Dear Gussie

Lost

As you probably already know I absolutely love Coldplay. They really speak to me and I do not find their lyrics depressing at all. On the other hand there is one song, 'Fix You' that I do get very upset listening to because it reminds me of the hospital, and all the wonderful people there that helped me. I had the pleasure of finally going to see them in concert a few months ago with my good friend Heather, and 'Fix You' was the 5th song played and of course I started balling happy tears. Heather hugged me through the entire song :) I'm just happy I'm here and I made it through that awful time, and I'm a much happier, different person now.
Anywho, I'm sidetracking! I am in the sweepstakes to win tickets to see Coldplay again in DC October 31st, I have my fingers crossed I win them! Here is an amazing video 'Lost'... you can get a glimpse of what I experienced at the concert, and what a great dancer Chris Martin is!
Lost

Unbelievable

Sarah Palin blows me away, what is this country coming to? I hate to post about Politics but her idiotic remarks on the news, and the fact she'd take womens' rights away, is astounding. I truly truly hope she does not become our Vice President. And I'm done! Atleast this makes me laugh...

My New Job

It's been exactly 1 year since I stopped working at Carousel Signs & Designs. I've had plenty of time to relax, get my health in order, travel around the world, start designing my web site, and have time to reflect on life. This morning I finally got a phone call to start work, yay! I start at Evergreen Enterprises, Inc. on Monday September 29th. I'm very very excited, I will be a graphic designer and a photographer. The owners are from Shanghai and the atmosphere is creative and casual. I'll post again on monday and let you know how my first day went. This week I'll get my hair cut so I am purty on monday :) and go on a little shopping spree so I am fashionable ha ha.
Evergreen Enterprises, Inc.

Aerial Wolf Hunting

Fear[s] of the Dark

Like chocolate?

In the past I used to think chocolate was bad for me, until I discovered raw chocolate. It is so much healthier for you: less sugar, less fat, and does not contain anything processed, and it tastes damn good. Check it out:
www.EarthSourceOrganics.com

Hanky Boy

Yesterday I got some terrible news, my Cousin's, Aunt & Uncle's Great Dane Hank, had to be put to sleep. Unfortunately Great Dane's have a short life span, typically 7 to 10 years. Hank had a 106 fever and the 22 veterinarians could not figure out what was wrong. Hank, we are all going to miss you.

"The brightest star only shines for half as long..."

Memory Problems?

Levels of Memory:
1) Sensory Memory - This is a very short memory type that can accommodate large amounts of information that may be visual or auditory or other information (depending on which sensory organs are involved).
2) Short Term Memory - This has a limited capacity, both in the duration of retention and amount of information put into "storage". At this stage, information may be processed and passed into long term memory or may be forgotten.
3) Long Term Memory - This memory has unlimited capacity, duration and information storage "space" and the information is stored in an organized manner.

Types of Memory:
1) Procedural Memory - This memory is concerned with learning and skill retention.
2) Semantic Memory - This memory is concerned with facts.
3) Meta Memory - This is concerned with laws and principals.
4) Episodic Memory - This is concerned with experience and life.

Causes of forgetting:
1) Interference by other information which may be learned earlier or later
2) Anxiety
3) Brain injury or disease
4) Some drugs like narcotics
5) Trauma to the head
6) Emotional and physical stress
7) Psychological state -- such as not having any interest in this subject

Tips that help with memory recall and overall memory strengthening:
1) When you need to retrieve some information, try to place yourself in the same situation that this information was processed. In fact, the retrieval of information is more easily obtained in the same circumstance or place of input.
2) Being in the same mood when the information was processed and being in the retrieval situation is also helpful.
3) Make the information you need to store meaningful.
4) Heighten the information you need to store by linking it to a specific emotional response.
5) Link the information you need to store to images; it is easier for the brain to memorize images.
6) Repeat the information more than one time either through visualizations, auditory input, or through written word.
7) Avoid stressful situations and reduce your anxiety.
8) Avoid alcohol and cigarette smoking.
9) To retain written information, study for short periods with breaks in between.
10) Take Zinc supplements -- this has been found to be helpful.
11) Take a Vitamin B complex.
12) Eating healthful meals with fresh vegetables are recommended during study hours.
13) Meditation and hypnotherapy reduce stress and anxiety and these practices also help to improve your memory.
14) Do some memory exercises: Practice with images, audio stimuli and writing to help you store information you need to retrieve later.

Detox the brain

I know it looks like I got attacked by birds or had an Emu poop on my head, but it is mud, healthy mud! I enjoyed a day full of detoxing my brain and the point of impact from the accident. I put a mixture on my head at 8am, 1pm, and 6pm, then soaked my feet in the same potion for 20 minutes. The first detox was pretty miserable, I got a headache immediately, and after my 10 minute walk outside to get good solar radiation, I passed out and took a 2 hour nap! Goes to prove the detox was working and making me tired. The 2nd application was tiring but not nearly as bad, and after I showered the mud off I felt much lighter. The 6pm was a piece of cake and the foot bath was relaxing and made me want to go to bed. I definitely feel much healthier, lighter, and am excited I detoxed the negativeness out of my noggin. I love being healthy! Laugh, the pictures are funny ha ha.

Sailing in San Francisco

Grandma Juul

Happy Grandparents Day!
A yellow butterfly always appears when my parents come in from sailing and are docking their boat. It is my Grandma Juul making sure they are home safe :). Funny and touching how she always appears. This morning I went on a run and she was there with me all 3.5 miles! I was exhausted but kept running because I wanted to spend time with her. As crazy as it sounds all my family agrees it is Grandma Juul. She left us too soon so she comes back to check on us :) Thanks for helping me run!

mother nature

My brother experienced an earthquake yesterday at 9pm in Oakland, California. Apparently they happen all the time and they are over in seconds. It would scare the crap out of me! Thankfully he is fine and only suffered a moment of surprise. I was at my parents house yesterday because I had an interview with Snow & Associates in Lightfoot. It would be a bit of a commute but I have my fingers crossed I get the job. I'd be a graphic designer (duh) and help the company market their product... helping people suffering from chronic health conditions like epilepsy. Right up my alley! We ended up spending the night at my parents and Hurricane Hanna rolled through this afternoon. There was a little bit of wind and rain so we decided to stay at my parents until the eye had passed to be safe. I'd hardly call that a hurricane! That is a good thing of course, but honestly if I hadn't watched the news and heard of the hurricane I would have never known! Hopefully the next one Ike will simmer down.

BridgeClimb Sydney

Fraser and I did the BridgeClimb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. The beautiful bridge is enormous and looks pretty scary to climb from the ground, but a piece of cake once you are on it. You can see absolutely everything being that high, and lots of cars driving fast below you. We could not wear any jewelry or anything that has the possibility of dropping. Even a penny dropping could cause a serious car accident and kill someone. Our jumpsuits were pretty attractive (sike) but they were comfortable and kept you attached to the bridge. Our guide was awesome, he was hysterical and we had a great time with him. We were fortunate to get into a good group too, there were 2 younger girls from England traveling on their own, 2 ladies from Ohio, and another couple who had climbed the bridge before. You can tell by the picture above we had a good time. Our guide made us kiss! If you go to Sydney, do this! I'm going to do it again.

Sailing in San Francisco Bay

My Dad is the Commodore of the Catalina sailboat. He speaks to others who own Catalinas all over the world and helps them take care, fix, and simply enjoy the sport of sailing. One of my father's sailing friends Stu, was nice enough to take us out on the bay on his beautiful boat. It was absolutely amazing, and we got such a different view of San Francisco from the water. I wish I was on the boat right now! Thank you Stu, we had the time of our life! Please check out the pictures on my husband's website: http://fbgd.shutterfly.com/5079

Black Belt test videos

Black Belt test

My parents, Fraser, and I flew to San Francisco for a short weekend trip so we could see my brother, Kory, perform in his black belt test. We arrived around noon on friday and enjoyed a relaxing calm day with Kory. We woke up at 415am so we were tired, and Kory was a ball of nerves and was on a restricted diet which sounded exhausting. Thankfully Kory could eat sushi so we enjoyed a delicious dinner in Alameda. I'm so jealous the sushi in California is sooooo much better than what we can get on the east coat.

We had until 3pm on Saturday to get to the dojo so we did some shopping and some cleaning, anything to distract Kory! He took a long nap beforehand to restore his energy. And we were off! Kory warmed up and we went next door and had a drink to celebrate. This was the first black belt open test so anyone could come watch. We got there early so we could grab seats. 4 people were testing: Kory (6 years training), a 14 year old, a 50+ year old (20 years training), and another gentleman in his 30s (14 years training). You could see how nervous/excited they were. Thankfully no one passed out or threw up, although there were moments we were concerned the 30 year old was not going to make it. They were absolutely drenched with sweat and after 2.5 hours finally finished! Although the 14 year old was the fastest, he did not have the passion and concentration that Kory had. Towards the end of the test Kory was the only one still standing up tall and not faultering. He definitely has endurance! All I can say is wow. We were all crying and cheering our hearts out (when we were allowed to cheer). Talk about commitment, dedication, and the love of the art. He will be a black belt forever and carry what he has learned with him everyday. I'm still blown away by how awesome he did and cannot believe it is over!