I Will Stand.

On this day one year ago, I shared this video of The Gaither Band singing one of the most beautiful renditions of The National Anthem I've ever heard. It still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Go ahead, give it a listen. You'll be glad you did.
I thought it was appropriate to share this video again considering all of the controversy surrounding football players (and now others) not standing for the playing of our National Anthem. While I am 100% appalled by this form of protest because of what the Flag means to me, I do understand that we all have a right to protest. I just find it incredibly disrespectful in so many ways. I'm not about to get a platform and preach why I think you should stand for the National Anthem, and I'm also not looking for a political debate. You are entitled to your opinions, just as I am entitled to mine.

 

To me, the flag is much more than a piece of material. It symbolizes freedom, honor, integrity, and sacrifice (just to name a few). I have so much respect for those who have served, are serving, and will serve our country. Not only members of all branches of the military, but police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and the like. The sacrifices they make daily are worthy of my respect. The Stars & Stripes are a symbol of all of the tragedies and triumphs in America. You know what one of the most poignant images post 9/11 was? This one. A beacon of light risen through the ashes.

I know America is hurting. I know I can't sit here and say, "what problem?" But, I don't understand how not standing for your own country's national anthem is helping your cause. If anything, it's only further perpetuating the problem. The divide is growing. I don't know how to fix it. And fine, if you want to protest, that's your prerogative. But what are you doing after that? What are you doing to promote positive change? Perhaps I've not done enough research on the matter. To be honest, I read article after article, and the whole thing is just depressing. I'm simply sharing my thoughts, and like I said before, I'm not looking to debate.
But, I do know one thing...when The National Anthem is playing and Old Glory is flying,
I will stand.
I hope you will, too.

The Adventures Continue

More excitement today in the world of customer service. We've all forgotten how to adult from time to time. However, there's that one day when the stars align perfectly, and everyone forgets how to adult at the same time. That's what I'm experiencing today. No need to go into details because God knows I don't want to relive my morning...but wow. That's all I can say.
So let's all take a deep breath <inhale...exhale> and get our poop in a group. K? Thanks. Poop grouped? Now sweep that shit under the rug and keep on keepin' on.

Now I'm just sitting here, thinking about something to talk about. Oh! Thought of something. How cool is this?? This is leaps and bounds better than the "kiss cam" commonly done at sporting events. No one wants to see your PDA, but we would like to see your cute kids. Especially when said cute kids are hoisted in the air Rafiki-style. My buddy Dana is kind of a big deal at the Viaero Events Center in Kearney, so I'm hoping he can work his magic to get this going at a Tri-City Storm game.

That's all I've got today folks. Cheers to a short week. One more day. Uno mas.

Adventures in Customer Service

Just another day in paradise. August can be a difficult month for my customers because it's considered "settle up" month. Our customers who have been paying a set amount for the past 11 months need to settle their bills so they have a $0.00 balance. For some, it's a greater amount than anticipated due to whatever reason (hotter summer, colder winter, inefficient/malfunctioning heating/cooling units, etc.). Then, based on the customer's usage pattern, the computer algorithm figures a new budget amount for the upcoming year. Here was a conversation from a few minutes ago:

 

Customer: How come my budget bill is increasing for next year?

Me: Let me look up your account. Oh, it looks like your average bill was a little higher than the previous year, so the figure is higher going into the next budget year. Your average bill over the past 12 months was $141.30.

Customer: No, it wasn't.

Me: Okay, well, I can give you a print out of your billing history over the past 12 months if you'd like to see. However, when I do the math, the average comes out to be $141.30.

Customer: I still don't understand why it's going up from last year.

Me: We can adjust your budget if you'd like. The figure stated on your bill is merely suggested on the past year's history. However, you can set it higher or lower if you'd like.

Customer: Well, I've got to talk to my wife first. We'll have to take a look at things.

 

I love it when I figure an average (which I can do with the push of a button on my computer) and people feel the need to argue with me. Yell at yourself. You're the one who used the energy. Yell at the computer. It's the thing that gave me your average bill. Yell at math. Math sucks.

 

Update: Customer returned with wife in tow. Repeated my words once again. They are still somewhat confused, but at this point, anything else I say is just going to confuse them further. I got them out the door, so hey, I'll take that small victory.

 

 

 

I Am Second.

Every 4 years I willingly deprive myself of sleep for weeks at a time. Why? Well, the Olympics of course! There's nothing better than The Olympic Games...more specifically, Gymnastics. This year has been so fun watching the Final Five compete for gold. I follow many of the gymnasts on Instagram, just trying to catch a glimpse of what it might be like to be in their shoes. To be at the top of your game at such a young age. To watch your dreams unfold right before your eyes. I imagine it's the highest of highs. However, you can't ride a wave like that forever. And, as we've seen with Gabby Douglas, the highs are generally accompanied by the lows. That's a post for another day, but I just have to comment that I do have some sympathy for Gabby. I don't think she's doing herself any favors (and the media is certainly not doing her any favors), but I think she's in a tough spot. Also, the scrutiny surrounding her is going to last long after Rio. Anyway, hopping back on my original train of thought.

I loved watching Nastia Liukin on Dancing with the Stars, and I was happy to see that she was going to be a commentator in Rio. She obviously knows the sport like the back of her hand, and I think she provides a great perspective on what the gymnasts might be thinking. So, I hopped on YouTube and watched Nastia's routines from her Olympics which led me to some videos of Shawn Johnson. I loved watching Shawn at the Olympics, partly because I felt like she had a "hometown tie" even though she was from Des Moines. But then I stumbled upon a video entitled "I Am Second." I clicked on the video, and Shawn talked about life after the Olympics. You can watch it here. Then, a boatload of other "I Am Second" videos popped up. They are incredible. They talk about events that led people closer to God, and how those events helped them understand God's purpose for their lives. It's refreshing to see the people you watch on television give their personal testimony.

After I watched Shawn Johnson's story, I saw that Sean Lowe had done a story as well. One of my guilty pleasures is watching The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I can't help myself. I've watched the show since its creation. Sean Lowe's story was great. Single ladies, after watching this, you'll know that you deserve someone great. And if you don't feel like that, watch it again because you clearly weren't paying attention the first time.

You can check out the I Am Second videos on YouTube, or go to www.iamsecond.com and explore their website. Pretty sure I'll be doing that all day today. It seems appropriate to close today's post with one of my favorite Bible verses.

Weekend of the B's

Becky, Barn Wood & Brushstrokes, Brittany, and Barbie. That pretty much sums up my weekend.

I hadn't seen Becky in quite some time, so we decided to pick a weekend to get together with our friend Danielle. Since Danielle was 3 weeks away from babe #2, a "night out on the town" just wasn't what the doctor ordered (also, since we're all in our thirties now, our idea of a good time has changed drastically). Instead, we grabbed lunch at The J and then headed down to Main Street to do some painting. After carefully selecting our pottery and paint colors, our artistic sides took over and we were in the zone. If you've never visited a place to paint some pottery, I highly recommend giving it a try. It really is quite therapeutic, and allows one to take a step back from the chaos that can be life. Time flies by and before you know it, a few hours pass. Now in a week, I'll have a new trusty coffee mug to enjoy my morning joe.

Our painting session ended and we parted ways until our next adventure. Later, Becky and I met up again and zipped over to Elgin to see Ashley and the girls and then we had to watch some Olympics that evening.

The next day I was actually semi-productive. Since the Olympics have been robbing me of Z's, I slept in. It was glorious. I relish the thought of waking up without an alarm clock, but some days I worry...what if I don't wake up until noon? That never happens like it did when I was a kid, but then I thought again..."what do I care? I'm single, I don't have kids, why should I have to get up in the morning?" The answer is I don't. #singlegirlperks

After I mowed my yard I headed over to my mom's house. My brother needed to spend some more time getting his classroom ready for the school year (crazy to say that....my brother is a teacher now) and mom had some errands to run, so I stayed with Brit. To my surprise, she decided to carry up the tote full of Barbie stuff. I was flooded with flashbacks of myself sitting in the basement playing with Barbies for hours and hours, only stopping for meals and bathroom breaks. A successful birthday party included at least one new Barbie. I just love the fact that my niece can now enjoy them. Although Barbie's hair is a bit more tangled than I remember, I just think that's a sign that they've been well-loved.
So Brit and I set up the Barbie Boutique. I mean this place would put any department store to shame. We had it all: dresses for all occasions, men's and women's pants/shirts/shorts/bathing suits/furniture, and yes, even a motor vehicle department stocked with one red corvette, one yellow jet ski, and one pink scooter. I got a heck of a deal on a corvette at $500 and later came back for the jet ski. After some haggling, the store owner came down to $20 for the Baywatch edition jet ski. I mean, I couldn't pass up the deal, especially when it matched Baywatch Ken. It was such a fun afternoon with Brit. One I will cherish. She just makes me laugh. "Hi my name is Brian, but all of his friends call me Jack." How does she come up with this stuff?

So I've had Barbie on the brain, and I'm curious what your favorite Barbie's were gals! There were so many that I loved, but one of my favorites was Malibu Barbie. In a close second place was Gymnast Barbie. And then, of course Husker Barbie came out. Luckily, my dad bought 2 of them. One for the collector and one for the kid. It's no fun to look at Barbie in the box. So, take a stroll down memory lane and post a pic or let me know what your favorite Barbie was! I want to know!

The Challenge

Every time I see a new "love your spouse challenge" on Facebook, it triggers an involuntary eye roll. Not because I'm single, but because I know I'll be seeing seven days (YES, SEVEN) of gushy love posts about how much someone loves their spouse.
While I can appreciate the idea of this post, I think it would be completely adequate to post one picture of yourself and your doting spouse, ONE time to get your point across. I also understand that with all of the negativity and political hullabaloo going on, it's refreshing to see a positive post once in a while. But again, I just think it's too much.

A few nights ago, I reached my boiling point and posted "Let me know when the love your spouse challenge is over." It was then I learned that I am not alone. Hilarity ensued. I had tears running down my face from laughing so hard. I finally had to put my phone down at 11:30 p.m. and force myself to go to sleep. Not only were people posting their thoughts on the LYS challenge, nearly every other post/challenge that has circulated on Facebook was made fun of (thanks in large part to my brother). However, the winner in my book was my old (as in former, he's not an old dude) co-worker Rob when he posted "Jesus hates you if you don't like this post." Wow. My neighbor came in a close second place, however, when she said, "We're waiting for an "I tolerate my spouse" challenge. Ha ha!

So thanks for the laughs, friends.

And if anyone is/was offended by my opinions, just keep on scrolling...like I do every time I see a LYS Challenge.

Welcome to Lyla's 90th Birthday Party!

DISCLAIMER: If you get easily nauseated/grossed out by reading about bodily functions, stop reading when I mention "Lazy Horse Vineyards". You've been warned.

We've all heard the phrase, "I see no good reason to act my age." Well, this weekend my wine-tasting pals and I were witness to why there's a perfectly good reason to act our ages.

In an effort to get a few steps closer to completing our wine passport, Cassie and I ventured out of town with Steve and Lisa. First stop was at The Rose Colored Glass in Stromsburg, NE. Beautiful little art gallery/tasting room/shop. The 4 of us downed a bottle of Jesse James, and piled back in the car and drove to Superior.

We stepped in the doors at Superior Estates, and were greeted by a sign that said, "Welcome to Lyla's 90th Birthday Party!" Luckily, wine tastings were still being offered so we were able to taste away. They had several delicious wines so we enjoyed ourselves. Afterward, we heard that there was a good Mexican restaurant in Superior, so we made our way downtown to see what the fuss was all about. Jumbo margaritas, chips and salsa, burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and a muy guapo waiter did not disappoint. (Thanks for the recommendation Amy!)

We hit the road once again; destination Ohiowa, NE. You just said "Ohiowa? Never heard of it" didn't you! Well, it exists. It was worth the stop. Well, all until "the incident." Lazy Horse Vineyards is a beautiful place. Country setting, roaming horses, plentiful grape vines, and people galore. It was very hot out, and unfortunately, we had to sit at the only available table outside. I am no fan of being hot, but I was trying my best to be a trooper and enjoy myself. However, the people at the table next to us had been enjoying themselves for what looked like hours judging by the 6 empty wine bottles on their table. These people looked to be in their upper-40's, early-50s, and they were tanked. We all know that our lips get a bit loose when we've had a few, but their conversation was not appropriate for a public place. And it's not like this group was speaking quietly among themselves.

Because we were outside, we had to go indoors to get our next sample of wine. I had also had enough of this mother discussing her sons "shower rituals" (to put it as PG as possible). When I returned with my glass of sangria, my cohorts looked at me and said, "Okay, we're leaving." I was like, "What? I just got this glass!" I was not aware of what happened in my brief absence. Apparently, a woman in this group had been in the restroom for an extended period of time, and when she came back outside, she vomited on herself. I threw back my glass of sangria (which really was a pity, because it's drink that should be enjoyed sip by sip). and waited inside to pay our tabs. I overheard the staff talking about how that lady had vomited all over the women's restroom. Multiple stalls and the sink. Then I see her walk back in, and she's standing at the sink washing vomit out of her hair. THAT, my friends, is a shining example of why you should act your age. She should have said "when" a long time ago. I was embarrassed for her. The older you get, the wiser you must be about testing your limits. I'm all about having a good time, but I feel like I know when to say when.

 

Anyway, we had a pretty darn good time until that last stop. We'll have to return to Lazy Horse when they're not so busy to enjoy the wine and pizza (two of my favorite things on the face of the earth)! And in case you were wondering, it seemed like Lyla had a wonderful 90th birthday.

For the Love of Pets

A few weeks ago, my niece and I traveled to Omaha to spend some time with my sister. We had a girls day full of fun: pedicures, ice cream, and painting pottery. After supper we went to the movie "The Secret Life of Pets." I had built up a lot of hype for this movie, which I know isn't good because it usually leaves me disappointed. Unfortunately, my reaction to my movie was lackluster. It was okay. However, it did get me thinking about pets. Also, I saw today on Facebook that one my friends had to part with their furbaby, so it inspired today's post.

Right before my senior year of high school, my mom and dad got a wild hair and decided to get a puppy. I don't even remember asking them for a pet...but now that I'm thinking about it, I could totally see myself saying, "Mom, you're going to need someone to keep you busy when I go off to college next Fall." I remember the day my parents brought  him home. He was a miniature schnauzer, and we decided to name him Harley. Handsome Harley. He was the sweetest. I could not sleep that night listening to his cries from the kitchen, so I took my pillow to lay with him for a little while. We fell asleep on the floor. From that point on, we were buds.
The time came for me to go to Lincoln to attend college. I had a picture of me and Harley snuggled up on the couch to keep a piece of him with me. When I went home for a weekend, I always looked forward to the time when I pulled in the driveway. Mom would open the door, and Harley would beeline to my car anxious to see me. At that moment in time, no one loved anyone more than that dog loved me. He had a wiggle about him when we was super excited, and I can still picture him doing it to this day. It still makes me smile.
Unfortunately, Harley crossed the rainbow bridge way before we expected. He had been through a lot and developed some health problems that he couldn't overcome. He'd been ill for quite some time, and we couldn't watch him suffer any longer. It was not the life a dog should live. I am not exaggerating when I say that I cried for an hour after I got the news. I couldn't hold back the tears no matter how hard I tried. I will always miss him. My mom still has his collar and tags hanging on a framed picture of him that reads (what else) "Handsome." I love that she's kept it out on display for all of these years. Just shows you how much we loved him.

I know many of you can relate to this. Pets hold a special place in our hearts. They become family. And until you're a pet owner, I don't think you can fully understand the bond. That's why I get so irritated when people say, "He's just a dog." You sir, are an asshole. He's not "just a dog" to me. He was much, much more.

I've wanted a dog of my own for many years now, but I cannot bring myself to adopt one. Yet. I'm too busy. I'm gone all the time. I can't just leave my pet home for days at a time while I'm out of town. So, to fill the void, I have Dusty. Dusty is also a miniature schnauzer who belongs to my brother's family. Dusty and I spend quite a bit of time together, and he helps curb my craving of owning a dog. He's my buddy though, and I love him as my own. I mean just look at that face. How could you not love him?

Give your furry friends an extra hug today. In the words of Roger Caras, "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

Type O Hero

With all of the violence and tragedy surrounding us these days, it's easy to feel helpless. It's easy to feel like you're just a spectator. It's easy to feel like you aren't able to make a difference. But, you want you. You wish there was something, anything you could do that might make someone's life just a little bit better. Well, I'm telling you, there is a way. DONATE BLOOD.

I've been donating blood for over a decade. I still remember the first time I donated as a high school senior. That started the charge. I have continued to donate since then because the need for blood is constant. Only 10% of eligible donors in America choose to donate. That is incredibly depressing, and it needs to change. I'm sharing this post to encourage and educate. So let me share a little story.

A while back, I had an appointment to give blood one afternoon. I asked one of my co-workers to accompany me "because I needed someone to drive me" (a little white lie that served a great purpose). I got to the blood bank and waited for my turn. As my co-worker and I sat there, the phlebotomist came to take me back to do my pre-screen. She looked at my co-worker and said, "Oh, are you going to donate today too?" He said, "No, I'm not eligible. I'm taking medication for cholesterol." She smiled, handed him the medication-deferral list and said "Is it any of these?" He read the list of medications, and to his surprise, his was not listed. Before I knew it, he was next to me giving his pint. (By the way, he became a regular blood donor after this visit, so +1 for the good guys.)
So what do we learn from this little story? So many people assume they're not eligible to donate because of medications they're taking, because they smoke, because they tried once and their iron level was too low, etc. Don't assume that you're not eligible, because I'm betting that you are.

I'm going to share some blood donation facts at the conclusion of this post, but I also want to share my reasons for donating.
I donate because it's one of the easiest ways to give back. It doesn't cost anything. Not all of us have the means to make monetary donations to causes we support, but I am able to give my time. It is not a time consuming process. I'm in and out in less than an hour (unless I stay too long visiting and eating homemade cookies. Oh, and yesterday they were serving sloppy joes, so I didn't have to make supper. #winning).
I donate because it makes my heart feel good. I know that I'm making a difference in someone's life. Also, the act of giving blood for someone else makes me think of Jesus. I think it's an answer to the ever popular WWJD? Jesus gave blood, and since I'm made in his image, it's only right that I do too!
I donate because there is a need for blood all of the time, and one day, it could be me who needs it!

My hope is that by sharing my personal experience in donating blood that it inspires others to do the same. If you have questions, there are plenty of resources available to help (including myself)! For all of your Albionites, there's a blood drive on Monday, September 12 at the Casey building at the Fairgrounds from 11:30 - 5:30. Take an hour of your day and save some lives. You can make an appointment here.

pluviophile

You really do learn something new every day. I was sitting here trying to think of something, anything to write about today. Nothing came to mind other than mindless babble. So, naturally I resort to talking about the weather. I know, invigorating stuff.

I stumbled upon a word to enhance my vocabulary on Pinterest today. Pluviophile. How appropriate today. I always get a little sad when I have to leave my bed and adult for the day, but even more so when it's raining. There was nothing I would have rather done today than to stay in bed and listen to the rain hit the roof. However, I could hear my credit card saying, "Hey! Remember me? Remember how much you've abused me over the past few weeks? Yeah, you're going to want to get out of bed and make some money today." I resisted the temptation to hit snooze for the third time and finally set my feet on the ground.

But now, the weekend beckons. A weekend full of celebrating one of the biggest joys in my life. My niece. She will be 7 on Sunday. Happy Birthday B!

DCI

I hate being hot. I hate sweating. I hate sitting in the blazing sun in the middle of summer while the sun fries my alabaster skin like two strips of crispy bacon.
However!! There are exceptions to almost all things in life. One said exception is witnessing the glory that is a DCI performance while sitting in metal bleachers in sweltering heat with a heat index well over 100 degrees.

What is DCI, you say? Well, let me first proudly display my band geek flag. DCI stands for Drum Corps International. It's basically marching band on steroids. It's the major league of marching music. Here's a taste courtesy of the Blue Knights - Denver, Colorado.

Incredible, right? That's just a teaser, too. The amount of work these corps (which, by the way, the mean age of participants is 19.4) put in is astounding. Most of them are full-time college students, or high school students aspiring for degrees in Music once they head to college. It really is amazing, and I could ramble on and on about how awesome they are. But, until you witness a live performance, you just can't appreciate the magic that is DCI. And no, I am not overselling this.

In my last post I mentioned that I got to cross off a bucket list item when I got to see Phantom of the Opera. Well, here's another one I'd like to get crossed off; going to the World Championships of DCI in Indianapolis. One summer in August, I WILL be going. Occasionally I get lucky, and a show makes a stop in Nebraska. My luck struck a year ago in Seward, and my sister and I got to witness a show at Heedum Field (snow cones in hand to try to beat some of the heat...can't imagine how hot it must have been wearing full marching uniform). Seven corps performed, and each performance blew my mind.

But anyway, if you feel like checking out some videos, there's a gang of them on youtube. Just search DCI performances, Or, hop on over to DCI's page and you can discover a wealth of knowledge. Here you can find the best 2015 DCI moments. Worth a watch, IMHO.

Props to my friend Jessica Cates on posting this video that inspired today's post. This clip shows just how in character these kids get for performances. Is that passion, or what?

-S

Hiatus

I sound like a broken record, but here I go again (on my own...ah, Whitesnake). I'm not quite sure why I take 2-year extended blogcations, but I just do. It's my way. The sad truth is this: I go back and read what I wrote in 2014 and think, "Wow, not much has changed." I have a someecards desk calendar, and one of my "keepers" says the following: "Just wanted to update everyone on the fact that absolutely nothing new is happening in my life." But that doesn't mean I haven't had fun along the way.

I turned 30 this year. No mid-life crisis (yet) so that's good. It has actually been a really fun year. I'm just going to share some highlights so far.
My friends surprised me for my birthday and we went to an Escape Room in Lincoln. Freaking fun. Try it out. http://lincolnescaperoom.com/

Went to Las Vegas in February to celebrate Cassie's 30th. I love that place. We had such a fun time, and were immediately planning our next trip on the plane home.

Purchased season tickets to the Orpheum (well, that started in 2015), but I got to cross off a bucket list item by doing so. I finally got to see "Phantom of the Opera." It was incredible.

Cassie and I have also been doing the Nebraska Wine Passport. We went on a 1200 mile trip in May to cross off the vineyards in western Nebraska. Stayed at my first B&B (Balcony House in Imperial, NE), and fell in love with a new author during our stay (Nick Pirog, who just so happened to be the Balcony House owner's nephew...how cool is that?). Needless to say, we've drank a lot of wine. Also, it was so fun to explore my own state. There's still so much to see, so a return trip will definitely be in my future plans.

Summer is in full swing. I've got a busy bunch of weekends coming my way. Lots of fun to be had. My niece will turn 7 this weekend. In true Sup-fashion we're having a giant celebration in the park and at the pool. She's so fun. Sassy, but fun. She's also too smart for her own good, but she makes life better.
We've got some more wineries/vineyards to cross off our passports, a wedding in Grand Island (that is coincidentally at a winery), a weekend at Shanno's cabin, horse races in Columbus, and many more spontaneous nights of hijinks, I'm sure. That might be the best part of being single. I can do what I want, when I want.

So there's a brief synopsis of the Sheila happenings of '16. I hope to continue the blogging this time. We'll give it a whirl.

Until next time,
-S

Hilar--

Just to give you a glimpse into my mind...I do have an idea for a blog post today, but before I get to that I have to explain something. I have this bad habit of starting something, then starting another thing before the first thing is finished.Then I think of something else and I start that. It happens frequently (just ask anyone who helped me do any renovations when I bought my house). At home. At work. In my head. Everywhere. All the time. So today, I'm going to post about Jimmy Kimmel's Mean Tweets because they are hilarious. Then my brain goes, "Hilar. Short for hilarious. People abbreviate a lot of words nowadays, and most of those words are funny. Whatev. Totes." You get the picture. It just makes me laugh. And now that I'm done with that, I can move on to my actual topic.

ANYWAY, my gal-pal (Rachel Green, for all you Friends fans...ha ha...see? All the time. Back to the point!) Cassie posted a video on facebook recently of Jimmy Kimmel doing a segment on his show called "Mean Tweets." It's a handful of celebrities reading the meanest tweets that people have shared about them. They are so funny. He has done this segment 6 times now along with a "music" version and a "NBA" version. If you are in need of a laugh, go to youtube right now and check them out. I guarantee you will laugh. People come up with the most random (and mean!) things to say about these celebs (ha! another abbreviated word). Okay, good talk!

-S

Forces of Nature

Mother Nature: She can be a bear.
I have been consumed lately by all things weather. I looked on weather.com today because I know there has been trouble in the skies. I am always fascinated with the pictures of damage and destruction. They had a slide show of the top 100 photos from the year (with a few from previous years). http://www.weather.com/news/science/weathercoms-top-100-photos-2013-20131216
If you have some time, I highly recommend viewing the collection. It is a sobering experience. It brings life to the old adage, "No matter how bad you think you've got it, someone else is worse off." Living in the Plains, we see several different forces of nature each year. I think Nebraska has been relatively lucky in 2013. I know there were some tornadoes, flooding, etc. but I think we can all thank God that we weren't living in parts of Oklahoma and Illinois which saw extreme devastation and loss of life from tornadoes, or parts of Colorado either engulfed in flame or washed away by flooding. These are just a few that I can remember off the top of my head.
I loved watching Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel, but now that it's no longer on air, I am following the adventures of Mr. Reed Timmer and his web-series Tornado Chasers. You do have to pay to view the episodes, but I believe in the work that he's doing, so I am happy to do this. Also, he's quite the character. The episodes are action-packed with incredible footage. They can literally drive into tornadoes with their custom built vehicles. I love it. I think it draws me in even more because I was born and raised in tornado alley. The passion of those involved in this series is incredible.You can check out the website at http://tvnweather.com/

As the holidays draw near, please say an extra prayer for those people who are without their loved ones due to the forces of nature. They may have rebuilt their homes, purchased new things...but nothing can replace the life of a family member or friend. The pictures I saw in the weather.com collection are a humble reminder that the best things in life aren't things.
Seasons Greetings to you all.

-S

Good in the world

Last week I shared a video on Facebook about a bus driver who stopped in the middle of the road after seeing a woman clinging to a an overpass railing. He open the bus door and shouted, "Hey! Are you okay?" The woman looked back but did not answer. He proceeded to park the bus, get off, and go talk to her. After a short moment, he grabbed her arm preventing her from leaping into the lanes of traffic below. She climbed back over the railing to safety. The driver sat down on the sidewalk (that several onlookers had just walked on by the distressed woman) and talked it out with the woman. After the ordeal, the driver got back on his bus and was met with applause from the passengers.
Feel-good videos like that restore my faith in humanity. Earlier that day I heard about the shooter at LAX, so it was refreshing to see that there are still good people in the world after such a violent act.

So today, I'm taking my daily cruise on MSN, and I see a video about this bus driver. He has been showered with gifts and best of all, Donald Trump sent him a big fat check for $10K. As if saving this woman's life wasn't "gift" enough, it made me happy to know that this man has been honored for his actions that day. In the original video, I watched a handful of people walk by this woman (seriously, they were within 2 feet of her) and not give her a second glance.

I took a class one summer at UNL; Sociology. It was a great class, extremely though-provoking. It reminded me a lot of the show on ABC "What would you do?" We talked about the school shooting at Columbine and other extreme situations similar to that where you have to make a decision. If you were asked, "Do you believe in God?" and you were a Christian, what would you say? Would you say yes? Would you say no? I know what I think I would say, but unless I'm actually in that situation, it's hard to say what I would really do. I think that goes for everyone. You can tell me until you're blue in the face what you "would do" but until you're in whatever situation it is, you can't possibly know for sure what you would do.

I'm just glad the bus driver made the decision he did that day. He could have kept on driving his bus route. Instead, he made a choice. Not the right choice or wrong choice. His choice.

-S

TV Talk

John Lennon once said "time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." I find astounding truth in this quote, and was a living example of it yesterday. After a very restful sleep, I got a text from a very eager Cab, wanting to watch a movie. One movie turned into four. Four awesome movies that kept us wanting more. More weekend, that is. Just one more day to do nothing. Veg out. Lay around. Relax. Enjoy the cinematic genius that is The Avengers. The nerd in me came out in full force. After we watched The Avengers I got my first taste of Captain America. It did not disappoint. My watch list is full of Avengers: Iron Man (all 3), The Incredible Hulk, and Thor. I'm sure we'll have them all watched by the end of the week. In case you were wondering, yes, we are that cool.

One wonderful thing about Fall is premiere week. All of my favorite shows return to television. (The first step is admitting that you have a problem.) While there are many shows that I don't like to miss, my top three are Castle on Mondays, The Big Bang Theory on Thursdays, and  Revenge on Sundays. It amazes me how people can come up with this stuff. Admittedly, I am a nerd, and I like to watch the extras. Seeing how much work goes in to one action scene of Castle had me in disbelief.

Recently, I saw an article online about the cast of Big Bang reporting that the cast members were seeking raises. The original post I read stated that they make $350,000/episode and were requesting $1,000,000/episode, similar to the request that the cast of Friends made back in 2002. Now, that's a lot of green, and my first thought was "Geez! You greedy bastards!" but then I did some research.
It's the top rated sit-com, and brings 18.6 million viewers each episode. To compare, by the end of the Friends saga, each cast member was making 7-figures/episode, and that was 10 years ago. Now, I'm probably biased here, but I think they should at least be making the same per episode in 2013 that the cast members of Friends made in 2002. To quote Spock, "It's only logical."

-S

Autumn Adoration

Oh, how I love Fall. It truly is the best time of the year.

The weather is unbeatable. Although we're currently experiencing a heat wave (come on, this is still Nebraska) with temps approaching triple digits tomorrow, the Fall nights that I enjoy so much are just around the corner. Now that I have a home with a porch, I will enjoy many nights on my ultra comfy patio furniture with a glass of wine close by. The other thing I love is the changing colors of Fall. Just one of the many gifts from above.

School has started. This means high school Fall sports. Softball, football, and volleyball. Since my best friend is the head coach of the BC softball team, I always try to go to as many games as I can. Unfortunately, I think there are only three home games this year, so we'll have to see how everything will pan out. The other downfall with the schedule is that volleyball and softball games are usually on the same nights. My sister-in-law is one of the coaches for the volleyball team, so I like to watch them play as well. Also, it's fun to spend some QT with my brother and my niece. I have however vowed to never return to O'Neill's gymnasium until they decide to install air conditioning. What an awful night. I felt so bad for the girls in the court! It was boiling-lava-hot in there. Brittany was drenched in sweat. It was no fun. Then, of course, the BC boys return to the gridiron. After an appearance in the state final last November, I'm excited to see what these boys can do. Have to be there to cheer on my favorite player, #22!

Husker football. Need I say more? No, but I'm going to anyway. If anyone hasn't yet witnessed the Coach Pelini prank, you need to see it. I loved it.

The last thing I love about Fall, and one thing I miss most about living in Lincoln, is the comeback of the PSL. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that acronym......it means Pumpkin Spice Latte.

-S

Liebster!

What an honor to be nominated for this award from a fellow blogger and bestie, That Olson Girl. Like her, I had no idea this award even existed, but I love the concept! Check it out!

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. So, what is a Liebster?  The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. Isn't that sweet? Blogging is about building a community and it's a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers/blogs.

I blog because I enjoy it. I like sharing my opinions and thoughts on life and the events that fill my life. Sometimes my posts are personal, sentimental, reflective, funny, crazy, or totally random. That's just who I am. My blog is me! 


So to follow suit, I am going to answer the questions that were given to me. Ready, set, go!

1. If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This is like asking "what's your favorite movie" because there's not one single answer. But I'm going to give an answer. Growing up, one of my favorite meals (that we still have as a family today) is grilled steak, homemade french fries, and chocolate malts. That's what I pick. 

2. Describe your favorite childhood memory.
Again, another difficult question, because I have so many great childhood memories. One of the best was spending my summers at the pool. Endless hours of going off the diving boards and playing "Shark" in "the red: a.k.a. the 12 foot." So fun. 

3. Which celebrity would you do anything to go on a date with?  Spill the details on why and what you would do.
I have many celeb crushes...but I am in love with Nathan Fillion. He plays Richard Castle on ABC's "Castle." He is so witty and charming, and so damn cute. I have no idea what we would do...I'd probably behave like a giddy school girl all night and not know what to do with myself. 

4. Would you rather do laundry or dishes? 
Curse you Cassie, you know I hate both. I'd have to say dishes, because laundry takes forever!! I hate every aspect of doing laundry. 

5. If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Right now, I'd really like to see Santorini, Greece. The pictures I've seen are absolutely breathtaking, an I'd love to take a trip (with a companion, of course). 

6. What is your favorite treat?
Easy. Ice cream. Hands down. No contest.

7. Which skill would you like to learn how to do?
I'd love to learn how to sew. I learned the basics when I was in middle school, but those skills have long left my memory. 

8. Favorite movie?
Did I not say this was too difficult to answer in question one? There are too many! It's impossible to pick one because there are too many different genres. The first one that comes to mind is Bridesmaids. Hilarious. 

9. If you could go back to any era for a month, which would it be and why?
I'd say the 40's. Love the style of the era, the cars, and the way a gentleman treated a lady.

10. The best advice you were ever given?
I've received a lot of good advice over the years. A former boss of mine would always tell me that work should be one of the lowest priorities on your list. There are so many more important things in life. Do what you want to do when you want to do it. Go see places. Do fun things. You never know what tomorrow might hold, so take every opportunity you can. Work is not my life. It's a part of life, but my family and friends are my life. They are who I love and what makes me happy. Time spent with them is never wasted. 

11. What was your favorite place to go in college?
4th and Adams. The good times never ceased. A group of my guy friends lived there and there was never a dull moment. I so miss those carefree days.What wonderful memories!! 

So that's the last question. Time to pose 11 new questions to some other bloggers! I don't know many other bloggers, but two that I read on a regular basis belong to some friends of mine. I'm passing the torch to you Joanna and Bonnie! 

Here are your questions:
1. What is your favorite season? Elaborate, please.
2. Describe one of your biggest pet peeves. 
3. You just won $1,000,000. What do you do with your winnings?
4. Fill in the blanks. I couldn't live without _________ because __________. 
5. Who is your favorite sports team?
6. What lesson did you learn the hard way?
7. If you could pick a different career, what would it be?
8. What is the craziest food you've ever tried? Was it awful or wonderful?
9. Where was your last vacation spot? 
10. Silver or gold?
11. If you could share one piece of advice with the world, what would it be?

Can't wait to see what you gals come up with. :) 

-S

Is it 4 yet?

Busy day at the office. We had my co-worker's retirement party this morning. Any of my friends will tell you that I'm the "planner" in our circle. I like to have things in line, organized, ready-to-go. I plan. I schedule. I make lists. Lots and lots of lists. It's how I keep a shred of sanity when there's an event or party to be had. Maybe it's because I don't have a very good memory. Who knows?
Anyway, I was responsible for this party today. It went great, however, in typical Sheila-fashion, I hardly got a wink of sleep last night. I can't help myself from worrying about something that could go wrong. I hate to think how sleep-deprived I'll be for my wedding some day. I also like to do things myself, because that way I know it will be done how I want. At least I know I have a problem. I always have terrible dreams before these things too. Last night was no exception. In my dream, I showed up 30 minutes late. When I got to work, the cake was destroyed. I have no idea what happened. That's really all I remembered from the dream. But, of course, things went just fine. The same kind of dreams happened when I was renovating my house. Anything that could go wrong, did. But when the actual even comes, things go just fine. So now, I'm really sleepy and could use a good nap. I just have to stay awake through these next 3 hours, then I can go home and snooze on my comfy couch.

Just wanted to share a fun story from this morning. One of the guys was leaving the party, and I had to go grab some more nuts from Dollar General. I walked out the door and here he is, carrying a fluffy kitten in his hand. I said, "Scott! Why do you have a kitten?" He said, "It's a good thing I do my walk around before getting in my truck. This guy was sitting on my tire!" Scott drives a BIG truck for the company. The kitten was so cute, I wanted to take him home. Seriously. We found a place to set him down, now I'm just praying that the next person to come across him has a kind heart. Anyway, that was some excitement to my day. A cuddly kitten who wanted to come home with me.

Happy Friday y'all.

-S

Bad Timing

Note: This post contains TMI at times......just preparing you ahead of time.
As if I didn't have enough going on in my life right now, add an emergency appendectomy to the list.
Last Wednesday night, out of the blue, I was in an unbearable amount of pain. I finally had my mom take me to the ER to see what the heck was going on around 10:00 p.m. We waited for blood test to come back from the lab which showed elevated white blood cell count...but that still didn't reveal much about what was causing me pain. Since my pain was right below my chest, the doc thought maybe a "GI cocktail" might give me some relief. Wrong. And, don't let the name fool you. It was the most awful tasting cocktail I've ever had. After waiting 90 minutes with no relief I was admitted, hooked up to an IV, and finally got some morphine to relieve my pain. I was miserable. It was decided that I would get a scan in the morning, so I had to start drinking some awful stuff to make my insides glow so we could see what the problem was. Took my fist dose of berry flavored yuckiness around 12:30. I was on a fluid drip, so of course, I was up every 60-90 minutes to relieve my poor bladder. I got an hour power nap in there, but woke up around 2:00 a.m. The only good thing about waking up at that hour is that The People's Court is on! Entertainment! More brief moments of sleep passed mixed with getting up to use the bathroom. Finally, 5:00 a.m. rolled around. More blood work. At this point, both arms had been poked and prodded. I still have the bruises to prove it, but I figured, what the hell. Anything that is an attempt to make me feel better is worth it. Also, I needed another 5 ounces of that berry crap. Then more at 6:30. More at 7:00. And  finally, more at 7:30, minutes before my scan.
At this point, the morphine had masked some of my pain, I was feeling much better than the 8 hours prior. I decided to let Bex and Cass know that I was in the hospital since mom had already notified my family. I took a picture of my IV. I said, "In hospital. Doing OK. More details later." They were both like, "WHAT?!" Since Cass lives in the same zip code, she came out to the hospital and kept me company and ran an errand for me. Mom had run home to get dad going. The doctor came back and told me that I had acute appendicitis and my appendix needed to come out as soon as possible. So, it was off to Grand Island to have surgery.
After stopping at my house to grab my favorite blanket, mom and I hit the road. We got all checked in, and it wasn't long before I was called back to my room to answer a long list of questions and get prepped for the procedure. After about an hour of surgery, my angry appendix was out, no longer able to cause me pain. Little did I know that I would be in a whole new category of pain post surgery.
I was exhausted. I was trying so hard to open my eyes. I. could. not. do. it. I tried, but was just sitting there like a zombie. I only remember brief pieces of conversation between my mom and the nurse...but remembered hearing, "here comes Sleeping Beauty." Very funny. The it got a whole lot NOT funny. I did not react well to the anesthesia and well, you can imagine what happened next. Needed a wardrobe change as my access to a puke bag was not readily available. The nurse immediately came back and gave me a shot to stop the nausea. As you can imagine, having surgery in an area close to your stomach combined with vomiting was NOT an enjoyable experience. I just sat there and cried.
Then the nurse said, "Okay, time to use the bathroom and eat something! I can't give you any pain meds until you eat something." Great. Another hurdle. Pain, pain, and more pain. I was hungry and thirsty as I couldn't eat or drink anything before surgery. I had never been so happy to eat orange jello and drink water! But, I made it, and I finally got the okay to head back home. My wonderful mother loaded me in the car, stopped at Walgreens to get my prescriptions, and even got me a chocolate shake when we went through Central City. I couldn't swallow very well due to the breathing tube they used during surgery, so the ice cream went down smooth.
I got home to be greeted by my family. It was good to be home, but I was so very sore. Getting into and out of seats and bed has proved to be my most difficult tasks, but it gets easier every day. Time heals all wounds, as they say.

Needless to say, all of the plans I had to work on the house (get it prepped for new flooring that was coming Monday) went out the window. Mom, Teresa, Joel, and Angie were just wonderful in helping me get done what I needed (and by helping me, I mean them doing the work, me watching). Cassie has also been a wonderful friend, constantly checking in on me and keeping me entertained with movies and Mario. :) So, thank you to everyone for all of your get well wishes and prayers. They made this process a bit less painful. I am on the mend and can't wait until I am able to function pain free (which I know will be soon)! Moving day is Saturday, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to do more than supervise.

-S