Inspiration: Following in my father's footsteps, I read the obituaries almost every day. Today there was a particularly touching tribute to a man who grew up in Ohio, made a lot of money, and spent the rest of his life sharing his good fortune with others. On the first day of Chanukah, and as I get ready for Christmas in the City this weekend, this is a touching reminder of how wonderful the world can be.

Two Weeks Late But...: List five things you are thankful for and tell us why.
1. My community of family and friends. I have been truly blessed with a family that are also friends, and friends that feel like a family. I am thankful for this each and every day.
2. My sweetie. He is loving, fun, thoughtful, communicative, honest, kind and a great friend.
3. My health. Although I have more headaches than I would like, and my back causes me quite a bit of pain, overall, I am sooo fortunate to be generally healthy and strong. When I really feel like complaining, I think about all the people who REALLY have a right to complain but don't. When you are healthy and loved, there isn't much more to ask for.
4. Living in a free country. Now, at other times I would complain (RIGHTFULLY) about our President, the decisions that this nation is making, and the direction in which we are moving. But again, when I look at the ways some others are living, I am very lucky.
5. Self-esteem. I am thankful that I generally feel good about myself, who I am, who I continue to become, and where I am heading. Always room for improvement and reflection, but there is a lot of peace and happiness in overall feeling good about my life.

Global Orgasm: (see, got your attention) A couple is planning a global synchronized orgasm for peace. By promoting what they hope to be a synchronized global orgasm, they hope to get people to channel their sexual energy into something more positive. The couple have studied evolutionary psychology and believe that war is mainly an outgrowth of men trying to impress potential mates, a case of "my missile is bigger than your missile."

Friday Five: Make a Wish
1. When is your birthday? October 20
2. When you blow out the candles on your cake, do you make a wish? Have any of them come true? Yes, often the same one. Yes.
3. How do you feel about birthdays and birthday celebrations? I love birthdays! Mine, yours, whoever. I think everyone should have a day that their loved ones celebrate them and have an "excuse" to tell them how much they are loved.
4. What has been your favorite birthday gift? What kind of gifts really blow you away? Thoughtful ones. Sometimes that's money from my parents when they know I have bills to pay. Sometimes its a book about girls' overnight camp because the friend knows how much I loved camp. Sometimes it's a phone call or card from a friend who I didn't even know knew my birthday or with whom I had not spoken in a long time.
5. What flavor cake do you prefer? For birthday cake, yellow/white cake with chocolate frosting.

Meme:
1. Explain what ended your last relationship? um, to simplify it I'd say "not in the same place"...in the relationship, not georgraphically
2. When was the last time you shaved? Sunday (3 days ago)
3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.? Putting on make-up and leaving for work in 3 minutes
4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago? sending emails to people I met with last week on my work trip
5. Are you any good at math? Yes. Not fast at doing math in my head but good enough that I took AP math and like numbers.
6. Your prom night? Third time I met a guy from BBYO. Not a high school highlight.
7. Do you have any famous ancestors? Don't think so.
8. Have you had to take a loan out for school? Thankfully very small loan for undergrad.
9. Do you know the words to the song on your myspace profile? Huh???
10. Last thing received in the mail? New charger for my digital camera.
11. How many different beverages have you had today? Water, coffee, Diet Coke
12. Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machine? Yes, often very detailed ones.
13. Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to? Either Peter, Paul and Mary, Blood, Sweat and Tear (both with parents) or Billy Joel (for bat mitzvah)
14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach? didn't know people did this. Maybe I'll try it when I go to Florida in December
15. What's the most painful dental procedure you've had? Uncomfortable-- getting my veneers. Painful-- braces for 6 years!!!
16. What is out your back door? Porch and my car.
17. Any plans for Friday night? Maybe drinks with former co-worker (and current co-workers) and then Dr. Feelgood comes!
18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair? "Like" may be a strong word, but I love the ocean so don't care what it does to my hair.
19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns? My parents did...and I helped eat it.
20. Have you ever been to a planetarium? Yes, very cool. I haven't been to a planetarium since I was a teenager though.
21. Do you re-use towels after you shower? Definitely. Nuf said.
22. Some things you are excited about? Playing with Dr. Feelgood this weekend and Thanksgiving in Cleveland with friends and family
23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO? red
24. Describe your keychain(s)? Simple circle with keys, nail clippers and car clicker.
25. Where do you keep your change? Wallet, piggy bank, quarters in "ashtray" of car
26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people? Define large...I led a meeting for 8 last week. Gave a presentation to 50 at the Alumni Leadership Conference in Septmeber. (and another 30-40 the following week at a conference in Tahoe)
27. What kind of winter coat do you own? Many!
28. What was the weather like on your graduation day? Rainy...people wore rain ponchos that made them look like they were wearing a condom
29. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? closed.

Kim Update: OK, so its been way too long since I have posted. Here is the abridged version of what I have been up to, and what I plan to do...
Past
- Many trips to Maine to see Dr. Feelgood. It's so nice to have him in my life.
- Dr. Feelgood gets his white coat (at the White Coat Ceremony).
- Trip to Tahoe and San Fran for work. Successful (and fun) trip.
- Fabulous time at Shelby and Seth's wedding.
- Topsfield Fair (the oldest fair in the country). Lots of junk food, a few fun rides, good friends, huge pumpkins, cows, sheet, elephants, little kids.
- Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Met Mr. and Mrs. Feelgood (and other family members) for Rosh Hashana.
Future
- Birthday tomorrow. Already had great birthday dinner at Tu Y Yo with Kathryn, got a funny card from Kevin, and there will be cake at work today.
- Atlanta, Raleigh/Durham, Princeton and Philly next week
- Chicago and Ann Arbor in three weeks
- Cleveland for Turkey Day. Dr. Feelgood will come for the first 2 days. I will stay through Monday so I can play with Rebecca on Monday!!
- Off-season gathering of the Whybunts (softball team) to play pool (and drink beer)

I will try to be more consistant on my updates.

But Before I Go:
1. Are you named after anyone? If so, explain. I was named after my yet-to-be born brother, Kevin (see next answer). I was GOING to be named Heather but Papa Abbie nixed that. My middle name is my mom's maiden name.
2. Do you have your children's names picked out already? If so, is there any significance? If its a girl, Maya, Siri or Kyla. (spellings still up in the air) Not sure about a boy.
3. If you were born a member of the opposite sex what would your name have been? Kevin. My parents knew that before they were married.
4. If you could re-name yourself what name would you pick and why? That's a hard one. Although I don't hate my name, I would not remain Kim. I don't know what I would prefer though. So I guess I'll stick with Kim. After all, my name is such fun alliteration.
5. Are there any mispronunciations/typos that people do w/ your name constantly? Not much to mess up with my name. My nickname is spelled Kimi though. And sometime when I say my name quickly (me? talk fast? never!) people can't understand what my name is.

Going on Hiatius: Tahoe & San Fran for work (if you can call it that), Rosh Hashana, Shelby and Seth's wedding in Maine and a stop of Dr. Feelgood's on the way back to Boston. Catch ya later....(Oh, and Happy New Year and Congrats to S&S!!)

As Sally Fields Said: I like you, I really really like you! Care of PSD. Right back attcha.

Let's Talk About Sex Baby...: This woman has my dream job! Writing about, and talking about, healthy sexuality in a fun, frank way. As I said to Em when she sent it to me, although I am slightly jealous, the more people who are talking about sex and sexuality in an honest, informative, non-shaming way, the better. You go girl!

Sweet Tooth:
1. How often do you indulge in something sweet? Every day. I try to only have a little bit, but I have something sweet after dinner basically every night. Sometimes only a mini candy bar, sometimes a Slim-a-Bear ice cream sandwich (lower fat and portion control), and sometimes 10 cookies!
2. What is your favorite kind of sweet food/beverage? No question here-- ice cream!
3. Do you have a preferred sweetener (artificial or natural)? Good ole regular sugar. I don't like artifical sweeteners, although I do drinnk diet soda with it.
4. Chocolate or fruity? Chocolate. Or cheesecake or ice cream. Although I like fruity, not usually my choice, if there is one. Don't care for flan, brulee, or bread pudding kind of things.
5. What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you recently? Unhesitantly, and unfalteringly, telling me how much he likes me and enjoys being with me

I Am Excited About:
- A four day weekend! (I'm taking tomorrow off and Monday is Labor Day.)
- Dr. Feelgood coming down for three nights from Maine!
- Having a picnic (and Em's fried chicken) and watching Back to the Future outside at the Hatchshell tomorrow night
- Going to the Museum of Science to see the Body World 2 exhibit, with really anatomy (perfect for Dr. Feelgood to combine studying and fun with me)
- Shelby and Seth's wedding in a few weeks...and seeing Kathryn, Chris, and Kirsten!!

Dumb: Awareness, good...destroying your body in the process, not so good. A man is running 50 marathons in 50 day in 50 states...raising awareness for Katrina survivors, and prehaps permanently screwing up his body in the process.

Plan B Is Sometimes a Good Option: Access to Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, was approved as an over-the-counter drug for those over 18 yesterday. Of course, this should always be Plan B, but this is an important step in access to good resporductive health for women.

"Last" Meme:
1. What is the last thing you ate without regret? The rest of the mint chocolate chip ice cream...right out of the carton.
2. Who was the last person you talked to? Technically Jamie, when I just said "good morning:. The last conversation I had was with Jeff last night. (BTW, hope the test is going well!)
3. When was your last vacation? It all depends on how you define it. Last time I was out of teh state was last weekend when I went to Maine. Last time I "felt" like I was on vacation was either the weekend before when I went to Maine for the whole weekend and lay ona rock by the ocean, or on the camping trip a few weeks earlier.
4. When was your last hug and who did you receive it from? Two nights ago, from Emily-- wishing her a fun, safe trip to Seattle.
5. What is the last thing you think about before going to sleep? Either what I am going to wear to work the next day, or what's on my schedule for the next day (often related to each other)

NAKED: A shout out to PSD for sending along this link about people getting NAKED in Vermont. Hey Meadhall, perhaps that's where you should look. As a stated by a teen, "I think most of Vermont wants Vermont to be nude. People have a basic human right to be naked if they want to."

Makes Me Feel OLD: Once again, Beloit College has released tehir "Mindset List", a listing of facts about this year's incoming class, to help colelges understand the midset of these students. Read and weep...

BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST® FOR THE CLASS OF 2010
Members of the class of 2010, entering college this fall, were mostly born in 1988.
For them: Billy Carter, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Billy Martin, Andy Gibb, and Secretariat have always been dead.
1.The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.
2.They have known only two presidents.
3.For most of their lives, major U.S. airlines have been bankrupt.
4.Manuel Noriega has always been in jail in the U.S.
5.They have grown up getting lost in "big boxes."
6.There has always been only one Germany.
7.They have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on a cash register.
8.They are wireless, yet always connected.
9.A stained blue dress is as famous to their generation as a third-rate burglary was to their parents'.
10.Thanks to pervasive headphones in the back seat, parents have always been able to speak freely in the front.
11.A coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake.
12.Smoking has never been permitted on U.S. airlines.
13.Faux fur has always been a necessary element of style.
14.The Moral Majority has never needed an organization.
15.They have never had to distinguish between the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.
16.DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible evidence in court.
17.They grew up pushing their own miniature shopping carts in the supermarket.
18.They grew up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.
19."Google" has always been a verb.
20.Text messaging is their email.
21.Milli Vanilli has never had anything to say.
22.Mr. Rogers, not Walter Cronkite, has always been the most trusted man in America.
23.Bar codes have always been on everything, from library cards and snail mail to retail items.
24.Madden has always been a game, not a Superbowl-winning coach.
25.Phantom of the Opera has always been on Broadway.
26."Boogers" candy has always been a favorite for grossing out parents.
27.There has never been a "skyhook" in the NBA.
28.Carbon copies are oddities found in their grandparents' attics.
29.Computerized player pianos have always been tinkling in the lobby.
30.Non-denominational mega-churches have always been the fastest growing religious organizations in the U.S.
31.They grew up in mini-vans.
32.Reality shows have always been on television.
33.They have no idea why we needed to ask "...can we all get along?"
34.They have always known that "In the criminal justice system the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups."
35.Young women's fashions have never been concerned with where the waist is.
36.They have rarely mailed anything using a stamp.
37.Brides have always worn white for a first, second, or third wedding.
38.Being techno-savvy has always been inversely proportional to age.
39."So" as in "Sooooo New York," has always been a drawn-out adjective modifying a proper noun, which in turn modifies something else
40.Affluent troubled teens in Southern California have always been the subjects of television series.
41.They have always been able to watch wars and revolutions live on television.
42.Ken Burns has always been producing very long documentaries on PBS.
43.They are not aware that "flock of seagulls hair" has nothing to do with birds flying into it.
44.Retin-A has always made America look less wrinkled.
45.Green tea has always been marketed for health purposes.
46.Public school officials have always had the right to censor school newspapers.
47.Small white holiday lights have always been in style.
48.Most of them never had the chance to eat bad airline food.
49.They have always been searching for "Waldo."
50.The really rich have regularly expressed exuberance with outlandish birthday parties.
51.Michael Moore has always been showing up uninvited.
52.They never played the game of state license plates in the car.
53.They have always preferred going out in groups as opposed to dating.
54. There have always been live organ donors.
55.They have always had access to their own credit cards.
56.They have never put their money in a "Savings & Loan."
57.Sara Lee has always made underwear.
58.Bad behavior has always been getting captured on amateur videos.
59.Disneyland has always been in Europe and Asia.
60. They never saw Bernard Shaw on CNN.
61.Beach volleyball has always been a recognized sport.
62.Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti have always been luxury cars of choice.
63.Television stations have never concluded the broadcast day with the national anthem.
64.LoJack transmitters have always been finding lost cars.
65.Diane Sawyer has always been live in Prime Time.
66.Dolphin-free canned tuna has always been on sale.
67.Disposable contact lenses have always been available.
68."Outing" has always been a threat.
69.Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss has always been the perfect graduation gift.
70.They have always "dissed" what they don't like.
71.The U.S. has always been studying global warming to confirm its existence.
72.Richard M. Daley has always been the Mayor of Chicago.
73.They grew up with virtual pets to feed, water, and play games with, lest they die.
74.Ringo Starr has always been clean and sober.
75.Professional athletes have always competed in the Olympics.

Fabulous New Restaurant in Arlington: In one word, yum! Em and I went on our walk (beautiful evening) and arrived at Something Savory to find plenty of tables, and the most friendly, welcoming staff. We took a seat and the young woman who was both staffing the counter and serving as waitress came over with menus and explained a bit about the place. We looked at the menu, and before even ordering or tasting the food said "Clearly we have to come back several more times because there are so many things to try!" Em settled on the cold tomato and avocado soup and the Fresh Fettuccine (With Andouille sausage, rock shrimp and sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, leeks, mixed baby carrots, with a mixed herb lemon white wine sauce). I had the Grilled Black Pearl Salmon (with soy, lime, scallion glaze served with rice and beans and mixed vegetables). The rice was actually mixed with lentils...slightly sweet and slightly savory. In all truth, all three things were FABULOUS! They also brought some wonderful multi-grain bread, which I devoured. There was not only no room for desert, but we both took home food! We will be back soon, and look forward to making our way through the menu. A true gem! (Oh, and we stopped at the old school ice cream parlor before heading home, I had the Big Dig...vanilla ice cream, carmel swirl, brownie pieces and chocolate chips!)

Laugh! If it de-stressed a med student before his first test, and made me laugh out loud when home alone, you too might find this funny. (Don't know why I think it's so funny...I just do.) Peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat!

A Long Meme: I have...(bolded) I have only 50 (1/3). And you?

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain- a small mountain in Coasta Rica...we didn't get to the top
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it--several times
09. Hugged a tree -- there's even a picture in my high school yearbook of me hugging a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise-- I have stayed up all night, and seen teh sun rise, but not on the same night
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game - U of Michigan vs. Miami
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables- sad but true, sorry Eva
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper -- MANY. And I don't mind. After all, tehy are on a BABY. Now cleaning up after animals grosses me out...you can see where my preferences lie.
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity -- I have given to charity but not more than I can afford...in fact, although I give fairly generously, I should probably give more.
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment --Temple on the High Holidays. Brent and Kevin are to blame.
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight -- Come on! I went to college in MN!!!
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can -- and that's loud!
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster -- a late bloomer at 22, but now I love them! But no more wooden ones for me with my bad back (Vegas, yikes!)
35. Hit a home run -- not even in T-Ball
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment -- what a blessing
39. Had two hard drives for your computer -- (But I didn't install them, they were on my work computer when I got it.)
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends-- One of the greatest blessings, I have had/have so many!
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach-- maybe not midnight, but late at night in the dark.
50. Gone sky diving -- no thanks
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds --as anal as I am, I have not
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day -- not all day, but well past noon. This is only REALLY fun if you are not alone.
60. Posed nude in front of strangers --been naked in front of a lot of strangers, but not posed.
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business--my clowning business, Kimi the Clown
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken --hurt, but not broken, both men are still treasured people in my life.
69. Toured ancient sites --Mexico, Coasta Rica, Israel, Jordan
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie-- not counting home movies, or toe movie that S.S. said she was making while in high school, for which I gave up several weeks (did it ever get made?)
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason --it's not a "reason" if they just want to tell you they like you, right?
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas --yeah baby, I'd actually like to go back
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently --this is so embarassing
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge -- been there, but didn't walk it
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking-- duh!
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi -- but I only eat the non-raw fish kind. Some would argue that's not sushi.
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life