Toe-tal Appreciation

Today is Cinco de Mayo. A day when Mexico celebrates victory over France. Well...I think that's the story. I never really got into history. For me, Cinco de Mayo is all about the opportunity to enjoy a margarita or two and gorge myself with queso.

Today is also a different sort of "Independence Day" for me. The pins are OUT!

I'm not going to lie. The removal of the pins was not exactly pleasant. OK...it hurt like hell. I had an equal number of people suggest that it would either be completely painless or hurt a lot. I went into it prepared for a lot of pain while really hoping that I wouldn't feel a thing. I'll spare you all the gory details and just say that it really hurt and I just might have let out a bit of a scream on the first one. Or maybe even a loud scream. And I'd like to think that's saying something because I've been forced to develop a pretty high tolerance for pain.

BUT...it's done! To mark this momentous occasion in my little life, I'd like to declare today to be NATIONAL TOE APPRECIATION DAY.

(I'm sure that Mexico doesn't mind sharing the day. It's probably a nice distraction from all that "we're the home of the swine flu" PR nightmare they're grappling with right now.)

To celebrate NTAD I'd like you to just stop and think about all the things your little piggies do for you that you daily take for granted. Here are my top 6 reasons that I love my toes:

1. They're pretty fundamental in the ability to walk, run and jump. Not to mention all that P90x and Jillian Michaels Shred mania that so many of you are suffering through enjoying lately.

2. They so willingly squeeze into all those beautiful shoes that line the shelves of my closet. Oh, pointy-toed stilettos, how I've missed you!

3. There would be no lovely walks on the beach and digging your toes blissfully in the sand if you didn't, you know, have toes to dig in.

4. Dipping your toes in the pool. Enough said.

5. Pedicures just wouldn't be the same. Those toenails are a canvas upon which I can enjoy my "Chick Flick Cherry" nail polish on a daily basis.

6. Two-stepping. I don't boot scoot a lot these days, bit I love knowing that, thanks to my toes, I can.

I know there are more reasons that I can't think of now, but six is a nice random number. Comment and tell me why YOU love your toes!

Oh...and there was a lot of discussion in my world about how exactly I would be "declawed." I was betting on an instrument that was in the family of fancy pliers. Turns out that it was actually a pair of fancy scissors instead. I took a photo for those of you who were morbidly curious (you know who you are).

I turned away as soon as I took this and didn't watch the actual removal.

Feeling it was, well, more than enough.

A Brand New Day

Whew!

Wow. I had so many great intentions for blogging my little heart out over the weekend. The weekend that was--in a word--DERAILED. Isn't life funny that way? You think you have a grip on things and then poof! What you had planned flies right out the window.

I'm not going to go into the details of said derailment except to say that the past came to visit. It wasn't a particularly bad visit. Parts of it were completely enjoyable.

But the thing about the past? It's the past.

And I've looked backwards for too long and am so happy that when the past drove away and left it actually, well, LEFT. I really needed that. And so now that the past is gone? I'm looking forward to the future. And for the first time in such a long, long time, I know I'll be OK.

(Um...yes. I acknowledge that was beyond cryptic. Sorry about that. Sometimes that's just how it has to be when you're talking to the blogosphere.)

So speaking of the future...tomorrow is a big day! Not just because it's Cinco de Mayo and a great opportunity to enjoy your favorite Mexican food delights with your favorite margarita (on the rocks with salt, por favor). It's also the day that I get "declawed"!! Yep...these blasted pins in my toes are making their exit tomorrow. I'm not going to pretend that it's going to be a pleasant experience when they get removed, but I'll deal with that. It's time to say farewell to my piercings and get back to real, normal, toe-bling-free life!

I'm sure I'll have more to say about that tomorrow. In the mean time, I'll leave you with a link to one of my favorite artists ....click on "music" and you can play the third song down to better understand the title of this post. And if you listen on to the fourth song...well, that's the kind of future that I'll fall asleep dreaming about tonight.

Enjoy!

Coming Out of the Cave...

SOON! I'm working on several posts (all in my head at this point) and look forward to writing a lot over the weekend. I'll resist the urge to actually write a "real" post now as I'm supposed to be, you know, doing the work thing. But I had to check in and say that I'm excited to have FREE TIME this weekend.

Not to mention how thrilled I am to be rested enough to actually form a coherent thought.

That always helps.

Between now and then, if you want your world turned upside down a bit check out these spectacular posts from Angie and Melissa. They are fabulous (and famous) bloggers on an amazing trip to India right now with Compassion. Our world is so much bigger than we can comprehend and there's so much out there beyond our comfy and down right opulent lives. So much we don't want to have to think about, and yet it's unconscionable for us to just ignore what the vast majority of the world endures every single day. I've been following their trip as much as time has allowed this week and am moved, wrecked and just in awe of what they are experiencing and they way they are sharing it.

Right here and now I'd just take back each and every complaint I've had over the past few weeks about how "hard" things have been lately. Seriously. I'm going to complain about too much work? Or PC problems? Or even a couple of silly toes?

Geeze. What a brat.

More soon...

On the Road Again

I think I might secretly have hoped that by writing about the recent chaos in my life and sending it out into cyberspace that said chaos would have packed its bags and moved on to taunt someone else.

Yeah. Not so much. (And I even wrote it on Easter).

So it’s been another couple of weeks of work completely consuming my life. Uh, didn’t I trade in working around the clock for something resembling a LIFE when I left Intel?

Anywho, I spent the week in Tampa at a GIS tradeshow (yes, it is a glamorous life, but someone has to do it). The show was a dismal reflection on how the economy is affecting things and it was the slowest show I've ever attended.

But the week wasn't a complete loss as I had the BEST sushi I've ever eaten while I was there. And that is saying something. My co-worker and I went a little overboard on the ordering and there were literally more plates of food than could fit on our table. Our BOOTH table. But it was so worth the misery of being sushi-stuffed. If you're ever in Tampa head over to Ybor City and eat at Samurai Blue. Delish! (But maybe 6 specialty rolls for two people is a wee bit too much, so scale accordingly.)

I was pleasantly surprised that the pins in my toes didn't even phase the airport metal detector. But they did get me that nifty blue pre-boarding pass. That's a golden ticket on SWA!

On my way home today I realized that I'm a little bit addicted to airport people watching right now. I'll have to do a whole post on this when I get a few minutes. I'm mostly intrigued by the attire people choose. Not so much about the fashion/style, but rather the crazy range of options. I would love to know what some of these folks were telling themselves when they made their wardrobe selections this morning.

After I landed in Austin this afternoon I drove over to Huntsville (it was a rather convoluted travel day). I'll get to see my oldest friend in the world (in duration, not age) tomorrow and then am spending the weekend with the family for my favorite nephew's 4th birthday.

I've got two words for you: Birthday. Cake.

I'm pretty sure that's what's finally going to make all this craziness fade a way for a bit. Well, OK, it probably won't really be the cake. But the two incredibly cute kiddos who will inevitably end up with frosting in their hair are certain to do the trick.

Blogalicious

A few quick links to other good stuff I've seen around the blogosphere in the past few days:

This is a beautiful post about motherhood and kiddos growing up. Oh...and that spectacular not-so-little girl in question? My amazing goddaughter.

I'm a big fan of being able to laugh at yourself (seriously--it's a requirement for my survival for so many obvious reasons). This blog pokes fun of us Christian folks. And so much of it is painfully true.

And finally, you've got to watch this. It's not a blog link, but it's a video that's sure to make your heart smile and brighten your day. So go watch it. Now. It's worth the seven minutes.

Happy Tuesday!

Girl Interrupted

Whew. What a week. You know those times when it just seems like everything is harder than it ought to be? Yeah, that’s pretty much where I’m at. Work is beyond out of control, I’ve been swamped with technology “issues” while said workload makes it the worst possible time to be sidelined without my PC, and, of course, there’s the whole broken toes/recovering from surgery fiasco.

For the most part I’ve been able to hold on to my sense of humor in the midst of it, but I’d be lying if I said that I haven’t had my moments where it just seems like TOO MUCH to deal with. Really.

I’m struggling to keep my head above water. And I’m treading water with one foot.

But no sob story here—I know that each of you have been where I am now at one point or another, and in this fun little thing called life we’ll all be here again.

On the one hand, all of the daily chaos has made it difficult to spend time reflecting on Easter and all that it means (I know I usually keep things on here pretty light, but let there be no question that my faith is the most important thing in my life). On the other hand, though, I’ve felt especially tied to the season and able to relate to the suffering of Christ. Don’t get me wrong—I know my little turmoil is less than one of the strikes he endured as he was tortured for my sin. But it still makes it easier for me to relate than the happy-go-lucky times I am blessed to usually enjoy.

I’m a huge fan of A Slice of Infinity and a few days ago there was a devotional that still has me thinking. It focused on Simon of Cyrene—the guy that was just minding his own business on a little trip when he was plucked from the crowd and forced to carry Jesus’ cross on the way to the crucifixion.

He was minding his own business when his plans got tossed aside and his vacation was (very rudely) interrupted. By the cross. And his life was never the same.

I’m so grateful that the cross completely interrupted my life, too. I know that I tend to dwell on the interruptions caused by the crazy chaos that can easily consume my daily activities…work, technology snafus, and freak accidents that seemingly turn my life upside down.

But the groovy thing is, that when I feel like I’ve completely lost my balance and am swept away by one of life’s floods, it’s the cross that anchors me. It’s the cross that helps me know which way is up. It’s the cross that rescues me over and over again.

There was a time when I was doing things my own way, pretty much just minding my own business living life with the status quo. And the cross came along and completely changed everything. It ruined me for an ordinary life as I came to know and experience the most amazing love of a Father who sacrificed everything for me. ME. And you. YOU.

Who says interruptions have to be bad?

The power of the cross is personal. Jesus didn’t just die for some collective whole. He knows us each intimately and he allowed His own life to be interrupted so each one of us could have something so much better than we deserve.

As I celebrate Easter this year I am unspeakably grateful for the hope that there is so more much to life than the daily grind. I am unspeakably grateful for the grace that secures that hope and promises that one day my life will REALLY be interrupted and replaced with joy that’s beyond what I could ever imagine.

That whole eternal life in Heaven thing?

It’s going to be pretty great.

Hope to see you there!

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Foreshadowing and a Smidge of Redemption

I've got to admit that I'm pretty amused by the sharp spike in hits to the blog as folks flock here to see pictures of my very pathetic looking toes. I'm so happy that I can be the train wreck of the week. No, really...please allow my misfortune to entertain you. I'm a giver like that.

As people emailed me comments about the blog (and certainly about the toes!) I started looking back at some of my more recent posts. I was, to say the least, a bit disturbed by the amount of foreshadowing I came across. In this post I actually said, "it's definitely time to prove that I can enjoy an adventure that doesn't end with some sort of triage." Wow. Guess I let those words fly out of my mouth one SoCal trip too soon. There was another reference somewhere in there, too, about ER visits and how accident prone I am.

Perhaps there's a lesson here.

But despite all of the clear signs that Moose + Bike = BAD NEWS, I do have one tiny point of redemption. OK, redemption might be a stretch, but these days I've got to take what I can get.

I realized that I never did post pictures from my rock climbing afternoon in LA (3 weeks before bike riding in LA). So here you go...there IS, in fact proof that I can enjoy an adventure and not end up in the ER. At least once in while.

Yep......that's me...

...dangling from a rope on a big rock. Kind of high up there.

(At least for me).

And back safely on the ground where I'm sure I ought to stay.

(But am sure I won't)

Thanks, MDP, for taking me and getting me up and down without incident. I think I quietly mentioned at one point that you might ought to know that I'm a little bit accident prone...now you know what that means. And I can't wait to climb again!