Quote of the Day

This from my Creative Director at work: "If stupid people could fly, we would never see the sun."

So true!

Lets Get Political for a Minute

Background Info: Obama did an interview with Us Weekly (I believe) and has been on the cover twice. McCain started running an ad that says he has celebrity status, but he isn't ready to lead, and shows images of Brittany and Paris, i.e. "Obama is a flake".

Here is my take - As an educated voter, I am not a fan of Obama doing interviews with what are basically glorified tabloids. I feel he is risking cheapening his personal brand. That being said, I also think it is brilliant and am not surprised he did it. Let me tell you why from a political marketing point of view.
Obama's main supporters are young people. Historically, young people are not interested in politics and do not typically vote. He is also courting the lower/working middle class. That is the only way he will win, is if he wins their vote. He didn't do very well with them in the primaries because they all voted for Hillary. He is courting her supporters without using her name so he doesn't have to make her his running mate.
Who reads these tabloids? Young people and lower/working middle class. He is getting his name and family in front of them and saying "I am like you and I understand you". AND he didn't have to spend any of his gazillion campaign dollars to do it!

Obama is not the first politician to court the young vote. Clinton did an open interview with MTV viewers for Rock the Vote. (Does no one remember "I did not inhale" or the boxer or brief question?) Gore campaigned for the Rock the Vote as well. Obama is merely courting the young vote and the middle class vote too.

Do I think it is risky? Oh yeah! It could have definitely blown up in his face. If McCain was smart, he would run youth and middle class focused ads as well. But he is too busy complaining to the people who have already decided to vote for him instead of working on building his base.

Do I think it was smart? So far. Let's just hope his campaign marketers don't get too brave and think they are untouchable. This is about as far as I hope it goes. Otherwise Obama is going to cheapen his brand they have so meticulously crafted.

On a side note - I also agree that it was strange that he went on a European tour. He needed to go to Iraq and Afghanistan to be able to get McCain off his back about not knowing what is going on over there first hand. But a European Tour before you have even been officially deemed the candidate at the DNC party is a little pompous. What do you guys think?

A case of the Mondays

"Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays" is probably the only sentence that suits me right now. I used to just think it was a semi-funny, kinda annoying line from a movie. But, now I realize, I officially have a case of the Mondays.
Mornings are never easy for me. Either are Mondays. But Monday mornings are especially hard for me. I don't think I am unique in this either. Who really likes Monday mornings???
I have been trying to think up a replacement or cure for Monday mornings, and I think I have found it. Let me know what you think...
Monday mornings, we should all agree to just read our emails, not respond, get caught up from the weekend, and not speak. No big meetings or events should start on a Monday, especially in the morning. Nothing should be due. We don't speak unless to tell a funny story. Most importantly, we realize that as pissed of as you are that it is Monday morning, don't be an a*s to people. They are just as pissed as you and it is going to make every situation worse.
If you are a boss, you should try to surprise your employees every now and then on Monday mornings. Send the office flowers, bring in breakfast, give us an early lunch, have lunch brought in, have a movie Monday and rent a stupid movie and let us watch it while we work, buy a new CD for the office, send us itunes credits, send us a "thanks" email.

Everyone has a case of the Mondays - lets just try to get through it the best we can.

Hello Benjamin 4.2

Favorite sport?
To play? Volleyball To watch? Football (college or pro)

Last time you cried?
So we’re gonna get personal, huh??? I think the last time I cried was when I got really sick and couldn’t stop throwing up and the doctor gave me a shot so I would stop puking… I think the fear of the shot was worse than anything!!! I am not scared of needles, I just don’t like shots! And then I cried again when the medicine they gave me made me sicker than I was before I started taking the medicine. So what we have learned about Rachel today is that I cry when I am sick.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Other than I am a sick crybaby??? Um… I am shy. Shocking, right??? It’s true. I have to fight it a lot.

How many times have you been in love?
How many times have I ACTUALLY been in love? Just once. How many times did I think I was in love? Um… 3. Everytime you think you are in love and then it ends and then you find someone else, you realize – I love this person more than the last person, guess I wasn’t really in love. If you can move on from it with out going through total depression first, you probably weren’t in love.

6 Quirky Things About Me

1. I have watched Law and Order enough that I can typically tell you who did it and why with in 5 minutes of watching an episode, no matter how far in it is. And even then, I will almost always still watch it.
2. When I see shoes or clothes that I love in a store, I pet them. I am not sure why, but I realized not too long ago, that I always do it. I am ok with it now.
3. Whether it is true or not, I credit myself with bringing the word "ridunkulous" into popular vernacular. And by popular, I mean they used it on ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning and they were not talking about basketball.
4. I prefer the ocean over the beach because I hate sand. It is probably on my top 5 least favorite things.
5. Most of the foods I dislike and don't eat, I do so because I don't like the texture and not because of the taste.
6. I can't stand to have my nose touched. I personally can blow my nose, but anyone else touching my nose for any reason whatsoever and I just meltdown. I cannot explain it, just don't do it.

I tag Matt (you can put yours in my comments page since you refuse to admit you want a blog!), Duane, and Casey - I know you read this and I think it's funny!

Hello Benjamin Episode #4

What is your sign?
Libra – the scales. My mom thinks it is prefect because I can always see both sides of things and weigh every decision carefully before I make a decision. Lets just be honest, I can be indecisive.

Which kid were you in High school?
I was a hodgepodge, I was the smart/kinda popular kid but I also played volleyball and the violin… so who knows which kid I was in high school! I know I am not the kid who misses high school though! That is for sure!!!

Let’s pretend you are stranded on an island. You are going to be stuck there for 2 years. You can only bring 2 people with you, who would you bring? You can only bring 4 “things” with you, what would they be? Why? Every year the people who put you on the island would send you 2 celebrities to entertain you for 2 days, who would you want to come visit? You have lots of lame ass agricultural type food available to you, but every once in a while, the people who put you on the island would deliver a precooked meal for you, this meal would be the same meal every time, what would you request?
Um, I that is a hard question! Obviously Matt, that is a no brainer. I think my other person would be either Tracy or Blaze or Emily or Kelly. They are all pretty entertaining, and if I am going to be stuck with them for a long time, they better entertain me. Emily! She is a girl scout and would be very handy on the island and not complain about it… Matt and Emily – that’s who I am taking. What I would bring… Bleu and Lola, my dogs. Assuming I have all the basic necessities (food, shelter, bathroom)… my ipod (yes, they do have power to recharged it on my island! This is not Castaway!) and my camera. I want to be able to show everybody the crazy island shenanigans when I get off this freaking island!!! The celebrities I want for 2 days a year 1) Obviously Kathy Griffin! She would just catch me up on all the gossip I have missed and take my stories back to you guys to share so we can all stay updated. I think the other one would be Michael Jordan. Matt really likes him, and he is stuck on a deserted island with 2 girls. I think he could use seeing another guy and talking sports. Matt may pick some other athlete or sports announcer, so really MJ is just a place holder. McDonalds Quarter Pounder with Cheese with fries and a Dr. Pepper, with a side of chicken nuggets!!! If I am eating super healthy organic crap, I want to splurge on junk. And what is better than McDonalds?!?!?

part 2 of this interview coming Monday! Stay tuned. And also, we really love the photo for this episode.

Grown Up

I have recently decided that I don't want to be a grown up. But then I started thinking about it, and I don't want to be a kid again either. For instance:

1. I like to be able to drink alcohol legally
2. I don't miss having a "bed time"
3. I like having my own house
4. I don't miss being threatened to be grounded if I don't clean my room (Matt, don't get any ideas! you are my husband, and there fore cannot ground me.)
5. I miss coming home and someone has cooked for you and the house (with the exception of my room) is cleaned.
6. I love someone else paying the bills
7. I like being able to eat cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I so choose.
8. I hate that if I do that, I now gain weight... boo!
9. I love having a sleepover with a boy every night!
10. And this is the most important, I hate working. Careers are so very overrated!

So what I have discovered, is that it isn't that I don't want to be a grown up anymore, its that I don't want to be a RESPONSIBLE grown up anymore. All those times I made fun of slackers, I apologize! I realize now that I was actually jealous... very, very jealous. Now I just have to figure out a way (other than winning the lottery because that hasn't been working so far) to be a slacker, but still have the money to afford the lifestyle I have become accustomed (or preferably a much better one.) Again, I ask you, why don't I have my own show?!

Dirty Diapers

My new car smells like dirty diaper. Hooked? Intrigued? I thought you would be! So here is why...
For the 4th of July weekend, Matt and I drove to Memphis to visit his parents. Matt's mom got a new car, so gave us her old one. It is SUPER old, but nice and I will with a happy face drive it because it is nicer than our other cars and hopefully will get us through this year so we can buy a new(er) hybid next year. The weekend was fun, apparently there are lots of mosquitoes and chiggers in Memphis because I literally am covered in bites. But it was fun.
Because we got a new car, Matt and I had to drive separately, and decided to separate the dogs as well. Since I got to drive our new car (hooray!) I had to ride with Bleu (boo!). Matt's stomach didn't feel too great, but he took some medicine and we decided to push through. We were about 45 minutes into the ride and Bleu started acting funny, so I figured he needed to go potty. So we stoped and walked the dogs and he doesn't really do anything. So we load them back up and hit the road.
About another hour and a half goes by and my stomach starts to feel bad. So we pull in at the next exit so I can go to the bathroom. We walk the dogs. No real business done. Matt and I decide it looks like it might rain, so we will eat lunch here and see if the rain passes while we eat.

We get back on the road and about 20 minutes back on the road, and it starts to pour. No big deal. Well then Bleu starts getting super super anxious... Whining, can't sit still, annoying. But what else is new? I just assume it is because it is raining and he can't see Matt's car. Can't sit still, can't sit still, whining, more whining.
Silence.
I think I smell something. I look in my rear view mirror and Bleu is literally taking the biggest dump I have ever seen in the back seat of my new car!! So I call Matt. The only thing that I can get to come out of my mouth is "shit! Shit in the back seat!!" I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this point. I think I start doing both, while dry heaving at the same time. Because it is raining, I can't really speed, or roll down my window. But we finally get to an exit (15 minutes later!) and there is NOTHING there.

We pulled over in someone's driveway, in the rain, in the mud, and tried to get as much of the shit out of the seat as possible. Then we both puked... Awesome. So we get back in the car to go to the next exit to find something to clean it more and take care of the smell. This exit is about another 10 minutes away. FINALLY we get there and I run to the bathroom and Matt walks Bleu. Still no business, but that is not surprising because it is all in the back seat of my car. So then Matt goes in to get something to clean the car and comes back with an air freshener and baby wipes.

Flash back to Ivory, Matt's dad, giving Bleu endless amounts of bar-b-q and ribs, and I say "Give him as much as you want, but I am sending you the cleaning bill when he shits in my car. HAHAH". I always thought I was psychic, but I had no idea I really and truly was!

Note for future reference - cleaning poop with baby wipes equals the smell of a dirty diaper.

So I drove the rest of the 3.5 hours back to Tulsa with a quiet dog (although I am pretty sure he was laughing to himself) in a new car that smells like dirty diaper.

Happy Birthday America!