Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Jun 17, 2013
I have mentioned my man-friend frequently in this blog since he's a big part of my life. If he ever tried to get away, well, I'd probably track him down. Actually, I'd just make a plate of my chicken nuggets and he would totally come back.
Seriously, he's amazing and I feel very lucky to have someone like him to call my own. I can't imagine my life without him. In past relationships, I felt more alone than when I was single and it doesn't feel that way with him. He's funny, honorable, has a heart of gold and he's really hot.
You can read some recaps of our dates in my now dead Dating Amanda blog:
Here is the autographed picture he gave me - I had a coupon. I like coupons.
Here he is claiming victory in a four-way board game - Railways of the Eastern US.
Here he is completing a 5K - which you can read about in my Sports Weekend: 5Ks and Bike Rides post.
Here he is cooking up a mean meal.
Seriously, he's amazing and I feel very lucky to have someone like him to call my own. I can't imagine my life without him. In past relationships, I felt more alone than when I was single and it doesn't feel that way with him. He's funny, honorable, has a heart of gold and he's really hot.
You can read some recaps of our dates in my now dead Dating Amanda blog:
- Match Round 6: Stepping Out: This is where he is on my list of guys - his code name is MacGyver.
- Match Round 6: MacGyver Dates: Recap of our first dates.
- Match.Com Round 6: MacGyver Date Four: When I made him dinner.
- Ex-Single Girl: It's official - meaning it is on FaceBook.
Here is the autographed picture he gave me - I had a coupon. I like coupons.
 |
| This distracts me more than the Internet |
 |
| Always a winner to me! |
 |
| Headbands are legit! |
 |
| He was in charge of noodles |
Here he is with me, laughing our pants off.
 |
| The flash was really bright |
So, now you know all about my handsome gentleman caller, my devastating handsome man-friend, my one and only, my vacation buddy, my love - Bob.
Friend: Wait, Bob is his real name?
Me: Yes.
Friend: I thought you just called him that.
Me: I do. Because that's his name.
Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.
Apr 22, 2013
After the bombings at the Boston Marathon, I ended up taking pen to paper and wrote this note - it was written on Monday, April 15, 2013. It was half in response to the outpouring of comments about how horrible the world was, half in response to what I knew would be a witch-hunt and cries of ultimate justice.
I know my views are not common when it comes to these things, but, I think this is what I would want to communicate to anyone who sets out in such a way to cause harm and chaos.
I do gain some comfort from two quotes:
------------------------------------------------------
Hello,
We don’t know each other; at least, I can only imagine we don’t know each other because I don’t live anywhere near Massachusetts.
I do know most people will fly to two extremes – one that announces the need for more love while announcing the need for your savage destruction. I do know other people will use this day as proof that they are justified in despising humanity.
Here is what I think – what I think you should know.
I know you wanted to do damage, to make an impact and you did. However, those who were killed, mangled and maimed, they will be remembered for every good deed they did. From the destruction left in the wake of the explosions, everyday, mild-mannered people became heroes, friends and supporters. Born on the ripples of tragedy, amazing things happened throughout the US.
I wish this outpouring of support and love that people are capable of had been apparent to you before things fractured and splintered in your own life and led you down a path that left you no other choice but to attack. I know I am guilty of pushing people aside or telling myself it is better to not be involved. It’s easier when things turn violent or vicious to claim it was evil-born or something out of my control and so far out of my reach. The truth is, there was probably one moment, one touch or one word that could have changed the course of events if someone had had the courage to reach out rather than walk away from you.
All life is worthwhile – and so is yours. But, you will never be known for any good you have done, you will only been classified by this deed. Your thoughts, your feelings, your message and your legacy will probably never be understood due to the chain of events that led you to the Boston Marathon. Just as those everyday people were turned into heroes in a single day due to your actions, you were turned into what we all fear – the absence of choice, the absence of love and the absence of reason.
At the end of this all - no one will really understand what you wanted to really communicate. It will be defined merely as "hate" rather than a true revolution of thought that could bring about change.
What is done is done. The manhunts, the accusations the wishes of destruction on you are only the residual of what happened long before now. I hope, in some way, you can walk from your own darkness.
------------------------------------------------------
Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.
I know my views are not common when it comes to these things, but, I think this is what I would want to communicate to anyone who sets out in such a way to cause harm and chaos.
I do gain some comfort from two quotes:
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world. - Mr. RogersAlso a less known and slightly corrupt proverb based on, what I believe, is a Chinese saying:
Without evil, good cannot triumph - without war there can be no peace.What we value most in the world - love, peace, harmony - only exist because these are vulnerable and uncertain. However, so are the things we fear the most - hate, murder, chaos.
------------------------------------------------------
Hello,
We don’t know each other; at least, I can only imagine we don’t know each other because I don’t live anywhere near Massachusetts.
I do know most people will fly to two extremes – one that announces the need for more love while announcing the need for your savage destruction. I do know other people will use this day as proof that they are justified in despising humanity.
Here is what I think – what I think you should know.
I know you wanted to do damage, to make an impact and you did. However, those who were killed, mangled and maimed, they will be remembered for every good deed they did. From the destruction left in the wake of the explosions, everyday, mild-mannered people became heroes, friends and supporters. Born on the ripples of tragedy, amazing things happened throughout the US.
I wish this outpouring of support and love that people are capable of had been apparent to you before things fractured and splintered in your own life and led you down a path that left you no other choice but to attack. I know I am guilty of pushing people aside or telling myself it is better to not be involved. It’s easier when things turn violent or vicious to claim it was evil-born or something out of my control and so far out of my reach. The truth is, there was probably one moment, one touch or one word that could have changed the course of events if someone had had the courage to reach out rather than walk away from you.
All life is worthwhile – and so is yours. But, you will never be known for any good you have done, you will only been classified by this deed. Your thoughts, your feelings, your message and your legacy will probably never be understood due to the chain of events that led you to the Boston Marathon. Just as those everyday people were turned into heroes in a single day due to your actions, you were turned into what we all fear – the absence of choice, the absence of love and the absence of reason.
At the end of this all - no one will really understand what you wanted to really communicate. It will be defined merely as "hate" rather than a true revolution of thought that could bring about change.
What is done is done. The manhunts, the accusations the wishes of destruction on you are only the residual of what happened long before now. I hope, in some way, you can walk from your own darkness.
------------------------------------------------------
Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.
Mar 1, 2013
Mission Level
Success!
On June 26, 2012 I chopped my hair for Locks for Love. BAM!
This is not my first time - I have donated 8 ponytails total to Locks for Love. I think when it comes to giving back, growing out your hair is about the least you can do. If you do it right, you can grow your hair all winter (saving $$$ on haircuts) and then chop it off in the summer when it gets hot.
Then everyone is like "Oh, wow, you look great!" because you chopped off like 12-14 inches of your hair.
How to Grow
Growing hair, well, that's pretty easy. You kind of do it naturally.
If you are going to donate it, find a program and make sure you fit what they need. If you dye or perm your hair, you might not be a good candidate for a donation.
Next, take care of your hair type to ensure you don't damage your hair through breakage or split ends. After all, your hair needs to be healthy to become a wig for someone who needs it. If you get trims, make sure you tell your hair stylist what you are doing and s/he can help you find the best products.
Hair is made up of amino acids which is created from protein. To encourage your body to grow more hair, you will need to consume more protein from lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, beans or soy products (I happen to avoid soy). Other things you will want to supply your body with include
Hair grows differently for different people, but, you can get 6-12 inches in a year. Give it a try! Here are some places that accept hair donation:
Success!
 |
| Send to Locks for Love |
On June 26, 2012 I chopped my hair for Locks for Love. BAM!
This is not my first time - I have donated 8 ponytails total to Locks for Love. I think when it comes to giving back, growing out your hair is about the least you can do. If you do it right, you can grow your hair all winter (saving $$$ on haircuts) and then chop it off in the summer when it gets hot.
Then everyone is like "Oh, wow, you look great!" because you chopped off like 12-14 inches of your hair.
How to Grow
Growing hair, well, that's pretty easy. You kind of do it naturally.
If you are going to donate it, find a program and make sure you fit what they need. If you dye or perm your hair, you might not be a good candidate for a donation.
Next, take care of your hair type to ensure you don't damage your hair through breakage or split ends. After all, your hair needs to be healthy to become a wig for someone who needs it. If you get trims, make sure you tell your hair stylist what you are doing and s/he can help you find the best products.
Hair is made up of amino acids which is created from protein. To encourage your body to grow more hair, you will need to consume more protein from lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, beans or soy products (I happen to avoid soy). Other things you will want to supply your body with include
- Iron.
- Zinc.
- Vitamin C.
- Vitamin B.
- Probiotics.
Hair grows differently for different people, but, you can get 6-12 inches in a year. Give it a try! Here are some places that accept hair donation:
- Locks for Love Guidelines: 10 inches needed.
- Angel Hair Foundation Guidelines: 12 inches needed.
- Pantene Beautiful Lengths Guidelines: 8 inches needed.
- Wigs for Kids Guidelines: 12 inches needed.
Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.
Feb 18, 2013
Whatever you think about Valentine's Day and if it was made up my Hallmark (untrue - it was made up by William Arthur. Haha. Anyone get it? Anyone?) or something that needs hardcore celebration, well, I don't care. This is my blog.
I happen to enjoy Valentine's Day. Not because I don't show my love to people throughout the year, but, any excuse to celebrate is super-duper to me. One of my take-aways from being sick was to celebrate things more, use the fine china more and all that. Valentine's Day is right up my alley - a reason to be sappy without getting a strange look.
However, I never had a great Valentine's Day. Mine all sucked or I spent the time doing a lot more for other people and ended up mostly alone and exhausted.
The only bring spot every year my Dad sends me flowers. Yeah. That's right. Every year.
He use to just send them to my apartment or dorm when I wasn't living at home, but, then he started sending them to me at work.
First, Valentine's Day is really the fest day for a collection of guys whom may or may not have had the last name of Valentine. This collection of men or single priest is often considered a Christian who ended up getting killed because he married a lot of people into the Christian faith. You have to remember, marriage meant a lot more back then in the sense of families, inheritance and political-social economics. It wasn't too long ago men and women could not even choose their mate. Love, by the way, is also a modern concept when it comes to marriage.
But, I digress.
In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration of St. Valentine.
The idea is to spend the day intotal debauchery honoring and loving those in your life and renewing vows and things like that. Sure, you should be doing that everyday, but setting aside a special day to make a sure point of it is pretty sweet.
This Year
I am with a really awesome guy and, quite honestly, unlike past fantasies of awesome dinners and bubble baths, I really just want to use Valentine's Day as a day to take some time out and spend some time with him.
However, I'm going to be doing it right.
Sure, it would be nicer if Valentine's was on a Friday or Saturday when it comes to preparation time, but, I can't make it work. It would also be nice if Valentine's Day wasn't happening the day after the first day of Lent.
Who makes up this lent date range stuff? Oh right, the Council of Nicaea - lent is 46 days before the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal equinox.
Truly Tuning In
Many people think Val's Day is about flowers, chocolates and jewelry - this is the industry speaking and not your heart. Really, you need to tune in to who you are with and what you want to do. Single? Get some friends together and celebrate life with a movie, going to the bar, an afternoon tea or a spa day.
This Valentine's Day, when I went to pick up the flowers from my Dad at the front desk, there was a vase filled with skewers of small pickles, olives and asparagus
What?
Yep, one of the front desk girl's husband made it and brought it in. Why? Everyday he brings her the pickles from his sandwich so he made the bouquet for her and she loved it.
I hate everything in that mix but asparagus but I thought it was pretty sweet and she was over the moon at the gesture. She even said she was going to wrap the asparagus in bacon for dinner that night.
The point is - what makes you and those you love happy - for realz! Then do it. For me and my guy, spending some time together cuddling while watching Dual Survival and having dinner was the ticket.
Of course, with a couple touches.
Ambiance
I am a huge fan of candles, and with a Home Goods close by, a quick scan of the super-discount area earned me a couple packs of scented tea lights. Tea lights are pretty safe - they burn out after an hour or so - and come in their own little holders. If you are smart about it, you can reuse the little containers by getting some candle wax and wicks. Or find something crafty to do with them.
Anyhow, tea lights set a pretty nice mood and when you can get a nice scented group, is can quickly move scent around. I like smell.
My tip if you are going for this effect is to make sure you pick something that will blend with any food you're eating. Nothing is worse than trying to enjoy a steak with some cucumber-mint scent tickling your nose. I also hate cucumber.
Food
Going out is fun, but, I like cooking for my guy, too. Plus, you can make things exactly as you want and there are always seconds. Ever ask for seconds at a restaurant? Right.
Unless you are at Fogo de Chao or something. Buffets. Yum.
We both like seafood so I made a mixed sea-critter pasta with basil. Seafood tends to cook fast so it's really just boiling up some (rice) noodles and seasoning. I stated with sauteing some onions and garlic - then dumped in the seafood. People don't spend enough time with simple combinations of food and then playing with seasoning. As much as I love butter and sugars and as hard as it is for me to get enough salt sometimes (seriously, I have sea salt at my desk) a well stocked spice rack can delight your taste buds while being gentle on parts you don't want to be jiggly.
Gifts
I'm making dinner - I didn't plan on getting a gift. However, I do like a nice card with a personal penned note. I bank a lot on being creative. And funny. Mostly funny.
Hey, what do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!
For my guy, I got him a card. I also have a tradition of sending him a "Good morning _____" text every morning - for the blank, I come up with some funny name or saying. I printed all of these out for him so he had every "good morning" name. I also made a list of every reason why I am with him - some funny and some snappy. All true though!
This Valentine's Day
I had a blast because I was cuddled on my couch with my guy. I got roses from my guy (even though I told him to save his money) and even a nice bracelet. I think I liked them more because he was excited to give them to me. I never was with someone who was also happy to celebrate Valentine's Day as I was.
But I really got some one-on-one time with my super-hot boyfriend. I hope I have a lot more Valentine's with him and I am pretty sure I will. I even posted a snappy Facebook post about it.
I also adore that my Dad sends me flowers.
That's love, man.
Best. Valentines. Ever.
Image Credit
Tea lights from conwayfire.org (good tips on not buring down your house)
Seafood from virginia-belle.blogspot.com
I happen to enjoy Valentine's Day. Not because I don't show my love to people throughout the year, but, any excuse to celebrate is super-duper to me. One of my take-aways from being sick was to celebrate things more, use the fine china more and all that. Valentine's Day is right up my alley - a reason to be sappy without getting a strange look.
 |
| Flowers from Dad |
The only bring spot every year my Dad sends me flowers. Yeah. That's right. Every year.
He use to just send them to my apartment or dorm when I wasn't living at home, but, then he started sending them to me at work.
Dad: I hope you weren't embarrassed that I sent you flowers at work.History
Me: No, everyone came over to look and all thought you were the best Dad ever for sending me flowers.
Dad: Good. I don't want any guys sniffing around your desk, either. I want to make sure they see those flowers and back off.
Me: Thanks, Dad.
 |
| I'll marry you |
But, I digress.
In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration of St. Valentine.
The idea is to spend the day in
This Year
I am with a really awesome guy and, quite honestly, unlike past fantasies of awesome dinners and bubble baths, I really just want to use Valentine's Day as a day to take some time out and spend some time with him.
However, I'm going to be doing it right.
Sure, it would be nicer if Valentine's was on a Friday or Saturday when it comes to preparation time, but, I can't make it work. It would also be nice if Valentine's Day wasn't happening the day after the first day of Lent.
Who makes up this lent date range stuff? Oh right, the Council of Nicaea - lent is 46 days before the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal equinox.
Truly Tuning In
Many people think Val's Day is about flowers, chocolates and jewelry - this is the industry speaking and not your heart. Really, you need to tune in to who you are with and what you want to do. Single? Get some friends together and celebrate life with a movie, going to the bar, an afternoon tea or a spa day.
This Valentine's Day, when I went to pick up the flowers from my Dad at the front desk, there was a vase filled with skewers of small pickles, olives and asparagus
What?
Yep, one of the front desk girl's husband made it and brought it in. Why? Everyday he brings her the pickles from his sandwich so he made the bouquet for her and she loved it.
I hate everything in that mix but asparagus but I thought it was pretty sweet and she was over the moon at the gesture. She even said she was going to wrap the asparagus in bacon for dinner that night.
The point is - what makes you and those you love happy - for realz! Then do it. For me and my guy, spending some time together cuddling while watching Dual Survival and having dinner was the ticket.
Of course, with a couple touches.
Ambiance
Anyhow, tea lights set a pretty nice mood and when you can get a nice scented group, is can quickly move scent around. I like smell.
My tip if you are going for this effect is to make sure you pick something that will blend with any food you're eating. Nothing is worse than trying to enjoy a steak with some cucumber-mint scent tickling your nose. I also hate cucumber.
Food
Going out is fun, but, I like cooking for my guy, too. Plus, you can make things exactly as you want and there are always seconds. Ever ask for seconds at a restaurant? Right.Unless you are at Fogo de Chao or something. Buffets. Yum.
We both like seafood so I made a mixed sea-critter pasta with basil. Seafood tends to cook fast so it's really just boiling up some (rice) noodles and seasoning. I stated with sauteing some onions and garlic - then dumped in the seafood. People don't spend enough time with simple combinations of food and then playing with seasoning. As much as I love butter and sugars and as hard as it is for me to get enough salt sometimes (seriously, I have sea salt at my desk) a well stocked spice rack can delight your taste buds while being gentle on parts you don't want to be jiggly.
Gifts
 |
| My gift - my face |
Hey, what do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!
For my guy, I got him a card. I also have a tradition of sending him a "Good morning _____" text every morning - for the blank, I come up with some funny name or saying. I printed all of these out for him so he had every "good morning" name. I also made a list of every reason why I am with him - some funny and some snappy. All true though!
This Valentine's Day
I had a blast because I was cuddled on my couch with my guy. I got roses from my guy (even though I told him to save his money) and even a nice bracelet. I think I liked them more because he was excited to give them to me. I never was with someone who was also happy to celebrate Valentine's Day as I was.
 |
| Roses from my love |
But I really got some one-on-one time with my super-hot boyfriend. I hope I have a lot more Valentine's with him and I am pretty sure I will. I even posted a snappy Facebook post about it.
I also adore that my Dad sends me flowers.
That's love, man.
Best. Valentines. Ever.
Be Part of the Adventure
Do you have a suggestion or want to see me attempt something? Drop me an email at AdventuringAmanda@gmail.com with your suggestion.Image Credit
Tea lights from conwayfire.org (good tips on not buring down your house)
Seafood from virginia-belle.blogspot.com
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