Sixty pounds so far!

I took this photo last week. And the other one was from the last event we hosted on campus, but I don't recall the exact date. Progress is definitely happening.

Gettin my fitness back on track!

Years of cobwebs are shaking out of my body and soul as I resume exercising on a regular basis. I feel so alive.

Don't get me wrong, University was critically important, but I let so many things slide in exchange.

Throwback Thursday to when I was addicted to caffeine...WHICH I NO LONGER AM!

I was trapped in an alternate universe today..

and it was overwhelming.. 

This will probably sound silly and it's okay if you don't want to read it. I just.. I want to share it you guys.. 

So today at work we hosted Spring Fling (like we do every year) and the theme was Luau. I have been stoked all year for this! For those who don't know - I lived there for many years. Went to High School there even. You know teen years are very formative and stay with us, good or bad. And Hawaii was both of those things. But I digress. 

At the luau we had Polynesian dancers. Per typical Luau fashion they had people come up to learn how to do some dances. My daughter went. 

And I watched her dance up there and she looked so beautiful. I was overcome with emotion. She was moving her hips, her feet, her graceful fingers.. and I suddenly lost sight of the world around me and why I was there.. 

I could only see her there, doing the hula, and I got lost in that life. That we lived there. That she did this kind of thing with her friends after school or weekends.. that she played volleyball in the sand... that she laughed under the Hawaiian sun and felt the winds blowing through her hair. And that we went to the swap meet on the weekends. And we spent Christmas break island hopping. That I could take her to Pali lookout and Waimea Falls. ... 

And for a moment I thought that was our life.. and I wept with joy. Actual tears. Of joy. 

When I came back to myself I realized that even though we don't live there and she doesn't have those hobbies and I can't go to the Pali Lookout, life is still good. 

But it was so real to me. That moment was so real. I think.. well maybe I experienced an AU? Ya know? 

Sorry, maybe I'm being too weird - but that's what happened and I wanted to share it with all of you. 

Thanks for reading. 

Bifocals!

Yeah, it's true. The bottom part is glass so I can see my books/phone, etc.. and the top is my distance glasses. Bifocals are hard! I keep getting nauseous. I hear that will pass in time.

Update: I cannot eat a salad as big as my head.

I tried.

not just yet..

Watching Grandma sleep..she reaches for something or someone from time to time..she softly speaks in whispers...yet she sleeps..

5 famous people to have lunch with

Someone asked me (on another social network) who are the 5 famous people I want to have lunch with. I'm sharing my answer here.

This is a hard one!

Let's go with living people since that seems more realistic (haha, right):

Keanu Reeves
Tina Turner
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Jodie Foster
John Green

Let's also do dead people:
Ricardo Montalban
Gilda Radner
Michael Palmer
Zora Neale Hurston
Sally Ride

Extraordinary

 "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." - Jimmy Johnson

I have those nifty tabs at the top of the blog, and I have never linked anything to them. I should do that I suppose. But also, I don't wanna.

Did you know I have a Psychology blog?

It's on Tumblr and it's called PsychPsychBaby (Yes as in Ice Ice Baby. Let's all act surprised I'm so corny!)

a quote about fear

“Fears are a lot like billboards. The closer you get, the bigger they seem, yet stay the course and the faster they vanish behind you.”

—	Mike Dooley

I GOT AN A ON MY FIRST COUNSELING SESSION GRADE!

A 100 ACTUALLY! WHAT IS AIR?? I CAN’T EVEN! (Technically it was a 99.7..but close enough!)

I am never gonna get my Vegas recap posted.

My son started virtual school today. All his classes are online with global students. WE LIVE IN THE FUTURE!

Style?

This week we're supposed to turn in a seven page paper on what kind of clients we want and what kind of therapy we prefer to use.

Boy howdy am I learning about myself. Well no, I think I already knew these things about myself, I suppose I should say boy howdy am I getting confirmation about myself!

Look, we all have feelings. I know I do. I have some really deep oceans of feelings.. but I am more than my emotions. If every decision I ever made was based on how I felt at the time I would still be making the mistakes I made at 25. I was a seriously emotional decision maker back then. And you know what? Moods pass. Things change. And you have this decision you're stuck with. So as I learned this lesson myself I realized that others also make emotional choices. I want to help people see that they can make choices outside of their emotions.

Now let's not assume that I mean you can never make emotional decisions. If you feel the need to tell someone you love them. DO IT. Sometimes we have to make emotional risks. If you think your soul mate is halfway across the world and they feel the same for you.. go for it. Those kinds of decisions are bigger than whether or not to ask for a raise or tell your brother he doesn't use enough deodorant. Conditions of the heart are a whole, and other, topic.

Anyhow, I have said until I am blue in the face that I want to be a life coach. And the types of therapies I would use with my clients really fit into that. I feel like I'm on the right path.

Dean Winchester is a good example of how fucked up you can be, and still get shit done. If you needed a role model of how to get out of bed in the morning and get your life done, just ask What Would Dean Do?

I have an office, "with a desk, and a lamp!" Okay I don't really have a lamp but I was sort of, but not really, quoting from the movie Jumping Jack Flash..

Wanna see where I spend 8 hours a day?

The main desk area and where my eyes are generally focused. As you see, I love sticky notes. Especially colorful ones. I have a Bat'leth letter opener! Also, a monkey to remind me to speak no evil. Two Rarity figures. And a Qui Gon Jinn. And without fail, my idol Miss Piggy and her beloved Kermit. My pen holder says DREAM because we all know I am all about dreams. Side note: the sticky note at the bottom of my keyboard reads "Kiah". That's the name of my muse, well atleast that's what I call him (he's currently a he, but that changes sometimes. My muse is gender fluid.)  And let's not forget who sits atop the monitor - Sad Keanu. 

This is to my left. Slytherin for the win! And the Rarity that was colored for me. You can't really see the crystal wizard and dragon to the right due to lighting, but he is there. I have other odds and ends on my desk here, feel free to look around. 

Hermione snowglobe that plays Wingardium Leviosa. And my Honeydukes candy jar. sit up top. 

To the left of the the top of my desk sits Edgar. Next to him is Lord Vader. And some purple flowers.

The book case behind me holds many awards that my club has won. They are the best anime club to ever grace a college campus! So proud of those kids. At the top is a collection of Star Wars books (and a Star Trek book {Klingon Hamlet!!} tossed in for fun. The book ends were a gift and they are a collectors set. 

Close up of the awards shelving. 

Let us not forget The Box Monster. I made him with my own two hands. I love him. 

And what office is complete without the master? His grace, his body, his mind, and his wisdom..we should all be a little more like Bruce. (He hangs on the door beside the box monster. I have 4 doors in my office. Yes, four.)

This is me in a nutshell. I hope others can benefit from it as well.

Spike!!! He was so tiny in this pic. 

Creating my own Intake Form

I know as a psychology major it’s my job to get up in someones business, but these basic demographic questions feel so invasive!

I don’t mind asking about sex lives or eating disorders or violent fantasies, but asking your income or education level seems SO PERSONAL! 

Vegas bound!

So when we were kids my mom made a promise to me and my sister that when we got our Bacehlors dress she would take us on a trip. This promise was made due to our protests that Grandma was taking Mom to Jamaica without us. Mom reminded us (every time we did the thing kids do - whine about how unfair it is) over and over that she only got to go because she just finished her Bachelors degree.

Fast forward 30 years (give or take) and I remind my mom I am graduating with my Bachelors, as is my sister 5 months later. Kris and I recalled the day of the promise and Mom agreed to keep her word. And she has kept her word ten fold!

We chose Vegas because Kris and I had never been there. We started planning about a year ago - and tomorrow morning at this time I leave for the airport. I am SO EXCITED!

There is a spreadsheet (Thanks Kris!) to keep up organized because we have so much to do! I am also seeing some friends I have in Vegas. WOO!

Pardon the dust while I reconstruct..

I've had t his blog how many years now? I am just figuring out some of the layout options (like pages at the top!) soooo here come a few changes.