Two Thumbs Up

Lately I have been feeling like a pop-culture critic because I just finished up a great book and watched a movie that was very well done.

Water for Elephants was such a page-turner and kept me up way past my bedtime lately. Written by Sara Gruen, this piece of historical fiction details the life of Jacob Jankowski while he was in the circus. It is narrated by Jacob, a ninety-something-year-old man, and how his life was quickly affected by love, loyalty, power, and murder. Honestly, if you are interested in reading this book, I shouldn't say much more. Those who are interested will want the story to unfold as the pages turn!

The other night I watched There Will Be Blood on the big screen. Bloomington has kept it in the theaters for some time, as it will be available to rent this week. I thought the movie was so well done. It definitely isn't "the feel good movie of the year" as my friend at work pointed out, but it kept my eyeballs glued to the big screen for the whole two and a half hours. Like the book above, you don't want to know much about this movie before you see it. All I went in knowing was the movie was centered around a man in the early 1900's who was creating an oil empire. I knew it touched upon the topics of greed, corruption, and power. I think it is the type of movie you want to see again because more things will make sense the second time around. I went with some There Will Be Blood Fanatics, one of whom was seeing the movie for her sixth time! Everyone else had already seen it too, but wanted to catch it on the big screen one more time --- so you should have seen the look on their faces as I mumbled it was my first time. After the movie was over, it was required to have a debriefing to discuss everything.

Let me know if any of you have read Water for Elephants or see There Will Be Blood. I am curious to discuss them both. In the meantime, enjoy this crazy video of an elephant painting a picture of one of its kind!

What I Have Learned in Twenty-Six Years

I have learned…

Life is unpredictable
My family is eternal love
My sisters are my best friends
Laughing feels good
Heartbreak feels horrible
Love feels wonderful
What loyalty is all about
What it feels like to lose one of the most important people in my life
Love cannot keep someone on this earth
It feels good to make others feel good
My family can come together and get through anything
Some things become so difficult that prayer offers the only comfort
What true happiness feels like
My cats have comforted me in my sadness and seek me out on my hardest days
In the hardest of times, a friend on my doorstep can bring me to tears
People will travel across the world to say goodbye
Dancing makes me feel good
I need to take care of myself
I love to travel and I want to see more of the world
I feel a connection with animals and nature
It feels good to show and tell people how much I care about them
Life is hard
Life is good

Easter Cuteness!

You all know how much I love my animals, so with the last 30 minutes left on Easter Sunday, I am bringing you ultimate Easter cuteness.

Happy Easter and My 3-Day Weekend

Flex week was a bit rough at work, but having a 3-day weekend was wonderful. Thursday evening some friends and I went out to Crazyhorse for dinner and drinks after work to celebrate my birthday. John joined us as well and it was a very nice evening. When we returned home, John surprised me with my birthday gift. He gave me a beautiful pearl ring with two small diamonds and I love it! It truly is very unique and beautiful to look at. When it is on my finger, I can't help but stare at it!

On my day off, John worked from my apartment and I just hung out with him, did some things around the apartment, and watched some basketball. Friday night John and I went out to Nick's to watch the IU game, which ended up being a disappointing loss. On Saturday John and I were very lazy and then headed out to Yogi's, one of our favorite bars/restaurants to watch more basketball. We returned home to watch Ratatouille, which was really cute. John hated any clip that showed more than a few rats in it because it made him feel all creepy crawling. I thought the rats were pretty cute!

Today John and I spent most of the day in Hoosier National Forest and Lake Monroe (Fun fact - this is where John Mellencamp lives). We checked out the flooding in the area, climbed the fire tower in the park, one of our favorite places to go in college, and enjoyed all the scenic views. On our way back, it started to snow and we couldn't believe the size of the huge snowflakes. We decided to duck into a little place to grab some lunch and I felt like i was in a different world there. Let's just say it was full of down home folk and a large man dressed up as the Easter Bunny. The waitress offered the "hot dog special" to us, which was a hot dog, chips, and a drink for $2.oo. I didn't know anyone sold food that cheap anymore.

When we returned home, we participated my favorite Easter tradition - we dyed eggs! Even though all our eggs ended up being pretty much the same few colors, we started out with lots of different color options and also a tie-dye kit. It was a lot of fun and it made it feel much more like Easter. Enjoy the pictures and videos below!

At Crazyhorse taking Bailey's shots in edible chocolate shot glasses!
Lake Monroe - it looks a bit gloomy outside!

We saw over a dozen deer today!


The fire tower from the ground looking up!


Another view looking up


Looking out over the treetops


Another view


Video from the top. Note: Not for the seizure-prone!


Flooding in Lake Monroe



More flooding


Where we stopped for a bite to eat


Easter egg dying factory!


Eggs for Bella and Diego


Happy Easter!


The egg burglar




Easter egg mess!


All our eggs!

Vintage Birthday Picture Circa 1985

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special. I woke up this morning thinking it would be a pretty ordinary day because all I had on the schedule was aerobics after work (because I really know how to party till the cows come home).

The day was anything but ordinary and began with walking into my office as my friends were decorating my desk. What a wonderful surprise! Beautiful flowers were also on my desk and it made me feel very special. Soon people trickled in and I got some other nice surprises. I got taken out to lunch to The Upland Brewing Company with a bunch of friends and returned to a beautiful bouquet of flowers from John. Because of my aerobics class (I have to write this so I can get some more credit for going), I planned a little outing for tomorrow night. John will be joining me and my work friends for drinks. At work, we are all working a flex week, so I have Friday off. A nice 3-day birthday weekend! After work I came home to a birthday card and candy from my apartment complex and then my aerobics class sang "Happy Birthday" to me. All these little things really did mean a lot - thank you!

A copywriter friend of mine wrote me a poem and my friend Yi, a designer, made me a personalized birthday card. These are definitely some of the perks of working at an ad agency. Here they are to share with you!

The wonderful Sarah Lipps wrote...

It’s Whitney Slocum’s birthday.
It’s her day today.
She’s turning 20, or something.
Does it matter how old she is anyway?

I know that you like Whitney
But hey, how could you not.
She reads Dave Sedaris
And talks about her cats a lot.

On her 20-something birthday
Be sure to say hello
She’ll tell you about her cats,
One of whom she calls Diego.

Happy Birthday Whitney
Enjoy your special day.
Work out hard for both of us
And don’t forget to play (too.)

Here we are at my birthday lunch.

Now for some real tricks...

Breaking News! Bella (Hillary), with a bit of desperation to gain more voters, shocks Diego (Obama) with a surprise. How will he ever respond?

Cooper the Wonder Dog

Check out what Cooper the Wonder Dog can do.

Here is his doing "Sit, Stay, Good Boy!"



Here is Cooper doing "Sneak!" You must whisper when you ask him to do this...

Photos

Brunch at Scholar's Inn

Steve's funny face is always a mandatory moment

Carolyn and Keenan at brunch

My perfect little birthday cake!

Amy and Cooper the Wonder Dog

Carolyn and John in Richmond

Rails to trails in Richmond

Hodge Podge of Thoughts

Things have been pretty busy on my end and hopefully this blog will help update you on my happenings. The last few weekends I have traveled. I went to Richmond, John's hometown, before getting the flu. We had a wonderful time and had a delicious dinner consisting of a pear and blue cheese salad, salmon, and wild rice. During the day, John, Carolyn, and I walked the Rails to Trails and it was the longest I had been outside in months. It is just starting to get warm here - spring is definitely on the horizon. We ended up walking about 5 miles and enjoyed all of it. We walked past the remnants of the birthplace of recorded jazz, The Star Piano Company and Gennett records. It is fascinating to think about all artists that recorded there and changed the face of music forever. The likes of Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Gene Autry, and many more recorded there. Now the building isn't in great shape, but they are trying to restore it and created "The Gennett Walk of Fame" inlaid with bronze records in the sidewalk honoring those who made records there.

I spent this last weekend in Indianapolis with Amy and then John. Amy and I had a sleepover on Friday night and it was wonderful to have some girl time. We ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise and I really enjoyed it. It was my first time and it was such a fun atmosphere. For some unknown reason, John despises Jimmy Buffet so this was my time to try it! We played with Cooper, the SuperDog, and I'll share the videos of him soon. On Saturday, Amy and I did some much needed shopping and enjoyed the day. Amy got me the cutest little birthday cake and we had a mini pre-birthday celebration. It was wonderful. Thanks, Amy!

Saturday evening I met up with John and we totally lounged all night. It was wonderful to just veg on the huge LoveSac his roommate has. On Sunday we met up with his family for brunch because Keenan came up from Florida with her little baby bump! We enjoyed a delicious brunch at Scholar's Inn (I highly recommend) and soon after we had to say our goodbyes.

I've still been hitting up the gym and aerobics class kicked my booty last night. Due to the flu and then canceled classes for spring break (spring break for adults, really?), I hadn't been there for 2 weeks and my body knew it! My instructor thought it would be fun to create this Irish jig-type move, but honestly it was rough. Those Leprechauns must be in some great shape!

Bella and Diego are still up to their little antics. They have stare-downs almost everyday, but it isn't always convenient to grab the camera. I do have at least one new video to share though...stayed tuned.

My Fierce Friend is Ferosh

Everyone knows the love I have for Christian and all of his antics. He cracks me up and I found this wonderful montage of his fierceness.

You May Thank Me Later

Dear friends,

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. I know that colon cancer may not be a part of your daily life, but it is a part of mine. As many of you know, my mom passed away June 5, 2007. She was diagnosed at the age of 55. She had no symptoms, no known family history, and felt just fine. She wasn’t a smoker and rarely drank. Her diagnosis was a complete surprise and it was more shocking to learn she had tumors growing for 3–5 years before they were detected. She happened upon her cancer by accident, but by then this “silent killer" had spread. This is something I, along with many others, would like to prevent you from experiencing. I think it is a good idea that there is a month dedicated to spreading the word about colorectal cancer because it reminds people to take inventory of their health and mention it to others. I'm trying to do my part by offering information about this type of cancer to you all, in hopes you will talk to others about it. Will please forward this message on? (Copy and paste, fwd, etc.)

I urge all of you to take this seriously and encourage others (and possibly yourself) to get screened at the age of 50. (Some states will do it earlier than 50.) Please talk to your parents, relatives, and friends about this.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, accounting for about 20 percent of all cancer deaths. This year alone, more than 131,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer and 56,000 will die from it. Based on rates from 2002-2004, 5.42% of men and women born today will be diagnosed with cancer of the colon and rectum at some time during their lifetime. This number can also be expressed as 1 in 18 men and women will be diagnosed with cancer of the colon and rectum during their lifetime.

Colon cancer is also one of the most curable types of cancer if it is diagnosed early. When detected at its earliest stages, chances for a cure are as high as 90 percent. There are several screening and diagnostic methods to detect colon cancer early on, before it spreads to vital organs. A colonoscopy is the most common screening method and it can be done as an out-patient procedure.

Studies have shown that the following things have been associated with colon cancer:

• Eating a low-fiber, high fat diet with minimal fruit and vegetables. Limit foods from animal sources that are high in fat, especially saturated fat, such as red meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, and coconut and palm oil. Restrict fat intake to less than 30 percent of daily calories.
  
• A diet high in red and processed meats.
• Being overweight.
• Smoking (smoking at a young age – in your twenties – increases your lifetime risk of colorectal cancer).
  
• Inactive lifestyle.
• Family history of colon cancer or polyps.
• Age – About 90 percent of all colon cancer cases occur in people older than age 50.
  
• Diseases of the colon.
• Heavy alcohol consumption.
  

You can find more information here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cancer/DS00035/DSECTION=2

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/colon-and-rectal

It is important to remember that even if you don't meet any of the high risk factors, you are still at risk and should get a colonoscopy at the age of 50. My mom's only association with this list was that she was over the age of 50. You can find a lot of information about colon cancer on the web if you would like to learn more. I hope you can all find people to talk to about this and spread the word. Time here on Earth is precious. Encourage your friends, family, and parents to take the proper precautions to ensure a long and healthy life!

Hey everyone,

I know this guy from college. I didn't know him well, but he worked in the kitchen at my sorority so I saw him on a regular basis. If you can do anything to help his desperate situation, I'm sure he and his family would be very appreciative. Please read the websites below to learn more or Google his name, Bill Kapoun. There is also a Facebook group available as well.

http://www.billkapoun.com/
http://savebillkapoun.blogspot.com/
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/03/117_20066.html

Even My Sweatpants Hate Me

The flu claimed another victim this week, me. Sunday night I woke up with a sore throat, but I thought it would go away. By Monday morning I was a mess and I was home and in bed by 1:30pm. I remained in the fetal position, with a sore throat, aching body, and head ache, only to get out of bed to take a bath. Baths were the only relief and honestly, I can't even count how many I took. Baths were taken in the middle of the night and it is quite a blur. I went in to work on Tuesday and left around 10:30am after a couple of meetings. I returned to the bed and didn't leave until about noon today. Last night I could finally sleep and was in a deep slumber for 14 hours. I woke up and was thinking about going to work, but I saw spots on the back of my throat. Yikes! Maybe isn't wasn't just a virus after all, I thought. I headed to Prompt Care and my strep test was negative. Now I'm on prescription pain killers and using some prescription mouth rinse called, "Mary's Magical Rinse." Doesn't sound like a prescription, does it? It sounds like something my neighbor made in his basement. Anyway, I'm taking it and I feel great. The dark cloud has lifted.

My aches are gone, my head feels clear, and I even headed to work for a few hours today. I had to get out of my sweatpants, bed, and apartment. After work I came home and did dishes, vacuumed, and I am just so happy that I feel almost like myself. My cats can tell that I am feeling better. Bella kept crawling all over me, poking, meowing, and scratching the sheets as I took my 14 hour nap. She was ready for some treats to have me back!

My friend from work set me this e-card. It made me laugh and no, Airborne did not solve all my problems.

Not feeling so hot

I'm sick :(