Hey, look at that! I’m 2 for 2 in my very own new year blogging fest! I don’t have the balls to actually commit to a “Project 365″ -way too much room for failure-but I have resolved to embrace my fear and just write. Every day… maybe.  So, there it is. And here it is.

Do you have a bucket list? My “bucket list”, which I have self title my 40 Before 40, is overflowing with the things I would like to do before I turn 40. I’ve probably talked about it a million times and some of you know about the most important things on the list. For example, I will bravely travel on a zip line before I turn 40. This is the single MOST important item on my list and it must be completed or I shall forever live in shame.

Why? Why, I’m glad you asked! It’s a really good story but I’ll tell you later because it’s just humiliating enough to qualify for it’s own post…

Have you read my list? Of course you haven’t and neither have I!

Talking and committing to paper/weblog are two very different things. This list exists in my head, in my heart, and smack dab in the middle of my mind like a billion pound brick of elephant poop with a big smiley face that just laughs at me.

“Haha,” says the billion pound brick of elephant poop, “hows that list workin’ for ya? When we gonna see this list you speak of so frequently” {I swear I’m not drunk, I gave up Diet Coke two days ago (again) and I think the cleansing process must be releasing toxins into my bloodstream, hence the elephant poop hallucinations.}

It’s an important list, this 40 Before 40, and I don’t know why I agonize over publishing it. Well, yes I do know exactly why I agonize.

What if? What if I put it out there and then can’t or don’t do something?

I’m beginning to see the value in the whole writing every day thang… LAWD, will you look at that? Who gives a hoot if I do or don’t check off all those things on my bucket list? What does it mean if I turn 40 and haven’t completed everything on that list?

Here’s the thing friends, there is courage in dreaming big and making big fat lofty bucket lists. So what if I don’t get to check off “win power ball and save the world” before August 18, 2012? Yesterday I wrote about the difference between intention and action. This list needs to exist so that I can turn my intentions into action.

Stay tuned, you may or may not see a list from me soon.

Do you have a bucket list? What are the most important things on your list and what actions are you taking to complete them?

Hey, look at that! I’m 2 for 2 in my very own new year blogging fest! I don’t have the balls to actually commit to a “Project 365″ -way too much room for failure-but I have resolved to embrace my fear and just write. Every day… maybe.  So, there it is. And here it is.

Do you have a bucket list? My “bucket list”, which I have self title my 40 Before 40, is overflowing with the things I would like to do before I turn 40. I’ve probably talked about it a million times and some of you know about the most important things on the list. For example, I will bravely travel on a zip line before I turn 40. This is the single MOST important item on my list and it must be completed or I shall forever live in shame.

Why? Why, I’m glad you asked! It’s a really good story but I’ll tell you later because it’s just humiliating enough to qualify for it’s own post…

Have you read my list? Of course you haven’t and neither have I!

Talking and committing to paper/weblog are two very different things. This list exists in my head, in my heart, and smack dab in the middle of my mind like a billion pound brick of elephant poop with a big smiley face that just laughs at me.

“Haha,” says the billion pound brick of elephant poop, “hows that list workin’ for ya? When we gonna see this list you speak of so frequently” {I swear I’m not drunk, I gave up Diet Coke two days ago (again) and I think the cleansing process must be releasing toxins into my bloodstream, hence the elephant poop hallucinations.}

It’s an important list, this 40 Before 40, and I don’t know why I agonize over publishing it. Well, yes I do know exactly why I agonize.

What if? What if I put it out there and then can’t or don’t do something?

I’m beginning to see the value in the whole writing every day thang… LAWD, will you look at that? Who gives a hoot if I do or don’t check off all those things on my bucket list? What does it mean if I turn 40 and haven’t completed everything on that list?

Here’s the thing friends, there is courage in dreaming big and making big fat lofty bucket lists. So what if I don’t get to check off “win power ball and save the world” before August 18, 2012? Yesterday I wrote about the difference between intention and action. This list needs to exist so that I can turn my intentions into action.

Stay tuned, you may or may not see a list from me soon.

Do you have a bucket list? What are the most important things on your list and what actions are you taking to complete them?

Some News Is So Big It Deserves Its Own Page – That is the caption on the Huffington Post Haiti Earthquake page. Click on the link. Read the headlines and look at the images.

I have to be honest, there are times that I catch myself looking at images like the ones we see from Haiti and not quite believing that conditions such as these could possibly exist. I’ve never seen anything like this first hand. Most of us would never imagine sights like these.

We read about celebrities, politicians and church groups that visit places where the daily reality is nothing short of a nightmare. They go to “help”, to bring attention to causes, and to raise funds. The prospect of heading to Haiti right now when nearly 95% of the rubble from last January’s earthquake is still to be removed, almost 6000 people have died from a cholera epidemic, and political unrest sparks daily violence, is a little frightening.

Yet, it is something I have contemplated. It’s an opportunity that could possibly present itself…. possibly. Maybe. The Heart of Haiti campaign will be sending one of the program ambassadors (of which I am one), to Haiti in January over the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.

I’ve lived an incredibly blessed life. I grew up in a loving family, had the best education, married a loving man, made beautiful babies….. no matter what difficulties I’ve had to face somehow I’ve always landed in a good spot. Sometimes this feels weird, like I’m not sure I deserve to be quite as lucky as I am.  I know that much of this is due to my attitude and the perspective with which I choose to look on things, but my reality is a very good one. I am grateful and I try to be generous. I’ve been generous in my community with my time but mostly I’ve been generous financially. My “giving back” has always been quite comfortable. I’ve never looked into the eyes of a man or woman who faces challenges very few Americans could ever fathom. There is not a doubt in my mind that traveling to Haiti would be a life changing experience, one that would extend beyond myself, to my community, my family and my readers, but…

Am I worthy of such an experience as traveling to Haiti?

Does that sound stupid? It feels like it sounds stupid but that is the question that has weighed on my mind lately. Do I want to go to Haiti? Yes. Why? … Why? Well-and here is where I fall flat….  My eyes fill with tears and I feel that tightness of anxiety in my chest. I should be able to say something of great significance that would set you all in awe of my fabulous-ness. Instead, I make up words like “fabulous-ness” and wipe the snotty tears from my nose.

Personally, my own community has struggled with more tragic events over the past three years than statistics say should be possible-so much for statistics. More than once I have uttered the question, “how does one go on after this?”.  When I look at the images of the Heart of Haiti artisans on the Macy’s website I feel gratitude. EXTREME gratitude for the hope and humanity they represent. If after all these men and women have endured (even before the earthquake), they can create and live and love and smile … well, it just proves how resilient and determined we all are as a human race. These people inspire me and they give me hope.

Just being an ambassador for this program has been incredibly fulfilling. Last spring I set a goal for myself-to live with purpose and to hold all of my work up to the MomActive mission statement, “To motivate and empower women to be positive role models for their families”. My involvement with the Heart of Haiti initiative is the cherry on top of all of the amazing work that has come my way in the past 8 or 9 months.

These are my fellow Heart of Haiti Ambassadors, visit them all and read about their experiences with this project. Read about the women they have chosen as The Heart of Social Good and learn how trade for aid initiatives touch the lives of so many people in so many ways. And stay tuned because I will be following the blogging, vlogging, fabulous-ness of the ambassador that does travel to Haiti because I know that the experience is likely to change all of our lives.

One Brown Girl: Tracey Friley @OneBrownGirl
Ananda Leeke: @anandaleeke
Green Your Decor: Jennae Petersen @greenyourdecor
Mommy Niri: Nirasha Jaganath @mommyniri
The Broke Socialite: Shameeka Ayers @brokesocialite
Madre Minutes: Barbara Collins @madreminutes
Real Life Sarah: Sarah Pinnix @RealLifeSarah
Peas for Prosperity: Christy Annis @Peas4Luck
My Brown Baby: Denene Millner @mybrownbaby
The Fabulous Do-Gooder: Bessie Winn-Afeku @fabdogooder | @sheismeprogram

I was brought up to be very cognizant of others and to use proper manners at all costs. My kids are complimented all the time on their manners. It may be the only area of parenting that I have had some success in.

Sometimes being polite can include putting your own feelings and desires aside. This isn’t easy but it builds character… or something like that.

Have you ever just known you were meant to have something? To be part of something? Maybe there was a really cool project that someone was talking about and you felt like you should be a part of it. So you steamroll over every thread of self-restraint you have and become a part of it?

Maybe you would normally feel embarrassed by you own audacity, but you really don’t because you know that your heart and soul love this project and the people involved?

I have. I did. Recently. I’m the 11th wheel and it was meant to be.

*In all fairness, I feel that I must disclose that I am drunk on the 900 chocolate confection treats I have imbibed on this Halloween night.

I’ve been looking over my Denver Mail-In Voter Ballot this evening….

Before you start chappin’ my ass over the fact that I’ll have to walk it in, let me tell you, I am no amateur. I am the Last Minute Sally of mail in votes. I know exactly where every drop off is and I also know where the “drive thru” drop offs are. I take my vote seriously. I take time to research my vote. I vote when I’m good and ready, and all studied up on whatever good fun our politicians have brewin’ for us.

These midterm elections are big time in Denver, in case you didn’t read my post the other day HERE.

My dilemma this evening falls into the … HUH? category.  Exactly, what does one consider when voting on the Welcome Wagon for ET? I mean, I am a lover of all life forms, and I am sensitive to any “cultural awareness” that ET would call for. I’m just sorta curious, though. Do we see a lot of ET around these parts?

The problem with an initiative like this is that I’m really having a hard time finding good data. There are no good studies to fall back on. No “Citizens for ET” or “Citizens Promoting Anti-ET Sentiment” coalitions to guide me here. WHERE is my PRO and CON for this? How can I be an informed voter without more information?

Apparently we’re missing all the government cover-ups, and this guy says that Initiative 300 will be good for Denver. Oh, and it won’t cost us any money. Well HELLS BELLS people!  It’s FREE, it might even be Buy One, Get One FREE if we vote it in and ET happens to be feelin’ welcomed! Especially if we have a protocol for handing their vehicles.

THE last thing I want is to be culturally unaware when ET arrives.

I’m a proud Denver resident, and I’m probably voting YES on Initiative 300.

I was going to redesign my logo and not tell anyone just to see if they’d notice, but then I remembered, I don’t actually have a logo! So it’s no big deal, right? If I want to shiny up a bit and toss the old boring design for a new boring design it shouldn’t matter…. right?

Tell that to The Gap, they redesigned their non-logo this week and quietly slapped it up on the ole’ website. No announcement. Just a “slam, bam, thank you ma’am” and that was that. Well, until hordes of people began spitting on the new design, 2010 Social Media Style.

People started leaving hate messages on Gap’s Facebook page, tweeting insults, and blogging their angry little hearts out. The designers, marketers, customers, and clowns all have something to say.

Guess what? So do I!

The fact is, I think The Gap is just trying to identify with the younger “chic geek” generation. Did you ever think of that? Has it occurred to you that you are no longer in the demographic? You know, the trendy hip gal/dude category? That’s right, folks, gravity hasn’t been kind and The Gap designers are ready to dump you on your big blue box.

Here is what I imagine The Gap is trying to tell you small blue box haters….

Ok, now listen up you 70′s 80′s 90′s babies, you need to just shut the F*** up and head down to the corner store for another dose of your medical marijuana.

Oh, what’s that? You still think it sucks? Well, guess what? You suck, you freaky old person.

You might want to ask yourself why you are still shopping here. Seriously! You’ve lived through two rounds of skinny jeans, the t-shirts are too tight for your aging belly fat, and we just really can’t be bothered with all of the complaining about the pleats. Pleats are back and you are old and too fat, so of course you look like shiz in them! OLD. old. OLD.

You are OLD and you are not our target demographic anymore, so quit tweeting and Facebooking and all that other shizbit you freaky old people do.

Ah Ha! It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?

You’re welcome. Now go Make Your Own Crap Logo…