{Bring on the sugar.}

The house next to me assumed new ownership a few weeks ago.

At first, I was extremely skeptical about the folks living next door. They left a lot of junk lying in the yard, similar to the rental property across the street. As a homeowner the past three years, I’ve become very aware of those living around me.

However, my mind has been changed.

Their backyard, complete with new plants, mulch and a concrete bench, has changed my mind. They’ve installed outdoor lights lining the front porch and an American flag hangs from the house.

NBA OR NFL?

36 have been accused of spousal abuse

7 have been arrested for fraud

19 have been accused of writing bad checks

117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses

3 have done time for assault

71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit

14 have been arrested on drug-related charges

8 have been arrested for shoplifting

21 currently are defendants in lawsuits, and

84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

So, is this the NBA or NFL?

Neither, it’s the 535 members of the United States Congress.

If you accomplish just one task during the next seven days, make sure it’s purchasing a bottle of Orange Blossom Honey hand soap by the Savannah Bee Company.

It’s from a new line of products at Bath and Body Works that smell warm, heavy, sweet and delicious.

Here’s a photo of my sister, Katie, who lives in Anaheim, Calif., and who I miss something awful.

Could any of these prototypes come true?

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1990347

{Thanks to KFAB Matt for sending this gem my way.}

I had the sublime pleasure of hearing Steve Wozniak speak today at a technology symposium sponsored by Cox Communications, my employer du jour.

Woz, co-founder of Apple Computer, discussed his life as then versus now, working with Steve Jobs on the very first Macintosh computer and how his life has changed since then.

Someone in the audience, during the Q&A session, asked the Great and Powerful Woz to share his thoughts on maintaining one’s privacy in a very public world.

Woz’s answer was one I wasn’t expecting: That by sharing his life online — whether it be through emails, IMs, blogs, etc. — he is allowed to live a more honest and truthful life. Woz says he has nothing to hide, and I respect that.

That’s part of the reason I maintain this very blog. Having a blog allows me to remain accountable, to a certain degree, for the life I’m living today.

So the city is so green with spring, it makes me craving sunshine like no other.

It seems like my yard turned a gorgeous shade of green overnight. And I love it!!!

It happened at 40th and Dodge this afternoon, inside Bruegger’s Bagels.

It was a gorgeous Tuesday afternoon, so I felt like taking a trip east for lunch.

I walk into Bruegger’s to order my lunch: a whole grain bagel with cream cheese, turkey and tomato.

I slide the brown plastic basket across the counter to pay when I’m greeted by the Creepy Guy Behind The Counter.

Him: “Hi there. Thanks for stopping in.” Pauses to look at my chest. “Love the brooch. I love cherries.”

Me: “Thanks; got it off eBay.”

Him: Gives me a creepy look and smiles. Pauses. Smiles again. “Thanks for stopping in. You made my day.”

Me: “Um, thanks.” I’m thinking: Walk away from the counter as quickly as possible.

No. 245: Never cut what can be untied.
{From “Life’s Little Instruction Book” by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.}

That’s why for the past several weeks, I’ve slowly untied my relationship with Matthew.

After 2-1/2 years together, we are calling it quits.

You can’t simply sever so many moments with a quick slice of the scissors.

The beginning of the end began a few weeks ago, with an emotional conversation about what he wanted and what I could provide, what we hoped our futures to be and how, ultimately, those portraits conveyed such strikingly different images.

Three weeks later, the decision truly is mutual.

What happens next is anyone’s guess, but I know this decision is the best for both of us right now.

I can only anticipate the personal growth that will follow in its wake.

Which is why what a “California” friend told me makes so much more sense today: Be happy in every situation. Don’t just focus on what you wish you had or what you wish would happen to you. Take every moment and make it worth everything in the world. Never miss a moment. This is not a game.