Day Twenty -- Post about three celebrity crushes.

Over the years, I have had numerous celebrity crushes.  Some are just downright not normal and others are ones that definitely had potential (or so I thought!).  Most of my crushes seem to come and go depending upon what fad is in or what movie/TV show I am addicted to at that time.  I guess that still even holds true to today, as well.  So, to choose just three to write about, well, that’ll be tough because that list could be endless.  So, I’ll just pick the first three that come to my mind and in no particular order.  These are a combination of current and past celebrity crushes. 

Mark Harmon

Is there ever any doubt why he was voted one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive?  I think not!  Mark Harmon just gets better looking the older he gets.  I always knew who Mark Harmon was from various movies to Chicago Hope, but I ultimately fell in love with him when he played Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan on The West Wing. He was just absolutely adorable in that role and his chemistry with Allison Janney was just spot on!  When his character was killed off the show, I cried like a baby.  Fortunately for me, he reappeared not long after to star as the infamous Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. I have adored watching him play Gibbs on NCIS over the years.  I think my favorite episodes with him were in seasons three through five where he starred alongside his former Chicago Hope costar, Lauren Holly.  So, yes, Mark Harmon has been one of my ultimate celebrity crushes for a long, long time.  Sure, he’s probably old enough to be my father, but it’s Mark Harmon, so I really don’t care, ha!  He has the most gorgeous blue eyes and a very captivating smile.  I just adore him!

Matthew McConaughey 

 And then there’s Matthew McConaughey … Wow! That’s about all I can say.  One of my celebrity crushes that I have always practically drooled over.  I have loved so many of his movies.  But, his adorable smile just about melts me.  I love to hear him talk with his infamous Southern drawl.  He is just one of those fellows that seems like such a decent and fun person to hang out with.  When I went to Austin to visit my cousin, she and I spent a little while driving around the food truck area, where he is known to frequent, in hopes of us finding him.  Unfortunately for us, that didn’t pan out like we had hoped.  I will say, I’ve never liked it when he lets his hair get too long or when he’s grown that long, shaggy beard – don’t cover the gorgeous face.  I prefer him looking like he did during A Time to Kill, which was an all-star cast, terrific movie!  But nonetheless, Matthew will always be one of my ultimate hunks!

David Duchovny

This choice will likely get me the most grief, but there’s just something about David Duchovny that I’ve always found cute.  I have loved Special Agent Fox Mulder from The X-Files since the first time we met him back in the early 1990s. The way Mulder cares for his FBI partner, Dana Scully, is just so heartwarming.  I love the relationship that David and co-star Gillian Anderson have.  There is so much chemistry between them.  They are so much fun and you can tell they just know each other so well.  To me, David seems to care for Gillian in many of the same ways that Mulder cared for Scully. He just has this boyish smile to him that makes you want to just like him.   And that is one reason that I add David Duchovny to my celebrity crush list.

So, there you have it, my random list of three celebrity crushes.  I could add so many others to that list, but we will go with those three.  I might have new ones before I finish writing this list!  . It is nice to take a break and daydream about your crushes and how life might be different if you were married to Matthew McConaughey, but sadly, we know that’ll never happen.  So, don’t spend too much time daydreaming about your own crushes that you get distracted from reality.

Day Nineteen -- If you had $1,000,000 to spend today, how would you spend it?

Oh, the things I would do if I had a million dollars!  In my current frame of mine, I would probably just quit my job and take it easy for a while. But in reality, even a million dollars wouldn’t last long enough to do that for a long period of time.  To be honest, I can be quite picky with my money, so more than likely, I would put most of it aside and save it or put some in to my Roth IRA and let it grow more. 

That being said, if I absolutely had to spend one million dollars today, here are a few ways that I would spend it:

1. I would donate some to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund – The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is one charity that I am very passionate about as it was founded by legendary Coach Kay Yow, whom I have adored my entire life.  The Kay Yow Cancer Fund uses its donations to seek finding a cure for cancer, as well as finding other alternative medications for treatment of the dreaded disease that plagues so many people.  It provides funds to various medical research teams and organizations in their development and aid for a cure.  So, I would definitely give them a nice donation!
2. I would probably buy myself a cabin in the Pigeon Forge/Wears Valley area in Tennessee – Matter of fact, I might even just buy the cabin and relocate myself to the hills of Tennessee.  I could envision getting a job working at Dollywood, living in my cabin and being quite happy with life.  I would want a cabin as close to one of the rivers/streams so I could listen to the trickling of the soothing mountain stream while gazing out at the mountains along the horizon.  
3. Tickets to the NCAA Women’s Tournament – I’ve always wanted to go to the NCAA Women’s Final Four and National Championship games, so I would invest a little money in to buying the tickets and attending all the events during that timeframe surrounding the games.  Of course, I would have to be selective because if certain teams were playing, I might not want to go.  But then again, it is the NCAA Tournament, so I probably would go see just about anyone play for the title.

Those would probably be the three main things I would do with my money right off the bat.  I would buy a car or some more clothes, but I’m pacified with what I have currently.  I likely would probably buy some things for my parents or pay off some bills/taxes, too.  But when it comes to money and spending, I can be pretty tight.  So, it would really be something I would have to consider and ponder upon heavily.   But, we can dream of hitting the lottery and what we would do with the money and maybe one day that’ll become reality – highly unlikely, but at least we can dream!

Day Eighteen -- Post 30 Facts About Yourself.

1. I have a dog named Zoey Katherine, who will turn 13 later this year.
2. I am an only child.
3. I have natural dark brown hair with light blue eyes, which is an unusual but not uncommon combination.
4. I can say and sing my United States in alphabetical order.
5. I have played the piano since I was in Third Grade.
6. I am often mistaken for being a Canadian (I still haven't figured out why!). 
7. I am intrigued by conspiracy theories and have some of my own.
8. I have a slight obsession with Diet Coke.
9. I was honored to be on both the Dean's and President's Lists in college.
10. As a child, I always wanted to be an airline pilot or flight attendant.
11. I love the smell of coffee, but don't like to drink it.
12. I love strawberries but hate anything strawberry flavored (including ice cream); I love cherry flavored items but hate cherries (go figure!)
13. I have lived in the same house my entire life.
14. I am a Notary and a licensed Life and Health Insurance Agent for the State of North Carolina.
15. I have worn glasses since before I turned two years old. 
16. I believe in having a servant's heart and trying to help people in the best way I can.
17. I am a huge fan of women's college basketball and love sports in general.
18. I always wanted to be a gymnast; then I realized I was too tall!
19. I cannot stand air conditioning blowing on me.
20. I love making and eating snow cream.
21. I missed being able to vote in the historical 2000 Presidential Election as I turned 18 only days after Election Day (ugh!).
22. I have celebrated two countries national holidays in the same year, month and week -- Canada Day (July 1st) and Independence Day (July 4th).
23. I have no fear in heights.
24. Attention-seekers absolutely annoy me.
25. I love to drive -- anywhere, anytime.
26. Music helps me through the day and keeps me in focus.
27. I always feel bad for the Christmas trees and pumpkins that no one buys and are left on the lots all by themselves.
28. I enjoy learning new things, alas one reason why I probably enjoy writing research papers!
29. My CDs are all in alphabetical order by genre.
30. I saw the 1996 Olympic Torch Run through my hometown.

Day Seventeen -- Post about your Zodiac sign, and whether or not it fits you.

Hmm…to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about this topic.  In reality, I don’t really believe in astrology nor follow my horoscopes or the signs of the zodiac.  In the past, I might would have glanced at my horoscope on occasion, but I don’t feel that it is reliable information.  That being said, when you look at your zodiac sign and just peruse some of the traits of a person with that zodiac sign, aren’t you likely going to find something in the list that is applicable to yourself?  I would think so.   But, for kicks and giggles, I’ll go ahead and post some of the traits for my sign and see whether or not they are applicable.

You have to be born between October 23 – November 21 to be classified as a Scorpio, so by nature, I am a Scorpio. But what all does one view as the personality characteristics of someone born under that sign?   I did a simple Google search (ahhh, the power of Google) and discovered the following:

Scorpio Strengths	Scorpio Weaknesses
Loyal	Jealous
Passionate	Obsessive
Resourceful	Suspicious
Observant	Manipulative
Dynamic	Unyielding

Addition comments on Scorpios are as follows:

•      Scorpios are fiercely independent.
•           They can accomplish anything they put their minds to.
•           They are not social butterflies.
•           They are perfectly suited being on their own.
•           Always be honest with a Scorpio, if you want their honesty in return.
•           They are known for making money and hiding it.
•           They are often interested in the paranormal and conspiracy theories.
•           They are very emotional.

I could go on and on and on about listing the random facts and characteristics of a Scorpio, but I think I have covered enough ground with what is listed above.   That being said, do I find that these fit me or not?  Well, sure, there are a lot of the characteristics that I do find appropriate … well, except for the making money and hiding it.  I must’ve hidden it real good because I can’t even find it myself!   But how does one know that these characteristics can’t necessarily be applied to a Sagittarius or a Leo or Cancer or Aries? 

For me personally, while I find it intriguing to see how they come up with such suggestions, deep down, I believe the truth of an individual and his/her characteristic traits come from who they are as a person, their upbringing, their faith, a whole host of a combination of facts.  I don’t think your zodiac “label” is your sole defining characteristic because if that were true, I know quite a few other Scorpios in which NONE of these traits apply whatsoever.

So, take it all with a grain of salt.  It might be fun or interesting to read and discover things about your zodiac sign, but ultimately, don’t let those labels be your basis for defining someone individually.  In the end, it’s not going to matter whether you are a Scorpio or a Gemini, we are who we are because that is how we were made!

Day Sixteen: Something that you miss.

In a day in time when things are constantly being pulled from our grasp, it is very easy for us to come to the realization that there are a multitude of things that we miss in our lifespan.  It is often difficult to pinpoint one thing or one person that we miss the most because that might make it seem that that one particular person or item was more important to you than other things, and that may not necessarily be accurate.  I even believe that at certain times of the year, we might miss an individual or an item more than at other times throughout the year.  Those memories could be associated with a date or time (ie: the passing of a loved one or some tragedy that unfolded on such date).  With that being said, for this entry, I’ve decided not to write on a person that I miss because I terribly miss many of my grandparents and other individuals who have passed away in my life that all equally meant something special to me.  Instead, I’m going to write about something a little different – the “good ‘ole days”.  Sure, my view of the “good ‘ole days” is going to highly differ from the perspective view of say my parents, but nonetheless, I can guarantee you there are things from times past that we all miss to an extent.

Back in the day, I used to be able to sit out on the front porch on my great-grandmother’s house in the evenings for hours counting the cars on the US Highway with my Dad.  We would often play a game of which way is the next “red” car (or whatever color of choice) would be coming from and going. Sometimes, we would sit half an hour or longer waiting for a car to come by, and during those moments of waiting for cars, you could hear the peaceful calm of the crickets, the peaceful sounds of a summer evening.  Sadly, those days are long gone in suburban Raleigh, North Carolina.  There are so many cars that go past that front porch now on a minute-by-minute basis, your head nearly spins trying to see them all.  I miss moments like that of sitting in the summer breeze with my family members and enjoying the solitude that is no longer present in Wake County.  Rural Wake County has faded in to the historical limelight being overrun with subdivisions, Sheetz gas stations and so many other countless strip malls that dot the million population in this one county.  Those are memories and days that I miss the most. 

I also miss the simplicity of childhood.  I never did like school.  I did fine in school with my grades, etc., but I just never liked going to school.  I would have preferred to stay home driving my Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars in my pretend village in the yard, or I would have preferred to climb to the top of the Southern Magnolia tree and just sit there contemplating life.  Sure, I could still drive my cars in the yard (though that would be a sight at 33 years old!) and I could attempt to climb the ever faithful Magnolia (though the limbs would probably crack under my weight), but those moments are ones that you miss and don’t want to forget.  Childhood is something we often take for granted.  Being able to be free and play and do the things you enjoy the most.  The countless hours I spent driving my Power Wheels Jeep all throughout our yard and my neighbors’ yards.  I miss walking from my house to my Granny’s to my Great-Grandma’s homes with my faithful sidekick Marlowe following my every step.  Those days of simplicity are long gone.  I may still live in the same house, but those residents in the other houses are no longer with us, nor is my sidekick Marlowe.  All have gone on to better homes in eternity. 

While, we all can think of one thing or person that we miss, cherish those memories that you made with that person or at that vacation spot or whatever the item is.  Memories stay with us a lifetime, so cherish those memories and hold tight to them.  While we can’t get the past back, try not to dwell in those missed moments and opportunities too much.  Don’t let those moments bring you down.  Learn from them, grow from them and let them transform you in to a better person.  Share your memories with those you love and allow them to keep the flame going.  

Day Fifteen -- Bullet-Point Your Whole Day

The clock is ticking from the moment we are born – our time on Earth is already lessened at birth.  Each person has a completely different pattern for their daily routine, and even mine will change from day-to-day depending upon what all arises during the day.  However, as you will soon discover, I live a pretty boring life during the work week.  Here is my “bullet-point” list for a whole day.  I am choosing to do yesterday, which was Tuesday, February 2^nd, 2016.    

• 5:48AM – Rise and Shine
• 5:50AM-6:50AM – Time spent getting ready for work
• 6:50AM-6:55AM – Grab a quick bite for breakfast (usually a banana!)
•  6:55AM – Leave for Work
• 7:17AM – Clock in at the office
• 7:20AM-12:15PM – Solving the world’s problems in the office
• 12:18-12:55PM – Lunch break – ended up taking a 1.27 mile walk
• 12:56PM-4:29PM – Back to solving all the problems plaguing our employees
• 4:30PM – Jail break – whoops, I mean signing out of work for the day
• 4:30PM-4:40PM – After hours basketball talk in the parking lot with co-workers
• 4:40PM-5:00PM – Homeward bound
• 5:00PM-5:15PM – Arrive home, change clothes & begin the wind-down process
• 5:15PM-5:45PM – Dinner with the family
• 5:45PM-6:00PM – Devotional Time
• 6:00PM-6:30PM – Paying bills (not a pleasant experience)
• 6:30PM-7:30PM – Watching The X-Files episode that I had DVR’d from missing Monday
• 7:30PM-10:00PM – Wind-down – watching TV, showering, choosing attire for day ahead
• 10:03PM – Night, Night, Sleep Tight, Y’all 

So, there you have my exciting Tuesday.  Maybe I should’ve chosen another night when I actually had a basketball game or something more exciting, but in a nutshell, that is almost how a typical day in the life of Meredith goes.