Austin, Texas

<p>Hey friends! For the past 5 days I’ve been enjoying a conference for work in Austin, Texas. </p> <p align="center"><strong><em>We flew out early Saturday morning.</em></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFSMiEA72GJBT4TW44KGfSdLO7SWKjUv48vl3k0HnQxbZEPsa4PoKw9qmqmHafurrTdFtC9lpikYFy8w8P3g19mWTAfcVXdQLhXd6ZaLbAfs1yK_ims1wqCFr-pl55Ej5wu5AGamYmH3j/s1600-h/DSC07415%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07415" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-t_LUebLx0mZbhqITP6kCUdX8NwaPTcf5jXvZSzdbnRCq7zshxi2GJZFEfOAMBSfb4CgbbR7Mwdzz1RluQ_gF-RqBZwJMtnRlc8FcSUbEC8OqmnOJPi5WTLt5DSYQNMy2Qm7X2oaI7Y5/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07415" width="404" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>We had a layover in Dallas and I took the opportunity to try some Red Mango fro yo!! Good stuff!!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuiTSneY726RjrPNvhmqGkj3uedPHdfWdPkbBU9sxNFVKx-1YopCCLADBSRCPlbeOvOBMxIUdnVDpRlirwhk-lPI7AahzpphBx5v_p7Po_f4F__sp7jUOm79uI96To42jNY47GKpQmEGn/s1600-h/IMG00035-20100529-1540%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="IMG00035-20100529-1540" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyaWrxqHWPYnPbQM-mEVYeYWDjXYn7YeJYKEQy_L2WCrmDP-lyqfa2N42FENUYSCSSxjodXxKELgDL1rEWIaYTHzoW0r1cvmBR-iH6HW82LJXMaRIJn_VuLnTdfCPmFuLLbEQv6tFCCmu/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="IMG00035-20100529-1540" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>When we got to Austin we had some AWESOME Mexican at Chuy’s!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirq96mdxkOseSIM2o9DKheuF5nDUxFW4y5r-V8GXhbGEyMTKTwmxyMrc9yp0YuiFE09pxcwQDx7SHM5eTysoGjUF3JFxdwFe6vMKtgf24rD_lN8z0QUcMEZGprTdpsbtlPVToeJGd3ej4F/s1600-h/DSC07416%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07416" border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj0mXvmV2zCBUNT-TFzdYb9sbLm9mj5hqe0toP2vXfdDwIhOCWkAmPA8a-P0Z60WlYX-4j1ihJ4MldUfHracSiYhCrCRrXle8kdzlO3baCJ6L0g3ZSFSSJqfuI3eOduDf6LlgMrQPs4fS/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07416" width="329" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg1RY03BCEP_7IVmj8v4Nhr6SSmSZflpeJbfotOSkTTFUIN6daJlAZjdik9mbs6Od0MZwVccLmN9XP49hsaYsr-Ivgq4bzB60FcM0xV0pZFORUTUI6N5lXgxuuJ_f6y6O637HjPh0FRYl/s1600-h/DSC07420%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07420" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA0sResPR8CJQFAZ8ahMawFuCc_OVeykeJPCTAzMuVTz3th-f1WwyCfm8d_FMsqXyHAd6R4M90y3IWKtUjwH5QE8OYZgLuScASW5vS7seUHp4cv8Zebg_7rybhHzCiVun4-7XXrNC07Dx/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07420" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>Mmmm…chimichanga!</em></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgOt1lkLkA3ZP2WeptklA1BFBbAfylVPklMUtXC-UbB3MluOOtqqotDnqqoz0OKqOG7YPjECZZz-uRydwLMuJiytTRn-jILSy6qZ-kciXkBrNMkykf3PX1AW6Ec1E0nkqzO_WAOrO5Ef-/s1600-h/DSC07426%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07426" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjParRkcah2m-Y6C4_n-4iGDPMMNQa67zhU_wSlXXR5z9LdVKuiyNsbkBd3x0zTaQsn4C5j7V9zP5S9ILhnWzAvdl8YRL90L3a8vX5MuGhTTQPwyxMvHDzjrWjfdJFpAhGbcy3yajYBQFR2/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07426" width="404" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>The next morning I started out my day with a run around Lady Bird Lake!</em></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE57VvWcg92J7906A3xflN1Vkg0eMytoT4TRx7igaio6rVvMh6DrXsYOiYHNVNNdrFBs-iUnagUfEOLfQbUdtEpxcf3cbU0b1BzvDv7l9iyH0zATz9HrnsciYKbj_rkXXKvy3IpLYUgDq/s1600-h/IMG00037-20100530-0722%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="IMG00037-20100530-0722" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AjHhmgbv0mBDU6o2VeINbpsxAuamw5gVxIZVc2OWGv6xCFNHdPZ7yddq9H6GZNy07YnIDQ-vQdTg1RasFZ0cfnh7v00nAJ1OeWbmDr4J_5WFJq8U7bNLy4e_bQ_DWIYFeZ1nsM73YHhx/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="IMG00037-20100530-0722" width="404" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>After my morning run I met up with a few co-workers for a wonderful brunch buffet, including made to order omelets!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbcRmvdW6E7WyJtyUhVer1P3ILisxQt77CR1kR9_PBjb4nzXdItzG1xdsyRnrSZVy9jDxnp_PD0N6OGSwubswVVwKJpvA9yvvimH4Ts3XSgiIoZpYIHH8QyFA-P_Wx-OmAG_EM1fiF_nf/s1600-h/IMG00038-20100530-0823%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="IMG00038-20100530-0823" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCoWx360H1F259CO7ONXq13gZY-9dLvaWGgfmFCMG66tQ8uuAZ7_vUiTb3SOilo9mXRsNdEDODHS3U5AqgLUrjh-io4_4M0Xvr5r3THjXce0xFppsv93uCYsl7a8wmrfUwRGfl26GHN_4/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="IMG00038-20100530-0823" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>We had a day filled with meetings & sessions. In between though I sat out on the balcony and enjoyed the warm TX weather.</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23RWUvKh-qeN8OKA2ya0G9XgEXH5vbc07-OXTJb-SbUZyeD-prJLR4F9XcJY7YpWYCCjWwQGQvys7ho93I6S8PFehEa7Yc8A6yIrmGRuehzWZrgY1bkJL7TyRwvBCYBk18-KKl8qebcnP/s1600-h/DSC07429%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07429" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtxJg0mDVcnp4Lf2w27Ag3WpvviJrhlUr4DjBhXUHrIY-dQvBua5o7xJY30858_mweS0DvFzJC5H4TCILgh6RX8EKyCOdadruw2IRMoWs_a4aFTKR8BiPSAxxDjbD7637ftA_bhDAe4d7/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07429" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>Downtown Austin is pretty cool!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS64jjaDYdgLTnNEbpg5X2Upwo41a9ErMzShZlJa3Yu5yQ5toPDQLN8U5HHCewiAs0HM1bRWRJCdeyYNuXOti1EdeAWmOa4RYogKckNUPWr5iu-Vml88A7aru71HphHhyphenhyphenmZoeAAAkW9qR_/s1600-h/DSC07434%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07434" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkx-x-_mXJBV2ugPci12SMuSZ6DOiiV16Za2Ihi49zrEWkars5jKw91UFwRTXokoFygQv84-5iqzHm15uI7VIOetA7JJQvgEjgAAqU0-BJlX2bCEu81LBbG_MFrTdKC7oXN2WRTpaHb94/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07434" width="404" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>In between sessions we tested out Blue Bell Ice Cream, something we don’t have in Iowa!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RfXQyeVdRcdxTo5JOlNZ028bN54q7sU-ZWdZgBjb7IiwPCuvoZcu_3znXxxnTDEfXFGy4SpzmezHsq7YVq34KhokPyoEb0OlB-OANhZVflWhH6LfE1LMVwEplnG-b5ZeHrz8Kvb5qhrL/s1600-h/DSC07436%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07436" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLMCfRhyMAfu2trtvfHxOBeCP0ufoj-ZTcoC0FUJDHDuBMm2Q3r58u8hiU-czfyZcQDfBBjwdVzA1PAWBRdgO6QfuC3qVCCKcO-yCEOoBxh0Q0m5hUBH3CzpqbB2FHkw7jNDIwzIjTxBi/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07436" width="404" /></a></em></strong></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><img alt="DSC07435" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhepVzH5uvr1HhZliKc4tdIo17kHsckt0EVBkpZE_xTjOT9tH7et46TdVI8n6bDKvMJ270zxuT0Yu-jSLSWfZtTfFn-I69HYy3j1fo1WLlTzpO7waBIKstQGtvfq6iouDa89fw6IOwp5SsW/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07435" width="204" /></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><img alt="DSC07437" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJDkd7eKWa_KR-4rXo6ejhgDb8U-65oG_BuxbUPW7iaHScnq4CxB20S7dcEoFbKo-TgM-LXZv7nWqLOE8gxdFPv4hH1UxPX05gwLqEQ_8hWy729_doknTSmmihdeQ6KTwrioevzHFYd0O/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07437" width="204" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p align="left">Here’s a story for you guys! For the past week before my trip (just for fun) I started doing some research on the next vehicle I want. <strong><u>Nissan Armada</u></strong> was on the top of my list. When we picked up our rental vehicle I got our scheduled car switched to an Armada. I got a 5 day test drive and <strong><em>LOVE</em></strong> it!! Hopefully it will be joining the Bangert family soon! ;)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVflKBHidL017CIMlHph1lf4JDfb4w9jVUC6Ex9iOqrNpIi8kQXML9SoL93S3MzplxKwdhFhxXEdej1ySynwazrWJnY6BZSX8f6K3aYniKXiMfMEkk5Zfn2_bn4FPteUxQLUICd4MiC1LI/s1600-h/DSC07444%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07444" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotMWHofR-06-CfZnlxKeXgpxJ9_Cp29nMq6uNY8xl0-GcKQ_0AgVY-hdCxHF3qhHInY718QfnYl0doD1WJ5n7fwdgDOhb3evjHDaRRa2na6UhvYjEw07RCu6v-ptEcZHG-cLpFzbFzkqa/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07444" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>Dinner the next night was another Austin favorite, The County Line!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiKZR2tM2PR5IQMJtum66oOtWgNC9b8boWwqv2iF9CPKsD36G6paI7hmRhDaGJWYd7IlnlF6Cq1-iB0JyKtTdVkr1AlkWfjphLJQwHlo2NhrsbIzBCRyu2Wavg7cZHIyNiIx_K35uIUKb/s1600-h/DSC07445%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07445" border="0" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRmzItWa094uV1HgZhxtWGWRakPOj0Eb62Nf_uyv0c6D6Cjen1Uci6hhM-wbHvBzO4RXFl-86eTc8WAEL7WuTm5XUKulG1cp_aRbyZzUuAtBnLdVzjvI-he9GoBtqimW-I37gJYZPC8sO/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07445" width="329" /></a>   <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMpyvkH42oMXXgi7vlfS46X-m1YCWUrOpKKwqMa2yO-NaSq6yuZ7XV30PDdWTr_vfrM1thedmxmHBBusGTnazjcwigkuWPuQWqx34kVPGOoOas6hjCgiNTSxKQYj4SrkVqBQeZ6N9zzeV/s1600-h/DSC07448%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07448" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7E_hSq665sQddDwC831jxClwZBVIP02hHgyPDRdpG2xOTnJ_IQDMcqYgna81N2Oi88Bcy_Mkx33ds-JsfiuPKLYQnwFpomAt89R-Pm_c_e4j-K_lsNoN3jOWhR6hhRoP2C176C7PtyazG/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07448" width="404" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>We sat out on the back patio enjoying the warm TX evening!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc3Yl1uiTusdA_f3xSiMTshD3iMn0Jy21MRLEhP_u6fRDkL9lfQM4zIwGq8wlBW7r-tyNFMhMH_xv4dsSiOX4PvOQdqalJtTda8IqYRQPesOC4mwqN4gpbsvpxa2SKiHbz71ZdrU_NuHG/s1600-h/DSC07455%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07455" border="0" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5YXsSCnZJf5IMm74ih9dDMJWwg71w2-J4i5QsbHPAOSnC2qChTEgXASOb_mtyzGjFlU21CyVCvMEQy66Q6SJqBguSbq6INIbgjX6IwiglTwLGE2WfUJ0y5zgLjwW9oTMZhaHR30K-_T4/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07455" width="329" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>We were entertained by the turtles in the river!</em></strong></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><img alt="DSC07451" border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1awG_lI_HsagjGwOvzROkxdWlrytycyLk76t8lVyMOQBbiz-1V8WI285HPVP7E2NxzfuG-_8zCU6SMbMxc4VrkQ8MKZq2zmV8c6irVo1A6hy3weGw15GYOfWOdTUdA3Q-Rg2BTH4YrqX/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07451" width="204" /></td> <td valign="top" width="200"><img alt="DSC07453" border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ww2uwMHK4J-yfE849_VcKfoV7gjR9kbh3L4nkmg8EALQ8CtZp26qx_PIJ_AXZ6fa0YpcjAVZDqcp20_RO7d11IT6yALa1qjrPMSwNpf9te-RDPLsY0dGhkYyqRh3gDKXyfPGvs8H6SaL/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07453" width="204" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshLOWFwzdsDgzfqH5M4UVgGLsI_tKiXHvWlLQmgliFwZnsQg-SRV5H3k_k5Gzd0hMYfpaArJ9koscUspq-V4Ah_WNEExEvR3jNEn5u_DmjghSMAAOVV8exw3Pp2H2x2EJzitKsLtD-xDQ/s1600-h/DSC07457%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07457" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qfrTVtRlyDl8p-XaX5RF1k4OEbc4El519jQlD8Ri1LarZweThptZhlHFpwhaDU7RUVP58idIyQg5x8GMTa2Ty0DcEJObQT4GsOOT8NcXhXMjWhGTJ9FE_CIkDoMYKOGv9D9c017BWsio/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07457" width="404" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjyOesT5y8nqZeNTY6Fjc-2CeqMFWgaNkcrJsj-VQBt7j5yljL31WNyfk1PepZzZ1xZpi7kxvnKd1YWC3OSBP1omtQjw9e0SzBwhhPidxej8rBZimdDyh7IHB5F0dihsXV3BJkXwxqT3b/s1600-h/DSC07459%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07459" border="0" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUP8QWbmRXv0dTuKSQyIBOGtsjkdJjUrpfGxNtQDxUcRJpvRtDjanFi4-g18xr-c4cXI6brpaMudqt4QigYWlUoHOEKUkOAqzxyW2LoNi5aIhY9PA1F9IKO_KsvYmVkaQba2v3W02udSH/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07459" width="329" /></a>   <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXms05wfcRnbL_NPGz3DgCWjIh4Q1IY5UdWkOirnLUfeLFPrryrcqZMd-aCtu8mZPRmvhNlJBr1c0CB3_HprBaF0wRhAsoCHfP9txFaHfqJfQZXW73UdBZLSUdO3g6x1xBX9M47IvPuaRh/s1600-h/DSC07469%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07469" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKDhhP07JJYYKapjw1m1KWbAywEu73Q6wsgoCFJci1v4wwXb4LCe3HoKZKjiIzuSJIs0X_T_x47zGS2VrcnLocEmPsOdyKRbX6UkQ61FRvCASdmVjCM_478NY01BDWp6DFX8X0RpYhCwi/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07469" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>It was family style and oh so good!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDQ8CRi0Xd7r9AYHSrP6f02jaP9QOSzLCJ2K22Hg_RwtNw_ZBl9J4c5FhOvi17XY6CmdQkJ8T4BdR55mnU1RUNvF5A2d-FQKfcb-lv8GNP4VzOoxknCMRW_lXv55jtrBgvsHAoHKmrsr4/s1600-h/DSC07473%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07473" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoT7VhUzKa6Ld1LaLS6cNOWzzfbZOWj0h5k2NqVgt0_al8Mq1NNqVar67Dtv4fjmtV0r7YCmruj79gpkxWa_qEGZbDQdvWLrdtJvfvcSux1NVHxDjDk0HsXder_q4UWNd38MYuTTdMWYQ/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07473" width="404" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6BsWfUJZPx0tyjfO7Jrb6ZZZV99PWgkLdeaC_aMoJRXyyFmQxTWI1lNc6EeMiv0j33tNTogPsycOEy7RISzp5da-AeylSd-fBLhWq5-Bxyxznjp_Jxd9rQHo2eSD8vFIhigcrrUYdHk8/s1600-h/DSC07474%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07474" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiergjYXUltxK6XGPyoGAv8I5iX5AeoXOYzCeLe9A_NLjqo5831Yfm4RT0ZyJo6LslnJZpwgo8LgcZlJOt8E6WjKjBW9kcZdhyphenhyphenjC4Q0-7fRGaqFabo8Jq01A75IYJWfFc86m0_MsGxnjNVc/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07474" width="404" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipq7LR3HeS6d7rdIf5tpJpslaJAAGZIu1AXeYOjgzsZI8zewqGFcrMNaOdLHdbWOsvuAu8PAF-XDziVoWhyphenhyphenENAcvB76HIcwhTjbThuHUsTtMwU_YbWN9gjAWrCtvXdc7_nDEH3J1bAyohA/s1600-h/DSC07475%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07475" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRleRicsf_uKfpLE2KMJ3fwAYtnFyN__xU9I9-aqhNh4aEYkXHXuYSWf7rJvJNDUVz7dvOE2WbaE7OtSiRBMhzHPaVbCvqkIiiwaOWF8waksCPiEwDimiw3m-VtImW_4E3PyYhAHHN4JC/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07475" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>I definitely enjoyed some BBQ!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQXXPbYPCEXfN3Ijfp8WHFRppMWshRPZQqvhUsPMdANGXFr06AYHKSUCPbfsh4KXVtm0QplW9j-8J-DP5_uGYOirxfi1Mnp23lc-sRS_I9HdINIEwZ8u1wSiUgAyRv37m2II5gK1Z5WoD/s1600-h/DSC07477%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07477" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkzqW2uIM9ITBq1nL3EoYonBEmVUNfC7tVajOiFoI68rk4m_iVoKXhpjIGXr-4oAEUy__y1FA8ZjFQCa522xArPoB_alDXuCQlatztCKuibhn-Xlol7B6FUS81oNjwSi2b5xtX1JTR-aP/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07477" width="404" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>The next day was filled with sessions and spent the afternoon at the roof top pool!<img alt="IMG00052-20100601-1518" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RvNKj11urcdwpeODkFHylw945yZJMLhyphenhyphen1IsYM8s8Qn77N9gMaMcEH_EMPzTG5Xc6_Wn7k1x_ClzEQO0ygWZzqhFjo9uL_YiiRtctTX4Q_C9wCZ_MV-s-G-lItvbJBUJn10JbHN13fKjS/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="IMG00052-20100601-1518" width="404" /></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>I forgot to pack my swimsuit so it was a great excuse to get a new one!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhj7c-KgFY2IoL1SXtYsXi597MOalgZydS9A5tZOntqtsg2UIzUdyEJ2-2_RsYwD6tumGfVckwEX6rVfEtJvYTsV9oskNNMy1e0TwhKVV0eYAFHojqPN_RFYzN1IfSkb0zp2osqZ1uIpy/s1600-h/IMG00051-20100601-1453%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="IMG00051-20100601-1453" border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxBGK43wEiPAyREiEuHt1NNA_U9KMOtIwGhgyFtyDX89l3_CeDOqn6gyB0ri9EhpN7pUWfvG5qdUK6a5ZyvUhDyMcSv1ILutrHsxSmPe3D5d-OzBdhaYrsegBaq0ujZ5tZiZMAIUtipWz/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="IMG00051-20100601-1453" width="329" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>That evening we went to Pappadeux for some seafood!</em></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhrTp8p9DItoIL0vtWQNbM4-djCpyrISyKr2ZpS2ctCAceyocl7Nt6t-t3Lpf0ws5e8dqATgXv6VeFHJdanZMnbocx1CL_BocBmXMgxCkYvifa2GVMyAuJ7LEZieoINUvJqpMQB9zraMB/s1600-h/DSC07493%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07493" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24m6bnWlJSUy0kZIYVv0eLX35stWCXSrpGdmJE6sGdLFAPT9_aaicbMTWmA2xBpTVt0c5PKHBoTPB9Kr8_YtiyHbjsqEZvnAcRGwSTmu5U77odaY79K50CzlyDDvDPmlLpxVjcNGm3wr-/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07493" width="404" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>I tried all kinds of new things, including alligator and calamari! Both were great!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGgKoEdrlzdAiT94sqhWM4IIpAiioPTSJsytj70m7ejtn6xyIadEQJw_jQmBFF-PzBOlnbEP4Veq0E2Zm9zCx5Z6IjdEWSlqMmr-f7eKaMWoXaaYPismWRjNbcgNiQYm4imxdL9obLGIr/s1600-h/DSC07481%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07481" border="0" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYLMm7v5NUE5r8iKOpRThPuj8lKkpcE_PaFEsGf9aF85jh4tBBBMD0HREYT7ZOOnu42v8tDjt6g-AE1nbXPkwjrqTgQ31vx8zUKMTWg6pU0KbMgfrGOhVUDW-3di4kXIuhc7vLEse6pzS/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07481" width="329" /></a>  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRTjzufFs1B9KIV3XsonmL-nt0ugtKn0pyOq8C3U9NhGxZ5Tpp_dnCIR-LnRtti1-QECN0WfZCOU_ETm72qPECg1JnLgYcyfbdGn-zqcrZP283-xI_w2CNPPNf39Zne5YT6V8zuK6Bs8d/s1600-h/DSC07482%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07482" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VDcjOjmDzLOvgmW31MpIqS7k1L_tKoc0LV3v2m4o_AjtoetD-DKGhM5mITPoPpvR3RImTbdVNyog-iqkP-gmeMnuw2YUgT-QDFPu7BT3E1GfZJWQ7A2hzMfWbEzzsU9cEwMDNzuI8N99/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07482" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>I loved the style of the restaurant, especially the GIANT crown molding!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtRriG0f-XyyTZeylcBszuKcY85-Hbl-gP25JGwjxW71pQMTxEsyXQ-JUDWasbxoqQjWK5Pzl3vzLDSDyIQJukmPd_m84mzu7glR1v8ng1fxCPFPROaKmIL8mBiVvWxD1dcKjpHRYLqmg/s1600-h/DSC07485%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07485" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNU716i_Rg8wods5m2DjcZgsyzxE2EqDvmLQi_yph8Sa76o7YjX-C8tYOV4WVVEPuzUwSnJEbHgRSgSwsgpAeJ6T4YVWjs-PmZ13O_gGoV8LKEXpmCMg9aXFULHVKzKgq0wGN_33T8kIuD/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07485" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>Here I am to prove I ate alligator! Not to sure at first…</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKVqKmAO6HNDYGVmSZKbtcBQYZgX_tr7LoLxgMKjZt68XJP-MOP9GkP-jT0wto0iWdpLUmIFY5_fd0_8bi3z53tyo2yV-yd5ct2K1lnGFRYBFyk1Aj7kVfr33LFDPeUjv7qQxfdVDl4Kn/s1600-h/DSC07486%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07486" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqwJM9B5Lg6WTx4ghpwXwjVQx-EZpEBFxx4vjtxmStSg7TLgyTFLViMkSalsPqIk1Uy8jt44NRQsn4F4uxdb27GeRemcNyvmyhXljAGyL9_VxWotiVxYoq-PvPtavF1sTgy0LYzN_NK8O/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07486" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>Going in! </em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKrUYdit4pyDpU1fIx_qUY5XU6KQB8lrT6QzXDp7UfRSTr5iHaUmvacOY8B_q9a2qZpDmy7_BUzrojAfZL5H0Ho3-qdyeUNEx0e04rA4X6ZwsH8AIIn0oyN9H0ywBSW8ebdmE_LAFFVjh/s1600-h/DSC07487%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07487" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJn7N4r7Lc6H5xm_RTcY_eItwICrfayLBGYo6ZAfmBrFfbC4m4YSNOcnqsmHR_ZKPqai6DJWugpwJXX_p3PcSKPuI4U64PMdFxlbb4bK56C5G-teKcGBtLSjSPU9t5Qw4Dqd6yL6FhSUb/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07487" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>It was good!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHtDLpEP748nzT1BnbZrO1MrPdFj_2q_wiB9ViVQGtlAGfzVoVGEPi7wccDJXiqBfIlqDKzd8MHlC4gz2DacQZQLdkb_ABZFIxeEUaPl0l8ILi97tuDrs7vHj8xoLO8397EwoYhDRt5oT/s1600-h/DSC07488%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07488" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcgSVbnF7APBvXhYeP3mkgtmWTHhBykyFcYEpiu1VrBpFlOG8Y2am1_c2lF-UoXSu9bu6cwg1uqW4ZkSp4JJmBHKbsKH41CCmZjN6XgNEdy7-FOj8JMuqR6xSM08vcOX7IwArO7nVZHaf/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07488" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>We also had some funny 2 tailed shrimp!</em></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1DhBSFumRVJ48Vvp_yVTEQdEvRaF_UBGnjWDNXCp2k7-ey1TCUmhNfzhja8D2Vnrh7X8ukk3rFgthttsIQ4PRjpR-tDolGJgGf927LHmMN-AerMAnn-3LPfS50bkMf9s7eazX6h13RKk/s1600-h/DSC07492%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07492" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fF6faQkFjdiRFptVOzIoNf7YyZjZs71ZbSITgfnChVWiGtmIqL-T99kFeCD0Imcq1tq9Kjld4acsvhkdqx4Gj3iDO2GGyJpmxSTGHVLd0qW1fP0z12o7X2M_DzQFQrQCm374OCiYzF2V/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC07492" width="404" /></a><strong><em></em></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><em>That night we went down to 6th street and enjoyed music at the dueling piano bar! It was TOO fun!!</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxfsogs0iylZ_8U1juxStDzjODdFiZOPhGFxjQQAFT00xRoGVt3OMIYptie5wwENaWhjSffoeEvW5Pz14NibmNfZODvYY_kYWxTUNHagryjwpcK7kbuvCOGbCky6AnCIiTEZSVnXpI12Q/s1600-h/IMG00057-20100601-2147%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="IMG00057-20100601-2147" border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAbw7DBVgYWy-iHihqz3wrhKBEsNHpyiIx3d94_IQMTuZSqc3ESU85dPNLt0XaBDvfv0dfWxAd47ehLVXyXKR-3MtwezzMZFE6pc8kBitIFNyHY2RvsQ1MAJbJdwuD0oLwHXkjY3VxXla/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" title="IMG00057-20100601-2147" width="404" /></a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Wednesday was mainly a travel day. We didn’t get home to till 3am…on Thursday! It was an overall great time, but it is always SO good to come home!</p> <p>Kyle and I have a race this weekend, so I don’t think things will be slowing down anytime soon!</p>

Austin, Texas

Hey friends! For the past 5 days I’ve been enjoying a conference for work in Austin, Texas. We flew out early Saturday morning. We had ...

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The Formula for Selling Anybody, Anything, Any Time

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/qh/ar5l2k56g3nkpr14fvqh.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/qh/ar5l2k56g3nkpr14fvqh.gif" /></a></div>Here's the thing: Sometimes we're selling our ideas, sometimes we're selling our products and, these days, many of us are selling ourselves as the best candidate for the job. With this in mind, here's the proven formula for selling your best self to anybody, anywhere, any time.<br /><br />First: Yale University did a study of the 12 most persuasive words in the English language. They discovered that the most persuasive word in the English language is "you." Consequently, I recommend throwing it around a lot: "As I'm sure you know," "As I'm sure you've heard," "I wanted to talk to you today," etc.<br /><br />Second: California-based social psychologist Ellen Langer says one word in the English language increases the possibility of cooperation from 60 to 94 percent. No, that is not a typo. I will repeat: 60 to 94 percent. This word is "because." <br /><br />Lastly: The Duncan Hines Cake Mix Marketing Theory. When Duncan Hines began making cake mix, the decision to have cooks at home add the egg was made in the marketing department. Why is this effective? Because they realized that when we add the egg, we feel proud because we contributed; we can say, "I baked!" <br /><br />Following, then, are three ways you can apply this formula for success:<br /><br />A job interview scenario<br />When you are talking to a company about coming to work for them, you need to articulate the contribution unique to them that they can they make to your success, so it becomes your shared success. <br /><br />Too often, however, we spend our interviewing time talking about why we are right for the job. What we need to be talking about is why the job is right for us. <br /><br />What might this sound like? <br /><br />"I wanted to talk to you today because your job description/your company's mission statement/your bestselling product is X, and my skill set/my personal passion/my sales experience is in Y. Applying the full force of my expertise to this job will enable us both to reach our goals." <br /><br />Talking to your boss about a brewing situation<br />The use of the word "situation" here is deliberate. The White House doesn't have a Crisis Room, it has a Situation Room. Likewise, you don't have a crisis -- you have a situation that needs to be resolved.<br /><br />So, what would the formula for success sound like here?<br /><br />"I wanted to bring a potential situation to your attention immediately because it requires expert attention. X has occurred and I have come up with the following two possible solutions. Is there one that you prefer?"<br /><br />In this instance, the egg is not as much the mention of the expert attention but the opportunity you are giving your boss to apply that expertise to two possible strategies. Having him choose which he prefers (and tell you why it's far better) not only allows him to add an egg, but to choose the temperature at which the solution is "baked."<br /><br />Talking to a potential target at a networking event<br />Too many networking events are about what others can do for us, rather than what we can do for others. In my experience, however, the most successful networkers aren't asking, "What can you do for me?" but "What can I do for you?" In this scenario, the formula would likely sound like this:<br /><br />"Hello, I'm X. I wanted to introduce myself because I know you are the visionary behind X idea/product/company, and I wanted to introduce you to Y/write about you in my newsletter/ask if I could help you organize your next charity event." (If your target is standing with another person or in a group, introduce yourself to everyone present.)<br /><br />As you can see, the offer doesn't need to be –huge; the fact that you made it at all is what helps you stand out. Leaving room for another person to add the egg of her choice is what will ensure your successful connection. <br /><br />By Frances Cole Jones, author of "The Wow Factor: The 33 Things You Must (and Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today's Business World." Her company, Cole Media Management, works with clients to enhance their professional and personal presentation skills. She lives in New York City.<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

The Formula for Selling Anybody, Anything, Any Time

Here's the thing: Sometimes we're selling our ideas, sometimes we're selling our products and, these days, many of us are sellin...

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Available Jobs, Not Enough Skilled Workers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/87/ar5l6qn6r744vgvxls87.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/87/ar5l6qn6r744vgvxls87.gif" /></a></div>Two years after the start of the recession, the unemployment rate is still near double digits, which translates to millions of Americans looking for work. For every open job, employers have dozens or even hundreds of applicants eager to get hired. Yet many employers insist that finding qualified candidates is difficult, even in this economy. How can that be?<br /><br />These employers don't have a shortage of applicants -- they have a shortage of qualified applicants. For most positions, the necessary skills, experience and education requirements are firm and can't be loosened because of a lack of suitable candidates. Bad economy or not, employers need to know their workers are the best possible people for the job.<br /><br />A good worker is hard to find<br />"These jobs were difficult to fill prior to the economic downturn," says Julian L. Alssid, executive director of the Workforce Strategy Center in New York. "Hopefully, they will be less difficult to fill as we move more toward a more demand-driven work-force development system in the U.S. This means local employers working directly with community colleges, trade schools and other post-secondary institutions that help people gain skills that are in demand by employers."<br /><br />Education is an invaluable asset for any applicant, but as many job seekers can attest, it isn't the only prerequisite for employment. When employers are choosing the right candidate for their organizations, they want to see years of experience and an education that isn't outdated. As you can imagine, any worker who falls at extreme ends of the spectrum -- such as a new graduate or an industry veteran -- can be at a disadvantage. New graduates know the latest research and technology, but they don't have the years of firsthand experience that employers value.<br /><br />"We do hear employers complain that younger workers fresh out of school often lack a practical understanding of how to apply what they have learned in their classrooms to the workplace," Alssid says. "That said, we have heard from several experienced workers that they feel they are losing out on jobs to younger -- less costly -- candidates."<br /><br />Education matters<br />Don't mistake a need for experience as a reason to dismiss education. The problem is that job seekers have to take responsibility for their education because many employers no longer have the time and budget to groom new hires.<br /><br />"Employers seem to be less willing to invest in training in this economy. Again, it is the combination of the right credential and practical experience they look for," Alssid says.<br /><br />Take the initiative to improve your credentials so employers see a candidate they're ready to hire now.<br /><br />"Many job seekers can make themselves more competitive by getting industry-recognized credentials that are valued in today's workplace," Alssid says. "In many cases, that might mean a short-term certificate, not another college or graduate degree."<br /><br />But many employers are ready to hire.<br />"We hear about the skills shortage from industries including health care, advanced manufacturing, IT and energy," Alssid says. Although no specific job title is in constant need, any positions relying on math and technical expertise are consistently difficult to fill. "I have heard from several advanced manufacturers that they would hire engineers and engineering technicians in a heartbeat."<br /><br />Supporting his assessment is the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which expects biomedical engineers and network systems and data communications analysts to be the fastest-growing occupations between 2008 and 2018. As a result, job seekers who are applying to these fields and who have the qualifications need to put their experience and skills front and center. In the cover letter, résumé and interview, don't let hiring managers forget that you already have the skills they need. After all, you are just one job seeker in a competitive market; show employers that you're different from the rest.<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama, writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

Available Jobs, Not Enough Skilled Workers

Two years after the start of the recession, the unemployment rate is still near double digits, which translates to millions of Americans loo...

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Fastest Growing Jobs in Health Care

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/k7/ar5f36g6rhc5rc8tybk7.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/k7/ar5f36g6rhc5rc8tybk7.gif" /></a></div>In the two years since the economy began its downward slide, health care has been one of the few industries that continued to rise. Because we're living longer than ever and the baby boomers are aging, demand for health care is growing.<br /><br />Understandably, many people think of health care as all about doctors and nurses. After all, when you go to the hospital or have your annual check-up, your interaction is usually with a nurse and then a doctor. All the lab tests and other work are done behind the scenes, so these positions get overlooked. The health care industry will continue to grow in the coming decade and the jobs won't just be in the operating room, though many will.<br /><br />According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these 11 jobs in health care will see growth in the coming years. Here are the jobs, their expected growth in the next decade, education requirements and annual mean salary*:<br /><br />1. Physician assistants perform many of the same tasks of a physician -- such as treating injuries and supervising medical assistants -- but are under a physician's supervision at all times.<br />2008-2018 increase: 41.3 percent<br />Education: College degree and relevant experience<br />Salary: $81,610<br /><br />2. Medical secretaries perform administrative duties in health-care facilities and rely on their knowledge of medical terminology and procedures.<br />2008-2018 increase: 27 percent<br />Education: Varies, but college degrees are increasingly common requirements<br />Salary: $30,800<br /><br />3. Physicians and surgeons treat patients for existing medical conditions and also advise them on preventative care. Surgeons concentrate on operations rather than the non-surgical approaches of physicians.<br />2008-2018 increase: 26 percent<br />Education: Medical degrees, residencies and licenses<br />Salary: Surgeons - $206,770, general internists - $176,740<br /><br />4. Registered nurses address some health problems of patients as well as collect and maintain their medical records.<br />2008-2018 increase: 23.4 percent<br />Education: Varies between college degrees requirements and certification, depending on state and employer<br />Salary: $65,130<br /><br />5. Counselors work in various health-care facilities to help clients overcome physical or mental health obstacles they are encountering. <br />2008-2018 increase: 22.6 percent<br />Education: Varies by state and facility, but college degree and certification are typical<br />Salary: Mental health - $40,270, rehabilitation - $34,600, substance abuse and behavioral disorder - $39,670<br /><br />6. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses provide care for injured or ill patients in health-care facilities and private homes.<br />2008-2018 increase: 21.9 percent<br />Education: Nursing license from an accredited school or institution, other requirements vary by state<br />Salary: $40,110<br /><br />7. Billing and posting clerks and machine operators assess the cost of a patient's health care, draw up the bill and send it to them. <br />2008-2018 increase: 19.7 percent<br />Education: Varies by institution, but a high school diploma and basic computer skills are common<br />Salary: $32,120<br /><br />8. Social workers provide emotional and mental support to patients who have substance abuse problems or suffer from medical ailments.<br />2008-2018 increase: 19.5 percent<br />Education: Bachelor's degrees and often advanced degrees are required, in addition to state-mandated licenses and certifications<br />Salary: Medical and public health - $47,560, mental health and substance abuse - $39,630<br /><br />9. Receptionists and information clerks work in health-care facilities and address customer or patient questions or concerns and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel.<br />2008-2018 increase: 16.1 percent<br />Education: Minimum requirement of high school diploma, although some employers require more education or relevant experience<br />Salary: $25,400<br /><br />10. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians work in medical laboratories to perform tests that help diagnose, treat or prevent illnesses.<br />2008-2018 increase: 14 percent<br />Education: Technologists need a bachelor's degree in a related subject and technicians need an associate degree<br />Salary: Technologists - $54,050, technicians - $44,310<br /><br />11. Pharmacists dispense medicine to patients based on the diagnoses and prescriptions of physicians and other medical professionals.<br />2008-2018 increase: 14 percent<br />Education: A Doctor of Pharmacy degree and license<br />Salary: $104,260<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer <br /><br />*All information based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<br />Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

Fastest Growing Jobs in Health Care

In the two years since the economy began its downward slide, health care has been one of the few industries that continued to rise. Because ...

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Forum "Intérim et handicap"

<BR><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfzu8Y6bMvJgPLtyc-6mHqZJfR_wRm93vVkYB0l1NIQeVHRNUK12-1wdMW39-KEHL28C9ig35Sg6TUGbjkQZ9g-5ny7Kb_eX_bwIJSYkj1vFoniCAsVRm2GLcFoY6hJzXgJjszGG4GiYr/s1600-h/au+centre+de+l%27emploi.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382819620292507314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfzu8Y6bMvJgPLtyc-6mHqZJfR_wRm93vVkYB0l1NIQeVHRNUK12-1wdMW39-KEHL28C9ig35Sg6TUGbjkQZ9g-5ny7Kb_eX_bwIJSYkj1vFoniCAsVRm2GLcFoY6hJzXgJjszGG4GiYr/s320/au+centre+de+l%27emploi.gif" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 75px;" /></a><br />Un Forum Intérim et handicap aura lieu :<br /><ul><li>le <span style="font-weight:bold;">Mardi 08 juin 2010</span> de 9h30 à 17h <br /><li><span style="font-weight:bold;">Complexe sportif du BRGM</span> - Rue Buffon - 45100 Orléans-la-Source</ul><br /><a href="http://www.aucentredelemploi.fr/doc/liste-8juin.pdf">Liste des entreprises présentes</a><br /><br />Un interface de communication en Langue des Signes Française (LSF) sera présent sur le forum.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Accès par bus</span> - Ligne 20 ou N - arrêt "BUFFON"<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Accès Tram</span> - arrêt "Université-l'indien" avec navette adaptée aux personnes à mobilité réduite.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Plan d'accès</span> : <br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=brgm,+Avenue+Buffon,+Orl%C3%A9ans&hl=fr&cd=1&ei=vCgFTNKtLsPxOZL2sYAL&sll=47.830458,1.937587&sspn=0.015027,0.007368&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=2256573941559129817&ved=0CCYQpQY&hq=brgm,+Avenue+Buffon,+Orl%C3%A9ans&hnear=&ll=47.830458,1.937587&spn=0.006295,0.006295&iwloc=A&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=brgm,+Avenue+Buffon,+Orl%C3%A9ans&hl=fr&cd=1&ei=vCgFTNKtLsPxOZL2sYAL&sll=47.830458,1.937587&sspn=0.015027,0.007368&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=2256573941559129817&ved=0CCYQpQY&hq=brgm,+Avenue+Buffon,+Orl%C3%A9ans&hnear=&ll=47.830458,1.937587&spn=0.006295,0.006295&iwloc=A&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Agrandir le plan</a></small><br /><BR>

Forum "Intérim et handicap"

Un Forum Intérim et handicap aura lieu : le Mardi 08 juin 2010 de 9h30 à 17h Complexe sportif du BRGM - Rue Buffon - 45100 Orléans-la-Sour...

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Sometimes I'm just tired of fighting the fight

Today was one of those days. A day where I didn't want to exercise, but I did anyway. A day where I was hungry all day, and I felt like a bottomless pit. I just wanted to eat all day, but I didn't.<br /><br />Today was one of those days where I wanted to lay down my sword and give up the good fight.<br /><br />I don't get these days too often anymore, but they still happen. When they happen I have to remind myself why I'm doing this, why I'm in a constant state of being on guard, why I've accepted it's okay to be hungry sometimes. I have to remind myself why I can't always give in to my desires to eat until I feel full, and that I have to exercise. It's not optional. This is now my life.<br /><br />There are many reasons I don't give up on myself. Number one is my self-confidence and self-esteem issues. I remember the sad 51-year old woman that weighed 240 pounds in February of 2008.<em> </em> I<em> </em>remember how much I hated myself for letting my body get in such bad shape. I've never felt uglier or sicker than I did at 240 pounds. Considering I've always had a very bad self-image, that's saying a lot.<br /><br />I remember the one pair of size 20 black slacks I owned, that I wore every single day. I remember the ugly size 3X tops, designed for someone much older than I felt in my heart. My body felt every day of 51 years, but in my heart, I still felt like I was in my twenties. During that time I couldn't imagine going on in life and reaching old age, not feeling and looking like I did. <br /><br />My health was a wreck in Feburary 2008. Everything hurt. My blood pressure was 180/110. I was a heart attack or stroke waiting to happen. My knees and ankles were in agony. Just walking at a slow pace on a level surface caused intense pain in my chest, knees and ankles.<br /><br />I had difficulty breathing. I didn't exercise. I thought I couldn't exercise without killing myself. Just walking from the parking lot at work in to my office, I often thought I was going to have a heart attack.<br /><br />My marriage was in serious trouble, mainly because of my low self-esteem. If you hate yourself how can you believe anyone else can love you? You can't, it's simply not possible. I assumed my husband was as disgusted and disappointed in me as I was in myself. It was a recipe for a very toxic relationship.<br /><br />In a word, I was MISERABLE on every level. <br /><br />When days like today happen, when I'm really not feeling it, when the desire to track my Points and stay within my limit doesn't feel within my grasp, and when I don't feel like exercising, I have to remind myself how far I've come in the last 2 1/2 years. Even though I'm not at goal yet, I've come a long way.<br /><br />Seventy-five pounds off my body has made a world of difference in how I view myself, my marriage, and my world. I don't hate myself anymore. I'm not disgusted by myself. I expect my husband to be proud of me. Yes, me. Just as I am now. I'm in the best physical condition of my entire life. My resting pulse is 49, my blood pressure is 120/60 (no medicines), and my cholesterol and triglycerides are below normal (137 and 68). I wear a size 10.<br /><br />I've worked hard to get here. I refuse to let a bad day screw with me. I'll never go back to the person I was when I started this process. I simply can't imagine that will ever happen, regardless of how much I like food, I like myself better. <br /><br />Anyone who has followed me for any length of time knows I've had slip-ups with my food. I even re-gained 25 pounds last fall. I was sure I was on my way back to 240 pounds plus the obligatory regain of an additional ten pounds. Somehow this time I found the strength within myself to fight back. I picked up my sword and went back to battle, losing 17 of the 25 pounds (so far). I'm going to keep waging the battle until I get to goal and maintenance for life. <br /><br /><strong>I'm not giving up the fight. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.</strong>

Sometimes I'm just tired of fighting the fight

Today was one of those days. A day where I didn't want to exercise, but I did anyway. A day where I was hungry all day, and I felt like ...

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I remember when it started, this love-hate relationship with food

I remember the very first time I woke up in the middle of the night feeling hungry. I was fourteen years old and wanted to lose fifteen pounds. <br /><br />It was the summer of 1970, and my mother had planned a three-week vacation for the two of us to fly from Fairbanks to New York to Kansas City to Sacramento to Missoula to Seattle and back home to Fairbanks. We visited relatives in every city, some of whom I'd never met in my entire life. <br /><br />I wanted to be skinny for the trip in August. At the beginning of the summer I was 140 pounds (5' 6"). I wanted to weigh 125 pounds. I thought I was hideously fat at 140. All my girlfriends weighed under 120 pounds. I was obese in comparison.<br /><br />Back then I didn't know about cardio and strength training. I did things like sit-ups, leg lifts, donkey kicks, jumping jacks. This was pre-internet . I think I read about the exercises in some magazines. I didn't exercise very much or very often.<br /><br />I also didn't know much about nutrition back then, and the importance of a balanced diet. Instead I crash dieted cutting my calories down to 800 calories a day. In two months I lost 10 pounds and was down to 130 pounds. I wanted desperately to get down to 125. The night before the trip I woke up at 1 a.m. I was starving. I remember not allowing myself to eat. I was so hungry that I couldn't sleep. Finally, after tossing for over an hour I got up and ate a tomato, and went back to bed. <br /><br />I weighed that morning before getting ready for our flight. I was 129 pounds. I was so mad at myself for not getting down to 125 pounds. I thought I was fat. <br /><br />I've looked at pictures of myself from that trip. I was so skinny. I actually looked malnourished. I didn't look healthy. I was pale and thin. Yet I still felt fat. <br /><br />That was my first big diet, forty years ago. I'm still trying to lose weight, but now my goal is 135-140. Funny how things change, but stay the same. I'm still waking up in the middle of the night, wanting to eat because I'm hungry and trying not to eat. because I don't want to gain weight. Sometimes I win at this and sometimes I lose.<br /><br />Tonight I didn't win. I ate, but it was controlled eating, about 400 calories, or 8 Points. It wasn't planned eating, but I have the Points available, so I ate. I am not beating myself up about it. Even though I know I'll probably see a slight gain tomorrow, it's all okay. <br /><br />I will always have this love-hate relationship with food. I love it for the  obvious reasons. It makes me feel good, it gives me energy, it tastes good, and I get a lot of pleasure from eating. I hate it because I think about it too much, and thoughts of it often consume me. It makes me fat if I eat too much of it.  <br /><br />You would think after all these years I'd have this figured out. I'm closer to understanding it than when I was a girl of 14. I've learned to accept my body with all it's flaws and to appreciate it's strength. I'm still working on my food issues, trying to accept that it's okay to eat if I'm hungry. If I can come to peace with the food, I just might be okay. Maybe someday.

I remember when it started, this love-hate relationship with food

I remember the very first time I woke up in the middle of the night feeling hungry. I was fourteen years old and wanted to lose fifteen poun...

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Reflections On Oklahoma IV

The Olkahoma IV National Consultation On Native Ministries is over and I am in the Chattanooga airport sorting it out. There was a lot of pain and frustration in the room. The human lot involves a share of that -- but these folks had more than their share and the form it took for them was a specific brand of oppression called conquest, colonialism, or "the doctrine of discovery."<br /><br />The question was how to move forward. There were a lot of ideas -- including institutional solutions like separation from the Episcopal Church, a non-geographic diocese for indigenous peoples, an indigenous bishop, etc. There was also a major focus on ordination -- not so much on Ministy of All Baptized. I sometimes had the sense that some wanted to be ordained as a way to be healed and validated. Heaven knows we all need healing and validation, but speaking as one who has been ordained 3 times now, I'm pretty sure it doesn't work for those purposes. I am quite open to all of the instutional options that were suggested, but I wish we could look more at the interpersonal dynamics, local ministries, and a spiritual solution. There will be more conferences. There will be time for all these conversations. The Jamestown Covenant is a good framework for a broader discussion.<br /><br />One thing came up appropo of my previous post about apologies. The presenter who advocated separation from the Episcopal Church emphasized that the Church has never apologized to Native Americans for our complicity in colonization. This failure was contrasted to the Anglican Church of Canada's apology. I was pretty sure I rememberd that we had and certainly thought we should if we had not. But then a Native American bishop responded in our small group. She had been deeply involved in Jamestown I when Presiding Bishop Edmund Browning and the President of the House of Deputies extended precisely this apology years before the Candadian apology. So we have at least done this -- and under less pressure than Canda was experiencing in that sad time. The issue is not whether we acknowledge past wrongs and ask forgiveness. The issue is amends. How do we go on to create a new relationship out of the ashes of colonialism and conquest?<br /><br />The ideas for a future all had merit and all had some downsides. My hope is that these different approaches can somehow be integrated into a new way forward for indigenous peoples and that the rest of the Church can make rooom in its structures to honor the unique way of this population. The challenge of being the church -- like the challenge of being human -- is always to live in the creative tension of unity and diversity.

Reflections On Oklahoma IV

The Olkahoma IV National Consultation On Native Ministries is over and I am in the Chattanooga airport sorting it out. There was a lot of pa...

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Planning de la semaine du 31 mai au 04 juin 2010

<BR><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Permanences<br /></span></strong></h2><ul><br /><li>Le <strong>Conseil Général du Loiret</strong> sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans<br />- le lundi 31 mai de 9h à 12h30,<br />- le mardi 1er juin de 9h à 12h30 et de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le mercredi 02 juin de 13h30 à 17h<br />- le jeudi 03 juin de 13h30 à 17h<br />- le vendredi 04 juin de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/solidarits-nouvelles-face-au-chmage.html">Solidarités Nouvelles face au Chômage</a></strong> - mercredi 02 juin de 10h à 12h30<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/boutique-de-gestion.html">Boutique de Gestion</a></strong> - vendredi 04 juin de 09h à 12h30 (sur rendez-vous)</ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Ateliers</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><li><strong>CV</strong> - mardi 1er juin de 9h à 12h30 et mercredi 03 juin de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Lettre de Motivation</strong> - mardi 1er juin de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Préparation à l'entretien</strong> - jeudi 03 juin de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Pôle-emploi.fr</strong> - vendredi 04 juin de 10h à 11h30<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/07/atelier-situtilises-tu-trouves.html">Sit'Utilises tu trouves</a></strong> - vendredi 04 juin de 14h à 16h</ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Information collective</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><li><strong>Boutique de Gestion</strong> - lundi 31 mai à 14h</ul>

Planning de la semaine du 31 mai au 04 juin 2010

Permanences Le Conseil Général du Loiret sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans - le lundi 31 ma...

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Weekend musings

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Who's counting Points?!</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Yes! That would be ME! After two mediocre weigh-ins in a row, I decided it's seriously time to get my game on. Yesterday's weigh-in was a paltry 0.4 pound loss. I can do better than that!</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Not counting my Points for two weeks resulted in a total loss of 1.2 pounds. I weigh 163.6. I've been up and down a few pounds from this for years!</strong></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Well, actually my four months of traveling last fall had me with a gain of 25 pounds, and I was up to 180.4 January 9, 2010, so in five months I've lost 17 pounds. I'm happy about that, but still, I really should be at goal. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Exactly one year ago on May 31, 2009 I weighed in at 155.2. I honestly don't know what I've been doing the past year. Gaining, losing, gaining, losing. Semi-maintenance. Not a terrible thing, but darn it, I'm not at goal! This means I really shouldn't be in maintenance mode yet. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Big Results Require Big Changes</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>So this keeps popping back in my head. It's something my Weight Watcher leader has said over and over. If you want big results, you have to make big changes. I even read the same thing in a magazine lately (Shape, Women's Health or Weight Watchers - can't remember which). </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>This means I need to change things up. What I'm doing simply isn't working. I haven't been tracking my Points with gusto for months. I start the day, then I give up. Mainly because I'm pretty limited on Points now. I get 20, and even though I eat all of my 35 weeklies, it just doesn't feel like much food. I think I don't track my food because then it makes it easier to cheat.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>I usually track my food on-line on line, at work and at home. I also carry the 3-month tracking journal in my purse, and I have the Weight Watchers mobile app on my Blackberry - there is simply no reason not to track. Other than I'm lazy, and I have a secret desire to cheat.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>So I have a new tactic. I'm eating almost all Filling Foods. This is the suggestion of my Weight Watcher leader, Janis (who I totally LOVE!). I'm still tracking, not quite ready to give that up, but when you look at my tracker, it's almost entirely green diamond foods. It's true what they say, they do help with a feeling of fullness.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"></span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">I'm still off added sugar 100%. I almost gave in after hearing about the new pretzel-chocolate-caramel 2-Point bars at Weight Watchers. How they're the best ever bar Weight Watchers has ever made. I was in line with a box in my hand, I glanced at the label. First ingredient, enriched wheat flour (bad, never eat anything with the word "enriched" in front of it), second ingredient, SUGAR. OH MY FREAK! NO! I quickly put the box back on the shelf and left. That stuff would be crack for me. Pure and simple, I'm a sugar addict. I can't have it in my possession.</span> </span></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Amp Up Your Activity!</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>This week's Weight Watcher topic was Amp Up Your Activity. Anyway who reads my blog knows I'm a gym rat. I hit the gym six days a week, every week unless I'm out out town. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Lately though, my workouts have been kind of lackluster. My heart (literally) just hasn't been into working out. I go, I do my thing, but sometimes I don't give it my all. Sometimes I do it half-hearted. Sometimes I even leave the gym early, before my minimum required hour is completed.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Last week I made an effort to try swimming. That didn't work out too well for me. I kind of hated it. So that's off my list. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Yesterday's workout was fabulous. I did an hour of cardio, a new weekend rule for me. An hour of cardio and 40 minutes of strength on the weekends. I have the time, and yesterday I had the desire. It was probably my best workout in weeks.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Preferably I'd like to be outside on my bike, but our weather here in the Northwest sucks lately. As soon as I see some sun, I'll be back on my bike. Right now it looks like it's going to downpour any second. It's been like this for weeks, and the forecast is more of the same. I'm so jealous reading every one's blogs about the great weather they're having. Even Fairbanks, Alaska is having weather in the high 70's with sun. What the heck?</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Blogging</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>I'm not sure why or when this happened, but I've kind stopped posting on my blog on a consistent basis. I know it's key and what's helped me keep on track for the past three years. It's essential I post something every day.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong> Not being accountable is my downfall. I can hide a 5-pound gain from my husband, but I can't hide it from you. Weird how that works, but that's just me. I feel the strange need to be 100% honest here about my struggles, my failures, my successes. People who only know me through this blog, know more about my daily struggles with weight than anyone in my non-blog world.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>My goal weight?</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Not sure why I'm wordier than normal today. Maybe because I'm hyped up that I'm determined to get to goal. I'm not even sure what my goal is going to be. It was 135 pounds when I started, but as I get closer and this gets harder, I'll have to see where I land. </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Technically at my height, 5' 6", Weight Watchers high end of the scale for a healthy weight is 155. That's tempting, but it's not where I want to be. My goal has always been a size 8, but truthfully, size 8's are a lot bigger these days than when I started trying to lose weight 30 years ago.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Truthfully, I love the idea of losing 100 pounds, which would be 139. I guess I'll have to see how it goes.</strong></span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana;">**********</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Mickey, helping me enter my food into the online tracker. So cute. :)</strong></span><br /><span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr-EUup65P78Hf266B9m3GU0tnjwQAgV1eSOCCHJUSn5yl_DQlMpPkOImqJuTcYl-jHspX-Qc945MtHcZQEVxxSkBIrNxbyT6DtnXY5c9nMs1I4DVeaudIkb9PpgtcO69Fkm95fdmNUWX/s1600/Mickey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr-EUup65P78Hf266B9m3GU0tnjwQAgV1eSOCCHJUSn5yl_DQlMpPkOImqJuTcYl-jHspX-Qc945MtHcZQEVxxSkBIrNxbyT6DtnXY5c9nMs1I4DVeaudIkb9PpgtcO69Fkm95fdmNUWX/s320/Mickey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div>

Weekend musings

Who's counting Points?! Yes! That would be ME! After two mediocre weigh-ins in a row, I decided it's seriously time to get my game o...

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What Was Wes Thinking?

Tonight, on the luxuriantly arboreal and Anglophiliac campus of the University of the South, here in the Rebel’s Rest guesthouse, I iron my clerical shirt, cassock, rochet, and chimere. Such garments wrinkle when packed for travel. So I iron and as I iron I think of the string theorists who aspire to formulate a single comprehensive theory to explain the entire physical universe – and I know that I can never come anywhere near understanding just this day. It has been complex.<br /><br /> I suspect that these two things are important parts of the context: Before I arrived (while I was stranded in airports by Carolina thunderstorms) the people gathered here for the 2010 Native Ministries Consultation were dealing with the “doctrine of discovery,” acknowledging the grievances of First Nations Peoples, what native singer Bill Miller referred to tonight as “historic trauma.” The other part of the context is that we have a really tight agenda which strikes one as a cultural oddity but then that could be stereotyping. I’m just saying that it’s part of the context of the day. Here is one mysterious story from the day.<br /><br /> This morning I talked with a Maori man who told me with some pride about the time he had told off Wes Frensdorff. Since Wes is so highly regarded in Nevada, I was surprised and curious. He told the story of a Roland Allen Conference (Roland Allen was a missionary to China who invented the ministry model on which Total Ministry was based) in Hawaii. The Maori people in attendance felt deeply alienated and excluded at the conference. I am not sure I understand why – but I think that following agendas and sitting around tables for structured discussions is just not what they do in New Zealand. So they boycotted part of the meeting, and then showed up for a session Wes was leading.<br /><br /> The Maori man stood up and interrupted the session, saying he had some things to express. Wes said there would be a time for that later but right now they were going to do what the agenda said. The man was not having it. An argument ensued. I don’t know how it ended, but it included the Maori man saying to Wes. “You’ve told us what to do long enough. Bishop, sit down and shut up.”<br /><br /> About a year later, Wes visited New Zealand. He telephoned the man several times, leaving messages saying he’d like to have a conversation. The calls were not returned. So Wes found someone who knew where the man lived and got them to drive him to his house. Wes met him there and apologized. Just a few months later, he died in the plane crash.<br /><br /> Why did Wes apologize? I feel sure I would have done the same thing at the conference, tried to keep the meeting going according to plan rather than let a heckler take it over with no authority other than the intensity of his feelings. But would I have been right? In one of our meetings today, a First Nations person said we “disguise oppression as order.” Did Wes realize that sticking to the agenda was wrong? Or was it a case like Matthew 5 of being on your way to the altar and remembering that your brother has a grievance against you?<br /><br /> I don’t understand the other man’s anger either. There was clearly some sense of insult in the act of regulating a meeting with an agenda. Was it part of an old grievance, a historic trauma? Was it part of the “doctrine of discovery?” As I listened to the story, I identified with Wes and felt an anxiety as if I were the one being challenged, having the meeting wrested from my control. And when I heard of Wes’s apology, I thought that I would like to apologize like that – even though I don’t know what he was thinking.<br /><br /> Tonight we attended a remarkable concert by the Grammy Award winning Mohican musician Bill Miller. Bill talked as much as he sang because he had a message for the audience. It was that living in historic trauma is a dead end. The historic trauma is real, but the way to life is to claim victory over it. Needless to say, one cannot tell anyone else that about their historic trauma. It’s something we have to come to for ourselves, but Bill Miller was able to say it. He told the story of his hatred of his father, a violent, abusive, drunken man. He looked forward to his father’s death, but when it happened, he discovered that his father had been forgiven by God and found happiness for the first time in his life at the end of his life. Bill was able to forgive his father and found freedom from his historic trauma. He was able to live anew instead of living in his old grievance. It was one of the most moving testimonies I’ve ever heard.<br /><br /> I wonder something about apology. I wonder if anything we ever do is so unambiguously right that there isn’t something to regret in it. Philosophers call it a “moral remainder” – the bad part of even the best things we do. So maybe sometimes the question isn’t whether we have been wrong enough that we are obliged to apologize – asking that just puts us on the defensive – maybe the question is: would an apology help the other person move on beyond their sense of grievance? Would it set someone free?

What Was Wes Thinking?

Tonight, on the luxuriantly arboreal and Anglophiliac campus of the University of the South, here in the Rebel’s Rest guesthouse, I iron my ...

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Kyle’s Birthday

<p>Wednesday was Kyle’s “golden birthday”! I took the day off work and we spent the day together! We started out our day together with a run! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-G0tm6eaMojSn_2-CgO43jW-MJW6XcUWB90jxTlq1eoB3YDZPnV4Qiowej3umkAiav5_PomcZXTT2vp5a3ID2TsVwkQqoyIBDvWT3cqSycJAid3U3wByEB2CjD3pt81ATJmeUvzK4bve/s1600-h/DSC07396%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07396" border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_P7FGKzyL1YxU3Z5xI6ijNNWeHvOjQJ01tTksoNPVXqokLbrVxJgE6i5HsJx0ljK-H89iiJz5QETBGLvV9EMc7nrYICyGlmn1SmWhVgbaZFzdBEB5w9oM5hrVj1Zdd09jFI5bOqmjzUSc/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07396" width="404" /></a></p> <p>We ran 2.6 miles for Kyle’ s 26th birthday! Kyle said it would have been much cooler if we could have ran 26 miles!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpTpWBCL_b0gfshjNXiY53rGtTp3gB3VyOXj69Ko5HjLjOnfij_DJBeQpbkUVY9s512rPvCNc3CdNVFb7YBiP7qx2kBtz1wWZN-dXGPJ5xJ_r4obrVaulT7M6t86F0S37VBfwQkut3Sl0/s1600-h/DSC07401%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07401" border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzPCgDtS4O-Pqg9v1PiZz1wDGF7s3egtOUFQUqmJ4fYd3MsVZ9anNNXylvbntj4zzcvkEKGbUShEy7VtTN3NlnzGo6p2A42DXiTsY-CAOqImGAg7nKFVqpcf8U_Bus4VpwmZOBmU98Gzu/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07401" width="404" /></a></p> <p>After our run I made breakfast for me and the birthday boy! He loves chocolate chip pancakes! Good stuff!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLq6Qrm_zuSPg9szBt7uiDxPEIGVkSHksf9NBZI8gcJK40UhHbZA5mCM-N2rID6txE7iOAqU_UlJen93qJx8tRJMsdkx94VDyvq2IcOh69HIxz8osaiif-rPMJQJz-I9CajKwc3TUi-8Pv/s1600-h/DSC07403%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07403" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86tBJLh8x8SAVfLLxinOWJ7dWgS8JakNGS3OyCPgIMO2pKaaQ1MglpTJQoBShWcrvE7BI1ixFiuiAnRDUhkYrmGwOIH_LfwUaMFvSm-cUqNMZsZwL-fPXj_llQZ4S3IFKDErkI242C1Bl/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07403" width="404" /></a></p> <p>We spent our day running a few errands. Kyle got a new cell phone and we had to get a few things ready on Kyle’s car. It was an overall easygoing, relaxing day!</p> <p>We couldn’t wait for our early supper. We had purchased some “Chicago style” pizza from <a href="http://www.giordanos.com/">Giordanos</a> and had them shipped here on dry ice. We tried this when we were in Chicago in February and Kyle LOVED them. It was perfect to have on his birthday!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvBaqFRfN1PfoIIRTKWmOu9wfFzURd2gwKia92VGLLPHHfR41CM7XirA0g_OO4dCUf3iJS6ONNUdq4f4TqnmHI9vmstPwYZo8DHES22EFW01cm22Xw4DgJTZQ_EzqCd5PBb2flzo740Xs/s1600-h/DSC07404%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07404" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7yTXt4D8ScUCn8HA8-Iu-tXqeLj6GXPDhfYiy9O4-UFScRqRg-mhFSiB_PCvQdFdjnkzrv8K3U9DxZqELs-xq_BCn6tRp9hk9NwXS4kWcvzDMcKEr0tXf9BRz5BHQap5zErKUPF_r_A1/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07404" width="404" /></a></p> <p>MMMMmmm good!! I had 1 piece and 2 bites of another one and was STUFFED!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8qN_GYZFUObaEIH3Ty7FO4L1VQKkcoSZrsW3RBi6tZA_nOXw32dWL7HFPaJyTZ8Z1IV6OnjnJsN3vJZwyqtkwiVH-zUvn1ptz5L6fkuY7sdQsKnCZx-8_R7NJ6h1P2aPxOUq2pm69qy7/s1600-h/DSC07405%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07405" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUzim4-dO_7Hs7CHcDggEZJegVt3Cwb7SOoXtyQB5TyDeaIQh1UCc2vDRmiU56_I-zFgfKhykOucquizZftkBnyHhP442Oh-t3C3fzMjOuBUOWNbIfnUDQw6TaV1LXOW1Shaq-nAzzYDD/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07405" width="404" /></a></p> <p>And Kyle’s birthday would not be complete without a trip to the Dariette!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGWNEgK10lr8xBJtKf5hGohI-Nk9S-O2wb8T_cdOI9Aiky77uCjpAbjeRM29PA7yEEUNH5TQd19XnMLrXw2awmMAONmuXBPz2Dp2M4NtxJrrbrZGFXdxfg50paBdzo9gFIsDaEwtUUaMO/s1600-h/DSC07406%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC07406" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOOyYRIEM4Reu-hGhQSIFve76lSxVYIEWKTjnztSeS22er0Oigb1vp2rOmkJaCxJ-RAT6zt7PMMac8cn90SyhA3cY0MXIqx31MJflsdQnsB8nob8aUztTxmE45VoE2twtLAUdBC_Gy_-N/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07406" width="404" /></a></p> <p>We each got our classic favorites, Kyle got a peanut butter cup whip and I got a lemon ice cream cone!</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="200"><img alt="DSC07407" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzT-nkdIdDYzHxeKE8TgMeaMrn-cP1Ei19adTEqt7uRKAcjlczsGBV-hhVdjSTTAeJtDeqpQNTAjPQNcbkkDevvmyrrNiadh3Dg593ofQ6J2JDgxl1o70leE0ScvKarS4XC5hV-feylWak/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07407" width="204" /></td> <td align="center" width="200"><img alt="DSC07409" border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYr85n_h_D1eKq-wMFXSAsV5tzZBgTe9t0jbh7Z-ayREipbVjzLJpyEyDTozGLkpyDp_QoYnqfMUAbMhc_Y3V1q_OjCc-FyJGCOOVeFm_0l1yutJjauv6BdeUYkriTaJc2LYkt8VFgT5P/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC07409" width="204" /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>If you missed my post earlier today you should check our what I did for Kyle on Saturday! <a href="http://bangertfam.blogspot.com/2010/05/surprise.html">Click here</a>! I think Kyle had a great birthday, he very much deserved it! </p> <p>Lots going on for me right now!</p> <ul> <li>Tomorrow I work.</li> <li>I need to pack tomorrow night.</li> <li>Bright & early Saturday morning I am headed out on a work trip to Austin, TX for 5 days.</li> <li>I get home late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning.</li> <li>Friday night Kyle and I leave for our race! </li> </ul> <p>Hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to their long weekend! Tomorrow’s Friday!</p>

Kyle’s Birthday

Wednesday was Kyle’s “golden birthday”! I took the day off work and we spent the day together! We started out our day together with a run! ...

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