Last night I went to see Cirque du Soleil: Saltimbanco at the E-Center in Salt Lake. After a rather unimpressive dinner at Chili’s (the waiter apparently did not actually put in our order so we sat there for 45 minutes… not the point of this story) we were rather speechless at the end of Cirque, or as a coworker called it “The Circus.” I had been to a Cirque show before and knew I was in for a treat, but this one was far more impressive than La Reve in Las Vegas, though La Reve was showier.
Our seats were on row 1 of the lower bowl, there were probably 4 rows of floor seating in front of us. The shear strength, flexibility and talent these men and women have are beyond description. My only disappointment was that not every seat in the house was filled.
These are links to YouTube videos that are earlier performances of my favorite acts in the show. The hand balancers were different men so their act was slightly different, but the trapeze duo looks similar. Truly amazing. I wish I had time to go again since they are here in Utah through Sunday.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
What I Have Learned From My Personal Trainer
1 – Even though your legs feel like they might fall off, they will not
2 – When your trainer says “You can do one more” you typically can
3 – Water is our friend
4 – Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are brain food
5 – Heart rate monitors are a very good thing
6 – If your core is not strong it does not matter how strong your legs and arms are
7 – Eating enough calories is the key to losing weight
8 – You do not need a fancy gym to lose weight; all you really need a little bit of instruction and some floor space
9 – You cannot do anything well without a good pair of gym shoes
10 – 5 pound hand weights will kick your butt
11 – The elliptical machine will become your friend (I have yet to reach this)
12 – Once endorphins kick in, there is nothing like a workout high
13 – Eating a small carb and a protien an hour before a hard workout is important
14 – The glossy glaze you get in your eyes after a hard workout is normal, eat some food and it goes away
15 – If you don’t feel it 24-36 hours later, you did not work hard enough
16 – It is a lot harder to lose weight than it is to gain it
17 – Strain is good, pain is bad
18 – The ‘dead cockroach’ will kick your but faster than crunches
19 – If the area being worked is not shaking, you are not done working it
20 – It is okay to rest; it is never okay to give up
2 – When your trainer says “You can do one more” you typically can
3 – Water is our friend
4 – Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are brain food
5 – Heart rate monitors are a very good thing
6 – If your core is not strong it does not matter how strong your legs and arms are
7 – Eating enough calories is the key to losing weight
8 – You do not need a fancy gym to lose weight; all you really need a little bit of instruction and some floor space
9 – You cannot do anything well without a good pair of gym shoes
10 – 5 pound hand weights will kick your butt
11 – The elliptical machine will become your friend (I have yet to reach this)
12 – Once endorphins kick in, there is nothing like a workout high
13 – Eating a small carb and a protien an hour before a hard workout is important
14 – The glossy glaze you get in your eyes after a hard workout is normal, eat some food and it goes away
15 – If you don’t feel it 24-36 hours later, you did not work hard enough
16 – It is a lot harder to lose weight than it is to gain it
17 – Strain is good, pain is bad
18 – The ‘dead cockroach’ will kick your but faster than crunches
19 – If the area being worked is not shaking, you are not done working it
20 – It is okay to rest; it is never okay to give up
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A letter
Dear "the woman from the factory"
My favorite thing about today is that you have already called me twice to yell at me, sent me 3 snarky emails, hung up on our receptionist, and apparently left a nasty voice mail on my boss's line and it is not even 10:00 a.m. You are my favorite person of the day. I appreciate so much being yelled at because of a mistake that was made over a year ago that, by the way, WAS NOT MY MISTAKE!! Here is the deal: when a customer sends our company a check addressed to us and we cash it, there is nothing wrong with that. When part of that check should have gone to you and not to us, we are not negligent, the customer is. When you call and yell at me I do not pay you faster. When you demand payment by the end of the day, which is an impossibility since you are in Missouri, I do not jump at your command. I was not kidding when I said I cannot pay you until my boss tells me to. You yelling at me does not make me want to work harder to resolve this issue of yours, it make me actually work slower... mostly because I have to stop my work day and post a snarky blog about you.
You are what is wrong with business today. You. You alone. Please allow me give you some pointers:
1 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
2 - When your customer tells you they will look into the issue, it might take more then 10 minutes.
3 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
4 - When a customer tells you that they cut checks on Friday, they cut checks on Friday.
5 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
6 - When you talk to a person with as much respect as you feel you deserve, typically he or she will respond in kind with as much respect in return to you.
7 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
8 - If you call with an issue on Thursday you cannot expect money the following Monday.
9 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
10 - When you present a problem to a customer, you have to allow said customer time to investigate the problem from their side.
11 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
12 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
13 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
14 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
15 - Most importantly: When you call a customer, do not yell.
I hope you have a really pleasant day, I know I will since it started out so well. Thank you so much for your unwavering care and attention to my day and .. oh by the way ... stick it!
With as much respect as you deserve -
Your biggest fan!
My favorite thing about today is that you have already called me twice to yell at me, sent me 3 snarky emails, hung up on our receptionist, and apparently left a nasty voice mail on my boss's line and it is not even 10:00 a.m. You are my favorite person of the day. I appreciate so much being yelled at because of a mistake that was made over a year ago that, by the way, WAS NOT MY MISTAKE!! Here is the deal: when a customer sends our company a check addressed to us and we cash it, there is nothing wrong with that. When part of that check should have gone to you and not to us, we are not negligent, the customer is. When you call and yell at me I do not pay you faster. When you demand payment by the end of the day, which is an impossibility since you are in Missouri, I do not jump at your command. I was not kidding when I said I cannot pay you until my boss tells me to. You yelling at me does not make me want to work harder to resolve this issue of yours, it make me actually work slower... mostly because I have to stop my work day and post a snarky blog about you.
You are what is wrong with business today. You. You alone. Please allow me give you some pointers:
1 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
2 - When your customer tells you they will look into the issue, it might take more then 10 minutes.
3 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
4 - When a customer tells you that they cut checks on Friday, they cut checks on Friday.
5 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
6 - When you talk to a person with as much respect as you feel you deserve, typically he or she will respond in kind with as much respect in return to you.
7 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
8 - If you call with an issue on Thursday you cannot expect money the following Monday.
9 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
10 - When you present a problem to a customer, you have to allow said customer time to investigate the problem from their side.
11 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
12 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
13 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
14 - When you call a customer, do not yell.
15 - Most importantly: When you call a customer, do not yell.
I hope you have a really pleasant day, I know I will since it started out so well. Thank you so much for your unwavering care and attention to my day and .. oh by the way ... stick it!
With as much respect as you deserve -
Your biggest fan!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Movies Adapated From Books
I have seen 2 movies this week that have been adapted from books. Books that I loved. Loved, loved, loved. The reason I love to see these types of movies is because I am a very visual person. I can read a script for a play and visualize it on stage. I can read a book and know how I would make it into a movie. So here is my beef: If the book ends one way there is no reason to give it a HAPPY HOLLYWOOD ENDING!! Also on a side note, there is no reason to blow up The Burrow, but that is another story! I am all for creative license, in most cases, but the happy Hollywood ending is so over rated and must go. The girl and boy do not always end up together; sometimes the unexpected death happens; the bad guys sometimes win. This is all I am saying, we do not live in a world that allows for a happy ending always and the fat friend is not always for plucky comic relief. Well in my case I usually am there for comic relief, but again, another story! I have said my peace.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Trials
Every once and a while I realize that I cannot fix things. I am a planner who likes things to go according to plan, and when they cannot I want to be able to fix it. There are times in life when so many things go so very wrong for those I love and I cannot fix it. Were it up to me people would not have tick marks on white boards, would still have a job (and family would not have had to be the one to do the layoffs), would not have a tethered spine and need surgery, would know how wonderful they are and never doubt how much they are loved, would not have cancer, would never cry, would have the kid they each so desperately want, would not be hitting the terrible 2’s at 18-months, would not struggle with money, hands would not be burned, would not feel stressed, people would not be jerks. (As you can tell, like Sandra Bullock, I really do want World Peace and the perfect date is April 25th. Because it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.) There is not a single close person in my life right now that is not struggling with something big in one way or another.
I have been thinking a lot lately about how God knows us and sometimes we are blessed with trials. (I did just say blessed with trials, right?!) In order for me to get through rough times, like now, I just have to believe that God has a plan and knows me well enough to know what I can and cannot handle. I know that God will be able to hear my prayers even when I do not have the words to say. I know that He can take my burdens only when I give them to Him. As Andrew Dhuse said once, “God’s will is not an itinerary, but an attitude.” I will probably never know why bad things happen to good people or why some people are blessed with more trials than others or why the harder you try to be good, the more “the bad” comes. But I do know that God has a purpose for each of us and the better we do in our trials the more blessings come our way. You know that old saying, “God give me the serenity to accept things which cannot be changed; give me courage to change things which must be changed; and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.” I believe that the more we put our trust in God, the more wisdom He bestows on us. So I say bring on the trials. Everyone in my life who is going through a trial right now is strong enough to overcome it. I know this because I know you. I know your hearts, and I know your minds, and I have seen your strength before. May God grant you the knowledge and wisdom to find your way through your trial, even if the outcome is not what you expect it to be. God’s will is greater than ours, so our trust must be absolute in Him. And when all else fails, chocolate does not!
I have been thinking a lot lately about how God knows us and sometimes we are blessed with trials. (I did just say blessed with trials, right?!) In order for me to get through rough times, like now, I just have to believe that God has a plan and knows me well enough to know what I can and cannot handle. I know that God will be able to hear my prayers even when I do not have the words to say. I know that He can take my burdens only when I give them to Him. As Andrew Dhuse said once, “God’s will is not an itinerary, but an attitude.” I will probably never know why bad things happen to good people or why some people are blessed with more trials than others or why the harder you try to be good, the more “the bad” comes. But I do know that God has a purpose for each of us and the better we do in our trials the more blessings come our way. You know that old saying, “God give me the serenity to accept things which cannot be changed; give me courage to change things which must be changed; and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.” I believe that the more we put our trust in God, the more wisdom He bestows on us. So I say bring on the trials. Everyone in my life who is going through a trial right now is strong enough to overcome it. I know this because I know you. I know your hearts, and I know your minds, and I have seen your strength before. May God grant you the knowledge and wisdom to find your way through your trial, even if the outcome is not what you expect it to be. God’s will is greater than ours, so our trust must be absolute in Him. And when all else fails, chocolate does not!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sadsdest. Thing. Ever.
Little LoMo is a crawler, she crawls. She loves to crawl, she hates to walk... won't do it unless someone is holding her hands and after a little time she just has enough and sits down. LoMo wore out a pair of new shorts on July 4 because she was crawling on cement. Bless her.
So the other day she was at our Aunt's house crawling around outside (yes with plenty of adult supervision) when she started to crawl up a ramp with metal on it where she burned both of her poor little hands. Saddest. Thing. Ever!
Now LoMo loves to Army Crawl...
So the other day she was at our Aunt's house crawling around outside (yes with plenty of adult supervision) when she started to crawl up a ramp with metal on it where she burned both of her poor little hands. Saddest. Thing. Ever!
Now LoMo loves to Army Crawl...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A fantasticly humbling day
Yesterday started early with an upset stomach at 1:30 a.m. though I was fine, a sales meeting where a salesman unintentionally inferred that I do a crappy job (though what he was trying to say was he does not like our plan service), taking headshots of two friends but feeling really clumsy and fat hobbling around in the grass in a foot boot, finding out that because my boss does not write very clear he and I together made a $50,000 mistake on a job bid that was blamed 100% on me. But all of this was made alright when I walked in the door to my house and my little niece yelled “Tefff” and ran into my arms to give me kisses and hugs and hugs and kisses!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
More 101 Done
By my calculation I have 28 of my 101 goals accomplished... phew, here's an update!
#9 - Take a class to improve computer skills
I took a class recently for Excel 2007. I learned so much that I want to take the next level too.
#13 - Direct another play
Followers to my blog will know I just finished Seussical. Man what a great cast and crew if I do say so myself! We had a blast and frankly what a great show! Pics below.
#26 - Learn a new skill from a friend
I started golfing recently because the guys at work do it all of the time. I was really sore the day after I went, but I had a great time. Now I need to do it more often. I bought clubs and a glove, will travel. Golf anyone? I should warn you, I am really bad... right now anyway.
#43 - Clean out shoe closet and get old shoes repaired or thrown out
This was easy to do as I needed to clean and organize my room for a recent appraisal. I donated a lot of shoes to the DI and decided not to repair any as I had more than enough for my needs.
#50 - Donate unused items to DI
I did not have much to take to them, but all of my old junk is gone now.
#53 - Keep bedroom/office organized and clean for an entire month
June was an interesting month what with the play and being sick. But I will tell you what, I really enjoyed having a clean room to go home to nightly and my office area was so organized that I kept really caught up! To answer the question you might be asking: No I did not make my bed daily, but I did make change the sheets weekly so it was made at least once a week! Sometimes I did shock myself and make my bed... okay once or twice last month.
#9 - Take a class to improve computer skills
I took a class recently for Excel 2007. I learned so much that I want to take the next level too.
#13 - Direct another play
Followers to my blog will know I just finished Seussical. Man what a great cast and crew if I do say so myself! We had a blast and frankly what a great show! Pics below.
#26 - Learn a new skill from a friend
I started golfing recently because the guys at work do it all of the time. I was really sore the day after I went, but I had a great time. Now I need to do it more often. I bought clubs and a glove, will travel. Golf anyone? I should warn you, I am really bad... right now anyway.
#43 - Clean out shoe closet and get old shoes repaired or thrown out
This was easy to do as I needed to clean and organize my room for a recent appraisal. I donated a lot of shoes to the DI and decided not to repair any as I had more than enough for my needs.
#50 - Donate unused items to DI
I did not have much to take to them, but all of my old junk is gone now.
#53 - Keep bedroom/office organized and clean for an entire month
June was an interesting month what with the play and being sick. But I will tell you what, I really enjoyed having a clean room to go home to nightly and my office area was so organized that I kept really caught up! To answer the question you might be asking: No I did not make my bed daily, but I did make change the sheets weekly so it was made at least once a week! Sometimes I did shock myself and make my bed... okay once or twice last month.
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