Snow Snow Go Away Come Back Another Day Year (Or Something Like That)

My neighbor (chances are he’s not following this blog) has dusted my car when it was covered with snow, shoveled my walkway, and even shoveled around my car so that I can get in and out of my spot with ease. I would like to nominate my neighbor for canonization because clearly he is a Saint. I’ve told him “Thank You,” but clearly he deserves more (of what you are asking and I am saying I don’t know). Please send me suggestions. In addition to more (whatever that is), I am going to honor my neighbor’s kindness by doing something for someone (without being asked and without recognition). Please join me and do something for your neighbor – literally or figuratively.

Eenie Meenie Minie Moe

I know it’s approximately five days later…and I am still only on Day One of that book. So what who cares?! My bestie Joy Behar says that all the time. Well, do you remember my list of desires? It turns out I know myself really well and…I’ve added more desires to the list. I mean every Butler girl knows that more is…more. The next step in the process is to choose one inner and one outer desire to focus on during the next 20 days. I could have sworn I heard God tell me to write down “Size 8” as my outer goal, but it turns out he didn’t (there was an internal struggle – I mean s-t-r-u-g-g-l-e). And so my soul has informed me: my inner goal is purpose and my outer goal is that Ph.D. (don't they sound good together).

For The Bible Tells Me So

Yes, Jesus loves me! Okay...I guess He loves you, too (He might love me a little more, but I am not one to gloat). I went to the hair salon and voila - the television was on and after Rachel Ray...The View came on. Oh how I wish I wore my glasses to the salon because I was very far away and the volume was down (Jesus I am not complaining at all I am just filling these people in on the details). Believe it or not I am starting to get over the fact that I am not watching television. My next feat is to just be without the television. So far I have only managed to do other things (unproductive things, unreflective things, everything except that dissertation) besides watch television. I had these visions of myself meditating (in these visions I of course had small thighs and I was wearing great meditation gear). You know what? I am going to go out on a limb here. I want everyone to take a moment of silence...and pray for me to be blessed with smaller thighs (do it now, don't break the chain).

Intervention

Do you know what goes with a nice tender slice of brisket (besides faux Kool-Aid and a top notch dinner roll)? A one hour crime drama. And so it goes…another day passes without television. I am finding that even though I am not watching television, I am not yet enlightened. This is probably because I have picked up another habit – internet surfing. Via internet surfing, I found a little gold nugget also known as abridged transcripts of American Idol. I told you! This is a sickness. Maybe now you’ll take me seriously. This television habit didn’t spring out of nowhere. I was obsessed when I was a kid. I simply replaced Sesame Street with Law & Order (by the way, have you noticed that there haven’t been new episodes in a long time). In the interest of full disclosure (I mean, it is Lent and all): Mommy, when you told me to go to my room and do my homework without television, I turned the television on (with the volume low of course) and watched while I did my homework. When I heard you walking up the stairs, I’d turn it off (if any of you know how slow my mother moves, you know this was a piece of cake). Wow, I feel better already.

On another note, I scheduled my proposal meeting for next week, but since I have not received feedback as of yet, I rescheduled it. Well, I am in the process of rescheduling it. I am optimistic, but it appears this thing (also called graduation) will not occur in June. Do you know what this realization calls for? Ice cream. No, ice cream and cake. No, ice cream, cake, and The Good Wife (this is the best one hour drama ever).

The Game (of Life That Is)

In the 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse or that book, which is how I will refer to it from now on, there is a chapter on “Preparing for the Game” [of life]. Of course preparing for the game includes – you guessed it – knowing the rules.

Rule #1: Unhooking from the Outer World
Rule #2: Giving Up the Self You Know
Rule #3: The Willingness to Shift
Rule #4: God First (My Favorite – and I am not just saying that because He is a follower of my blog!)
Rule #5: Expanding Your Container

I am thinking Debbie Ford (the author of that book) might be a little perturbed if I give away all of her goodies for free so I will give details of the fifth rule only (Debbie relax…I am selling books here). Debbie says, “We can’t tap into the power that has the ability to get us through the most difficult of times and clear away the most daunting obstacles to our true fulfillment and ongoing success unless we make room for it – and we are the only ones who can do this.” In other words, we don’t have any room for new fulfilling experiences because we have yet to clear out all the junk from the past.

This is going to be good for me because I am still mad at my fifth grade art teacher. She misplaced my work and shared that she misplaced it with me and then gave me a poor grade (for which I was punished and missed a lot of Three’s Company as a result). I can’t remember her name, maybe it’s time I let her off the hook…

Megatron

I would like to say I am transformed, but I am not – stop judging me! I have a confession…I watched television on Saturday. In order to earn the Lord’s forgiveness (I know, I simply had to ask for forgiveness), I did not watch on Sunday. I am thinking enough already with the negotiating. I have had enough, the saints have had enough – trust me, it’s enough. I didn’t even do this much negotiating when I was in Mexico buying sterling silver jewelry. So, I have made a resolution. No television until the ninth hour on Holy Thursday. I will set my DVR for the week on Sundays, but I won’t watch television (seriously, I’ll turn to the TV Guide Network).

On another note, although related, I stopped by my mom’s house and it seems she doesn’t like me very much because not only did she have the television on, she commented on what was being said (apparently we will receive rain instead of snow over the next couple of days). Also, I caught a glimpse of my old friend Lester Holt from NBC (I think that’s his last name). I wonder if he is indeed a friend if I am unsure of his last name…

21-Day Consciousness Cleanse

Pearl (my anonymous friend) blogs about her Pursuit of a Ph.D. and in her blog, she talks a lot about this book the 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse. Through her blog I began doing the activities; most notably, the first day’s activity – The Gift of Desire. The gist of it is to list your desires. My list of desires last week (I’m a Gemini and love change – sue me) were as follows (not in order of importance):
Peace
Ph.D.
Love
Curiosity
Balance
Prosperity
Fulfillment
Optimal Health (health that is really really really good – really)
Confidence
Healthy Self-Esteem (with this, the ability to tell people to kick rocks – nicely of course)
Laughter (preferably at someone other than myself)
Great Skin/Hair (okay, I’m vain – we’re working on one thing at a time here)
Fulfilling Job
Fashionable
Great Figure
Husband (will St. Peter deny me entrance if I specify rich husband)
Children (well, one "children")
And
A Train Ride Out West (random I know)

It seems through this book, some of my desires have been answered already (namely, fulfillment). If I am willing to do the work, I think that this could be a rather fruitful experience.

“The big win is not he who dies with the most toys but rather he who has delivered his soul’s greatest purpose to the world.”

Ambien, Anyone?

It’s the fourth day of forty and I am ashamed to say I took an afternoon nap (literally). I slept the entire afternoon. What gives? I guess during the first week you sleep through the withdrawals (I don’t know – work with me here). I did exercise today (on a side note my thighs are not any smaller) and I received a book titled “The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse” (I ordered it – it wasn’t magically sent to me). I am excited about reading this book and completing the exercises in it. I think this is where that enlightenment I talked about enters the picture. We will see…

Is JC @ My Hair Salon?

Well apparently he is! Any other day that I have been at the hair salon the television has been on, but not today. Before I arrived I salivated at the idea of catching a few glances of The View from the salon chair. But no go. And so there you have it - I have not watched television since Tuesday. Since Lent is technically 40 weekdays until Easter, I am going to watch television on Sundays and set my DVR for the following week. I feel your judgment... Unfortunately, my thighs are the same size and I still have a ton of things to get done!

That Red Light!

The DVR was for sure created by one of God's people. Who else would make sure that I'd be able to record at least two of my shows at a time and play them back without having to sit through commercials? When I arrived home last night, that red light was on and I was so tempted to turn the television on - just to see what was taping, of course. While eating a slice of pizza I thought, "Television would go great with this..." It seems television is like a great merlot (because I don't drink, I am unable to sensibly complete the analogy, but you get it). The DVR is what started this whole thing. I could have easily given up some food group, but no, that was not good enough. Last Thursday, all 46% of my DVR storage disappeared and when I reacted as if my bestie disappeared and not television shows, I thought, "TELEVISION! I should give up television!" After I acknowledged it, I wished I could go back and unacknowledge it, but as you all know there is no going back and so here I am wishing I could sneak a peek at Oprah (I would watch paid programming at this point). So wish me luck! So far I haven't created any additional time for myself, but my hope is that I will gain something (enlightenment, smaller thighs, peace - my expectations are not lofty at all).

No Television?

So today is the day as they say. It's Ash Wednesday and I have given up television for Lent. Not candy or red meat as I have done in past years - television. What was I thinking? I mean, I guess I wasn't. Even worse, I don't have anyone to blame, but the Holy Spirit. Ouch! So, no television it is. Oprah, The View, and my countless other shows will have to wait until the weekend (I am still in negotiations with the Holy Spirit as to whether I can watch a little on the weekends and maybe an hour a day during the week). STOP JUDGING ME! It's apparent I have a sickness; however, if Jesus can sacrifice Himself for me, I can sacrifice a little American Idol. Right?