Random Thoughts & Music Monday

1. My last post was that of a ranting crazy person. And I apologize. But I was at the end of my rope. Regarding that, I had a long talk--and toilet training session--with my daughter the next day and things are improving. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the situation will continue to get better and then hopefully not be an issue.

2. Next week we are going on a family vacation to Disneyland. Well, Southern California to be exact. No, we are going to Disneyland... this trip was planned as a Disneyland trip. Disneyland. Disneyland. Disneyland. That's a difficult word to type over and over again. Disneyland. Anyway, I told my husband at the beginning of the year that if our tax refund was enough that I was going to take half of it and take this trip. He scoffed at the idea because he's not a big Disney person. Sometimes I question why I married him.  But he knew it was important to me and he obliged. And when we got the tax return and his time off got ok'd I booked the trip. And OH MY GOSH am I so excited!!!! The best part? We haven't told the kids. They have no idea we are going. So expect in about 2-3 weeks to see a video of them being surprised by the news. *grin*

This is when we went to Disneyland in 2009. Maybe they'll be a little more excited this time.

3. Last week I signed up for my first 5k. Holy shit, really? Yes, really. I'm doing the Shamrock Run in Portland on March 18th. It was one of my new year's resolutions and I am happy to say I'm going through with it. I've been running--at least trying to run--for the last week. I'm not doing as well as I thought I would but I'm getting there. I ran for 1 1/2 minutes straight on the treadmill this morning and nearly died. But it's better then last week when I couldn't make it a minute. I'm shooting for finishing in less then an hour. But I am intent on finishing. Go, go Shamrock runnerrs!!

Oh wait... why am I running this again?

4. Lastly, it is Music Monday. And I wanted to post about this last week but I think it was still kind of a raw and touchy subject for me. As everyone knows, we lost Whitney Houston this month. Because of the coverage and the media storm that has followed her death leads me to believe that I'm not the only person that she's effected. And I know there are millions of people my age who have the same story as me when it comes to her. She was instrumental in my childhood and young adult life. Her music could always make me smile, cry, laugh and sing with tremendous joy. My most vivid--and probably the most pivotal--memory I have in regards to her music was when I was 11 years old and my best friend Marcy, my boyfriend Bobby and I were sitting in the back of my parents truck going to a fair and we were singing "Greatest Love of All" at the top of our lungs. It's just one of those moments that will never move into the file cabinets of my memory--it stays on the top of the desk, in a frame, at all times. I still can't listen to that song without tearing up and thinking about that carefree moment in my life when I didn't care who could hear me sing I was just happy with my two best friends next to me singing Whitney Houston.

R.I.P. Whitney.