Copying Brittany... :)

Apparently, I am like Alice...

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

 You are intelligent, outgoing & stylish.  A true girly girl, you love shopping & makeovers.   

 Although you are a generous friend, you can be coy, tricky & very persuasive in order to

 get your way.  You are known to zone out occasionally during conversations, but your

 friends forgive you because you are understanding, supportive & know how to throw one

 heck of a party!

Riley

My dog, Riley, died yesterday.  He got hit by a car, and it was the end of his short eight year life.  I will miss him very much.

To lose a pet is a difficult thing.  I have spent all day thinking about him, crying over his death.  He was a pet, but also a companion.  I loved him.  He meant so much to me.  It is hard to know that I'll never see him again.  He was a loyal friend that I could always turn to.  His love was unconditional.  When I had a problem and no one I could talk to, or at least no one I cared to talk to, I could always count on Riley to just sit with me.  He offered me the comfort that no human ever could.  He was truly a best friend.  

All I have left now are memories.  And, to be honest, it's not enough.  It's just not good enough.  I won't ever be able to pet him, to play with him, to cuddle with him.  He meant a lot to me, and I don't know if anyone will ever realize what it means to me that he is no longer in my life.  I am now forced to make those memories be enough.  I'll try to be thankful for them, and remember that he was such an amazing part of my life for the last eight years.  

His relative youth and good health caused me to take his life for granted.  Never would I have imagined that when I came home today I would receive such awful news.  It was shocking and horrible.  

I will miss you, Riley.  You were a wonderful dog and a dear, dear friend.  I loved you so much and I will never forget you.

Big Messy Christmas Shopping Frenzy

Please get me out of this retail Christmas nightmare.  As I type this, I am shopping.  I haven't stopped shopping since the first of December.  The keyword here is "shopping", not buying.  No, no.  I have not bought a single item.

I feel like I'm trapped in a whirlwind of deals and sales, coupons and discounts, special offers and one day only prices.  Where does the madness of the beautiful holiday end?!  There's no mercy!

I know this isn't what Christmas is all about, believe me, I know.  However, I, and every other red-blooded American have been so brainwashed and programmed into believing that gifts are a necessary part of it all, that there is really no going back.  It's just the way it is.

So, here's where I'm at:  lost in a sea of shopping with no presents to show for it.  The temptation to disregard all prices and sales has crossed my mind so many times.  However, my Jewish tendencies (oddly, the part of me that would not be celebrating Christmas...hmmm) have stopped me from that.  Unfortunately, this Jew gene also drives me to seek out any and all possible offers that exist in the online world.  My eyes are now trained to look for the red numbers and lettering (sale item) and the percentage sign (discount).  Each offer has its perks and benefits.  My head becomes a calculator, adding taxes and shipping, while subtracting any promotional discounts.  

The key, the real key is to look for the best possible product at the lowest possible price.  That's what we all want, right?  Of course.  And if only the lowest priced item was also the best quality, life would be simple and pleasing.

But, it's not.

I suppose I am going to just have to suck it up, compromise.  I'll take the best offer I can get, before I drive myself crazy.  It's really not about me, anyway.  Giving gifts is about how the person feels when you give him or her that special gift.  In the end, it's not going to matter how hard you tried to find the best deal or length of time you spent looking or even how much you spent.  If you can make someone happy, it will be worth it.  At least that is how I am going to TRY to look at it.  I really can't go on obsessing over these things...

Good luck with your Christmas shopping, everyone. 

Living in the Moment (in a totally different way than that phrase is usually connotes)

At this very moment, I can say that I am completely happy with my life.  I am glad to think it and write it down.  All the little worries and problems (believe me, they are abundant) in my life are currently being totally overshadowed by all the positive, amazing things going on.  I love it!

It's good to be glad.  Like I said, I'm happy for the moment, and who knows how long the moment lasts.  The strange thing about a "moment" is that it isn't well-defined.  It's different than a minute or a day.  It is difficult to say how much time you'll be in the moment.  Who knows?  I don't, but I'm living it up, because life is working for me.  I'm soaking this up for as long as I can.

I must say that I appreciate the change of pace.  So much of our college years is just stress, followed by rough times, followed by doom and gloom.  Maybe it's just me...?  I couldn't be more grateful for the boom of good times and smiles.

Long live happiness!  Long live the moment!