For Good

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say id I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good...
(For Good, Wicked Soundtrack)

11:11

Do you ever make wishes? Wishes before you blow out the birthday candles, wishes on shooting stars, wishes on eyelashes?

I like to wish. Most of them are stupid wishes. I am not a great "on the spur of the moment" wisher. If I had a couple of days to think about the wish I think they would be much better. Most wishes for me are spur of the moment. I forget about the birthday wishes until right before I have to blow out the candles.

A friend of mince makes the wish when he notices the clock is at 11:11. It seems that at least every two weeks I a lucky enough to see the clock when it is at 11:11...and I can't help myself...I must make a wish.

If you are lucky enough to make an 11:11 wish...just do it.

Here are the rules (completely stolen from TRuss's blog) of the 11:11 wish:

"11:11. Now this is a particularly tricky one that I have attached a few personal rules to. It simply cannot be premeditated. You cannot wait and watch for the clock to turn 11:11 so you can get your wish in. You cannot realize it is close to the time and look at the clock every 20 seconds until it turns 11:11. The 11:11 wish, whether spoken or thought, must also be completed while the clock still reads 11:11 to be considered valid (you never know quite how much of the minute you have left because you have just caught the clock reading 11:11, so this is a rapid fire wish).

The cardinal rule: You cannot share the wish you make with anyone or it will not come true."

I have added one more rule: You can make as many wishes as you want before the clock turns 11:11. So for those of us who aren't great on the spot wishers...we can get a few extra's in to cover our bases.

2009 Mother's Day

I love my mom.
She is spunky, sassy, and a spit fire.
Words cannot express how lucky I am to have her.
She is the first person I think of with happy or sad news.
She tells the same stories over and over, and I never tire of hearing them.
I just love her.

Thanks for being the perfect mom for me.
Thanks for loving me, even though I tease you.
Thanks for teaching me how to be a better person.
Thanks for showing us what it means to "endure well".
Thanks for believing in me.
Just...thanks.

Inspiration

April is great (see her at the top of the blog list). Her blog is about real life, her real life. I like it. Last week she posted a quote that I quickly fell in love with:

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. " - Alfred D. Souza

Don't you just love it? Doesn't it resonate with you?

Confession

My Name is D'Nell (or Delia, depending on who you are...).

I am 25 (plus a few more years).

My hair isn't this blonde naturally...(still blonde...just a darker shade of blonde).

AND....

I have had a crush on Prince William for EVER.

Isn't he just dreamy? And as an added bonus if you marry him you get to be a princess...

Oh! If only THIS dream could come true...

Things That Must Go: Shopping Carts

I was at Albertson's the other day and walked out of the store behind a family of four. They were parked kind of close to me so I got to see them put their groceries in there car...and then they did something that just annoys me. They didn't put their shopping cart away, they just pushed it in front of their car and left it there. You want to know what was worse? Just right across thei aisle is the shopping cart return.

Seriously people, your mom doesn't work at the grocery store. Put your shopping cart away! Grr....

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Ugly: My computer got a virus.

The Bad: I have been computer-less for just over a week now. (This really hasn't been that bad)

The Good: My brother-in-law is fixing my computer and realized I haven't ever been able to access 30% of my memory. (We can talk off-line about the reason). He is going to wipe the computer clean and re-load everything...which means no virus and more memory!!!

Let's me just give a small shout out to Marc who puts up with all of us who get one ore more virus and also those of us who are or just choose to be technologically unsavvy. He really is very paitient and kind to help us out.

How Much = Comfortable?

On my way home tonight I was listening to NPR. Big surprise, I listen to it everyday. Tuesday nights around 7 or 8ish seems to be Canadian news. They did a survey and asked a bunch of people how much money they would need to make to be comfortable and not need or want anything. The answers varied as follows:

"$2,00 a month so she could take care of her animals" (equals $24,000 a year)
"$150,000 a year so he could have a nicer home, travel, dine out, and get a new car every couple years"
"At least $200 a week so I can always pay my rent, even pay it early, and always have food in my cupboards." (equals $10,400 a year)

At the end of the story the comment was made about the difference's in being "comfortable" means to everyone.

This is something I have been thinking about for a couple of months. How much money do I need to make to feel comfortable. And what does "comfortable" mean to me? I have decided that right now "comfortable" means being debt free. So, I either need to make bunches of more money or I need to scale back my current lifestyle to pay of debt more quickly. Once I am debt free I am almost positive "comfortable" will change for me.

So, here is my question to you...What does being comfortable mean to you? Is it associated with a dollar amount earned per year? Or does it mean you own a home? Being debt free? etc?

Birthday Gifts

Happy Birthday to ME! Happy Birthday to ME! Happy Birthday D'Nell...Happy Birthday to ME!

2002-One of the best birthday gifts EVER was the "package" I received in China. Above is a picture of the ladies I spent the most time with. Left to Right - Jill (she's 6'1" and don't let her deny it.), Kiley (her nickname was "mouth" for a reason...), ME! (I look slightly dorky), Terusha (It's always a party when Terusha is around. PINK ELEPHANT), and Sarah (the kindest, funniest, sweetest snuggle bug ever.)

These cute ladies sent me a package for my birthday, made me a birthday crown to wear around and were all around just amazing. Being in another country with out your family or friends could have been wretched, but lucky for me I made some of the best friends of my life...and they took care of me. Thanks Chicas!

2009-Worst gift ever? Expired drivers license. Doesn't the DMV usually send you a reminder? Well I certainly didn't get one. So if you see me driving don't tell the cops...I am going tomorrow morning to get it renewed...



On a side note, this is the face of a friend when he heard that I am MORE awesome than him. He looks scared huh! Sorry, friend...but it's the TRUTH. D'Nell = AWESOMEST, YOU = Not quite as AWESOME, but I love you anyway!

Is The Sun REALLY That Bright?

Last Friday I was at Ross with my roommate Nicole and I almost purchased an amazing pair of sunglasses. I mean, c'mon, EVERYONE needs a pair of sunglasses. I refrained from purchasing them because I am trying out this new "budget" thing. I figured I could suffer and just quint when it was bright out.

Right now as I am sitting in my room I can see no less than SIX (6) pair of sunglasses. All 6 pair are fabulous (did you expect anything different). So now my question to myself is: "D'Nell just how many sunglasses do you need? REALLY need?" I am thinking the answer is 6.

Well...until I see some new sunglasses that are fabulous....