Friday, January 29, 2010

Friday Shenanigans.

Hey gang, so I have an idea!!! (uh oh...haha)

Every Friday I will post a quote, and I hope you all will leave your interpretations of its meaning in my comment box!  As the day goes on I will update and add the different explanations to the original post. I think it will be a good way of  "broadening our horizons", looking at things from another perspective  :)

In the future I will do this post earlier in the morning...

I heard this quote awhile back and believe it to hold so much truth. Whats your take on it?

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." by Woodrow Wilson

Words of wisdom or words of waste?

Max Mulberry
Truer words were never spoken.

It would seem that individuals are so involved, so content in the "now", that any attempt to rile said comfort would create discontent. Alas, we are still evolving :)

Meg
i think it's absolutely true... i'm met with cold looks from at least one person everytime i try to change the smallest thing at work! it's infuriating.

Mr. Sparkle
Maybe I'm a little off but I can relate it to relationships. If one person eventually wants out it can ruin everything, even friendship. Fortunatley, I've remained close to the one I cared about the most.


Oh and also, check out this guys photography blog -- sure he may be on the other side of the Atlantic ocean but hes got talent fooo shooo =) Worth a peak I would say!

http://charlwoodphotography.blogspot.com/

Lastly, I have my first campaign adventure tommorow, wish me luck!!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

This and that.

YOU KNOW ITS TIME TO GO HOME WHEN:
1. You have absolutely no idea where your shoes are.
2. You've just had to get someone to help you pull your pants up in the ladies room.
3. You suddenly decide you want to kick someone's ass.
4. In your last trip to "pee" you realize you now look more like Tammy Faye Baker than the goddess you were just four hours ago.
5. You drop your 3:00 a.m. burrito on the floor, pick it up and carry on eating.
6. You start crying.
7. There are less than three hours before you're due to start work.
8. You've found a deeper side to the office nerd.
9. The man you're flirting with used to be your 5th grade teacher.
10. The urge to take off articles of clothing, stand on a table and sing becomes strangely overwhelming.
11. You've forgotten where you live.
12. You've started to sound like Jessie Ventura from the cigarettes you've smoked, because (as you've mentioned like 10x's by now) you only smoke when you drink.
13. You yell at the bartender, who (you think) cheated you by giving you just tonic, but that's just because you can no longer taste the gin or vodka.
14. You think you're in bed, but your pillow feels strangely like pizza.
15. You start every conversation with a booming, "Don't take this the wrong way but..."
16. You fail to notice that the toilet lid's down when you sit on it.
17. Your sloppy hugs begin to resemble wrestling take-down moves.
18. You're tired so you just sit on the floor (and why not!).
19. You show your friends that girls can pee standing up if they really want to.
20. You start making-out with middle-eastern men on dance floors

Found this list and got a chuckle out of it, some of them I can unfortunately relate to :o)

Sorry to have been a bit M.I.A the past few days, took a mental health day yesterday. Turns out reading the news online right before bedtime is not so much my thing, haven't had nightmares like that since I was a child. So I decided to comfort myself with what I thought would be a day in my pjs, bad tv and possibly some ice cream. Instead, I happily ran errands for my mom and took care of the babe for a good chunk of the day - I will say this; having a little one around makes everything in the world seem ok. No matter what awful stories you may hear about and or read about (particularly on the 11 o'clock news), seeing a little pip squeak get a kick out of a a good tickle makes everything seem like rainbows and lolli pops again. I am thankful to be able to come home to that :)

Oh and also thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. I was being a grump, and everyone was right - I need to get a hobby, enjoy time on my own!!! Sooo I signed up to volunteer for a campaign which is underway in Massachusetts right now. I will get back to you all and let you know how its going once I have my first experience with it!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Sunday, fun-day?

Sundays. Hmm I really am not sure how I feel about this day of the week. I love the thought of Sunday, because in my mind it is the perfect day to relax and catch yourself up on, well, yourself  =) 

However, I think Sundays can also be the day of the week you feel most lonely. I am incredibly lucky to have great family/friends and am enjoying my "singlehood" but for some reason Sundays continually seem to bring out the more pathetic side of me. Maybe it is because as a child Sundays were always a time for family to get together, it became ingrained in me that this was when those who loved you most surrounded you for the day and everyone enjoyed one anothers company. Now that we are all older, this is not so much the case anymore - who can compete with college life (i.e. hangovers and term papers?!). Its also the day that I most like, when I am in a relationship. Sundays, in the past, have typically been the day that myself and whomever I'm with, would spend together; recouping from a weekend spent with friends and family.

Its a "together" day.

So that is my gripe with Sundays. Perhaps it is time I find a new hobby, anyone have any suggestions?

Besides this little ongoing tiff I have with Sundays, my weekend was great :)  Drinks and chinese food with family friends, house hunting with my mom, skiing and cocktails with friends! What do I really have to complain about?!? lol

Pictorial Review: Captured Moments from the Weekend.



Liv and I enjoying the last few moments of sunlight while at the playground on Saturday. Brr it was chilly!




Searching for something in my moms "junk" drawer when I stopped and realized what a neat collage of items this was. It sums my mom up sort of perfectly. Passport (loves to travel), Toys R'US receipt (mom of 5, including a little one), Bracelet (elegant and classy), Grandfathers brush (things of his cover the whole house, hes always close : ), moola (even if its a buck, she knows its worth!), pixie cup holding her wedding rings (simplistic yet treasured). My dad would cringe if he saw that pixie cup... :-p

Hope you all had a nice weekend.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Facebook: In my face a bit too much.

Dear Facebook,

I sincerely appreciate you bringing us all together.

However, for a world that is so big you somehow make it feel so small.

Please do something about this and the fact that my young adolescent cousin deems it appropriate to swear and be somewhat scandalous (does she realize its a fishbowl, everyone can see what she writes?!) on her profile.

Sincerely,

Committed FB follower.

Does anyone else feel like FB has more negative aspects than good ones? I was chatting with my mom a few days ago and she was telling me that not everyone you meet is suppose to stay in your life; regardless of what facebook and other social outlets of the sort may claim/instigate. It was a "ah ha" moment for me. My mother has never been more right about anything. I blindly have been under the influence of facebook and all its mind games that I had begun to think that it was important for me to keep tabs on people, even those I don't really like. Its difficult not to when their status', pics, and comments are shoved in your face on a daily basis. It can sometimes feel as though you cannot get away, especially from those who you so desperately need to get away from. I have even gone as far to "hide" certain people from popping up in my newsfeed; sound pitiful, well sure it is but it has saved/preserved my sanity. You all know what I'm talking about...who really wants to see pics of thier ex's actually enjoying the fruits of life without you?!?! Am I right or am I right? :)

Anyways, I started thinking about all this facebook nonsense mainly because an acquaintance recently posted something on their livefeed which I found to be terribly offensive, (rude enough to get me to respond) and I then started questioning things such as etiquette and manners. Some people seem to have forgotten that just because you are in the land of "virtual socializing" does not mean its okay to name call and or belittle others. And lastly, just because I didn't vote the way you think I and the rest of the state should have, does not mean I don't understand the opponents practices and beliefs - I can "THINK" perfectly fine, thank you very much.


Ha well now that felt good! Thanks for listening to me vent everyone. Thoughts on this?

This lovely lady talks a bit about facebook and all its torments in her blog here, http://iwokeupinnyc.blogspot.com/2010/01/truth-series-living-for-me-younot.html.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010



I have taken the pledge and so should you. A very dear friend of mine recently received the Kindle as a gift and loves it. At first I had no freaking clue to what she was talking about and when she explained it to me I found myself both, happy for her and slightly sad for the world. To think you can now buy and then read books electronically is disheartening. Being a reader, theres nothing like holding a new book in your hands, opeing up the crisp pages to find a whole new world just waiting for you to dive into. Or how about something as simple as turning the pages, knowing you are one step closer to the end of a mystery?! No more book marks? No more bookshelves?! I often find that one of the most telling things about a person is what you can find in their book nook, bookshelf, bookcase (whatever you wanna call it). You can get a real feel for a persons interestes, hobbies, passions and so on by just taking a quick glimpse at their book collection, right? Well I think it would be a trajedy if this no longer became an option. So hop on the bandwagon and take the pledge! :-p  http://readtheprintedword.org/

In other news, look what I found last night... Oh Boston boys, such keepers!! haha



Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ya'll rock my socks ;)

Just wanted to quickly thank those of you who left comments on the post regarding "online" dating. It is so trivial when you start comparing your worries about "virtual dating" to the worries in the world that really matter. Nontheless its something that has been on my mind a bit lately and it really was nice to hear everyones calming words and positive attitudes towards going this route.

In other news, the helicopter ride was great! It was so refreshing to wake up on a Saturday and have something new and out of the ordinary to do :)  My friend and I left around 9, and by 10:30 were up in the air. I don't think either one of us realized how quickly it would all happen, we didn't even have much time to be scared (which was probably a good thing!). It was amazing, we flew north to New Hampshire where we circled Lake Winnipeasakee and then LANDED on the ice!! There is a bay that one of the local towns shovels off every year and for about a month (while the ice is thick enough) they allow small aircrafts to land. So there we were with probably two dozen small 2 to 4 person airplanes. We then went in, grabbed some coffee at a local diner and chatted. Wellll my friends, this is where I made a fatal and rookie mistake: I drank my coffee like it was going outta style and I soon felt the after effects. We were up in the heli before I knew it, with an hour long ride home and the sun beaming down on us - I felt as though I was going to barf the whole way home! ahhh sorry for the tmi but it was awful!! Not to mention it made me feel like crapola the rest of the day. However, it really was an amazing experience, one that a year ago I may not have been so apt to explore or be part of.
Over the last year I have really learned how important it is to step outside your comfort zone and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. In the past I have been pretty easy to please, and definitely still consider myself to be an easy going person however I have realized the rewards and benefits that come from pushing yourself - both mentally and physically. I love being able to end my day feeling accomplished, even if it is something as silly as riding around in a helicopter for a few hours. The fact that I can sit back and say "wow I have done that!" inspires me to do even more. We only have one life to cram it all in, might as well start now right? :)

And plus I mean I think I kinda rock at the whole co-pilot look... ;)




Monday, January 18, 2010

Dum de dum

Spending my day off playing in the snow with the littlest of us Burkes! And spending tonight with the second to littlest laying on the couch, indulging in some of the worst t.v around... The Bachelor!!

Hope everyone is having a good day - be back tomm!!! =)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

So peeps, lets talk.

Hmm where to begin with this one?

Online dating.

There, I said it! Why does it carry such a bad name? I mean, maybe it is just me but for some reason the idea of it is just insane. Pssssh whoever is part of an online dating site must be a wicked. major. total. losaaa.

Well my friends, according to my own thoughts: I am a wicked. major. total. losaaa.

So basically I was having lunch with a friend of mine (attacking a generously sized slice of pizza) when my friend, someone I consider to be very witty, interesting, beautiful and totally normal, dropped a bomb on me,

"So I went on a date with this guy I met from a dating site the other day."

At this point my eyes bulged, my upper body leaned back in exasperation and my mouth full of pizza opened in such an ungainly manner that I was probably close to losing that exquisite bite of yumminess! My friend probably thought I was about to seizure and took protective measures by leaning over and knocking some sense into me, "haha Aub, relax!".  So I did and as she continued on with her story I sat there in a confused and bewildered state, wondering what had the world come to that my terrific, sane, lovely friend has had to resort to an online dating site?!?!

She told me the name of the site and said, "You should check it out, there are actually a lot of normal, good looking guys on there. If nothing else, it will keep you entertained while at work." I may have scoffed a bit and just nodded my head while thinking "ha I am so not one of those people...".
Sure enough, 3 o'clock rolled around and instead of going for my daily piece of chocolate, I resisted the urge and made my way onto this infamous site.

I have been a member ever since.

Mostly, for entertainment purposes because if my friend was right about anything, it was that it sure can eat up a couple hours of your day! Holy snikies I sometimes find that just perusing thru various profiles takes up the whole train ride in! I have received many messages on the site, and a number of the guys have been actually pretty interesting and handsome men. However, it really is very different from meeting a guy at a bar or out at a social scene - it seems as though an ongoing complaint between fellow "cyber daters" is that some people do not look and or act as the way they look and seem on their profiles. The virtual world of dating is based much more on truly getting to know someone and less about physical attraction.

Proof: I was talking to a guy, who I thought to be very good looking and charming to boot. Well after a few weeks of chatting we finally got to the convo of "facebooking" one another (kind of funny, one social network to another - the progression of dating sure is changing). I have never been one to judge soley on looks and have dated some lookers and not so great lookers but let me tell you - this guy looked as much like the pics in his dating profile from his facebook pics as a frog looks like a horse. Bad analogy? Well you get my jist. Absolutely a different person. I was shocked and upset because here I was "getting to know" this man, only to find he was in a way decieving me... sound shallow? Well I suppose it is, but as we all know the attraction part does matter.

How do you all feel about online dating? I need some moral support here! :)  I know people who have had real success and who are not shy about sharing it with the world, why do I feel as though I am cheating the system by having an account? More importantly why do I feel like such a losaa? Thoughts?!?!?!

*Note - The site I am on is a free online dating service and if you would like the name of it, feel free to email me and ask :)

Oh and on another note, guess what I will be riding in, this Saturday?
   Soooo excited!!!


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Mapping out a route.

I think it is fair to say we are all in constant need of a direction. Whether it is towards or away from someone; choosing one job or the other, finding a home here or there, settling for what you are or what you could be; each and every one of these decisions mandates some sort of direction on your part. How do we choose which way to go? How will we know which is the best route?
I was trying to figure out which countries to visit (currently planning a backpacking trip for this summer) and as I pin pointed different locales on this map (imaginary arrow points below) it occured to me that I could really use a map like this one, in all aspects of my life.



(by the way this is a really greaaat map)
Wouldn't it be lovely if there was some sort of guarantee in life, the way there is in traveling, that if you start here, hop a plane and end there, that you will be blissfully happy?! Well ideally that would be great, to know the outcome of all actions made on your part. However, I often forget that, even in traveling, its often the journey and NOT the destination that accounts for a great trip. Looking back, I must admit that even with all the turbulence, all the bumps in the road, all the delays and set backs, it has still managed to be a great journey.
So, as they say, we should all just sit back and enjoy the ride :)
On the other hand, I really do like hearing about other people in their 20's and how they are fairing this "trip" we are on. It sure does seem to be difficult at times, not really knowing where we all fit in and how we are suppose to find a spot for ourselves in this great, big world. To ease my worries I have found that this site has done wonders. Please head here and check it out!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Oh Thursday, how I love thee.

This time last week I was driving up to maine in some pretty slippery conditions, making every pit stop my lovely co-pilot and I could possibly make (Panera you are such a good friend!!). This week I will be driving in equally scary conditions: city traffic! However, as there was last week, there is a light at the end of the tunnel - dinner, beer and um, errrr, hmm how do I put this in a way that I can sustain any sort of dignity? Don't think there is a way, so instead of saying it I will resort to this:

Yes, it is awful and yes I am ashamed. But oh goodness is it not the best sort of "pick me up" around?! Pure, unadulterated fun. I get to spend an hour of my night completely in tune with this group of people, that week after week continue to amaze me with their wit? beauty? intelligence? Ha I have no idea what it is that has me hooked, but it sure ain't none of those (oh gosh I think their lingo is starting to rub off on me). Whatever it is that I find so compelling in these self proclaimed "Guidos" and "Guidettes" I have decided that it is time to expose my interest to the world. So thank you Blog, my cover is blown and my honesty is restored! I am a fan and will continue to be so until one of them becomes educated, removes the hair gel and or fake boobies or realizes that tanning is actually very bad for you...

Has anyone ever had any interest in going to Alaska? I met someone over the summer who has made it a bit of a life goal to get there and it wasn't until I met him that I realized how beautiful it really is. Leave you all with some of the perrrty pics :)






Saw so many moose this summer, I am telling you its a sight to behold - for such gigantic animals they move so gently!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

It has been too long.

What a year it has been. I have never been happier to say goodbye to a year, and from what I hear there are many who feel the same way. It is funny to think that one day can hold so much hope, so much faith is stored in January 1st; as though this day will be an end all be all to all the days prior. As silly as it is, I am a follower, I was counting down the days to the New Year, wholeheartedly believing with a new year would come a new me, a new start, a new life. Ha, I may be being a bit dramatic butttt I must say I really needed this hope, something to help me move on and look torwards the future.

This New Years meant more to me than any other New Years in the past; it held a lot of weight and significance in my life. I feel like its a fresh start for me, and as I cozied up in the boonies of Maine, watching some unexpectedly beautiful fireworks, sipping on champagne, surrounded by new and old friends, counting down to 12:00 I realized: life is good. Its really good, and I can appreciate it because of all those sometimes not-so-good moments. I have shed more tears this past year than any other year, 2010 will be the year I smile more than any other year.

Don't mind the cocktail, may have indulged a bit this year!!



How was everyone elses year? I hope you all haven't totally given up hope on me!! =)


PS. Tommorow I will try to go into bits and pieces of this past year but will also keep it light and breezy, as I have in the past.