Meet My New Tarot/Astrology Friend

Philip Young, PHD @ http://blackunykorn.com/, 919-971-6818

This isn't my first foray into Tarot Card readings, but I finally did something I wanted to for a long time and that was to delve into more detail of my astrology/birth chart.  Interesting doesn't begin to describe the experience (all good).  I am still digesting and honestly need to go back now to ask more specific questions.

I went to a Western Wake Farmers Market benefit to support my friend

Juliann ZoetmulderPresident at Western Wake Farmers' Market.  Philip had donated an Astrological reading to the Silent Auction.  I was so excited.  I love that my friend that I was with commented that she didn't know that I was so into astrology.  I said, "Seriously Dude? I have my Sun Sign tattooed on my ass".  Really it's in the area commonly referred to as tramp stamp, so I knew she had seen it before.

 

Anyway, if you have ever considered doing something a little out of the ordinary, but in a very normal environment by a very reputable person and PHD I might add - call him.  Join me in being open to all types of spirituality - you never know where you'll get your next motivation from without a little research.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batten Down The Hatches

I have 3 teenagers; 1 saintly girl (or at least smart enough to appear saintly) and 2 adorable and ready for trouble almost 15 year old boys.  All 3 are in high school and this is my motto for the next 4 years.

"Batten down the hatches".  Definition - "to prepare yourself for a difficult period by protecting yourself in every possible way.  Usage notes: When there is a storm, ships batten down the hatches (= close the doors to the outside) as protection against bad weather."

I would liken this to why I am now glad that I have a security system installed and operating in my home.  It is not necessarily to keep the bad guys out as much as it is to keep the good guys in.  I am well aware that even good kids do bad things.  It's my job to make sure that opportunity for trouble stays at a minimum.  My plan is not foolproof and I'm going to need all of your support.

I don't know if this is a news flash to you, but kids sneak out - all the time.  Now, my daughter who has matured to the ripe old age of 16 1/2 acts like this is a passe past time of like 8th graders.  Say what???!!!!  I don't want to know more.

I caught on to the boys sneaking out because they weren't smart enough to shut the garage door on the way back in  - not 1 time but 2x. - seriously!  Then there's the walks to Kangaroo that seemed like a constructive use of time early summer.  Hey, I thought a little exercise, reasonable expense for endless refill of drinks - all good fun - until I found the condoms from Kangaroo.  Now, I believe there was a certain normal experimentation that was going on with those (water balloons possibly), but bottom line - bad plan!!!!!!!!!

Our village playground/park where we live is now a danger/drug zone.  If your teenagers are hanging out there and I'm guilty of occasionally letting mine  - I would put an immediate stop to it.  I'm working on it.  Sometimes they still pull one over on me.  Nothing good is going on with groups of teenage boys and girls hanging out together with no adult supervision.  If you think it sounds like a bad idea - it is.  Trust your gut.  Let's stick together.  We need to go retro parent.  Remember calling to make sure there are actually parents home when you kid goes somewhere?  This needs to happen - every time.  The one time you don't is the time there's a "Project X" party in the works. I've been getting the "your the only parent that cares so much".  I know that is not true.

Good news.  You may not see the aforementioned teenage boys on the roads in Cary anytime soon and I think this is rocket science.  You have to take and pass a week long Drivers Ed class to qualify for your Permit test.  I am never signing them up for this.  If they can figure it out good for them but they have  to have my signature.  As it looks now, the soonest they could get in would be next summer which means the earliest they could be licensed would be almost 17.  They have not caught on to this yet and it gives me a good private laugh daily (and these are hard to come by at their expense).

My goal for the next 4 years is simple.  No jail time.  No permanent physical harm to themselves or others.  No grandchildren...  and a High School diploma in 4 years..

Help me out here and join me in over parenting for just 4 more years!

Dammed If I Do and Dammed If I Don't

Yes, I recently took a little trip by ambulance to the Western Wake Emergency Room.

This is what led up to the trip.

Had a big training week for my marathon - 38 miles.  I may have gone a little overboard.  I was trying to make up for partying and not training Labor Day weekend.  The weather had turned and it was so nice the mileage felt good, but my chronic back pain reared it's ugly head.

Origination of back injury -  I was the lucky recipient sophomore year in college of the top bunk.  I took an accidental tumble out one night ( I would guess no specifics required).  I lacerated my chest and bruised myself a little.  I went to basketball practice anyway and favored that side of me.  Weirdly, it kind of threw my back out and it has never been the same. So it's a weak spot that occasionally flares up and I've seen a chiropractor for years to maintain a relatively healthy back.

So some needed R&R timed itself perfectly with a planned little getaway to the beach with my tennis buddies.  We left Saturday, played a little tennis on Sunday, and enjoyed some mimosa's on the beach Sunday afternoon.  The mimosa's led to some unbelievably great buzzed boogie boarding that I definitely regretted later that night - little more ouchie but still seemed worth it at the time.

Ran an easy 6 miles Monday, dealt with a head cold Tuesday, played a singles match against a girl still in her baby making years Wednesday (lost in 3rd set tiebreaker on hard courts) - woke up and was definitely feeling a little more ouchie.  Took an ibuprofen, powered up and met my team for another match on Thursday am.  Courts very slippery and ended up taking nice fall (opponent said it looked like I did a push up when falling) and then slipped again in the mud at back of court.  This was the straw that literally broke the camels back. 

By nighttime, I had to be helped into bed.  By the 4:10 am potty break I passed out on way back to bed from pain; slept for awhile in fetal position by bed where I landed after first pass out; tried getting up and passed out again.  At this point, standing was not an option and that's when 911 and ambulance were called into action.  Basically, the verdict was muscular nothing broken and not much to do for me but manage the pain. 

I spent this past weekend very doped up in need of bib to catch my drooling.  I slept a lot.  I don't remember much.  I went to the Back Institute in Cary and they verified what had already been stated - muscular pain - manage the pain, but don't stop doing what I want to do.  There's a part of me that is celebrating the great news and another part that is incredulous that there is not a more intense reason for my pain.  Back spasms hurt that is for sure.

So that's it.  They said run, play tennis, keep going.  I said that I actually felt other things hurting even though I hadn't done anything in a few days.  The female physician assistant said, "yes, sometimes the less you do the more you hurt".

If you're like me there's a new ache or pain that I could complain about everyday, but I'm going to continue to be active and ignore them and I've been given the green light by medical professionals to do just that.  Soldier on.  Power Up.  Join me -  and maybe keep some prescripton drugs handy for emergencies and no I'm not sharing so don't ask.

Partying in the Club

Editors Note - this blog in no way contains dire warnings of the state of my union - just tongue in cheek observations.

Over 40 - oh the trials and tribulations of long term committed relationships.  Over 40 and married for awhile, have a few kids, mortgage, and other financial obligations - romance can be challenging.  Life goes on, relationships change.  Some make it - some don't.  There are 4 over 40 marriage clubs.  They have revolving doors and you can find yourself in different clubs at different times.  I am not a romantic.  Marriage long term is about money.  Money is power.  Money is sexy.  Why you get in, stay, can or can't get out.  Money is why spouses kill each other.  I'm not suggesting in anyway you let it get to that point.  I did just come home from a girls weekend, so I'm full of husband bashing stories.   I heard this great line.  "If I had offed him when I first thought of it, I would be out by now".   True that sister!

The "Happily Ever After Amen Club" -  These are couples that enjoy a mutually beneficial intimate relationship, mutual compassion, mutual respect and seem to possess an understood spiritual connection.  Bills come and go, kids are a constant joy, and they enjoy spending time together.  When I'm drunk, I think this is a possibility.

The "Cheaper to Keep Her Club" -  Men think this is a secret men's club.  I feel obligated to put it out there.  You probably need to figure out if you're in this club.  The problem is some will eventually accrue enough cash to split without damaging their lifestyle and they don't have to keep you anymore.  You need to be ready.  You  need to be aware that this is a grim possibility.

"Fake It till You Make It" - My solution for sisters that find themselves in "The Cheaper to Keep Her Club".  I say, "get your shit together"!  Get happy, get fit, get your hair done, go shopping, have lots of girl friends, and enjoy life now.  At some point, the coast may clear and you can make your own break for it, and at least it will be on your terms. 

"Money Doesn't Matter Club"  - Millionaires, recipients of family money, trust fund kids, and celebrities.  They can marry, divorce, remarry again.  It doesn't matter.  Money is never the deciding issue.  They can afford to be romantic.  They're with someone new every 8-10 years.  It's easy to be full of romance and idyllic happiness if you get to perpetually trade in and go thru the newness of love over and over again..

I am definitely in the stage of life where I see a lot of marriages crumbling.  I get it, but I also know this - it's what most people want.  People want the comfort and safety of being in a commited relationship.  Just because you don't think your spouse is perfect, don't delude yourself into thinking that someone else won't.  Some people's trash is other people's treasure.  Can you imagine your spouse with someone else?  Do you want your kids to be parented by someone else?  Do you not think that 10 years down the road, you are going to have the same complaints about someone new that you have in your relationship now.  At least you have a known low.

Money may be the deciding factor of how or why a marriage ends, but I won't let it define me.  I won't let it pigeon hole me in a club.  "Easy for you to say, you don't make the money".  My response, "careful, I may not make it, but I can take it".

Join me in living a life that is about more than just money.  If you could also find me a salmonella egg salad recipe, I'll take a look.

Move Over Kardashians

Dear Ryan Seacrest,

Seriously, you need to call me.  I have material for you that blows the Kardashians away.  Yes, I enjoy them.  The Kardashians, Bachelor/Bachelorette, and Bachelor Pad are I swear my only current guilty pleasures.  But their material is old, staid, boring.  We need to shake things up and that's why calling me is a necessity for your future success.

Take the recent episode of the Kardashians where Kris Jenner had her 20 something old boob job redone.  Wow, that's all you got.  My mom had breast reconstructive surgery (due to estrogen induced breast cancer in the 80's) and now has a boob with no nipple.  She's almost 75 and she wants a tattoo.  She thinks she should tattoo a tennis ball on her reconstructed boob as a nipple as a nod to her passion for the game of tennis.  I say, "that is one of the best ideas for reality TV (and idea in general) that I have ever heard!"

Bruce and Kris Jenner have made numerous references to Bruce taking a pill to help with their sex life.  How about meeting your dad in the driveway for lunch and he has a bloody nose from mixing too much Cialis with Blood Pressure medicine.  Now, that's a dicey twist the Kardashians haven't thought of...........

And that leads me to my last teaser Ryan.  Kendall and Kylie were recently shown rifling thru their mom's closet for Gucci sunglasses, Channel purses, and other assorted designer clothing.  Me, well when cleaning out under one of my 14 year twin boys beds, I found a stolen and most likely recycled "Passion Party" sleeve under the bed.  (You'll have to google this item if you don't know what it is).  Now, that is unbelievably great, knee slapping, crazy reality TV stuff and I'm serving it up to you free (at the moment).

So pass this on to Kris when you chat.  I get her.  I get the wine guzzling, the sneaky smokes, the little nips and tucks, the cougar stuff, and even the grunting during tennis that embarrasses her kids.  But I've up'd the ante.  My stories are better.  No Ryan, I don't want you to join me - I want you to call me.

Seriously, dude.  These are real life stories.

Something to Say

I'm back to blogging today - mainly because I feel like I still have something to say and jeez, my little sister started a blog http://alisonguzzio.wordpress.com/ recently and I can't let her steal all my thunder (jk).........  just timing issue.

Congrats to my long time friend Nan Lammers for becoming, "Iron Nan" (her families nick name for her) yesterday or "Ironwoman" I would say since it sounds like "I am woman" one of my favorite Helen Reddy songs.  What an achievment an Ironman competition is.  Awesome job!!

I recently met someone whose competing in a Triathlon this coming weekend.  His name is Pat and this is his inspiring story.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M_nyIfgFss  My sisters will be there to cheer this awesome guy on.

A group of us are signed up to run the http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/ on November 17.  I ran my first and only marathon so far this past March.  It was grueling, but the feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming and hard to verbalize.  Overcoming obstacles of pain and other discomforts along the road of 26. 2 miles is something that comes in handy in daily living is my simplest explanation that I can offer of why people should try to push themselves to achieve an athletic feet.  I was encouraged to try a marathon by a friend on my street.  In conversation, she said, "Lysa, you should try a marathon, you could do it!"  I said no I didn't want to get hurt.  She offered to send me the training that she has used and survived.  I picked a race and I was on my way.

I'm passing on this simple message.  You can do it.  Pick something.  Sign up.  Find a friend.  Train.  Show up and complete it.  You got this.  It truly is that easy.  Right nan? 

Join me!