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Showing posts from 2014

My 2014 in Six Words

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A six word blog, not exactly, but I will some up my 2014 in six words. All roads seem to lead me back to NPR and it should be no surprise that this blog was inspired by National Public Radio (NPR) . It plays such an integral role as one of my main sources for news, media and stories that keep me informed and entertained. Shout out to my mom for turning me on to my local NPR station, WNPR . While there are a number of shows that I love to listen , here's my short list. They include All Things Considered , Car Talk, Fresh Air, Radio Lab , Latino USA, and local programs like Where We Live , and The Colin McEnroe Show , but this blog is inspired by journalist Michelle Norris ' project Welcome to The Race Card Project . The project asks individuals to sum up their feelings about race in six words. People from all across our nation have taken up the challenge and shared their candid feelings about race in America. Listening to others share their personal feelings about race was

YouTube's 2014 Rewind

The holidays are still a couple of weeks away, but the folks at YouTube are already out with their 2014 Rewind. The video gives the viewer a nice little highlight of 2014's "pop culture" buzz. Considering most attention spans these days, it feels a bit long, but the music and celebrity cameos make it fun to watch. Instead of a rewind I tend to be more reflective about the activities in my life and the impact they have. I look for the game changers. However, I like the YouTube 2014 Rewind approach because it reminds me to keep it fresh, fun, and that some good things did happen in 2014. Besides, we can always use some entertainment and a good laugh.  When I rewind 2014 here are a few of the moments I really enjoyed: Adopting Billy Getting a new job with Aetna Receiving my second masters from Gonzaga's Communication and Leadership Program Publishing my thesis,  " A Post-Femin ist Look At HBO’s Girls: A Critical Analysis of Character, Career, Gender,

Black Friday Bah Humbug

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It's officially a week since the big Black Friday shopping extravaganza. I don't know about you, but I was disappointed by the Black Friday deals this year. I'm not sure if it's because it seems like we gear up for holidays earlier and earlier each year allowing retailers to stretch out their deals. While Black Friday isn't an official holiday, that fact that it comes right after Thanksgiving and leads us into the Christmas shopping season has me feeling like we should make it one. I don't need a large screen T.V., a new car (not yet) or other big ticket items and I didn't feel like hitting the stores after I stuffed myself with a fabulous holiday dinner. Thanks Nat! I'm not a morning person either, so you won't catch me waking up at four a.m. to stand in lines to hit the stores at five a.m. Not happening. I did it a couple of years ago and while I was happy with my purchases I'm not sure it was worth the gas and time I put into it. The

Happy Thanksgiving!

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I look forward to Thanksgiving every year. It's my favorite holiday and not just because I get to eat dishes that I only eat this time of year, it's about reconnecting with family and friends. I have the down time to reflect on what I'm truly thankful for and count my blessings. This year's turkey day celebration will take me to Atlanta where I get spend time with my bestie Nat. Since she has relocated to Atlanta, I only get to see her a couple times a year, if I'm lucky. This is a special Thanksgiving for her because it will be the first in her new home. Many of you will hit the road today or tomorrow and head to your holiday destinations, some of you will be hosting family and friends, and others will be welcomed guests. Thank you for sharing and participating in my "Thankful and Giving"challenge and reading my blog. I wish each of you a safe, relaxed, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Bring on the Weekend

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As this week comes to a close, Kim Kardashian's latest magazine cover remains this week's celebrity hot topic. She claimed to " Break the Internet ." I thought her butt selfie a year ago made my jaw drop. She manages to top that. Even The View's Rosie O'Donnell weighed in and came to her defense. While I get Rosie's point that if she had that body she would do the cover, however, I wonder how much of it is actually her body. Thanks to Photoshop, graphic designers and magazine editors can make even imperfect celebrities have the perfect smile, teeth, and body. Kim's skin is glistening a little to much for my taste. Feel me? My mother also used to tell me, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should." I have to say this week feels much better than last week. I got four work out days of the gym in. I finally began chipping away at revising a script (as of last night 15 pages) and am currently reading Toy Story 3 . In order to sta

Thankful and Giving Challenge

Happy Friday folks. I'm pleased to be kicking this blog off with a challenge to each of you. Don't we all have something or someone we are thankful for? As we approach Thanksgiving I thought it would be nice to share what we are thankful for or how we give back to our communities. At work I kicked off a "Thankful and Giving Challenge" campaign with the Aetna University community and now I'm sharing it with you. Check out my video and I challenge you to share what you're thankful for or how you give back to the community. I also encourage you to share this challenge with your family, friends and colleagues. Lets have fun with this and have a great weekend!

Addiction: Everybody Hurts

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"You can a lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." When it comes to addiction, I've learned that you can't even lead the horse to water. Recently, an individual close to me has relapsed. He/she lost their job as a result of going back on drugs. When you find drug paraphernalia hidden among their personal items, it isn't theirs. Drug addicts live in a world that is built on a foundation of lies. They lie to themselves about their addiction, after all it wasn't going to happen to them. When he/she finally accepts their dependence on a drug, he/she goes to great lengths to hide the addiction. I've seen and heard a plethora of stories about addiction. It's the problem that happens to other people until someone close to you falls victim. You can only hide it for so long before the drug catches up with your body, behaviors, and actions. The addict doesn't accept this notion. He/she thinks they can lie their way out of any situation.

It's Already October

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I don't know about you, but September seemed like a bit of blur to me. Maybe that's because I spent 13 days of it on vacation and when I returned I transitioned into a new job. My new job transition is going well. I'm loving my commute. East Hartford to downtown Hartford is about 20 minutes depending on traffic. While I love audio books on CD, I will no longer need them because I'm spending two hours out of my day on the road. Holla! Working closer to home is also nice because I get to see my Billy and hubby that much sooner. I do like this time of year, especially when a few warm days make an appearance, but it also serves as a reminder that winter is coming and I'm not talking Game of Thrones (I am looking forward to the next season). Winter is my least favorite season. I hate the cold. You would think I'm used to it having lived in this region my whole life, but I'm not. The snow is okay. I actually like to go sledding and make a snow angel every o

Back to School, Not Quite

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Happy Friday. It's back-to-school time and most kids in Connecticut wrap up their first official week of school today. As I see the school buses pick up and drop off kids it brings back memories of when I used to stand and wait for the yellow banana boat I called a bus.  Although I'm no longer in school I believe in being a lifelong learner. Regardless of your class, ethnicity, race or religion, education lays the foundation for upward mobility and has the power to level the playing field. Unlike money, which comes and goes, once you learn something that knowledge stays with you.  There are many ways for us to learn. It can happen in a formal educational setting, through our parents, peers, or in the form of mentoring. Merriam Webster defines a mentor as  someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. While the definition gives an understanding of the role it doesn't underscore the importance of mentoring a s a powerful t

12 Weeks and Counting Since Billy Joined My Family

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Billy takes in the view at a lake. It's hard to believe that today marks 12 weeks since Karim and I adopted our beloved Billy. For the longest time I pushed back on getting a dog. Karim was ready two years ago. I on the other hand thought about the cost of food, having to clean up after a dog or waking up bright and early to walk the dog.  How things have changed. I do all of the above and while the cleaning up after him is a daily occurrence, I don't mind it as much as I thought I would or the a.m. walks. Walking him in the morning helps to wake me up and get myself acclimated to what's ahead in my day. I'm no fan of winter and realize my attitude may slightly shift when the cold temperatures arrive. However, whether its rain, sleet or snow, Billy is a joy to be around. Chilling on Grandma's deck. This is going to sound a bit cheeky, but it was love at first sniff.  I didn't anticipate falling for him so quickly. Karim and I met him at Our Compani

Birthday Celebration Highlights

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Great weather. Check. Off Broadway show. Check. Quality time with my besties. Check. Everything fell into place this past Saturday.  Not to hot, not to cool and the breeze caressed my face at the ideal times as I walked around New York City on Saturday. It was picture perfect day that made for a lovely birthday celebration.  Here are some photos to highlight Saturday's events.  The official posters at the gift shop. If I was a Heather...watch out! Via Della Pace's Brushetta Dawn and I outside of the theatr e . After the show with my besties outside of the theatre. Birthday Tiramisu from Via Della Pace.

Another Year Older: Happy Birthday to Me!

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This weekend I will celebrate another birthday. YEAH for me. I consider it a blessing to be on planet earth another year and look forward to the different birthday activities. I have fond memories of having birthday parties up until around the age of 11. After I turned 12 my mom told me I was too old for birthday parties. That news was a blow to me, but I eventually got over it and started a tradition of celebrating my birthday in different ways.  This year I'm looking forward to a day in New York City with my sister Dawn and best friends, minus one because she lives out of state. Wish you could be there Nat.  The original mean girls. I'm going to see the Broadway show Heathers , which is based off of the film with the same name.  I'm big fan of the film and watched it numerous times with Dawn growing up. Back in 2004, people loved Tina Fey's  Mean Girls . I f you watch Heathers and then Mean Girls , you can see that Tina Fey refreshed the story concept for

Emerging Woman Artist: Actress/Singer/Songwriter and Contributing Author Denise Michelle

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It's been a while. I know. You would think things in my life would slow down a bit know that I have a second masters off of my plate, but instead I keep it moving with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Although my thesis has been approved I've been working on revisions before I send it out to publication.  I've also had an opportunity to enjoy a few of the freedoms I've missed over the past two years and catch up with family and friends. However, I'm glad to be getting back to the blog. Now that you're all caught up, let me shift gears. I'm both proud and excited to feature Denise Michelle, a multifaceted Connecticut-based performer in today's Emerging Woman Artist Q&A blog post.  Artist Bio: Denise Michelle (aka Denise Dennis and Denise Michelle Johnson) is a talented, passionate performer with an extensive resume who is based in the NY tri-state area. Denise has experience within every facet of the entertainment indust

Getting Over the Spring Flu and Getting a Response from Stuart Weitzman

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There is a saying, "What a difference a day makes." I can't help but think what a difference a week can make. This time last week, I was coming down with the flu and could only muster the energy to change my clothes and go to sleep. When Karim got home from the gym, he knew enough to let me be and sleep through the night. Instead of feeling better the next day I was getting much worse. I needed to see a doctor when I woke up Tuesday morning. I called him and had an appointment by the end of the day. According to my doctor, there is a spring flu going around and a good number of folks have been getting sick. It's been over 10 years since I last had the flu and the last time I had it I got sick from getting the flu shot. This spring flu was a whole different ball game. It hurt to think, move, and breathe. While I'm thankful for the meds and the insurance to pay for them, they had horrible side effects. A screenshot of  my response to Stuart Weitzman's.