I almost forgot...

That I live in the Middle East

And then I remembered when I popped open the ice cold can in my coozie and it was Diet Coke instead of Miller Lite and then, of course, there is the barbed wire. Can you spot it?

Cheers from KSA!

Random Tunes

So I heard a snipit of a song at the end of last night's How I Met Your Mother episode and for some reason it stuck in my head even though I'd heard it before. Does that ever happen to other people? Anyway, after a quick google I discovered the song was by Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. I'd never heard of them and they are not my usual taste in music but I can't stop hitting replay on their youtube videos. The song from last night is called 'What Would I do Without You' and it's a tad cheesy but it is what it is and, for right now, I like it. So there's a random ramble for the day complete with a youtube link - you're welcome.

Denver vs. Middle East: Football

Football in Denver...

celebrating a Clemson win on NYE with some of my favorite people on the planet.

 vs. 

Football in the Middle East

4:00am National Championship Game with coffee and a jigsaw puzzle.

Just keeping it real over here.

Cheers!
-L

Not making New Years Resolutions

Hello from MSP! We are currently en route back "home" to the Middle East and enjoying some spotty airport wifi so please excuse the lack of pictures...what better time to start blogging again? Here goes nothing...

It’s that time of year again Nuggets, when the excitement and possibility that comes with a new year manifests into a 200% increase in membership at the gym. I’m sure you’ve noticed your Facebook newsfeeds becoming filled with public declarations to “cook more and eat out less,” “lose 20lbs by summer,” “run a half marathon,” “focus more on family” and all that jazz. Now I am not in any way saying that there is anything wrong with all of this (except the additional 20minute wait for an open treadmill for a few weeks, but seeing as I have not once encountered another soul at the gym in Saudi during the day this doesn’t really apply to me this year.) I actually love the promise that comes with a new year – it’s like when you get that brand new spiral notebook at the beginning of the semester full of crisp white pages just waiting for your neatly organized notes to be written with your color coordinated pens. But at the end of the semester you start to resent that notebook as you stare at the ratty torn pages at all hours of the night and you scribble in the margins and over your neatly written notes.

source: http://www.squidoo.com/newyears

For me, the neatly written notes and carefully organized notebook never lasted long into the semester. No matter how grand my ambitions of a Martha approved study system or calendar, life inevitably got in the way. But isn’t life getting in the way sometimes a good thing? I suppose you’re wondering why on earth I am babbling on about notebooks at this point, my grand analogy may have gotten the better of me…eh. Point being that I have never once kept a New Years resolution, the closest I’ve ever come is giving up coffee for Lent in 2008 and not cheating once. I’ve made workout resolutions, studying resolutions, work related resolutions, and every single one hasn’t lasted longer than maybe March on a good year. I’ve promised to keep this blog up more times than I’ve actually written a post! This past year brought MANY ups and downs that I never would have imagined and definitely couldn’t have planned for and while I can’t say I loved every minute of it, I wouldn’t change any of it. So this year, I am only resolving to stop planning so much and enjoy the ride a little more. Who knows, maybe I’ll actually get my act together and get some of 2013’s adventures up here for all three of you readers. So cheers from 30.000ft (no idea if that is anywhere near correct) to you big goal setters, I wish you all the best with your running, weight loss, cooking classes, new jobs, and anything else your hearts desire!

Happy New Year!

-L