A Lovely Life

The weather is nice and warm, so Frank and I went for a walk around the neighborhood.  He is definitely still a pup and gets excited when he sees just about ANYTHING: bugs, birds, squirrels...and you wouldn't believe what he does when he sees a person!  I love to watch him at his happiest: running around, smelling all there is to smell and discovering his little world.  He's a happy little guy and that makes my heart happy!  Hard to imagine life without the most    infuriating, adorable, fun, handsome, hilarious, frustrating, funny part of our lives....

Good morning!  I know Mondays can kind of be rough after enjoying a nice weekend and realizing your starting another work week.  My Mondays are actually pretty great: I'm refreshed from the weekend, my head is clear and I'm ready to go! In any case, I thought I'd share some favorite quotes to keep us all motivated...Here's hoping Monday treats you well! “Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?” - Wendy & Dennis Mannering "Laughter is a powerful way to tap positive emotions" - Norman Cousins Waking up to a new day is a gift, appreciate it and do remember you are loved. Good morning and have a splendid day. - Unknown ''Hey, I know it's Monday, but it's also a new day, a new week and in that lies a new opportunity for something special to happen.'' - Michael Ealy P.S.....I love hearing peoples' favorite quotes, so feel free to share in the comments.

When J suggested we take a trip to Orlando I was less than thrilled.  The picture of being THOSE people at a theme park immediately jumped into my head.  Not to mention the crowds and MILLIONS of screaming kids people.  J did his research, though, and planned our trip on only 1 of the 2 slowest weeks of the year: right between Spring Break and Summer Vacation.  He's a smart one! We had 4 1/2 days and plans to do Universal Studios, Island of Adventure, City Walk (which connects those 2, and 2 water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.  Although crowds are NOT my favorite, they weren't as bad as they could have been and easy to navigate. THREE forms of navigation.... Full Day #1 FRANK! Also reminded us of Frank.... My favorite part of the trip was a yummy dinner at Deep Blu , a seafood restaurant that we only heard about through reviews.  We knew we ...

I actually heard this before I saw it this morning and it brought me to tears.  I'm proud to be an American because THIS is how strong we stand. I am proud.

Please, watch this video.  It's an interesting reminder that we, as women, can be so self critical even though. We. Are. BEAUTIFUL.  Others see us differently and as we really are.   It's a bit long, but worth it.  I hope it opens your eyes and helps you realize that your perception is NOT necessarily reality.   Lovely.  Poignant.  Beautiful.

J & I watched a great movie the other night called The Intouchables.   It's based on a true story about a French aristocrat who, after becoming a paraplegic, hires a guy from the projects to care for him.  But it is so much more than that! It's a lovely look at how people from two completely different worlds can find commonalities and friendship.  I loved this because there wasn't any insane drama, no massive fight scenes, no crazy love triangles it was just the story of two men's journey together.   In French and subtitled, it is so easy to watch and I found myself enthralled in this story.  The comedic relief and brutal honesty makes  The Intouchables  a really dynamic film.   So, if you've got some time, watch it.  It won't take you on any crazy roller coaster rides, but it will keep you entertained.   Oh, and Omar Sy's smile is infectious!!  I hope to see him in other films!!!

I obviously work in a bike shop and, for the last couple of years, have wondered "Where my girls at?!" when it comes to this industry.  I work in a male dominated industry and have started to realize that the few women that are here really fall into one of 2 categories (BTW, I'm not putting EVERY female cyclist or shop employee in a box)   1.Super awesome racer chick that's been doing it FOREVER and have paved the way for gals like myself, and 2. Complete novices who tend to get overwhelmed when walking into the shop I seem to fall in the middle of these two categories, but lean more to the novice, "Why is this shop full of boys and OMG that is a lot of stuff involved for a BICYCLE" side of things. It's been a major cause of frustration because sales in our women's categories aren't awesome.  In fact, they make up less than 40% of our overall sales.  So, I started chatting with anyone who would talk to me about it and I'm stil...

I love this time of year and I think the best way to celebrate it is to get out and play in the dirt.  This is the first Spring of many that I've had enough room and the right conditions to have my little container garden and I'm going all out!! We plan on doing landscaping around the house, but that's going to be a crazy project so my containers will have to suffice for now... This little gem is one of my favorites so far.  A little orange, happy flower.  Awesome! "Earth laughs in flowers."  --Ralph Waldo Emerson from Hamatreya

I got the lovely opportunity to run in Atlanta's Color Run for the 2nd year in a row!  The best part, though, was that it ended up being a mini middle school reunion.  A couple gal pals that I've known since, gosh, elementary school came into town with a couple of their friends and we all ran/walked a fun 5k at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.  The came in late Friday night and we were able to catch up on stuff that's happened in the 11 or so years since we've seen each other.  It was a late night, but we were all pretty pumped to get up and do THE Color Run!! Here's what's so fun about it in case you haven't heard of the Color Run:  you run (sorta) a 5K while having different colors thrown at you.  It's pretty simple.  They call it the "Happiest 5K on Earth" and I'm inclined to agree!  I love getting a little dirty.  You start out in all white and, by the end of this fun run, you end up drenched in color (which does pretty much wash completel...