Fat Guy in a Little Coat

This video cracks me up everytime I see it. I have always loved the "Saturday Night Live" humor. So whenever I need a smile, I watch this video of Chris Farley (RIP) doing his Fat guy in a little coat song and it turns me around. It makes me laugh so hard, guys, you don't even know. So if you enjoy this kind of humor also-- Enjoy! The blog entries can't be so serious all of the time. :-)

Video of "Last Lecture" Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture

I don't know if any of you have followed the remarkable story of Randy Pausch, Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last September with 10 tumors and was given 3-6 months to live. His story has captivated me for the last 10 months. I have followed his progess on his own website that he posted on a regular basis of how he felt and he's always give certain stats about his health. About a week and half ago I commented to J that there hadn't been any update for him and I was worried that he'd taken a turn for the worst. I have been so impressed by his courage to face his biggest challenge and I have also been moved by his "The Last Lecture", which he gave one month after he had been diagnosed. His message is simple and inspiring about achieving your childhood dreams and how to lead your life. In the face of forthcoming death, he was so positive and encouraged others to be also. I recommend his message, posted on youtube to anyone who feels sort of blue or depressed and I promise you at the end of his remarks, you will feel uplifted and blessed for all that you have in your life.

Randy's battle with cancer ended last Friday, July 25th, almost six months later than what the doctors said he'd survive. He left a beautiful wife, Jai and three children, Logan, Dylan, and Chloe all under the age of 6. I believe in the power of prayer- always have, and I ask all of you that believe also to pray for this widow and her children as they face the future without this great man and father in their lives. This is the stuff that life is all about not your work or travels or pressures or anything else, but family.

Life is too short...

I love you all, by the way, and you know who you are.

A Campbell and occassionally a Casper

Senga told me that if I didn't post something, she was going to change the name of our blog... can't let that happen, now can I?

I've been traveling a lot lately and this past week I was in California. It's always a 3:30AM wake up to catch a 6:00AM flight, then travel 7.5 hours to arrive at 10:30AM. Meetings with the client, then dinner with some of our executive staff that were in town and its 10:30PM, but my body clock thinks it's 1:30AM the next day. As I was trying to sleep (left that morning without my toiletries bag and thus no sleeping aide) that first night, I couldn't help but wonder what I was doing in this cold and lonely hotel room, not able to sleep, but most importantly, why was I doing this in the first place? Is there a benefit to me and my family in all of this? Besides the paycheck every week, I'm pressed to figure out much more. So as I lie there counting the hours that I spend in a plane sitting next to total strangers it has become crystal clear that I spend far too much time in a tube jetting across this planet and not enough time doing what matters most to me. Then when I do get home, I'm exhausting from a lack of sleep that I all I want to do is go to bed and sleep. It's just crazy.

I guess I need to focus my energy on what I want and where I want to be…maybe then travel will become a matter of jumping from spot to spot and being home in time for dinner and sleeping in my own bed every night. Captain Kirk could do that 40 years ago, you would think that we should be able to figure out how he did that.

WNBA Brawl

Did any of you hear about this shocking brawl that took place Tuesday night between the Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Sparks WNBA game?

Les than 5 seconds before the end of the game one of Detroit's players, Plenette Pierson got tangled up with Candace Parker after a free throw and they both went down and the other player jumped up and ran toward Parker all cocky and neck bouncing forward and all and stepped right over Parker, who then pulled her down and the big old brawl emerged emptying both benches. I guess I'd be mad too if my parents named me Plenette.

The league announced today that 11 suspensions were given out including one to Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn, who apparently shoved Lisa Leslie (which I actually don't mind because I don't like her) in the middle of it.

Is this what the WNBA has come to? What a crying shame that they all acted this way. and Cheryl Ford, of the Shock (A.K.A. Karl Malone's daughter) got the worst of it while she was trying to restrain teammate Plenette Pierson during the confrontation, is out for the season because of an anterior cruciate ligament tear in her right knee.

So it gets worse because today (24th) the Shock announced that 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman would be added to the roster on a seven-day contract to fill in.
Lieberman, who was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996, served as the Shock's general manager and head coach for three seasons starting in 1998. She previously held the distinction as the WNBA's oldest player while playing with the Phoenix Mercury at the age of 39 during the league's inaugural season in 1997.

Are you telling me that 50 year old Nancy is the next best player they could sign? What an insult to these top notch younger athletes looking for an opportunity. I almost hope Nancy gets schooled during these seven days. What the hell is Detroit and the WNBA thinking with this choice. Give me a break! Maybe they'll get more attention and attendance will go up now as a result, who knows.

It's a Rat! It's a Husky!

My entries have been rather heavy and such so I decided to upload a photo that brings me great joy and always makes me smile. This is mostly an inside joke with one of my dearest friends and she knows who she is. We would be watching UConn play and occasionally it shows the mascot. And so we always used to make fun of the mascot because it's supposed to be a Husky, but we'd say, "It's a Rat!" And the other would say, "It's a Husky!" So whenever I see this character as I did last April at the final four, that is the first thing that pops into my head is this little twisted chant we used to say back and forth. So what do you think it looks like? I think the designer forgot the "Husky" part myself.

My Poor Abby!

Bad news for the U.S. women's soccer team. They will have to try to defend its Olympic title without leading scorer Abby Wambach (my girl). The star forward had surgery to insert a titanium rod in her left leg Thursday. Wambach, 28, broke the tibia and fibula in the first half of a 1-0 exhibition win over Brazil after a collision with a defender Wednesday night in San Diego. The Americans were playing their final tune-up match for the Olympics. The U.S. begins defense of its gold medal Aug. 6 against Norway. Wambach will be on crutches for about two weeks and then is expected to face 12 weeks of rehabilitation.

"I want to thank all the fans, the doctors, the players on the team and Tasha Kai for scoring the winning goal," Wambach said from the emergency room Wednesday night. "Obviously, it's devastating, but above everything else, I'm only one player, and you can never win a championship with just one player."

Sad ending to this player's career. Will she be back for 2012?

Cat and Dog

Nothing is worth it!

Being from such a large family, as I am, there are a few perks. You have so many stories to tell everyone and you can do it on your blog and I'm not outing them to anyone because no one knows who of the other 9 I'm talking about. Well sometimes the stories are very funny but sometimes they're sad and hard.

This last week our family had quite the ordeal when we learned that one of our siblings chose to try and end it all and took 25 ambien at one time. Fortunately, my sibling had the smart sense to tell someone (right after) that they had taken the pills so they had immediate attention and all is well. I don't judge my sibling, in fact I love him/her very much. We have had many good times in our youth growing up and is pretty much the smartest most intelligent person in our family. He/She started reading at the age of two and is very bright and funny. Somewhere along the way their world started to shift and things started going bad in their relationships and family. Divorce happened and the pain was just too much to bare. I just want (name) to know that many times I've felt that same way in my life and when you're hurting so much it's very hard to find any positive things to latch on to and build up from. But there is always a turning point and a realization that no matter how bad things get, nothing is worth dying over. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, someone wise once said.

So (name), I don't know if you'll read this but if you do I just hope you know how much I love you and want for your happiness and life to continue on. Our family wouldn't be the same without you and we need you. If I can ever do anything for you, please let me know. And remember, "no man is a failure who has friends (and family.)"

Say What You Need to Say

My newest favorite song (playing right here) of John Mayer holds a great message. Say what you need to say. Don't hold back- say it. To many times I think we hold back because of not wanting to hurt people's feelings or "rock the boat" or thinking it's not our place but as the lyric says, "It's better to say too much, than never to say what you need to say again." Especially if the thought you want to say is positive and uplifting and could lend encouragement or support. SAY IT!

To many people let their loved ones go to the grave without telling them important things and feelings. Let's not have any regrets with our relationships because when people are gone, they are really gone. So this blog is for all of you, who need to speak up to someone in your life. Maybe some need to come out of the closet or some need to tell hard things that have happened to them, or maybe some need to just express deep feelings of "I love you," but I hope you can all find the courage to just say it. And I don't mean drunk dialing either. :-) We all need a kick in the pants sometimes to get motivated to say more, even to the ones you love. So tell them you love them, that you're disappointed, or tell them you forgive them or don't agree with their life or whatever- SAY SOMETHING!!!!! Saying=caring to me and so many days go by and you don't hear from people and they don't hear from you and you just exist on the same planet but one day you won't have the chance anymore so do it, people. :-) How's that for reality? It sucks but do it. Much love, Senga

"Take all of your wasted honor.
Every little past frustration.
Take all of your so called problems,
Better put 'em in quotations.

Say what you need to say (x8)

Walkin' like a one man army,
Fightin' with the shadows in your head.
Livin' up the same old moment
Knowin' you'd be better off instead

If you could only...Say what you need to say (x8)

Have no fear for givin' in.
Have no fear for giving over.
You better know that in the end
It's better to say too much, than never to say what you need to say again.

Even if your hands are shaking,
And your faith is broken.
Even as the eyes are closin',
Do it with a heart wide open.

Say what you need to say (x7)

Say what you need to, Say what you need to...

Say what you need to say."

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