Romeo, Romeo...

Balcone di Giulietta

I have a picture similar to this that I purchased in Verona, Italy. It is hanging above my computer and tonight it got me thinking. I have heard that one must have their heart broken at least twice before they can find and know true love. I will admit that though I have loved deeply, my heart has never broken over unrequited love. Lucky? Well, uh...if it means I still have heartbreak (twice) ahead before I find true love...that sucks! Seriously, just one heartbreak was enought to make Romeo and Juliet take their own lives, and while I am no longer an irrational teenager, heartbreak doesn't sound like a picnic. I asked a friend tonight if she though this depressing theory held any water. I explained the various pains love has caused me and asked if they might just qualify, thus sparing inevitable heartbreak and possible suicide. She proceded in her wisdom to inquire about other incidents in my life and if my heart broke for any other kind of love. By these terms, my heart has broken dozens of times. She added that it is what a broken heart teaches you not what it does to you that makes you capable of and ready for true love. A broken heart teaches you empathy, compassion, humility, charity and most importantly, that you are strong enough to recover from it. I don't want my heart to break over a man but if it does, I'll be just fine.

I'm HOT!

As many of you may know I have recently dropped a few pounds (49 as of this morning). Since I work with teenage boys who notice everything, I now regularly deflect both positive and negative commentary about my shrinking figure. I would like to share some of my very favorites!

• "Yo miss, you's losin' weight!?!...I ain't askin', I'm sayin'...you lookin' good!"
• "you lookin' pretty good but yo arms is flabby still"
• "You lookin' good but this (while indicating the skin under his chin) it jus ain't goin' down."
• "How much weight you gonna lose?" (to which I replied, I just want to be healthy) he responded "you was healthy a while ago, you good!"
• "If I had to choose to go on a date with Britney Spears or Hilary, I'd choose Hilary because Britney has fake boobs, fake nose, fake hair...." (this kid was talking to himself out loud and I stopped him before he could continue by telling him he would most definitely never have to make that particular choice)

and my personal favorite...

• "Man miss Hilary...you's gettin' small!"

So, um...Thanks boys!

Don't clean the bathroom with Soft Scrub!

I had a friend named Jillian when I was little. It was always fun to go over to her house to play because she only had one older sister so her house was quieter. We liked to build forts in the hallway, closing blankets into the drawers and cupboards on one side and the bedroom doors on the other side. We were pretty creative too. Once we decided that it would be fun to help out and clean the hall bathroom. The bathtub, shower walls, sink, toilet and floor. We cleaned it all but kept wondering why everything was all white and grainy when we tired to rinse it. When my mom came to pick me up and they came looking for us we still weren't quite done. Truth be told, we were starting to get kinda worried about all the white powder all over the place and had closed ourselves in the bathroom. It took our moms about an hour to clean up our helpful little mess. The bathroom was REALLY clean! I don't think I was invited back for a while.

Why I love Megan!

Today is my friend Megan's birthday and I love her with my whole heart. We were talking on the phone tonight and she was cracking me up with stories about her 3 kids. Wyatt is 7, Lexie just turned 4 and Bradyn is 15 months and she is the greatest mom ever.

I want to share my favorite story of the evening. Lets call it, "life lessons from Bratz Dolls."

Maybe you've seen them, maybe not but Megan did not want her beautiful little girl playing with trashy little Bratz dolls. When Lexie started showing interest in said dolls Megan put her foot down and took the opportunity to teach Lexie about hoochie mammas. She told Lexie that she could have Barbies and any other doll but that she did not want Bratz dolls because they are hoochie mammas. When little Lexie wondered out loud what a hoochie mamma is Megan simply responded, "they are girls that wear too much make-up and not enough clothes."

Lexie is a ball of fire and one of Megan's more trying blessings. She has really taken to heart the lesson she learned that day about hoochie mammas and never passes up an opportunity to point them out in public. "Look mom, she's a hoochie mamma!" while she has her hands planted firmly on her hips and her eyes roll up as she bats her eyelashes. While she understands the concept of hoochie mamma (as explained by mom) she is not always clear on its application. While watching her beloved Nutcracker she timidly asked, "Mom, she doesn't have any straps on her dress. Does that make her a hoochie mamma?" Guess it is time for that lesson on classy vs. tacky...Good luck Megan, I love you!

My next big adventure...

HONG KONG

2.29.08-3.9.08

Lyrics I love

I really appreciate creativity in music, I like a good message and witty one liners. I will listen to just about any genre if the artist writes good lyrics. Some of my favorite lyricists are Dave Matthews (of course, his songs are just so sexy), Jewel (I think she stole some of hers from my high school journal) and Indigo Girls (its like they just know!). There are many others but this is enough to pay tribute to for now. Here is a small sample of some of my all time and current favorites: "Oh look at me with in my fancy car and my bank account. Oh how I wish I could take it all down to my grave god knows I'd save and save. Take a look take a look again, things you have collected. Well, in the end it all piles up so tall to one big nothing, one big nothing at all."

--Seek Up, DMB

"...please, stay with me tonight and tomorrow you'll go back to your man and I'm back to my world and we're back to being friends."

--Say Goodbye, DMB

"Oh, I watch you there, through the window and I stare at you and you wear nothing but you wear it so well."

--Crash, DMB

"And when you look in my eyes, please know my hear is in your hands. It's nothing that I understand but when in your arms you have complete power over me. So be gentle if you please because you hands are in my hair but my heart is in your teeth."

--Near you always, Jewel

"Feels like being underwater, now that I've let go, lost control."

--Break Me, Jewel

"I have this theory that if we're told we're bad, then that's the only idea we'll ever have. Maybe if we are surrounded in beauty, someday we will become what we see. I'd rather see the world from a different angle, we are ever the angels, be careful with me cause I'd like to stay that way."

--I'm Sensitive, Jewel

"Oh you set up your place in my thoughts, moved in and made my thinking crowded."

--Mystery, Indigo Girls

"And I wish her insight to battle loves blindness, strength from the wealth of human kindness, a safe place for all the pieces that scattered, learn to pretend there's more than love that matters."

--Love will come to you, Indigo Girls

"When I wake, the things I dreamt about you last night make me blush..."

--Ghost, Indigo Girls

Feel free to share you favorite lyric!

little misunderstanding BIG ENTERTAINMENT

So...I've had blogger's block. You should see how many drafts I have written that just need some editing in order to qualify for posting. Oh well. Tonight I promised Candace that I would share this little story. We were walking through the parking lot, headed to the gym to meet Katie. While walking, Candace exclaimed, "hey, there she is right there!" There was a car coming right towards us and I assumed that was what she meant and believing wholly that it was Katie in the car I jumped out in front of it and did a little dance. I won't describe the little dance as I generally encourage the use of ones imagination...! Well, suffice it to say, the two girls in the car were really quite entertained and I got 2 big thumbs up from them as I noticed Katie walking towards us in the parking lot. The humiliation only lasted a second, may the entertainment last a lifetime!