Rachel's Challenge

Have you ever been a bully to someone? Have you ever been bullied yourself?  A few months ago I did a post about bullying and how much I just hate it.  I would like to be involved in an anti-bullying program but in all honesty I haven't made time to find one.  When I heard Rachel's Challenge was coming to Broken Arrow, I knew I had to check it out.  

This past Monday I attended a community forum called Rachel's Challenge.  It's a program lead by Daryl Scott, the father of the first person killed at Columbine High School.  His daughter Rachel Scott was sitting outside during lunch at Columbine and was shot as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold made their way into the school that day.  I had just turned 18 and was a senior in high school when this horrible incident took place on April 20, 1999.    I came home for lunch that day and turned the t.v. on.  All the channels kept showing these kids running from a school and it terrified me.  I had no idea what was going on or where this was happening.  I read the news as it scrolled across the bottom of the screen and I instantly felt so scared for everyone in that school.

As more news started surfacing of what was happening and why, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Eric and Dylan.  I'm not saying what they did was justified or that they had the right to.  They did not.  It was not right what they did taking people from their families.  It was made known that they were victims of bullying and return bullied people themselves.  My heart just felt heavy for them and their families and it still does.  I was glad in Daryl Scott's presentation that he never once was negative about Eric and Dylan. He simply stated that they were the shooters.

The presentation focused mostly on Rachel's life and her journals.  She was constantly writing about how she was going to change the world and wanted so much to spread kindness.  I was so impressed with the things she wrote about at her age.  She just wanted good for people and for people to be good.  There were several times I got chills up my spine with the things she wrote just days and literally minutes before she was killed.

I encourage you look into Rachel's story yourself.  I could go on and on with the things her father shared and stories from people that were changed by her just days before the shootings.  Rachel's brother, who witnessed two of his friends lose their life's that day, also is a part of the Rachel's Challenge program and I'm really looking forward to his presentation.  

This girl wanted to change the world and it's up to us to spread kindness and be a link in the chain reaction she hoped for.

"I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same."

              -Rachel Scott

I hope you join the challenge.  You never know who might need a friendly smile one day.  That may just be the day you change their life.

Living In the 80's for 15 Seconds

Happy midweek to everyone! Hope your week has been amazing. My day started out a little sleepy and a little anxious. A month or so ago I went to the dentist for a cleaning and left feeling disgusted with the news that I had seven cavities. Seven! I've always prided myself on having good teeth and now I have SEVEN cavities. I got my first cavity when I was 18 and up until this appointment I had a total of four. Good teeth right? Well, after hitting the big 3-0 my teeth decided to get a little weak I guess.

I hate going to the dentist. I would rather go to the doctor every day of the week and get shots every day than go to the dentist. I'm pretty sure its from this image I have in my head from when I was 5 and went to the dentist. There was this boy screaming at the top of his lungs and flopping his body all around while people tried to hold him down. It scared the crap out of me. I remember the dentist telling me he probably had too much candy.

Now, I know I should keep up with my cleanings every six months like a good girl but I have such fear of going that I tend to postpone.....a lot.

Two weeks ago I had my first appointment to start getting my fillings for the stupid seven cavities in my mouth. I had been nervous all day and a couple of hours before my appointment I started freaking out on the inside. By the time I got to the dentist my nerves were all over the place. I sat in the exam chair and tears began flowing down my face. I kept apologizing for acting like a baby. The dentist's wife (who is also his assistant and) gave me a tissue. Before I could wipe my tears the dentist had already taken care of it with his hand, in the process smearing makeup all over the side of my face. "You have black all over your face now. Sorry." Oh, well!

Needless to say, I acted like a ridiculous grade school kid with all my blubbering.

Today, my friends, was a totally different experience. Today, my friends, I asked for "the gas." Some yum yum tummy fun Nitrous Oxide! You might know it as laughing gas or sweet air. Oh, let me just say it was SWEET! I've never had it before. I've always been too scared to ask for it, like I was asking for something illegal.

I was nervous it wouldn't affect me but about 30 seconds after he put the mask on me.....I was in a whole new place, and it was awesome!

He put the mask on me to get me started as he set up his tools and started talking to his wife. I could feel myself smiling and got nervous that he could see my smile. He might yank the gas if he knows I'm enjoying it. I got nervous. Could they see my stomach? If I take a deep breath and hold it in will they notice? My mind was all over the place. I tried to focus on the overhead music so that I wouldn't go into full on giggles. Some 80's country song was on and for about 15 seconds I thought I was living in the 80's. This stuff is awesome!

I laid there very still and kept my eyes open. I thought if I closed them they would think the gas knocked me out. I read the posters on the ceiling. "Do you want hot dogs for dinner?" the wife asked. Is she asking me over for dinner? Should I answer? "Sure, chilli dogs?" the dentist answered. Oh thank God I didn't answer. That was not an invite. The dentist looked down at me. "What do you like on your hot dogs?" he asked. "Mustard and cheese!" I blurted out excitedly. I was happy to be a part of the conversation.

They continued to work on my teeth and I continued to try to act cool. They have to know I'm having the best time under this mask. I wonder if they have tried this gas? When he started drilling I thought there was a motorcycle in the room. No, you dummy! Get it together! Act cool. He asked me if I was okay and if my hands felt tingly. I tried to lift my hands to check and they felt so heavy yet floating. Why haven't I asked for this before?

His wife and he continued to talk while they hovered over me. It felt like a scene in a movie where someone is waking up with people all around them and they have no idea what is going on. I thought for a second that maybe I should have been an actress.

"We've turned the nitrous off. You should be getting just oxygen now." he told me.

Wait, you mean it's over? I'm all done?

I got up from the chair to rinse out and still felt a little floaty. This was THE BEST visit to the dentist EVER!

I walked out with a lip that felt huge and a reminder card in my hand for my next visit. Or should I say my next afternoon of fun?

;)

Well, Twitter Me Pink

Okaaaaaay, it's happened again. No wait, it happened twice :)

So, I'm a little Twitter obsessed lately. My new goal is to get a celebrity follow. -oh, it's gonna happen-Did I get my picture taken with Jordan Knight when I followed him to his hotel a few years ago? YES! Did I stalk my work parking lot for a year to get a picture with Issac Hanson? YES! Did I follow Steve Guttenberg in Las Vegas at the Wynn Casino to get my picture taken with him? Again, I tell you YES! Bottom line- if I want it bad enough, I'm gonna get it!

We all know the story of when Lauren Conrad's website The Beauty Department tweeted me and who can forget when the precious Fred Savage answered my question. These were big moments for me and they just keep coming.

Last week Josh Saviano totally answered my question! Who's Josh Saviano you ask? Well it's the one and only Paul Pfeiffer from The Wonder Years. AKA-the guy who everyone thought was in Marilyn Manson but it was totally not him. Want to know why The Wonder Years isn't out on DVD yet? Read on.

This was our conversation.....

joshsaviano-Up to 600 followers-closer to 4 digits! Welcome new followers. What do you want me to tweet about?

allrowelledup-Is The Wonder Years out on DVD yet?

joshsaviano-No, sadly it's not-I've heard the music rights is the holdup. So much great music but no sync right

Yeah, that's a true conversation between me and him. And that's how you get an answer to one of the most asked questions.

2nd celebrity tweet encounter.....

Whoa!!! Joey Lawrence and I had a moment as well. Who doesn't have brotherly love for the Lawrence brothers? I know I do! Our words were short but at the end of the day, there were still words.

joeylawrence-#IWishTheyWouldBringBack MTV! The real MTV that played hours of awesome videos w/kick ass VJ', & spring break @the beach house etc.

allrowelledup-There's nothing my love can't fix for you baby! Let's bring that video back! :)

joeylawrence-agreed!!!!! Xoxo

Sooooooo, this is my exciting news for the week. You will be the first to know when I get my celebrity follow.

I'm VERY bummed that I couldn't find my Steve Guttenberg picture BUT I will and as soon as I do it's gonna be ALL OVER this place :)

Mr. Jordan Knight

Tulsa's own Issac Hanson

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Shop ‘til you drop

Okay Oklahoma girls! I’ve gone and done some homework for you.  Mr. Rowell and I met up with my cousin Kaycee this weekend in Oklahoma City to check out the new outlet mall that opened last weekend.  If there’s one thing you should know about me it’s that I don’t like to pay full price for clothing and accessories and what not.  I like me a good ol’ deal.  Ross? Goodwill? Wal*Mart? Yeah, I shop there.  I just have a hard time paying full price for something that is going to go on sale eventually and if it doesn’t then I just didn’t need it that bad.  If I spy something that I just ABSOLUTELY cannot live without and its not on sale, it’s possible I might break down and get it.  This occasion is rare.

I looked up several definitions of the word Outlet Mall and every one of them said something along the line about it being a place for discounted or reduced prices.  Maybe I don’t know my prices on items like I think I do but I was very disappointed in my shopping. I did not see any really awesome deals.  We went with a set amount of money each of us could spend so that we didn’t have to talk it over with each other if we could buy something.  If we wanted to spend our whole wad of money on one thing or one several small things, it was our choice.  We had money. We were ready to shop!

Now, let me tell you a little something about my husband.  He’s the spender of the family.  Always wanting something.  I have learned my lesson the hard way about giving in to his “must haves” even when he doesn’t need it and will never use it.  I’m a much smarter woman in our fourth year of marriage J  Do you know what he spent his money on? An egg poacher.  Yep! A little $3.99 egg poacher.  That’s it! So you know that shopping was not up to par if that is all this man left with.

Me? I didn’t really find anything either.  If I look at the tag and it’s the same price as the store in my own town I’m not buying it! I did find me some new tennis shoes (my butt has GOT to step it up in the gym! If I want a cute Halloween outfit I need to get serious) and I bought a new purse.  I’ve been wanting a small shoulder strap purse for awhile so I got me one!

The mall itself was nice.  I like that in some places the walkway was covered so the sun wasn’t beating down on us.  I thought it was pretty and modern looking.  I would like to tell you since everything was new that the stores were in immaculate condition.  But I can’t.  The bathrooms were horrible! I might as well have used an RV bathroom.  There was crap (literally) all over the toilet and obviously that created that smell that I feared would attach to my clothes.  Several of the stores smelled like wood and feet and had no air conditioning.  Food court? Do you want to know about the Food Court ?  You have 3 choices so I hope you are hungry for one of them.  And ya know what? I can’t even tell you what your options are because we didn’t hang around that long. It was hot in there and we weren’t waiting in the lines for “mall” food.

I was told this woman carrying the kid rolled her eyes at me when I took this picture.  I'm guessing she's not a blogger. If so she would know that to be a good blogger you have to have pictures.

Hope you don’t think im hating on the new outlet mall.  If I have to rate it from 1-10 I give it a 4.  Maybe you will have a better experience than I did. 

All in all I had a really good time in Oklahoma City .  It was nice to get out of town for a little bit and spend the day with my cousin.  She’s about to start back up in law school so I don’t know how often I will get to see her.  Highlight of the day = a cute guy gave her his phone number.  It made me smile J  Highlight of the weekend  = Halloween decorations are out and about.  Makes me happy to no end! I want Fall, I need Fall. 

Oh, aaaaaaand we stained the back porch that we just built and got a new shed for the back yard.  We had a pretty powerful storm roll through here last week and it managed to destroy our shed and we lost a couch cushion.  I really want that couch cushion back and trust me, I went looking for it, but some of our neighbors were missing shingles and their garage doors were all caved in and trampolines were straddling fences so I don’t really have much to complain about. Just a couch cushion.  So we were blessed that we didn’t have more damage.  Did I mention that we JUST bought the patio furniture?  Oh, well. I’ll live J 

Please ignore my missing cushion :)

Oh, aaaaaaand I totally forgot to mention that we went to PBR -Professional Bull Riding.  It was a lot of fun and we got to sit in the suite.  It was good to see my boy Robson.  He didn't ride but he still looked beautiful!

I couldn't find my pictures from last year so this is from two years ago.

This is my boy Robson.

He's from Brazil and I don't think he understands half of the things I say but he is always nice enough to hang out with my sister and I when he sees us.

Okay, I think I'm done now!

Excuse much, rude or anything?

I like to pride myself on being a nice person. A really nice person. I think if people were told to say one word describing me it would be "nice". Well, not today. Today I took a step down and become "rude".

Before I begin my story just let me say that it was out of my control. I tried to get ahold of myself, I really did. But when I get tickled about something there is no controlling the laughter that comes out of me. No control!

I'm sure my aunts and uncles thought all of us kids were a-holes growing up because we ALWAYS laughed during Thanksgiving prayer. There was no way around it. Before the heads were bowed my siblings and cousins and I might take one last look at each other knowing what was about to happen and wondering who would be the first to crack. Once one of us started giggling, it was down hill from there. Let me just add that it didn't stop as we got older. It still happens and yep, it happened today.

I can't give too much detail about the story cause I don't want to embarrass anyone but here it goes.....

I was asked to sit in on a meeting today. A meeting where someone (lets call them Snoopy) was getting in trouble for something. I hate these sort of meetings but with my position at work, that's just part of the job. Believe me, I find NO pleasure in it whatsoever. Even though I'm not the one dishing out the punishment, I'm still guilty cause I'm there.

So there I am sitting next to Snoopy doing my very best to focus on the floor and not find anything funny. Nothing was even funny about the situation. Nothing. I should be serious, professional and respectful. Instead I was rude, disrespectful and childish. But I just couldn't help it.

A good 4-5 minutes goes by and I finally decide to look at Snoopy. Big mistake. My eyes immediately focused on a piece of orange food on their chest. My stomach got hot and my throat began to close. Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Be professional. I focused on the carpet and bit the inside of my mouth. I know the other person in the room had to have seen the food and that's what really got me tickled. How are they not busting out laughing? Lord knows I was doing everything I could to keep it together. All was well until Snoopy noticed this piece of food...yanked it off their shirt...and ate it.  The other person in the room said, "did you just eat that?"  The silence was broken. I lost it...big time! I tucked my head down as far as I could and tried to stop laughing but the seal was broken. I immediately got up and excused myself, lauhing the whole way out.

I'm such a jerk!

I walked to my desk and did some deep breathing. Get it together. How rude are you? You probably hurt their feelings. It took me about 45 seconds to calm down. I proceeded back to the office and as I was getting ready to walk in, Snoopy walked out. No exchange of words. I walked in to the office and closed the door and tried to apologize for being unprofessional but before I could get out "I'm sorry" I collapsed into the chair and began my uncontrollable laughter. Tears rolling out of my eyes. I finally apologized and made my way to apoligize to Snoopy. But guess what? After tapping Snoopy on the shoulder to say my "I'm sorry's" I lost it again. What kind of creep am I? Straight up laughing in their face. I told them I was sorry, it was very rude of me but it just caught me off guard when they ate it and it tickled me. You know what Snoopy said? "It was a carrot. Apology accepted." Then they turned around.  I immediately took my seat and began my countdown until I could leave.