Going Forward, Looking Back

Dear 2008,

You were a tough one. I rung you in with laughter, kisses and no clue as to what really laid ahead in the coming months.

There were struggles, sacrifices, tears and heartache. I felt broken for most of you and its been a constant search to find myself once again and piece things back together. There was the apartment hunt soon followed by the breakup. The roller coaster of emotions. The hope. The depression. The toll it was all taking on my body. The hospitalization.

But through it all there were flashes of light. My first magazine stories. Standing up for myself. Moving out on my own. Finally sleeping through the night. The Phillies' win and Obama's victory. My family coming together for Thanksgiving dinner at my table. Blogging. Adorable newborn babies - none of which were mine.

And I learned. I've come to realize how much I can handle and still come out on the other end. I've learned that I have this huge capacity to love and that if I was that lucky once then I can be that lucky again.

I learned that there are things I need to change, but at the same time I know that I am blessed. It's easy to say that on the good days, but I need to remember that I'm just as blessed on the bad days. I have a crazy family that understands me, close friends that support me, a wonderful ex-boyfriend that still cares about me, a rambunctious little puppy that just wants to play with me and a dream career that challenges me.

So yes, 2008, you were harsh with the lessons I needed to learn. You pushed me off the cliff and it was sink-or-swim. I survived the fall somehow, but I'm not ashore just yet. After all, I still need to sign up for those swimming lessons.

Two years ago, Mr. First shared a quote with me from NC State's late basketball coach Jimmy Valvano: If you laugh, if you think and if you cry, that's a full day.

I think I just had a full year.

Here's hoping 2009 is much gentler with all of us.

Image: flickr.com

Sometimes You Say You Don't Need a Man...

And then you realize you can't open that bottle of apple juice no matter how hard you try.

Water it is then.

The Grand Prize Winner

And the winner of the Biz Quiz Blitz is...ChicagoLady!

Congratulations!!

A big thanks to everyone who played (and pushed aside their duties to submit their guesses). I promise Biz Quiz will be back (sporadically) in the new year :)

And because I just couldn't resist:

Answer

Stay tuned: The grand prize winner will be announced at noon!

I Can't Even Begin to Comprehend This...

Their other sign was no better...

That hot dog must be super proud of its dollar.

Biz Quiz

Okie doke, so this is the last one! Contest is open until 10 AM EST tomorrow when the answer will be revealed. Everyone who submits the correct answer will be thrown in the running for the grand prize. The grand prize winner will then be announced at noon. Good luck!

Answer

Did you get it right? Then you already have a shot at the grand prize! Now there's just one more chance to win it :)

I Have a Roomie...And It's a Boy!

It's also not human.

(Aren't I a tease?)

Anyway, last night I finally decided to take the half Chihuahua half Pekingese puppy my cousin has been trying to give away for the last two months.

So I'd like you all to meet...well, he doesn't really have a new name yet. For now, he's just Dog Formerly Known as Jigga (because that name was way too gangster for my tastes).



I'm still shopping around for a new name. Right now I have:

Courage the Cowardly Dog
Poopy (though he's yet to actually poop here)
[Insert Name of Dog]
Mira tu, entremetido! (Hey you, nosy!)
Pssst!
Gizmo (because I have this vision of him drinking waaay too much water and transforming into a gremlin. You should see these ears!)

Any other suggestions? The kid is tiny and hella shy.

Biz Quiz

Contest is open until 10 AM EST tomorrow when the answer (and a new pic) are revealed. Everyone who submits the correct answer will be thrown in the running for the grand prize. The more you guess correctly, the higher your odds. Remember this will happen every day until the 30th and the grand prize winner will be announced on the 31st at noon. Good luck!

Prize: A sampling of Mini Bourjois products, Booty Parlour Kissaholic Kissing Kit with Plumping Lip GLoss and Breath Mist, Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 45, a necklace from myObsession.com, Redken For Men Mint Clean Invigorating Shampoo, SkinMedica TNS Line Refine, King of Shaves Kinexium Shaving Oil, Pantina Naturally Stunning Gel-Liner Palette and Purminerals Pout Plumping Lip Gloss Trio.

Answer

Did you get it right? Then you already have a shot at the grand prize! Keep playing for more entries :)

Biz Quiz

Contest is open until 10 AM EST tomorrow when the answer (and a new pic) are revealed. Everyone who submits the correct answer will be thrown in the running for the grand prize. The more you guess correctly, the higher your odds. Remember this will happen every day until the 30th and the grand prize winner will be announced on the 31st at noon. Good luck!

Prize: A sampling of Mini Bourjois products, Booty Parlour Kissaholic Kissing Kit with Plumping Lip GLoss and Breath Mist, Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 45, a necklace from myObsession.com, Redken For Men Mint Clean Invigorating Shampoo, SkinMedica TNS Line Refine, King of Shaves Kinexium Shaving Oil, Pantina Naturally Stunning Gel-Liner Palette and Purminerals Pout Plumping Lip Gloss Trio.

Answer

Did you get it right? Then you already have a shot at the grand prize! Keep playing for more entries :)

I Didn't Celebrate Christmas

I woke up on Christmas Eve and spent most of the day fighting – with myself. Each time I felt myself start to get sad I thought, “No, just fight through it,” and I’d shake it off, refusing to break down.

But then 8 PM rolled around and after the tiniest incident triggered an emotional outburst that left me crying on my mom’s bathroom floor, I decided to hightail it home. I’d lost the fight.

I crawled into bed to hide under the covers and there I stayed until Christmas came and went. I didn’t exchange gifts. I didn’t see my family. Instead, I slept, I cried and I thought (because where would my depression be without that dreaded thinking?)

And I read. I practically devoured Immaculée Ilibagiza’s Left to Tell. I wanted to jump into somebody else’s pain to forget about my own. But it wasn’t just the atrocities committed during the Rwandan genocide that filled those pages; it was also about Immaculée’s amazing ability to hold onto her faith and forgive those who had betrayed and murdered her family.

Now if she could forgive the seemingly unforgivable, why was I having such a difficult time forgiving myself? Why wasn’t I able to let go of what happened?

Yesterday, I got dressed and ready to join the rest of civilization. I marched right over to church in the hopes that I could sit in silence in The House That God Built, but it was closed.

(Btw, isn’t church supposed to be a 24/7 institution?? What if I was having an existential crisis?! Then again, God could've been punishing me for being a no-show at Jesus’ bday party.)

So I walked to the park and sat there for an hour thinking of everything and nothing in particular. A nice man actually stopped to talk to me for a bit and told me things would be ok. (Yes, I looked that sad – in every sense of the word.) I started tearing up all over again when he said, “God bless you” and walked away.

But Christmas spirit wasn’t completely lost on me. Two weeks ago, my sis and I made plans to take our parents to see Christmas: The Musical (more popularly known as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular). So yesterday we headed down to see the show, which was great, made me wish I were a 6-foot-tall high-kicking tap dancer and made me smile for a while.

But it also made me feel a bit guilty for missing it all the day before.

Biz Quiz

Contest is open until 10 AM EST tomorrow when the answer (and a new pic) are revealed. Everyone who submits the correct answer will be thrown in the running for the grand prize. The more you guess correctly, the higher your odds. Remember this will happen every day until the 30th and the grand prize winner will be announced on the 31st at noon. Good luck!

Prize: A sampling of Mini Bourjois products, Booty Parlour Kissaholic Kissing Kit with Plumping Lip GLoss and Breath Mist, Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 45, a necklace from myObsession.com, Redken For Men Mint Clean Invigorating Shampoo, SkinMedica TNS Line Refine, King of Shaves Kinexium Shaving Oil, Pantina Naturally Stunning Gel-Liner Palette and Purminerals Pout Plumping Lip Gloss Trio.

Answer

Did you get it right? Then you already have a shot at the grand prize! Keep playing for more entries :)

Biz Quiz

Contest is open until 10 AM EST tomorrow when the answer (and a new pic) are revealed. Everyone who submits the correct answer will be thrown in the running for the grand prize. The more you guess correctly, the higher your odds. Remember this will happen every day until the 30th and the grand prize winner will be announced on the 31st at noon. Good luck!

Prize: A sampling of Mini Bourjois products, Booty Parlour Kissaholic Kissing Kit with Plumping Lip GLoss and Breath Mist, Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 45, a necklace from myObsession.com, Redken For Men Mint Clean Invigorating Shampoo, SkinMedica TNS Line Refine, King of Shaves Kinexium Shaving Oil, Pantina Naturally Stunning Gel-Liner Palette and Purminerals Pout Plumping Lip Gloss Trio. Pics and links to come later!

Happy Holidays

Sillyheads,

I want to wish you

and your loved ones joyous

holidays and an awesome 2009.

Thanks so much for reading my senseless

ramblings through the good, bad and just plain

weird days. I send nothing but beautiful blessings

your way and hope that the new year brings us all health,

lots of smiles, job secuity, weight gains, but most of all love.

Love,

Dorkys

Answer

CONGRATULATIONS: Stephanie is this week's winner! By the way, am totally impressed by how many people got this right! I didn't know there were so many gamers on here, but then again that could be because you all use Wii Fit to "exercise" ;)

Prize: Youngblood Mineral Radiance in Splendor

Biz Quiz News: I so need a break from the quizzes and giveaways so once 2009 hits there won't be weekly contests. But I'll still throw one in every now and then!

Now I wanted your regularly scheduled Biz Quiz (and 2008) to go out with a bang, so here' s what's going to happen:

Starting this Friday at 10 AM, I will post a daily Biz Quiz pic and will go on until the 30th. I will post the answer the day after each quiz and for each correct guess you get your name thrown into the bag. Clearly the more pics you guess correctly, the higher your odds of winning. Now what's the prize you ask? Well a boxful of goodies I've had lying around will be sent to the winner of this Biz Quiz Blitz! I'll show and tell what it'll contain this Friday at 10 AM and will announce the winner December 31st at noon!

Image: ybskin.com

Just Say No...To Holiday Stress

Here's how.

Image: hgtv.ca

Biz Quiz

A winner will be randomly chosen from those who submit the correct answer. Contest is open until 11 AM EST tomorrow and the answer will be revealed an hour later at noon. The winner can then e-mail me his/her address so I can send over this week's prize (which I'll choose later). Good luck!

I Heart Cherry-Flavored Candy Canes

And they have to be these. Just had my first one of the season and mmmm!

Image: groovycandies.com

Weekend Update

* New Oldies But Goodies are up on the sidebar. Read and comment :)

* Updates on The Letter Writing Campaign. Click on over to read about two people who could really use some warm thoughts sent their way (via snail mail of course)! It wouldn't take much and it could really brighten up someone's day.

* I listened to the holiday music station while getting ready this morning...and sang along. In fact, I just turned it back on. Currently jamming to: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Jackson 5 :)

* Minimums for debit or credit card purchases are a complete inconvenience. No, I do not want $5 worth of stuff. I want these here bananas!

* After months and months of saying I wanted to get cute boots, I finally did! Bought myself two pairs yesterday. One was a pair of rainboots (below) that I rocked today. There's nothing Mother Nature can hold over me now. I'm invincible!! The others were a pair of pretty black ones with a bow on the side that cost 14 bucks...so I wouldn't be surprised if they disintegrated in the snow.

* And remember him? Turns out all he wants for Christmas is...you.

I've Officially Turned Into My Mother

I think they multiply at night.

Last Minute Hustle

I'm a procrastinator through and through.

Which is exactly why it's December 20...and I just started Christmas shopping two hours ago. I had weeks to do this under kinder weather, but nooo. I obviously had to wait until the roads where disgusting so I could slip and slide my way to Target.

That's right. Target. This year I've decided that if the gift cannot be bought there, it will not be bought at all. I'm not venturing any further. It's bad enough I have to brave the below-freezing temps for ten minutes (because I refuse to wait a half hour for the bus) to get there looking like Rudolph with the sniffles while muttering "Worst idea everrr" under my breath.

And let's not forget the long lines, people who have no idea how to drive a cart and this inexplicable urge to smash into people - young and old. (Shopping rage anyone?)

But I know I always bring this upon myself. I usually wait til super late just because I cannot be bothered to go to the stores until the last possible moment. Then there's that whole anti-Holiday trip I've been on. I didn't decorate. I didn't get a tree. I didn't blast Christmas songs all month long. I didn't even want to buy all this "stuff," so buyer's remorse will kick in approximately 20 minutes from now. I did at least finish my Christmas cards and sent them on their "merry" way yesterday morning. So at least I haven't been a complete Grinch.

Maybe next year I'll participate again - with both feet in.

Image: wisebread.com

Snow Day

"Snow makes whiteness where it falls,

The bushes look like popcorn balls.

The places where I always play,

Look like somewhere else today."

("First Snow," Mary Louise Allen)

Dodge Those Party Pounds

And as if worrying about gaining an "alkie" title wasn't enough, there's also that expanding waistline from endless holiday dinners. So unless you're me and would gladly welcome a pound - or 10 - read on for ways to keep off the extra weight!


Image: 2chefs.co.uk

Holiday Hangover Help

It's the holidays and between club hopping and party crashing, you're bound to have way too much bubbly. Here's how to fight off that dreaded hangover...and recoup when it inevitably comes.

Image: evite.com

Answer

CONGRATULATIONS: Dama is this week's winner. (I can't believe that with a 50-50 chance at this you won. Argh...I'd totally discriminate against you if I had no scruples. Unfortunately, I'm a "good person.")

Time Person of the Year 2008

Surprised? Not me.

Image: time.com

Hello, Snow

Yesterday's thought without checking the forecast: Wow, it's 60 degrees outside. Watch it start snowing tomorrow...