The Good News

When looking back on the year, it's easy to focus on the bad that happened. Though there was bad that took place in my life and the world. I have to try to remember that there is good in life too.

Let's remember some good stuff from 2014 and keep the tradition of finding the good in 2015.

• Lets start with my Seattle Seahawks. They fought their way to the Superbowl and won.  First time in franchise history. I'm hoping for a repeat this year.
•  Do you remember the stray dogs of Sochi? They were rounded up and killed before the Olympics started. Okay, that's not the good news. The good news is this crime against canines prompted Olympians and others to set up adoption rescue efforts to save the dogs.
• Openly gay football player, Michael Sam, is drafted in the NFL draft. Sure, he's been cut by a lot of teams, hopefully not because he is gay.  I wish him success in the NFL.
• Isaiah Austin drafted. Days before the draft, Austin was diagnosed with genetic disorder Marfan syndrome. This forced his retirement. However, during the draft,  NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that NBA was drafting him, making a dream come true for him. 
• The Ice Bucket Challenge may have wasted water, but it also raised $115
  
  million for ALS research.
• Because of the waste in water in the Ice Bucket Challenge, and to try to  break a dangerous Twitter drinking game challenge, Brent Lindeque started #RAKnominations, or Random Acts of Kindness Nominations.  He began by giving a homeless person a sandwich, chocolate and a coke, filmed it, then nominated two people to do the same within 24 hours. 
• Cincinnati Bengal, Devon Still's four-year-old daughter Leah was in treatment for stage-four cancer. Though he was cut from the team, they put him on the practice squad so he could support his daughter. The team also sold his jersey, raising $1.25 million that went to his daughter's cancer fight. 
• Bill and Melinda Gates donate $50 million to help stop the spread of Ebola.
• Thankfully all the news about police officers isn't bad. 
• After a routine traffic stop, one bought a car seat for a mother having financial troubles. 
• Cops in Florida received a hang up 9-1-1 call, and when they went to investigate found a struggling family without a Christmas tree. They used their own money to buy a tree for the family and was set to make sure there were gifts under it come Christmas.
• The police department in Lowell, Michigan pulled people over for minor infractions, but instead of giving out tickets, gave out Christmas gifts instead.
• In Mount Dora, Florida, the police department began Shop with a Cop, which paired officers with children of low income families, who then took them out to buy Christmas presents.
•  Malala Yousafzai became the youngest co recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in the right to education for children. Two years before, Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban on her way to school, which sparked her mission.
• As of December 10th, Amber Alerts had helped rescue and return 723 children in 2014.
• Did you see the video of the deaf baby that heard for the first time? Melty heart.
• This. Seriously, happy Muslims. The Honesty Policy, a group of British Muslims wanted to show the world that Muslims are happy. Muslims are viewed so negatively and disrespectfully by so many, I think this is a good way to remind everyone that they are just people like you and me. This goes with any culture, religion, or race. The happy Muslim videos have spread to Germany, Gaza Singapore, and many more...There's this one too, featuring Muslim women doing a variety of everyday things. It started as a video among friends that went viral.
• Speaking of Happy, then there's this.
• Using drones to do good. From flying ambulance tool kits, to lifeguard drones, to drones made to search out wildfires, these drones are being put to good use to help save the environment and lives.
• Scientists confirm that the Ozone Layer is healing itself thanks to a 1987 treaty signed by 197 nations that phased out man-made chlorofluorocarbons.
•  After 10 years, a girl swept away by an Indonesian tsunami is reunited with her family. News reports of this reunion resulted in a cafe owner recognizing their son, also lost in the tsunami, as a homeless boy who slept near her business. This family got both their children back from a tsunami that killed thousands

 See, the world isn't all bad. Let's keep that in mind as we venture into the next year. Let's try to focus on the positive things so that the atrocities don't bring us too far down.

MIA, Super Bowl, Writing, Oh My!

Where has the week gone? Have I blogged once this week? I really couldn't say, I've barely known what day it was all week. It's been crazy...

The day job has been so busy. We have some big changes in the making, so I've been putting together a marking blitz to publicize them, which will come out next week. On top of that, I had two marketing events Martini Monday and  Legal Marketing Winter Social and Awards Night.

I enjoy my day job, but, Oy, it's been crazy busy lately.

I've been doing a little writing. I've been working on A Tattered Life, and I started a new WIP. I know, I'm crazy. It's women's fiction. Humorous. Well, I hope it is at least. I've been wanting to write the book for about 3 years. When I was on my vacation...wait...have I already told you this story? Anyway, when I was on vacation, I was lying in bed one morning and specific sentences came to mind. So I started writing it. Stupid, I know. But stupid is how I roll. *cough*

Of course I had to fit the BF in because I'd barely seen him.

Then there were the debates over gun control over Facebook and Twitter. Not going there now, nor am I ever going there again. Agree to disagree. Period.

House cleaning, exercise.

Thinking about marketing my book then not doing it.

I swear I'm going to this weekend.  It's selling without marketing it. Imagine what it would do if I actually told people it was out there.

Anxiously awaiting the Super Bowl. GO HAWKS!!!

Anyway, busy busy busy...

Have a great weekend, relax, don't play with guns, buy my book and root for the SEAHAWKS!!!

Friday Scribbles:

Pandora queue song: Not That Kind of Girl by Miss Li (Miss Li station)

Book of the Week: I'm reading Allegiant by Veronica Roth. Such a great series. Really have enjoyed it. Just started the book a little bit ago. Hope to finish in the next couple weeks.

Netflix of the Week: Damages Season 5. I cannot believe I already almost done with this series. At least it's almost gotten me to the last half of Walking Dead Season 4.

Quote of the Week:

30 days of thanks: day 19

This is one of those days in which I'm finding it hard to be thankful. I've been sleeping like crap. My nose has been stuffed up for days and my mood has been up and down due to many factors in my life.

But, I've been determined to always find something to be thankful for, every day.

Hot wings may be at the top of my list today. Too shallow?

Okay, well, you may think this is shallow too, but I'm going for it anyway...

My Seattle Seahawks. Yep, I went there.

I've been a football fan since I was about 10. My dad has had season tickets since the very first year the Seahawks have been a team. I believe that was 1976. He would take to me at least one game a year.

As I got older, I got more into football and I didn't care if they won or lost, I love my Hawks. I started to go to more games. As many as I could. Whenever he had extra tickets I would say, "Me, me!!"

Eventually, my dad ended up giving his tickets to his law office and if the Hawks were good, I didn't really get to go, but if they had a bad season, me and my husband (this was when I was married of course) ended up going to at least 3 or 4 games a year.

When Hasselbeck came on board, they started getting good again, and the Kingdome came down and Qwest Field went up and we decided to buy our own season tickets.

We were there when the won the NFC Championship. That was exciting!!

Tickets got too expensive, so we gave them up. Then of course I got divorced. Now I'm back to only going to one game a year.

Now we have a good team again and it's been exciting to watch players like Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Marshawn Lynch on the field.  10-1!! I truly think we are Superbowl bound this year. If not, at least we had a great season.

Curve balls, mistakes and soul sucking teens

Today is definitely a Monday. Yes a Monday.

In the last couple weeks I have had very dramatic ups and downs. I'm not talking speed bumps, I'm talking hills and valleys.  Steep climbs of elation and big drops of disappointments, annoyances, worry and facing things that are unknown.

The good: I've written quite a bit the last couple days and it's felt good.

The ugly: I realized I wasn't going to get my books in time for my release party (apparently there was an oversight on my part at Lightning Source, an approval I thought I'd done, which I hadn't) so I had to pay up the yin yang for expedited shipping.

The good: I went to the Seahawks game yesterday and it was a beautiful day and fun and I had a great time with family and friends.

The ugly: I have an issue with my car (totally  my stupid fault that I'm not going into) that's going to cost me money.

The good: My kids and I, aside from cleaning issues, are great.

The ugly: I was tagged by two teens in another state on Twitter, and when I jokingly said something about them making fun of an old lady, I mean, I am a teen writer, I thought I would try to engage. I was told to "fuck off" by one, then asked if I send nudes by the other. Um, dudes, you tagged me. Sooo, instead of dealing with that any more, I just blocked them.

The good: I finally got a decent amount of sleep last night, and I didn't even care
that I slept through the Walking Dead to get it.

The ugly: Relationships in my life, well, let's just say they're not easy.

My life is chaotic, I get that. Some of it I create, I know this. It's like I can't function without some amount of drama in my life, but some of this crap falls in my lap, unexpectedly.

I know I'm not mother of the year. I know I could be a better all around person. I have too many vices, my schedule is too busy, my house is cluttered, but I try the best I can and I volunteer my time and donate to charitable works. I try not to miss a soccer game or a music gig if I can help it and I always try to help my parents, family and friends out when they need me.

I guess I'm not really asking for anything in return, I already have much. I still have my parents. I have two healthy kids. I get along with my ex. People like my writing (I mean, some people hate it too but more people like it, so there's that). I have good friends, great family, clothes on my back, a roof over my head, a car to drive  (once I get my tire fixed).

I guess this is just one of my ranty venting blogs when I'm stressed out and you are my sounding board.

And those parent's of those boys on Twitter...they should have taught them better manners and to respect their elders. I mean, really...nude pictures...