What I am Loving Right Now, a List

1. My pedicure with the cute little flowers she painted on my big piggies.
2. The sweetest compliment - as Emerson and I entered my hair place to get his first cut by my gal, this woman looked at him and said, "He's just breathtaking!" I couldn't agree more!
3. Wendy's Frescata Sandwhich Combos (where you can get Baked Lay's and a Dasani water and not feel like a total greaser when you have to do the drive thru deal).
4. I am on vacation.
5. I am going to Madonna.
6. Emerson's boundless energy and overall sunny disposition.
7. That American Idol is over. What a waste of time - two nights a week.
8. That I got reunited with some of my most favorite cds last week.
9. My new bangs.
10. I am on vacation. I don't care if I already said it. ;)

Just Like a Prayer

Deejah will take me there.
No longer a mystery;
We'll watch from the first-row balcony.

No longer like a dream,
She will be what she seems.
Her voice will take me there;
Her voice, her voice will take me there.


...To the new arena, where on June 8, 2006 Deejah and I will be seeing the music maven, Madonna. That's right! I am going to Madonna!! Deejah scored some tix from her mom and we are going, going, SO GOING to the concert.

I love Madonna. I have all her cds. I have her documentary, Truth or Dare. I even have her first children's book, The English Roses. I saw her in concert a year and a half ago in Vegas, with Claudia and Scott at the MGM Grand. Grand it was. Ahhhhh.

Looks like Cynthia isn't the only concertgoer this summer. WOOOOOO-HOOOOOO!

Mom's Day 2006

Perfect kid.

Perfect day.

It's Hard to Be Humble...

...when one of the healthiest things on the planet shares your name. I am pleased to share with my expansive readership, the new to me:

My very own Larabar

That's right. The Larabar. Made by a much more nurtitionally sound Lara than I. According to Prolific Sports, the Larabar has a lot to boast about. Check this out.

Larabar is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices and has become a favorite among our staff. Made from 100% whole raw food, each flavor contains no more than 2 to 6 ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended.

Larabar contains everything a healthy body needs:

• Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids
• High fiber and quality carbohydrates for balanced blood sugar levels and sustained energy.
• Naturally occurring essential minerals and vitamins
• Plant source protein
• Phytonutrients and antioxidants derived from whole plant foods
• Non-GMO
• No added sugar
• Free of gluten, dairy, soy
• Vegan and Kosher
  
  PLUS

LARABAR REAL: Sweet with no added sweeteners. Gutsy with no added fillers. It's what your body needs - real, whole food loaded with nature's own minerals and vitamins. All without chemicals, fillers or medicinal tasting supplements.

LARABAR RAW: Never cooked, Never processed. The essential enzymes, which are necessary for digestion and utilization of nutrients, remain completely intact in their most natural, powerful state. Adiet abundant in raw, unprocessed foods is important for health and longevity.

LARABAR RIGHT: Contains only pure ingredients. Vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, carbohydrates and good fats are derived exclusively from the raw, whole foods used to make the bars. What could be more right?

It even comes in tasty flavors like Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Chocolate Coconut Chew and Ginger Snap!

Who knew that something named Larabar could be so goshdangfoodforyou?

Sucker for a Sad Song

That's me. I don't really know why either. I am not a depressive person or enjoy the meloncholy of folly. I just like the traditionally slower rhythm's and the raw sentiment. Below are some of my favorites. If you are a blogger like me and happen upon this list, then tag - YOU'RE it.

My Favorite Sad Songs, in No Particular Order

1. How Do You Keep Love Alive by Ryan Adams

What does it mean?/What does it mean?/What does it mean to be so sad?/When someone you love/Someone you love is supposed to make you happy/What do you do?/How do you keep love alive?

2. I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You by Colin Hay

I drink good coffee every morning/Comes from a place that's far away/And when I'm done I feel like talking/Without you here there is less to say/I don't want you thinking I'm unhappy/What is closer to the truth/That if I lived till I was 102/I just don't think I'll ever get over you

3. Warning Sign by Coldplay

A warning sign/I missed the good part then I realised/I started looking and the bubble burst/I started looking for excuses/Come on in, I’ve gotta tell you what a state I’m in/I’ve gotta tell you in my loudest tones/That I started looking for a warning sign/When the truth is/I miss you/Yeah the truth is/That I miss you so

4. I Shall Believe by Sheryl Crow

Come to me now/And lay your hands over me/Even if it’s a lie/Say it will be alright/And I shall believe

5. With or Without You by U2

See the stone set in your eyes/See the thorn twist in your side/I wait for you/Sleight of hand and twist of fate/On a bed of nails she makes me wait/And I wait without you/With or without you/With or without you

6. It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing by Shania Twain

And it only hurts when I’m breathing/My heart only breaks when it’s beating/My dreams only die when I’m dreaming/So, I hold my breath--to forget

7. And So it Goes by Billy Joel

So I would choose to be with you/That’s if the choice were mine to make/But you can make decisions too/And you can have this heart to break/And so it goes, and so it goes/And you’re the only one who knows

8. I Don't Wanna Talk About It by Rod Stewart

I can tell by your eyes that you've prob'bly been cryin' forever,/and the stars in the sky don't mean nothin' to you, they're a mirror./I don't wanna talk about it, how you broke my heart./If I stay here just a little bit longer,/If I stay here, won't you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?

9. You Don't Know Me by Michael Buble

You give your hand to me/And then you say good-bye/I watch you walk away/Beside the lucky guy/You'll never never know/The one who loves you so/Well, you don't know me

10. When Will You Come Back Home by Ryan Adams

When, when will you come back home/No one leave the lights on in a house/Where nobody lives anymore

Now that I have given you the songs and a sampling of their lyrics; I see that it is pretty depressing. I am really not trying to be a cyberdowner. Trust me, I have always liked these kinds of songs. They have brought me peace, comfort, healing and perhaps surprisingly - enjoyment.

What I am Loving This Second - A List

1. For the first time ever tonight, Emerson said his name.

2. That when I ask Emerson what color something is - no matter what - his answer is: Lellow.

3. My new Lands' End linen pants (and that I guessed at my inseam and they are the perfect length).

4. That two of the shirts I ordered with my pants have to be returned for a SMALLER size.

5. My Tuesday morning trip to Starbucks had me in a front-row-joe parking space and NO ONE in front of me when I walked up to the counter. That never happens on a weekday morning at 8:05 a.m. But it did for me, if only once.

6. Reading almost every day.

7. My white Coach duffle has proven to be an excellent purchase.

8. The new chocolate and turquoise notecards I bought.

9. Online tax filing means for a truly rapid refund right into my account.

10. Just three and a half weeks until vacation!

May's Musts

Read: Cowboys are my Weakness by Pam Houston

Watch: The Apprentice - we are down to the final six and it's as juicy as ever

Hear: Old 97s (if you like Wilco and all)

Words that Made this Grown Up Mama Cry

The Summer-Camp Bus Pulls Away From the Curb
by Sharon Olds

Whatever he needs, he has or doesn't
have by now.
Whatever the world is going to do to him
it has started to do. With a pencil and two
Hardy Boys and a peanut butter sandwich and
grapes he is on his way, there is nothing
more we can do for him. Whatever is
stored in his heart, he can use, now.
Whatever he has laid up in his mind
he can call on. What he does not have
he can lack. The bus gets smaller and smaller, as one
folds a flag at the end of a ceremony,
onto itself and onto itself, until
only a heavy wedge remains.
Whatever his exuberant soul
can do for him, it is doing right now.
Whatever his arrogance can do
it is doing to him. Everything
that's been done to him, he will now do.
Everything that's been placed in him
will come out, now, the content of a trunk
unpacked and lined up on a bunk in the underpine

light.

We All Deserve a Second Chance

Especially if we get off on the wrong foot to begin with.

That was the case with Melissa Bank's Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing. It really didn't have a fair shot with me. I mean EVERYONE was raving about it and, quite frankly, overselling it and all that. When I read it, I was left unimpressed. I just didn't understand all the hype.

So, I had an opportunity to acquire it cheaply and decided to reread it. Maybe I missed something. I don't know if I am at a more focused point in my life that I could pay better attention to it, or what. But I actually liked it a lot better the second time around. She really captures the loneliness of dating and the loneliness that can creep into a relationship. There are some really good lines. So good that I wished I had marked them. But those of you that know me know I would never write in a book - that's vandalism!

Life's too short for me to go back and re-read books that I didn't love the first time around, but I guess I had a feeling. I certainly won't re-read anything I loved. I would hate to not have the lovely first impression that I had. Kinda like finishing a great meal with all the flavors still swirling on your tongue and you make the unwise choice to try Joe's dessert or taste Marla's coffee. It's ruined. That pleasant closure to you dining experience derailed. Forever.

My Little Easter Bunny

Pull Up a Chair and Stay a While

I think it's interesting that if you are pregnant, most HMOs will only charge one copay (that of your first appointment diagnosing your pregnancy) for the duration of your 'symptom'. When that 'symptom' is over back you go to paying for each office visit. So, with my insurance, it only cost me $15.00 to obtain prenatal care and deliver Emerson (via c-section, mind you).

In any other instance, I will required to make a copayment for any doctor visit no matter if I am seen multiple times regarding the same symptoms, diagnoses or treatments. Isn't that interesting? So, while it could be challenging to be ailed by more than one thing at one time, it can actually be a cost savings. Especially if your course of treatment cures you after that one visit. It's convenient too as you will have fewer trips to the ol' Doc.

Case in point: Yesterday, I was diagnosed with a double whammy - Pink eye and strep throat. Nice combo don't you think? I mean you have the nasty breath of an infected throat and the freakish red eye that would be perfect looking if only it were Halloween. Alas, it wasn't and here I was at urgent care at 7pm waiting to be seen.

It had started in the wee hours of Tuesday morning when I woke to my left eye gummed closed by leakage. I got up, pried my eyelids apart and noticing that the whites of my eyes had been replaced with a bright blood red hue. I chalked it up to one too many nights in a row sleeping with my contacts, yanked them out - after much tearing (that's whaah whaah, not rip rip) and struggle I got both out and safely in the trash and got my weary bum back to bed.

I arose at 6:30 a.m. only to find that my eye was no better and still pretty runny. No pain though, it just felt tired and it was just my left eye (hmmm, does TLC want to reunite?). I got ready for work and off I went. Comments were made throughout the morning and a few wonderful folks offered me drops and hand sanitizer. Their motives clearly mixed. The slight lump that was felt in my throat was gathering size as the day progressed and my eye was not looking better.

While attending an offsite event for work late Tuesday afternoon, a colleague of mine (higher on the totem pole than I and really a minor acquaintance) saw me and and asked if I was okay. I told him I was and that I thought I had pink eye and would be seeing my doctor tomorrow. He craned his neck down and closer to me to get a better look. He asked me to take off my glasses and while it seemed strange, he had a familiar way about this and I obliged. As he reached for my face, I made a pronounced shift. "You know I am an eye doctor, don't you?" Relief. "I figured as much considering you have had the greatest interest in my eye of everyone today."

Shortly thereafter, I made my way to my car and was en route home when I continued to be bothered by my throat. At the next stoplight, I took a look in my vanity mirror and sure enough - signs of infection. I detoured from home and made my way to urgent care. After about one and half hours time I had my diagnosis and my prescriptions. God love a ZPak antibiotic.

Now just more than 24 hours later, a day of rest, eye drops every four hours and my meds, I am on the mend. My eye is still red, although fading. I should be able to approach tomorrow with far less scrutiny from others.

Thank goodness the weekend is just a couple of days away.

Emerson - Toddler Cruiser

The Beauty of Words

I am a latecomer to poetry. I realize some never make it there (just like I never made it to Shakespeare or Milton and thus a major in English Lit never materialized). However, early, tardy, or hours late, I developed a liking and there are a few poems I have come across that are worth sharing. The first will be in this posting and it's a most dazzling poem by e. e. cummings. YES, it's the one that Maggie (Cameron Diaz) read to Rose (Toni Collette) at the end of In Her Shoes, but the chick flick based on chick lit should not negate it's beauty.

i carry your heart with me by e. e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Lyrics I am Loving Right Now

The songs are great too...oh and these are just segements not the whole song...


Home to Me by Josh Kelley

Cause' its you that I'm runnin to baby
It's you that I'm feelin for lately and
It's like a pain that never goes away
and it always starts today

Cause you are home to me, Cause you are home to me
Cause you are home to me, Cause you are home to me




Light Up My Room by Barenaked Ladies

If you question what I would do
To get over and be with you
Lift you up over everything
To light up my room, my room

The Power of Marketing

It's quite possible that I have taken things too far. It started with a simple invitation. Brightly colored and addressed to me, not RESIDENT. I mean, it was personal and it was only supposed to happen once.

But then another invitation came. Another dance. And now I am getting hand written cards thanking me for my recent purchases and checking into see how I am enjoying my new tote and attache.



What's a girl supposed to do when Coach offers her 25 percent off all fall AND spring purchases? First it was gloves and a wristlet (see right).





Next it was an attache and large tote (how totally freaking great is my white tote?). Consider me stylishly accessorized. Damn, thos marketers! I am powerless to their advances.

...Now if only my clothing were as up to date as my leather goods.

My Little Green Thumb

Taken today at 9 a.m.

Lara's Must List for April

April Musts (No Foolin'):

Read
The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter

Watch
American Idol on TV
Junebug on DVD
Failure to Launch on Screen

Listen
Dog-Eared Dream by Willy Porter

Practice Makes Practice

We all are works in progress, aren't we? Fortunate are those that realize this and seek to improve the areas in which they can gain the most return on investment? I am no different. I am not so unique.

That brings me to bring to you one of my personal development obsessions: Planning and Time Management. It presents itself in the procurement and attempted consistent use of a personal planning system. A single system by which I can document and record all personal and professional happenings and occurences. Behold my current system!

Current. That tells you that I have dappled with other planning systems. And I admit it; I have been a bit of a planner junkie. The Libra in me needs it to be cute and functional. So this time I opted for the pretty blue leather binder and the complementary Leadership inserts. The me in me needs to fill it out every day, consistently to gain all of the benefit of total organization.

Herein, the problem lies. I see myself as a planner using, task writing and checking, date placing maven. I just can't seem to execute that. Not every day. Not even really regularly. "They" say (you know, those experts) that it takes 21 days to create or break a habit. So with this knowledge, I am attempting a lifestyle change. One that consistently takes planning into account. Every day. Every single day.

I really think that with a little discipline, I can accomplish this. Just to show you how committed I am to my new goal, let's look at today. As you can see (kind of - the image is pretty small) I have my meetings in the calendar section noted and a manageable task list of which I completed most items.

Color me proud. Today was a very good day. Today is the day I will start counting to 21.

Wish me luck.

Random Acts of Blogging

• I got my brows done on Tuesday and I swear I look like a movie star (even if no one else thinks I do). It's amazing what one little bit of pampering can do to your mindset. I get my hair cut and colored on Tuesday and I am going to squeeze a pedicure in this weekend. Extreme self care is a major goal for this year.
  
• I need to get in the mindset that exercise is a form of self care.
  
• I keep falling asleep early and in front of the tv. Why can't The Office be on before My Name is Earl?
  
• Tomorrow is errand and friend day. Oil change, Costco (dipes and wipes), gocery store, and maybe the car wash. I also get to see my dear friend Ali and participate in my first Movie Club night - Harold and Maude.
  
• I have the cutest kid in the world. And his audio clips on his blog prove it. ;)
  
• I hate rude and condescending people.*
  
• I love Sugar Ray and Mark McGrath has a great cover of Ghost in You on the 50 First Dates soundtrack. I am listening to it while I blog.
  
• I just couldn't get into Jarhead but am enjoying my second stab at A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing. I need to hurry and finish it so that I can pick up my Book Club's April selection.

That's all. I too tired to write any more.

*Wait, p.s. Karma RULES. Trust me.

Sexy Serenades

I keep reading blogs and I keep getting tagged. Claudia has a post on sexiest songs, so I guess it is my turn.

1. Let's Get it On by Marvin Gaye. Should be self explanatory. If you don't think so, download it and listen for yourself.

2. No Ordinary Love by Sade. Fantastic beat for smooooooth moooooves.

3. Crash into Me by Dave Matthews Band. The lyrics will get you every time.

4. Sadness (Pt. 1) by Enigma. If you are in for the night, this is it.

6. With or Without You by U2. Love/hate never sounded so good.