Poetry Slam - The Twisted Road

*Disclaimer: I haven't done a poetry slam in YEARS, however I was a published poet as a teen. I do still write from time to time, but rarely for public consumption, so here ya go!


The Twisted Road

From first the light of day we see,
The twisted roads unfolds.
On final morn when cease to be
The Twisted Road grows cold.

First parents guide us on our way,
But fight the road, we do.
And soon enough we're on our own,
And the Road continues too.

It turns and twists, with rolling hills
And mountains we must climb
Unexpected landslides
Which over we must rise.

The road is almost never straight
But no one is truly lost.
For when the heart's the compass
It won't matter the cost.



It takes us where we never dreamed
Where are some get tattered and torn,
But no matter the twisted, shadowed turn,
A sunkist moment is born.

No matter where it goes, my friend,
No matter the rabbit hole,
A guiding light will find it's way
To heal the winding road.

Travelers are not alone,
Though cold the wings may blow,
For every stumble along the road
Helps the traveler grow.

I've got it good even on a bad day.

Stands have appeared all over town selling fireworks (which is new to me - in CA, they are illegal).  For the past week plus I've been bugging My Sailor with "Are you working on the 4th of July?" as I try to make plans for something to do. See, everyday is different for him, and often times we only get about 24 hours notice on what the plan is for the next day. Makes planning things next to impossible. So, being the planner that I am, I have a Plan A and a Plan B so I can be flexible and roll w/ whatever happens.

However, last night My Sailor gave me the BEST news.
I'd resigned myself to making NO plans on the 4th of July and just spending it like I'd spend any other day off from work and rehearsal.

Last night, though, he told me that he's arranged for me to come on base and spend it with him! There is a pizza party, and we can watch the fireworks from a ship! How cool is that?!

So yesterday My Sailor and I had a kinda crappy day. It left us snappy and short tempered. But I have to give him kudos on this one. He really helped turn the whole day around! We were settled in to watch a movie (Season of a Witch - skip it...) and he pauses it and says, "Do you want to go to the jacuzzi?"

Ya know, I didn't even know that was what I needed until he brought it up! We hadn't been to the jacuzzi in a over a week, and I'm something of a fish when it comes to water.  I'd be in there every day if I could make the time.

Once I was in my swim suit, all was right with the world again. We got to unwind and just talk about nothing important for a good while before other people joined us. When the Jacuzzi got too crowded, we headed out, but MAN, that was JUST what I needed to help heal the frazzled nerves and get some R&R. And get AWAY from screens.  It's great to just enjoy the company of another person - rather than divide your attention between that and a screen.

A Beautiful Weekend - and a Broken Toe

If you were eagerly awaiting the results of Measurement Monday - you'll have to wait 1 more week. Yesterday was so incredibly busy, I didn't get to it. It was pretty productive though! I ended up working my full day, getting the grocery shopping done at several stores, and finishing my latest article for Celebrations Magazine.
In fact, I even managed to get my foot tangled in the cord to my Acer and break a toe right before bed. Talented, aren't I?
But I wanted to share some of my amazing weekend with you, dear readers (ye brave, ye few).

Me and Disney Legend Floyd Norman

Me and Jonathon "The Voice" Dichter

Me and Lou Mongello of WDWRadio

Me, My Sailor, and Disney Legend Jack Lindquist

Saturday, My Sailor and I went to the Pacific Northwest Mousemeet! The PNW Mousemeet was awesome. It gave a great taste of Disney right here in Washington and was well worth the drive. I got to meet 2 Disney Legends (Floyd Norman and Jack Lindquist), as well as several online Disney Fan personalities! We got some merchandise signed (photos of that once it's all framed and hug) and got to donate to 2 really great causes (Make-A-Wish and Avon Breast Cancer Walk). It was a long day, but a great one!  To my surprise, My Sailor didn't just "tolerate" my Disney Day, but ENJOYED himself! Even sitting through the Disney Legends as speakers. I could have listened to Jack Lindquist for hours! Floyd had some really funny cartoons of Walt to share too. All in all, it was an amazing day.




Sunday, I had rehearsal. Gotta love the irony of having such a beautiful day and having to spend it indoors in a room with no windows. But once rehearsal began, I didn't miss the sunshine outside. My Sailor and I made the best of the morning though! We drove down to Gig Harbor and had breakfast at a little mom and pop cafe. Their patio is the dock.



Rehearsal went great and the show is really coming together. This group is so talented, this is probably the first time I've been in a show and not wondered "How is this going to EVER come together?!" The show is going to be amazing. And for such a tiny theater! I'm impressed with everything the group is doing - from the set to the directing.

A Workout update!

So I'm pretty excited about my progress thus far in working out. For the last 2 weeks, I've formally worked out 9 days! I could add 2 days of informal work outs because rehearsal has had me breaking a sweat for 2 weeks, so that's about 11 days out of 14.

Anyway, I'd really love to work out every day of the week "formally". What I mean by "formal" work out, is going to the gym, or doing Just Dance 2 w/ the intent of working out, running, etc. An "informal" work out for me is anything requiring effort that breaks a sweat.

The great thing is, I'm feeling MUCH more fit. In so many ways, I'm feeling back to my old self. My mood is brighter and I'm more focused and productive. I've also been sleeping a bit better too. Whew!

With all of this happening, I'm starting to think of my next challenge. Marathons interest me a little, but I really like something that changes up every once in a while. I am FAR from ready for a warrior dash, but I might be getting into Tri shape pretty soon...

No, I haven't dropped a ton of weight. In the last 3 weeks, I've lost 3lbs (and some odd ounces). That's not a lot - but it's slow and steady progress. I'm okay with it because of the way I feel - muscles ignited, strong, powerful, energetic, clear headed, etc. 

On the 13th, My Sailor and I took body measurements. Monday is measuring day #2, and I'm pretty interested to see the results!

Here was June 13th - where I weighed in at 210 lbs that day:
Neck  13.5
Waist 40
Chest 42
R Arm 14
Hips 50.5 (UGH!!!!!! Applebottm Jeans anyone?)
R Thigh 29.5
R Calf  17

With the bit of lifting I've been doing and the massive sweats I've been getting on, I'm really excited to see what the future holds. It feels great to know I'm doing something great for my body.

IF I STALL OUT ON WEIGHT LOSS - I'm sure starvation mode will be the culprit. My Sailor reminds me about my calorie numbers, and we make sure I eat at LEAST 1200 calories/day. I really DON'T try to starve myself. I'm a grazer. And I'm good a grazing on healthy low calorie snacks... sometimes too low. But I continue to work on it.

Life, afterall, is a work in progress!

A Little Clip from South America!

So a little bird dropped me an e-mail from South America this morning!

It didn't say much, but my parents (who are vacationing there) sent me this photo:








As they say - a picture is worth a thousand words. (And yes, my mom is a an AWESOME photographer.)

A Summer Solstice Sunset

We took a stroll down by the Marina on the longest day of the year. And what a lovely night it was.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We capped off the day by watching Bridesmaids (very funny) and having a martini at the local martini lounge, OneTen Lounge. The martinis were great and the Lounge was a wonderful discovery! Reasonably priced, it's open late, offers free wi-fi, and the perfect conversation spot. We're sure to be back - and I can just see myself blogging away from there once My Sailor is underway. What a perfect way to start the summer.

A Rude Awakening and Themed Date Night In!

So we're planning on going to visit My Sailor's family next month. We originally budgeted about $800 for the trip. Since the goal is to spend time with family, we'll be coach surfing and all that. Well, to our surprise, airfare has gone THROUGH THE ROOF! It's over $1000 just for plane tickets currently. We're hoping that's changing and/or that the airlines will have some compassion for a Sailor about to be deployed trying to introduce his girl to his family before he leaves. More on that story as it develops.

IN OTHER NEWS (and it's safe to post this year since he's been too busy and tired to read my blogs), I'm working on a Date Night-In!

The Theme?
Swiss Family Robinson!
I'm actually not sure how to build this one. I'm thinking grass skirts around the table, some rustic looking candles, and some other tropical decor. A trip to Party City may be necessary...
This probably won't happen until Thursday.
Now, any suggestions for what to put on the menu? Think "Swiss Family Robinson"!