Vacation

Hello All!

Sorry for the missed week of blog but I was in Maui! It was a beautiful trip, a little tiring but a lot of fun. I didn't get to snuba like we did when we were there last time, or to zipline as recommended by mom and dad from their trip, but we did get to see the Arizona Memorial and a lot of the island of Oahu. Beautiful!

USS Arizona Memorial, Oahu, HI

USS Bowfin, Oahu, HI

Beautiful Oahu Scenery

View of Oahu

Road to Hana Waterfall

We also did the Road to Hana tour this time and saw more of the island of Maui then last time.

Road to Hana at the Grave Site of Charles Lindberg

Road to Hana Ocean View

Marc also took part in a deep sea fishing expedition where he caught the biggest Mahi Mahi of the day at about 25 lbs. 

And we went Surfing and Parasailing. All in all, it was a wonderful time. 

Now back to reality! Back to work :P I'm so tired of being there. But as my wonderful mom reminded me, in the words of Dori... Just Keep Swimming!

And... school started today. I have two classes this semester that I have to survive and pass with my sanity and I will be able to graduate in December!! I'm not sure what my path holds after I receive my Bachelor's degree but I can't wait to move on to the next step in my life. 

Like my brother! His first child was born last Monday, August 16, 2010! Elias Cruz Salazar weighed 6 lbs, 9 ounces and 18 3/4 inches. I finally got to hold him today and he's a squirmy little worm! I can't wait to take part in that little guy's life and be there for my brother how ever I can. 

Life keeps moving so you have to move with it!  But you're never alone because you've always got a friend in me!

Today's TOTD:  "I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum." Frances Willard

Last night, I became one of "them". Who, you ask? An iPhone owner. Yes, I gave in, much to the dismay of some family members who shall remain nameless, believing it to be a folly to give in to the hype. Technically, I wasn't giving in to the hype. I seriously needed a new phone as my beloved blackberry has been freezing mid activity or dying half way through the day after a whole night on the charger. True, I didn't "need" to get an iPhone to replace my ailing phone and I was seriously on the fence about it too, I mean... $200 for a phone? Marc wanted me to trade him and he would get the new iPhone and I would get his 3GS. (Yes, now he totally has phone envy). Then oddly "fate" intervened. Having gone grudgingly up to Blackhawk with my mother-in-law (I say grudgingly because I think gambling is pointless and boring... at least for a non-risk taking gambler like me) we actually won $200. Who am I to ignore fate? Yes I jest because certainly that money could have been used on far better things... stuff for my nephew coming next week, groceries, gas, etc. But I gave in. Now I have this phone, for better or worse!

Subsequently, I thought that there must be an "app" for Blogger so that I can automatically update my blog from my phone should I find myself without a computer (tragic... I know). However, there is not a Blogger app! I was somewhat irritated at this revelation. There are other blog apps and a couple that allow you to manage several blogs that include Blogger but not an app specifically for Blogger! Ah well, guess you can't do everything with an iPhone.  :)

So we'll see how I fare with this technological "wonder" over the length of my ownership. I shall keep you posted! :)

Thought of the Day

Each morning when I get to work I go on the web and search several "quote" or "thought of the day" websites in search of an inspiring thought of the day (TOTD for short) to send to my family. It is usually relevant to my feelings of the day and usually reflects my need for inspiration or a different attitude toward the coming day.

Today's TOTD comes from the Greek playwright Euripides. 

"The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man" 

To me, there is a lot to gain from these words. The most obvious is to take it in its literal sense. There are powers all around us that affect the outcomes of our lies but there are also powers within us that are meant to counter those that surround us. Our inner power has the ability to affect the world just as much as the world can affect us. If we realize that we are as powerful as the outward forces, we can live more effectively than if we feel that we are merely pawns in the game of life.

Fate is real but it is not a static entity that leads opportunities to us. I have another quote to explain this, it is from one of my favorite movies "Ever After". The character of Leonardo da Vinci tells Prince Henry "you can't leave everything to fate boy! She's got a lot to do!" 

Today's thought of the day I picked as a reminder to myself. I have just as much power over my life as the events surrounding me. I just have to learn to use that power to best affect my world and my life.

What do you get from it?