I am 176lbs….sigh!

I know, I know…you build muscle before you start losing the fat but still….deep sigh!!

Then there is the pain. Does anything look strange to you in this picture?

That’s right. My middle finger is slightly swollen. It’s been 3 weeks now. At first I thought it would wear off on it’s own…after all there’s always little things that come and go…but then it got worse and more swollen…my finger looked like a sausage. So I took some Aleve and it got better. There is no doubt that there is some inflammation going on here. I know I need to see a doctor for an official diagnosis, but from family history and my own research…it kind of sounds like some early signs of arthritis. Not good!

I remember when my mom had joint pain, I used to give her lectures about taking better care of herself, doing more exercise and eating a healthier diet….now I look in the mirror and hear the same lectures. That’s why you should never judge, you never know when you might find yourself in the same situation. And THEN and only then will you know what YOU would do. So cut out the “well if it were me....” statements.

Then I had a dinner ‘situation’ tonight…we were out of rice. So I jump into the car and go buy some before the store closed. And then I cooked the rice…if that’s want you want to call it. To me it was more like the proverbial “bowl full of mush” from the Good Night Moon book (any parents in the house???)

I was doing dishes while cooking and the drain began to get clogged. The thingy in the sink that protects the drain broke in my hand….AARGH! I’m mad as hell and I want a spacey kitchen that has a large counter and a sink that has a garbage disposal. I want a toilet that does not keep running if I don’t make sure I flush it ‘just right’.

I am mad as hell and I just want to go to bed when I am tired for a change and actually SLEEP through the night.

I am mad as hell and I need a vacation!!!!!!!!!!!

And by the way….there are just 39 working days left!

Attempted Failure

Just back from the Bronx Zoo. Haven't done my official work out yet, but I wonder if I can't count the 2.5 hours of walking we just did at the Zoo. "We did not even get to see the snakes" my older son declares as we walk past a "snakes" sign on our way out. After some time I had simply stopped telling the kids what other animals there were to see, for fear that they might actually want to go see them. The only animal I was thinking of, was a stuffed one....my pillow!

Anyway, I wrote the post below while was at the laundromat this morning.

I am back at work tomorrow and by the way, we are down to 40 days!!!

You may be asking (as even I am) "are you sure?" "don't you want to rethink this?" "Change your mind?"

The answer is...I am SO ready for my next chapter. And it will NEVER happen as long as the old chapter is still open. So...No! I am not going to rethink this.

Wishing you all a great upcoming week!!!
Love, Peace and Blessings

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earlier Today

Isn’t that just the way of things? You get all excited because you succeeded in starting something that you get carried away celebrating and end up not finishing it.

This is a very risky thing that sneaks up on you and happens VERY easily.

I am very upset that I missed TWO WHOLE DAYS of blogging.  

This is how “failure” sneaks up on you.

On Friday, it was not a regular day. I had to leave work early to attend a meeting with C.C., my partner. We already had dinner plans with friends so we thought we’d throw in a movie and make it a whole day for just us. And I figured I would squeeze in my 30 minute work out somewhere in between.

Well, I barely got out of work in time to make it home to meet with C.C. and make it to our meeting on time. In fact we were late. But no problem, had a great meeting and then had some time to while away before dinner. So we thought we’d see the movie then….but with traffic and being a undecided about what we wanted to see and therefore where we'd have to go, when we finally got to the theatre..there wasn’t a single movie we could see that would get us to dinner on time. So we strolled back to the car and headed on to the restaurant for dinner.

At this point it was getting clear to me that I would probably NOT be squeezing in my work out tonight.

Dinner was a blast!!!! And the food was SOOOO good. I highly recommend the Dumont Restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

There is a delightfully cozy garden bar and seating available in the back.

At this point, my “diet” is out the door.

I had the yummiest burger, with a salad (hey, I got my veggies in) and a delicious side of Mac and Cheese. But this Mac and Cheese is not JUST Mac and Cheese…just look at this excerpt from the menu

DuMac & Cheese, 15
bacon lardons, cheddar, gruyere, parmesan, radiatore pasta

The DuMont Burger, 14
fries or salad, Boston bibb, tomato & pickles(add cheese $1)
sharp white cheddar, American, Danish blue, gruyere
(add thick cut bacon $2)

Darlings!!!!….it was DEEEElicious!!!!

I should also mention that I had 1 Lemon-drop Martini.

Okay….so that was not all…..when we left the restaurant, we all dipped into a corner store and bought…yes, you guessed it …ICE CREAM!!

All this and it’s 11pm..oh my..where will all those calories settle?!?!

After dinner, C.C, and I felt surprisingly awake and thought we would still go for a movie afterall…so we bought tickets for a 12:40am show, but were not allowed into the theatre to sit and wait. So here we are standing in front of the theatre with a one hour wait ahead of us before we (most likely) sleep through a movie. After the first 10 minutes, we knew that we were fooling ourselves. We got our money back and headed home. Hey, I could still make it to write into my blog before midnight….NOT!

The kids were still awake and needed cleaning and settling, and once that was done…not only was it already the next day….but I was falling asleep standing up. Case Closed!

“I’ll make up for it on Saturday”…famous last words!

Saturday, I am happy to say I went for a jog while the kids were down for their afternoon nap, but after that there was an unexpected flurry of activity which ended at 11:55pm (seriously!) I got in the house and RAN to my laptop to quickly put in an entry for the day. But of course, with 2 minutes to go, I can’t figure out how to turn off a mouse lock that my son had somehow turned on when I was watching earlier in the day…I didn’t even know there was such a thing. So I run to my work laptop and believe it or not….for whatever technical reasons, I can’t log in!!! At 12: 15am, I find out what the mouse lock is and how to unlock it but it’s already ‘tomorrow’. Bummer! And we all know what happened next….zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

There is a lesson in all this:

Do I let this detract me from my goals for the week?

Do I give in to the distraction and give up on everything?

Do I say…hey I missed two days already…I am already out of the rhythm, why bother?

Do I get really mad at myself and then sink into a depression because of what a failure I am?

NO!!!!

Distractions WILL always come. Obstacles, Interruptions, Discouragements of all sorts….DON’T GIVE IN TO THEM!!!!

Keep your eye on the prize. Gently lead yourself back to your goals. I say gently because I know that I for one can be extremely hard on myself at times like this.

But don’t beat yourself up. Don’t nag! Just remind yourself of what it is you were working on, and get back on it.

So here I am getting my laundry done at 7am. And I plan to get my work out in today, before our trip to the Bronx zoo. I am back on track! J

Failure did NOT Succeed!! : -D

41 "Sunny at Work" Shows to go

The Challenge Continues...June 3 - 10, 2011

So how did we all do with our fitness challenge last week?

FellowBlogger Friend, www.4everfab.wordpress.com, whom we will promote to “Challenge Coach” hence forth, spoke about what she learned from our first 7 day challenge in her blog last night. Brilliant!

And since we are doing this together, here’s what I have learned:

-          I really really need to stick with it and get back in shape. I feel way too heavy to run and I have NO stamina what so ever. Believe me when I say I used to run MILES…now I cannot even run a ONE city block. When I went ‘running’ this week, it was actually a brisk walk. It felt good and I realized that I really miss running/walking, especially outdoors. It has been awesome, and I do not ever want to stop again. Rather, I want to work back up to running again.

-          If I can’t do the work out I had planned…be ready and willing to improvise. Three times this week, I could not get to run, (handling kids, or it got too late, etc) I was VERY tempted to accept that excuse. But I didn’t!!! I turned on the dance music channel on the TV and just moved non-stop for 20 – 25 minutes. I incorporated, push ups, squats, jumping jacks, crunches, some kick boxing and any other moves that came to mind. So it became like an interval training kind of thing. The key was just not to ever stop moving till the time was up. It works up a really good sweat, I might add.

-          It really does help to have a work out buddy! No matter how far away they may be. Just to know you have to report back to someone, and that you may be letting someone down is a great motivator

-          In Oprah’s words, Set Your Intention. Be clear what you are trying to achieve each week and work towards it. This week I did not really set an intention, I just agreed to a challenge. But there was no real goal apart from just doing it. That was probably what I needed just to get started again, but going forward, I want to set a solid intention every week.

-          As for the writing part of the challenge, here’s what I learned: I love it!!!

And whenever it gets hard, just get yourself that "spoon full of sugar" and make it FUN!

And now let’s get into the next Challenge – June 3^rd -10^th

1)      Up the workout routine to 25 – 30 minutes of non-stop movement

2)      As Lady Gaga’s Trainer suggested in my previous post: eat 4 -5 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones

3)      Include at least 2 or 3 servings of Fruits and/or Veggies daily

4)      Drink at least 6 cups of WATER per day

5)      Write at least one blog post per day.

Think that’s too much??

Well, that's why we call it a

  

Let’s go do it and ENJOY!!!

On the subject of my escape from Corporate Entrapment...

...here is a hilarious quote from Comedian Martha Kelly on preparing for office work:

It's been a couple of years since I actually worked in an office, so I thought I should do something to prepare to get back into the typing, filing and phone answering, and what not. So what I did was I had a friend of mine go with me down to the local swimming pool, and I had him tie me up in a burlap sack and sink me to the bottom of the pool. And then just as I was about to suffocate, he yanked me up and gave me a lunch break.

:-) SO TRUE!!!

And as for me...the count down is on! Today is June 1st that means 42 days left.

If you were counting down with Oprah, like I was...you should enjoy this too.

Never give up on YOU!!!

"Never Give Up"

Yolanda Adams

Visions that can change the world trapped inside an ordinary girl
She looks just like me too afraid to dream out loud
And though it's simple your idea, it won't make sense to everybody
You need courage now If you're gonna persevere

To fulfill divine purpose, you gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world against all odds

[Chorus]
Keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you
Don't give up

Every victory comes in time, work today to change tomorrow
It gets easier, who's to say that you can't fly
Every step you take you get, closer to your destination
You can feel it now, don't you know you're almost there?

To fulfill divine purpose, you gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world against all odds

[Chorus]
Keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you

[Bridge:]
Who holds the pieces to complete the puzzle?
The answer that can solve a mystery
The key that can unlock your understanding
It's all inside of you, you have everything you need yeahhhh

Sooooo, keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside, keeps inspiring you to try don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you

Sometimes life can place a stumbling block in your way
But you're gotta keep the faith, bring what's deep inside your heart yeah your
Heart to the light
And never give up Don't ever give up on you

Nooo don't give up,
No, no, no, no don't give up
Oh, no, no, no, no don't...give...up