Surprises!

Surprises come in many forms. Some are good and usually welcomed while others are bad and, of course, unwelcomed.

I've had some surprises in the past few weeks.

The unwelcomed column includes an overnight stay in the hospital, a warning light flashing on the dash of my pickup, being unfriended by two Facebook friends and the recent slushy snow I didn't expect.

Some welcomed surprises, that added a smile to my face, included a forgotten $50 bill tucked away in my wallet, unique personalized Christmas cards from friends from my past and a personal visit from friend I assumed I wouldn't see again for several weeks.

Surprises can, for someone who functions better with a routine and schedule, cause chaos and havoc to a normal day. They're a twist in life out of left field.

For the most part, the surprises in my life are welcomed and enhance my life. Even the bad surprises lead to lessons that help me grow and an individual.

Making all surprises positive is really all about facing life head on.

But that's no surprise.

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

This blog was written on Monday, January 7, but I forgot to "publish" it.  It's interesting how I the topic was surprises because later that day, I was surprised by a belated-Christmas gift from my friend Wanda Eichler (http://fromunderthewillow.blogspot.com/)  That was one of those unexpected, but welcomed surprises!  Thank you Wanda!

Tuesday Tally: Movie Must NOT Sees

I haven't shared a Tuesday Tally in a while. So why not share something odd:

Here's a short list of Movie Must NOT Sees.  These movies either showing or have opening dates coming soon.

Texas Chainsaw 3D —  January is often horror film month. TC-3D is, according to one report I read, the 47th variation on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. I missed at least 45 of the previous versions, so I don't think I would understand the plot.

A Haunted House — While this sounds like another horror film, it's actually looks like a horrible film. It's not officially part of the Scary Movie series, but it has that feel. Unfortunately, the Scary Movie movies haven’t been good since The Wayan brothers left. I think you'll see the best of the worst by watching the trailer here.

The Last Stand — The Last Stand is an attempt to revive the career of a Hollywood relic, former California Gubbanator Arnold Schwarzennegar. Personally, with all the swirl around Arnie, I'm not all that jazzed about the return of Schwarzennegar. This very well could be The Last Stand for Arnold.

Parker — Another one of Jason Statham’s biannual movies, Parker will probably be remembered as the Statham Movie in which he wears a cowboy hat and Jennifer Lopez walks around in her underwear. That's probably a sellling point for some movie-goers, but if you want a movie with any substance, make another pick.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters — What's with taking fairy tales or real life people (Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter) and turning them into hunters of the unreal.  Fantasy meet fiction? H&G: Witch Hunders will either be the worst movie of the year or sweep the Oscars (because awful movies sometimes do that!).

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

What a Difference a Day Makes

In my world, it's amazing what a difference a day makes.

Often, when we're troubled by something, if we just set it aside for a day the problem will lesser or perhaps disappear.  If nothing else, we will have a new perspective and can see the concern in a new light which allows us to deal with it in a new way.

"Let me sleep on it," is a (semi) common phrase when making a big decision. There are laws that allow you to rescind a decision -- often on a major purchase like a house -- after 24 hours.

Studies have shown that when given a project, many individuals show a much more creative and detailed completion of the task when they have had at least a day to work on it.

A day can make a difference in your health as well.

How often do you feel fantastic one day, and sick as a dog the next?  We've all heard stories of people in the hospital, near the brink of death, suddenly opening their eyes on morning, fully revived.

This past week was a roller coaster for me.  The holidays and time off work had my schedule totally missing. Add in some travel and late nights with early mornings and my world can become a little less friendly.

These highs and lows, coupled with an on-the-road diet lacking proper hydration and the re-introduction of my customary daily pot of coffee, and was feeling the physical effects by Wednesday.

Overnight, the backflips I could feel from my heart, disappeared, but returned Thursday afternoon with an intensity that sent me to the emergency room.

An overnight stay in the hospital with lots of tests and a fast running IV, made me feel good as new the next morning.

Now, this morning, the beginning of the weekend, I'm getting back into the groove, my routine.

And I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Ah, what a difference a day makes!

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Home with Dada

This video started my day out with a smile, so I'm sharing it with you.  Happy Thursday!

(Life with Dada is borrowed from YouTube.com)

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Surprise Discoveries

Surprise discoveries are always fun.

Perhaps it's a $20 bill tucked away in your wallet or purse, an unopened Christmas card discovered after the holiday or a website filling with information you can use.

My surprise discovering relates to the blog.

Unless I go to the main blog pages, I don't see BNB the same way you, the reader. I access the blog through the dashboard which gives me many options for style and statics.

One of the tabs is labeled "Comments."

I rarely look at the comments section. I worry too much about critical comments and people pointing out typos and grammatical errors.

This morning, as I was poking around I decided to take a glance at the comments and made a surprise discovery: multiple comments from several people. Even more surprising is that several of the comments are from strangers.

For that, I say, "THANK YOU."  It's nice to know people are reading what I write and it's great to hear your thoughts on what I have to say.

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Resolved

Goodbye 2012, welcome 2013!

Do you remember when everyone was in a panic over Y2K?  Time sure flys.

Here it is, January 1. Time to make some resolutions.

Most of us do just that on January 1 and the majority of us fail at the resolutions by the middle of the month.

Statically, it's known that if you can stick with your resolution for 30 days -- just to the end of January -- your chances of success increase dramatically.  That's because you're actually creating a habit.

But don't let that 30 day number fool you.  Old habits die hard. So don't think you're over the hump on February 1.

So what do I resolve this year?

Since you asked (you did in  your head, right?), here are a few of my resolutions:

Eat better and lose weight.  I think everyone has these resolutions. For me, I gotta follow through and do it.  I'm carrying about 25 more pounds than a few years ago and it's starting to bug me. I know how to do it, I just need to put my mind to it.

Move more. This goes along with the the eating better and losing weight.  I'm not getting any younger but I can feel my joints are a little stiffer and I have more aches and pains. Moving more will help with both of those.

Tell it like it is. This isn't going to be too difficult.  I tend to say what I'm thinking.  This resolution applies to my friends (and perhaps family) who need to hear the reality of a situation.

Stop trying to solve other's problems. My personality is to nurture and care for others.  That often leads to me trying to solve their problems. Seriously, I need to stop that... I have enough problems of my own.

Do not allow others to use me. I call this being the "Friend de jour" or Friend of the day. It seems like there are people in my life who only want the friendship when they need something.  Sorry folks, those days are over!

Spend my time wisely. I find a lot of my time is spend doing things I don't really want to do. And far too often, it's at the expense of not doing something I would rather do.

Travel more. I'm sure my family is rolling their eyes reading this one. It seems like I'm never home.  The truth is that I may not be home, but I'm not far away either.  I want to do some serious vacationing in my future.

I have a few more resolutions but they're more "I'm going to try to" rather than full-blown resolutions.

We'll see how it's going a month from now.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

BareNakedBill.blogspot.com

Happy New Year!