Twitter and Bucket Lists!

Ah another Monday. How do they always come so fast? Even when I have a 3-day weekend, it seems that Monday is always looming and here before I know it. :)

I am starting to use twitter more and it's exciting. I think the best way to be a master "tweeter" is to have internet on your phone which sadly I do not. I did however, manage to find some very interesting groups to follow today simply be searching for "Inspirational Quotes". I Love quotes. they have helped me get through some of the hardest times in my life. I put them in cards, I pass them along to friends, I keep some in a book near my bed to refer to, quotes are magical bits of knowledge and comfort.



If you would like to follow my tweets you can search for @FoxEugene to find me. I am also in the process of getting a personal twitter page instead of a work one so stay tuned. Tweeting is fun and informational. I am following some of my favorite people like Deepak Chopra and Nicholas Kristof! (he wrote the inspirational book, "Half the Sky" about the plight of women around the world.

Here is another question....What is on your bucket list?

BUCKET LIST :List of things to do before you die. Comes from the term "kicked the bucket

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the things I want to do in this life. Do you know how short your life really is? If we all thought about this on a daily basis we would probably hardly spend any time idle...unless of course that was on our bucket list.

Here are just a few things on mine.
1. Run a Marathon!
2. Travel all over the world
3. Volunteer Abroad (I would love love love to volunteer and teach English in Pakistan at Mukhtar Mai's School)
4. Finish and have my book published!
5. I would LOVE to adopt a child.

I have so many things to do and so little time. I better stop blogging and start doing! What is on your bucket list?

Dinner Impossible

Dinner tonight consists of plain old pasta noodles (can't beat the price or the convenience) and 2 tablespoons of Classico Alfredo sauce topped with a hearty amount of Tapatio. If that sounds strange to you it's probably because I am fresh out of ideas for simple meals to bring to work. I want to eat healthy but when you have an empty fridge and an empty brain trying to come up with ideas that is hard. For awhile I was bringing rice and black beans to work every single day. I varied it a bit by buying a huge bottle of Yumm Sauce to drizzle over! Delicious! But with the daily serving of Yumm I could feel my waistline expanding ever so slowly but surely. I have tried making stir frys but, no matter what sauce I get to go with it the veggies turn out soggy and the whole thing just doesn't appeal. My old staple item is usually a can of soup. It's quick and convenient and fills the belly but, I need dinner ideas! I'm completely at a loss of what to bring to work everyday and each morning I wonder about it. Hmmmm suggestions?

Small Towns Can Feel So Big

I have always been facinated by small towns. The culture, the people, the tiny little gas station that sells homemade fried chicken. In small towns is a certain magic. I always have a million questions. Does everyone know everyone? Where do people go to shop? What about community gatherings and town hall meetings. I want to know everything! If I had unlimited amounts of money, I would travel from small town to small town spending a couple months in places and learning about the people. I would have tea with the town barber and then go drink a beer with the owner of the towns only restaurant. In small towns one person can make a big difference. I found this to be true when I moved to Anchorage, Alaska. Now Anchorage is certainly NOT a small town but when you consider the Muslim population it was teeny tiny compared to the thousands of Muslims I grew up with in Minnesota. I found that I could make a huge difference by implementing little things. If I wanted to plan a party or do something different at the local Mosque, I had that power. Same goes with in Eugene, it's a very good feeling.

This weekend I am going to Mosier which is another small town in Oregon I am facinated with. Mosier has a population of 421 people. Mosier is situated between The Dalles and Hood River in Oregon's stunning Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Mosier is just 65 easy miles east of Portland on Interstate 84.

It's a beautiful area full of trees and water from almost every view. The town consists of a small library (look for hours which change weekly posted on the door) "The Good River" restaurant (a hearty burger restaurant that serves up brews and more with outdoor seating) and a charachter rich bar called "The Thirsty Woman". You never quite know when the bar will be open but if you happen to be lucky enough to be one of it's patrons you will find the experience so down to earth that you might forget where you are. Rich music is played on the patio by anyone who happens to have a guitar handy while a colorful assortment of people, animals and children spread out on lawn chairs haphazardly spilling out onto the nearby street.



Inside the brews are cold and the service warm. Rich wood paneling and board games from the 80's can be found inside along with Missing Pet posters and advertisements for local events. It's a small slice of America tucked into the tiniest of places but, somehow the feel of it is so entirely big that you could get lost. It's surreal really. Probably not for many people who are used to it but, this big city girl who has found herself wandering from place to place and job to job...finds it humbling. It feels a big like home. I think I could live in a small town. It's all about finding happiness right? Big city lights or your neighbor who knows more about you than your own mothers.
Home is home.

The Law of Attraction

When I first watched "The Secret" I was confused to say the least. Have you heard of the movie or the principal? It basically suggests that one controls his or her own destiny. You have "attracted" everything into your own life through your thoughts. If you are in a happy marriage, it is something YOU have attracted. If you want something in life be it money or power or a new car, you must firmly believe that it is possible and ask the universe to manifest it for you. It sounds so simple yet it is so hard. The concept revolves around changing your thinking. We all have a choice in how we react to what life throws our way. You can either choose to have a negative or positive reaction to it. After watching the movie, I never really gave the law of attraction much more thought, that is until meeting an inspirational life coach last week.

Maria Lesetz focuses on the Law of Attraction and teaching the principals behind it. She is a bundle of energy and inspiration. Here are some of her quotes from her twitter page

Don't buy into other people's beliefs & fears. That's their stuff! Choose to believe what FEELS GOOD! ~ Maria Lesetz

Love Life MORE than you wish you were somewhere else or someone else. Appreciate the beauty that is NOW! ~Maria Lesetz

Anything you want outside of you, starts with changing something within you. ~Maria Lesetz

Has anyone used this theory with positive results? I find the whole thing facinating yet need to know more about it and how to apply these principals to my own life.

People are Amazing!

Hello is anyone out there?

Here I am sitting in the newsroom on a glorious Saturday bored to tears but, wow did I meet an amazing lady today.

JulieAnn Mills-Testi was born with a rare disease that left her with no use of her arms or hands and very little use of her legs but, that has not slowed her down in the slightest..she simply does things a different way, with her mouth. She showed me how she paints, crochets, and even makes brownies all with only her mouth as her tool. She had the most amazing positive attitude and is happily married with two children. Today I learned gratitude. I am so greatful for the things I have in my life and something as simple as being able to use my hands. If most of us had to spend a day in JulieAnn's shoes I bet we would apply more gratitude to our lives. Her paintings are amazing and colorful and lovely just like her soul.

http://www.julieanntesti.com/

Things Women Want

I saw this article on msn.com today and really thought it was an accurate representation of what women really want in a relationship and from a man. See it's not that hard :)

Do you ever wish you could have the undivided attention of every single man on this planet? So you could set the record straight about who we really are and what we want? Well, I'm going to make an attempt here … without the focused male attention, of course. Hopefully it doesn't sound too harsh. This list looks like it was written for guys, but I hope that when you read it, you will relate to what I'm saying, and that it will make you either laugh, learn, or love being you ...

1. Every woman could use one compliment a day.

2. We'd rather you didn't say, "I'll call you" if you really mean "goodbye." Just don't say anything — we won't think you're a jerk as we part ways for the night. And you know the saying that goes, "It's better to under-promise and over-deliver"? How about, just don't promise anything and don't deliver anything.

3. Most of us are not crazy or psycho. We can be emotional and hormonal.

4. If we catch you glancing at our chest when you're a foot away, we'll think you're rude and have no willpower. You can look, but from a distance.

5. Even the most confident among us can act needy and insecure at times. It happens when you start pulling away and we're not aware that that's what you're doing, only that you're acting funny. But oh, you should see how cool and independent most of us are when we're not dating someone.

6. Feminine hygiene commercials are silly, but don't complain about having to watch them. Try having to use them — for several days each month, I mean — for most of your life. When you complain, it makes you look insensitive. And weak. We have no sympathy.

7. Please don't yell when you think we're driving poorly, especially if we're from the west coast and we've never seen a rotary before. Just give us advice, help, or moral support. (P.S. If you stomp your foot on the ground because you think we should brake, well, it's just funny. We will brake if/when we need to.)

8. If you text, "Hows ur week goin?" we can either reply "good" and risk sounding curt (see #16) or we can send you a 400-word document. Don't put us in this position. Just don't text open-ended questions.

9. Texting a girl twice a week does not count as staying in contact. It's meaningless and a waste of everyone's time. Let her go.

10. Booty texts: weak.

11. If you're a mama's boy and you're looking for a wife, think about it: what woman wants to be #2? Consider setting boundaries and work on establishing some independence. You and your mom can have a loving relationship without being co-dependent.

12. After you do something bad, it would be so much better if you called us right away to apologize. You think it's best to wait a few days while we cool off, but what's cooling off is our feelings for you. Man up. The sooner the better.

13. The reason we're up in your grill about what time you're coming over, and the reason we're so good at communicating our own whereabouts, is that since the beginning of time our parents were making us report back to them about where we were and when we'd be home.

Most of the girls I knew, including my sister and I, didn't have the freedom the boys in our neighborhood had. Then in college, out of habit, we always told our roommates when we would be home (especially if we went to school in a bad neighborhood), and they did the same.

So that's why we're like that. We've been under tight surveillance since birth and it took a lot of work just to be allowed (FINALLY) to ride our bikes un-chaperoned to the movie theater. Now we're trained. If you don't like that we're this way, take it up with our parents.

14. High heels really hurt.

15. Teasing won't bait us. Attempting to wear us down is annoying.

16. 5-word emails seem cranky. Efficient, yes. Loving, no. Greet. Ask questions. Elaborate where possible.

17. If we say we're babysitting for a friend, we did not say we want to have a baby now and that we want you to be the dad. "I'm babysitting" simply means, "I'm busy being a good friend." You are paranoid and it's embarrassing.

18. Stop talking about marrying us until you actually give one of us a ring.

19. Please be aware of how serious and in love you sound. Just say, "I like you," not, "Let's fly to Miami next month." (I thought guys were supposed to be direct.) Sure, it sounds cooler (and less vulnerable) to talk a big game about Miami, but come next month, you won't remember saying anything about Miami.

20. If a girl has pretty eyes, she has probably heard men tell her that five thousand times. It's fine to repeat the compliment, but you'll make a much bigger impression if you find something else to compliment.

21. As far as having children goes, you have the luxury of time. Appreciate it.


22. Taking us for granted is probably the worst thing you could do after cheating and lying. Since women are very good at appreciating each other, your behavior looks kinda selfish to us.

23. The word is "cherish." Do you cherish her?

Shhhhhh GOSSIP!

Why do people gossip so much? I know it is relevant in all walks of life. The fact of the matter is everyone does it though few will ever admit to it. Sometimes gossip can turn ugly and mean though and really hurt people. Where is line between a fun conversation about someone else to nastiness?

I think gossip can be especially bad in a newsroom. Everyone is Type A, people are all striving to get on top and with so many budget cuts and people forced to do double or triple the amount of work they are used to, things can quickly turn ugly.

With no specifics mentioned I have been the victim of ugly gossip before. Something that was meant to be secret ended up being sent to the entire newsroom and the person gossiping was quickly the one everyone started gossiping ABOUT! Some people just love to talk about others. The old adage of "Don't say something about others that you would not say to them in the face" is hardly the way the world works. I wonder where this all stems from. Jealousy? Insecurity or simply small minded-ness. I am no angel ..I am sure I have done my fair share of gossiping as well and it's something I need to work on. Can you imagine if for one day everything we said to others would be broadcast to the person themselves without us knowing!!!!!

Thoughts??

Camping Mis-adventure

Blogging is such a fun way to document life experiences. I suggest everyone blog. It can not only be fun but also a great way to release tension and stress. I Love it. How was your weekend? Mine was fun. A great fun adventure is what I try to think of life as however this weekend can best be summed up as the "Camping Misadventure"

I had Friday off and we headed out to enjoy a wonderful weekend of camping. We had gotten everything we needed. A tent, sleeping bags and tons of delicious food to barbeque. Early Friday we headed out in good spirits...our first stop was a cluster of camping sites near the Willamette National Forest. We turned into the first road, and headed into the woods only to find just a couple of spots avaialable and non of which were desireable as camping spots...(not near water) ..we continued checking out sites thinking we would find something sooner or later. I couldn't believe how busy the sites were. I always thought finding a good spot to camp would be pretty easy ..but I was wrong. We were pretty hopeful that we would find something so we continued our journey..however after the cluster of camping sites we didn't see another one for miles. We kept driving and driving and before we knew it ..we were in BEND! Somehow we had really gone far without quite realizing it.

No biggie it would seem. We were determined and going to keep looking but, before we could go much further..we heard the all too familiar and heart sinking sound of sirens behind us. Police sirens. Yep a 3-hundred dollar ticket so going too fast! The good mood was sapped fast and we decided to head home and call it a day and try again on Saturday. Bummer!

Saturday we headed out again and found a wonderful site on Gold Lake near Highway 58. Finally a spot! It wasn't directly on the lake but, since we had such bad luck the day before we didn't want to take too many chances this time. As we pulled into the spot we missed a big wooden plank that was supposed to be a mock parking spot. CRASH went the car's grill right into the wood. It left some flaking paint and a minor dent but still enough to dampen our spirits a bit. Then as we went to take the styrofoam cooler out of the back seat..SPLASH we found out that a tiny hole had turned into a much larger one and all the melted ice went pouring over my sleeping bag. Two strikes so far. We managed to get the cooler out and hang the sleeping bag on a nearby tree hoping for it to dry by nightfall.



Then as we started putting our food on the picnic table at our campsite, Trinidad's watch went flying onto the ground off his wrist and broke the strap in half. At this point the whole situation was almost comical..I mean how much more could go wrong? After that though things started looking up. We fed some of the birds in the area and they got so comfortable with us that they actually started eating out of our hands. We also went to the lake and grilled up some delicious food for dinner. My sleeping bag mostly dried out by night and we spent the night looking up at the stars. In the morning we make another round of food and tried to avoid the awful mosquitoes. I have bites all over! Overall the camping trip was fun..but, quite eventful ...better luck next time!

Change is inevitable. Whether it be work related, life related, relationship related or any aspect of anything in life, change must be expected.

In the television business it seems change happens a lot more than other jobs. People come, you get close to them, they become like a second family to you and then they leave. Bigger markets and bigger dreams. It is the way the world works but, it does not make the process any easier. In just the past couple of months alone so many people have left KVAL and moved to different cities whether they stayed in the business or not. I have kept in touch with many of them however, it is still a completely different relationship when someone moves away. Change is something we must all deal with but it is so easy to get comfortable in a good or even sometimes bad situation. I guess the person who really strives and reaches his or her goals has realized and embraced change as a part of life. Things are constantly evolving and it's the way the world works. People die, relationships end, a new one begins and Winter turns to Summer.
Change can be a wonderful thing if we truly embrace all it has to offer.

Death of the Late Senator Ted Stevens

It was shocking to wake up this morning and see the headlines about the late Senator Ted Stevens and his death in a plane crash over Dillingham.

Having lived and worked in Alaska for 2 years myself, I felt a certain connection to the entire situation.

One has to wonder what it's like to be flying in the sky without a care in the world and the next minute know that the plane you are in is going to most certainly crash. I feel for his family and mostly his children who have lost a father. I cannot even imagine.

I remember myself going up in a tiny float plane heading to Savoonga, Alaska, smack in the middle of the Bering Sea.



As I boarded the tiny plane, which seated exactly 3 people I remember praying aloud for God to keep me safe. The small plane felt every single shake of the wind, every single stutter of the clouds and I held on for dear life knowing my life was not in my hands.

I ended up covering amazing stories in Savoonga all while dodging polar bears that frequented the tiny island. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I am so grateful to have gotten the chance to do the things I did in the Last Frontier.



I also travelled to Dillingham to go fishing while in Alaska. It's one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been. Grizzly bears are common and the sights are unbelievable. I stayed in a tiny cabin with a wood stove and no electricity for a long night and went fishing the next morning. Another experience I won't soon forget.


Alaska can be beautiful but danger lurks everywhere. It is one thing to experience the beauty and another to be killed in one of the worlds most serene places. Prayers to the Stevens family.

Running!

Wow I am terrible. I have not posted in such a long time that it's almost embarrasing. Okay going to start fresh on this Monday, which by the way can you believe it's Monday. The weekend went way too fast. One thing I did do that I am proud of besides all the lazyness is went for a one mile run yesterday. It felt great. Now if I could only run every single day I am sure I would lose all the weight I wanted. It's so hard to get motivated though! I have been reading articles in "Runners World" magazine and it's incredible what some of these people have done! If people who have prosthetic legs can run marathons then what excuse do I have?

My jaunt was around Island Park in Springfield. It was great to see all the people out biking and running. I read once that it takes 28 days to make something a habit so I am hoping if I can get out and start running every single day within a month I will be ready to go! Wish me luck!