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