Thursday, June 26, 2008
U is for Unhealthy Loves
We all have them. They're the things that are oh-so Unhealthy for us, but remain our guilty pleasures. Certainly some of us have much more harmful guilty pleasures than others (that was a nag to all you smokers ha ha), but even the mundane can be detrimental at some point.Here's a list of some of my unhealthy loves, divided into three categories: body, mind and soul.
Body
--Tanning. But I promise I don't do this very often any more!
--Taking Cherry Ny-Quil at least 3 nights a week. It takes me AT LEAST an hour to fall asleep without it and I really do love the taste of it!
--Chocolate, oh glorious chocolate!
Mind
--Reality TV. Namely, this refers to "The Hills" and "Keeping up with the Kardashians." This stuff really is junk for your mind!
--Reading Us Weekly every week. However, I have read more books lately. I am at least a little proud about that. I would like to wholeheartedly recommend Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Amazing book. Lifechanging.
Soul
--Gossiping. There, at least I said it. It's more complaining than gossiping and it's all true! But yep, I'm pretty sure it still qualifies. Bad Anisa. I really do want to change this. I have a hard time getting over being wronged. Or at least the perception of being wronged.
--Not praying enough. There are bazillions of excuses. Busy, tired, lazy. All bad excuses. This must change too.
So, there you have it. Now that I've gotten it out there, perhaps I can get to work on remedying some of these. Of course not all of them, though. I can't be perfect, now can I?! :)
Labels: alphabet
Friday, June 20, 2008
T is for Twenty-Eight
Me trying to blow out the candles from too far away :)It is a mere two days away from my Twenty-eighth birthday! I love my birthday each year and I have already gotten lots of fabulous gifts including a beach trip, a gorgeous hot pink sari, the new Coldplay CD and tickets to R.E.M. tomorrow night! I am a lucky girl indeed.
Eight is my favorite number. It always has been, ever since I was a little girl. I don't exactly know why. I just think it is the prettiest number. And therefore, I am very excited about being 28. I think this definitely has some fabulous year potential.
Labels: alphabet
Friday, June 13, 2008
S is for Sommer and Sam AND Saving Sara
Well, since S was going to originally be about my precious cousins Sommer and Sam, I must still post a photo of the two cutest and coolest children in the universe:
Over Memorial Day WeekendAnd now, on to the requested topic: Saving Sara's Life. If I was not in the middle of the Alphabet Game, this post would have been entitled "Why I Hate Maine," but alas, I shall stick to the rules of the game.
I guess I was probably about 12 years old and our family - whose last name incidentally starts with the letter S also - headed up to Brunswick, Maine to make a vacation out of a conference my mom, the brilliant aerospace engineer, was attending.
We stayed at a place called The Viking Inn. I did not even know I remembered that until literally 2 seconds ago. Strange. I also remember going to a giant L.L. Bean, the flagship store I believe. I remember eating gigantor pieces of pizza and enjoying Ben & Jerry's for the first time. Another first - seeing the Atlantic Ocean and climbing on rocks around it in my bathing suit. I remember the picture of me from that day - probably the only time I thought I looked cute in a bathing suit. My hair was cut like Dorothy Hamill's.
My dad, sister and I took an outing on a boat into the big, bad ocean. I remember that the guide was ugly, but I thought he was kind of cute. Ah, the beginnings of puberty.
Anyhow, one afternoon, Sara and I were playing on a playground close to our hotel. All of a sudden, she slipped and she was choking. Her neck was on one of the monkeybars and she couldn't move. She was terrified.
A lady walked by. I screamed for help. The evil, wicked woman just kept on walking. I hate that woman.
When I realized the situation wasn't getting any better, I jumped up and pushed Sara off the monkeybars. She fell to the ground, gasping for air. I cried and cried and cried. It scared me so badly.
For my whole life, I have hated Maine and all the people that lived there. I decided they were the people who gave Northerners the stereotypes for not being as nice as us Southerners. :) However, in thinking back, if this playground was at our inn, then this woman was likely a visitor. Maybe she wasn't from Maine at all. This is kind of freeing - not having to hate everyone from Maine anymore.
But at least the story has a happy ending. My baby sister and I are alive and well today. Thank God for that.
I guess I was probably about 12 years old and our family - whose last name incidentally starts with the letter S also - headed up to Brunswick, Maine to make a vacation out of a conference my mom, the brilliant aerospace engineer, was attending.
We stayed at a place called The Viking Inn. I did not even know I remembered that until literally 2 seconds ago. Strange. I also remember going to a giant L.L. Bean, the flagship store I believe. I remember eating gigantor pieces of pizza and enjoying Ben & Jerry's for the first time. Another first - seeing the Atlantic Ocean and climbing on rocks around it in my bathing suit. I remember the picture of me from that day - probably the only time I thought I looked cute in a bathing suit. My hair was cut like Dorothy Hamill's.
My dad, sister and I took an outing on a boat into the big, bad ocean. I remember that the guide was ugly, but I thought he was kind of cute. Ah, the beginnings of puberty.
Anyhow, one afternoon, Sara and I were playing on a playground close to our hotel. All of a sudden, she slipped and she was choking. Her neck was on one of the monkeybars and she couldn't move. She was terrified.
A lady walked by. I screamed for help. The evil, wicked woman just kept on walking. I hate that woman.
When I realized the situation wasn't getting any better, I jumped up and pushed Sara off the monkeybars. She fell to the ground, gasping for air. I cried and cried and cried. It scared me so badly.
For my whole life, I have hated Maine and all the people that lived there. I decided they were the people who gave Northerners the stereotypes for not being as nice as us Southerners. :) However, in thinking back, if this playground was at our inn, then this woman was likely a visitor. Maybe she wasn't from Maine at all. This is kind of freeing - not having to hate everyone from Maine anymore.
But at least the story has a happy ending. My baby sister and I are alive and well today. Thank God for that.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
R is for Regret
Often, I hear someone say they have no Regrets. I think that's a bunch of bull. Sure, all our stumbles and falls and wrong turns brought us here. In the big picture, maybe regrets aren't such a big deal. You get up, brush yourself off, learn your lessons and move on. But still, no regrets? Don't believe it. Everyone must regret something - whether it was being mean on the playground, telling a lie, snapping at someone for no reason, etc.I am so sorry I pushed my sister into the swimming pool.
As I typed that last sentence, I almost started to cry. I feel sick thinking about it. It happened around 20 years ago. A few years ago, my parents, Bert and I and Sara and her husband Tim went out for dinner. In the middle of dinner, I burst into tears and told Sara I was so sorry for pushing her into the swimming pool when we were kids. Mind you, this was a nice restaurant and I looked crazy. But I didn't care. I couldn't stop crying. Sara looked me straight in the eye and said, "I forgive you, Nisa. It's OK."
For her forgiveness, I am forever indebted.
Let me back up. We were taking swimming lessons many moons ago and Sara was terrified of the deep end. The swimming instructor told me to push her in the pool. In the deep end. I did it.
One moment. I'm crying again.
She was terrified. I remember it so vividly. I was furious. I knew I had done wrong and an adult had told me to. I flipped him off. I may or may not have said, "F**k you" to him. I hate that man to this day, whoever he was.
Sometimes at night, I will remember it and I will cry. The only thing that helps me is knowing Sara forgave me. I am so sorry.
I was talking to my aunt yesterday and she told me about her two precious children being in swimming lessons. I cannot talk about swimming lessons. I hate swimming lessons. I start to get upset and cry when I think about swimming lessons.
I have other regrets here and there, but most of them, I have gotten over. I have taken the lesson and moved on and tried my hardest to become a better person. But this regret - there is no lesson. It weighs on my heart like a ton of bricks. Siblings should do everything in their power to protect and take care of each other. I didn't do that on that horrible summer day. I hate that day. I hate that pool. I am glad that pool is no longer used.
I wish I could get over it, but I can't.
At least I had the opportunity to save her life a few years later in Maine. But that is another story for another day.
Labels: alphabet
Monday, June 09, 2008
Q is for Quality Time
I'm back at work today, after 5 days in Perdido Key, Florida. Bert and I went with my parents for the second year in a row and had some great Quality Time.
My favorite part of the trip was sitting under an umbrella, reading and looking out over the ocean. There was a breeze the entire time, which made it just paradise. I laid out the first day, got mostly tan, but a little burned. After that, I decided to be responsible and up my sunscreen to SPF 50 the rest of the time and stay mostly under the umbrella, of course with trips to the pool. I think I must have been crazy to lay out for days on end for up to 8 hours when I was in college. What the heck was I thinking?
I am 2/3 of the way through Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and I am completely enamored with this book. I love it. One of my favorite books. Highly recommend. I love the conversational style and how much this book makes me think. I have been pondering life's "big questions" a lot while reading this. What do I want from life? What would make me the happiest? What is the point of all this? Good times.
My mom and I also went and saw "Sex and the City." This movie was FABULOUS! I was out of town when my friends went to see it, but I was determined to see it with a girl. Bert is grateful I didn't subject him to it. :) Seriously, though, if you are a fan of the show, I think you will love this movie. It was just what I wanted...and more! The critics are crazy - it's a perfect summer movie.
And so, it's back to the real world today. Work and then summer school. It'll be a long day, as my class doesn't end until 10pm - an hour from where I live. I opted to take this class on the satellite campus so that I will have just one class this fall while I'm studying for comps. I'll be glad then, but right now, it is not going to be fun - especially with $4/gallon gas.
Hopefully future President Obama will help us with the gas crisis. :)
Labels: alphabet
Sunday, June 01, 2008
P is for Parents
Me trying to tell everyone TIME OUT!, Mama, sister Sara and cousin Omer - circa 1985
Me and my daddy - check out his short shorts! - circa 1981They are both so generous and loving. They have always been there for me and because of them, I never felt alone in this world - no matter what. No one is perfect, but I truly cannot imagine better parents for me. They have been exactly what I needed, whether it was to cut me some slack or kick me in the butt. :)
Wednesday, Bert and I will drive to the beach to meet them for our 2nd annual beach vacay. I am looking forward to this time with them, as my memories with them are some of my life's greatest treasures.
Mama and Daddy, your Lulu Bird (Mama's nickname for me) and La Dude (Daddy's nickname for me) loves you so much! Thank you for all that you have done for me. A lifetime is not enough time to thank you, but I shall always try to thank you by living a life of which you would be proud. Love you so.