Dear Blog family,
Am I too old to like the song “Whip My Hair” by Willow Smith (Will and Jada's daughter)? Don't judge me ... LMBO :)
I found this video on YouTube with some very cool choreography. It's a workout inspiration. I’m justified in that (at least) … right?
Small update ...
Hello Blog family … Lots of things have been going on and I’m excited about them all. Things are moving in the right direction and I am emerging as a Project Management “Rock star”!!! I have met some great people along the way and this is only the beginning. I will be speaking at the Birmingham, Alabama PMI group meeting in September and I am completely stoked about it. I would never have imagined I would have such a great opportunity and I plan on embracing it with vigor.
Keep hope alive … hard work and faith pay HUGE dividends!!!
Keep hope alive … hard work and faith pay HUGE dividends!!!
Certified ScrumMaster training …
I am committed to establishing myself in the Project Management community. To that end, I attended a 2-day Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) training course provided through The Braintrust Consulting Group. The course was taught by Tom Mellor and Brian Rabon at New Horizon’s training center in Birmingham Alabama. If you are interested in any aspect of Project Management, The Braintrust Consulting Group is an EXCELLENT resource.
Pictures from the training can be seen on The Braintrust Consulting Group Facebook page [6/7/2010 - 6/8/2010 - Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)].
Pictures from the training can be seen on The Braintrust Consulting Group Facebook page [6/7/2010 - 6/8/2010 - Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)].
To gym or not to gym ...
OMG … I do not want to go to the gym tonight. Staying motivated has been a constant struggle but I know in the end it is worth it. PLUS ... I weighed in this morning and I did not like the numbers at all. I welcome any suggestions on making workouts fun. I don’t have a workout partner so the activities need to be things I can do alone. Thanks for your support : )
Clear skies and sunshine …
I am in a very positive place right now. Life is good and God is GREAT!! I have finished the first year of graduate school and although I learned some things about systems engineering, the “life” take-aways were the most needed. My focus on life and my place in it have been forever changed.
Most of the lessons learned were simple common sense things. Sometimes I get so caught up in “sweating the small stuff” that I lose sight of myself and the bigger picture. The following are my take-aways in broad strokes …
Most of the lessons learned were simple common sense things. Sometimes I get so caught up in “sweating the small stuff” that I lose sight of myself and the bigger picture. The following are my take-aways in broad strokes …
- Always stay true to who "you" are. When you allow other people and their negative moods/personalities to alter your mood/personality, you give them all the power. Never allow anyone to change who you are in a negative way – not even for a second – the damage is too great.
- Having integrity and keeping your word should be a priority. Your word should be considered a verbal contract and should be honored unless it is amended by mutual agreement of both bound parties.
- Focus on your strengths and work on your weaknesses but DO NOT beat yourself up.
- Identify opportunities and avoid/mitigate threats.
- Constantly burning your candle at both ends leads to “burn out”. You do not have to fill ever waking moment with something “to do” … stop and smell the roses … enjoy life and truly LIVE IT!!!
Random movie thoughts ...
Today I have been reflecting on some of my favorite movies and I decided to share those thoughts with you. This is not an ALL inclusive list and they are not in any particular order.
I would say my taste in movies is eclectic. I like a mixture of movie genres which you can probably tell by the selection below.
I would say my taste in movies is eclectic. I like a mixture of movie genres which you can probably tell by the selection below.
- Soldier – Kurt Russell
- Cobra – Sylvester Stallone
- The Incredibles – animated
- Fist of Legend – Jet Li … anything with Jet
- The Water Boy – Adam Sandler
- Major Payne – Damon Wayans
- The Professional – Jean Reno
- A Bronx Tale – Robert De Niro … nearly anything with De Niro
- Mississippi Masala – Denzel Washington … anything with Denzel (except Training Day)
- The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh – Dr. J (Julius Erving)
- Ong-Bak – Tony Jaa
- Hudson Hawk – Bruce Willis … anything with Bruce (loved him since Moonlighting)
- Meet the Browns – Tyler Perry (the taping of the play not the actual movie) … anything Tyler
Catching up …
I know you all have been sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to read what’s been going on. I couldn’t keep you hanging any longer, so here’s the run down … I have been:
That about covers it for now. I know you’re asking, “What happened to the random thoughts”? I promise some random thoughts in coming postings. Until then, keep checking in and leave a comment or two. Remember the rule is you must be nice with your comments :o)
- getting ready for the big homeowner’s association board election
- finishing up this semester of school
- helping to plan the summer seminar with the IEM project management office
- working with the Agile Birmingham user’s group
- working out (daily)
- WORKING :o) … thankfully!
- just enjoying being me :o))
That about covers it for now. I know you’re asking, “What happened to the random thoughts”? I promise some random thoughts in coming postings. Until then, keep checking in and leave a comment or two. Remember the rule is you must be nice with your comments :o)
A day in the sun ...
It was a beautiful day outside today and even though I had every intention of being a complete hermit, thanks to my neighbor Gail and my BFF Stephanie, I was able to force my way out of the house and connect with several of my neighbors. It is days like this that make me realize how much I enjoy other people.
My adventure didn’t stop in the neighborhood. I decided to grab a late lunch at a local restaurant and I can tell you there is nothing like Southern Hospitality!! Being able to carry on a pleasant conversation with a complete stranger is a glorious thing. I am often amazed at how willing people are to share themselves with you if you just show some interest or give them an opening … sometimes all it takes is a friendly hello.
Friends, family, co-workers and associates have all watched in pure astonishment as I struck up a conversation with a stranger and talked to them as if we had known each other all our lives. It’s as if I have a welcome sign on my forehead. For you lovers of Krispy Kreme, just imagine the feeling you get when you see the “HOT” light on … LOL :-)
For a long time my introverted self was uncomfortable with this extremely extroverted behavior but what can you do? Being rude is not an option - that is not the "Southern" way.
Over the years I have come to appreciate my extroverted self and I must admit extroverts have a lot more fun!! So the moral of this post is … a turtle can’t stay scrunched up in its shell all the time and neither can you. Live a little … you might like it :-)
My adventure didn’t stop in the neighborhood. I decided to grab a late lunch at a local restaurant and I can tell you there is nothing like Southern Hospitality!! Being able to carry on a pleasant conversation with a complete stranger is a glorious thing. I am often amazed at how willing people are to share themselves with you if you just show some interest or give them an opening … sometimes all it takes is a friendly hello.
Friends, family, co-workers and associates have all watched in pure astonishment as I struck up a conversation with a stranger and talked to them as if we had known each other all our lives. It’s as if I have a welcome sign on my forehead. For you lovers of Krispy Kreme, just imagine the feeling you get when you see the “HOT” light on … LOL :-)
For a long time my introverted self was uncomfortable with this extremely extroverted behavior but what can you do? Being rude is not an option - that is not the "Southern" way.
Over the years I have come to appreciate my extroverted self and I must admit extroverts have a lot more fun!! So the moral of this post is … a turtle can’t stay scrunched up in its shell all the time and neither can you. Live a little … you might like it :-)
Lessons learned …
Do you remember how your Mom did her best to teach you that your thoughts need to go through a filtration system before they actually come out of your mouth? Children are notorious for just saying whatever comes to mind, out of the pureness of their hearts, without any consideration for how it will be interpreted. Well, I learned today that occasionally your “mind to mouth” filters need to be cleaned and enhanced or repaired.
I made a couple of statements today which, when they were in my head, seemed totally fine. By the time they exited my mouth, the response from those around me indicated that what I said was not fine. I sat there for a second or two and replayed what I said to myself. A couple of seconds later, it dawned on me that their response was to the actual words I used not the message I was trying to convey. You would think I would cut my losses at one "filter" malfunction, but NOOOOOOOOOOOO, I had to do it AGAIN!! After the second mishap, I decided to just sit there and smile and hope that whatever maintenance was being done on my "mind to mouth" filtration system would be completed before I was stoned or shunned by the group.
So the moral of this story is … clean and upgrade or repair your “mind to mouth” filters regularly. The version that was installed by your Mom when you were four is outdated and is probably clogged :o)
I made a couple of statements today which, when they were in my head, seemed totally fine. By the time they exited my mouth, the response from those around me indicated that what I said was not fine. I sat there for a second or two and replayed what I said to myself. A couple of seconds later, it dawned on me that their response was to the actual words I used not the message I was trying to convey. You would think I would cut my losses at one "filter" malfunction, but NOOOOOOOOOOOO, I had to do it AGAIN!! After the second mishap, I decided to just sit there and smile and hope that whatever maintenance was being done on my "mind to mouth" filtration system would be completed before I was stoned or shunned by the group.
So the moral of this story is … clean and upgrade or repair your “mind to mouth” filters regularly. The version that was installed by your Mom when you were four is outdated and is probably clogged :o)
Homage to Big Daddy ...
One of my dearest friends passed from this life last week and it has left a void in my heart. I saw him during Christmas break and it was as if time had stood still and nothing had changed about him or the emotion his presence invoked.
The passing of Adrian “Big Daddy” Johnson has reminded me of how truly precious life is and how we should cherish the ones we love and be thankful for every second we have with them. I wonder now if he really knew the deep love and respect I had for him as a man, a friend and surrogate brother.
The passing of Adrian “Big Daddy” Johnson has reminded me of how truly precious life is and how we should cherish the ones we love and be thankful for every second we have with them. I wonder now if he really knew the deep love and respect I had for him as a man, a friend and surrogate brother.
The wait is over ...
I am embarrassed that nearly a month has gone by and I haven’t made a posting. In my own defense, the number of tasks I am currently juggling has grown within the last month both in volume and intensity. It has been all good things so I don’t have any complaints. I just have to regain the “balance” in my “work-life balance”. Some of the things I’ve taken on are:
- administrator on a website
- leader in an Agile user group
- leader in my class Project Management Office (PMO)
- planning a campaign to run for a spot on the board of my homeowner’s association
- read two books: How to Solve It and The Goal
I have been successful at all my usual tasks plus my new tasks. My short-coming has been keeping my blog current which is one of the things I enjoy the most. In the coming weeks I will try to paint a vivid picture of my adventures. Until then, if you’re still checking my blog, leave a comment and/or follow me. I look forward to the interaction. TTFN :)
Down but not out ...
My life has been temporarily interrupted by technical difficulties. My computer crashed this past weekend and I lost everything. I’m going to chalk it up to a couple of lessons learned:
- backup often
- don’t buy any more HP products
- did I say backup often
- Billy Dee Williams vs. Denzel Washington
- Harrison Ford vs. Danny Glover
Change ...
I’m reminded of a quote I read from Henry Ford which said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” This quote lead me to the following question … What is the true catalyst for change? Is it necessity, boredom, frustration, profit, a natural progression, personal or individual demand … what is it that makes people want to change themselves and/or the things around them? I would like to attribute today’s entry to my desire for innovation, the betterment of mankind or my ability to be forward thinking or to transcend outside of “the box”, but I’m basically sick and tired of being sick and tired. I guess that would fall into the category of frustration. So, in this instance, frustration is my catalyst for change!
I have battled with weight problems for most of my life. I had huge success several years ago but have found myself back in the “weight gain” cycle again! Well, dang it, I’m tired of this and I AM READY TO FACE THE MUSIC!!!
I know exactly where my pitfalls are but I fall into them every time. I’m at the point now where it’s now or never … do or die … go or no go. It is truly D-day for my unwanted pounds. There’s no point in putting off what I can do today for tomorrow – right? It just gets harder as I get older and there is no excuse for eating poorly, over-eating and not exercising. I am my most valuable asset and it’s time I started acting like it!
With that being said, I vow this day to never look back and to press forward and stay on task because my life, both in terms of longevity and quality, is at stake! I am looking to my readers/followers to help hold me accountable and to encourage me as I travel this road to better health and well-being. Today is the beginning, the dawning of a new day … VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!!
I have battled with weight problems for most of my life. I had huge success several years ago but have found myself back in the “weight gain” cycle again! Well, dang it, I’m tired of this and I AM READY TO FACE THE MUSIC!!!
I know exactly where my pitfalls are but I fall into them every time. I’m at the point now where it’s now or never … do or die … go or no go. It is truly D-day for my unwanted pounds. There’s no point in putting off what I can do today for tomorrow – right? It just gets harder as I get older and there is no excuse for eating poorly, over-eating and not exercising. I am my most valuable asset and it’s time I started acting like it!
With that being said, I vow this day to never look back and to press forward and stay on task because my life, both in terms of longevity and quality, is at stake! I am looking to my readers/followers to help hold me accountable and to encourage me as I travel this road to better health and well-being. Today is the beginning, the dawning of a new day … VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!!
Conquering fears …
Hurray … One fear down, ten thousand to go! I had my annual eye exam on 1/11/10 and the doctor, Dr. Cargus, and I always have a discussion about my getting contacts. Well, for those of you who do not know, I DON’T DO EYES!!! I can’t stand to see other people touch their eye and the thought of touching my eye makes me blink profusely and my eyes begin to water. Dr. Cargus became aware of my fear last year when we were having our usual conversation and she began to demonstrate the “technique” on her eye. Let’s just say, there was some squealing and some eye closing and this was not from Dr. Cargus. Mind you, my eye was not being touched. I was simply looking at someone touch their eye! Even as a child I can remember being chased around the playground by those kids who liked to flip their eyes inside-out … why?
Any way, I digress. This year, I bit the bullet and got contacts. The young lady who “trained me”, Colitha, said I was not the worst person she’d ever trained and my performance time was not that bad … meaning I wasn’t in there for an hour whining and squealing like a wimp. She may have just been saying that so I wouldn’t feel like a big baby but I wanted to believe her, so I did :) I’m attaching pictures of Dr. Cargus (1st picture), Colitha (2nd picture) and myself (both pictures) on my big day. The introduction ...
Hello … I feel an introduction would be fitting considering this is a blog about my thoughts and the events of my life. I’m sure you’re asking yourself … who is this person. Well, my name is Sarenna and I’m an Alabama native. I currently work in the outer-limits of healthcare which means I work for a software development company who develops software for insurance companies.
I’m working on an engineering master’s degree at The University of Alabama – Birmingham (UAB). I chose the Information Engineering and Management (IEM) graduate program at UAB because it is not your traditional graduate school program which I think is a strong plus. I love it so far and would highly recommend it.
On a personal level:
I’m working on an engineering master’s degree at The University of Alabama – Birmingham (UAB). I chose the Information Engineering and Management (IEM) graduate program at UAB because it is not your traditional graduate school program which I think is a strong plus. I love it so far and would highly recommend it.
On a personal level:
- I am older than 30 but younger than 50 (a lady never tells her age … right)
- I don’t have any pets (afraid of nearly every animal, except humans which is where the true danger resides!)
- I don’t have a MySpace or Facebook page (can you believe it?)
- I call my Mom everyday because I want to not because I should
- I got interested in blogging as the result of a class assignment for school
- I enjoy meeting people and learning about their thoughts, the processes behind those thoughts and generally what makes them tick
- I am an introvert with strong extrovert tendencies (some of my friends attribute this to my birth date falling on a zodiac cusp)
- I truly believe laughter is medicinal and take a dose several times a day
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