Shavonne's World

White Castle

2012-01-29T16:47:00.001-08:00

Just playing around with some of the iPhone apps I bought today. I'm liking how inexpensive the apps are. I need to get used to some of the features.

I used some pictures I took while I was in Detroit. I did not get a picture of the actual burger but the burger was so small, it wasn't worth it. It only took two bites before I was done with the burger. You can buy these burgers in the frozen food section. I must warn you, they will make you fart.

Dreams

2012-01-28T20:05:00.001-08:00

I had a dream about my cousin last night. It was weird. We were in my aunt's (her mother's condo). Now, my aunt doesn't own a condo. My cousin was still sick and laying in a bed. She woke up and she asked "Where am I?" and I responded "We are in your mom's condo". Then I told her had been sick for the last three years and she asked me "Where is Mama?" Mama is what she called our grandmother. I told her grandma had died in 2005 and said "Don't you remember? You helped take care of her." Then my cousin got out of the bed and walked out of the room.

Today was her memorial service. I'm not sure why I had this dream but I did. I don't recall ever dreaming about my cousin.

I also had a dream about a guy I took an interest in a few years ago. It also took place in my aunt's condo. I can't remember if it was before or after the dream with my cousin. Anyways, it was a pleasant encounter with him. We took a tour of the city and had a good time.

I miss his friendship. I haven't spoken to him in over two years.

I just wanted to get this off my mind.

Road

2012-01-27T20:57:00.001-08:00

Not blogging today. Enjoy the picture.

Sitting in my car

2012-01-26T21:43:00.001-08:00

My car won't start and I'm sitting in the parking lot waiting for time to pass so that I can try to start my truck.

I hate having car trouble. This is probably my sign to get another car. I can't rely on my old buddy to get me where I need to go.

I can't wait to get home. I really need to get out of my car.

I don't have anything to write about today. I did have an interesting discussion with a business partner about Protestant versus Catholic, which never ends well. It's almost becoming a source of contention between us. I think need to agree to disagree before things get sour.

Oh and the picture. It is the swiss chard I blogged about on Tuesday.

Bible reading plans

2012-01-25T22:19:00.001-08:00

I just completed my first reading plan from the YouVersion Holy Bible phone app. It was only a 7-day topical plan about dating but I completed it and got a badge.

I don't quite understand what one of the verses mean in regards to dating, but I'm going to pray about it and hopefully God will give me an answer through his word or some other means. Maybe you have some insight on what it means?

"I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?" (Job 31:1 ESV)

Maybe I'm tired or maybe I'm stupid, I don't know what this means in terms of dating. Aren't we suppose to want someone who is pure?

Swiss Chard

2012-01-24T20:10:00.001-08:00

I purchased some red and white Swiss chard this past weekend and I needed to cook it up before it went bad. I also had som spicy Italian sausage and pastrami I needed to eat before the meat went bad. So, I decided to combine it all. It was delicious.

1 bunch of red Swiss chard
1 bunch of white Swiss chard
1/2 yellow onion
4 slices of bacon
2 spicy Italian sausage links
Sea salt
Black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Any other seasoning you happen to like

1. While the bacon is cooking, clean your Swiss chard and cut as much of the stem off as you can. You can soak them in cold water for however long it takes to remove the dirt.
I cooked the bacon until crispy and set the bacon aside.
2. Put aside some of the bacon grease and sautéed the onions in the same pan you cooked the bacon.
3. In a separate pan, cook the sausage. Cook the Italian sausage and when done cut into half moons and set aside. (I cooked the sausage in a separate pan because I didn't want to cook the chard in the grease from the sausage.
4. And the meat to the sautéed onions. Add the Swiss chard. As you add the chard, tear leaves into small pieces.
5. Add seasonings and mix everything together and cook until the Swiss chard is tender.

My recipe isn't that clear. I'm typing it on my iPhone and my thumb is getting tired. Any questions about this recipe, leave a comment on my other blog shavonnne.org.

This really good stuff.

Now for some really good news.

I finally found a place that sells the Okinawan purple sweet potato. When I was doing my search on the Internet, I was using Okinawan sweet potato as my search words and that's why I was coming up with nothing. When I changed my search terms to Hawaiian purple yam, I was led to Hawaiian Veggie Farm and they sell these purple spuds for $2 a pound and they ship right to your home for free! Can't beat that. I've already lined up several recipes to try with these potatoes. I must patiently wait until they arrive. I will have a lot if cooking to do as I ordered 12 pounds.

Okinawan purple sweet potato

2012-01-23T21:46:00.001-08:00

I'm having a hard time locating the Okinawan purple sweet potato. The buggers are so elusive. I don't want to have to drive all over Southern California to get my hands on a few but they look so delicious!

I did do some research on Asian grocers in the L.A. area and found one that might carry the sweet purple spuds, when they are in season.

Since I don't have a picture of an Okinawan purple sweet potato, you can find one by clicking on the link I provided.

I have included a picture of results of one of those things you hook up to your car to get a code that tells you what's wrong with your car. I can't think of the name at the moment but I'm not exactly good at car stuff either. I just think the thingee is darn cool and will hopefully save me some money when I need to have my truck repaired.

Comforts

2012-01-22T19:44:00.001-08:00

Enjoying the warmth of the fireplace. Fire was one of the best discoveries of man.

Since my cousin's passing, I can't help but wonder what it is like to die. Is she at peace? Is heaven everything the Bible says it is?

Heaven has got to be a million times better than this place. I have no reason to complain though. The time I spend on earth is but a blip compared to eternity. Keep you eyes on the prize, Shavonne.

One awesome Bible reading app

2012-01-21T21:34:00.001-08:00

I rediscovered an app for my phone that helps me keep track of my Bible reading. More information can be found at youversion.com.

I originally discovered this app over a year ago but didn't do anything with it because it was very limited. But the developers have really made this an app worth blogging about and using. Here are just a few of the reasons why I like it do much:

1. There are 27 translations of the Bible to choose from.
2. Many of the common translations have an audio version. So, if you are more of a listener rather than a reader, you can enjoy God's word.
3. There are probably hundreds of reading plans to choose from ranging in length from a few days to 2 years. I'm reading the Blended plan but I've also started Topical reading plans which range from 5 to 7 days each.
4. The app is free.
5. The app can be synced across multiple mobile devices and you can send yourself email notifications for the day's reading if you are like me and can't have a phone at work.

Well, this is all I can think of at the moment. I would go to the website to sign up, then go to the app store to download the app. I have an iPhone but I think this app is available for Android, too.

Gone

2012-01-20T19:41:00.001-08:00

My cousin passed away yesterday. So young. She would have been 44 in a few weeks.

The past three years were probably the worst for her. But she died surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

The physical distance between my family and myself keeps me in a constant state of missing them. However, just like when my grandmother passed, I won't fully comprehend never seeing her again (until it's my turn to go to heaven).

Watching the Laker game at Buffalo Wild Wings

2012-01-19T19:43:00.001-08:00

Waiting for a friend and watching the Lakers lose to the Heat. What the heck is up with LeBron's beard? It looks disgusting.

Bible Study

2012-01-18T21:59:00.001-08:00

I didn't miss the first teaching of Ecclesiastes after all. I always find studying the books of the Holy Bible in a group setting more engaging than studying on my own.

Now, Ecclesiastes hasn't been a difficult read for me but it hasn't been most interesting read either. My first two reads of the book left me feeling a little down as it had a rather depressing tone. I don't like somber reads as I'm usually feeling a little down, especially after a long day at work.

I don't want to miss the lessons from the study of this book. I'm going to have to ask if I can join my business family on another day. How often do people sit and read Ecclesiastes as a group? And I really enjoy reading whole books of the Holy Bible in a group setting.

I'm going to have to give a more in depth blog on this subject. But for now, I'm going to get some shuteye.

Enjoy the picture. It's the Grand Canyon. I used an app for my phone called ArcFrame to frame it.

Panera

2012-01-17T19:03:00.001-08:00

I'm sitting in Panera Bread starving but I don't want to order any of the food because everything has gluten. Now that I'm back home I want to stick with my diet.

I'm also sitting here listening to twenty-somethings complain about relationships. Awesome. Just had to sit next to me. There's someone who has peaked my interest on Match. He actually wants more than three children. I've got to give him a wink when I get home. I just hope he doesn't expect me to run marathons with him. I'm much more into my Trikke. I'll save the running like a gazelle for when I need flight response away from a serial killer (I do date white guys).

I really should blog about Dream Night but I don't want to get into the topic of one of the guest speakers. Let's just say it was awesome but eye opening.

Now, I need to get to working on my Bible study so I can get home and cook me some dinner.

Day 16

2012-01-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

Not blogging today. Enjoy my picture.

Kansas

2012-01-15T20:45:00.001-08:00

I got off the plane in Chicago when I was supposed to stay on. Luckily I realized my mistake and went back to the gate a reboarded my plane. Times like those are the reason why I don't like to sleep in the plane.

When I arrived in Kansas City, I ate at a Mexican restaurant. The food was amazing. I need to recreate the recipe at home because the Rosted Poblano Peppers were very Primal/Paleo/Type O diet approved.

Hyperactive

2012-01-14T16:36:00.001-08:00

I don't like hyperactive anything. My mom had a hyperactive dog and the dog drove me crazy.

My cousin's grandchildren drove me nuts. Two of the four kids have ADHD. Three of them likes to sit really close to me. Two of them are really large for their ages and like to hang all over me. I don't understand their need to be really close to my face but it drives me mad and because they are children, I have to resist the urge to push them away or scream at them.

Does anyone else have this issue?

I'm also worried my flight will get canceled because of the snow. I want to go home so so bad! I hate visiting Detroit. It's depressing. The city is in ruins, everybody is poor...I can't wait to get home.

Waiting

2012-01-13T16:35:00.001-08:00

I was so wrong about the weather. It started snowing last night and hasn't stopped since. I don't like snow. It's cold, slippery, and wet (I think). The only thing I like doing with snow is looking at it on the mountain tops from where I live on the dry desert landscape of the Antelope Valley.

My back is hurting, which is just a sign I'm stressed out. Waiting for a loved one to die is awful. I can only imagine how much worse it is for my cousin who's been bedridden for the last 3 years.

I need to get a living will so I will have it written down how I want my last days to play out. I don't want people kissing me in my face.

Travel

2012-01-12T14:27:00.001-08:00

I was surprised by the weather in Detroit. The weather was similar in temperature to California. I still miss home.

I just hope it doesn't snow while I'm here. I like to look at snow but I certainly don't like being in it.

Trapped

2012-01-11T11:53:00.001-08:00

I'm trapped in my cousins house with no place to go or a way to get there. I hate visiting family because I always end up stuck sitting in their house bored out of my mind.

I'm watching tv. TV! Not that I don't watch tv at home but at home I have other options. I'm discovering Divine Design with Candace Olson. Oh how I'd love her to design my home (when I finally buy one).

I'm loving Instagram. Gives my pictures a different look. If only I had a better face. I hate pictures of myself.

Prove them wrong

2012-01-10T15:40:00.001-08:00

I don't feel like blogging today. I'm going to share a picture of a great quote written on scratch paper. Take it to heart. Don't listen to the naysayers, dream stealers, and the losers. Do what you need to do and prove them wrong!

Day 9

2012-01-09T20:26:00.001-08:00

Going to bed early because I have to get up early. I thought I'd share a photo since I'm not going to write much. See you tomorrow.

I really need to upgrade Camwow so I don't have the watermark in my photos.

What is my 'why'?

2012-01-08T12:50:00.001-08:00

I went to a boardplan last night and I can't stop thinking about what MS talked about, the question he said we must all know to keep going.

What is my why?

Why do I do what I do? What is my 'WHY'?I haven't been able to answer that for myself. I don't have a family, at least not I enjoy being around. I think the biggest reason for my lack of follow through is I don't have the family I want for myself. A husband and children. It almost feels as if I'll never have a family. If I want to be successful, I'll have to give up that possibility. I mean how many successful black women have a husband and children?

I need to get past the belief that I will never marry. If that is my future then I have to decide on two outcomes for my life: single and financially free or single and living from paycheck to paycheck.

I think I will chose single and financially free.

I need to get over myself. Get over my fears. Get over the things that demotivate me.

What are my goals? Are they realistic? Are they obtainable? What am I doing on a daily basis to achieve them?

Need to work on my goals tonight. I wish I knew if the Lancaster library was open today.

What is my why?

I want to help people who want to help themselves. That means asking and moving on when they say NO. I can't help people who don't want to help themselves.

What is my why?

One thing I can do to stay motivated is to listen to my CDs instead of talking to my dream stealing co-workers. I keep wondering if I should take the Jesus approach to unbelievers.

"Get behind me, Satan! You are a hinderance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Matthew 16:23 (ESV)

Funny Picture

2012-01-07T22:50:00.001-08:00

I don't have enough time to post a real post so I'm giving you a funny picture for you to enjoy. Enjoy.

Day 6

2012-01-06T22:43:00.001-08:00

The hardest thing about commitments is honoring them. I know I'm like most people who have a hard time sticking with my commitments. Thinking of doing something is always going to be easier than following through with it to the end.

I'm so tired I don't even know what I'm saying. I want to go to sleep but the 366 project has to get done tonight. One post a day isn't hard. I would be done by now if I had just finished earlier.

I'm done. Good night. Don't like the bed bugs bite. I like typing in Panera Bread better than at home. Bye.

Obtaining Instruction

2012-01-05T20:33:00.001-08:00

I was able to talk to my mom about some of the things going on with my cousin and her kids. I'm not sure if my mom is thinking clearly but she's thinking better than she was yesterday.

How much should someone do to help another person? Do you hold the person's hand through the entire journey or do you let that person stumble along the way? What if the person has no desire for your help or want your help but don't want to change?

My mom wants to help two of my cousin's children so bad, I don't think she even considered they may not want the help. Or they may want the help but don't want to change, not understanding the assistance will do nothing for them if they don't change.

To add to the complication is not being there to mentor them and monitor their progress. There won't be anyone to hold them accountable. Everyone needs a mentor in some area of their lives.

These are things I will need to pray about. I know what needs to be done, not sure if it can be accomplished.

Death Grip

2012-01-04T18:49:00.001-08:00

It seems everyone has gotten desperate and is doing anything they can to get from under their upside down mortgages. I'm doing everything I can to keep from buying a house.

I don't believe in borrowing money, not even for the purchase of a first home despite the conventional wisdom that borrowing money to purchase a home is perfectly acceptable. Conventional wisdom is a lie. If borrowing money is perfectly acceptable, then why are so many people in financial trouble? Why is this country in financial trouble?

There is a reason the banks are coming out on top is because loaning money to people who can't afford to pay the money back has become profitable, especially since the banks were bailed out by our government. The government for the people by the people. Us! We bailed them out. We also borrowed the money.

There is a price to pay for our debts. The stress, the uncertainty, the weight of our debts pressing down on our chests, it's all death's grip slowing suffocating us, and people still believe borrowing money to buy the things we want is perfectly acceptable. A lie. And we believe the lie.

Not Sure about 2012

2012-01-03T18:47:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure about 2012. It was supposed to be a new year with plenty to look forward to but it's already taken a turn in the opposite direction.

My mom got the news that my cousin was moved to a hospice. My cousin had a stroke three years ago and has been bed ridden ever since. Last week, her organs started to fail and the doctors can't do anything for her.

I can't imagine living like my cousin has lived for the past three years. I'm so independent and having to rely on others for my basic needs because I can't do anything for myself would drive me mad.

Now, all I can do is sit and wait. My mom is beside herself. She is much closer to our family in Detroit than I am.

On a brighter note, I am looking forward to this year despite the dismal start. I've considered dating again. I signed up for match.com but I haven't paid for a subscription. I'm not sure I'm that committed to dating. I hate paying for things I don't want or like.

I haven't nailed down my resolutions for this year. I need to commit them to paper and share them so I'll have someone to hold me accountable.

So I've nailed down the things I need to work on for at least the next two days. I need to go through my Bible to get the verses explaining the qualities I want in a husband and I need to work on my goals for my business. I've really let myself down with my business and need to start generating some serious cash. I'm tired of the commute and surrounding myself with people who have no desire for a better life.

My New Year's Day Hike

2012-01-02T16:24:00.001-08:00

I finished editing the video I shot while on my hike but I haven't been able to upload it to Facebook.

I'm liking my iPhone 4s more and more and using my iPad less and less. If only I could find a way to upload to my self-hosted blog from my phone and my mobile blogging experience will be complete. So far, I've successfully posted to my blogger blog using an app called Blogger Plus and it seems to work just fine but I'll still have to login to fix the little things I'm not able to or can't figure out how to do.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T17:56:00.001-08:00

I went hiking today at Saddle Back Butte. I shot some video and took pictures. I'll post those tomorrow as I have a nasty headache. I probably should not have hiked because I'm highly allergic to desert plants.

Steve Job's Biography

2011-11-14T21:18:00.001-08:00

I just finished reading Steve Jobs's biography. It was even better than I thought it was going to be. He is definitely someone I wish I had met but it will never happen because he's gone.

I've been thinking a lot about death and legacy. What will I leave behind when I'm gone? What will people have to say about me? Will I accomplish everything I hope to? I'm not trying to change the world, but I do want to change the course of my family's history and help others do the same along the way. However, I find myself unable to get out of my comfort zone to do what I need to do.

I remember reading the following quote from his Stanford Commencement speech the day after his death:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” [Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

I still think about this quote every day wondering when I'm going to muster the courage to just say screw it and get it done already. I'm surrounded by people who are too scared to step outside of their comfort zones to do something, anything to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. How many generations of their descendants will remember who they were?

I can only know small tidbits of information about my maternal grandmother's father. I loved my maternal grandmother, but there isn't much of anything to really remember her by. She married a man who didn't want a family and with six children, lived in poverty because my grandfather choose to spend his paycheck chasing women.

I don't want to pass down a legacy of poverty and poor choices. Which leaves me to ask how much of her history will I choose to share with my children, if I have children. I want do much better in life because I don't want to be forgotten, especially by my descendants.

Steve Jobs won't have to worry about that. The whole world will remember him. His children's children's children will know who he was or at lease his accomplishments. Those are some big shoes to fill.

I'm not trying to change the world but I want to make a difference, even if it is on a small scale.

Momentum

2011-11-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

Momentum Principle:

A body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends to remain in motion.

I've been having some really, really lazy weekends these past couple of weeks. For example, I spent all day in bed watching movies on Netflix. It felt great but now I feel guilty.

I did get some work done. I sent out invitations to the Christmas Extravaganza. Hopefully everyone I invite will be able to make it. I could use some new clients. I need to start making some money and recruit some business builders.

I have to make phone calls tomorrow to get the emails of people I don't have emails for. I hate calling people but I have to get used to it if I'm going to get more clients and recruit business builders.

Now, I need to get my schedule booked and keep busy. I don't ever want to be this stagnant again. It's depressing.

I bought this guy I used to be friends with MeMe the blowup doll for this belated 31st birthday, Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year present. I expect 1 of 3 reactions: silence, anger, or humor. I'm hoping for the latter. I miss his friendship. Plus, he was nice to look at.

I'm hoping I have something better to blog about in the future. I'm bored just typing this. Maybe I should start dating again just to have something to blog about.

The Storm

2011-10-27T20:34:00.001-07:00

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were fill with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him.” Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)

I haven’t been able to keep a clear mind for the past couple of days. Last night really sent me over the edge. My Bible study topic was Mark 4:26-41. In particular, we discussed the storm the disciples experienced while Jesus slept on the boat. The tossing boat on the sea and the wind did not wake Jesus but terrified the apostles to the point where they felt the need to wake Jesus.

I haven’t had a storm yet. There have been times where what I’ve experienced would have appeared to be a storm. In fact, I’ve met people who’ve been through similar experiences and to them, the situations were unbearable. My reaction was like that of driving a little too fast over a speed bump and feeling jostled inside my truck. It was uncomfortable but I kept driving on being a little more cautious of my speed when approaching next speed bump.

I cried and I hate crying. It’s one of my most embarrassing reactions to something emotional because my nose tends to do more shedding of fluid than my eyes. It happened nonetheless and I received great support and encouragement from the women in my Bible study group.

But it was just the thought of the inevitable storm that I will experience that had me upset. My mom is leaving for a cruise tomorrow and I began to worry about her safety because she will be cruising through the Caribbean, where I had read a news story about Hurricane Rina. Was this going to be my storm? I certainly hope not but the thought of something happening to my mom was upsetting.

I did get something out of the lecture that I will hold onto if I ever experience my storm, faith will not get me out of the storm, but it will get me through it.

Then there was the doubts in my head about my ability to accomplish the things I want to do in my life. I had been praying to God for answers about the direction my life was taking. I’m not particularly happy with my job. I hate the commute and though the people are nice, I don’t care for their outlook on life. Striving for mediocrity is not what I want to do. The strive for perfection and exceptionality is more desirable.

So I got it in my head that I would go to beauty school to get my esthetician license. But when the funding finally came through, the school I had chosen no longer offered night classes. With no other schools in the area to cater to daytime place schedule, I will have to go with the plan I already have and just make it work. Or shall I say work the plan.

I went to someone’s retirement potluck today at the daytime place. It was a good day for someone who’s put in all those years, but it immediately got me thinking about all the answers God had given me from the questions I had asked to him in my prayers. Beauty school would only distract me, so that door was closed. The door that’s been open to me, I haven’t yet walked through because of my fear of rejection. I hate it when people say ‘NO’ to me, but if I’m going to work my plan, then I will have to get used to hearing it.

Rejection has been absolutely terrifying. Though I find it easy to be outgoing when I’m at work and around people I know, I’m sad to say that I’m not as friendly when I’m in setting where I don’t know a soul. The only way to get over this is to continually place myself in situations where I don’t know anyone.

I just need to act now, so that I won’t pay later.

Iran set to execute Christian Pastor

2011-10-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

I know Muslims in the USA have freedom to practice Islam in a way that Christians or people of other faiths are not allowed in Muslim countries. I would never want to live in a Muslim country. The Army tour that I served in in Afghanistan was enough of Islam for me.

I'm not afraid to say I would prefer Muslims stayed in Muslim countries. The thought of them here, where I live, spooks me.

ClamCase

2011-09-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I want to get the ClamCase for my iPad. I found another keyboard case (Crux 360) but I don't like the shininess of it and it leaves Apple logo on the back of the iPad exposed. I don't want any scratches on my Pad.

I'm not ready to buy yet but and even if I were, both are sold out. ClamCase says they are releasing a new version of the ClamCase for the iPad 1, which is the iPad I have, early to mid-October. I can't wait to get it. My early birthday present to myself.

It will cost me a pretty penny. I'm guessing around $150 but it will be better than buying a new laptop, which I do need. It will also be a better case w/keyboard than all the other cases for less money I've seen out there.

I haven't seen my Powerbook G4 in months. I should get it back from my mom. That thing is so ancient, I can't really do anything with it other than word processing. I just hope my desk top computer doesn't become outdated anytime soon. Though with the software upgrades I have to get (I'm running Leopard) I'll have to upgrade to Snow Leopard then to Lion. Once I'm upgraded to Lion, I will have to get replacement software for VMware Fusion. VMware does not work with Lion OS X. Plus, a new mobile device compatible template for my blog. I'm looking at another $200 to $300 dollars get myself mobile blogging for my next 366 project. Yay! For someone like me, blogging isn't cheap. I prefer hosting my own blog for the control it gives me. I've had to block way too many people from reading my blog. You'd think if they didn't like what they read here, they would read elsewhere. Some people just like flaming.

I'm glad what I had originally planned to post today didn't make it to my inbox. I'm thinking it is a sign...to just stop watching tv if I don't like what's on. I'm taking my own advice that I give to people who don't like what I write about.

Twenty Twelve

2011-09-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

I’m really excited about 2012. There’s nothing like the leap year to get my juices flowing for blogging. I’ll be doing another 366 project. If you don’t know what that is, it’s contributing to my blog at least once a day in 2012. I tried it in 2008 and had a blast despite being in grad school. The coming presidential election will leave me with plenty to blog about.

I still don’t know who to even consider voting for. I’ve heard about a few candidates I want to look into but it’s too early in the game to narrow the list down to two prime candidates. I don’t want to invest my time into promoting a candidate if they end up dropping out of the race.

Until then, there are a few things I’m looking for in a candidate:

Believes in free enterprise
Understands it’s not the president who creates jobs, but entrepreneurs.
Wants a flat tax
Less government involvement
Fiscally conservative
Less spending more production

That’s all I can think of for now. That means I wouldn’t be looking for anyone on the Democrat side. I’m sure as I start to really look into the candidates, I’ll be able to find someone who I’ll be happy to endorse. Until then, I’ll be trying to gather all of the tools I’ll need to become a mobile blogger.

Now for that, I almost got suckered into buying a leather case with a built in keyboard for my first generation iPad. I’m glad I didn’t make the purchase as I found something I believe would be better for me.

I won’t get into the specifics, but in December, I’m hoping to make the final purchase. I also have to buy a new template for my blog, one that is iPad compatible. Graph Paper Press is a good source. That’s where I purchase my current template. It was an awesome buy. I think this time I’m going to go for the Modfolio template if has the features I want.

I also plan on getting the new iPhone when it comes out. That would help me out a bunch as the camera on my 3G is outdated and I can’t shoot video. I don’t know how much video I’ll be producing, but I at least want to take better pictures, especially of myself without needing a second person.

Cooking

2011-09-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty lazy weekend. I’m so ashamed. Everything I had set out to do outside the house, I didn’t do. I’m not going to beat myself up about it either. I’m just going to focus on making the next week as productive as possible.

I did get to try out the Pure Indian Foods Organic Ghee I ordered. It tastes amazing. I made shrimp scampi using the ghee and Wildtree’s Shrimp Scampi Blend. I don’t think the blend is 100% primal as it contains dextrose but the seasoning blend flavored my shrimps just right. I only wish I had taken a picture of the quick dish as it would have been perfect for documenting a primal dish cooked my moi.

I ordered the flavored ghee 1 oz sampler pack of 6. I liked the Italian and Herbes de Provence ghee the best. I can’t wait to try the Italian ghee in a recipe. I’m not fond of the niter kebbeh, digestive or Indian dessert ghees. Not sure why but I don’t think I’ll ever order the 7 oz jars of those flavors. I was afraid to try the garlic ghee. Garlic by itself doesn’t taste good to me if the other flavors had a strong taste (some delightful, some not so) I decided to hold off on tasting the garlic ghee Plus, I like to avoid garlic as it makes my breath stink, but I don’t mind garlic when I’m on a date. I hate dating.

I just don’t see what the fuss is over coconut oil. I hate coconut. The Pure Indian Foods coconut oil reminds me hair grease. In fact, I’ve always associated coconut oil with hair grooming not food consumption. I suppose I should try to use it in a recipe to see how it makes my food taste. I’m dreading that day. I don’t like the taste of coconut except in my pina coladas.

Dating and coconut. Combine those two on the same day and I could go mad! Or toss my cookies.

I also tried to make roti canai with the sweet potato flour I had purchased from Zocalo Gourmet. I tried adding an equal amount of Now eggwhite protein powder to the flour to see if it would give the flour the same consistency as regular flour. It was a failure. Sweet potato flour is just very heavy. Even after sifting it a few times it was still too heavy of a flour once water had been added to it. Grain-free-gluten-free.com has a recipe for using coconut flour. The website says that to use 100% of a fiber-rich, non-binding flour like coconut, use 1 medium egg to 30g or 1 oz of flour. I should try this mixture next time to see if I can get the flour doughy enough for stretching.

Then I came across a recipe for roti canai which uses milk in the recipe. This recipe reads like it will taste absolutely divine. I can’t wait until this weekend.

I made some sweet potato pancakes. They were alright. I don’t like the heavy orange color or the texture of the pancakes. It could have been my batter (I didn’t exactly follow the recipe but added to what I had mixed for the roti) but the pancakes weren’t as fluffy as I like my pancakes. Again, sweet potato flour is heavy. I’m not sure I’ll ever get it right.

Finding recipes for this flour has been very difficult. But I’m not giving up. I still have a bag and a half of flour to use and I’ll use it all before I chuck it in the garbage. At least I’ll be able to say I used it.

I know this isn’t primal at all but roti canai would be a nice once in a while kind of treat. Foods like this are what I like to call my desert. Maybe I should try this with coconut flour…

Christian Giving

2011-09-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

I came across this article in the web today “It’s not ‘class warfare,’ it’s Christianity”. I just had to blog about it. What particularly caught my attention is the following quote from the article:

“This is what the Bible actually says about the economic practices of Jesus’ followers: “Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common... There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need.” Acts 4:32-35.”

The big difference in this scripture quoted is that those early Christian believers willingly gave. Government did not force this type of giving through taxation, which is how the author of this article wants Christian giving to be carried out. Government stealing (and that is what government does through taxing the population for social programs) from one man to give to another is not Biblical-Old or New Testament.

I like how the author, Susan Brooks Thistlewaite, conveniently left out 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 which talks about how if people don’t work, they don’t eat. I know plenty of people who don’t work but want everything under the sun. I happen to be related to a few. The concept of working for the things they want is foreign. Why should they work for their necessities when the government can steal it from one man to give to them?

I’d like to also argue how the author conveniently left out the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Let me sum it up for you. Those who are good with God’s resources will be given more and those who are wasteful will have what they have taken away. I’ve read countless blogs, news articles, and books about the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Rarely do these sources of misinformation discuss the differences between how the rich amass their fortunes and how the poor manages to stay poor or how the rich think about work versus the poor. One set of beliefs and practices leads to great fortune and the other to poverty and servitude.

Primal Blueprint 30-day Challenge

2011-09-12T21:57:00.001-07:00

I've committed myself to the Primal Blueprint 30-day Challenge.

I actually started eating primal on Sunday. I made eggs and bacon for breakfast and fish and vegetables for dinner. I didn't eat a lunch. I did eat some red seedless grapes. Not sure if they are considered primal but the sure satisfied my sweet tooth.

I've been posting to my blog from a mobile app and it won't allow me to choose where I want to post the picture. My preference is just before the text starts like all of my previous posts. Sorry if my blog looks dorked up.

Remembering to the Point of No Return

2011-09-12T21:27:00.001-07:00

I spent Labor Day at my cousin’s house in Torrance, California. I don’t know what I was thinking when I let my mom talk me into going. I knew nothing was going to be different from the previous holidays I spent with them. I was hoping it would be different. Just hoping, but the older they get, the more they stay the same.

I’m not sure if other black families have this issue, but it seems the older members of my family like talking about slavery and racism. It’s almost as if they can’t forge an identity without it. I can’t identify with being a slave because I’ve never lived through slavery. I’m not sure how they identify so well with it considering they never lived through slavery either. But nonetheless, they love talking about it, reminiscing about the good old days (I never could consider them good), and berating the younger generation for forgetting their roots.

Is slavery worth remembering to the point where that’s all you have to talk about? Is there anything wrong with wanting to live in the present and looking forward to the future?

Is there anything wrong with appreciating the opportunities available to me today?

Going Primal

2011-09-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I was very low on energy, had skin rashes, and was having asthma attacks left and right and the blood tests my primary physician had done hadn’t revealed what was causing my ailments. I’m grateful for the Internet because I came across several blogs written by people who had the same symptoms I was having. They all had allergy tests done and it turned out they had food allergies and it was the food they were eating that triggered their asthma.

I was miserable and thought it wouldn’t hurt to see if I was allergic to the foods I was eating and had an allergy test done. It turns out, it was my environment but also the foods I was eating that contributed to my misery for the first half of the 2010.

I highly allergic to many of the plants that grow in the Mojave desert. But the biggest contributors to my symptoms were the foods I was eating. Here’s a typical rundown of the foods I’d eat throughout the day:

MORNING

A bowl of corn flakes or whole grain Cheerios with almond or soy milk

Snack- raw almonds

LUNCH

Wonton soup or frozen dinner

Snack-raw almonds (I love almonds)

DINNER

Frozen dinner or anything that could easily be microwaved

Snack-chocolate covered almonds

Here are the foods I’m allergic to:

Peanuts

Corn

Walnut

Almonds

Oranges

Soy bean

Green pea

Cantaloupe

peaches

As you can tell by my snacking, I love almonds. They just don’t love me. The frozen meals I consumed didn’t add to my health as a lot of frozen meals use corn or soy products as a preservative. So I was literally poisoning myself with the foods I was eating. My diet overall wasn’t healthy. It’s still not healthy. I may have cut my allergens from my diet and stopped eating frozen meals, but I still don’t get fresh fruits and vegetables in the quantities I should be eating daily.

I need to learn how to cook.

Now that I’ve got my asthma under control and my skin has cleared, I’m still tired all the time. And bloated! So, I’ve turned to the Internet for research on what could be causing my bloat.

The bloating seems to only happen when I eat breads. I get bubbly gut when I eat rice. Since returning from Korea, I don’t eat much bread unless it’s naan or tortillas and lately I’ve been eating more whole wheat products and brown rice to go along with whatever meat I’ve cooked for dinner. Vegetables are still rare in my meals but I’m working on it. A friend of mine (a Paleo dieter) once mentioned how grains can contribute to bloating because human digestive system hasn’t evolved to help us properly digest grains. I can see the logic in that. Grains are relatively new compared to how long modern man has been around and early man lived just fine without grains. Just because we can eat something doesn’t mean we should. But I do love rice, especially white sticky rice, however, if the rice one of the culprits for my bloat and bubbly gut, then I can live without it.

In my search for a diet to follow and cookbooks to compliment the diet, I’ve come across three different types of diets: Blood type, Paleo, and Primal. I found the blood type diet interesting. I’m type O which is the oldest blood type. It pretty much says to avoid grains and diary and eat lots of meat. Apparently four of the foods I’m allergic to are on the avoid list for my blood type.

The Paleo and Primal diets are similar. The diets say to avoid legumes, diary, grains, refined sugar and processed oils . The Primal diet is much more forgiving when it comes to grains like rice and the consumption of some dairy products. I’m thinking of trying a diet that is a combination of the three. The foods on the avoid list for the blood type diet are foods I’m either allergic to or don’t like eating anyway. It turns out the Paleo/Primal diets advocate avoiding the foods the blood type diet says I shouldn’t eat.

Makes me wonder if there is any truth to the claims made by the different diets. I’ll be trying out a couple of recipes from one of the Primal cookbooks I purchased last weekend. I’m thinking of doing a cook my way through the primal cookbook and blog about my experience like that movie Julie and Julia. Should be fun.

Labor Day Trikke Ride

2011-09-08T21:44:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I’ve posted to my blog. I thought now would be a good time to update it.

I've discovered a way to exercise without it feeling like punishment. What’s my new favorite way to work out? Trikking. What is trikking? Well, it’s a body powered vehicle on three wheels, and no, as you can see from the picture, it’s not a tricycle. Tricycles have seats and don’t work your core muscles the same way a Trikke does. Trikkes cost more than a bicycle but you burn more calories and it’s much more fun.

I went on a 13 mile ride on my Trikke down in Long Beach on Saturday. I was introduced to some other Trikke enthusiasts and I met the creator of the Trikke and won a signed t-shirt.

My body hardly ached on Sunday. I was expecting very sore wrists and leg muscles but they only bothered me early Sunday morning. I was mostly tired and wanted to do nothing but read a good book, nap, and read some more of a good book. Instead of my planned reading, napping, and reading cycle for Sunday, I went to my cousin’s house for a bar-be-cue. I wish I had stayed home. It would have been less stressful and relaxing had I stayed home. I’ll blog about that experience on a later day.

Network Marketing

2011-01-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

You never know who might be interested in an opportunity. I sometimes write people off when it comes to showing the business. As it turns out, someone I'm friends with on Facebook is thinking about starting her own business after seeing a presentation. My loss is another persons gain. But I'm excited nonetheless, as it is a good thing to know folks actually think about their future.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T19:43:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I don't know where to begin. I had my disappointments last year. I'm praying this year will be better.

I have my goals for this year and one of them is to be fluent in Spanish by the end of the year. I got Rosetta Stone for my birthday and I've been practicing every day.

I'm going to be more bold this year about everything because I'm tired of things being the way things are. Of course, I'll be asking for help from the Almighty and I know he will answer my prayers.

As for the blog, I want to up update the look of it but I want to earn the new template I want to use. I need to practice some delayed gratification. I didn't do that last year. Need to try this year. And instead of trying to blog everyday, I want to at least blog once a week. That should be easier to do than trying to keep up with a blog everyday. I don't have the time for that.

Apple store

2010-05-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

I'm at the Apple store blogging from an iPad. I've been on this wonderful little machine for a couple of hours now. They haven't told me to leave yet. This would be the ultimate gift for whatever occasion. I like this machine much better than a laptop. Oh how I want one. It is so hard to keep from buying one.

Speaking of which, I would totally have to get that program that helps find a missing iPhone or iPad. I read a news story about a guy who got his iPad snatched out of his hand but the bags string amputated his pinkie finger. I won't be buying one from the store unless I get that program installed before I leave the store.

I'm actually surprised the iPad does not have a camera. The new iPhones will have a front facing camera. You'd think they'd put a camera on the iPad, too. I think I will wait until the second generation iPad.

Getting an iPad

2010-05-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

I don't have any pictures to post of me using an iPad but I do know from using it in the Apple store that I want to get one. I think the feature that impressed me the most is Keynote. I'm going to have to do many presentations and Keynote is easy to use on the iPad.

This little machine will be much easier to carry around than my laptop and I can use it for my business. I tried to go to my business website on my phone and just could not get to it. It's a totally different story on the iPad. Not only was I able to get to by business website, I was able to login and look around.

I can totally see myself registering clients on the go. I'm going to have to sell a lot of product to get my new favorite toy. If I get an iPad, I won't need a laptop anymore.

I do see one drawback, it is difficult to type on an iPad. My wrists have already started to bother me but it is still worth it if I can save my back from having to lug around a laptop!

Poppies!

2010-04-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

Priorities

2010-03-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to stop when I'm almost a quarter of the way through this year's blogging project but I must do what I must do if I want to hit my goals for this year. I don't need to worry about blogging on a daily basis. I'd rather spend the little energy I have left when I get home reading or working on putting together information packets for my business.

Blogging is an unnecessary distraction. So, while I won't be blogging everyday like I've been doing, I'm definitely going to try to blog once a month just to give an update on how/what I'm doing.

Day 72

2010-03-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour.

Day 71

2010-03-12T23:21:00.001-08:00

I haven't been feeling well lately. I think it's the constant change in weather that has everybody's sinuses going wackadoo. I know quite a few people with pneumonia. I'm trying to stay far, far away from them too because I don't want to get sick.

I'm very anxious to get my taxes done. I still need to do my travel logs but I won't have time to do any of that this weekend. I'll be headed to Bakersfield tomorrow.

Sorry for the short posts. I didn't realize how much this blogging thing would take up my time. When I was in grad school, I was already on my computer so much it didn't matter if I took a break from my studies to goof around a bit as blogging was my only break. But now that I have other things on my plate, I'm rarely home enough to do any blogging. I still haven't figured out how to blog from my iPhone.

Surprising

2010-03-11T21:19:00.001-08:00

I've never written any serious posts about our President.

I remember a conversation I heard while deployed to Afghanistan. I group of 30 something black men were discussing Obama's chances at the Oval Office. One in particular commented Obama didn't have a chance of being elected because he's married to a black woman.

Michelle, is not Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, or Carly Simon black. She's just black. I'm personally not used to seeing a black with Obama's high ambitions being attracted to, let alone being married to a black woman.

And I don't actually care. I was shocked for about 5 seconds. And then I started thinking about food.

I still haven't written any serious posts about our President.

Peace

2010-03-10T22:58:00.001-08:00

Aches

2010-03-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

I went to crossfit again tonight. I had fun. I still don't like working out. Why do people torture themselves? My body aches!

At least crossfit is short (but intense). The only thing worse than working out, is working out for hours.

I wish I had more to blog about but I'm tired and I have to get up at 0400 hours to pray. So off to bed I go!

My graphic tonight is super lame.

More rain

2010-03-08T21:25:00.001-08:00

I like the rain we've been getting. It comes and goes but never stays for days at a time. That's the one thing I like about the rainy season in California.

I remember the monsoon season in Korea. Once the rain started, it never seemed to stop. It made living difficult because the buildings I worked and lived in molded.

I wish I could find all those pictures. I must have them on my iPod.

Dang. I need to get better file management.

Anyways, in a few weeks, I'll be able to go take some photos of the poppy reserve. I don't think the flowers will bloom like they did in 2005 but I still like to get out there with my point and shoot and take some pics.

Calling it a night

2010-03-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

I don't feel like blogging. I'll try to blog about something worthwhile tomorrow. I need to get to bed.

Uneventful day

2010-03-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

I didn't do much today except go to the Toastmasters contest. I have four speeches left and I can't wait to finish as I will have more time to work on other things that are more important.

It seemed to rain all day today. The rain always makes me a little depressed. I came home did some shopping and took a very, very long nap.

My body aches from crossfit. I need to dope myself up and get back to sleep.

Crossfit

2010-03-05T23:07:00.000-08:00

I went to crossfit tonight. I'm exhausted. I didn't realize how intense it was going to be. I'm not sure that's what I want to do. I don't want to commit myself to it because I want to keep my schedule as free as possible and hate the idea of tying up 3 to 4 hours of my week to one more activity.

Something for me to ponder.

I want to take some classes to get certified on a trikke. I would really enjoy riding a trikke. I just can't figure out how to move it.

That's it for today. Hopefully I will have something to report for tomorrow.

Blogging

2010-03-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

At the moment, I don't feel like blogging. I think I picked the wrong year to do another 365 project. I just feel like reading.

I finished reading Am I Making Myself Clear? Good read. If you've read Dale Carnagie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People or Frank Betzger's How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling then you've read Am I Making Myself Clear?

This week I'm reading John Maxwell's Developing the Leader within You. I can't wait to finish it.

Well, I'm going to go to bed now. I have to get up early and get ready for work. I also have to get my workout clothes together for tomorrow. I'm going to participate in some cross fit training. I'm not looking forward to it either because I don't want to deal with my hair.

Early night

2010-03-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

I'm going to make this an early night. I have to catch up on some of my reading. I'm three days behind reading Numbers. I have to tell you, after Exodus, it seems to go all down hill. The Old Testament is really hard to read.

I also need to make an appointment to get my taxes done but I want to call my mentor to ask some questions about filing my taxes.

Hair blues: the workout

2010-03-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

I was invited to go cross training today but turned it down because today is Tuesday and I just washed my hair and don't feel like being bothered with washing it until Friday.

I've been thinking a lot about my hair lately and how much time I spend on it when I do put effort in how it looks and I how it doesn't seem like I do anything to it when I do spend time on it. The only thing stopping me from getting Sisterlocks is not having seen them on someone in person. I have the money but when it comes to doing something more permanent with my hair, I want to ensure it's really what I want.

So if anybody with Sisterlocks is reading this, and you live in Southern California, and some skinny chick runs up to your asking you a million questions about your hair, don't beat her down with your purse or whatever you happen to have in your hand. It's just me and I want to get a good look at your hair.

I really should have gone to workout tonight. I just need to do it. Both of them. The hair and the workout.

Does size matter?

2010-03-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

When I keep hearing people say they don't like large churches, I'm left speechless.

Here's my thoughts on this. I attend a large church and I have to admit, the size did intrigue me. If you understand the basics of Christianity, you'll understand why I'm puzzled that some people prefer small churches. Jesus tells eleven disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...".

When Christians share the gospel, the church has no choice but to grow. Small churches stay small because the congregation does not share the gospel.

If Jesus says we are to share the gospel, then a church in any community won't stay small.

Back to why the church I attend intrigues me. I've seen some great examples of networking since I've been attending church. It's been a great lesson on how to multiply an organization and how to leverage the talents of each member.

So size does matter, at least to me. A Bible believing, Bible preaching, and Bible teaching church is a church that is contantly growing. Now if only I can learn to use what I've learned for soul winning and business building.

Self improvement

2010-02-28T22:52:00.001-08:00

No matter how much I try improve myself, I find new things I need to work on.

Forgiveness is one of them.

Patience is another.

I understand the process of improvement is a recurring process, but I would like to see the results of the things I'm doing. See why I need patience?

I need to get some rest. Good night.

In Los Angeles

2010-02-27T22:15:00.000-08:00

If this post has posted, it means I didn't get home in time to blog. Sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you. I know you just love reading my blog on a Saturday night.

Now, get a life. You shouldn't be reading my blog on a Saturday night! You should be having fun! Like I am, which is why you're reading this. I wrote it yesterday because I'm out hanging out and having fun.

Do the same.

Have a good night.

Hair blues

2010-02-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

I hate the process I have to go through after washing my hair. Nothing sends me into a hair funk like having to blow dry my hair and then flat ironing it. I just want to let my hair be.

I've been thinking a lot about Sisterlocks lately, mostly because I'm tired of my hair and can't figure out what to do with it. I think I need to make an appointment with a consultant to see if Sisterlocks are the way to go. I would love to do more living and less worrying about my hair.

I need to get some sleep. I have to get up early for Toastmasters and then I'll have a very long day. I'm planning on meeting some folks from one of my meetup groups and hanging out in LA. Gotta love how I have to travel so far for a social life but folks up here aren't trying to do anything fun.

Romantic Mystery

2010-02-25T21:57:00.001-08:00

I got the lamest fortune cookie from Panda Express today. I can't figure out what it means. What is a 'romantic mystery'? What is it? Is it a book or a person? What?

I don't take fortune cookies seriously, but when everyone in your life tries to blow out your light, the message on a fortune cookie can help keep the light burning.

But this one, with this fortune cookie I have no idea how to interpret what it's saying.

What do you think this fortune cookie means?

Anyways, I keep hearing people tell me about how now is the time to buy a house (in California). Says who? I want to know who is saying this because I don't think now is the time to buy a house, especially with the banks trying to sell houses for more than what they are worth. Plus, every person I know who is part of the baby boomer generation plans on leaving California when they retire. What happens with real estate when there are more houses for sale than there are buyers? The price of real estate goes down.

Something to think about.

Forgetfulness

2010-02-24T22:43:00.001-08:00

I seem to be unable to remember a lot of things. For example, I had a really great post in mind for tonight but now I can't remember. I know it was really good too. Geez. If only I could remember.

I'll probably think about it again when I don't have pen and paper or any way to document what's in my head.

I need to get some rest before I fall asleep at my desk.

What I'm Reading

2010-02-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

I'm an avid reader. There's nothing better than reading a good book. For the past year, I've been reading books on business, relationships, and finance. My reading interests have everything to do with my business. I'm new to business, I enjoyed learning finance in school, and I happen to not be so good at relationships. :sad: I tend to let my relationships fall to the way side. I get so goal focused I forget about my relationships.

I'm working on it. My goal this year is to spend quality time on my most valuable relationships. I don't have a significant other so I don't have to spend time on that.

This week, I'm reading Am I Making Myself Clear? by Terry Felber. A must read for me as I don't think I'm always clear when I communicate verbally. Or physically. I'll let you know what I think.

The other book I'm reading is the Holy Bible, Numbers and Mark. I'm not a fan of Old Testament books. Too bloody for me. I barely got through Leviticus without almost becoming a vegetarian and I love eating tasty animals. I'm loving the New Testament. I just wish there was more. My goal is to get through the Bible in a year. I started reading in September and I haven't fallen behind. :happy:

Marriage

2010-02-22T21:28:00.001-08:00

Someone I was friends with in high school contacted me. She's married now, which is why I didn't recognize her name at all. I love hearing about people getting married because for a split second, I can see myself married.

And then I'm snapped back into reality. Getting married isn't top priority on my To-Do list. Even if the right guy came along, and it hasn't happened so far, I wouldn't make time. Then there's the fact that the guy I would be interested in, wouldn't feel the same for me (and this has happened too many times to count).

So, my options are to settle, which I would never do, or wait. For a long, long time.

So, I keep myself unbelievably busy to pass the time.

Day 52

2010-02-21T22:00:00.001-08:00

I don't feel like blogging. Sometimes blogging everyday sucks. I need to get done with my expenditures list.

What?

2010-02-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

I took my mom out to dinner last night and we got to talking about our businesses. I just want to get to the point as I don't feel like blogging all night long, but my mom said she likes having unprofitable businesses for the tax write offs.

WTF?

I don't want to keep my business small or unprofitable. I want the opposite. I want my business to grow so I can leave my job. That is my goal. Replace the income from my job with the income from my business. I don't think my mom understands the difference between how much an employee pays in taxes versus a business.

My goal is to purchase my first home under my business name. I actually want to purchase all my assets under my business name. I want to be poor as dirt on paper so I can't be sued.

I just spent the last five hours printing invoices and receipts for my business so I can type my expenses into my expenditures file. I hope this makes it easier to do my taxes. I definitely need to get caught up for 2010. I think I still have to print out my phone bills.

I'm so bad

2010-02-19T22:02:00.001-08:00

Yep, I'm bad. I completely planned on getting my paperwork, receipts, and travel logs together so I can get my taxes done. But instead, I'm watching tv on the Internet.

I actually don't want to watch tv. I sat and listened to someone at work talk about all the tv watching that occurs after returning home from work. I don't want that to be me.

Blogging doesn't help me with that but blogging is a cheaper alternative to a psychologist.

Crazy, Shavonne.

I realized today that I put too much of my personal life on the web. I don't care. I just wish I had something interesting to share.

I absolutely hate Private Practice. Addison Montgomery is a baby killer! She likes snuffing out the life of unborn children and when one is born alive she wants to kill it too.

Getting fired, laid off, downsized, whatever you want to call it

2010-02-18T18:37:00.001-08:00

No, I didn't get laid off or fired but someone hired up my chain of command did. It's really sad. I think this person had spent 20 years with the company. On top of that, there is a job posting which this person could have qualified for.

There's no such thing as a secure job.

My job isn't secure by any means, which is why I'm working on building other streams of income. I need to keep working it. I will never give up. I'll have more security with my business than with a job. You can't control your job, how much money you make (companies would pay you less if they could) or how high up the corporate ladder you go. Some say you have control but you don't. For example, it seems the first people to go are those in management positions.

I need to stop thinking about this. I'm getting depressed. I'm thankful I have a job and that's all I should be thinking about and building my business.

Taxes

2010-02-17T22:14:00.001-08:00

Ah, it looks like I will have the time to get my receipts together and done with for tax season. I can't wait to get this over with. It will be interesting to see just how much I will get back in taxes now that I have a home-based business. I will definitely have to blog about my refund.

I'm actually excited about it. Yippee. The way I see it, as long as I don't owe money, I'll be happy. I hate owing money and since I don't have the regular tax right offs others enjoy (i.e., dependents) I need something to help me get some right offs.

I'm thinking of maybe buying a house next year. Right now, the banks seem to be going through some things and not really compromising on the price of the homes. I don't think the houses in the AV are worth what the banks are asking for but I think it's because I don't see the AV as worth the cost. I actually still might not buy anything next year now that I think about it. I don't want to get something and not be able to sell it when it comes time to leave this state.

Occupied

2010-02-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the short post. I just had to get something posted. I’m in Bakersfield.

Spam

2010-02-15T12:50:00.001-08:00

Why was spam invented? I'm not talking about the canned meat, I'm talking about email, blog, and any other kind of spam for electronic/Internet communication. I don't get it.

I've been getting an unusual amount of comment spam almost to the point where I want to turn off comments. I don't want to resort to that. However, something's got to give, right? Anyways.

I have to get ready to go to the movies. I have to do a couple loads of laundry. I didn't get anything done this weekend. Next weekend, I was invited to the firing ranges. I really want to go but I have not had time to get my paper work done for my taxes. I need at least a whole day for that. I might skip out on the mileage/travel log because that's just too much to have to enter into the computer. If had been entering it on a monthly basis I would be okay. As for 2010, I'm already behind. Urgh!!

Is today a holiday?

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T22:01:00.001-08:00

The potluck was fun. I enjoyed myself. I feel guilty because I didn't go outside to dance but I didn't feeling like listening to the music. Some of us preferred staying inside and watching the Winter Olympics.

I didn't meet anyone I could see myself being married to but I did meet some people who I think I could become good friends with. You can never have too many friends.

Happy Valentine's Day. I celebrated yesterday so today is really a normal day for me.

Valentine's Day Potluck

2010-02-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

I'm in LA stuffing my face at a potluck for singles. I'm hoping one of these dishes is good ! I'll let you know if there are any great men here.

Unemployed

2010-02-12T20:33:00.001-08:00

No, I'm not unemployed but it seems everyday I'm reminded my job is never secure. I can't really go into details, but another way of saying "You're fired!" is "Here's a severance package."

Fired, laid off, downsized, outsourced, early retirement...all terms for the process of becoming unemployed. :sad: Sometimes you're given a warning and sometimes it happens unexpectedly, but I'm sure the fear and the damage to your savings are the same.

Why do people continue to want to work for somebody else?

Why do people continue to believe Social Security and Medicare will provide for them in their old age?

What's my business?

2010-02-11T20:37:00.001-08:00

I like it when people send me personal messages about my blog much more than comments. I always try to answer my emails when the time permits but my schedule sometimes prevents that.

Now about last night. I had a blast. It was great being around people who want to take control of their lives instead of having their lives control them. I spend 40+ hours a week with people who do nothing but complain about the economy, taxes, Obama, and everything else under the sun. These people have no one but themselves to blame about the state of their lives. It's one of the reasons why I started a business.

My business isn't traditional by any sense but it definitely isn't illegal. I would never be a part of something illegal. I didn't have to take out a loan to start my business. In fact, it cost approximately $160 bucks to get started. The success of my business is 100% dependent on me. Notice I didn't include failure? My business can't fail unless I quit. Quitting is something I'm not willing to do. I see much more potential to provide for myself in my old age with my business than I do with my 401K or Social Security. My 401K will be taxed as if I was still working and the value is dependent on factors I can't control, like the economy and the stock market. My business is one that grows during economic recessions. All direct selling or network marketing businesses grow during recessions.

I did a lot of research on Avon when I was in grad school and learned a lot about the network marketing industry. My business is not Avon. I just wanted to clear the air. Avon is a great company with great products, but Avon didn't have the characteristics of a network marketing business I wanted to get into. The characteristics that I was looking for are:

1. Must have low cost entry. (I'm not trying to borrow tens of thousands of dollars.)

2. Must appeal to both men and women. (Cosmetics are not appealing to manly men.)

3. Must have products I'm willing to use myself. (If I'm happy with the products, I'm more willing to recommend them to people I know.)

4. Must have an excellent training program and mentorship. (It helps to be mentored by someone who's built a successful business.)

5. Must be Internet based. (A commerce business not on the net is a business going out of business.)

6. Must have longevity and a proven track record. (How long a company has been around is as important is the products. I don't want to spend my time building a business only for it to go out of business.)

7. Must be able to earn residual income. (The Kroc family [McDonalds] earns residual income from the thousands of McDonalds restaurants.)

8. Can be built in my spare time.

I found a network marketing company with these characteristic plus a few more that I hadn't thought of like being DEBT-FREE and owning all operations of the business. I don't like the idea of a network marking business having shareholders. Shareholders are liabilities because a company must pay the shareholders for their stock options. In other words, stocks are a company's way of borrowing money and the network marketing business I'm in has no shareholders.

Exhaustion

2010-02-10T22:08:00.001-08:00

I'm totally exhausted. I haven't recovered from the last few days. I didn't get home until 3 am this morning. I didn't sleep in long either. I got up after 8 and frantically searched the house for my mail box keys because I was expecting an order.

Anyways. I just barely got home from church. I had to go through my order to ensure I have everything and get my clients order ready. I told him I would have it for him on Monday but Monday came and my order didn't. I'm going to go to bed now. I need to get up early so I can get to work on time. I will blog more about this in tomorrow.

Day 40

2010-02-09T21:30:00.001-08:00

I'm in Anaheim learning how to grow my business. I need a energy I get from being around people who want to take control of their lives rather than have their lives control them. Sorry about yesterday's post. Hopefully, I will have something good to share.

Day 39

2010-02-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

I wish it was okay to vent about things that are going with me during the day but it wouldn't be kosher. So, I will just have to keep it to myself.

Anways, I dislike sour pusses and I'm trying to keep my blog on the positive note because nobody wants to read a negative. I don't want to write a negative blog. I want my blog to be all sunshine and daisies and smiley faces. But after spending all day at that place where I earn my wages, I need to vent. I just want to tell people to shut up or get some help because I can't be around the sour pusses. I don't want to hear the Woe-is-me nonsense when all that person has to do is make a decision to change and do it. It's not hard when people are willing to help you. You just have to say YES!

This week

2010-02-07T21:12:00.001-08:00

I have a lot to do this week. I hope I will be able to post to my blog. If not, I will at least post a lovely graphic.

Anyways, Fox does it again. Dollhouse got canceled and I'm not happy about it. I swore after Sarah Connor Chronicles that I would never watch Fox again. Now I have a reason to stick to that.

Shopping

2010-02-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

I hate shopping. I think I'm one of the few women to hate shopping. The more clothing a store has on it racks the more frustrated I get and leave. I like stores with the clothing organized by color, size, and style. The more organized the store is, the more I'm likely to stay and shop.

I'm not one for discount shopping as I find discount stores are often disorganized. I almost went into Ross today but remembered how much I dislike the organization of the store. I only shop there when I'm in the best of moods.

I need a shirt to wear for the Valentine's party I'm going to next weekend. I couldn't find anything red. You'd think they'd have plenty of red but apparently the color's gone out of style or something. Ha!

So I will wear a shirt I already have but haven't worn yet. It will be perfect. It's a bright green color and I'm sure I'll be the only person wearing bright green. :smile:

I wonder if He will show up? Don't ask who He is as I don't want to mention his name. It would be nice to see him.

Day 36

2010-02-05T22:04:00.001-08:00

I think the dog's gone senile or something. He keeps messing in the house. The poor dog. Lost his brother four years ago and his girlfriend 3 months ago. He must be lonely.

I think this will be his last year with us. He's ten years old and for a chow, is pretty dang old.

I don't feel like blogging much today. The rain has given me the blues. Until tomorrow.

Love - feeling or choice?

2010-02-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

I was curious about love after posing the question to someone I work with the other day. Is love a feeling or a choice?

The person I work with is around my age and hasn't been married long. His answer to the question was love is a feeling and he explained that he never felt more love and hate for a person like he has for his wife. This is his first marriage and again he is young. So, I decided it would be best to ask someone who's older and has been married a lot longer.

Today, I asked a man who's been married for 20 years to the same woman. I also asked a man who's been married twice; the first marriage lasted 10 years and the second marriage lasted 5. They both said when you first marry, love is about the feelings but after they got used to their wives, love was about the choice.

I've read the Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, and he says eventually the 'in love' will fade and people are faced with a choice: do they stay together or go their separate ways. With the high divorce rate, it is clear people choose to separate.

What are your thoughts on love? Is love a feeling or a choice?

Day 34

2010-02-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

It was a productive day in a that I have been tasked with two projects. I'm actually looking forward to what I find and can get accomplished.

I'm also looking forward to the Valentine's Day potluck next weekend. There will be 80 single people attending, which means I should be able to find one single male who could possibly be a good match for me. I'm trying to stay positive about this as I often get discouraged at the possibility of marriage. I want to marry but I want to marry but it seems like the men attracted to me aren't worth my time.

So I focus my energies on other things and try to keep busy to pass the time. Always looking for a way to avoid going home after work. After two years of not having much of a life during my deployment and grad school, I wanted to get out there and live more.

For the next couple of weeks, I have to plan my trips and also work on my tax documents. I am 10 months behind on the expenditures and travel logs and I'm even behind on this year's documents and I want to catch up and schedule an appointment to do my taxes.

Day 33

2010-02-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

I've been told I don't have a social conscience because I don't believe in socialism. The people who have told me I lack a social conscience are people who weren't born in America. I'll let the Europeans have socialism. Let those living here in America who want socialism move to Europe.

I don't believe in taking care of people who can but are unwilling to take care of themselves.

Now, I can see why Europe has become the land of opportunity - for droves of Muslims looking for ~~free speech and~~ ~~opportunity for~~ a better life. Remember the Mohammad cartoons in Denmark? What about how Paris suburbs almost went up in flames? Wonderful examples of free speech and social welfare at its best. Give me some of that! :roll:

I heard an interesting quote in church the other day.

Do you really think giving money to people is going to do them a bit of good? You can give people money until you're broke, but after all is said and done, not only will they still need money, but you'll be broke, too. The problem with socialists is, many of them don't believe in God and a lot of them either can't do simple math or are in complete denial of where money comes from to see that social programs bankrupt governments!

Perhaps, the quote would make more sense to socialist if it read like:

Doesn't it make more sense to teach people how to do for themselves? Make their own money? I blog a little bit about a quote (actually a Chinese proverb). I love Chinese proverbs as much as I love the Bible's book of Proverbs.

So, I don't think I lack a social conscience, it's just my ideas on how to help people who need, want, have the ability, and actually desire an improvement in their lives will be better off with some mentorship and funds from charitable donations instead of government run programs funded by forced deductions.

Chinese proverb.—The International Thesaurus of Quotations, ed. Rhoda Thomas Tripp, p. 76, no. 3 (1970).

Day 32

2010-02-01T19:29:00.001-08:00

Once you get out of the habit of doing something, it's hard to get back into it. I've been having a hard time getting back into going out every night. I just don't feel like doing it. But I need to because my future depends on it. The more people I meet the better.

I could be out right now. The night is still young.

I must read my read my Bible though. I hate going to bed early. I can sleep when I'm dead!

I have to plan out my trips and guestimate how much time I'm going to need for the traveling I plan on doing this year. So many places to go and so many people to see but I'm hoping to be able to write off every last one of my trips.

I've been eating a lot of Panda Express lately. Thought it would be nice to post the latest fortune cookie. Particularly like this one.

Day 31

2010-01-31T22:01:00.001-08:00

I had a good day. I went to church this morning but the sermon was about parenting and since I don't have children, it really didn't apply to me. And it made me feel sad. Got me thinking about how I don't have any kids. But I'd rather be single and without kids than single and with kids.

The evening service was much better and lifted my spirits.

I spoke to my dad today. It's always refreshing to hear from him. He's sending me something and I can't wait to see what it is. I hope it's beef jerky.

I need to get some laundry done.

Day 30

2010-01-30T21:02:00.000-08:00

I don't feel like blogging. I hate spending time in front of my computer. I used to love sitting in front of my computer surfing the net. Now, I can't stand the thought of it.

I prefer a good book. I think I'm getting old, which is okay as long as I age gracefully.

I must be off to washing my hair. I had planned on going to a beauty school and having someone else do it but changed my mind. I dislike paying people to do something I can do better myself.

Day 29

2010-01-29T21:22:00.001-08:00

I'm calling it an early night for once in a long time. I'm usually getting back from the place that can't be mentioned late with barely enough energy to get anything else done.

I just read read Exodus 21 and 22. I think it's interesting how everything seems to be done in increments of 7. (This post should have been written on a seventh day, week or month but I didn't read these chapters until today). Chapter 21 verse 2 says that if a man serves his master for 6 years, then in the 7th year he shall go free.

I wonder if it has anything to do with God creating the Earth in 6 days and resting on the 7th. The number 7 is associated with good luck. It just got me thinking if I will see this pattern repeated throughout the Bible.

Day 28

2010-01-28T20:13:00.000-08:00

I hate it when my browser crashes. I had an almost perfect post and then there was nothing. Firefox restarted and the post I had spend a glorious 10 minutes writing was lost.

So much for autosave.

I don't like Private Practice. I don't like any of the women on the show. Not one has redeeming qualities.

I need to get to writing (on paper) two posts I intend on writing.

Off to happy writing.

Day 27

2010-01-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

I don't have a whole lot of time before I hit the sack, but I just wanted to post something. I went to church tonight and heard a wonderful sermon. I will blog more about some of the things I learned in Winter Revival series.

I also want to blog about something I read in the AV Press. Somewhat disturbing actually. Or it might not be. It all depends on how you see the situation. I have made no attempts to hide my suspicions about Islam and Muslims in America.

Day 26

2010-01-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

The rain is back and my sinuses seem to be going crazy. Is it possible to be allergic to rain? What a thing to be allergic to when I'm not fond of the dry desert. Sure the desert has its advantages like I never really have to worry about frizzy hair from humidity but on the down side, it's just so dang brown all year long.

It seems there maybe some folks with with five-finger discount syndrome in my neighborhood. I hate not being able to have something delivered to my house for fear someone will take it. What can I do? I can't request different delivery service. I think I'm going to try to request UPS hold my packages.

Day 25

2010-01-25T21:50:00.001-08:00

I cannot describe how much better I feel now that I stopped taking all that medication the doctor had given me. I don't think prescription Flonase dries up nasal passages at all. If anything, it seems to make your nose run. I wasn't suffering from blocked sinuses but from a nasal drip. I stopped using the nasal spray and my nose started drying up.

Gross talk. I need to get to bed. I have an early day.

Day 24

2010-01-24T21:49:00.001-08:00

I can't remember what I said I was going to blog about last night. It must not have been too important.

It didn't rain today. That's a plus. I think it's suppose to rain tomorrow. I hate the rain.

The good news is my asthma seems to be under control. My nose has stopped running for the most part. I think all the medications the doctor gave me was the cause of my prolonged illness. Sometimes prescribed dope isn't good for you. I think the Flonase was the worst. My nose just wouldn't dry up.

I can't wait for Valentine's day this year. I have to go buy something cute and red or something. I want to wear my boots again. I definitely have to wear some toe socks.

I need to get a load of laundry in the washer and get to bed. I'm hoping to get off work early tomorrow.

Day 23

2010-01-23T23:11:00.001-08:00

I went to a BBQ in Simi Valley today. I had fun. I will write more about it tomorrow. I'm really tired and want to get some rest. I have church in the morning.

Day 22

2010-01-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

I just barely got home from work. I don't have anything new to report. It rained all day. I saw the sun this morning before I went into work but got off so late the only energy I have left I will reserve for taking my clothes off and getting to bed.

My dad did send me some spam on viagra. I will try to blog more tomorrow. I need to get some rest so I can make the drive down to Toastmasters. Yay. I think tomorrow will be my last trip to this particular group.

Day 21

2010-01-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

I haven't worked on my speech for Toastmasters at all. I know what I want to say but I'm not sure I can say it without completely slamming another member's speech. My speech is a rebuttal to a speech I heard back in December.

In her speech, she :

slammed welfare (don't have a problem with that),
described a dreary Social Security Office (don't have a problem with that either)
said America needs socialized health care (I have major issues with that)
people should have a cap on their earning potential with $100 million being the most a person can earn (WTF? Is this not America? Has she not heard of Free Enterprise??)
America needs to be like Denmark because they don't have homeless (Yeah, but they have lots of angry Muslims [remember the Mohammad cartoons?]) .

I totally wish it was kosher to shove her British head up her British @ss.

I was watching a little of Fox News today. They were basically analyzing how much Bush spent his 8 years versus Obama in his 1 year in the White House. Bush spent a lot of money but Obama has spent 4 times that amount in 1 year!!! ONE YEAR!!!!

I hate socialism.

Day 20

2010-01-20T20:39:00.001-08:00

It rained really hard today. I wanted to get some pictures but by the time I got off work it was already dark and raining hard. I didn't want to get water on my iPhone.

I got some more folks interested in starting a business. I can't wait to keep sharing the business. Too bad they are already saved. I share the gospel with them, too.

I better get to reading more of my Bible. I didn't go to church tonight because of the rain and my asthma attacks. So, if I'm not going to be in church, I might as well study my Bible.

Good night.