Ode to Rachel Smith

In commemorating her last day at UAT, I thought I would write an "Ode to Rachel Smith." (granted she told me I had to, but oh well.)



So here is my Ode:

In the short, but somewhat long four weeks that I have been at UAT, Rachel has become one of my greatest friends. She is a great friend for several reasons, such as:

• I can make fun of her and she usually doesn't understand why

Well the above is the main reason, but I will continue:

• She will make you laugh at yourself more than anything else when you are being a dork
• She speaks her mind, sometimes even when it isn't welcome
• Sometimes she will check her brain at the door when she comes in
• She can jump and take successful pictures of the end of the marathon . Example:
  
• She loooooooves skulls!
• She is a Traitor
  

I guess this is a decent Ode for now. Rachel you will be missed!

Feel free to add your own odes, memories and special moments below.

Rock on Rachel,
Lane J

Rock Star High-Fives Class

Welcome to Lane's online class on giving Rock Star High-Fives.

There is always that one person that you dread giving a high five because they never can give a good one. They miss to the right or the left, or they miss altogether.

You now do not have to worry...just email them this post, and they will land AMAZING high-fives with you from here on out.

There is one simple key to high-fiving...Are you ready? Really ready?

Both high-fivers must look at the other persons elbow. It is a given then that the high-five will be amazing.

I have been giving lessons in Rock Star High-Fives all week here at work! Most people here don't have to worry about if they are going to get hit in the face by a bad high-fiver anymore.

"It's Amazing! I was able to high-five my delightful but completely uncoordinated husband Mike." -Meredith B. of Phoenix

Feel free to pass this along to any bad high-fiver...the world will be a better place when we all can give Rock Star High-Fives.

Rock on,
Lane J

Today's Path: Looking stupid and Living Life

"There are worse things than looking stupid. Sleeping through life is one of them."

--Laura Preble

Last night, I did something that I haven't done since freshman year of college. I karaoked!!! It was so much fun.

It was a friends birthday, and we got together and celebrated. We decided to spice the night up and busted out the mics. Three or four hours later we hung up the mics, for now at least.

We probably looked pretty stupid, but we were having fun. For some reason, though, the guys wouldn't karaoke as much as us girls. But we were not sleeping through the night.

For as long as I can remember, I have never wanted to conform to the "norm." I didn't always want to have the coolest clothes or do the cool things because that wasn't me. I sometimes worried about looking stupid...but after last night I don't think I could look any stupider.

Who cares if you look stupid doing something. Sometimes when you have the most fun is when you think you are looking stupid.

Live life and Rock on,
Lane J

Today's Path: Regrets?...What for?

The past couple months I have found myself being asked the question, "What is your biggest regret in life?" several times. It hasn't even been younger people asking me the question. It has been friends and others my age asking me the question. Let me explain in my eyes why I could understand if it were coming from someone younger...

I am only 21, and I might have had a quarter life crisis recently, but I see it as a 1/5 life crisis if it was one. When I was younger, I always thought that people who were 15, 10 or even 5 years older than me had done cool things in life and might have done something stupid. I probably asked them if they wish they could undo something in their life.

But now that I am 21, I don't know why I ever asked that question or why anyone my age would ask that question.


If you are only in your 20's and you regret something, how much more are you going to regret by the time you are 50, 60 or even 70?

I don't regret things in life. I take and learn from my "missteps." If I were never to have made these steps, choices, or whatever you wish to call them, I never would have known the things I know now. Nor would I probably be where I am now.

The edge of the cliff that we stand on throughout our life, trying to decide to play it safe and step back where there is ground or to jump and have faith and hope that our parachute we packed will open or that the net we built below will hold is how we learn.

But even if our parachute doesn't open or our net break, we know that the friends and family we have will be there to catch us or at least remind us from the side of our hospital bed that we were braver than most to take the chance.

From the mug that sits on my counter at home:
"Live Boldly, Take Risks, and make someone ask: 'What the hell was that about?'"

From the edge of my cliff, JUMP!

~Rock Star Lane J

Today's Path: "Live Somewhere besides Missouri" - Check

Today I have officially moved out of Missouri. Technically, I have been out of Missouri since Memorial Day weekend, but my furniture and everything arrived today! YEAH!!!

The movers came this morning with my things and in about an hour everything was in my apartment. By about 12:00pm, I had everything unpacked. This might surprise some people, but when you only have about 10-15 boxes it's not hard to do.

Currently, I do not have any pictures, but I will make sure that I get some and post them soon. I will post a few here, and I will post all of them on Flickr and Facebook.

The next phase of my life is here and I love it.

Rocking it in PHX,
~Lane J

Today's Path: Grocery Shopping

Today I went to the store on my first grocery shopping excursion by myself. I did quite well... until I went to get some peanut butter.

I was trying to make sure I compared prices, quality and the like. And up until this point, I had bugged most people in the store because I would pick up one item look at it, put it in my cart, take it out, put it back on the shelf, pick up a new one and continue the cycle several times for one item.

However, I did not realize how many different types, brand and styles of peanut butter there were. I had a horrible time trying to choose just one. I considered buying one of each but decided my cupboards (I have never spelled the previous word before, and I have no clue if that is correct.) were not big enough for all of them.

Stress level escalated and after about 5-10 minutes on deciding what peanut butter to buy, I bought the 25% reduced fat off-brand. Was it a good decision? I haven’t tasted it yet so I don’t know.

Spreading the Link Love

I have spent some time checking out other blogs in the blog-o-sphere lately. In light of that, I thought that I would spread the love.

• Jason Levine- Healing People Daily with the Power of Digital Video and Audio Check out the travels and tips of Jason Levine, a World-Wide Adobe Evangelist
• No Shoes on the Carpet Don't forget to take off your shoes before stepping on Brandon Duke's Carpet
• Bakedblog.com What is life without sweets? Need a baked recipe for the night? Stop by and pick one up.
• One Dad's Life Gregg shares his daily insights of family and work.
• PassiveAggressiveNotes.com For your daily laugh at random acts of stupidity.
• Postcards From Your Momma You thought your mom was crazy.
• Passion Meets Purpose Although on temporary hiatus, check out the archives for the inspiration to keep on keepin' on

Enjoy the blogs and let me know if you have any that might make me smile!

~The One The Only, Rock Star Lane J

Today's path coming to you from the top of a mountain

Since I have been in Phoenix, I have wanted to climb one of the mountains surrounding the city. Yesterday I did.

Several people are new to work, like myself, and we are all from the Midwest originally. (It doesn't surprise me that we all wanted to leave the crappy weather.) One of the other newbies and myself took on South Mountain. By the name hopefully you could tell it is south of Phoenix, but if you couldn't, it is.

We hiked probably 150ft up from where we parked to the summit. It was AMAZINGLY breath taking. Truly it was. The wind picked up once we reached the summit and it cooled off and we just sat there taking in the view. I will post a few pictures below, but make sure you also check out my flickr site for more. (I have tried for 4 days now to get the pictures posted here and they won't, so you will have to check out the flickr.)

Also along the way, we saw a Roadrunner, a rattle snake and another black and yellow snake.

Things You Learn In PHX

I have been in Phoenix for a little over a week now. Along the way I have learned several things. I know I will learn a lot more over the years that I will live here.

Here is a short list:

• mailboxes? not in front of the house...you have to walk to the designated part of the subdivision to get your mail
• cell phone reception? yeah right...I have no bars of service in the places I have been staying...is that a good thing or a bad thing
• Do not leave a book in your black car...all the glue with lose its adhesiveness and the binding is ruined (my book is in a least three separate sections)
• Everything is more laid back...deadlines...who needs them
• Everything is more laid back with the exception of driving...still haven't figure out why yet...if you don't drive like a mad man beware (Please reference my post from last week)

And my favorite:

• Flip-Flops are considered professional attire

For any of those out there who would never let me wear my fuzzy flip-flops to work...I am wearing them this Friday...They have become my signature flip-flops around here.

Learning to speak like Generation Millennial...WTF

I came across this article on a forum at work.

I don't know if this is what they think 20 somethings for Arizona talk like or what. However, I have not ever used a single phrase off of the list. I believe if you want to understand what a 20 somthing is saying you need to brush up on your txting.

The most used phrases I hear include, but are not limited too:

• WTF


• OMG


• LOL


• and the ocassional BFF

Today's Path: The Surreal Life

I have been in Phoenix for a little over a week now. It still doesn't quite seem real. It seems a little too perfect..kinda Surreal. I have great job. I work with great people. The atmosphere is amazing. At night you can see the stars. There are mountains in every direction.

I guess what makes it not seem real is that I am bouncing around from place to place living. Don't get me wrong. I have greatly enjoyed staying with each family; I just want my own place to do what I want. (I'm not sure if that sound selfish, if it does, I am not trying to be.

It is just when I am staying with people, I don't want to be rude and go and do my own thing because it gives me a chance to get to know each one better. But at the same time it seems as if I should give them some space and let them have their own family time.

---

Sorry that was my little Red Hat soap box for the day...on another note...I downloaded Stickys today for my computer. They are similar to Post-It notes, only they are electronic. They come on Macs, but you have to download them for PCs.