Sunday Funnies. ::: Financial Advisor. :::

Happy Sunday Funnies, everyone!

Today I present an actual Comic Strip from the one and only Zits Cartoon. I have loved Zits since it first appeared in the Sunday paper. Back then, I probably associated with Jeremy, the teenage boy in the cartoon. These days, and this day in particular, I side with his parents.

Why you ask? Well, because this week, I did exactly what Jeremy's mom, Connie, and his father, Walter ("Walt" to those of us who know them well), did. I met with a financial advisor*. A friend had actually suggested this meeting years ago and I was absolutely certain I didn't need it. More than that, I was terrified. What if this person looked at my finances and said "You are screwed." I've watched enough Suze Orman in my life to know that sometimes our goals are out of our reach. But I didn't want to face facts. Ignorance is bliss, right? So, I spent the last 4 years avoiding my finances. Spending how much I wanted, on what I wanted, when I wanted. The problem? So many "wants", too little money. Well, that's not completely true. But you get my point. I wasn't ready to take a good hard look at my financial future and make any short or long term plans.

This year though, it hit me: It's time to support me. (Later, I'll be sure to tell you all about my New Year's Phrase... this sentence is part of that.) And how can I support myself without some financial support? I can't. Basically, I'm finally ready to get my finances under control. And, like they say, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I was finally ready to take control and support me. Because of that, I've been reading more about the "Spending Diet" and  the "Spending Fast" (thank you And Then We Saved for some much needed inspiration!), I've been reading the Suze Orman book that has been on my shelf for 6+ years, and I finally contacted my friend's financial advisor. This first meeting was a step in the right direction, but the journey hasn't ended. Frankly, it's only just begun. In our first meeting, my financial advisor gathered all of my financial paperwork and will be looking over it in the next couple of weeks. But we meet again in two weeks so she can help me set some attainable financial goals (buy a house/condo/duplex, retire before I'm 80, etc.). I'll keep you posted on my progress in the meantime. And if I learn any gems, I'll pass them along to you. But you have to promise to do the same.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend (even if I did bring Sunday Funnies to a more serious side)!

* - "adviser" and "advisor" are considered interchangeable according to the internet and my most trusted grammatically correct friends.

Tuesday Tunes. ::: I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers :::

Good morning, and happy Tuesday Tunes to y'all!

How was your weekend? I worked this entire weekend, so mine was pretty much just filled with work and sleep & sleep and work.

In a previous post, I talked about listening to the signs around me. Realizing (read: hoping, wishing, believing) the Universe has some cosmic way of saying, "Hey! I have a plan for you, now go out and do what I say!" Well, I've been feeling like the Universe is back at it recently. This may not seem odd to you, but I've heard today's Tuesday Tunes every time I turn on the radio. Every time. Not only that, this song recently showed up while I was watching "How I Met Your Mother." Twice. What does it mean? That 97.3 KBCO is obsessed with The Proclaimers? That I listen to the radio too much (and by the way, who else is listening to the radio when you could listen to digital music or Pandora or Spotify?)? That the Universe is not only controlling the radio, it's also in control of "How I Met Your Mother"? I don't have the exact answer. 

But what I do know is this: I am listening (who remembers those old Deep Rock Water commercials?). I figure if the Universe has a plan for me, it must know me pretty well. And it must also know that I am a very literal person. So, with that said, I've decided in 2014 I will walk 500 miles. And perhaps next year, I will walk 500 more. Just to be that (wo)man who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your door. 

Thus, I present you with I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) by The Proclaimers.

Please note three things: 1) I have never seen this music video before so don't judge based on that 2) it must be a legit video- it has the MTV logo in the lower left corner (which makes me nostalgic for the days when MTV showed music videos. Odd concept, right?) and 3) I apologize for falling down at your door in advance.

Sunday Funnies. ::: 17 Reasons The Denver Broncos Are The Least Hateable. :::

Good morning, and happy Sunday to you!

This week I'm presenting a BuzzFeed List of the "17 Reasons The Denver Broncos Are The Least Hateable Team In The NFL Playoffs." I would have put this up last weekend, but I didn't see it until after last weekend's game. I have to say, the entire town of Denver is still buzzing with excitement about our last playoff win. There is a flurry of orange and blue everywhere you look, and I'm so happy to be a part of it.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/reasons-the-denver-broncos-are-the-least-hateable-in-the

Anyway, look through the list and see what you think. Reason number 15 is spot on. And reason number 14 just makes me smile. It's so important to have a sense of humor in life. Instead of giving more publicity to athletes who are selfish and rude, let's focus on athletes/coaches/management who don't behave like jerks, just because they can.

Tuesday Tunes. ::: Tubthumping by Chumbawamba :::

Good morning, and happy Tuesday Tunes to y'all!

How are you this morning? Are you feeling as wonderful and elated as all of us in Broncos Country? I sure to hope you are. And how was your weekend? Besides the fact that I had to work for the majority of the weekend, I had a pretty fantastic weekend. I worked both Friday and Saturday nights, but luckily for me, I did not have to work on Sunday. I went to Park Tavern with some friends and watched the Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots! We drank, ate, and were incredibly merry because now our Denver Broncos are going to the Super Bowl! Who's excited about that? This gal. And to show my excitement, I'm going old school on y'all.

Now, the last time the Denver Broncos went to the Super Bowl, was the 1998-1999 Season. And the song that I've chose to feature was popular then and I remember the local radio show making a parody of this song. They put John Elway and company into the song and talked all about the Broncos. And though I have been unable to find said parody (if you find it, please let me know!) I will simply play this little ditty for you guys. Sound good?

I hope you have a wonderful week everyone! And GOOOOOOO Broncos!

Sunday Funnies. ::: Oops, I Crapped My Pants. :::

Man, do I get some funny looks when I mention certain hilarious skits, this one included, when my friends haven't even heard of them! "Oops, I Crapped My Pants" is a classic skit in my mind and I'm always surprised to find out when people don't know what I'm talking about. This week my friend Rachel and I were having dinner at Sushi Den when I mentioned the skit and she looked at me like I had five heads. So, to avoid receiving this look again, I happily bring you "Oops, I Crapped My Pants."

My favorite line: "I'm wearing them. And I just did."

Have a wonderful weekend!

Two Truths and a Lie. ::: Bachelorette Party and Labor Day in New Orleans. :::

In an earlier post, I formatted my ramblings in the form of the game "Two Truths and a Lie." I decided it would be a great way to tell you all about my (not so recent) trip to New Orleans. Decide for yourself which of these three things did not happen on my first trip to NOLA.

1) Our trip coincided with "Southern Decadence." Unfamiliar with Southern Decadence? I was too, prior to our trip. Read more here. In the most basic terms, it is the largest gay celebration in New Orleans. As if New Orleans wasn't crazy enough, we were there during a very popular weekend. It was a given that we were going to run into some unique characters, but we ran into even more due to Southern Decadence. I think we ran into at least a dozen men in angel wings and another dozen in women's dresses.

2) I had some of the most unique, delectable food I have ever had in my life. I ate (in no particular order): fried alligator, beignets, turtle soup, gumbo, pecan-crusted gulf fish, and a fried soft-shell crab po-boy. We ate at one of the restaurants where Emeril Lagasse got his start. Not only that, we sat in a private room where several celebrities had recently been. Later in the night, our waiter told me that I sat in the same chair as one, Justin Timberlake. My butt on the same chair as JT's? I can only hope our waiter wasn't just telling me what I wanted to hear.

3) I held an alligator! And my friend Lindsay kissed an alligator! We headed to an alligator tour by Airboat Adventures in Lafitte, LA (which is about a thirty minute drive from the French Quarter).  While waiting for our tour to begin, we saw a white alligator. Once on our tour, our guide jumped into the swamp, played with two of the alligators we saw, threw one of the alligators in the swamp, and fed one from his mouth. Who is crazy enough to swim and play with alligators? This guy. I found that article featured on Yahoo! not even a week after our tour with him. Holding the alligator seems pretty tame after you see a man in the water next to one, but I was still shaking when I held the little gator.

Lindsay and me in our wigs from CoCo Coquette. 

Commander's Palace. Where Emeril got his start.

Holding an alligator. When in New Orleans...

Truth is, Lindsay's Bachellorette Party went off without a hitch. (Well, minus the fact that I got pulled over on the way out of Texas and into Louisiana....) We had a phenomenal time together and now I want to go back for every Bachelorette Party I attend.

I've kept you on the edge of your seat long enough, number 1 was the lie. Not because our trip didn't coincide with Southern Decadence, mostly because we didn't see any guys in angel wings.

Tuesday Tunes. ::: Brave by Sara Bareilles. :::

Good morning, and happy Tuesday Tunes!

How was your weekend Reader? Mine was a ridiculously busy weekend full of friends and fun. On Saturday, I had lunch with my friends Sonya and Nicole at Tocabe, then Sonya and I went for pedicures after lunch, and then we walked to one of our favorite stores on Broadway. On Sunday, I met up with some friends at The Pub on Penn to watch the Denver Broncos take on (and beat!) the San Diego Chargers. It was a busy weekend, and now I'm trying to catch up on some much needed sleep.

I know it's not summer, but that is when this song made its way into my head and my soul. When I was in Austin, Molly and I would play this song over, and over, and over again. At the time, the lyrics were spot on in regards to our lives and it felt good to sing (off key in my case) the lyrics at the top of our lungs. Sometimes certain songs become popular right when you need them most. Last week, Molly and I were finally able to have a long overdue phone date. Despite the fact that this song was our summer song, I think I can safely say that it could also be our winter song as well. What say you Molly? 

Side note: I hadn't seen this music video until now. And I have to say, not bad Sara Bareilles, not bad.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, all!