Another Youtube night. And No, if you're wondering, I have no life. And I'm really okay with that. Meet Melanie a stay at home mum from somewhere in the UK. This is her audition for XFactor UK 2012. When I watched this I thought of all the Mothers out there. The kind that are willing to sacrifice everything for their children. Even if it meant putting a God given talent on the back burner. Because when we have children, nothing in the world seems more important than living for them. Check out what Melanie has been hiding.
Coach John Wooden is my coaching idol. He is everything I ever want to be as a coach. Not because of his success but for the kind of man he was. Hands down the best coach EVER, in my opinion.
If you know who Joel Osteen is you know that people either like him or they think he is absolutely cookoo. I actually think both. I like his message most of the time, but I do think he's a little weird. If you are married, and have some time, you should listen to this really long excerpt (28 min audio only) from one of his sermons on love between a husband and wife. It's funny, awkward, and a little controversial(sex talk from a Pastor lol). I don't agree with all of it, but I do have to admit it gave me a lot to think about.
It's finally here! The book trailer to When Water Burns. The second book in the Telesa Trilogy by Lani Wendt Young. A big O for Owesome to Jordan Kwan! I love it. I can't stop watching it. Yes, I've already read the book, but I still love how the trailer will suck in new readers. Including my husband, Wolfy. Yup my hubby is reading Telesa the first book. He's almost done. I stopped bugging him about his promise to give the book a chance earlier this year. He said it was hard to constantly read about another man's abs and not be turned off to the book. hahaha Which I understood, but I still wanted him to read it. So I don't know what happened but he picked up the book again last night and almost finished it. If he hadn't had to go to sleep for work he would have finished it. But before he slept we just laid in bed talking about Daniel, Jason, Leila, and the sisterhood. Wolfy- I'm almost done! Me- Really, what part are you on? Wolfy- Leila just moved out of Nafanua's house. Man I have a bad feeling. I hope nothing happens to her Aunt and uncle. Me- Ooh it's getting good now huh. Wolfy- Yea, it's a really good story. Man I feel bad for Daniel. I don't like that Jason dude. Me- Aww but I kind of like Jason Wolfy- Heck no! I feel Bad for Daniel. He loves her so much but just hasn't really said it. Now this Jason guy? (shakes his head) I know how Daniel feels. Me- 0_0 Oh. Yea you're right Babe (was all I could manage) Sorry ladies this one is MINE! My husband has never been more sexier to me than at that moment. When he's reading a book that I love just for me. And then he even wants to talk to me about it. If I wasn't married to this man already, I would be eloping with him as soon as I could. LOL How awesome is my Wolfy!
My random ranting during my reading of the first book of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. BIG TIME SPOILER ALERTS! Americans don't say "cinemas" we go to the movies. Who lives in the Pacific Northwest and hates coffee?! Drunk dialing. hehe Whoa, Christian is cookoo!
Red Room of Pain - Not my cup of Twinings tea Ironic that his name is "Christian"
Christian Grey is a sick man with too much money. Control Freak, Sex Addict, Kinky freak! More like 80 shades of effed up.
Did there really have to be a whole chapter dedicated to the submissive contract? I didn't even read it. Skipping over until the contract is done. Ana's inner goddess/devil vs. her subconscious was really annoying. Inner goddess dialogue and updates start getting unnecessary and then completely annoying. No use for them Twilight regurgitation of "do I dazzle you" dialogue So many women swooning over this man. In reality wouldn't their relationship be considered an abusive relationship? Christian wanting Ana to be submissive, using sex to distract her from her real feelings, unnecessary gifts, and speaking to her so disrespectfully. His mood swings. Anna is scared of him when he's angry. All this "you are mine" possessive language. Okay Smeagol she's your Precious, we get it. As soon as sex is over it's like he's done with a business transaction. And obviously his need to punish her with a hiding/spanking if she angered him. Swoon? I think Not! Too much Holy Cow! Holy Shit! Holy (fill in the blank) every other paragraph almost. And yet somebody please tell the author to put the Thesaurus down! I just can't get over how Christian is so demeaning! Ana knows in her head and in her heart that she shouldn't be with him, but she folds so easily. So weak! Christian is like a sex robot. "I'm going to f*** you now." (robotic voice) I keep thinking "what an A hole" when Christian is talking in the Red Room for the first time w/ Ana. I get the heebie geebies when she describes the way he looks at her. Creepy Creeperson! "Perchance to dream"? Does the author throw those lines in as an inside joke or something? A line from hamlet in the middle of a Red Room convo after sex. Strange. Rolling my eyes (oops Christian doesn't like that) Whatever! Go Flog yourself Christian.
Christian - Future Wife Beater Every time Christian comments on her beautiful skin I can't help but to think of Silence of the Lambs and the Skin suit. Ew Ew Ew!! I know the author is British and the character Ana is a fan of British Literature but... "prevailed upon". Come on who speaks like that anymore? Maybe the Royal family I guess. Talk about emotional roller coaster. More like emotional rocket ride. Blast off... then the engine fails. Then it starts up again... just to fail again. Ugh! I catch myself thinking aww that was sweet of Christian, then he says something completely vulgar. ugh buzz kill. Then he does something and I think aww see he has a heart, well I guess a heart of steel more like it. Come on I think he does love her, oh no wait he just wants to F*** her brains out. How romantic. Wow King Stalker this guy. Well that was gross. Period sex...eek! Okay so he was a crack baby, or his mom was a crack whore. I still don't really feel sorry for him. Oh no she's asking for the full throttle in the Red Room. Don't do it! I told you so! Dummy Finally Ana tells him off! Leave him girl, you better leave his crazy ass! I don't like the fact that I didn't want Ana to be with Christian. Why am I reading this if I'm hoping for the couple to break up? Depressing.
Things I did like. Taylor - So loyal Kate - Ana should have listened to Kate! Grace - Christian's mother I love their email exchanges when Ana is in Georgia.
I love Ana's Dad Ray. I adore her Mother Carla! Oh well if you can't guess by now I didn't enjoy the book. Thankfully I convinced my cousin to just give me a synopsis of the rest of the books so I don't have to waste my time reading them. No big deal. Good for what it is, 80% humping, 10% Submissive contracts and negotiations, 10% story.
I tell this to my kids all the time... If you are going to do something, ALWAYS and ONLY give it your BEST effort. Actually I tell my Volleyball players the same thing. If you are going to show up, you better show up and give me 100%. I'm a Coach, so it is not in me to say I don't mind losing. Because I absolutely hate it! But if it's one thing I hate more than losing, is losing because we didn't give our best effort. I believe that if my players play to the best of their abilities and then some, and still lose, then we lost to the better team. No shame in that at all. Every time the Olympics come around I am reminded why I love sports. Not so much by the big Goliath champion gold medal winners, but by the little unknown countries who SHOW UP and give it their best for their countries. Like Maureen Tuimalealiifano of Team Samoa. She competed in the individual Women's Archery event in London. After the preliminary ranking round Maureen was ranked #63 out of 64. Which meant that her first opponent would be in the higher ranking countries. And who does she get? The archer from South Korea who is ranked #2. But #1 ranking was also from South Korea. The same South Korean team of archers that won the Gold medal just a couple of days before. (And every year before that since the event was introduced into the summer Olympics)
Even though she was defeated I respect her so much for just showing up and giving an olympic effort for our little island nation. I am also immensely proud of how she carried herself and how she just always looked so happy and honored to be at the Games.
Check her out channeling her inner Katniss Everdeen. ;)
And what about Eric Moussambani dubbed "Eric the Eel" of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Representing Equitorial Guinea in a swimming heat of only 3 swimmers. The other two swimmers were disqualified due to false starts, so Eric is left to complete the heat alone. Just him. Eight lanes and he was the only swimmer in the pool. He struggled to finish since he had never before seen an Olympic sized pool before that day, and he had just learned some techniques from the American swim team just two days before. But he showed up and he finished. In the record books he is listed as the winner of his first and only Olympic swim race.
In 1992, while watching the Barcelona Olympic track races,
I distinctly remember bawling my eyes out when I was watching this race live on television. Derek Redmond of Great Britain tore his hamstring before he could finish his 400 meter race. I can't imagine the feelings he was going through, but he got up and started hopping his way towards the finish line. And then his father comes from the stands and helps his son in his emotional finish of the race that had already ended. This moment in the Olympics was used by the Olympic Committee and Visa as an example of the Olympic spirit, and for Nike in their series of Courage ads.
My sister asked me who won the gold in the last Olympics for Women's Volleyball. I couldn't even tell her. In the end I remember the little people and their stories. I remember the losers and their Olympic spirit. Hopefully my kids understand what I mean one day. "Oh that's why Mom always told us to always do our best." Because nothing of quality ever comes from giving a half ass effort.
As a mother of five and a coach, I get the looks all the time. You know those looks like, "She's the coach? But she doesn't look like a coach?" What the hell does that have to do with what I know about volleyball? I absolutely love the game, I played the game for years, and I love learning even more about coaching everyday. Just because I don't look like a fitness junkie doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about. It means I've had five kids and I put them first and unfortunately don't have all the time in the world to work out everyday.
Yup that's the skinny me. Oh how I wish I could still be that fit again. But that was ages ago. I'm a mother now, and I'm not obsessed with trying to get back to that size because that's just not me anymore. I have more important things to worry about. And yes I desperately need to work out more often, but I don't let it consume me. Okay so I bake too much too. I just have to accept it for now and try to find the time to get healthy and not worry so much about being skinny.
That's me now. Chubby face and all. And I couldn't find a full body picture because I don't like taking them and I'm usually hiding behind my kids on purpose. hehe Nope I don't look like an athletic coach AT ALL. But just shut up, wait and see. And suck it when you realize that the shape of my body has nothing to do with my knowledge of the game.
This is Ezra Taylor, as if most of us Telesa fans didn't already know. But if you don't know what Telesa is, or who Ezra Taylor is...Helloooo! Where ya been? Get with the program and read the first two books of the Telesa Trilogy by Lani Wendt Young!(click on Telesa for the link)
When I first saw this photo before I read Telesa The Covenant Keeper, I thought wow this dude is cute! But for some reason when I read through the book the first time I just never really pictured Ezra as Daniel. I don't know what happened. Daniel in my head was never Ezra. Same thing with my sister who just finished reading Telesa, and When Water Burns. But she said Ezra is not cute. WHAAATT! Back it up, hold up, check your makas (eyes) girlfriend!! One thing he is not is ugly. hahaha He's just not my Daniel, doesn't mean he isn't handsome. I'm not blind sheesh!
If you haven't heard I am a fan of Kane Thompson of Manu Samoa and Chiefs. And by fan I mean stalker. ha! j/k But he's not my Daniel either. I just like looking at him. And I wanted to upload photos of him for no reason. But he happens to be on the same rugby union team as...
My Daniel who is more like this beautiful creature Richard Kahui.
Yes yes, he's not even Samoan or Tongan. I believe he's Maori and European but not sure. Whatever it's my imagination I can make him whatever I want. So he's my Daniel Tahi.
I watched this video on youtube a while back and that sort of sealed the deal for me. If it's one thing women love is man that can make them laugh.(at least for me it is) And I seriously almost peed my pants.
Oh my gosh, I was dying when they started singing Celine Dion! Anyway, Ezra is the official face of Daniel, but not when I read Telesa.
Off to read When Water Burns...Again. Happy reading!
I should change my Blog title to "Diary of a Cry Baby". Geez I'm so darn emotional lately it's sickening even to myself. Okay let me see, last month I cried in a grocery store. That was a new one for me. Fast forward to today I cried in the waiting room of car repair shop. There are no boundaries to my tears. Ugh, I hate that I can't control it. I have literally, for as long as I can remember, tried and tried again to control my emotions so that I'm not tearing up at every little sob story, elderly couple, or sad movie. But I just can't. I CAN'T! Okay so I sound like a weirdo with the whole crying at the auto repair shop. So here is what happened. I woke up early to get to the auto repair shop so that I wouldn't have to wait too long for a simple oil change. But I stayed up too late, as usual, and had to drag myself out of bed. I got to the shop a little later than I wanted, and ended up having to wait for customers who arrived before me. I didn't mind though because I packed my book to read just in case. The book, The Rescue, by Nicholas Sparks. Strange how I started reading this book. My son Coby, who has language delay and is technically diagnosed as "at risk for Autism", likes to mess up my books on my book shelf. One day after Coby had thrown down all my books from my shelf I picked up the book, The Rescue, and started to read. And what is the story about? A Mother and her son with language delays, like my son. Right away, I was pulled in just from her experiences with trying to find a diagnosis for her son and why he wasn't talking. So anyway, I felt like I was meant to read this story. So after a sleep deprived night, I'm waiting at the auto repair shop, reading my book. The beginning of the book starts out with the Mother getting in to a car crash, and her son wanders away from the scene of the crash. Right away she is freaking out especially because she knows that she can call his name to high heaven, but he wouldn't answer back. Long story short, small town heroes come to the rescue and search for hours for her son. Finally one of the rescuers finds her son. And the boy who doesn't talk, looks at the man, and says "Hewwo"(hello). He runs up to the man and wraps his arms around the man's neck. The man so overcome by exhaustion and the joy of finding the boy, tears up as he held the little boy. And that did it. A lost, special needs boy, found by a local hero, and says "Hewwo" like my son Coby says "Hewwo" and I was fighting back tears. There were sounds of metal being cut, and tires being removed, and engines revving up coming from the garage. And there I was in the middle of all that crying. I turned my head, acting as if I was staring at the morning traffic as I wiped my tears. There was a man a couple of chairs down from me. I couldn't see him but I was hoping he wasn't thinking I was a complete basket case of a woman who cries in public while waiting for an oil change. Who does that? Me. I don't know if it was the lack of sleep coupled with the story that hit too close to home, but it happened. And I'm over it now. Until the next time I end up crying in public. Oh gosh, just please not anytime soon. Or not ever would be better.
