Nick Cage Awesomeness: follow-up

As a follow-up to my previous blog post about Nick Cage, this page from Mental Floss is incredible.

Here is the link, enjoy:

http://m.mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=53618

And if you stay positive, you have a shot... -Silver Linings Playbook

Via empowernetwork.com

Tiffany and Pat had it right.  Of all of the lovable, messed up characters in the world, these two had it figured out.

There are a lot of different things that can go wrong in a day, a week, a lifetime.  As the famous quote by Charles R. Swindoll goes, "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."  This of course, is always more difficult than it sounds.

I think I learned to stay positive through a few different key teachers on my life.  First, my parents were and are always positive and adaptable people, and I grew up thinking that was the only way to do it.  Later in high school and college I had a lot of opportunities to travel abroad, and during those times in different cultures I learned a lot about broadening my view of the world (and therefore my problems seemed a little smaller).  I also learned a lot about myself and grew a an even higher sense of self-reliance.  As an adult, I have had a few select people in my career that served as the exact type of mentor I needed at a specific time to help me see the value of perseverance and staying positive.  Someone really important once told me that he didn't think that I was dreaming big enough.  Noted.

I have always worked very hard at everything that I do.  I am hard wired that way, but really it is a life coping mechanism.  If I work hard and I do my best, then I know I have done all that I can.  If I stay positive, it is a sense of controlling what I can control by choosing my attitude.  If I didn't do these things, and it didn't work out in my favor, I would always wonder if I could have changed the trajectory.

This methodology has always worked for me, and I refuse to accept defeat.  I own the 90%, and I will not let it own me.  When things get tough, take control of your 90%.

Why Nicolas Cage makes the best pranks...

Via 9gag.com

I am not sure where the trend started on the internet, but there is definitely an underground population of funny people that know that using pictures of Nicolas Cage is one of the funniest and creepiest pranks one can pull off.  I find it is important to bring light to this lovely idea, as a service to society.

Other fun Nicolas Cage activities for daily life:

• Tape Mr. Cage faces on your friends' magazine covers when you visit their house.  This is particularly comical if they subscribe to O Magazine.
• During work meetings, start your day off with an icebreaker where everyone names their favorite Nicolas Cage movie.  I am willing to be National Treasure and The Family Man will be frequent mentions.
• Quote movie lines (ahem, movie quotenese) only from Nicolas Cage movies and then immediately mention the name of the movie you are quoting to the unsuspecting person next to you.  To the guy at work whose first name only you know, say "The last time this document was here, it was being signed. [Chuckle, chuckle] That's from National Treasure."

In the meantime, enjoy these well designed Nick Cage Girl Scout cookies:

Via imgfave.com

You like sugar? Is there sugar in syrup? Then YES.

Via Lululemon lovenotes

True story.  Who doesn't want syrup on their spaghetti?  Elf is one of my very favorite Christmas movies, so here are a few lessons we can learn from Buddy the Elf.

1. December 18th is "International Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day."  Please participate, unless you work in a call center, then maybe  not so much.
2. "I'm in love, I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!"  Live life large and unapologetically.
3. The yellow ones don't stop.  The cabs that is.  This is life saving advice.
4. It's nice to have friends.  Mr. Narwhal and the arctic puppet are a nice support system.  "Bye Buddy, I hope you find your dad."
5. Giving people compliments makes their day.  "Deb, your face is so pretty it should be on a Christmas card!"
6. "Francisco" is fun to say.

Enjoy the season and a cup of the world's best cup of coffee!

Combat Carl Weathers: A before and after

Via ABC WISN 12

Okay, this is too funny not to share.  The hubs and I were watching the "Toy Story of Terror!" 30 minute special (because we think that talking toys are amusing), and we found a certain character particularly interesting.  Meet Combat Carl.

We thought it was so funny that his name was Carl and he had no hand, because this was reminiscent of the character Chubbs in "Happy Gilmore" played by Carl Weathers.  You remember..."God damn alligator bit my hand off!"

Via www.fishingbuddy.com

As we kept watching, we thought, that sounds a lot like Carl Weathers too.  After some careful research, we can confirm that Combat Carl with one hand is in fact Carl Weathers.  Therefore, the before and after, Combat Carl Weathers.  You can't tell me the people at Pixar didn't know that.  We got the joke, Pixar - well played.

Don't let anyone bring you down.

Image source

Seriously, don't.  There are people all over trying to tell you about things that they might not be experts on.  Like me for example.  I am no expert, so you can take my advice with a grain of salt.  However, I have some fun thoughts to share, and my eyebrows are at least average so I think you are in the clear.  I talk a lot about things worth doing, so here are a few things worth avoiding.

Don't let people with terrible hair cuts cut your hair.  If they are supposed to be the experts, and they have bad hair, run.  I don't mean "edgy, but you couldn't pull it off" -type hair.  That is revolutionary, and you should get a hair cut immediately.

Don't surround yourself with problem-oriented people when you need a solution.  This is such a tough force, at work in particular.  Instead of hearing all of the ways that you can't, find people who can help you find the one way that it can be done.  Thomas Edison once said, "I didn't fail. I just found 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work."

Don't save things that you could be using or doing today.  I remember how I used to save things, like my favorite candle.  I would never burn it, saving it for some special occasion only to find that it melted in storage anyway.  Wear the shoes you are saving, burn the candle, use the expensive hair product.  The small treasures are what make them worth having in the first place.

Don't waste your time being upset at others.  Have a friend that wasn't a friend to you?  Instead of being upset towards them, either forgive them or simply decide not to be around them.  See a stranger who is a total jerk to you?  Imagine that they must have a tough life if they have to be mean to a total stranger, and have gratitude that you don't have to live that way.

Don't stop believin'.  Journey is never wrong.

What does it mean to "pre-board"? Do you get on before you get on?

Photo Source You Tube video - George Carlin on airline announcements

After taking a vacation that includes flights and airports, I always appreciate all of the mundane and comical things that occur.  If you have never heard George Carlin's stand-up routine talking about the hilarity of flying, you are missing out (and click the link above).  It is prior to 9-11, but still quite funny.

Here are some of my observations, and matching commentary, from this week's escapade:

1. Socks and sandals: While I understand the logic about the "functionality" of socks and sandals through airport security, it doesn't make it any more socially-suggested.
2. Luggage: Where is this guy going with a guitar and a cat?  The obvious answer is Denver (the destination of his flight), but what is his master plan? 
3. Paging last call: I saw a guy miss a flight - by a long shot.  How do you miss a flight in MKE?  There are only tens of people in the airport at any given time.
4. Carry-ons: Whoa.  Did you know that some airlines are charging for sodas and carry-on luggage now?  Soon it will be cheaper for me to buy all toiletries and clothes when I arrive at my destination and travel luggage-free.
5. Security: Moving through security is an art form, and my favorite game.  Try and get behind middle-aged business men, they are security ninjas.  Thank you, middle-aged white guy for adding those easy in-and-out lace locks on your bright white New Balance sneakers.

I love people-watching in airports.  The international terminal at Chicago O'Hare airport is easily my favorite place to casually gawk, but Milwaukee and Denver will have to do this week.  I still got to see an Ace Ventura look-alike, enough socks and sandals to last a lifetime, and plenty of wonderful people that held doors, said "go ahead first," and made sure we made it everywhere safely.  Which, with our travels into flooded Colorado, was all that we really needed. Thanks, world.

It would be...sooo...nice.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcwIEupH7UU

 

Every time the song "Holiday" by Madonna comes one, the hubs and I can't help but sing it just like this...

 

"He's losing his mind!  And I'm reaping all the benefits."

Top Songs of Summer Part II: 2007 - Present

Yeah, this happened. (Via www.last.fm)

So you are back to see us finish the list, eh?  You should be, it only get's better from here.  If you are just joining us, see yesterday's post for 2000 - 2006's top songs of summer.

2007:
Party Like a Rockstar - Shop Boyz
Umbrella - Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
"Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie was also there, but we cannot put any songs by Fergie on the top of the list by principle.  I mean, she peed on herself on stage, and we are keeping it classy here.  Obviously.

2008:
Forever - Chris Brown
I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
Honorable mention:
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
"Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield was also out that year, but was only acceptable in the format of a musical greeting card, as illustrated by the movie "Easy A."

Via tumbler.com

2009:
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
Taylor Swift was big too, but we think she's so two-thousand-and-late.  The Black Eyed Peas owned this year, so we will give them due credit.

2010:
California Gurls - Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
Airplanes - B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams
Love the Way You Lie - Eminem feat. Rihanna
Apparently, no one can produce a hit record without the help of a buddy anymore.  We're ok with that, because it produced some winners just the same.

2011:
Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and Goon Squad
Give Me Everything - Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Mayer
Rolling in the Deep - Adele
Even though LMFAO is a joke, they came in, conquered, and got the hell out just as they planned.  This is still one of my favorite running songs.  Adele also proved this year that big hair is better.

At this point, you are probably wondering about the lack of Lady Gaga.  This is not to discount Gaga's awesomeness, but her many hits were often at their popularity peak during non-summer months.  She is amazing, and I don't want her to be left off the list ("Edge of Glory" was also popular this summer).

Photo Source

2012:
Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye feat. Kimbra
We Are Young - fun. feat. Janelle Monae
"Call Me Maybe" was the obvious winner, and whether you want to admit it or not, you bopped to the beat.  If angry break-up music is your game, Gotye has you covered.

2013:
Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell Williams
Get Lucky - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers
Solid contributors this year, and you can be the judge of which one wins your vote as the best song of summer. I dance unknowingly in public to both of them.  Obviously the real winner here is Pharrell Williams - he is on BOTH songs!  Well played, Pharrell, well played.  You've come a long way since writing verses for "Rump Shaker."  Stephen Colbert has been weighing in this summer as well:

Via slate.com

We hope you enjoyed the walk down memory lane, and are updating your playlists accordingly.  Special thanks to the hubs, J-Ra, as my research partner in crime and debater extraordinaire.

Rick before the zombie apocalypse

Photo Source

Am I the only person who can't un-see this every time I watch an episode of The Walking Dead?

Stay Inspired.

Photo source

I found that this list actually applies to me.  I read all sorts of ridiculous self-help crap, and as an optimistic realist, I do my best to share with the world only the advice that I have tried and conquered.  This list, while simple and slightly corny, works quite well.  "I'm looking for corny in my life." (#moviequotenese)

Here is my example of applying these twelve steps to staying inspired in my day.  Make it your own, and remember, we are not looking for perfection here.

Stay Healthy:

1. Drink a glass of water: I trick myself into drinking water by flavoring it to taste like a mojito.  I should probably stop telling people at work that I drink mojitos just to get through the day.  If it was just water, I would die the swiftest death of dehydration on record.
2. Move and sweat: I exercise 5 days a week because I don't want to look stupid when I run a 10-k in a few weeks, and mostly because I want to eat cupcakes.  Luckily, it also probably lowers stress.  But still, I do it so I can eat cupcakes.
3. Get more sleep: You did not need to tell me that.  It is my only ninja super power.  I am a real crabby patty with anything under six hours, and I think I am still catching up from college.

Plan Your Day:

1. Top 3 Tasks: Check.  Now, I just need to actually do those three things first.  When I actually get the icky stuff out of the way first, I TOTALLY feel better about the rest of the day.  Get the clutter out of the way first.
2. The 50/10 Rule:  I have found this to be important to my day now that I am in a position where I might go interrupted for more than 15 minutes.  I am totally squirrely if I don't get up, walk around, stretch, chicken someone, and chat it up.
3. Reflect Daily: I always do this when I start a new project or job, but it gets harder when you get used to your daily routine.  This is when it is probably the most important, so that you never stop questioning the status quo or forget what needs to be improved.  I am doing this now, and am trying to continue this even as I get comfortable.  Write down everything you see, hear, or feel, even if it is big or small.  I have a four-page secret list of things that need to be addressed from these daily notes.

Keep Learning:

1. Reading: I have given you some good book suggestions, start with those (e.g. Lean In, The Happiness Project).  Other constant sources of information for me include local bloggers and online news sources and Harvard Business Review (just follow them on twitter).
2. Browsing: At work, research to find facts that support what you are trying to drive.  I found some compelling research to convince others when managers should recognize their teams.  At home, the hubs and I use IMDB and Wikipedia constantly, mostly to cross reference actors, and answer the question, "Where are they now?"  If nothing else, the useless information helps us lose at trivia weekly.
3. Brainstorming:  I suggest doing this with people of different perspective than you, otherwise, you might as well just ask yourself.

Focus On What Makes You Happy:

1. Express Gratitude: I don't know about 10 things in the morning, because that sounds like a tall order for non-morning people (i.e. me), but perhaps throughout the day.  Don't forget to tell people about your gratitude when you see them.  Their happiness as a result will be effective in boosting your happiness. Thanks for being you is a favorite of mine.
2. Clean Your Desk: Seriously. Removing the clutter has an amazing effect.  Use one of those 10 minute breaks in the 50/10 rule to remove the clutter.  Try this at home too if you feel like your clutter is holding you back (See first chapters of "The Happiness Project").
3. Indulge in Your Favorite Things: Let's see, watching SYTYCD, blogging, running, eating cupcakes, running to burn off the cupcakes, happy hour with friends, dinner with the hubs, pinning, reading and browsing.  Are you spending enough time to recharge with your favorite things?

Don't knock it until you try it.  Maybe doing something differently is just what you need.

Happy Friday: Catch you on the flipside...

Downtown Running: "Did you tell the cows you'd write?"

Ahh, nothing like switching up your run like a little new scenery.  Don't tell the cows, I don't want them to feel like I am cheating on them with the Milwaukee lakefront.  Except that I totally am.

While it is a little awkward to haul my cookies around while I see people that vaguely recognize me from work, I suppose I just better plan good running outfits.  Anyways, the park and trail areas downtown are great venues for thinking and exercising.

 



There are of course pros and cons to every location.  Pros of downtown include:

 

1) Waterfront scenery

2) Lots of runners and bikers so you feel like you have to push to run faster to keep up

3) No bushes for creepy murderers to hide in or jump out of

 

Cons, on the other hand:

 

1) Wiiiiiindy

2) Lots of runners and bikers so you feel like you have to push to run faster to keep up

3) High probability of getting pooped on by the bird army

 

There are few things in life that freak me out more than the prospect of (A) getting attacked by a bird or (B) being pooped on by a bird.  I ended up running in a zig zag to not be underneath hovering seagulls.  I've seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie, and I am statistically due for being shit on, so it is only a matter of time.

 

I'll try out a few different areas and report back.  I think I saw a trail that looked less windy, relatively bird-free, and still urban chic.  Except still no cows, I will have to bring my own. B.Y.O.C.



Movie Quotenese

My Cousin Vinny, via jonathanrosenbaum.com

English is my first language, but a small percentage of the world around me actually picks up on the fact that I frequently speak in what I imagine is a select subset of American English, which I refer to as "movie quotenese."  This includes movie quotes as well as television quotes, although movies are generally much more quotable.  Except in the case of Seinfeld quotes, of which my friend Dave is a black belt ninja, and in the case of Family Guy quotes in which almost all men are proficient.

My husband is one of the few people in the world who can hang with me and my level of movie quotenese.  Sometimes it is just to quote a movie, or sometimes it is phrase used in conversation.  Here are some of our favorites that we came up with that we like to quote in every day conversation.  You should try this at home.

My Cousin Vinny:
Mr. Tipton: You could say that.
Vinny Gambini: I did say that. Would *you* say that?
---
Vinny Gambini: It is possible that the two yutes...
Judge Chamberlain Haller: What is a yute?
Vinny Gambini: [beat] Oh, excuse me, your honor... [exaggerated] Two YOUTHS.
---
Vinny Gambini: And why not? What is positraction?
Mona Lisa Vito: It's a limited slip differential which distributes power equally to both the right and left tires.

Seinfeld:
(irritated) George is getting upset! -George, from The Jimmy
---
"These pretzels are making me thirsty!" - Kramer, Jerry, George, Elaine, from The Alternate Side
---
"We're taking the armoire!" - Street toughs, from The Soup Nazi

Via fanpop.com

Old School:
"Hey Blue!  How come there's no ice in my lemonade?!" - Frank
--
"I'm really sorry... [blowing out cigarette smoke]." - Heidi (Mitch's girlfriend)
---
"This is me leaving. This is me leaving." - Dean Pritchard

Via imdb.com

Office Space:
"What would ya say...ya do here?" - Bob Slydell
---
"Naga... Naga... Not gonna work here anymore, anyway." - Bob Porter
---
"I already told you: I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people? - Tom Smykowski

Via ausgamers.com

The Big Lebowski:
"Donny, you're out of your element!" - Walter Sobchak
---
"She's not my special lady, she's my f$@*%ing lady friend. I'm just helping her conceive, man!" - The Dude
---
"I do mind, the Dude minds. This will not stand, ya know, this aggression will not stand, man." - The Dude

Via imdb.com

That being said, don't miss Lebowski Fest Milwaukee coming up August 16 - 18.

Granola-munchers unite: Pike Lake state park trails

Since it was the first day of fall here in Wisconsin (i.e. 59 degrees in July), trail hiking seemed like the perfect Saturday activity.  Preparing for the day meant long sleeves, bottled water, sunglasses, running shoes, tunes, and delicious earthy snacks.  I prefer the Simply Trail variety by Archer Farms, in a smiley face container of course.

Today's destination for the hubs and I was the brown trail at Pike Lake state park near Slinger, WI.  We felt a little bad for driving there since it is so close, but figured it was our civic duty to fork over the money for a state park pass anyways.  As we got started on the trail jogging, I couldn't help but imagine that I looked like a felt like a character from the Troop Beverly Hills movie:

Via zeebox.com

My other thought was, "I can't wait to find out which one of us takes a digger first."  It was not me.  I told the hubs that I was laughing "with" him, not at him.  The red spot in the middle is where he bit it.

One of the high points of the Pike Lake trails (pun intended) is the nice lookout tower on the top of Powder Hill.   You can see the lake (below), farms, the countryside, and Holy Hill in the horizon.  I hope my butt looks better after all of those stairs.

After a mid-trail break to rehydrate, make fun of high schoolers, and eat some trail mix, we continued on our path.  At this point the landscape was looking eerily like the Hunger Games (maybe we were just getting tired) and we kept each other amused by me shouting at the hubs, "That's nightlock, Peeta!" and by him doing his usual interpretive dance hand movements to whatever rap music he is listening to on his iPod.  For example, giving "toot toot" and "beep beep" hand motions for "Remix to Ignition" by R. Kelly.  I like to try and guess what  he is listening to by his interpretive dance hand motions.  Since I like to soundtrack my life, I felt like my usual running playlist was not a fit for the woodsy nature I was in, so today's hike was soundtracked by Bon Iver's self-titled second album.

Via treeswingers.com

Finally we made it back to the car after some slight detouring, as apparently we have a difficult time following colored stakes.  We decided that we wouldn't last long on Survivor with our lack of direction and my interest in eating snacks every 45 minutes, and mostly because we couldn't find our way out of a paper bag.  Ah tired legs, it's nap time.