Monday, August 30

2 out of the 3

I have to laugh about my job sometimes . . . one of them being I personally interact with Mr Hardy quite often through my line of work.  To see him on the Today Show with Sandra (who I've ran into before as well) and Matt makes me giddy. The segment is being played by the celebrity-covering media as Bullock’s first TV interview since splitting from wayward husband Jesse James, but good for Bullock for trading herself as an interview “get” by parlaying it into attention for Easton and New Orleans’ recovery.

Friday, August 27

Preseason - Week 3


Friday, August 27, 2010, 7:00PM CDT
SAINTS vs San Diego Chargers 

Thursday, August 26

# 13


13. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity
 
I've started work on My Someday List and first up is #13.  I've been wanting to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity since my university days and I'm not sure why I haven't done this sooner.  I signed up for the Saturday of October 2nd to help build a Habitat Home.  I'm excited! More info to come . . .

Wednesday, August 25

Ta-Da List


Yesterday I posted my Life's To-Do List, but while working on that . . . I realized I've already completed a lot of goals that would have been on that list years ago and some goals that wouldn't have been on my list to being with if I had not meet some truly wonderful people along the way who pushed me in the right direction.  Thus, I'm honored I got to share some of these tasks with friends and family, I'm blessed I was able to accomplish so many amazing pursuits all before my current age, and I hoping that remembering these accomplishments (I know I'm forgetting a bunch as well) really do shine a light on better and brighter things to come. 

My Ta-Da List 
(aka Johanna's Completed Life Goals)

  1. Had my palms read
  2. Rode a gondola in Venice
  3. Went on a tropical vacation
  4. Visited California's wine country 
  5. Shook hands with a celebrity
  6. Faced my fear of heights by rock-climbing
  7. Went upside down on a roller-coaster
  8. Walked under the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel
  9. Visited all but one Disneyland Park
  10. Experienced an earthquake
  11.  Walked around Pompei
  12. Swam in the ocean at night
  13. Became debt free
  14. Went white water rafting
  15. Went all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower
  16. Scuba dived
  17. Flew first class
  18. Became a member of a TV audience
  19. Rode the NYC Subway, the London Tube, and the Paris & Tokyo Metro
  20. Went pub crawling
  21. Saw the Mona Lisa in person
  22. Visited Hawaii
  23. Went whale watching
  24. Climbed Mount Fuji
  25. Stayed awake for 24 hours straight
  26. Rode the cable cars in San Francisco
  27. Walked the Great Wall of China
  28.  Saw the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  29.  Went on a cruise
  30.  Traveled beneath the Equator Line
  31. Backpacked in another country
  32. Rode an elephant
  33. Watched cherry blossoms in Japan
  34. Visited Graceland
  35. Enjoyed the beauty of the geyser Ole Faithful
  36. Saw the Statue of Liberty
  37.  Skipped school
  38.  Attended a rock concert in another country
  39. Toured Anne Frank's house
  40.  Witnessed the birth of kittens
  41. Showered in a waterfall
  42. Found a dinosaur bone 
  43. Attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans
  44. Took a cooking class
  45. Lived by the ocean
  46. Got a tattoo
  47. Found someone with the same name
  48. Experienced pampering at a spa
  49. Watched the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace
  50. Went water cave exploring
  51. Hit bulls-eye on a dartboard
  52. Visited a castle in England
  53. Saw the pyramid of Chichen Itza
  54.  Lived in a big city and a small town
  55. Created a personal website
  56.  Drove a convertible with the top down
  57.  Swam with a whale shark
  58. Galloped a horse along the beach
  59. Rode on the Trans-Siberian Railway
  60. Lived through 4 full seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter
  61. Watched an NBA game live
  62. Had my portrait sketched
  63. Went to a Renaissance Festival
  64.  Represented my country aboard
  65. Began a new life in a new town and country
  66.  Rode on a hot air balloon
  67.  Drove across the Golden Gate Bridge
  68. Saw the Tera Cotta Warriors
  69. Been to both Canada and Mexico
  70. Dyed my own hair
  71. Spent a whole day reading a great novel
  72. Learned how to use a microphone and gave a public speech
  73. Gone on a blind date
  74. Performed on stage
  75. Communicated with someone without sharing the same language
  76. Gone to a drive-in theater
  77. Watched the sunrise with someone
  78. Changed my own flat tire
  79. Taught abroad
  80. Traveled by train overnight
  81. Went Canyoning
  82.  Toured Alcatraz
  83. Visited Pearl Harbor
  84.  Lived alone
  85. Watched a lighting storm at sea
  86. Saw Venus de Milo in person
  87. Rode a camel in the desert
  88. Learned to play a musical instrument
  89. Spent New Year's Eve in an exotic location
  90. Made a complete and utter fool of myself
  91. Buried a time capsule
  92. Survived a second degree burn
  93. Spent a night at the opera
  94. Had tailored clothing made for myself
  95. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
  96. Been heartbroken
  97. Had my picture in the newspaper
  98. Made my own soba noodles
  99. Planted a tree
  100. Saw other great sites like Big Ben, Tower of Pisa, and the Coliseum in Rome

Tuesday, August 24

My Someday List

Lately, I feel that I've been living my life in automated mood, repeating the same activities daily with no conscious control over them. I drone through the weekdays, looking forward to Fridays and weekends, where I hope to recharge myself for yet another dead week ahead. It's horrible when you realize this cycle continues week after week, with no end in sight. As of today, I no longer wish to repeat said cycle, since I'm not a happy camper and I'm feeling a bit lost. I've always been one of those people that has had a plan and direction, which kept me on track with achieving my goals. Now, for the first time ever, I feel I have no idea what I want to do with my life. Thus, I'm attempting to stop sulking about it and give myself some direction again by creating my Someday To-Do List. I've decided to post the full list online (in no particular order) to create some type of accountability and as a constant reference to encourage me along the way. I have always been a keen maker of To-Do Lists even from when I was a kid and so the idea of having this mammoth To-Do List is right up my alley, plus they say Life lists are one of the best ways to plumb the depths of the human psyche . . . so maybe you'll learn a little about me as well. :)
JOHANNA'S
SOMEDAY LIST
  1. Cage dive with a great white shark
  2. Ride a motorcycle
  3. Learn to make really good homemade cheese ( 1st attempt: Partially Completed 06/11/11 )
  4. Visit the Disneyland Park in Paris, France
  5. Feel and look physically fit / Weigh within my ideal body range
  6.  Take a USA road trip / Leisurely drive across the country
  7. Take a wine tasting class ( Completed 12/04/10 ) ( Completed 03/29/12 - French Wine )
  8. Go on a Mother-Daughter vacation
  9. Resign from a job I dislike (i.e. does not give me a sense of accomplishment)
  10. Take up English longbow archery
  11. Brew my own beer
  12. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity ( Completed 10/02/10 )
  13. Visit a psychic and have my tea leaves read ( Palm Read in Hong Kong 2007 ) ( Completed 08/20/11 )
  14. Fall madly in love and be loved back
  15. Explore my spirituality
  16. Learn how to take a compliment well
  17. Snowboard the Swiss Alps / Try snow-shoeing
  18. Get happily married
  19. Remain debt free
  20. Attend at least one major sporting event (Super Bowl, World Series, Olympics, etc.)
  21. See the statues of Easter Island or tour Taj Mihal 
  22. Volunteer at a soup kitchen / Give money to a charity close to my heart
  23. Be a mom / Enjoy parenthood
  24. Learn about sailing boats
  25. Try out vegetarianism / veganism ( Completed 03/01/12 )
  26. Laugh more
  27. Save up three months of salary for emergencies
  28. Spend a summer on "vacation"
  29. Find a job I love (i.e. gives me a sense of fulfillment)
  30. Learn about aging gracefully
  31. Attend a movie premiere or be an extra in a movie
  32. Visit Jane Austen's house museum in Chawton
  33. Stomp grapes at a wine vineyard
  34. Sleep in the wild under the stars
  35. Rent a car and drive around New Zealand
  36. Sleep in an igloo / ice hotel
  37. Professionally ask for a raise at work
  38. See an active volcano / hot lava up close
  39. Re-visit travel locations I saw in my youth again as an adult (ex. Grand Canyon)
  40. Own a house
  41. Earn a Master's Degree
  42. Visit the White House / Become serious about politics
  43. See the Northern Lights ( Aurora Borealis )
  44. Give a heartfelt surprise to someone
  45. Discover true joy
  46. Build a family tree with photos
  47. Join a social etiquette class and further refine my mannerisms
  48. Go on a romantic getaway
  49. Have a beer at Oktoberfest in Germany
  50. See a Broadway show on Broadway
  51. Strengthen my long-distance relationships
  52. Learn to drive a stick (manually)
  53. Go on a meditation retreat within a Buddhist temple
  54. Kiss under the Bridge of Sighs ( I will go back one day : 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 )
  55. Drive the Autobahn
  56. Have enough money to be able to finance my life goals / Get serious about my retirement
  57. Ride on a Mardi Gras float
  58. Plan a vacation with my girlfriends ( Completed New York 1, 2, 3, & 4 with Grace )
  59. Visit the highlands of Scotland ( Completed 05/19/11 )
  60. Go to Carnival at Rio de Janeiro / Experience La Tomatina in Spain
  61. Begin my own business doing something I love (maybe related to books!)
  62. Find someone who inspires me and thank them
  63. Be in Ireland for St. Patrick's Day
  64. Visit the pyramids of Egypt
  65. Tour the Top Ten art museums in the US
  66. Learn how to change my car's oil by myself
  67. Rent an isolated log cabin surrounded by snow
  68. Go one week without electronics (TV, radio, iPods, computers, cars, etc.)
  69. Cruise the Mediterranean Sea
  70. Take a ballroom dancing class
  71. Go on an African Safari and site the Big 5
  72. Obtain VIP access to a Chocolate Festival
  73. Visit Alaska and touch an iceberg
  74. Continue to practice my Japanese
  75. Do something out of character (ex. go on a spontaneous trip where I plan nothing beforehand)
  76. Teach myself to bar-tend classic cocktails / go to a bar and buy everyone a shot
  77. Take a photo for everyday of the year
  78. Clean out all my closets and donate unwanted clothing ( Completed 06/12/11 )
  79. Be a better person / Say "You're Welcome" more when someone thanks me

Saturday, August 21

An American Heiress

At 104, Mysterious Heiress is Alone Now

As Huguette Clark, the daughter who inherited millions from her disgraced former U.S. senator father, marked her 104th birthday in an ordinary hospital room in New York, there are now new glimpses into the life of this reclusive heiress.

This article was fasinating!!!

PreSeason Game # 2

Saints vs. Houston Texans
Saturday, Aug 21 2010
7:00 PM (CST)

Friday, August 20

Friday Funny : Kawaii Not


If you don't know, "Kawaii" means "Cute" in Japanese!

Thursday, August 19

If Historical Events had Facebook Statuses

I don't even use Facebook, but this was too funny not to share. 
See more HERE

Wednesday, August 18

Have you seen this?

Pure Awesomness!
I bought a 20 oz. Coke Zero to go with my lunch the other day and lo' and behold it was all decked out for the SAINTS.

Tuesday, August 17

Monday, August 16

The Kupcake Factory

Some friends came over to my place last weekend and brought some cupcakes from a local store, The Kupcake Factory.  Made from scratch daily, The Kupcake Factory's scrumptious gourmet cupcakes aim to please. They use only the highest quality ingredients, including European chocolates and real creamery butter. They mix in lots of care and love to create a flavorful, personal gourmet cupcake treat to enjoy. They offer a revolving menu of 30 cupcake flavors, and endless frostings and combinations. Mmmmm . . . the decadence!!!



Flavors we tried
  • Reeses Pieces Gourmet Cupcake
Brownie chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting rolled in reeses pieces candy bits

  • Mint Chocolate Chip Gourmet Cupcake
Chocolate cake with baked in mint chips and a vanilla buttercream frosting topped with more mint chocolate chips.

  • Pina Colada Gourmet Cupcake
A pineapple cake with a rum/coconut cream cheese frosting

  • Chocolate Deluxe Gourmet Cupcake
Chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream frosting


Yummy!

Flavors I want to try in the future . . . 

Pumpkin Gourmet Cupcake: Spiced pumpkin cake with cinnamon pumpkin cream cheese frosting

Lemon Coconut Gourmet Cupcake: White cake with lemon cream cheese frosting covered with coconut flakes

Fat Elvis Gourmet Cupcake: Banana cake with a nutty peanut butter frosting... just what the King ordered!

Sunday, August 15

2010 NFL Kickoff Game Special

NBC/NFL Network special on Sept. 9, 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET
precedes the 2010 NFL Kickoff game: Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints

It's time to get Back To Football as the NFL begins its 91st season with a celebration in its special pregame show, "NFL Opening Kickoff 2010 Presented by EA Sports" -- 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Sept. 9. Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift are scheduled to perform.

There will be simulcast coverage of the 60-minute pregame show which will air from 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network. The live pregame broadcast will also be available via NFL Mobile only from Verizon.

The show leads into the season opener between the Saints and the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome (NBC, Westwood One Radio Sports, 8:30 p.m. ET).

The NBC show will feature performances by Grammy Award-winning artists Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band, and will be broadcast live from Jackson Square.  This is the seventh consecutive year the NFL has saluted the Super Bowl champions with the opening game in their stadium on a Thursday in primetime.

Saturday, August 14

NOLA Potholes

A giant dip in the road in the 4200 block of St. Peter Street has earned the nickname "Grand Canyon" from area residents.
Bumpy streets are so commonplace in New Orleans that residents have taken some extreme measures to draw attention to particularly bothersome potholes.
There was the birthday party that eastern New Orleans residents threw for a 5-foot-wide crevice on Cannes Street. They had cake, balloons and a "Happy Birthday, Pothole" sign.
A pothole on French Street near the intersection of Memphis Street is filled with oyster shells and a sign wishing potholes across the city Happy New Year 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. . .
Then there was the Broadmoor couple who turned a 2-foot-deep, 8-foot-wide gash in the pavement post-Katrina into the Broadmoor Green Space Migratory Bird Refuge and Wetlands Reclamation Project. The preserve included plastic flamingos, toy boats and a guest book signed by passers-by.
 
The sense of humor and whimsy is admirable. But crumbling roads, sewers and public buildings are a negative force on our quality of life and the city's economic vibrancy.

Witness the real New Orleans 'Mystery Cavern' pothole, behold links galore, then visit the gift shop.

New Orleans, at age 292, has far more creaky infrastructure than any agency can afford to fix, according to a new report from the Bureau of Governmental Research. "The Price of Civilization" defines the problem in detail, although researchers say their tally of capital needs is not complete. read more . . .

Friday, August 13

Thursday, August 12

And it begins . . .

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. EDT

The defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints open the preseason away from home against the Patriots in Gillette Staidum.




My drive into work this morning . . .

Strong thunderstorms associated with the downgraded Tropical Depression 5 have prompted flash floods. Residents of affected communities should expect small creaks and streams, highways, streets, underpasses, drainage areas and low-lying spots to flood.


Wednesday, August 11

It's those dog cat days of Summer!

Sunday, August 8

Sunday DIY Craft : Terrarium


The bringing of the art of the terrarium is generally credited with a man called Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward. This came about with the publishing of his book called "On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases" which he published in 1842.

During the Victorian Era and predominantly in England terrariums or "Wardian Cases" became very popular and many people kept them in their homes. But over the course of decades the practice fell in decline and in todays world they have made a bit of a comeback but have never reached the every day popularity that they had achieved in the days of Ward.

So . . .  if you don't know, a terrarium is a mini indoor garden that requires low maintenance and is therefore perfect for people that don't have the time to take care of them - that's ME!

1. Gather your supplies.
  • a clear glass container
  • gravel / river rocks
  • activated charcoal
  • potting soil
  • plants
 








2. Clean the glass container.
Wash it well with soapy water and rinse it completely to remove any soapy residue.















 
3. Pour a 1-inch layer of gravel on the bottom.
This will provide better drainage. You can use a funnel or a cone of paper to guide the gravel so it does not harm the sides of the container.
















4. Pour in a half-inch layer of activated charcoal.
The charcoal filters the air and helps to prevent odors in an enclosed environment.





















5.  Add a 2-3 inch layer of potting soil and pack it down loosely.





















6.  Take the plants out of their pots and tease the roots gently apart, removing the excess soil.





















7. Arrange the plants in any way you like.
Remember that the plants will grow, so choose small ones and leave some space between them.





















8. Water your plants lightly
Use a watering can that has a long spout so as to water directly at the roots of your plants.
Voila! Enjoy!