Things Close to my Heart

This Holiday season with the economy in the crapper once again, there are things to brighten the soul, warm the heart and help others that make me smile. Here are few positive things that you could participate in, and help make someone else's life that much better.

As most people have heard, Xerox started a website called www.letssaythanks.com it's a simple idea that shows a tocken of appreciation to those serving in our military this holiday season. Those who are apart from their families in the God awful desert. Xerox allows you to pick a card, write a message and they will print and deliver it to a soldier. You can't pick which soldier they deliver it to, but it is an opportunity to send thanks. Regardless of your feelings of war, ALL Americans should be able to get behind our troops. Sacrifice is always hard, but sacrifice during the holiday season is just a bit tougher. I hope everyone takes advantage of this site, it's simple, free, and can share the warmth.

One of my favorite things in the holiday season is Toys for Tots. I know several people who have 'adopted' a family, and my family has done that in the past as well. However, be forewarned that not all people are people who are living in dire situations. My sister and her husband did this last year and the people they bought presents for had flat panel televisions, were living in a nice house, and had nicer stuff than they had. Talk about a rip off. While I understand that maybe they are living outside their means and still needed presents for their children, it's like downsize first before you ask for a handout. Way to ruin the holiday spirit. That being said our family adopted a family and they were really in need. It's just kind of a crapshoot. Hence why I like to participate in Toys for Tots. Our office has held potlucks throughout the year to raise money for Toys for Tots and we also have a toy drive during the holiday season to donate to the cause. I think that even $5 helps. There are many toys that can be purchased on sale that would mean the difference to a lot of people. I know from doing research last year that the need is up and the donations are down. There are many places collecting toys, such as Toys R Us; who also donate $1 per facebook fan they have on their page to Toys for Tots. Looking to go out this year? Well many holiday parties are being held with 'cover charge' being a toy for this campaign, or the actual money being donated directly to Toys for Tots. There was even a party last year that the entry was $30, but the space, food, and drinks were donated by local companies. What a great way to spend a night, eating great food in a great space for a great cause. Too busy to go out drinking because you have kids of your own? Donate at the pre-approved locations or visit www.toysfortots.com

Something that has been going on for the past 14 years is the Miracle on 19th Street in Denver Colorado. Rock Bottom Restaurant Inc. and local Denver business donate their time, money, and space to feed the homeless and hungry on Christmas. Then they ask volunteers to help do everything from set up to tear down. Surprisingly, they are always full and you have to sign up ASAP if you are interested. This year they are already full, donations are still welcome. In addition to this Christmas feeding Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc. also hold one for Thanksgiving in several cities, including Minneapolis. It's nice to see restaurants give back, and next time I plan on signing up early so I can help out. For more information check out www.rockbottomrestaurantsinc.com

Another wonderful act going on this year is the teaming up of Kare 11 & Land o' Lakes donating $1 per click to local food shelves. http://www.landolakesinc.com/company/corporateresponsibility/foundation/ Simply click on the link, and then click on the green area that says 'You click, we donate. It's that easy.' The money goes towards food shelves to help the hungry and the homeless this holiday season.

Make sure to watch television ads as some stores offer huge discounts for donated coats or free/reduced admission with canned food items. A little bit of thought & planning can help save your family money & help those in need as well.

As always, volunteering can help cut the cost of any organization. I am going to start volunteering at Fairview Southdale (pending the result of my second TB test) to help out. If we all give a little, maybe there wouldn't be such a need for government programs and spending. And that's something we can all cheer about.

Diamonds WERE a Girl's Best Friend

I dislike the saying "Diamonds are a girl's best friend". While I appreciate and covet diamonds I'd hardly call them a friend let alone a best friend. Friendship is supposed to be based on wonderful qualities like supportiveness, caring for one another, trust, fun, etc.

So why is it that girls get stuck with diamonds? While pretty to look at and wonderful to have it paints the picture that women care more about status, material goods and shallow relationships. How do you deduce this you might ask. Well I'd tell you that a diamond can't hold you hair after too many drinks because your one true love left you for another woman. And diamonds can't call you to tell you their juicy gossip or big news. But more importantly because diamonds can't love you back.

Men are lucky, they get dogs as their best friend. Now you may say well Courtney dogs can't hold your hair or gossip with you and to that I have an answer. Every dog owner I know has had a horrible thing happen to them at least once. And most will cry and reject the comfort of any friend. Nearly every dog owner I know tells me their pet came to their side and put their head on their lap and just stayed there.

It may not be holding back hair but it is full and unconditional support. I've had pets protect me when scared, comfort me when sick and love me when sad. No questions asked and never an eye rolled. Never wondering if they wish they were somewhere else or that I wasn't being so pathetic. Just true, non-judging unconditional love. Sure beats a diamond out any day of the week to me.

I have a theory; most dog owners agree with it but we may be biased. My theory is that as many people before me have stated the Dog is God spelt backwards; a reflection of God. This may be lofty but I truly believe a dog's love for his or her owner is similar to God's love for us.

Hold up you say. How dare I compare one of God's creatures to him and it not be a human. I get it, I respect it, but from what I have been taught about God's love it is more similar to a dog's love than it will ever be to ours.

God's love is unconditional. So is our parents you say. True, parents have every intention of loving us unconditionally. But as with any human relationship there will be hurt, lies and even betrayal in their lives, our lives and even our relationships. Even though our parents try to love us no matter what it is never as perfect as God's. We say mean and hurtful things or do things and that love shifts slightly. Wow I sound like love is awful. But it's not. Human love is complicated, requires work and is far from perfect.

Now let's talk about God's love. God's love is simple. He loves us despite our sins, because we all sin. He loves us when we hurt him, deny him, etc. He loves us all the same, even though we are unworthy of that love. God's love just is. Never faltering, always forgiving; it is completely different from human love.

Dogs are more like God than most people think. To paraphrase Marley & Me a dog doesn't care if you are a brain surgeon or a carpet salesman. Dogs don't care if they have the latest and greatest toys, leashes, bowls, bed, etc. They get excited when you come home or rub their belly. They get excited to go on walks or in the car. Most like when you throw their ball. Doesn't sound materialistic or greedy at all. You can yell at a dog for misbehaving and the very next day it still gets just as excited when you walk in the door from work.

Dogs love just is. They love us despite the fact tht we've gained five pounds or hog the remote. They love us even if we snore or talk too much. They don't mind our embarrassing jokes or bad humor. They'll watch our chick flicks and let us dress them up in hideous clothing or paint their nails. Dogs are easy going. Love for a dog is simple. They just do it. They don't know how not to love us unconditionally. Just like God.

Emergency Supplies

It's officially winter & I've been thinking about what 'Emergency Supplies' I need for my car & remembered that I kind of keep the same stash at work. So here's my lists of things to keep in your car & at your office for those moments that you might need them.


Car
Sweat Pants - Sometimes I wear skirts or dresses to work. If I ever get stuck somewhere & it's -40 degrees outside these are key.


Blanket - Because sometimes sweatpants, jackets & boots still won't keep you warm enough.


Socks & Boots - Heels are not the most efficient way to go to &  from work. Most days I wear my Uggs to work & back from work. Some days I forget & thus I keep some winter boots & thick winter socks in my car.


Heavy Winter Jacket - I bought a really nice down jacket from Abercrombie & Fitch last year. It was on clearance (rare for them I know) & I keep it in the trunk of my car. I usually take a jacket to & from work anyways, but if it's super cold & I need to layer this is great.


Flashlight - Just in case your car battery dies & it's dark, you can then see.


Book - Again, if you're stuck for a long time it passes the time. Other great ideas include Sudoku books or Crossword books but remember to pack a pen or pencil!


Contact Solution & Contact Case - Even if I don't bring my glasses with me, if I have to spend a lot of time waiting & my eyes are irritating me it will feel even longer.


Snacks - Couple of granola bars (I replace these often, whenever they have a month left before going bad I put new ones in & take these to work), bag of chips, & a few bottles of water.


Baby Wipes - I keep a few sample baby wipes in my car. I also have Purell with me, however if you need to wipe something off Purell does jack crap for you. This way you don't have to wipe it on your clothes or your car.


Phone Charger - Make sure you keep on in case your phone is about to die.


Ice Scrapper - Seems natural right? Well I'm talking about a spare one. Whenever schools hand them out I grab one or five. I keep them in my car as an emergency & even more important in case someone needs one I can just give them one.


Medicine - I'm not telling you to pack a pharmacy, but it might be a good idea to keep a spare Advil or Tylonel sample or five in your glove box. Being stuck in the cold with no room & no pain meds is never fun.


Gum - How long are you stuck? Do you really want smelly breath when someone comes to help you out? Gross.


Windshield Wiper Fluid - I now carry at least 1.5 bottles of windshield wiper fluid and 0.5 bottles of Anti-freeze. My Dad wishes I would have done this last winter when he was driving.


Gas Gallon - Ever run out of gas? Well I have so I keep the thing you bring to a gas station in my trunk. Hopefully it will never happen again, but it has happened to me. Ironically I was actually on my way to get gas that very second.







Cash - My Mom & Dad always have emergency cash hidden everywhere. In their wallets, in their car, etc. They pretend they don't have it unless they've spent all their cash & they realize they forgot their credit card at home or something. They keep one underneath the visor held in place by the garage door opener. My Mom tucks fives, tens, & twenties in places in her wallet. It's a good practice to get into just in case. I keep a spare ten hidden somewhere in my car. I've emailed myself the location just in case I forget (I have a habbit of placing things and then forgettting where I put them.)


I'm sure nothing on this list comes as a surprise to anyone, they are all relatively simple. However, the workplace offers some interesting situations for which I have prepared this list for.


There have been many times when I was caught unprepared and even surprised at the items I would need. So for any first time employees this might be a good list to take note of.


Snacks - You'd be surprised how often you will get hungry between breakfast & lunch. I keep granola bars at my office if I am running late and need to eat breakfast. Fruit snacks and mini bags of microwaveable popcorn are for my snacks. I even keep an extra thing of soup or two in my cupboard in case I forgot to pack a lunch. We have a freezer in our breakroom & I usually steal the bottom drawer for whenever Lean Pockets or Lean Cuisines are on sale and just stuff them in there. Many coworkers have 'borrowed' one from me & then bought me a meal in return. Well worth the investment!


Contact Solution, contact case & Saline - You'd be surprised how many coworkers have asked me for eye drops, contact solution etc. I always come prepared. Whenever my bottle at home is on the emptier side I bring it to work. There's not a lot left in there but I rarely use enough between bottles so it's the perfect amount. If something gets in my eye I can bring my solution to the bathroom, wash my hands & rinse it off. This has saved my eyes more times than I thought.


Lysol Wipes - Someone in your office is sick. Better start dysinfecting. I dysinfect my entire phone (especially the mouthpiece & the buttons) my keyboard, my mouse, stapler, & any handles that I may touch.


Purell or Alcohol Dysinfectant - My office is a great deal away from the bathroom or kitchen sink. I can't get up and wash my hands every single time I cough or sneeze. This helps minimize my sick days.


Advil/Tylonel - There's a first aid kit with Aspirin in the kitchen that has been there since who knows when. I always like to have some handy in case of headaches, cramps, etc.


Allergy Meds - The dust in an office building is more than you think. Seasonal allergies can have me sneezing a ton. We keep a pack of Claritin 24 & I just take one in the morning when my allergies are bad.


Personal Products - I keep female products in my desk drawer in case I'm caught off guard. I keep perfume, breath mints, bronzer, chapstick, lotion, facial lotion, hairspray, hair ties, bobby pins, etc. in case I'm running late and look like a mess. Can't have clients walking in and looking like a homeless person now can we? My boss even keeps mouthwash & a toothbrush with toothpaste in his drawer.


Car Key - I always keep a spare car key in my desk drawer. We can lock our drawers so I know it's kept safely. Just in case I lock myself out my boss can drive my key over to me if need be. It's funny that I haven't had to use it yet, I think that's because I have it, if I didn't I would undoubtedly have a problem.


Heels - I keep a set of black heels at work. If I am going to wear a different color I bring them with, otherwise I can just wear flip flops, ballerina flats or Uggs back to my place. Having to walk to find my car on street parking is not as quick when in heels. To assure I won't forget them I just leave them here.


Stockings & Trouser Socks - I leave a new pair of each here in case I get a run in my stockings or forgot trouser socks when I am coming to work.


Tide To Go Stick - This is a great help for getting some stains out, other stains I wouldn't recommend it on.


So here's my list of things you may need. I hope it helps someone in some way. Besides, you never know when that cute coworker might invite you out for Happy Hour and you have no time between work & HH to freshen up.

The Art of Social Media

It's a delicate line between being out there & available in social media and being OUT THERE in social media. In age where we can access conversations between friends (Facebook), pictures of the President in intimate meetings (Flickr), and just about every schmuck has a blog, a twitter, and a facebook profile, where is the line drawn between respectable and harmful to one's professional and personal reputation?




As we should have learned from Watergate scandal one should never keep or allow anyone to record or keep any 'evidence' of information they would not want aired out in front of others. We've all learned this lesson, yet we continue to allow others to obtain our dirty laundry. Take Josh Duhamel for example. He supposedly had an affair with another woman, he denies it. However, the woman has text messages to prove their relations, dirty text messages, known to those hip cool people as sexting. There's no faking those messages, because even if he never sent them and she planted them in there, what was she doing with his phone?? How about Tiger Woods? He is up a foul smelling creek without a paddle. His biggest mistake was probably leaving evidence via voicemail. Speculation is hard to prove, but leaving evidence that you know will get turned over to the papparazzi, that's asking for trouble.


Here are some words of wisdom from my Father regarding Twitter, Facebook, & Blogs:
- NEVER complain about work. Current employers can find it, future employers can find it. It makes you seem difficult to work with, and in this economy it makes you seem ungrateful.
- Everything can be cached, just because you delete it doesn't mean it's gone.
- Public access to your Twitter and Blog mean your Grandma or your employer could be reading.
- Private access isn't really private, employers can ask for access and are given it, my father has done it when researching candidates for job positions.
- Delete any picture of you holding a beer bottle, red solo cup, or looking intoxicated, privacy means nothing. I now make it a common practice to ask everyone in the picture to put down their drink. Even if we're at a restaurant (not a rager) I find it inappropriate to put up pictures in my office if there is alcohol present.

A friend once told me, when it comes to social media and casual hook ups "don't discuss anything heavy." If you do discuss such topics tread lightly. While freedom of speech still exists today, most employment is at will. Meaning they can terminate you at any point for any reason. Discussing the health care bill? I like to do so all the time. However, bashing of any side is unnecessary. Encouraging others to read articles you find - approved. I highly encourage you to read the opposing sides articles as well, if they suggest it, you should know it.

In essence, save your deepest, most personal thoughts for those that have earned your trust and respect. Or, follow in the steps of President Barack Obama or Senator John McCain when it comes to social media. Both politicians 'tweet' if you will, but they discuss politics, send well-wishes and refrain from most personal things. Although, Senator McCain did let us know he recently purchased an iPhone. However, I'd hardly say that poses a political problem for him in the future by releasing that information. All in all just make sure if your Grandma reads it, she won't have a heartattack from your posts. Keep it clean, keep it smart. Happy blogging, tweeting, & facebooking.

Day of Infamy

When does a tragedy lose its meaning? Is it when those who suffered its horror have passed or when a society as unaffected as ours simply forgets? December 7th, 1941. A day that our President proclaimed would live in infamy. 68 years later we seem to live in a society that has kind of forgotten. April 19, 1993. Waco Texas. The seige that fueld the Oklahoma City bombing. One of the worst American terrorist acts on American soil. April 19, 1995. Oklahoma Federal building is blown up in broad daylight. Innocent government workers & children are killed. The two culprits are tried in Denver and are sentenced to death. April 20, 1999. A day that parents & school kids alike watched in horror. Schools change their entire safety procedures. The country wakes up to the violence that is our children. Less than a few years later kids joke about getting high on 4/20, forgetting entirely it's the same day as Columbine. September 11, 2001. An entire country vowed to stand behind our President in the search for Osama Bin Laden. Changing Presidents (and parties) does not make this void, we still have a responsibility to ourselves to find this thug. August 29, 2005. A Category 3 Storm devastates much of the Southern region of our country. Aid takes days, yet our news crews make it down before the storm even hits. Reports for replacing the levie are ignored. Footage makes the storm-torn South look like a third world country. April 16, 2007. College students (who were middle & high school students during Columbine) watch in shock as Virginia Tech students are killed. College campuses realize that they too should have changed their emergency policies back in 1999 as primary education facilities did. August 1, 2007. A day we promised we would put more money into our infastructure to prevent unnecessary deaths like the I-35W bridge collapse. The entirity of the 2008 campaigns all but one politician wanted to remove the gas tax, money that goes directly towards funding roads, repairing bridges, etc.


How long does it take? A week, a month, a year? I still remember where I was when we heard about the Oklahoma City bombing. I was 11 and we were going on a field trip. My mom was chaperoning and we heard about it. She told me about what happened at Waco two years earlier. Before the trial began in Denver we stood outside the courthouse waiting for the light rail after a Rockies game. I remember thinking this is where justice will finally be served.


I watched Hurricane Katrina with my Mom & Dad, itching to get back to Minnesota so that the clubs & groups I belonged to could move into action. Friends of mine went down to New Orleans the years following to help clean up. I distinctly remember Anderson Cooper of CNN ruin his Prada shoes on television while reporting on Katrina. Aid hadn't come until three or four days later.


September 11. I sat in the cafeteria when our principal announced that terrorists had attacked. I ran home and watched for a few minutes with my brother before returning to school. We were asked to continue our day as if nothing happened. A few of our teachers let us watch. You have to watch history happen, even with all the technology we have there is something so important about feeling the way you feel at the exact same time that everyone else in your country is feeling it. It makes you feel less alone, less isolated, less individual and more unified. Makes you feel connected with your fellow Americans. that year Grandview Leaders Against Destructive Decisions sold firefighter gloves for students to decorate. We then presented them to one of the fire stations in NYC that was on the scene.


The I-35 bridge. I was working at Club Monaco and someone came in and told us. We had no clue, we went back and turned on the computer and watched the live footage. Many of our shoppers did not know either, and we informed everyone that came in. It was definitely surreal watching the bridge collapse when we were but 10 minutes from it.


Columbine - I remember coming back from French class in the 'trailers' and being locked out along with my other classmates. We had to walk around the building and go through the main doors. We were told nothing and sent home. I went to my friend Kayla's house and we were online when told about the shootings from a boy in a chatroom. We turned on the television and watched in horror. My Dad worked with two parents who lost children in Columbine. Shortly after they told me when they moved here in 1986, they almost moved to Littleton. That I would have gone to Columbine the next year had they not choosen to live in Aurora and send me to CCSD. We went to the memorial site a few days after my Mom and I bought the 'Columbine, Friend of Mine' cd. I played it the entire way there and the entire way back. The crosses were sad, but the moment that hit me the most was looking back and seeing the cafeteria & library. Eerily simiilar to the high school I would attend the next year. I kept seeing the kid who fell out the window replay in my mind.


Fast forward to July 2008. Annual Meeting at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I work for Northwestern Mutual, I'm an assistant to two reps. I look over the schedule, notice someone is speaking about Columbine. I ask to attend, ask my co-workers if they will attend. Two other assistants say no, they don't want to cry and go check their emails instead. I'm shocked. I go and I sit next to my boss, knowing I'm going to cry, just as I cry every time I watch a special on Columbine. The young man that comes out is Patrick Ireland. For those who do not remember, Patrick is the boy who was shot in the head & the foot and miraculously made it to the window before falling into the arms of the rescue workers. It is that scene that has stuck with me my entire adult life. Well Patrick came out and began to tell his story, and I can still remember every emotion, every feeling I did 9 years ago. I know my memory is not as fresh as Patrick's, how could it be? But I do know that it is more detailed and emotional than almost any other person in that auditorium. Is that what makes a tragedy stick longer? Because you were somehow affected by it in a way other than the television? Is it the humanization of the awful tragedy that makes it stick that much longer?


My Uncle told me a story once. He was out West on some business and his co-worker had rented the car. They were driving along and they accidentally rear-ended another car. Damage was minor. My Uncle's co-worker was extremely apologetic to the man. The man was from the Middle East and was very angry looking. My Uncle tells me his co-worker called the rental place to see if a claim was ever mad. None they tell him. Weird he thinks. Fast forward a few months and September 11 happens. The pictures of each terrorist is in the paper. My Uncle and his co-worker are in shock. The man they rear-ended was none other than the ringleader of the 9/11 tragedies. Had they known they brushed by evil that day? I'm almost positive that they keep the 9/11 memory more fresh than myself, who simply watched in disbelief as the tragedy unfolded.


I know that if you are in a tragedy and survive it will stay with you forever. But what about those who did not endure it, and yet cannot let it go either? What about those who had some small interaction pre or post that makes it stick that much longer?


I hope we all take a moment to remember those lost today in Pearl Harbor. May their lives not be in vain. May we all live and enjoy the freedoms we do with rememberance to their sacrifice. Let us also remember the sacrifice of all who have served and are currently serving in our armed forces.

WCCO & Kare 11

Recently WCCO has included my nephew and my friend in their broadcasts. I couldn't be more proud of them! Here are links to their segments, be sure to check them out.

My nephew Brady James Beckham:

Brady's Birthday Party

My friend Lindsay Hilger:
On tv:
Good Question
And her press release:
St. Paul Outdoor Rinks


And another press release she made featured on Kare 11:
Officially Joe Mauer Day





Anytime someone I care about is in the news you'll see it on here!

Pizza! Pizza!

I love a good pizza, and in Minneapolis/St. Paul there are a few great spots. If you've ever read my blog before you'll notice I'm always talking about Punch Pizza. I love getting a Napoli pizza with Proscuitto and Mozzerella di Bufala. They even put Olive Oil underneath so it's super good to dip your crust in. For thin crust pizza another great place is Carbone's in St. Paul. Now there is a chain of Carbone's elsewhere, but this was the original. The others are really quite tasty, but none compare to this place. It's a very thin pizza with toppings all the way to the end, possibly 1 cm crust. It's always super delicious. I always get the large pepperoni, extra cheese, onions & garlic. I save half the pizza and eat it the next day (reheat via oven, or put in frying pan with a little bit of water on stove.) For a good classic pizza Cossetta's in Downtown St. Paul has some amazing pizza with regular crust. We used to get one every Tuesday, as my former roommate's family owned the place. However, if I go to Cossetta's I have a hard time straying from the Mostaccioli with a meatball and garlic bread. It's just so darn good!

For the best take and bake pizza I used to say Papa Murphy's. And while they are delicious, there's something that's just better. Those in the Chicago, Washington D.C. or Minneapolis areas are privy to all natural HomeMade Pizza. Started out in Chicago it took them 2 years to perfect their crust! I had never heard of them (even though they were apparently on Oprah) so when I got invited to their 'Friends & Family' event I decided to try it out. We were given samples of pizzas (all delicious) and then also given a free medium pizza and large salad. Now when I say this pizza is divine I mean it. The crust is the perfect amount of bubbly, crunchy goodness. It has good form, it won't flop all over the place but it isn't hard to bite into either. The cheese stretches out and you can taste that it's actually good cheese, not what you would find on Pizza Hut or Papa John's or Domino's.

Even more attractive is their customer loyalty card. Buy any 9 pizzas and get the 10th free. Buy any 9 salads and get the 10th free. Want more? Well Monday thru Wednesday you buy any medium or large pizza and get a medium salad and dessert (take and bake cookie or their AMAZING ice cream) for just $5. While their pizzas are more expensive than Papa Murphy's, the benefit is that I can make this meal last longer. Their pizza actually tastes good leftover, unlike Papa Murphy's. I usually take the salad to work and eat half one day and the other half the next day. I get the Cobb Salad; they pack bacon, eggs, cherry tomatos, fresh avocados, bleu cheese crumbles, hard boiled eggs, chives & hearts of romaine lettuce in there plus your choice of dressing. I like it with the caesar.

For dessert I'm sure they have great flavors of ice cream and the cookies are probably superb. However, I tried the Mint Chocolate Chip one time and can't stop getting that. I don't like the green kind of ice cream, it never tastes as good as the natural white ice cream. For a long time I've gotten Bryer's, and theirs is delicious. However, I noticed they have made their containers smaller and kept the price the same if not higher than when I was younger. So, instead I just get a free ice cream with my salad. I did this last night and I will have gotten 5 meals out of this plus dessert. Not bad in this economy, if I do say so myself!

To find out more about all their pizzas and salads check out their website.