NaBloPoMo Month - What the "BLEEP" is NaBloPoMo?

NaBloPoMo Month - What the "BLEEP" is NaBloPoMo?
Entry #1 (Sorta Of) - 11/01/2013

What the hell is NaBloPoMo you might be asking yourself right now...well I am sure glad that you did ask! According to the research that I found NaBloPloMo was started seven years in 2006 in response to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which means for writers who aspire to write their own novel work to write the aforementioned novel in one month - that month being November.

 

While I have aspirations to one day publish my own novel, I thought NaBloPoMo is a much more realistic goal - 30 blog posts in 30 days. Now some of readers will no doubt inform me that as of this posting it is 11/02/2013, thus meaning I have already broken the #1 rule which is 30 posts in the 30 days - however I counter, for the record, that I didn't learn of the existence of NaBloPoMo until late last night and that I work 40-plus hours a week and I was to lazy to roll out of bed last night to do the proper research needed to write a blog...so this will be credited as entry one for "Sparkling Vodka: NaBloPoMo 2013 Challenge."

 

Through my research of NaBloPoMo I have found other blogs that have topic suggests for blogs that I will be using throughout the month. I'll feature some pop culture blogs that including talking about the fabulous "The Good Wife" and the equally fabulous Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in ABC's "Scandal" and of course the November entry to the Top Ten Defining Moments of my Twenties.

 

So check back all this month and let's see if I can really do it ya'll...thirty blogs in 29-ish days!

 

Until Next Time ~ Ciao Bella

Memories of a Recovering National FFA Convention Addict - Part II

Memories of a Recovering National FFA Convention Addict - Part II

FFA members will tell you, because they should know from their Greenhand days in Ag I that the National FFA Convention has had three homes...Kansas City (1928-1998), Louisville (1999-2005) and Indianapolis (2006-2012) and back to Louisville in 2013.

 

In 2007, it was my second convention in Indianapolis and it brought back memories of a time gone by...more specifically memories of my first convention in Kansas City. See in Kansas City there was a downtown atmosphere that was enjoyed (albeit perhaps no longer a safe atmosphere in 1998), but a downtown feeling nevertheless. With the arrival in Indianapolis, the National FFA Convention once again had that feeling. In the second installment of my blog, I went out and about throughout downtown Indianapolis to explore with the help of my longtime friend - Ms. Ginny Berg!

 

Ginny & Myself

 

FFA members will tell you, because they should know from their Greenhand days in Ag I that the National FFA Convention has had three homes...Kansas City (1928-1998), Louisville (1999-2005) and Indianapolis (2006-2012) and back to Louisville in 2013.

 

In 2007, it was my second convention in Indianapolis and it brought back memories of a time gone by...more specifically memories of my first convention in Kansas City. See in Kansas City there was a downtown atmosphere that was enjoyed (albeit perhaps no longer a safe atmosphere in 1998), but a downtown feeling nevertheless. With the arrival in Indianapolis, the National FFA Convention

 

My Views: Touring Downtown Indianapolis

 

Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis is officially, for this week at least, "FFA Way" as the 80th National FFA Convention gets underway Wednesday afternoon.

 

 

FFA members from across the country proudly wearing those world-recognizable blue corduroy jackets are beginning to fill the streets. Members, advisors and guests are eagerly anticipating the kickoff session featuring keynote speaker, the inspiration and take-notice Dr. Rick Rigsby. You'll want to check the blog later because I'll be blogging about the first general session at convention!

 

Ask your FFA advisor about past convention trips and I'm sure one of the topics they'll mention is going to the downtown area of Kansas City. The downtown experience was lost in translation when the convention found a new home at Freedom Hall in Louisville in 1999. Lucky for us, we've captured a moment from yesteryear and the downtown element is back! We couldn't ask for a better, more beautiful and full of like place than Indianapolis.

 

Side Note: I returned to Indianapolis in October 2011 for my eleventh convention and I can attest to the fact that there was nothing quite like being in downtown Indianapolis again...it was quite simply amazing!

 

Do you have questions about what to do between sessions? Where do you go when you're looking for a quick bite to eat? Or just curious about what places to visit around Conseco Fieldhouse? Fortunately for you FFA members, I braved the refreshing cool weather with my pal Ginny to find some of the hottest spots in town! So read on and let Tour Guide Josh show you around some of the coolest places in town!

 

Destination #1: The American Super Hero Museum

Located at 20 W. Louisiana Street, less than three block from Conseco Fieldhouse, you can set your inner-child free and take a tour through the history of Batman and Superman all in one place. The Super Hero Museum has memorabilia items: action figures and costumes worn by Superman from Kirk Alyn to Dean Cain. Tickets are priced at $5 per person and the museum is open from 11am-8pm. Check it our right after one of the General Sessions. You'll be glad that you did!

 

Destination #2: Union Station/Crowne Plaza Hotel/Pan American Plaza

If you're looking for a great place to take some group pictures, or if you're like I was in high school and had to have pictures for your FFA scrapbook, then you will want to make sure and stop here! The Crown Plaza is located in the heart of downtown right next to Union Station, formerly an operating train depot. You can tell by the accompanying pictures of the windows and ceiling that it is almost like stepping into Notre Dame Cathedral and I can guarantee that you have never seen anything like it before if you're from the farm or rural area, like me. Take advantage of the beautiful artwork. An interesting fact: some rooms at the Crowne Plaza are actual, restore train cars that have been converted to hotel rooms. Experience what people of yesteryear felt when they would take the train across the country in anticipation of convention.

 

If you're looking for a little fun to go along with the weather here in town, then the ice skating rink in Pan American Plaza will be right up your alley. Here's some downtown trivia for readers: Do you have any guesses as to why Pan American Plaza is named this? Post your guesses in the comment section below and I'll post the answer in a future blog!

 

Destination #3: COLTS! COLTS! COLTS!

While enjoying yourself around the Pan Am Plaza stop in and pickup some World Champions Indianapolis Colts apparel at our favorite retail store: Hat Worlds & Lids, which is open from 10am-7pm.

 

Make sure to tell them Josh sent you!

 

Don't forget to take a few pictures of the RCA Dome since this is the last year it will be standing. There are plans to take the Dome down before the 2008 convention and if you're a Colts fans then you don't want to miss this opportunity!

 

Destination #4: I'm Hungry

While traveling through Union Station, I had the opportunity to speak with five of the 2007 National FFA Officer candidates. They shared with me some of their favorite places to go to eat in the downtown area. If you're from the south and want some home comforts, then Brady Revels, a national officer candidate from Florida, suggest a stop at Chick-Fil-A for a nice glass of sweet tea. According to Revels, it is the only sweet tea he's found in Indianapolis since his arrival. Another fellow candidate from the Minnesota Association, Sangeetha Gummadi, suggested the world-famous Steak'n Shake for all your dining needs and if a hunger pang strikes at 2:00AM, the Steak'n Shake is open 24 hours a day. Sangeetha suggested the two flavor side-by-side milk shake! A trip to Indy would not be complete if you didn't stop by the Hard Rock Café for a quick picture or even a trip to the gift shop.

 

FFA members, remember to stay safe out there on the streets of Indianapolis. Travel together in groups, follow the street signs and steer clear of alleys at all times! Stay safe and stay awake during those general sessions.

 

Until next time, members and readers, remember BLUE JACKETS...BRIGHT FUTURES!

 

Memories of a Recovering National FFA Convention Addict - Part I

Memories of a Recovering National FFA Convention Addict - Part I

Anyone that has known me for any length of time will know that the FFA was one of the most important events in my life. And yes I said events, because I consider it to be just that - an event! The organization and the activities that I participated in because of it: livestock shows, speech contests, camps and livestock judging to recall a few taught me so much about life...hope...devotion...rejection...loss and how to overcome in the face of it all.

 

In the early years that I was a member of the organization I heard members talk about forming these life long friendships and for me, building friendships was hard. I'm like a fine wine...I'm an acquired taste. Some people like me, some people don't like me and more often than not, most people don't know what to do with me either way!

 

What I learned though later in life and later in my time spent with the organization what it meant to form those life long friendships. I formed mine after high school and well into my college career...in 2003 when I attended my sixth National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky as a Newsroom Intern! I had previously attended four National FFA Conventions in high school and one my freshman year of college as an Oklahoma Delegate.

 

From 2003-2007 I faithfully and gleefully attended National FFA Conventions in Louisville and Indianapolis. It was during this time that I developed those lifelong friendships that I had heard people talk about for year prior...Kristy, Julie, Andrea, Amy, Noelle, Walter, Jason, Julie, Ginny and many more!

 

"CoCo looking rough."

 

"We are on the corner of ghetto and get your ass shot!"

 

"I ain't made of money."

 

These were just a few of the many sayings...memories that came from my many years of convention! As the date for this years convention grows closer, I thought it would be fun to relive one of my favorite years - 2007! As this was the year that I got to work as a blogger for convention! Let's go on a journey and look back...

 

MY VIEWS: Welcome to Indianapolis FFA Members

FFA members, welcome to the 80th National FFA Convention! I can promise you it will be an incredible week. The organization has progressed tremendously over the years, and this year we begin a whole new chapter: the wonderful world of blogging!

My name is Josh Hawkins and I hail from Stillwater, Okla., home of the great OSU Cowboys. I am 23 years old and a former Midway FFA member in Council Hill, Okla. I began my FFA career as a Greenhand my freshman year of high school and remained active until graduation. I am a PROUD Oklahoma State FFA Degree recipient. This years marks my 10th convention...

SIDENOTE: Ironically my last, but who knew what the future was to hold way back in October 2007!

And my fifth as a member of the newsroom crew. If you didn't catch my drift, I truly love the organization for all that it has to offer! I am currently a junior at Oklahoma State University working towards my degree in creative writing with a minor in business.

In high school, I was never the star athlete on the basketball team or the quarterback who threw the winning touchdown, but I was an FFA member proud and true! This organization opened so many doors for me that otherwise would have remained closed and locked forever. It has given me the opportunity learn, lead and succeed through my career in the organization and outside of it. As a result, I have met lifelong friends and I am proud to say that they are here with me today in the FFA newsroom in Conseco Fieldhouse, on the Indiana Convention Center floor, throughout Indianapolis and back home in Oklahoma. To have this opportunity, literally, at my fingertips to communicate my journey through convention is amazing!

A lot of times people will ask FFA member "What is your favorite FFA memory or activity?" So I'll tell you mine. My favorite FFA memory is being able to say that I have attended at least one convention in each of the three host cities: Kansas City, Mo, (1998), Louisville, Ky. (1999-2005) and now Indianapolis. FFA members, as we celebrate 80 glorious and exciting conventions, In invite you to tell me about yourselves. Where are you from? What's your favorite FFA activity? if you're reading this at convention, what are you looking forward to most? If you see me roaming around the career show or in Conseco Fieldhouse, stop and say hi, we'll take a picture and you may even end up here on my blog!

Remember to wear those jackets with pride throughout Indianapolis because blue jackets do lead to bright futures! FFA members, enjoy your convention and check back often, because it's raining in Indy and you don't want to miss my thoughts on that!

Remember...BLUE JACKETS...BRIGHT FUTURES!

Originally Posted: 10/27/2007 @ 1:49PM

 

Turning the Big 30 - Top 10 Defining Moments of My 20s (Part One)

Turning the Big 30 - Top 10 Defining Moments of My 20s

 

Turning 30 in 2014...Wilson Bethel, Katy Perry & Me

The official 30th birthday countdown has begun. It seems as though the older I get the more time flies by so in no time at all the big 3-0 will have snuck up on me! I can admit that I have always viewed age as just a number and never given to much thought to the "fear" of turning 30. However, I did want to reflect back on the last decade of my life and think of the Top 10 Defining Moments of My 20s and write about how they impacted me and brought me to the current place I am in my life.

 

I have been plotting these Top 10 Moments for about two months now. The idea came to me in August while text messaging with one of my very dear friends. I'm sure as I go through pictures both in print and digitally I will come up with other moments that made an impact, but these are the ones that stuck out most for me. I turn 30 in June 2014, so I'll be reliving a moment a month for the next ten months leading up on the big event.

 

And so begins...in no particular order...the Top 10 Defining Moments of My 20s...

Homeland in Henryetta

When I began to look over the list of the top moments of my 20s this moment titled, "Leaving Homeland" is one that clearly stands out. I think the reason that it stands out the most is because it set me on a path that I feel as though seven years is still currently being traveled.

To give some backstory, I started working at Homeland on December 26, 2001 when I was a Junior in High School. It was my second job in a grocery store and one of the Assistant Managers happened to someone that my Grandmother had worked with at the same company, formerly known as Safeway. Little did I know what Homeland would offer me in terms of a real job...friendships...life lessons and the power of moving on. The fact is Henryetta Homeland on Trudgeon had this unique hold on me that is hard to explain...like a bad relationship I tried to leave multiple times over, but there was just something that pulled me back to it over and over and over again. The first time that I said farewell was ironically in July 2002 when I first moved to Stillwater for school. I ended up returning two months later in September 2002, in my old job no less (Thanks Devin!) and I stayed until April 2004 when I left it for another store in Tulsa. Homeland in Tulsa at 91st and Memorial holds some special memories. I was able to gain more responsibilities in the workplace, build more friendships and it was the first time that I truly felt as though I was living on my own. But all the memories tied to Homeland weren't as pleasant as most. The memories of receiving a life changing phone call (which I'll discuss later in this series) still haunts me to this day. And it was because of that phone call and the aftermath that followed that ended up back in the comfort environment of Homeland in Henryetta.

I returned to the Friendly Henryetta Homeland in August 2005 and stayed until July 2006. By the time that I had left everything had begun to or already changed. There was a new manager in charge, the friends I had made during my previously time there had moved on and it was time for a well deserved change in my life.

Homeland taught me the value of hard work, because I worked hard when I was there. I earned every penny I ever made. There were smiles, laughter, tears, temper tantrums, beer and friends...some of you who maybe reading this will recall your own memories and perhaps they are even the same as mine. To this day I tell the story of our Assistant Manager Sonya Davis talking about the "Clucking" Cadbury Bunny or of Devin yelling for me to pick-up the telephone over the intercom!

Homeland truly for better or for worse set the groundwork for my training. Just as soap opera starlets who leave the world of daytime to make it big in films recall their time on the soaps as a training ground...I too do the same for Homeland. When I left in July 2006 at the age of 22 I had plans of moving to another store, but those plans didn't quite pan out and I moved to Stillwater. Little did I know that was going to be one of the smartest things I could have done in my life because of where it would lead me less than two years later. Looking back now I couldn't have known what was to come when I left that late July day in 2006...but knowing what I know now I'm sure as hell glad I did leave.



 

 

 

Diary of a Pre-Reformed Fast Food Slut - Entry #3

08/29/2013 - Entry #3

Diary of a Pre-Reformed Fast Food Slut 

Hey Everyone! I haven't written an update in a very long time and I figured that it was time, because I have reached a post-weight loss surgery goal tonight!

First, I want to say thank you to the 75 people who "Liked" my Facebook picture earlier this month and for those who commented. It's great to have a virtual support system of people that support me!

Six Months - Before & After - August 2013
 

So clearly I had goals in mind when I had my surgery beyond the basic obvious - losing weight! One of those goals was to be called a "Reformed Skinny Bitch" and then promptly have a cocktail thrown in my face, a'la Dallas. While I am still waiting for that day and let's be real...it's still a few days off...I did reach one of my other goals tonight!

Anyone who's Big & Bold & Beautiful will tell you that it's not cheap. For years I have paid $75 for one pair of slacks or jeans or my favorite at JCP buying one pair of slacks for $75 and getting a second pair for half price, while other skinny bitches out there paid $20 for a pair of pants or at JCP a buy one, get one sale! Well one of my goals was to be a $20 pair of slacks that would fit comfortably and be presentable to wear in public from Wal-Mart! I know...Wal-Mart, but hey! I want cheap clothes just like the next person!

Tonight! It! Happened!

I took a leap of faith and figured if the button down dress shirt that was two sizes smaller than what I was wearing seven months ago, that maybe, just maybe, a pair of slacks ten sizes smaller than what I was wearing seven months ago would be too! Needless to say, I was right ya'll! They fit and I couldn't be happier. They were a little snug, but nevertheless they fit and they were presentable. Oh happy day! Oh happy day! Now I'm happy. My checking account is happy and Wal-Mart should be happy to, but let's face it they're just pissed I'm not buying candy bars, chips and soda pop in bulk anymore!

Until Next Time Ya'll....

Not Young, Still Restless - Remembering Jeanne Cooper

Not Young, Still Restless - Remembering Jeanne Cooper

Several of you may already know this - I am a fan of daytime television, also known as soap operas, also known as my stories. They are my guilty pleasure! What some of you may not know however is why I am fan of these serialized story telling shows - it's because of this woman:

Granny Miller

My Great-Grandmother Bertha Miller who would babysit when I was a toddler. And because I'm spilling all the "T" like a reality housewife scorned, Granny Miller was also the same Granny that I cried for the first 90 days of Kindergarten way back in the day...but that's another topic for another time. 

My Granny would watch her beloved stories five days a week, Monday-Friday beginning at 11AM everyday and always first on her schedule was "The Young and the Restless" which has since my childhood days become a staple in my soap opera watching habits! I can still remember her talking to the television set at Jack, Victor, Nikki, Jill and of course at her beloved Mrs. Chancellor, who in later years would become my beloved Mrs. Chancellor, played by the take life by the balls and tell it as it is - Jeanne Cooper. 

Now for those of you who may not know what the hell is going on in this edition of Sparkling Vodka or who the hell Katherine Chancellor is let me break it down for you. 

Katherine Chancellor

Portrayed by the remarkable Jeanne Cooper, Katherine Shepard Chancellor Murphy was the grand dame and baddest bitch in Genoa City! She done for The Young and the Restless what Heather Locklear did for Melrose Place - arrive on the scene to stir the pot and raise the ratings! For four decades Katherine feuded with rival Jill Foster Abbott, after Jill snatched away Katherine's husband from her. She gave sage advice to her best friend the stripper turned lady of the manor Nikki Reed Newman and kept one of Genoa City's most ruthless businessmen, Victor Newman, in line when no one else could. Life would often imitate art for the character of Katherine and her portrayer Jeanne Cooper. In 1984, cameras followed Jeanne Cooper as she underwent a facelift...it was worked into her Y&R storyline so that Katherine would also be undergoing a facelift. Just as Jeanne battled alcoholism, so did Katherine Chancellor.

Jeanne Cooper died on Wednesday, May 8th leaving a gaping hole in the Y&R canvas as well as the daytime community. She was a force like no other. She was a woman who spoke her mind and entertained millions with her portrayal of "The Grand Dame of Genoa City." Sadly there will never be another Jeanne Cooper or a character as wonderful and entertaining as Katherine Chancellor. And with her death comes sadness for her legions of fans, but for this one in particular it's a little harder to swallow. I never met Jeanne Cooper and I know that Katherine Chancellor was a fictional character on a daytime soap opera - but with her passing, a small part of my childhood, a part that I treasure more than words can express, dies with her. 

Take a look as Jeanne Cooper reflects on her two time Emmy award winning role as Katherine Chancellor:  Jeanne Cooper's Intro to The Young and the Restless - 03/29/2013

Until Next Time...

Craigslist Rules of Etiquette

Craigslist Rules of Etiquette

One thing I've learned in the last several years is that contrary to what I originally thought - most people don't have common sense. This logic has been reaffirmed to me this weekend while dealing with people who answered my Craigslist ad for belongings I am not taking with me to Oklahoma. I got to thinking is there an etiquette to answering and dealing with Craigslist ad? I say there is and here are just a few of my Craigslist Rules of Etiquette:

 

 Rule #1: If the ad is posted on an Internet website that you answer through emails then the chances of me actually wanting to talk to you over the phone are EXTREMELY limited. There are only a handful of people I actually want to talk to over the phone and I'm pretty sure the random person answering my Craigslist ad about a three year old ottoman is not one of them! Let's communicate via email and solely via email. Especially when you consider it's 2013 and everyone I know, including my own grandmother, has an email address and can access it on their phone. 

Rule #2A: If I give you my address don't ask me for directions! I haven't been given directions somewhere in years. I only need to know the address - because I have a smart phone that knows how to get there or if that's to much for you use Mapquest or Google Maps on your computer. I don't know how to get from wherever the hell you are to my place! Plus I'm not your secretary, your husband, your brother, your son, your nephew, your cousin or the person to teach you how to use modern day technology! If I wanted to teach someone how to use the directions on their iPhone I would have that conversation with my grandmother.

Rule #2B: This one was a two-part rule. If I'm kind enough to say I will meet you somewhere or I will meet you at a certain location - - don't tell me you've never heard of that place! Google the location I sent you, Google the address and tell me if that's a good place or not! I don't have time to hunt down a location to meet. I expect that you will do that and just tell me! Sheesh!

Rule #3: If it doesn't say in the ad "Price Negotiable" then chances are I want the price I put on the ad! And if you're going to be that annoying person who wants to haggle over the price with me at least come to the table with a decent offer. Asking me if I'll take $30 for a $75 item is laughable, insulting and a waste of both of our time!

Rule #4: Show up when you say you're going to show up! Don't tell me when you wake up at 11AM and then when you're leaving your apartment at 2:45PM and when you're lost at 4:15PM and then that you're "asshole boyfriend is tired of driving around" at 5PM. I just want you to tell me you're on your way and then show up! I don't need a second by second moment of your journey!

Rule #5: Don't ask me for a picture when you can clearly see on the ad there is a picture! That's the picture...do you like it or not? No I will not take another picture, because there is already six pictures attached! And on a side note - just be glad there are pictures there to look at...yes I'm looking at you Stillwater > Apartment ads on Craigslist!!

Until Next Time...