Julie Jones - I was just thinking

My Current Playlist

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:51:00 +0000

From my iTunes library...

Name Bad Habits	Time 5:52	Album BLACKsummers'night	Artist Maxwell
How To Save A Life	4:23	Grey's Anatomy: Original Soundtrack, Vol...	The Fray
Again & Again	2:44	Grey's Anatomy, Vol. 3	The Bird & The Bee
Say Ladeo	8:44	VOCAbuLarieS	Bobby McFerrin
If U Leave	4:12	OnMyRadio	Musiq Soulchild Feat. Mary J. Blige
'Til Summer Comes Around	5:31	Defying Gravity	Keith Urban
Driftin' Away	4:57	In... The Life of Chris Gaines	Garth Brooks
Break Of Dawn	5:33	Invincible	Michael Jackson
Iris	4:07	Love	Boyz II Men
Seven Days	4:39	Ten Summoner's Tales	Sting
When You Got A Good Thing	4:58	Need You Now	Lady Antebellum
Camouflage	3:59	Human	Brandy
Sun Comes Up	3:55	Grey's Anatomy, Vol. 3	John Legend
Chasing Cars [Acoustic]	4:31	Grey's Anatomy: Original Soundtrack, Vol...	Snow Patrol

Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:35:00 +0000

I had always heard that crochet is relaxing hobby. After having no hobbies for a very long time, I decided to give it a try. There aren't any classes at HCC for crochet, only knitting.

So I decided to start watching videos online and reading books. The books were as much help, at least not without a video. I found a couple of books that had DVDs with them. I was on my way.

I started off with hats, 6 hats specifically, and then a scarf. Now I'm working on blankets. It's easier than I had imagined.

At first crocheting was a bit stressful. I was gripping the hook too tightly and that made my hands cramp. But I've loosened my grip and now I've hit the relaxation sweet spot.

A couple of my friends have suggested selling my creations. But I don't want to do that because then it'll turn into a job.

Friends: Monica Cheats on Rachel

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:59:00 +0000

My Favorite Scene From Friends:
Season 2, episode 2: The One With the Breast Milk

Transcript:
In Monica and Rachel's apartment.

MONICA: Hey, where is everybody?

RACHEL: They took Ben to the park. Where've you been?

MONICA: Just out. Had some lunch, just me, little quality time with me. Thanks for your jacket.

RACHEL: Oh, no problem. You can borrow it, by the way. Here are your keys, hon. Mon, if uh you were at lunch alone, how come it cost you uh 53 dollars?

MONICA: You know what probably happened? Someone musta stolen my credit card.

RACHEL: And sorta just put the receipt back in your pocket

MONICA: That is an excellent excellent question. That is excellent.

RACHEL: Monica, what is with you? Who'd you have lunch with?

MONICA: Judy.

RACHEL: Who?

MONICA: Julie.

RACHEL: What?

MONICA: Jody.

RACHEL: You were with Julie?

MONICA: Look, when it started I was just trying to be nice to her because she was my brother's girlfriend. And then, one thing led to another and, before I knew it, we were...shopping.

RACHEL: Oh. Oh my god.

MONICA: Honey, wait. We only did it once. It didn't mean anything to me.

RACHEL: Yeah, right.

MONICA: Really, Rachel, I was thinking of you the whole time. Look, I'm sorry, all right. I never meant for you to find out.

RACHEL: Oh, please, you wanted to get caught.

MONICA: That is not true!

RACHEL: Oh, so you just sort of happened to leave it in here?

MONICA: Did it ever occur to you that I might just be that stupid?

RACHEL: Ok, Monica. I just have to know one thing. Did you go with her to Bloomingdales? Oh! Ok, ok, ok, I just really, uh, I just really need to not be with you right now.

5K X 2 (Meeting your goals)

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:39:00 +0000

I ran a 5K on Memorial Day. My finished in 38:56, which met my goal of finishing in under 40 minutes. This past Saturday, I did a second 5K at the East Columbia Library as part of their Summer Reading Kickoff and I did even better. My time was 35:53, three minutes less than the first run.
I know that not everyone is into running and believe me, I wasn’t either, but I set this goal for myself in January just to see if I could do it. We were talking about setting goals for ourselves in one of the Weight Watchers meetings recently and I just wanted to share the sense of accomplishment I felt from achieving this goal, not once, but twice.

As a child, I was on sports teams and I did all kinds of extra-curricular activities. I've always had super supportive people cheering me on and telling me that I could achieve anything I wanted. No one ever told me that I couldn't do something that I wanted to do. I've been so blessed to have these kinds of people in my life, all my life.

However, I didn't tell many people that I wanted to run the 5K. So achieving this goal made me realize that I can do anything I set my mind to, which oddly enough, I’ve always believed; but not always acted on.

I’m not sure what the next goal is just yet, besides reaching my 5% weight loss goal. Any suggestions?


Emily and Me at the Howard County Library 5K run on June 4, 2011	Me at the Rotary Club Memorial Run on May 30, 2011

Friendship for Grown-Ups by Lisa Whelchel

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Sun, 08 May 2011 02:28:00 +0000

Friendship for Grown-Ups: What I Missed & Learned Along the Way

Here’s the thing… I’m not really into self help books. I’m not into books about women’s issues. So when I read that Lisa Whelchel wrote a book about cultivating meaningful relationships, I was a little skeptical. I probably wouldn’t have even given it a second glance except that it was written by Lisa Whelchel; and let’s face it, I love the Facts of Life. I grew up on the show, literally. I wanted to be all four girls rolled up into one. The four girls were funny and seemed to enjoy each other.

When the show was over, I learned that Lisa had declined to appear in an episode that dealt with pre-marital sex and I remember thinking that I was really impressed with her integrity and her willingness not to compromise her Christian beliefs. Later I found out that she travels the country sharing her experiences and her beliefs. Again, I was impressed because this was a 180 degree departure from Blair Warner, the character she played on The Facts of Life, a character who in season three declared that she didn’t believe in God because her parents had divorced.

So I decided to give the book a preview on Amazon. I read the first few pages and was intrigued. The inside jacket reads, in part:

“I’ve always operated under the mistaken notion that the more perfect I was, the more people would like me and want to connect with me. So I kept a slick, glossy finish on my layer of protection. What I learned was, ultimately, my very ‘shininess’ acted like Teflon and prevented any kind of lasting bond.

Many tears, years, mistakes, and betrayals later, Lisa could see how God had been teaching her the lessons in friendship that she had missed as a child in Hollywood”.

So immediately you would assume that, of course, since she grew up in Hollywood, she wouldn’t have the social skills that “normal” people have. I mean, we all know that stereotype of the child actor… socially awkward as an adult and riddled with problems. However, in one brief anecdote (p.12), Lisa sums up why she hid behind a wall of perfection that only served to keep her from connecting on a deeper level with friends. More importantly this experience reveals why each one of us can relate to her experiences with building close friendships. In essence, this anecdote gives the reason to continue reading the book.

As I read Lisa’s story, I saw myself in some of her reflections. Her struggle to open up and then her devastation after disappointment, those were the reflections that really resonated with me. Her journey and struggle to invite the intimacy of real friendship into her life despite the pain it might bring was encouraging. Don’t get me wrong, there were devastating disappointments that seemed to cripple her at times. But her faith and support from others helped her navigate herself back to a peaceful place. These lessons also helped her to improve her relationship with God.

This isn’t a story about a Hollywood actor trying to fit in with ‘regular’ people. This is the story of a woman who took a chance to let people behind her protective wall and how taking that leap of faith helped her grown in her Christian faith.

What is great about this book is Lisa’s honesty and candor. Don’t expect her to dwell on her life in Hollywood. In fact she only name drops twice in the book and both times, she mentions one of her closest friends, fellow Facts of Life star, Nancy McKeon.

Just a note, this book can be found in the religion, Christian life, or women’s issues sections of your bookstore. Lisa writes as a Christian, often quoting scripture or referring to how her faith helped her get through a particular ‘season’ of her life.

To learn more about Lisa Whelchel, visit her website at http://www.lisawhelchel.com/ or follow her on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/lisawhelchel.

My favorite songs (A.K.A. The soundtrack of my life)

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:28:00 +0000

At work, we were recently asked to list our favorite songs. I have several favorites, each with unique reasons for being my favorite. Each has something that resonates in me either musically or lyrically. Below are a few with explanations of why I love these songs.

#5. You’ve Got a Friend – Carol King (http://youtu.be/Ko_vnGuVMHA)

When you're down and troubled
And you need some loving care
And nothing, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night

The reason I love this song is that it speaks of geniune friendship. The kind of friendship that we all long to have and the kind of friendship we should all strive to show to others. Plus, Carol King is a genius; undeniably one of the best songwriters of all time.

#4 Till Summer Comes Around – Keith Urban (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh0ESB30eJA)

Another long summer's come and gone
I don't know why it always ends this way
The boardwalk's quiet and the carnival rides
Are as empty as my broken heart tonight

Keith is the best thing to come out of Australia in many years. His lyrics are atypical of most county songs and his musicianship is unmatched. Till Summer Comes Around features a haunting guitar lick that automatically takes you to that empty beach where you met your first love. Who hasn't has a summer love and waited in the hope for those days to return? It's hopeful and sad at the same time.

#3 I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - U2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSv-lKwOQvE)

I have climbed highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

This song has been covered my gospel groups ever since it was released in 1987. I loved the honesty, the searching for something bigger than yourself. And you have to be crazy not to love U2.

#2 Listen - Beyonce (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1rLZfAfQLM)

Listen, I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on mind
You should have known

Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own

We've all found ourselves in a place that isn't right for us. That relationship, that job, that city, that just doesn't work for us anymore. We've become what someone else has dreamt for us. The problem with other people's dreams is that they can turn out to be our own nightmares. Self-preservation and this song allowed me make a major in my life when the opportunity presented itself.

#1 - No More Drama – Mary J. Blige (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em328ua_Lo8)

It feel so good when you let go
Avoid this drama in your life
Now you're free from all the pain
Free from all the game, free from all the stress
So find your happiness

I don't know, only God knows where the story ends
For me, but I know where the story begins
It's up to us to choose whether we win or loose
And I choose to win
This is my all time favorite song. It came out in 2001 when there was so much turmoil in the world and in my life. It summed up how I felt and what I wanted...what I still want. Mary J Blige acknowledged the pain and declared that it needed to end and that it would start inside of her. I remember reading that it became the "divorce" song; the song that empowered women to leave abusive relationships.

In explaining what "No More Drama" means for her, Mary J. Blige said, “When I say ‘no more drama,’ I’m saying no more to things like being my own worst enemy, no more hurting myself, just no more of that mess. Life is full of drama, but the bottom line is, you’ve got to make the choice whether you’re going to be happy or not. Even when you make the choice to be happy, there’s still going to be drama – but at least you won’t be inflicting the drama on yourself.”

from http://rnbdirt.com/mary-j-blige-describes-no-more-drama/1892/

In retrospect...

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 03:18:00 +0000

I've been taking a leadership development course for three months. I'm not new to leadership training. In fact, I was the student leadership club co-advisor a few years ago. So many of the theories aren't necessarily new to me.

However I am finding that my experiences in my work life and my personal life have given me a perspective that I have not had before. I am taking these lessons that I'm learning and putting them into real life action; difficulties and all. I mean, it's easy to be a leader when everyone does what you tell them to do. There's no work involved. But in the past few years, my leadership skills have been put to the test. Some people don't automatically trust me or my judgement because I haven't earned that trust through progressive interactions that would foster that trust. Sometimes there exists communication breakdowns that serve to put up barriers to trusting relationships. And sometimes, it could be external baggage that gets in the way.

In any case, I'm used to people trusting me. I am a person who walks in integrity. It is not often that I say one one thing and do something else. When it happens, it is more often than not a result of outside influences getting the way of me fulfilling my promises.

We were asked today to talk about what we have gained from the course. Two things have emerged for me. Being more purposeful and less judgemental in my interactions. And by judgemental, I don't necessarily mean, "I'm right and you're wrong". We learned about perceiving the phenomenon versus our story about the phenomenon today and it was eye opening for me. We also talked about ethics, integrity, communication, personal values, work styles and other things that make each one of us the person we are. These things shape who we are and how we perceive the world. They can make use better communicators or the person who drains another person's soul.

We learned today that there is no text book approach to dealing with other people especially when we are coming from a position of leadership. Each situation requires a specific leadership style to guarantee a successful outcome. Can each of us become what is needed to fill space, the missing piece that will move the group along? The answer doesn't really involve having a particular skill set. It involves more of our willingness to serve and to model the behaviors that successful leaders have been modeling for us.

I said there were two things and I think I mentioned two things already. But there is a third aspect that I think each of us has felt and appreciated. There is comfort in being in a cohort group for an extended period of time with people who are outside your normal sphere of influence. My cohort group consists of people from a variety of areas of the organization and though we bring a variety of experiences, we seem to find that our experiences, although different in setting, are similar in content. And as we're learning new nuggets of information, we seem to be collectively putting together the pieces to create what I hope becomes a mosiac for what a good leader looks like.

It's been great to be with this group. I previously worked with four of the people in my group and one other person I just recently started interacting with through committee work. But for the most part I didn't know anyone else beyond their name and where they work. After three months, we seem closer, more connected to each other and invested in each other's successes.

Summer/Fall 2011 Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:06:00 +0000

LFIT-933 Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning (1 credit)

This class focuses on the aerobic, strength, and power training exercises performed by the mixed martial arts athletes of today. Various interval and high intensity activities will be trained using indoor and outdoor facilities and equipment. This course focuses on the conditioning aspects of mixed martial arts and will not involve the practice of fighting techniques.
SUMMER SESSION 1: May 31 - July 01
DAY
5461 301 7:30AM-8:50AM TWTHF

Fall Semester
LFIT-137 Circuit Weight Training (1 credit)
This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and basic skills necessary to participate in various circuit training programs. Students will learn how to utilize the principles of circuit training in the development of muscular and cardiovascular fitness program.

DAY
2396 301 7:30AM-8:22AM TTH
Fees: $20.00.

LFIT-921 Boot Camp for Fitness (1 credit)

This high intensity class focuses on interval cardiovascular training and high powered strength
conditioning using outdoor facilities and equipment. When weather does not permit outdoor
training, classes will be conducted indoors.
DAY
5093 301 7:30AM-8:22AM MW

The 17th Biggest Loser contestant

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:38:00 +0000

Last Friday I started doing workouts at home in addition to my classes at work. I'm working on a weight loss goal and I'm a third of the way there. My goal was to lose 30 lbs by the season finale of the Biggest Loser. That gave me roughly 17 weeks to drop the weight. I am keeping a record of my weekly weigh-ins. Needless to say that I'm losing as much as the BL contestants. But I don't really need to. Once I reach the finale. I'll set another goal to lose the next set of lbs. One thing that has helped is changing my diet and exercising.

I will admit that I don't have the calorie counting down. I'm looking at the numbers as a guideline. But I will admit that I'm not keeping a food journal. I am though planning better meals for myself and eating smaller portions.

Right now my biggest hurdle is my current weight. I'm at the weight where things have usually fallen apart for me. So I'll just to plow through this barrier and keep on going. Running has helped. It helps me think. When I'm on the treadmill, I can be inside of my head. It sounds crazy, but in noise of the gym, I can tune the world out and just get in my own head space.

My running goal is to do a 5K. We'll see how that goes.

Carrie Hamilton

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:52:00 +0000

Carrie Hamilton was an American actress, singer, and playwright.Last Thursday was January 20th, 2011. Nine years ago, the world lost a bright light who expressed the following sentiment:

"Everyday I wake up and I decide, Today I'm going to love my life" - Carrie Louise Hamilton (December 5, 1963 – January 20, 2002)

I first read this quote by Carrie Hamilton shortly after she lost her battle with cancer in January 2002. I was instantly struck by its optimism and determination. Even as her health was failing, Carrie lived her life with passion and determination to love during every moment of her life.

Of her disposition during her illness, her family said that Carrie was most concerned about her family's welfare, specifically her mother and younger sisters. She was an inspiration to many people. Carrie's mom included the following quote (spoken by Carrie) in her latest book, This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett:

"The legacy is really the lives we touch, the inspiration we give, altering someone's plan -- if even for a moment, and getting them to think, rage, cry, laugh, argue . . . walk around the block, dazed . . . More than anything, we are remembered for our smiles; the ones we share with our closest and dearest, and the ones we bestow on a total stranger, who needed it then, and God put you there to deliver."

To Carrrie's mom, sisters, brothers, family and friends... The world is less bright without Carrie in it and my heart goes out to you.

Carrie life was recently honored by Anaheim University. Read about it at 2011 Green Planet Movie Awards web page.

Jay Leno Surprises 100-Year-Old Twins With Their Favorite Celebrity, Carol Burnett

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:44:00 +0000

Read the LA Times Article by Bob Pool

To the couple behind me in line at Giant

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:26:00 +0000

Dear Mr and Mrs. Kissy-face....

You don't know this, but I have been at work all day in a very small office. I have many tasks on my plate including making plans for a major system overall that will take up every minute of my days until the new system goes online, which won't be until the end of June. I'm also preparing for Diversity Week at my job and I keep thinking about that diversity day episode of The Office.

Also, I've been on Dr. Ian Smith's Fat Smash Diet for the past nine days and for the first time ever, I'm having horrible cravings for meat and chocolate.

Oh yeah, I have other things on my mind. My furnace intermittently blows cold air unless I put the thermostat up to 85 degrees in my place. It's pretty much a nuisance since it's been really cold.

I'm telling you all this because I have a lot going on and so when you stand less than a foot behind me in line at the self check machine, it annoys me. Give me some space so that I can swipe my credit without having to think about your stupid photographic memory that you will undoubtedly use to steal my identity. Haven't you heard of personal space before? Where were you raised? In a barn or something?

Oh yeah, and I also don't feel like hearing (yes, I said hearing) you suck each other's face off while you are STILL standing less than a foot behind me. It's great that you're in love and I'm happy that you found each other... but can you do that at home, PLEASE? Some of us had a long day and and just don't have the patience for that right now.

Thanks,
The lady in front of you in self check out in Giant.

From the Old Farmer's Almanac

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:08:00 +0000

2011 Long-Range Weather Forecast for Atlantic Corridor

JANUARY 2011: temperature 30 ° (3 ° below avg.); precipitation 2.5" (1" below avg.); Jan 1-5: Snow, then sunny, very cold; Jan 6-11: Snow showers, then sunny, cold; Jan 12-17: Rain and snow, seasonable; Jan 18-21: Snowstorm, then sunny, very cold; Jan 22-24: Snow, then sunny, cold; Jan 25-31: Snow, then sunny, very cold.

FEBRUARY 2011: temperature 35 ° (2 ° above avg.); precipitation 4" (1" above avg.); Feb 1-3: Sunny, turning mild; Feb 4-6: Heavy rain, mild; Feb 7-10: Rain to snow; Feb 11-16: Snow showers, then sunny, very cold; Feb 17-20: Snowstorm, then sunny; Feb 21-24: Rain, then sunny, mild; Feb 25-26: Rain, mild; Feb 27-28: Sunny, mild.

Autumn in Columbia

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:53:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 04:55:00 +0000

Today I finally had my strength back. I still managed too oversleep because that's what I've been doing for the past week. But I didn't feel exhausted when I woke up. Also for the first time in about a week I had coffee. Big mistake. My stomach wasn't really ready for that. I had soup and a turkey burger for lunch and soup for dinner.

This has been an interesting week. I rarely get the stomach virus and it really forced me to slow down. There is so much that I have on my plate and so much on the side and it's hard to keep up and deal with everything in productive way. I don't think I have it down yet. But maybe one day.

Strange Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Last night I dreamt that the phone rang and it literally woke me up.
The night before I dreamt that Janelle and I were putting together furniture made out of Lincoln logs. Every time we finished a particular piece and set it up, it fell apart.
I fell asleep thinking about how I would make my students change their seats next week and started dreaming about seating assignments.
Next year is the Horowitz Center's fifth anniversary and I dreamt about us having a Gala.... and it was AWESOME!
I'm not 100% sure about this one, but I think I keep having dreams about Grey's Anatomy... seriously.

Real Housewives of DC

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:31:00 +0000

Ok, I admit it... I watched the Real Housewives of DC the other day.

The Great White Way (the origin)

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:45:00 +0000

Here's a bit of theatre trivia for you:

Have you ever wondered why Broadway is called the Great White Way? I wondered and this is what I found on Wikipedia:

"Great White Way is a nickname for a section of Broadway in the Midtown section of the New York City borough of Manhattan, specifically the portion that encompasses the Theatre District, between 42nd and 53rd Streets, and encompassing Times Square.[citation needed]

Nearly a mile of Broadway was illuminated in 1880 by Brush arc lamps, making it among the first electrically-lighted streets in the United States.[citation needed]

The headline "Found on the Great White Way" appeared in the February 3, 1902, edition of the New York Evening Telegram.[citation needed] The journalistic sobriquet was inspired by the millions of lights on theater marquees and billboard advertisements that illuminate the area, especially around Times Square.[citation needed]

from the Wikipedia article "Broadway (New York City) found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_White_Way#Great_White_Way

Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:27:00 +0000

You know, I've been giving this Twitter thing some thought. I've never really understood the appeal of Twitter. I mean, you only get 140 characters to say what you need to say. I guess that's enough for somethings. But as someone who is used to blogging, I need a lot more characters.

But I have to admit, the popularity of Twitter is intriguing to me. I was watching E! today and someone was saying that Twitter is directly responsible for some of the marketing decisions that some celebrities make; in this case, it was Justin Beiber.

So maybe I'm wrong. Maybe tweeting isn't pointless. I don't think I'm going to begin tweeting because clearly, I can't get my thoughts out in 140 characters or fewer. But I may start following other people.

Dr. Grey to the ER - STAT!

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:46:00 +0000

As of July 20th, I have watched 73 episodes of Grey's Anatomy since July 5th. Seriously...73 episodes....73 hours of Grey's Anatomy. My friend Lisa is looking into rehab facilities for me, I'm sure. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I just started watching Grey's Anatomy this past season, mostly out of boredom. I was home one Thursday night, which is unusual because I'm usually at the kingdom hall on Thursday nights. Since I'm never home on Thursday night, I had no idea what normally comes on TV. As I flipped the channels, I came across Grey's and I decided to give it a chance.

My first two episodes were episodes 6.01 and 6.02, "Good Mourning" and "Goodbye". They aired on September 24, 2010 and were from all accounts two of the saddest episodes in Grey's Anatomy history. At least that was what I was told by longtime Grey's fans after I watched the episodes. "Good Mourning" marks the last episode with Dr. George O'Malley who is hit by a bus trying to save a woman's life. The entire episode revolves around everyone at Seattle Grace trying to save the John Doe hero who pushed a woman out of the way of a bus. At the end of the episode when an unrecognizable O'Malley writes 007 in Meredith's hand, everyone realizes that John Doe is George.

"Goodbye" opens with George dying and everyone dealing with the loss in their own ways and you see exactly what George meant to each person in the hospital. It was heart-wrenching and intriguing at the same time. I was hooked. I watched the remainder of the season and was completely sucked in...

Recently, I went on vacation with a couple of friends and we were sitting in the hotel on a Thursday night and I asked them to turn the TV to ABC on the off chance that Grey's Anatomy was on. The aforementioned Lisa declared me officially addicted. Grey's was not on and what was worse, Lifetime moved the reruns to a time during the workday. What was I going to do?

You know, I never go to Suncoast Video. I tend to buy DVDS at Blockbuster and Target. But one day, I wandered into Suncoast and the sales person told me that they were having a one-day sale on used DVDS; buy two, get one free. I instantly looked for Star Trek Voyager because I have been wanted to get that set for a long time. But they didn't have any used copies. My second choice was Grey's Anatomy and they had a used copy of each season. I bought seasons 1 - 5 on the spot.

So began the 15 day stint... I've watched 73 episodes, which puts me at episode 4.13. I still have half of season 4 and all of season 5 to watch. I've seen season 6, but the DVD will be released on September 14, 2010.

As you can imagine, watching 73 hours of Grey's Anatomy has affected me. I find myself using the word "seriously" a lot more now in conversation. In tough situations, I can't helping thinking WWBD, "what would Bailey do?". It's crazy... but I love this show... I SERIOUSLY love this show.

Camouflage

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:35:00 +0000

Songwriters: Jerkins, Rodney; Kelly, Claude;

I'm a work in progress, I'm a seed grown into a flower
I'm a storm that's rising and getting stronger with every hour
And God knows I ain't perfect, tell me who in the world is?
All I know is that I'm searching for somebody to love me with

These flaws I've got, they're all part of who I am
Take me or not, but I finally understand
I'm so done trying to be everything you want
And I have to stop 'cause baby, you ain't worth it
If I gotta camouflage, for love, for love
No, I won't camouflage, for love, for love, I won't camouflage

I need a lot of improvement, not even half way to destiny
But I'm a train that's moving and everyday I'm picking up speed
And God knows you ain't perfect
So who are you to put pressure on me?
That's why I'm still searching for somebody to love me with

These flaws I've got, they're all apart of who I am
Take me or not, but I finally understand
I'm so done trying to be everything you want
'Cause I have to stop, 'cause baby, you ain't worth it
If I gotta camouflage, for love, for love
No, I won't camouflage, for love, for love, I won't camouflage

I've learned from my mistakes
The only way you're gonna be happy
Is if someone's down to take
Here when it's good and it's bad you see
I tried giving half of me, in the end I came up empty
And that's why I'm searching, yeah
For somebody to love me with these flaws

These flaws I've got, they're all part of who I am
Take me or not, but I finally understand
And I'm so done trying to be everything you want
'Cause I have to stop, 'cause baby, you ain't worth it
If I gotta camouflage

These flaws I've got, they're a part of who I am
Take me or not, but I finally understand
And I'm so done trying to be everything you want
When I have to stop, 'cause baby, you ain't worth it
I've gotta camouflage

For love, for love, no, I won't camouflage
For love, for love, I won't camouflage
If I gotta camouflage, 'cause baby, you ain't worth it
If I gotta camouflage
Baby, you ain't worth it, if I gotta camouflage

© STUDIO BEAST MUSIC; WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP;

Listen to an excerpt

Permission to say no

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:19:00 +0000

As women, we tend to put more on ourselves than we should. We are the caregivers of the world and for many of us, life isn't complete if we aren't helping at least one person at all times. While giving of your time is a worthy and noble gesture, many of us give until we lose who we really are. We take on the burdens of others...we ARE the job. We become defined by what we do for others. We make tidy little cages for ourselves that years later we struggle to free ourselves from.

Over the past six months, my awareness of my cage has become painfully apparent to me. I was stuck in the volunteer trap and I was struggling to break free. When you volunteer to help others, one unfortunate and unsavory bi-product is the expectation of continued service. People begin to believe that because you volunteer for one thing, naturally you want to volunteer for everything. An expectation is created with built in disappointment.

What I have come to realize is that my mental and emotional health is worth far more than helping every single person I encounter. This doesn't apply any apathy on my part; far from it. When I am emotionally healthy, I am able to be a better person, friend, helper to others.

Now... intellectually, I have known this for a while. However, it has been a struggle to break free of the volunteer cycle. When I was going through the process of getting my current job, my former supervisor said that my biggest strength (wanting to help others) was my biggest weakness as well. I knew that he was right. I just didn't know how to break free from the cycle which began years ago.

That is until a few months ago....

When everything started coming at me at once and exceeding high expectations were heaped on me. Things that I had done out of the "team-spirit of it all" became expectations; minimum requirements and frankly, enough was enough.

Then I had a conversation with a friend, who just happens to be my supervisor and she did something that changed me in a profound way. She gave me permission to say no. She pointed out to me that my time was stretched so thin that I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was carrying so much stress, unnecessarily, and enough was enough. She also reminded me of something that women tend to forget from time to time. My needs and obligations come first, plain and simple. Helping people at the risk of my health or even my job is so not worth it. With those few simple words born from her own experiences, she freed me from the guilt of disappointing others.

I remember one instance of telling her that I was afraid to speak to someone about a situation because, "what if he gets mad at me for saying no" and she looked me straight in the eye and said, "then he'll just be mad - end of story". A simple, but powerful statement. I found strength in that statement and I knew what needed to be done.

Having said that, I don't want people to assume that the world will suddenly start revolving around me. Far from it. But my feelings, emotional health, and time will become a factor in the decisions I make in the future.

So thank you, JB, for giving me permission to say no.

Brandy - Long Distance

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Thu, 06 May 2010 03:35:00 +0000

I'm like a calculus problem you just can't solve

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:27:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, a co-worker said something to me that I found quite rude. She said, "when you keep your hair long, you really don't do anything with it." What I found rude was the tone with which she said it. This person knows of me, but she doesn't know the real me. She assumes that since she can afford to make regular trips to the salon, so can everyone else. She thinks a lot of herself and very little of other people. And honestly it's a waste to give her any of my energy.

But it got me to thinking... How many of my "friends" really know me. There are less than a handful that really know the innermost me.

The me who really can't deal with crowds of more than 4 people at a time.
The me who can't stand the smell of ketchup.
The me who had more unpleasant days in middle school than her mind will allow her to remember.
The me who as an adult is still uncomfortable in the dark.
The me who has felt sadness so deeply that it was manifested in physical pain.
The me who takes delight in her childlike qualities.
The me who doesn't wear makeup because she never learned how to put it on.
The me who wishes she had finished the adapted screenplay she started in 1989.
The me who considers very few people real friends and all other acquaintances.
The me who literally dreams up solutions to work problems.
The me who has had an exciting, yet tumultuous 4 months.
The me who still dreams about Petey and his final days navigating in the snow.
The me who is working on being happy even though at times it's really hard.

Most people don't know the real me...and I'm OK with that.

Theresa Jane Jones - My Grandmother

noreply@blogger.com (Webkidjulie) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:50:00 +0000

My Grandmother - Theresa Jane Jones

A collage of pictures of my Grandmother