getting lost in the meijer's parking lot

I walked out of Meijer's this morning with a cart full of groceries and I was lost. The problem wasn't forgetting where I parked but remembering what car I was driving!

After about 10 aimless minutes of wandering up and down row one, I was struck with the realization that I was looking for my old Aztec (which my family loving calls "Lightening").

I laughed and immediately saw the car that would drive me home, my "new" Black Escape.

I immediately thought this would be a slightly funny blog post. As a special treat, I'll throw in some historical pictures of the cars my parents have generously given to me to drive!
Car #1

Name: Bruce (named by my twin brother)
Model: 1995 White Dodge Caravan
Random facts: The sliding door fell off at Cross Country practice one day. This car was shared mutually between my brother and I...but mainly I drove it everywhere because I was the selfish twin!
* That is my awesome twin on top of Bruce...This van was pretty much sweet!

Car #2

Name: Eggplant (or lovingly called Eggie by myself)
Model: 1995 Eggplant Ford Explorer
Random Facts: Loved to guzzle gas and show off her engine light.







Car #3

Name: Lightening (named by my father after we saw the movie Cars)
Model: 2001 Red Pontiac Aztec
Random Facts: I loved this car but it developed many problems in the short year and a half I had it...especially a liking for making unecessary noises and refusing to brake at appropriate times.



Car #4

NO PICTURE YET! :]

Name: To Be Decided. Any Ideas? (Shadow, Bullet, Ebony, and Maynard have all been proposed)
Model: 2001 Ford Escape
Random Facts: The Escape is actually my favorite car and has been for a long time. I just really like the way it looks and rides...it also has a 6 CD changer and has already driven quite a large number of miles!

a nail biting U.S. Open

Did you watch the U.S. Open this weekend? If you did, ,then you saw the spectacular battle between Rocco and Tiger! 91 holes of golf later and Tiger is the 2008 U.S. Open Champion. It was phenomenal.

I just can't believe he did it all on a bad knee, yet he never managed to show a wince of pain until he came up and over that bunker...

He seems invincible, he shows no fear, he makes golfing look like the easiest sport in the world...but this weekend I got to see a softer side of a man who frequently appears on the big screen in my house.

I admire Tiger Woods, I think he is a fantastic golfer and has really redefined what dedication looks like in an athlete. But even more then that, I admire how much of his heart is displayed for the world to see and how humble he is as a person and a golfer.

His relationship with his father was priceless and heartwarming...his daughter not wanting anything but to be held by her father after his sweet U.S. Open victory....and his display that he is only human, that he feels pain, he hears lies saying "you'll never do it, you're knee won't make it, just quit, leave now..." Tiger Woods. God created him to be a great golfer, a fantastic competitor, and a display of where a strong mentality can take you and what it can help you overcome.

Neur-obics!

I was over at the Micallef's House last night, and Mrs. Micallef was talking about this Brain Boosting Gym she heard about on Good Morning America. I copied and pasted the article version on here...but I really thought it was interesting to read about. I feel challenged to try some of these exercises!

Five Simple Brain Exercises

The premise of these brain aerobics or neurobics is to do familiar things, but do them slightly differently.

Switch Hands

So, a really easy thing to do is to try one of your daily activities -- brushing your teeth or dialing a phone number -- with your non-dominant hand. I used my left hand to brush my teeth this morning and it's a lot harder than you realize. I really had to concentrate. And basically, what that does, apparently, is strengthen those pathways and connections in the opposite side of your brain.

Close Your Eyes

Try a safe activity, like eating or showering, with your eyes closed. That forces you to use and strengthen your other senses. Most of what your brain does is process what your senses are bringing in. So, closing your eyes forces the brain to process that information in new ways. But one thing you obviously shouldn't do with your eyes closed is drive.

Play Games

Games help you strategize, but the brain is particularly stimulated by multi-tasking. So, play games with other people that require you to strategize and interact socially at the same time. Examples include board, word and card games.

Don't Get Repetitive, Do Something Different

Introducing novelty is crucial. Your brain doesn't need anything complicated; it just needs something new. So, take a new way to work, or sit in a different seat. It forces you to look at the world from a new perspective.

Watch What You Consume

You want to make sure to consume brain-boosting foods or supplements. Try antioxidants in food, such as berries, tea, and leafy greens. And you also want to consume fish oils, which also come in supplements.

We used to say it takes 21 tries to learn a new habit. But brain exercise is something you should be doing constantly throughout the day. Try to integrate it into all of your daily activities. We have to constantly reroute activities throughout the day. But a lifelong habit of challenging the brain gives you a greater reserve of mind muscle to use. Think of it as your retirement account. Add to your 401k of the brain so you have more to draw from when you need it.

dreams and speeches

I had a dream last night that I was back at my high school graduation. Get this though: I was the #5 most smartest student in my class.

Shocker, I know!

Any who, in my dream I had no idea that I was honorary Valedictorian, and so I was just sitting in the crowd enjoying graduation and minding my own business...and then they introduced me to come up and give a speech!

I was so confused, but I walked right up there and whipped out this speech off the top of my head. I remember quite a bit of it, but the real kicker is that all I talked about was enjoying the struggle and Rachel Townsend (my former CC coach and gym teacher who also came up with the motto enjoy the struggle!).

It was a really encouraging speech and I felt like my fellow graduates left ready to conquer the world! (Anything can happen in a dream)

My conclusion to this post and my interpretation of this dream is one of two things:
a. I'm blogging way to much
b. I'm going to be Valedictorian of my College here at MSU.

Sleep tight friends! I'm on a quest to get 8 hours of sleep tonight.