Noms and Dinosaurs

“Like a lotus flower, we too have the ability to rise from the mud…bloom out of the darkness and radiate into the world”. –unknown It’s so easy to get stuck in the mud when it comes to day-to-day happenings.   Interpersonal conflict, the never-ending adulting headaches of work, bills, deadlines—all that fun stuff.   I was reflecting on this phenomenon this morning and thought about it.   During the toughest jobs, the most difficult situations, and overall general times of crappiness, I don’t remember the day-to-day minutia.   To be honest, I reflect through a different lens.   I remember the fun times, the acts of kindness, the adventures and friendships I had (or still have), and the opportunities and help I had along the way. Just that one thought made me reflect on how things are for me right now.   I am in the midst of a conflict at work that has escalated.   That’s caused stress, tension, irritability, and physical tightness in my nec...

Right now, I am in the midst of a tense situation at work.  The intensity and uncertainty of conflict at work is like none other.  Work, as a friend of mine called it, is essentially a collective dormitory where folks from all walks of life come together and work towards a common goal.  I couldn’t agree more.  Work becomes an organic living infrastructure and like a dormitory, it can sometimes lead to conflict.  This is where I’m at this week.   This conflict has been nearly a year’s worth of escalated incidences, trampled boundaries, and lack of human empathy from what few have called my workplace bully, or WPB.   Now, I could tell you all about what Google has to say about bullying, but I want to share my experience authentically.  When I was hired last year,  good impressions were made all around and my WPB and I started our work place acquaintanceship with no problems at all.  As time flowed, our differences started t...

Could We Skip This Song?   A Love Story This weekend, my fiancé Jon and I went to Bend, OR for a weekend getaway.   The weather was perfect for window-shopping in the downtown area.   A lovely dress caught my eye in one particular boutique, so we both went inside to browse.   To my delight, they had my size and with the thumbs up from both Jon and the lovely store owner, I went into the dressing room to try it on. That’s when the song came on: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Isreal Kamakawiwo’ole. This song, though beautiful, is a knife to the heart.   This song was played at the memorial service of my youngest brother, Alex.   You know, it’s so easy to get lost in your own mind when you’re triggered by an event in your past.   I went from being present in a boutique to standing in a cold church recreation room where the family gathered after Alex’s service.   I saw the white linoleum on the floors, the red eyes of the bereaved...

In 2013, I lost my youngest brother to a wildly aggressive form of lung cancer.  Words and stories about this tragedy can't properly be expressed in one post, but the grief and depression all of his loved one experienced were deep and powerful enough to fill a chasm with tears. In his memory, my family and I run annual blood drives to keep his legacy alive.  During his treatment, he used 7 units of blood, which made a world of difference in how he felt.  He was so fond of how he felt, he called getting his transfusions getting "true blood". This past weekend was the fourth annual blood drive in his honor.  It's so amazing to work with a blood donation center, get the word out, market it, and see how many friends, family, and community members come to donate.  The opposite side of that coin is that his story is told.  Our pain is visible to all.  To share the impact of how blood donations make a difference to patients, it's agonizing to share an in...

My name is Aimee and I am an ice addict. I'm not even kidding either.  We're talking high-functioning addict.  I look seemingly normal on the outside, but inside I have an unexplained urge to destroy a cup of ice.  The softer the ice, the better. My desire to crunch got to the point where my fiancé suggested getting a shaved ice machine.  He was concerned that all the biting and crunching would not only put my teeth at risk of damage, but my jaw as well.  So to the store we went.  And invested $20 on a piece of shit. Don't waste your money. I was so elated to find the above piece of shit.  PUMPED.  I had a little ice machine that would save me from potential dental harm!  Got it home and it broke within three days.  I was so disheartened.  This was supposed to be a magical device of shaved ice glory. My fiancé, a worshipper and devotee of Amazon, did some research and behold--I present one of my most prized possessi...

Confession: I was a HUGE fan of Lisa Frank when I was a kiddo and to be entirely truthful, I still am today. I'm not talking about the new shit they have out at Target and Wal-Mart now.  It is just that--shit.  I am struggling to describe it.  The styles they have now scream, "the search for more money" rather than the delightful styles they once had in the past. Are you fucking kidding me?  This makes me cringe. I'm going to get a seizure from all this shit. I'm not a fan of the little girl alien-eye bullshit.  Get it together, Lisa Frank.  This shit sucks. The old-school Lisa Frank designs, specifically the sticker line, was bomb back in the day.  I'm thinking more along the line of the 90's.  The fun, creative, silly stuff.  I loved it when I was a kid and I still love it now, 20+ years later. Cleo-catra.  Classic.  Her pendant is the shit. All of the key players.  Ballerina bunn...

Dinosaur Quick Study: The Diplodocus I was always a fan of the diplodocus growing up.  This large beast, a cousin to the apatasaurus and brontosaurus, is the longest dinosaur ever discovered to date. This beautiful herbivore was first discovered in Wyoming in the late 1890's, its skeleton nearly full intact.  The diplodocus measures up to 90' long head to tail, which is the length of a basketball court and weighed 15-20 tons. Interesting facts: Andrew Carnegie procured the first discovered diplodocus skeleton.  He was so delighted that he had molds created from the original skeleton to share with museums around the world. Diplodocus (dih-PLOD-uh-kus) is Greek for Double Beam, referring to the double-beamed structure of spines on the tail vertebrae. Diplodocus is a sauropod, meaning a long necked dinosaur. The teeth were pencil-like and used to strip leaves.  The teeth were on the front of the jaw only.  Scientists have recently discovered that th...