Chick Flicks

I love chick flicks. I love the actors in chick flicks: Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant,…Patrick Dempsey. I called my daughter after seeing “Made of Honor” and told her I had my photo taken with Patrick Dempsey (above). She got all excited – then I had to fess up. She said, “I always wondered what kind of lamo person would do that – now I know.” My favorite chick flicks of all time are: The Holiday, While You Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, Much Ado About Nothing, Pride and Prejudice (I even liked “Bride” and Prejudice – the Bollywood-style musical version starring Aishwarya Rai), The Devil Wears Prada, Pretty Woman, Bridget Jones, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The American President, Something's Got to Give, My Big Fat Greek Wedding…and, if you really want to go back a few years, how about Pillow Talk? What did I leave out?

EXERCISING

You say "exercise," I say, "wash your mouth!" I run every morning….to the bathroom. I hate anything that even resembles exercise. I get guilted into an exercise class from time to time (the longest was a personal trainer that Jennifer and I went to. She’s been going for years – I lasted four weeks) and I’ve purchased numerous workout tapes (which are still in their shrink wrap) but I’ve never stuck with any program, ever.

I’ve owned a Life Cycle and a tread mill. Probably put in a total of 60 minutes on each then gave them away after about five years collecting dust.

Jennifer talked me into taking a boxing class with her – I even bought red boxing gloves (not pink like most of the sissy ladies – what kind of warrior would wear pink boxing gloves?) But I only lasted about four weeks.

I was determined to get on a walking program. I probably stuck with that longer than anything I’ve ever tried. But quit that too and have no desire to start again.

The last time I went to an aerobics class, I bent, I twisted, I jumped up and down and sweat a ton and by the time I got my leotard on, the class was over.

It is not that I don’t have the time to exercise. I just don’t want to.

So, yeah, summer is here and I'm not in swimsuit shape. So what. Even if I lost 40 pounds nobody would want to see me in a swimsuit anyway.

Yum. Is that chocolate you're eating? I'll have some.

(Anybody know where this fitness center is? Looks like my kind of place.)

Talents

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents you have and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true self appreciated by others.” (from his book, One Bright Shining Hope) .

“Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.” D & C 60:13

Too many people feel that because they can’t play an instrument, or they can’t dance or sing, that they have no talent. I can’t do any of those things but I consider myself very talented. I have a talent for putting others at ease, for being a good listener, for seeing what others need and trying to provide it, for showing my love for others, for being a good friend, etc. There are so many other talents. So, let’s have some fun with this one.

Make a list of all the things you are good at and/or enjoy doing. Could you do it professionally? Would you want to? For instance, I love to arrange flowers. I could be a florist (but would I want to? No). I love to plan parties. I could be a wedding planner (hum, I actually think I'd have fun doing that...unless the bride had her own ideas of what she wanted ... nevermind.) You get the idea.

(I won First Place in my division and a "Special Award" for overall best entry for my floral arrangement and table setting at the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club's Flower Show)