it's getting hot in here

i spent my memorial day with a good friend named Rici. we celebrated by shopping and talking about sheep sweat as an ingredient in chapstick. but i digress

when i came home i was shocked to see more than 10 (probably even 11) firetrucks surrounding my apartment building, along with several police cars and ambulances. i hopped out of my truck and rushed over to see what was going on, praying that it wasn't MY apartment.

the good news is that it wasn't. the bad news: 4 apartments were completely destroyed by the fire (started by a woman who placed a cardboard box on her stove, not realizing it was on) and 2 more apartments destroyed by all the water used to extinguish the fire.

wow.

it turned into this very cliche scene: news teams were coming from everywhere...and all the residents of our complex were clumping outside, trying to piece together information and attempting to devise a way we could all help without being intrusive. the cliche part was that i met the people that live around me for the first time in the 10 months i've lived here. and, as it turns out, they are super nice people. even the russian guy below me that seems to be addicted to REALLY loud music at two in the morning...he was really nice, and quite funny. I'm so disappointed in myself for not making some sort of effort to meet with these people before now. why does it take a tragedy to bring people together? why can't we be a community in the normal times? we live in such an isolationistic society.

good news: everyone is fine...no one was hurt. Every belonging was basically destroyed, and i can't even imagine what that would be like. another cliche- learning the value of simplicity only when you've lost it all.

frustrating news: i checked in with the apartment management to see how i could contribute to helping out. all of my new neighbor friends are wanting to join together and help the families who are now without home and stuff....and the management said "we're not doing anything to help. why don't you call the Red Cross" what!?!? it's our community...why should i have to go outside the community to help?

so i've made a decision. i'm going to organize it myself. i'll reach out to the people living around me and see what we can put together. if you're in the area, and you feel compelled to help at all, let me know.

maybe we'll organize a fund raising walk (see prev. post on the Strides event). we'll walk around the management office for a few hours. maybe that will inspire them.

A new series: Things that should be banned from...

...the gym:

1. the theme song from "Rocky"
2. calipers
3. the girl who wears tight jeans and high heels while on the stairmaster
4. exotic floral printed pants
5. sweaty man who sings along with his discman on the treadmil
6. naked woman in locker room who takes waaaaay too long to put her clothes on...and bends over waaaay too much
7. 42DDD who feels no need to wear a sports bra (or any bra it seems at times)
8. hogging the ab machine...or talking to your friend while just SITTING on it, when i've been waiting to use it for 30 minutes now
9. all the girls who decide that a sports bra should serve as their only shirt
10. all the fast food commercials that come on the tv while i'm on the eliptical. that's just plain cruel

Results of What's in the Brown Bag

it's your own fault.

in case if you thought i fell off the face of the earth, or was just dodging the inevitable giving up of the brown bag...you're wrong.

see, last thursday i unveiled the fabulous brown bag campaign. i thought you all would be a little quicker than you were, so when i went out of town eeaaarrrly sunday morning, i figured the whole thing would be wrapped up. since it wasn't, i just left, hoping someone would have won by the time i got back tonight.

well i'm back, and like american idol, the votes are in.

the highlight of the Premiere Brown Bag gala was, in my mind, our new visitor "shafter79" being on top of the race for so long. In the end, our dear friend Tim won it all. But i was so impressed with both of you, that i've decided to divide the contents of the brown bag between you!!!

TWO BIG WINNERS!!

so, you're all just dying to know WHAT'S IN THE BROWN BAG?!?!?!

for Tim: 5.00 gift card to Starbucks!
for Shafter79: 1 package of Twizzler Watermelon Pull 'n Peel.

to redeem: email princessbre@hotmail.com with your addresses. The Brown Bag will be on its way.

For the rest of you: I'm expecting more from you next go round. It won't be the same challenge, so don't try to cheat. But you've experienced the first round, and now i assume you'll be more prepared to vie for a piece of the brown bag (the whole thing really).

The Unveiling of: What's in the Brown Bag??

Welcome one and all to my new monthly installment of "What's in the brown bag?" Each month i will be presenting my faithful readers with a challenge or a task, and the first/best one to complete it wins WHAT'S IN THE BROWN BAG!

Contents of the Brown Bag will vary from month to month, but you can be sure that it will be a prize worth winning!! This monthly contest is open to anyone who happens upon it, and the Brown Bag and its contents can be shipped ANYWHERE. No purchase necessary.

The winner of What's in the Brown Bag? will not only have the honor of owning the Brown Bag's contents, but will receive a feature post on them, including what they did to win, what they won from the Brown Bag and so on.

And now, May's challenge:
The first person to get FIVE OTHER PEOPLE to leave comments on this post indicating your name as the one who referred them will win What's in the Brown Bag?!

ready....set....GO!

24 hours!!!

oooh...you're all just DYING to know!!

well i'm not telling. but i will answer some of your questions/guesses.

1. Andrea: none of the above (and why is it that anytime a married woman has "big news" everyone assumes she's preggie?)

2.Bill- I would never try to steal your thunder! i will tell you, however, that your glorious picnic was one of the main reasons i returned from my blogcation. I didn't want to miss it!

3.Tabitha: nice try thinking you could weasle the info out of me over thai today! not gonna happen. and i'm not giving you advance notice of when it's posted...because that would be cheating.

and for all of you: here's the only hint you're getting: the unveiling is something for all of us...it's not a piece of information...it will be interactive.

now, all of you just TRY to sleep tonight with all the excitement and anticipation!

Attention Blogmunity:

I have a HUGE announcement that will be made on this blog in approximately 48 hours. You won't want to miss this. this is not the kind of announcement you'd want to find out about later. THAT'S WHY I'M GIVING YOU NOTICE! It's going to be a MASSIVE unveiling...so get your blog friends together, and tell them to be ready...cause once it starts it's gonna take off!

consider yourselves warned.

Do your feet hurt? cause you've been striding through my mind all day...

Yesterday was the Strides for Breast Cancer fundraising walk. We're talking 5 miles (don't let Tabitha tell you three...) in the rain no less, and worth every step. It's awesome to be a part of something bigger than yourself and your immediate circle of friends. the atmosphere is positively addicting...thousands of people surround you, all walking for the same thing, all wearing the same shirt (this is the ONLY day of the year that i'm okay with that) and you strike up conversation with complete strangers walking around you. Volunteers and cancer survivors and posted all along the route, cheering you on (and giving a false sense of relief by saying "you're almost there!" when in fact you've got three miles left) and handing you water. It is absolutely awesome.

Fox Force Five was alive and well...a wonderful group of friends that, for two years now, has joined together to partake in this worthy cause. if ever there were fabulous people to trudge through five miles of rain with...it was the FFF's. they were five of the funniest and most entertaining miles of my life. if only i could get these folks three times a week for such a grand workout! Many thanks and all my gratitude and respect to the members of FFF...and our fearless leader Tabitha.

and now a challenge, dear reader...find a cause and invest yourself. there is something so vital and exhilerating about being part of something so much bigger...being surrounded by masses of people from all walks (pun not intended, but amusing nonetheless) of life. It's an experience that can't be faked and shouldn't be missed. You're invited to join the FFF's next year if you like. And if you find something great, let me know...i'm kinda hooked on this stuff!

I'm back!

and so my dear friends, i have returned from my blog hiatus. it was a lovely vacation, full of frozen drinks and afternoons on the beach. hope you haven't forgotten me already! I'm back with fresh perspective, pretty new template, a fantastic grouping of photos and drawings, newer jokes and a more concrete view of all things Breanna.

Sometimes you just need a break, you know?

Glad to be home.