Happy New Year! Another year has come and gone and I am glad to welcome 2009. 2008 was a big year for me, I had a lot of major life changes with moving and job changes and I am ready to get back into the swing of things in 2009. So with a New Year of course comes New Year's Resolutions. So what are yours going to be this year? Well, I know what mine are and I'm sure I will have many come up throughout the year, but below are my New Year's Resolutions/Goals for 2009.

1. Quit biting my nails - I have this one every year and probably will for the rest of my life. While I've gotten much better at it, I still catch myself peeling, nibbling or picking at my nails occasionally. If I keep having this eventually it will come true right?
   
   
2. Incorporate more 10 minutes workout burst into my daily life. It's awakens, motivates and excites the body. Did you know this is how the Victoria Secret Lingerie Models claim they stay so thin? Well, I'm sure they do this but I don't thing that's the only reason :)
   
   
3. Do 10 real push-ups by years end. In my Body Pump class I tend to do about 3 real push-ups and revert to my knees. I'm going to try to push myself and build muscle to get to 10 by Year's End (this is a lot harder than you think).
   
   
4. Don't get so worked up over nothing. This might be the hardest of all of them. I tend to worry a lot about things I can't control and get mad at little things. I mean, what person doesn't do this- right? I just want to get better at controlling it.
   
   
5. Thanks to a co-worker, I've added this to my list. Get out and see more of Cincinnati. I've lived here a long time and still haven't seen parts of this lovely city. Whether I get out and exercise at a new park, see a museum or dine in a new part of town I'm going to try to do the Queen City Tour.

For now, those are at the top of my list. I have other ideas and things such as volunteer more, spend more time with loved ones, etc., but I don't think I need to make those resolutions just must dos. So we will see how this goes this time next year!

As promised, here is a quick recap of our ski trip to Colorado. The video is thanks to Jim, who did the filming and the editing. Again, a great time and hope we get the chance to do it all over again someday.

This past week I was on vacation in Colorado. My friends, Dick and Heather Williams, were so gracious to invite a group of us out to their home in Beavercreek. It was 3 couples and their dog Maggie cooped up in a fabulous house for the week.

We were so lucky to get out there and have a ton of snow dump on us, which made the skiing amazing. We skied Beavercreek, Bachelor's Gulch and Veil. On our second day, we got caught in a major blizzard that came out of nowhere, I think about 6 inches fell in an hour time period.

I haven't skied in over 4 years, but it was kind of like riding a bike and it all came back to me. I forget how much of a workout it is on your entire body, the massages we had on Saturday were very much needed.

In addition to skiing we shopped, went to a ton of great restaurants and went on a sleigh ride. Hopefully I will have a video to post shortly of the trip. It was definitely a week to remember with great friends and fabulous weather!

Are You My 1,000th Visitor?

A little fun game...who's the 1,000th visitor? I think it's fun to see how many people check out your site...I'm about to hit 1,000 since I started blogging more frequenylu and added the counter. Is it you? If so, leave a message!

A Man of Action

I wasn’t going to blog today until I got an email from a friend reminding me that today is the year anniversary of a childhood friend who passed away suddenly. It’s weird to think a year ago at this time I was attending two funerals in one week, my Grandfather and John Alexander’s. The email today is what sparked me to write this blog, because it reminded me that life can be too short and to always live it to the fullest.

The video below is a 6 minute recap of what John had been doing the years prior to his death, produced and MC’d by Ted Koppel who as you will see was a close friend of John’s and spoke at his funeral. It is a pretty fascinating look into his life and the story is rather emotional, whether you know John personally or not.

I knew John from grade school, growing up in the same grade and running around with the same people in high school. Since high school, John ventured out and become a well established journalist who hardly ever was in Cincinnati anymore. At the time of his death, John was in Chongqing, China working for Koppel On Discover. John passed away instantly when he suffered heart failure due to a mysterious case of Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart). No one will ever know for sure what caused the Myocarditis, as many viruses, bugs or bacteria can lead to the rare disorder.

The email I got today was to take a moment out of your day and do something nice or helpful for another human being to honor John, as John was a man of his actions…not his words. So today, do something nice for someone not only for John but for anyone else in your life you love that is here today or has passed. Since John’s passing his friends and family have started the The John Alexander Project, which is dedicated to enacting social change through journalism and enables independent thinkers to tell stories that inspire action.


Although John is not a man of words, one of my favorite quotes is from John, this is how he explained his passion for journalism to a friend:

“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels. The round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things just a bit differently. They are not fond of rules, and they fear the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them, because they change things, they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, I see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who actually do.”

My Celebrity Crush

OK- so I'm going to admit it I have loved Nick Lachey since I first laid eyes on him when he was in the MTV hit show "Newlyweds". He's a good ole' Cincinnati boy who was such a great husband to Jessica Simpson on that show that I just think he is the greatest.

I mean, he put up with a lot and did it with a smile on his face and "yes dear" after everything. He seems like a hopeless romantic and very down to earth kind of guy and I love him for that.

For like 4 years I always missed him when he was in town. I was traveling, didn't attend the event or left too soon or arrived too late. But this Tuesday, thanks for my friend Jason, I finally got to meet him. We got VIP tickets to a local event and Nick spent about 30 minutes up in our area. He was very nice, shook our hands, signed autographs and seemed to have a good time.

This might be one of my all time favorite photos - I mean look at those eyes. And yes, when my arm was around him I could feel his tight abs :)

Catch Up Time...

Sorry, it's been awhile since I posted and I feel bad about that but it was a busy busy time period and still is. Since Thanksgiving a lot has been going on: The Holidays, Jim sold his house and moved, Jim turned 32, Megan and Mike's Wedding and busy at work.

Anyways, of all those events I wanted to post about Megan and Mike's wedding this past weekend in Detroit. We arrived in town Friday night and enjoyed a night out in D-Town (I think our favorite thing was the ride on the People Mover).

We woke up Saturday morning to snow on the ground and a beautiful day for a winter wedding. Megan looked amazing and Mike couldn't have been any happier. The wedding was flawless and the reception was even better. Megan and Mike are now on their way to Hawaii and we are all a little jealous. We wish them the best of luck and know they will be happy together.

I also put this pic of Jim down here to recognize that he did get a year older and we didn't forget!

Hip Hop Hustle

So at my gym last night they had a special hip hop class, Hip Hop Hustle, that I had to try out. I was a little hesitant because I really am not the best dancer and tend to have a hard time following classes when the moves go so fast – but I thought it sounded fun so I went. I was a little early to ask the instructor who usually teaches my Urban Iron class some questions. She assured me that I would be fine and that I would want to keep coming back.

As people piled in, few girls wearing backwards hats and dance pants, and then others like myself who were in gym workout clothes just checking it out, I got really nervous. It was almost like a soccer game - when the other team has dope uniforms and you think that makes them better than you. But I stuck around and by the time the class was about to start, it was literally elbow to elbow.

The instructor loosened us up, made me feel comfortable and started slow. She would show us piece by piece how the dance went and let us try it to the music. The slow learning helped me feel it and start to memorize it. I thought, this isn’t going to give me a workout – oh well, wait- once we got a few steps deep and were dancing hard to the music I was dripping sweat off my elbows, knees and back. The repetitive dance and whole body movement was intense, there were several times I didn’t know if I could finish the dance off.

After about 30 minutes we had the whole dance down and did it over and over. The instructor made it fun and even had us dance off against one another – which was oh so MTV like but really fun. At the end of an hour I walked away drenched in sweat, breathing heavy and thinking that maybe, just maybe I might have a new dance move at the bar or for my girlfriends. I posted the the dance we learned below, take a shot at it for about 30 minutes and see how much you work up a sweat.

And yeah, the next day my abs, calves, shoulders, butt, knees even the muscles in my feet are yelping…but in a good way.

2008 NYC Toy Fair Fun

Last year I got to go to the NYC Toy Fair as part of a project I was working on for the United States Playing Card Company when I worked at Empower MediaMarketing. I went with two co-workers and my clients. It was really cool to go and see the Toy Fair, it was like nothing I had seen or experienced before. We did everything from set up and design the booth to talking to attendees and checking out our competition.

Below is a video we made afterwards to showcase the Toy Fair and the media we secured for the event. It was the first time USPC spent big ad dollars to help support the release of a new game called Take The Train. USPC is most commonly known for playing cards, specifically Bicycle Cards , so it was a big deal to spend the dollars on this game and not one featured around poker or licensed cards.

So working with Andy, who is featured in the video, we wrapped every bus and had every coat check ticket branded with the Take The Train logo to get the word out. We made a big splash and did something new and big that had not been done before at USPC or Empower. Additionally,all buses had never been wrapped before at the Toy Fair, this made a huge impact as every attendee rode the bus to and from the event as it picked up and dropped off people at their hotel (which also means all people out and about on the NY Streets also saw our buses). In the end it was a huge success, we drove tons of people to our booth and gave away 6,000 samples of our game in two days.

Of course we goofed off some as well as you can see in the video. And, if you like the music in the video, check out my friend's music page for more information. Scott Metcalf plays around Cincinnati area all the time and has amazing musical talent - he was part of the Cincinnati Team the won Clash of The Choirs.

It's That Time of Year

Can you believe that Christmas is here again? Remember the ElfYourself that went around last year and was insanely popular? Well it's back again this year with more crazy options. It is a fun and unique campaign that last year rivaled Facebook with traffic during their campaign.

Anyway, who doesn't like to star in their own video? Because I know these peeps do, below is a post of the video I made with four of my best friends. So, here you have it: Tommy, Jodie, Sara, Emily and me dancing after drinking lotsa wine.

Who you gonna elf?

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Healthies City In U.S. Named

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , Burlington, Vermont is the healthiest city in America. The CDC ranks Burlington number 1 as they have the largest proportion of people who say they are in good health, 92%. In addition to good health, they are the best in exercise, among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other measure of health.

On the other end of the scale is Huntington, West Virginia. Being named the most unhealthy city in the US. So what are the big differences?

• Burlington is younger, with an average age of 37, compared to 40 in Huntington according to the Census Bureau


• Burlington is better off financially, with 8 percent living at the federal poverty level, compared to 19 percent in Huntington.


• Nearly 40 percent of Burlington area residents having at least a college bachelor's degree. Only 15 percent in the Huntington area do.


• Bicycling, hiking skiing, and other exercises are common in Burlington.


• Huntington is an off the beaten path college town.


• Burlington is helped by the presence of IBM and other employers offering more generous health benefits and corporate wellness programs than companies in Huntington.

Each year several companies or government agencies release rankings like this. Each one judges a city for something different. At my job, we challenge cities across America to compete against each other to be the fittest and healthiest city. This ranking is based on fitness minutes. It's a fun challenge and definitely motivating to see how you rank up against other cities. Check it out at SparkPeople.com or SparkCincinnati.com if you live where I do.

For those who live in Cincinnati, we rank 92 according to the CDC - falling behind Columbus, Cleveland and Pittsburg. But according the SparkPeople ranking we are number 12, only falling behind Cleveland. So get off your butts, exercise, eat right and make yourself and city proud.

Weekend Fun!

When I was in highschool I had a great group of friends. It’s funny, these were the people I thought I would be friends with forever, still hanging out with our families and kids. While they are still my friends, time and distance has driven us apart. However, over the weekend I was at a wedding with several of them and it was like old times and great to seee them. It sort of jogged my memory of the funny stories and stupid things we did. So, I’m positng a few pics from the wedding along with some funny random stories.

In the first picture is Tom, Dan and CJ. I still see Tom all the time, he married my best friend Jodie. I occasionally see Dan and CJ, CJ more often than Dan. As you can tell, Dan is a free spirit. Hasn’t cut his dreads since HS and is still soul searching across the US…his current job is ideal for him - he works on a marijuana farm that grows pot legally for medicinal purposes…fitting right? CJ, oh CJ, is the most rude but hilarious person I’ve ever met. We met over a Turkey Fight, that’s right, we threw Butterball Turkey slices at each other in a kitchen at about 4A my sophomore year of HS. But CJ grew up too, still no driver’s license at 27, but he’s in law school about to defend peeps via arguing…which he’s good at.

The last picture I just really like- it has Jodie’s married name on it- WEIRD! A lot of people hated HS but I loved it. I had so much fun, did stupid things and learned a lot about myself while doing it. So to HS and great friends…no matter how far we travel or how different we are it’s great to see you!

Pumping! Pumping! Pumping

My all time favorite gym class is Body Pump, or if you belong to Urban Active it is called Urban Iron. It is a hour long workout that consist of using weights and your own body to sculpt your muscles and get fit.

I love going to the class, getting out anger, feeling sweat drip off my elbows and listening to some good jams. Body Pump always has the best workout music, for some example tunes click here.

So, if you are looking for something new and want to spice up your workout, tryout one of these classes soon. When I’m being good and going consistently at least once a week, my body feels much stronger and more fit. Don't worry ladies, you won't end up looking like this, it sculpts muscles and tones.

Think He Can Bust A Move?

I had to post this because it is way too embarrassing not to. This video is Jim, sad to claim him as my boyfriend, singing his infamous karaoke song at our favorite local bar Tostado's. The best part about this video...this was at a work function with our friends from Meredith Corporation. Watch, get embarrassed and feel free to comment how ridiculous Jim is.

His Ship Has Sailed....

So, today’s blog is about my Dad, whom I’ve blogged about before. But, today is a special day as it was 9 years ago today my Dad passed away. I like to believe he is somewhere warm, playing golf with his Dad and Mom, waiting patiently for the rest of his family to join him someday. The more time passes the less it hurts, but it’s always still there. Sometimes I get mad now, because when he first passed away I used to have dreams or think I felt him, but it’s been a long time since that has happened. I’m not sure what I believe in or what I don’t, but from what I’ve been told that’s a good sign…it means they have moved to the next stage in their life and are happy.

Where I was 9 years ago is a totally different place then I am now, so I looked up to see where everyone else was then too – so you get a sense of what 9 years can feel like. Below is a list of things that happened in 1999:

• The Dow Jones reach 11,000 points for the first time, closed the year at 11,497
• The shootings at Columbine shocked our Nation
• Lance Armstrong won his first Tour De France
• The first case of the West Nile Virus broke in the US
• MySpace launched
• Napster launched
• George Bush announced he was running for President
• JFK JR dies in a plane crash
• Payne Stewart died in a plane crash
• Matrix was the number 1 movie
• Best New Artist was Christina Aguilera
• Best Picture was American Beauty
• An F4 tornado roared through Blue Ash demolishing parts and killing four
• The Family Guy aired it’s pilot episode
  

It’s crazy to think how I felt 9 years ago today or what lead to that point or how I even moved on from that point but here we are and still standing. Below is the poem that was read at my Dad’s funeral by a family friend. I’ve always liked it and reminds me that he’s in a better place.

A Parable of Immortality
by Henry Van Dyke

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch until at last she hangs
like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says,
" There she goes! "

Gone where?

Gone from my sight . . . that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the place of destination.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
" There she goes! "

there are other eyes watching her coming . . .
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout . . .
" Here she comes!

Our New President...and His Marketing Skills

The link below is to an excellently written article published on November 5, 2008 in Advertising Age about what marketers can learn from Obama’s campaign. I will let you read the entire article on your own, but I’ve pulled out some key notes that I believe are important about advertising and how he won this historic election.

http://adage.com/columns/article?article_id=132237

Nov. 4, 2008, will go down in history as Obama takes office as the first African American President. It’s great to see we are continually evolving and race isn’t a factor anymore, but let’s take a look at what Obama was up against.

Al Ries states the obvious in his article. “Obama is a relatively unknown man. Younger than all of his opponents. Black. With a bad-sounding name. Consider his first opponent: the best-known woman in America, connected to one of the most successful politicians in history. Then consider his second opponent: a well-known war hero with a long, distinguished record as a U.S. senator. It didn't matter. Barack Obama had a better marketing strategy than either of them. "Change."

Against all these odds Obama won. “Change” is what Obama said all along. He was simple and consistent in all his speeches, debates and advertising. It was all about “change” and that’s what we need as Americans right now. His competitors’ went back and forth on what they stood for, as you will see from the article, that is until they jumped on the Obama bandwagon and tried to better Obama’s slogan by saying they could do better than change.

Lesson 1 according to Al Ries, "Better" never works in marketing. The only thing that works in marketing is "different." When you're different, you can pre-empt the concept in consumers' minds so your competitors can never take it away from you.

I believe this is one of the many reasons Obama won. Sure, we all know we need change but Obama said it and it was simple. He stuck with it and he made us believe in it/him after hearing it over and over. According to Al Ries, Lessons 2, be simple and consistent. It was too late when the other candidates grabbed onto “change”, it was a last ditch effort to steal from their competitor. Obama stood out early with a simple, consistent message that inspired people like myself to believe in him.

When I think about how advertisers are doing this I think about the following brands : Nike, Milk, M&M and American Express... I bet without thought you could name their slogan. Their brands have a consistent message and presence, they seem important and reliable – as Obama’s campaign slogan “change” did. Then think about other big brands like Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Budweiser – they have a ton of slogans you can’t just name one, where’s the consistency? Then there are those with awful slogans like “Denny’s. A place to sit and eat.” – gee thanks Denny’s, that so original and really makes me want to come in and order off your picture menu? WTF? So Obama had it right with “change” – it was simple, consistent, different and strong enough to have American’s believe in him.

Sure, Obama had a lot of money to spend on this campaign, record amounts actually. But he still did it right and was patient with his messaging. I think of companies in the past that I worked on their ad campaigns that did it all wrong (to remain anonymous) But they made the fatal mistake many companies do and Ries points this out in his article, “They jerk from one message to another, hoping for a magic bullet that will energize their brands. That doesn't work today.” When the business isn’t doing well it always gets blamed on the advertising...well do you think about your message? Really, do people care about all the hoopla and dancing around the actual product, no they care about why you’re different, how you’re different and the benefit you are going to give them (and of course price). Will you stand behind your message like Obama made us to believe he will? Only time will tell as he takes office, but I’m excited to see what “change” is and how he plans to accomplish it. It’s history in the making folks...

Iconic TV Series

Mad Men is one of my favorite shows and has a lot to offer, but it isn't getting the ratings. It has on average around 1.5MM viewers compared to around 19MM for CSI. But, Mad Men has a lot more to offer than an episode of CSI. It has meaning, culture, fashion, pushes the limits of comfort, insight into advertising and much more.

Since I used to be in advertising, I was first drawn to the show because of that. I was curious what it was like back in the 60s, when my Dad was just starting off his career in advertising. From what I hear, it was very similar to the show which makes Mad Men even more fascinating to me.

It has been awarded the Golden Globe and was crowned best drama at this year's Emmy Awards, the first basic cable show to win this series. It was featured on the Halloween special of The Simpsons and was even a category on Jeopardy.

I love watching the characters stories unravel, discovering who Don Draper really is and imaging life as a woman back then. If you watch, it's fascinating to watch how history repeats itself. In the season 2 series finale the cast is worried about Kennedy's speech about the Soviet Union erecting offensive-missile sites in Cuba and everyone thinks it could be the end of the world. It's weird, my Dad has told me this story in the view of an American soldier being only 25 at the time, and here it is on the TV 46 years later and I"m 27. And all this happens in this episode when right now we are concerned about our economic crisis, it really strikes a chord with it's viewers.

It's one of the best shows out there and I suggest you start to catch up. Even if the drama and advertising doesn't draw you in then Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm, should. Something about his character a woman can't resist...he's powerful in the office and in the bedroom. The kind of man that has all this power and you want him as your own. He's sexy, smart, successful and cool...he's a dangerous man and the kind every woman falls for.

Halloweenie 2009

It's Halloween!!! I kind of am impartial to Halloween the older I get. Because I can't get all the good candy, should not eat all that good candy and for girls the older you get it's somewhat more about dressing slutty that scary. It was great in college when I had flat abs, nice bum bum and no fear...but now at 27 it's not as great and I want something that covers my not so hot places.

But...this year I was kind of excited because my friend is throwing a Halloween party and it's gorgeous out in Cincinnati. I had my outfit planned for the past month, it's nothing amazing, but it covers all my not so hot places and is still cute. I am excited to spend the night with my friends and see everyone elses costumes.

Also, for the first time I actually dressed up at work...well it was all for a Chipotle gift card so who wouldn't? I've inserted the picture from today and you can find the SparkPeople article here.

Robin Sparkles...Is She Ted's Wife?

Hands down all time favorite show at the moment. How I Met Your Mother is an awesome show that anyone with a great group of friends in their late 20s/early 30s can relate to. I'd say it's probably the Friends of my generation. The script is hilarious and they have a great way of continuing to loops in jokes from previous shows and even that episode.

One of my favorite things is that Robin, one of the main characters, used to be a Canadian Pop Star in her Teens. They feautre this is seceral episodes, but last night was one of my favorite and they posted a full length version of the song on You Tube. I also posted her first hit, "Going To The Mall" becuase it's catchy and I want all of you to walk around singing it today. Start watching and find out who Ted finally marries - clue, it's not Aunt Robin.

Election Day Is Coming...Do You Know The Issues or Candidates??

Election day is a week away and I've been trying to educate myself. With all the issues and candidates it can be very confusing if you aren't politically in tune. Anways, because we all should get out and vote, I am posting two links below that I have been using to read up on the issues before going to vote. Educate yourself before you vote, it's your future.

http://www.smartvoter.org/oh/hm/ - For Ohioan's going out to vote - read up on the issues and what a yes/no vote means - these can be confusing if you don't read up ahead of time

http://knowbeforeyouvote.com/ - Big picture look at Presidential Candidates

Ouch, Ouchie, and OOOUCCCCHHH!!!!

Because of the insane amounts of food I ate below and felt like I was slacking on my workouts, I had a marathon day yesterday. I'm posting this because I don't ever recommend doing it, I can't even spend the two hours on my fitness ball at work today.

I did pilates reformer for an hour, body pump for an hour and then enjoyed some beach volleyball for an hour. I felt fine last night, but this morning my muscles hurt really bad and I just want to do this. It hurts so bad I can't even sit on my fitness chair today featured on the right. And oh yeah, check out my review of the chair on the on the DailySpark blog, I'm the second comment.

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=stuff_we_love_gaiams_balance_ball_chair

Salty and Sweet - A Little Too Much of Both

This past weekend at the Texas vs. Mizzou game the Tigers got their butt’s whooped. While the game was a blowout, I had a blast and am totally amazed at how big college football can be! The tailgates alone were huge - bigger than what we see here at the Bengals games.

I went with Jim, who’s Aunt and Uncle host an amazing tailgate, see photo to right of their tailgate setup. I have to give a shout out to his Uncle David and Aunt Jamie for their Texas hospitality. Not only did they host an amazing tailgate, they also treated everyone to a great Texas style dinner Friday night and then we hit sixth street to party!

Like I said, the game was a blowout but we made the best of it. Outside of playing Cardinal Puff and Thumper, we did some side betting throughout the day to keep things exciting. Jim’s sister, Mary Jesse, was triple dog dared to lick the family dog Charlie’s bald head.

For background, Charlie had a bit of an accident; well his owner accidentally dropped a scalding hot pan of bacon grease as Charlie was nearby begging. The bacon grease severely burned Charlie’s head and torso, but due to excellent care he is back on track. However, a little bald spot on the top of his head will never grow back, so of course we dared Mary Jesse to lick it. She said it was salty and you can tell from the video below.



Now, for what I ate during the tailgate : 1 breakfast burrito (eggs, sausage, cheese, hot sauce, tortilla wrap), cheeseburger, chips and guacamole, 1 chicken wing, corn, coleslaw, 1 rib, 1 slices brisket, ¼ grilled chicken, popcorn snacker, 1 giant mamasso, a ton of beer and the kicker – 16 Brownies…or so.

Yeah, that’s right…I am a lover of sweets and these brownies were to die for. So, Mary Jesse had the salty and I had the sweet.

Brayden Reilly Asman

On September 28 in the early morning my cousin Chrisha had her second child Brayden Reilly Asman. He is just absolutely adorable and has the fullest head of blonde hair. He is a miracle and a blessing to Chrisha and her family. Baby and family are doing great and I am very excited for their new journey with her new bundle of joy Brayden!

Last November, Chrisha lost her first child Peyton to SIDS (SIDS is the sudden death of an infant for no explained reason, for more info on SIDS click here). It is a loss so great I cannot being to explain it in any type of words or blog. However, Chrisha and family are doing well in the recovery process and with the arrival of Brayden he has blessed her in many more ways than we can understnad. Of course, Peyton is our little angel that will continue to watch over her new baby brother!

My First Big Game

I’ve never been to a big college game, I went to Ohio University, but this week I’m going to the Texas vs. Missouri game at Texas. It will be the now #11 Missouri Tigers vs. the #1 Texas Longhorns (Missouri dropped out of the Top 10 after a loss this weekend to Oklahoma State). The game is in Austin and I’m really excited. I am going with a ton of Mizzou fans and am very excited. Shout out to MJ who goes to Mizzou and has made me a fabulous shirt that I can’t wait to wear! I’m really excited!!!!

Go Tigers!

Is Your Neighborhood Safe?

No, this isn't some cheesy Channel 5 news report...it's an interest look at how one man views safety. I read about this Argentine publicist, Mariano Pasik, who did an experiment with bicycles to figure out how safe the neighborhoods are in Buenos Aires. The whole idea is that you can tell how safe your neighborhood is by how long an unchained bicycle will remain before someone steals it?. The name of his experiment is La Prueba de la Bicicleta, or The Test of the Bike.

Sounds odd right? Well not so much in America but in other areas of the world bicycles are the main transportation and a hot commodity. So what he did was use hidden cameras and used cheap bicycles as bait, to see how long it would take for the bike to get stolen. His thinking is, that the longer it takes for the bike to be stolen the safer the neighborhood.

Pasik did this is several neighborhoods and then set the videos to music and post them on the following website, http://www.lapruebadelabicicleta.com/ . It's kind of fun to watch them and see what happens.


However, Pasik doesn't consider this bike robbers thieves, "What you see on the videos is that they aren't professional thieves, they aren't people who went out to rob. They are people who ran into temptation and decided to commit a crime, they become thieves at the moment they take the bike," he said.

Pasik later goes on saying this is for art and hopes other videographers will follow in his footsteps. I think it's more art and interesting, because I definitely wouldn't judge my neighborhood on safety with whether or not a bike was stolen.

An example of one of his clips is below - does that music make you wanna go there or what, without the theft and all?



La Prueba de la Bicicleta - Salguero y Charcas = The Test of the Bike - and Salguero Charcas

Bringing Braces Back

My friend Kyl had to get braces at the age of 26, which is not very common. So in honor of Kyl's braces her boyfriend Scott photoshopped a photo of what she will look like. I just think Kyl is bringing sexy back...so in honor of Kyl's braces I wrote a little diddy below, sung to the tine of JT's "Bringing Sexy Back"

Kyl’s bringing braces back
Them other teeny boppers don't know how to act
I think you're special what’s that in your mouth
So open wide your pearly whites ain’t going south
Take ‘em to the dentist

[Dentist]
Crooked teeth
You see these braces
Better save them as a style fave
She'll let you tighten them if she misbehaves
It's just that braces make her feel this way
Take em' to the ortho

[Ortho]
Head gear at night
Go ahead, be on with it
Retainer at lunch
Go ahead, be on with it
Rubber bands
Go ahead, be on with it
JuJu Bees on me
Go ahead, be done with it
Let me see what you're working with
Go ahead, be on with it
Look at those teeth
Go ahead, be on with it
You make me smile
Go ahead, be on with it
Go ahead child
Go ahead, be on with it
And get your braces on
Go ahead, be on with it
Get your braces on

[Verse 2]
Kyl’s bringing braces back
Them other teeny boppers don't know how to act
Kyl’s making up for the things they lack
Brace are burning up I gotta get them fast
Take em' to the ortho

[Verse 3]
Kyl’s bringing braces back
Them other teeny boppers want what she wears
Better listen by her fashion sense Kyl swears
Cause she’ll set the trend and that's a fact

If Only They Had Text Goggles

Google Labs launched a feature called Mail Googles, which prevents you from emailing when you are not in the right state of mind, basically intoxicated. The feature allows you to select a time you will most likely need to use Mail Googles. Before your message is sent, you must solve a series of simple math problems "to verify you're in the right state of mind," according to the Google Blog (http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-in-labs-stop-sending-mail-you-later.html).

I think that is a great feature, but where's it at for my phone? I used to send drunken emails to boyfriends, friends and co-workers, but that was before the days of SMS messaging, or texting. I can't tell you how many mornings I've woken up, looked at my phone, and been like oh my gosh, I sent that?? Or, oh my gosh that was meant to go to my boyfriend not the name below his in my phone!

You all know you do it, you all have probably received one, so where's that Text Goggles at AT&T?

What Makes A Viral Ad Great

I came across this ad from a coworker and I think it is a great example of what makes a viral video great. Watch the video above and notice that it's driving you back to a website that packages only P&G products. It's a catchy song and a funny enough to be shared. Now, how many people will actually order the packages might not be that much- but it's definitely getting some WOM.

A Legend Passes

With the bailout being the main news headlines and the only thing people are talking about, the loss of a Hollywood legend went a little under the radar. Paul Newman passed away on Friday, September 26 at the age of 83.

The reason I wanted to write about this is that he was a prominent actor who succumbed to lung cancer from many years of smoking (although, it has been reported he quit smoking over 30 years ago) Although he quit 30 years ago, the damage done was not repairable. According to a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, Dr. Len Horovitz, “Once lungs are damaged they don’t grow back, it’s like brain tissue — once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.” (published in an article on http://www.foxnew.com/)

Check out the photos to the right, Paul prior to diagnosis and Paul several months later…it’s a fast killer!


I do not walk around being an advocate all the time for not smoking, although my close friends who smoke may feel different. But I get on my friends and families back because it’s an avoidable death, preventable just by not doing it. I lived lung cancer for a year of my life and still am, it’s a horrible way to go and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. It’s not an easy death, it slowly eats at you, day by day, you can’t breathe, eat, walk and in the end you are on a morphine so strong you might think you are on Pluto. It’s devastating to watch someone die this way and it's a painful death.

Just think, in order to catch up to what tobacco kills each year the world’s largest cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, which holds an estimated 3,600 passengers, would have to sink and all passengers aboard die every day for the next 4 years to catch up to 1 year of tobacco deaths in the world- now that is shocking!

Below are some quick facts from the American Lunch Association http://www.lungusa.org/ on lung cancer and smoking that may shock you:

• Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Lung cancer causes more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate).
• Smoking accounts for 87% of lung cancer deaths.
• Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the world. Tobacco kills more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. It is currently responsible for more than 5 million deaths each year, and will cause 8 million deaths each year by 2030. Up to half of people who smoke will eventually be killed by tobacco.
• The expected 5-year survival rate for all patients in whom lung cancer is diagnosed is 16%, compared to 64.1% for colon, 88.5% for breast and 99.9% for prostate cancer.
• About six out of 10 people with lung cancer die within one year of being diagnosed.

Now we know this is not healthy!

3-Peat

The results of the BusinessWeek Best of the Web poll came out this morning... and the winner in the Health category is SparkPeople! This is our 3rd year in a row claiming this title!!!

The presentation of who won each category is pretty bad... but we’re the top of the list (which means we won):


http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/09/0929_loved_websites/12.htm

Known Only As A Child

Today would be my Dad’s 71st Birthday, he was slightly older than my Mom (15years). Days like today are always a little more difficult than a usual date, you know Holiday’s, Birthdays, Weddings, etc. are times when you think more about people missing that you wish were there. It’s crazy, it will be 9 years this November since my Dad passed away from cancer and though it gets easier as more time passes - some moments just strike you and it’s like…if only my Dad were here things would be different.

Losing my father at 18 is still the hardest thing to accept because I know I did not truly get to know him. I was a teenager and selfish, caring more about my friends and my boyfriend than getting to know my own father. I am grateful for the time I had with him, I could not have asked for a more loving and wonderful Father. But now being an adult, I always wonder what our relationship would be like today if he were still here and how he would have changed my life and who I’ve become.

My Dad is one of those people that if you met him, you were going to remember him. Tall, dark, curly hair, glasses and a smile that I happened to inherit. The more people I meet the more times I get, my God was your father Jay Uhlmansiek? It’s flattering to know people knew and loved him, but sometimes I get jealous at the fact they knew him as an adult, not a child. From everything I hear and from the man I remember, everyone liked him a lot and we happen to have a lot in common. My Dad was in marketing at a company formerly named Drackett for many years and retired when Drackett was sold in 1992. He crossed paths with so many people during his time there that if you were in marketing you had to know who he was! Well, following in my Dad’s footsteps I entered into marketing after college and actually even worked with some of his former colleagues. I learned that to know my Dad was to love him, he was a warm and genuine person, always there to help anyone or lead with advice. He was extremely intelligent, passionate and loved life. He was witty and sarcastic, always fun to be around and the life of the party.

I knew these things about him too, but I also knew he was loving, sacrificing for his children, advice giver, family man and everything the best father in the world could be. So I listen to people’s stories and sometimes I want to hear more and more and other days it just hurts for no gosh darn reason. I like to hear stories and know all the things I inherited from him and know the pieces I will forever hold of him. My Dad was a great man and I know I inherited his best features and personality. To me, he’s always the man in the blue robe and slippers, eating ice cream with Max and watching Unsolved Mysteries on a school night. But the stories I hear are insights into who he was as a friend, co-worker and husband and I am glad that those are things that I see in myself.

The Office Premiere

One of my favorite TV shows premieres tonight, The Office. Coincidentally the first episode is about weight loss and a corporate challenge.

See brief preview below and an episode preview. We have a lot of this go on at the website where I work (www.sparkpeople.com) and it's funny to see it on The Office.

For the first time, we see what happens over eight weeks of the summer, as a Dunder Mifflin weight loss initiative causes the branch to diet and become obsessed with their weight. Michael (Steve Carell) pursues a friendship with his new HR rep, Holly (Oscar nominee Amy Ryan). Jim (John Krasinski) misses Pam (Jenna Fischer) who attends art school in New York. Dwight (Rainn Wilson), Andy (Ed Helms) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) attend to unfinished business.

The End of Something Great and New Beginnings

For the past four years I have lived in an apartment building where we’ve seen people come and go, but there were four of us who have been there through it all. We’ve been through ups and downs, crazy neighbors, happy neighbors, foreign neighbors, break ups, make ups, parties, weddings, funerals and much much more. This past weekend we threw our going away party, “End of an Era” , and it was amazing as usual but a little sad as it marked the end of something great.

The four of us are pictured to the right: Jodie, Emmy, Sean and me. Of course we are dressed in ridiculous outfits that are symbols of the parties we had through the years. From the day Jodie and I moved in it was pure excitement and then meeting the neighbors made it even better. Sean was a transplant when Emmy’s roomie Katie got married, but we were soooo happy to have him.

We did everything from Carmen Electra Striptease, late night disco ball dancing, wine nights, ridiculous parties, patio chats, stalking and making up ridiculous stories about our neighbors, cooking dinners, ambulance chasing, watching awful TV and much more. Of course we will all remain friends and have wine nights and tons of laughter into the future. It’s very sad to say goodbye to something that was so great but I’m looking forward to a new beginning at my new place and for the first time really being on my own. I look forward to discovering who I am and learning more about me all on my own!!

Set In Our Ways...

is the name of my Tuesday night co-ed volleyball team. I play on a lot of team sports, but Tuesday night always provides lots of laughter over a few beers and of course sand volleyball.

Anyways, our summer league ended so my friend Christine and I were in charge of awards for the season. We decided to give everyone volleyball frames with them doing amazing shots - of course these were not serious.

Good times and great laughter. Above is a pic of the team and one of my favorite is below, a shot of our friend Josh - who always gets picked on. Maybe if he decided to show up a little earlier and more often he wouldn't get picked on?

8 Weddings and One Unexpected Insight on Love

Last summer it was wedding central, but this year I seem to have a bunch of them jam packed into the Fall season. I thought about this blog after my roommate, pictured with her husband Tom, got married and their relationship was catapulted into a level I never saw before. They have made each other laugh, scream, cry and many other emotions over the past 11 years but it all came together and made sense when they got married September 6, 2008.

So, with all this wedding hoopla I have spent quite some time talking about love and life with a lot of people and what the future holds for not only me, but them… I had a lot of the- who’s the right one conversations recently and one of the best ones and most surprising ones was with Tom just days before their wedding. After being with Jodie for 11 years, I asked him what it was that made him know she was “The One”. Simply put, Tom said, “I love her, she makes me laugh, we put up with each other’s vices, she’s Jodie – come on, who doesn’t love her and I have her!” And at that moment, I realized that Jodie and Tom have the love everyone wants – the one that has stood the test of time, through their breakups and make ups at the end of the day they are still madly in love with each other. Right then and there, I was the most happy I have been for Jodie in my entire life!

I have been living with Tom and Jodie for quite some time, Jodie 4 years and Tom unofficially 2 years (more so as their house get rehabbed). They might shoot me for writing about them, but nothing too much revealed. But living with them I went through a lot of their relationship and saw it all come together on their magical night. So, after thinking about it all and seeing how happy they were I truly believe what my Mom always tells me – “Love is crazy, love is passionate, love can be your worst enemy but if it’s the one no matter what you go through you go through it together and at the end of the day you can get into bed with them and want nothing more than to intertwine your feet and take in their scent.”

That simply put is my outlook on love. I am a lover and a giver, so being optimistic is what I do best in a relationship – I can be oh so angry and bitter one minute and love you the next. I want what Jodie has - a true soul mate. But, do I think we all have one soul mate –NO! I’ve been in love before and am in love now but each time it was slightly different. I love this quote from Elizabeth Gilbert, “ People think your soul mate is your perfect match and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, a person who shows you everything you are holding back. The person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you will meet in your life because they tear down your walls and smack you awake.”



Why do I love that quote??? Because I think it has truth to it. My past soul mates that have come in and out of my life showed me something, a side of me I may not have ever known. Forced me face things I didn’t want to, pushed me to scale a mountain in Mexico, allowed me to discover a new country and city on my own and much much more. Without them, I wouldn’t have done that- I wouldn’t have tore down my walls I built to protect myself from being hurt. They wouldn’t have allowed me to let new and undiscovered aspects of my life in. They showed me true pain and pleasure all at once.

I have no idea when/which soul mate is the one – and a billion people can give you advice on love and you just don’t listen to it until you are ready…so maybe it’s all about being ready who knows. For Tom and Jodie it took 11 years but they are more happy now then I have ever seen them! I do know I want a love that challenges me and makes me laugh, but at the end of the day it’s just us is this hectic world and I wouldn’t want anything more…and to Jodie and Tom who have found that!

PS. The bear is Gilby, their baby that has been with them since the beginning. He's sort of a phenomenon.

Online Friendships Saves Babies Life

The video below is amazing and shows the friendships that can forge between the simplistic social networking we all do online via social networking sites like Facebook.

If you watch only the first two minutes of the video you will get the picture and probably have a little softspot awakened in your heart. These two women met through www.babyfit.com, a sister site to the website I focus my efforts on, www.sparkpeople.com

It's amazing that two woman on totally opposite sides of the world can mean more to each other than they could ever have imagined! This story has been featured many times in many places and will be featured tonight on Inside Edition so tune in!

Flip Flops & Skyline

I play on a softball team every Thursday night, in fact I am actually the coach. Sometimes I ask them totally random poll questions I wonder about or sometimes ask them just to get a good response. So I made today one of those days all because of the following:

One of my co-worker's wear this shirt that the guys in the office call his "Towel Shirt". This is becuase it is made of a terri cloth like material that looks like you could just throw it on when you get outta the shower. Also, we get a lot of product to try at work and received these flip flops that are somewhat stylish but provide a work out when you walk. So I thought, great this is an opportunity for random poll question day.

So below are the questions with some great answers I received back. So thanks to the team and thanks to those who really know me, and know I can't resist a great set of calves:)

Would you rather be forced to….

1. Eat Montgomery Inn Rib’s Sauce on every meal for the next week
2. Eat only Skyline Chili for a month

Would you rather wear…

1. An article of clothing that doubles as a towel
2. Shoes that have elevated soles that provided a work out when you walk (which promotes great calves)

The winners are:

Skyline and Shoes....below are the reasons why:

"Montgomery Inn Rib’s sauce on every meal because I don’t think anyone’s digestive system can handle a full month of Skyline" Damon

"An article of clothing that doubles as a towel, because the elevated sole on the shoe as a workout theory is a bunch of bunk. Or else every woman that wears high heels would have killer calves"Damon

"Shoes that provide my calves a workout – only because I know how much nice calves turn you on sweetheart ; )" Keith

"I think I will go for the towel shirt. That would be awfully comfortable" Michael

"Montgomery Inn sauce and towel, I'm all about the comfort" Chelsey

"Montgomery Inn Sauce, just add a little hot sauce and I’m good to go" Megan

"We all know how much we dig on some good calves" Megan

"I would fart even more if I always ate skyline" anonymous

"I already own a teri-cloth shirt. They are way comfortable" Jim

"I would like both a towel shirt and the shoes as I never have any clean towels and honestly need to work on my calves" Andy

"I don’t think I would really wear a towel shirt. If you come up with a hat that doubles as a pillow, let me know" Dan

"While neither could or should be considered fashionable, I could maybe get away with platform shoes. I vote for the calves" Kylee

So the answers are out folks and this poll is complete. I'm going to have to agree with the team on question #1, I would go ahead and eat Skyline for a month. WIth the ever expanding menu I think I could always find a different option to not get too burnt out to quick. For #2, I will have to go with the shirt. I always have a hard time getting out of my towel when I get out of the shower, the shirt is a good substitution. However, I do love me a great set of calves on a man...you gotta have nice calves or I am not even going to consider you as an option!

Dragons Poo Fat Free Ice Cream

So, did that title catch your attention? Yep, that's me with totally random thoughts and ideas. But, in my quest to achieve the perfect body I have become to come across tons of workout myths and dieting tips that crack me up - so I made one up myself, dragons poo fat free ice cream!

I mean I love the idea of eating lemon, maple syrup and water for a week straight, but on top of pancakes, chips, bread and all sorts of yummy stuff. These diets are horrible for you!!! Not only does your body get totally out of whack, but you have little to no motivation to get off the couch!

The best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle is eat right, excecise and be aware of your own health. To shed a few pounds just cut a few things out, about 3,500 calories = 1 pound. Below is a link to ways to shed a few calories without really even thinking about it.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1183

I'm trying to be more conscious about what I eat and increase my workouts, even 10 extra minutes a day helps out. So don't listen to anyone telling you some crazy Hollywood fad diet will last forever, the only way to maintain a healthy weight level and keep it off is your lifestyle. A diet is a quick fix but it needs to be a lifestyle change to stick with it. You can't live of 1,000 calories a day for the rest of your life, so go about it the healthy way.

Or...if you want purchase your very own dragon and make millions selling fat free ice cream that taste good:)

I Salute You!

By no means posting this photo am I saying I am a feminist, far from it. Actually, I have always been a guys girl throughout most of my life. However, the older I get the more I realize how important girlfriends are!

As I have begun my healthy lifestyle and started to keep myself motivated, it's the women in my life who make me feel stronger and sexier! To each and everyone of you out there, you know who you are, there have been times in my life I could not have gotten through without you!

So to the girlfriends who walk with you, laugh with you, cry with you, tell you that dress looks amazing on, indulge in ice cream or margaritas, force you to buy a $300 pair of jeans becuase your ass looks great in them, etc. - I salute you!

What's In a New Job?

I started a new job this August at a company called www.SparkPeople.com. SparkPeople equips people with the know-how, motivation, tools and support they need to achieve goals in many areas of their life. The program starts by helping people improve their health and fitness, and use the energy and momentum as a springboard to help them succeed in other areas (family, financial, professional, etc.) and change their life into a long-term healthy adventure.

Needless to say, we focus on staying fit and healthy in ways that are manageable for your entire life. We have a small office in Cincinnati, OH and like to have fun and play around with some new equipment.

The video above cracks me up becuase it pokes a little fun at the crazy antics people go through to stay healthy sometimes.

Tutu

July 22nd would have been my Grandma’s 93rd birthday. The woman I grew up with for 27 years of my life and for the first time in 27 years, I didn’t celebrate a birthday with her having a glass of Kentucky Bourbon and Deviled Ham Spread on Wheat Thins….sounds gross huh? But I guess it is a generational thing, because Deviled Ham was my Dad and Grandma’s favorite and they passed it along to me – the meat that looks like dog food but when mixed with mayonnaise is amazing!!!

Her passing and her birthday jogged a lot of memories about her I felt compelled to write about to express my sorrow. So here it goes, what I loved most about her....

The way she made Bracke’s toast and jelly, how her house smelled when she made fried chicken, being “washed over” by waves in our beach chair on Kiawah Island, everything Kiawah, riding bikes on sea shells in Kiawah, thinking she broke her arm when she fell off her bike, staying up late to watch SNL, her front porch during storms, swimming in the make shift pool in the summers, laughing about nursing home stories, sharing lunch for her first year in St. Margaret Hall every day possible, playing gin, playing rummecube, squeezing into her bed with Brad and me during sleepovers, telling her everything when she was sick, holding her hand before she passed, her blue floral suit she wore every year in Kiawah, going to St.Cecilia festival, taking the bus downtown when we were kids, going to KidsMart to see her at work, her Old Fashions, swimming at her brother Eugene’s pool with their dog Tarzan, her Alicemont house she lived in most of her life, her scent and a ton more.

For those of you who know me, you know this has been a tough year for me. With life and love - death is inevitable, but knowing that our loved ones are in a better place and we are the ones left suffering brings a sense of peace. I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I hold it all together, but I’ve learned that falling apart and losing a sense of who your are happens, but if you let it happen all the time it becomes a habit (a little insight as well from Eat, Love, Pray)– and who wants to be around those people? Finding your own peace and making sense of things takes time, but eventually the hurting goes away and the paing still lingers, but you learn to forge on.

I could go on for days and months and talk about those I’ve lost the past year and some previously, and one blog won’t be enough to talk about these people. But in loving memory of the following people I’m just mentioning their names because they too won’t be and can’t be forgotten.

Richard Jay Uhlmansiek (Nov’99 – my Dad), Jack Kaine (Nov’07 – My Grandpa), Dan Kaine (Aug’07 My Uncle), Peyton Mckenna Asman (Nov’07 – my Cousin’s Baby), John Alexander (’07 – Friend), Kevin McCallum (June’08 – Friend) and of course Henrietta Uhlmansiek (Jul ’08 –Grandma)

I think the quote below sums up most of these people so I wanted to end with this...

“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels. The round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things just a bit differently. They are not fond of rules, and they fear the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them, because they change things, they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, I see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who actually do.” John Alexander

Back to Blogging

Ok, so I've been gone for awhile from blogging, it's not like that much has happened since then right? Well sort of...

My friend Sean started logging/blogging his trip to Dublin and I love reading about the crazy shit people do and his thoughts on the worls and how weird things are, so why not provide my insight into things right?

So zero-based, starting from nothing. Look forward to more of my blogs, but in the meantime a list is below on why to read my blog.

1. I am funny
2. My travels only bring weird stories and interesting people
3. You will most likely be featured in a post
4. My look on life is nothing like you would ever imagine
5. You can get to know me without even spending time with me