Right from Left
Many of my friends tease me because “I don’t know my right from my left”. I’m over it. Most normal people learn their right from their left between the ages of 4 – 9. Back then I remember this being a total guessing game. One that you had a 50% chance of getting right. Nowadays it’s not that I don’t know my right from my left. I mean, if I really thought about it, I’m sure I’d always get the answer right, but why think about it and worry about remembering things when your body gives you a built in cheat sheet?? All I’m saying is that if you put your hands out in front of you with fingers pointing upward, and stick out your thumbs, one of your hands will make an “L”. This is your left hand. It may sound stupid, but unless the person/people you are with already know that you’re slightly retarded, they will never know your little secret. Plus it frees up some memory for more important things!
Happy Friday!! T.G.I.F!
Girls Weekend
About a year and a half ago, some of my girlfriends and I decided to go on a girls weekend to relax, lay back, and well, I’m not gonna lie…party it up! Since then, we have gone on 2 additional trips! The trips have each been drastically different, but each experience was interesting to say the least! I just thought I’d recap these weekends quickly, as I just returned from GW3 and thought it was way too fun to keep to myself!
Girls Weekend 1: 
GW1 was a great time. Or at least I had a great time! I think maybe it was too diverse of a group (8 girls from all different states, groups of friends, and interests), but I think at the end of the day almost everyone had a good time. We stayed at Kathy’s Lake George Chalets in Lake George, NY, and had planned everything before hand (as we do for all 0f the girls weekends) so once we get in the car, we have already paid for everything – chalet, food, and activities! Once we got there, we made “team t-shirts” (we had Team VT and Team CT – obviously Team CT was better! 
).
Since we went in the first weekend of October, we decided that an Oktoberfest Cruise on beautiful Lake George was definitely in order! It was quite an interesting experience, though. We got on the boat, and we were LITERALLY the only 8 people, besides the ship’s crew, that was under the age of 75. But, there was a bar on the ship, so naturally we were able to overlook this fact. After the enjoyable, but freezing, cruise, we decided to walk around downtown Lake George and ended up back at the Chalet for outdoor games and chill time.
Things may have gotten a tiny bit crazy that night, and we even inherited our own paparazzi! Who would have thought we were that interesting. But then again, who isn’t interested by a bunch of wound up up girls jamming out to hits like “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy”??
Girls Weekend 2: 
GW2 was a little more spontaneous. In fact, one day it was a passing thought and the next day we are up in NH! Here’s what happened: my best bud was between jobs and boyfriends and I was more than ready for some relaxation. After all, we were amidst the most snow that CT has ever seen in the month of January. What else are we supposed to do other than LEAVE!? So we did. We went up Pemi Cabins, in Lincoln NH. We thought that the Pemi Cabins were amazing. Mostly because they were cute little cabins and had a little fire place and had a back porch that overlooked a river.
This weekend was a bit different though. Since it was only the 2 of us, we were a little bit calmer. Not much, but definitely a little bit. All we did all weekend was eat, drink, tell stories, play outside, read, and do a puzzle. Actually – I take that back. We TRIED to do a puzzle, but for whatever reason, there was no edge pieces in the box! I think someone was seriously messing with us! We also switched into another cabin right next store to this place, which were pretty much the same. These cabins were nice and cute, but despite the solidarity that the photos depict, they were about 12 feet from Route 3 – a very busy road.
Girls Weekend 3: GW3 was by far the best one yet! We stuck with the just the two of us again and went further north than before to Jefferson NH’s Josselyn’s Log Cabins. Josselyn’s Cabins were amazing and seriously blew the past two places out of the water! Not even comparable! They each have their own space and their own theme! The theme of our cabin, Rainbow North, was Christmas! Everything was hand built, from the cabins themselves to the porch swings to the dining tables/chairs to the bed posts and light fixtures. It really was a peaceful and fun place to be. And one of the best parts about it was that it was dog friendly! My two puppies Jake and Taz has an amazing time!
We didn’t plan too much here because it’s winter and we figured we just relax, but we ended up doing a ton! Everywhere here was a solid sheet of ice, which was awesome for our cabin because we had a steep hill and ramp, which we named “the luge” right behind us. Josselyn provided us with sleds, and the rest was history. We’re lucky we didn’t kill ourselves because we definitely picked up some speed! We went on a longer trip this time, but it was definitely worth it! We spent our mornings doing puzzles (we completed two 500 piecers…HOLLER) and from about lunch on we bared the elements by making a fire and hanging outside all day chatting with people, playing with the dogs and the kids and sledding.
We had a pretty solid fan base here too. I’m not sure if its because we had a fire going in the dead of winter outside and invited others to join in, because my dogs played with the others’ dogs, because we were sledding and entertaining the kids for hours, or just because of our amazing personalities, but either way everyone loved us. No seriously – we got asked by 2 different groups to join them for dinner and people were literally waiting on our door step for us…it was unreal. We LOVED this place, and although we are beginning to think maybe we should try some place other than the while mountains (we have both vacationed here 3 times in the past 18 months) we booked another trip…we couldn’t resist!
Each trip we go on we get better! Better packing, more fun, and better composure! I mean on this trip neither of us either took a nap! It’s insanity. Maybe one of these times we will actually go on a hike or use the yoga mats that are perpetually tossed into our luggage, but any way you look at it life just keeps getting better and better!
Home Hand Sanitizer Dispenser
Since when has soap and/or antiseptic gel become unsanitary. First we don’t use bar soap anymore because that’s gross, so we switch to gel soaps in pumps. Then just washing your hands after using the bathroom or sneezing or before touching food has become inadequate and people are forced to believe that they need to carry around 
miniature hand sanatizers in their book bags, purses or even key rings. Then it moves to the statement that even touching these containers is unsanitary and you need a “hands free hand sanitizer dispenser”?! This is ludicrous.
I am totally and completely against the whole “hand sanitizer thing” and even more against needing an antibacterial hands-free dispenser to receive it from. So these sanitizers supposedly kill 99.9% of germs…OK that’s wonderful, but did you ever really think about it? 99.9% of germs aren’t harmful. In fact, it is this top layer of oil and skin that is peeled off from “waterless sanitizing products” when you use antibacterial gel that are supposed to be present in the body in order to keep us from getting sick! I’ve even done some research here: Barbara Almanza, an associate professor at Purdue University who teaches safe sanitation practices to workers, notes that hand sanitizers do not significantly reduce the number of bacteria on the hand and in many cases, it potentially increases the amount of bacteria on the hand. Furthermore, without the “good bacteria” to fight the bad, frequent users of antibacterial gels and creams are more susceptible to illnesses!
Anyways, back to the real issue at hand. A self cleaning product shouldn’t need a hands-free dispenser! Even if the outside of the dispenser is a bit dirty, the crap coming out of it is supposed to sanitize the hell out of everything it touches…hmm. Maybe if Americans were a little less worried about stripping their body of every germ they come in contact with and a little more worried about staying busy and active and leading an overall healthy lifestyle, less people would get sick. It’s my personal belief that things like eating healthy, getting fresh air, getting exercise, and getting enough sleep are major factors in health. Much more so, in fact, than making sure that you dry out your skin with sanitation gels!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not pro-dirty. I definitely support washing your hands and a regular bathing schedule. But personally, I think I’ll stick with good ole soap and water. You know, really live on the edge!
Welp, glad thats over!!
So here I am doin a little Friday Afternoon Thinking…you know, instead of cleaning my bathroom as planned. I’ve been perusing the internet and Facebook and came across something so horrifying I’ve gotta talk about it! I landed on some pictures of gauchos and I thought to myself…”ouch”. No, seriously…gauchos are just one of those things that look terrible on everyone. Skinny, fat, short, tall, or any combination of these descriptions…they all look awful. I’m just not sure how they became such a big fashion statement…because if I remember correctly, they were pretty popular! I think maybe they are like teased hair or parachute pants…bigger is better. Bigger is better, that is, until someone finally admits that less actually IS more and the whole undertaking crumbles. One thing I can say is that I’m happy I never fell into this unfortunate trend and even more happy that it’s over. A little word of advice for those of you who still own them…do yourself a favor and move on already!
Road Rage
There is something about driving that really makes my blood boil. Honestly, it really just makes me wonder how all of these people make it around on their own on a day-to-day basis, let alone how they manage to operate a motor vehicle. Those of you who already know me know that my driving record is less than perfect… Ok, I know what you’re thinking…maybe if I just calmed down a little I wouldn’t get in accidents or get tickets. No. That is completely untrue. My road rage is actually the result of the above mentioned offenses.
Anyways, we’re not talking about my personal skills here; we’re talking about the skills (or lack there of) of the other drivers on the road. So today, since I don’t have time to go through all my qualms with fellow road warriors, I’m going to focus on 3 items: 1. parallel drivers, 2. left lane drivers, and 3. asshole parkers. As I’m sure you can imagine, there are many, many more groups of people who can cause road rage, but for today we’ll focus on these.
1. Parallel Drivers: When I drive home from work, I travel a fairly busy road with 2 lanes of traffic going in both directions. The speed limit is 35, but since its a busy road, most people travel between 45-50. Last night on my way home there was 2 cars traveling directly next to each other and BOTH were going 35. This went on for at least 2 miles. Are you kidding me!? If you’re both going the same speed can you PLEASE just get in the same damn lane?! This also happens frequently on the highway, usually when you’re running late or in a rush.
2. Left Lane Drivers: This is how I feel about the left lane: If you’re traveling under 85mph, get the F out of the left hand lane. I cannot tell you how many times I shoot over to the left hand lane so that I can get somewhere a little bit quicker and there’s some asshole in a Corolla driving exactly 65mph. It’s especially bad when the highway isn’t even crowded. Seriously, why do you feel that you need to be in the left hand lane and have every one pass you on your right? The only sense that I can make out of it is that they are suffering from “road dyslexia”. And, all I have to say about that, is: Not my problem, get off the road.
3. Asshole Parkers: I know for a fact that everyone has seen these guys. You know, the pompous prick that just got a new truck or BMW, and to ensure that their car stays in pristine condition they take it upon themselves to utilize 2-3 parking spaces. I have a brand new car, so yes, I understand wanting to keep it in its’ best state. I also have no problem with the people who do this at the back of the parking lot, or in an otherwise vacant lot. But the people who literally park on the meeting point of 4 spots at BigY on a crowded Sunday so that their new Silverado has a 3 foot buffer on all sides (yes this really happened)…this is uncalled for. And to be completely honest, when I see this, I feel ever so slightly compelled to “accidentally” back into this vehicle or “unintentionally” drag my key down the side of the door when I pass, or, whoops, let the wind take control of my shopping cart’s path.
There is so, so much more that can be written about road rage and the ridiculous things that drivers to do cause other people to have it, but unfortunately, I’m out of time for today! But trust me, there is definitely more from where this came from!
Who knew Bieber got zits too?
I was watching TV recently when I stumbled across the new Proactive commercial endorsed by the one and only Justin Bieber. I don’t have a problem with The Biebs, I mean he’s going to be a teenager soon so he’ll probably start getting zits. What I do have a problem with is his Proactive infomercial and here’s why: In this commercial, Justin goes up to his teenie bopper fan’s homes and personally gives them their own supply of Proactive. I don’t know about you, but when I was 14 I was a little bit self conscious and to have my celebrity crush just drop by to make sure that I know I have acne would pretty much be the worst day of my life. Seriously.
Jim Calhoun CardioRaiser: Workout for Autism Speaks!
If you’re from Connecticut, or even if you’re not, you’ve GOTTA know who Jim Calhoun is…unless you’ve been living under a rock! Coach Calhoun, as most know him, is one of only 5 coaches in the history of US College Basketball to win 3 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Titles!! Wow…you’d think that would be enough accomplishments for one guy…NOPE!
Coach Calhoun is also know for his philanthropy, with his wife Pat, through the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Reseach Center and the annual Jim Calhoun Holiday Food Drive, which has raised nearly $1 million to help serve his home state! He also launched, with the help of Gold, Orluk and Partners, the Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament, and the Jim Calhoun Cancer Challenge Ride.
Coach Calhoun has done all of this and more, while battling his own health problems! His selflessness and generosity should be an example to all of us that one person can make a HUGE difference! All you have to do is take the first step!
The last weekend of February: Sunday, February 26th to be exact, I will be participating in the Jim Calhoun CardioRaiser: Workout for Autism Speaks at Cardio Express in Manchester, CT. You have the option of doing Zumba, Spinning, or Cardio Machines to raise money. In addition to helping others, you will also get some exercise…but don’t worry, Panera will be there as a sponsor to help you gain back all the calories you just burned! 
I chose to do Zumba…it won’t be pretty but it will DEFINITLY be worth it! If you have the means to do so, it would be great to see you there or to receive a donation for this great cause! If you are unable to attend but would like to donate to my team, please feel free to do so on my page!
