Yearning

My fabulous friend Molly Malone sent this pic along to me, which I love, because it fits me - ironically enough today as I was getting ready in the morning and I began thinking about what I was doing a year ago. I'd probably be sitting at my desk at beloved non-descript airline's, planning my weekend get-away to some exciting destination.

I'm missing my jaunts to London something fierce. This being land-bound is for the birds. To add insult to injury, apparently the delightfully delicious Nathan Fillion, who I'm totally crushing on right now, was in London for a bit. God fate or 'the powers that be' can be a real b*%@& sometimes, no?

Reading Debate etc.

My lovely friends Molly Malone and Darla D. are engaged in a debate regarding the argument, "I don't have time to read." So I thought I'd weigh in on the issue.

I tend to favor Darla D's side (who is a librarian) - as a mother and full-time working person, she points to finding or making time to read, citing examples like reading at lunchtime, while waiting for the dryer to finish, on the bus. Its about one's priorities. If you can find time to watch American Idol, why can't you find time to read? This point is really driven home today, as it is National Turn off Your TV week. In my case, I take reading assignments with me on the bus from where I live on the Medical campus to Main campus where I study. I use to finish at least one book a weekend when I was traveling- reading on the plane back and forth from London, maximizing my time.

However Molly does bring up some salient views as well. She speaks on distractions that make reading hard, even if you are not doing anything else, like background noise, conversations etc. Also the attention span required to read is perhaps, more than someone can muster after a long day at work and than dealing with kids. Finally there could just be a segement of the population that doesn't like to read...which beckons the question, 'why use the no time excuse than?'

To me, reading has always been a part of my life, I love it! On one of my many weekend trips to London, I spent a Friday night at one of most central locations in town, Piccadilly Circus, holed up in the Waterstones bookstore - it was fabulous! But than to me reading has come easy. I suppose to those who have difficulty reading, this would not be pleasure; but that makes me sad, because there is a whole gigantic world out there you're missing from not reading. Besides they say the way to improve your reading is to practice i.e. read more (I use the same advice for standarized tests, they say if you want to improve your SAT, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE's Verbal scores, read more!).

I hate when people use the excuse, "I don't have time" for any facet in life, not just reading. Not having time means either the thing you are being asked to do is not a priority to you (and why don't you just say that instead of feigning interest) or it means you suck at time management and you should admit that, it makes you more human than trying to pretend your so busy. I firmly believe if something is super important to a person, they'll make the time.

Sidenote - congradulations to the Danish Royal Family. HRH Crown Princess Mary and HRH Crown Prince Frederik had their second child, a girl, this past Saturday, April 21st. No name yet, but I have my fingers crossed for Alexandra, since they named their firstborn the name I wanted, Christian. Besides Alexandra is a family name (for example one Alexandra Danish princess married England's Edward the 7th, to become Queen of England back in the early 1900's).

Last Week in Pictures

First top news for all Indians - the biggest wedding in years happened on Friday - Ashwariya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan got married. Both are HUGE Bollywoord stars, she is of course one of the prettiest females on the planet, he is charming and sophisticated...what an 'IT' couple! While I didn't attend (clearly my invitation was lost in the mail), I heard the shindig was a virtual who's who of Bollywood.

Nathan Fillion's new show began last week. Drive is on Mondays @ 8pm on Fox. To be honest, I only started watching the show because of NF. But it does have an interesting premise (an illegal race around the country) and I'm actually rooting for other characters over NF's. (ps interesting fact I learned about him...did you know despite being Canadian he can't or doesn't like to ice skate...I thought being able to skate was a birthright of all Canadians, like if you can't skate...do they take away your Candian citzenship?).


I've found the guy stupider than G.W. Bush! Good thing he's only in charge of our Justice department. Dude, do your boss a favor, resign!

Richmond had a memorial service for Tech on Friday...I was debating whether to attend or not. I don't like to mourn in public (I find many people carry on excessively at these types of things, crying, wailing, screaming, to much acting, and it turns me off), but decided to go anyway and show my support (if this had happened at my beloved Mary Baldwin College, I'd be touched to see all the people come out).

Looking back last week, I do think the coverage was excessive (particularly putting the killer's video on, ugh that's just plain creepy). I'm disheartened by the media's behavior last week, while what happened at VT was a tragedy there was other stuff going on in the news, even brief mentions of those news items would have been nice.

Well, here's hoping everyone has a great week!

Experimenting

http://sjl.funnyordie.com/v1/view_video.php?viewkey=3efbc24c7d2583be6925

I love this video - hilarious!!! The little kid is sooo cute, especially when she yell's about giving her the money, cracks me up!!! Will Ferrell is so funny with her, playing so straight, he must be great with kids!

With everything going on both personally and around the world, I have to echo the words of a comedian I heard say once, "if you're not laughing, you're not living."

plus - I've seen a number of people put video's up on their blog, so I'm going to try this out as well. Let me know if this is working out (if you can view the video).

Prince William plan

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/14/nkate114.xml

Well the news came down from England, Kate Middleton and Prince William have broken-up. I wish them both the best for the future as they go their seperate ways.

(insert Virginia Gal thought bubble, speaking in cheesy mad scientist voice, complete with rubbing of hands, "finally my chance has arrived - now is the moment to make him mine. All I have to do is get to England, find out exactly where he is, learn lessons in etiquette, grace and royal history, acquire a large sum of money to be able to get into British Aristocracy, become hip and cool and witty to ingrain myself into his circle of friends, and voila - Virginia Gal and Prince William forever. Piece of cake - Yipee!!").

Sad Day All-Around

Woke-up this morning to the news at Virginia Tech:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/16/AR2007041600533.html?hpid=topnews

We have a family friend who goes there, MashAllah (Thanks be to God) she is safe. Sad indeed - especially when you consider how close we all are to the end of the semester. Yet, I wonder if that contributed to this situation, nerves all-around campus are frayed as finals approach, summer plans are in the air etc. Plus, unlike VCU (my school), Virginia Tech has a high academic standard - so there would be added stress to do well.

I'm sad also for Virginia Tech, because its a good school, the population is friendly and nice (unlike the snobs at UVA). I pray for the families of the deceased.

On top of that, I'm struggling with finding a summer gig...I'm trying REALLY HARD to stay positive, but constantly being kicked down (just got another rejection from another airline), can take a toil, no? I must stay positive, because positivity attracts positivity!! It could be worse, I could be living in a refugee camp in Darfur, Sudan.

Ice Skating, new blog and personality tests

I took this interesting online personality test using pictures,

http://dna.imagini.net/friends/

found it to be pretty accurate. I especially liked their analysis of my outlook on romance:

You're a real romantic and a bit of a dreamer. OK life may not be a movie, but what's wrong with thinking it is? When you think of freedom - you think of being in charge of your direction. The open road and a full tank can take you pretty much anywhere.

I certainly agree, I still live for my happily ever after moment, which is why I believe I'm still single, I need to learn to just settle. Happily Ever After is a myth and I'd be smart to realize that - (stupid Virginia Gal).

wonderful friend Super J - has decided to join the blogsphere..here is her new blog http://booksandotherthoughts.blogspot.com/ - she's a librarian (which I consider one of the coolest jobs in the world!). The blog is a lot about the books she has read and reviews, with little snippets of her life mixed in. Show her some love and drop by!

I'm off tonight to go see Champions on Ice, the tour is starting in Richmond at the Richmond Coliseum, which happens to be literally one block from my dorm. I splurged and bought a more expensive ticket because I wouldn't have to pay for parking or gas to get to the Coliseum. With my alternating moods of being stressed out or depressed, I hope this figure skating bonaza takes my mind away...if for a few hours.

Auvoir!

Sunday Ramblings

Thanks for everyone's good thoughts - send all positivity my way, its helping me to wake up each day and take on life, despite just wanting to curl under and go back to being 14 and loving New Kids on the Block.

I watched A Walk to Remember this weekend - the movie based on Nicholas Spark's book. We read a Nicholas Sparks book in bookclub a few years back. I'm totally befuddled by this man's success. Is it just me, but sacchrin overdose! These stories are so sryupy sweet -blach. I just don't get it...every one of this man's books hits the best-seller's list, such drivel.... how?!! Why?!!

I love the show, "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel - its about Alaskan fishermen. Does anybody else watch it? Truly a deadly job (if you end up in the water because either you fell or the boat sank, you have like a 5% chance of survival in the frigid Bering Sea water) - these guys are manly men, doing a real tough job...I think why I really like about this show is because it lets me glimpse into a world so wholy different from my own, one that I will probably never experience. Plus its in a part of the world that I love, Alaska.

VCU has turned the heating off in the dorms for the season, I'm freezing my ass off! 28 degrees tonight in Richmond.

Nathan Fillion's new show comes on next week - Drive, April 15th on Fox, mark your calendars!

I wanted to give blood this weekend but have to wait till the end of April because I'm quarantined after having visited India last April (malaria risk). Some local gas station was giving free oil changes if you gave blood this weekend - would have been sweet.

Have a great week!!

Happy Thoughts

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts....Virginia Gal is bummed out but I'm trying not to wallow in self-pity/depression. My summer looks abysmal (stuck in Richmond...ps I'm starting to HATE Richmond, too much being alone here). I thought this MBA might be a ticket to the big leagues, but no Virginia Gal continues to languish in obsecurity in po-hick Virginia instead of galivanting around the world with the rich and glamourous, working some fabulous airline job. Plus I bombed my financial management exam last week, I hate that class! Oy!

(Didn't someone once tell me if you send positivity out you get positivity in??). Happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts!!

Church Issue/Missing Monday

I was listening to NPR the other day (last Thursday I think), and they had this interesting story on, it was about this guy who was a known sex offender - molesting children. He wants to join a church but wants to make sure its ok with the parishners before entering. He told the minister his history (which you don't have to do) and asked the minister to ask the congregation.

The story focused on how the parishners felt. I thought about what I'd feel if it was my local mosque. I think I'd vote to let him stay. This guy knows he has a problem, part of why he wants to join the church is because there is a support network there, to help him when he feels weak, that shows some sort of character and isn't that a good thing? Besides studies show that sex offenders, particularly of the child abusing nature, can never be cured. So what would be the ideal solution of a humane society? I think better for him and society that he be with people, in a psedu-family, rather than being alone. Certainly if he joined the church, he wouldn't be able to work with the kids and parents should be made aware of this situation (plus I wouldn't be surprised if there were people who work with the kids now who could be potential molestors), but I don't think any good can come of denying this person a place to worship and a community.

MISSING MONDAY



Andy Byrd Lundy
Age: 48
Height: 5' 10"
SUBJECT HAS A RECEDING HAIRLINE &HIS EYES MAY ALSO APPEAR GREENMissing From: GRAYSON COUNTY, VA /SOMERSET, NJMissing Since: 11/20/2006

Contact: GRAYSON COUNTY SHERIFF Jerry Wilson 276-773-3214

SUBJECT HAS BEEN WORKING IN NEW JERSEY AND ALTHOUGH OUT OF STATE HAS BEEN IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS. LAST CONTACT WAS ON OR ABOUT NOV 20, 2006. ALL HIS BELONGS WERE LEFT AT STAYBRIDGE SUITES OF 260 DAVIDSON LANE, SOMERSET, NJ. SUBJECT DOES HAVE A HISTORY OF DEPRESSION BUT HAS ALWAYS STAYED IN CONTACT WITH FAMILY. LACK OF CONTACT IS TOTALLY OUT OF CHARACTER ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SUBJECT'S MOTHER IS ILL. INVESTIGATION IS BEING CONDUCTED JOINTLY BY THE GRAYSON CO SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN VIRGINIA AND THE FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPT IN NEW JERSEY.

Very sad story, I pray his family finds him soon. God keep him safe.