Today, I saw this clip of 12 year old Jake Olson on ESPN. I was taken aback at how amazing he is. Jake's story is truly an inspiration to me. This kid has more courage and heart than anyone I know. He is a reminder that strength and faith will get you through anything that life brings your way, no matter how unbearable. Jake, you are my hero.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
.lines by the heart.
For millions of women who can recite these lines by heart and draw strength from their earthy take on female empowerment, it is comforting to know that the woman who penned them, Maya Angelou, continues to write, lecture and teach at age 81.
Pretty women wonder where
my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a
fashion model size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal women,
That's me.
-From "Phenomenal Women"
by Maya Angelou
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
.be inspired by beyonce.
Every so often, I come across a video clip that truly inspires me. One that really makes you want to do good.
This is one of them.
In this blog-worthy video clip, the beautiful and talented Beyonce surprises a little girl named Chelsea by inviting her on stage during her Australia concert last Friday, September 18 at the Acer Arena. In front of 21,000 concertgoers, Beyonce dedicates her song "Halo" to Chelsea who is a young cancer patient. As you'll see, not only did this performance touch the audience, most importantly, it touched Chelsea who had no idea she would be face-to-face with her idol Beyonce.
Love,
Peace,
and Halo,
-Christine
This is one of them.
In this blog-worthy video clip, the beautiful and talented Beyonce surprises a little girl named Chelsea by inviting her on stage during her Australia concert last Friday, September 18 at the Acer Arena. In front of 21,000 concertgoers, Beyonce dedicates her song "Halo" to Chelsea who is a young cancer patient. As you'll see, not only did this performance touch the audience, most importantly, it touched Chelsea who had no idea she would be face-to-face with her idol Beyonce.
Love,
Peace,
and Halo,
-Christine
Monday, August 17, 2009
.where in the world is christine? + nyc trip.
Here I am! If you read my blog, I sincerely thank you. :) And, if you’ve checked back for updates and noticed it’s felt like FOREVER since I’ve posted, I do apologize. I’ve been working on some really unique events that have kept me pretty busy.
Before we get to the storytelling about one of those events, let me give you a couple of updates so we can reconnect. In case you are wondering, yes—I’m still on Twitter. I’m actually starting to consider myself a *twitterbug* because it’s kind of become a part of my daily routine. Call me crazy but it’s actually turned out to be a fun way to stay connected to folks who actually appreciate what you have to say. Weird but true. I’m not sure if you heard but Twitter went “down” for a morning (actually almost a whole day) a couple weeks back. People were freaking out. Although I wasn’t freaking out, I could understand the frustrations that people had. You see, when Twitter wasn’t working, you quickly realize that you aren’t able to connect with your followers and the people you follow. The best way for me to describe it is a feeling similar to losing your address book. Ok, maybe not THAT extreme but, I kid you not once it was back up and running EVERYONE was tweeting about what happened, why it went down, and even what they were doing while twitter was out of commission. It’s like a whole other world that exists without speaking, all via texting and web updates that disappeared for part of a day. For some, that could be kind of traumatic I guess.
On a side note, I’ve also started to try and become more consistent with my workout routine. I’ve been trying to go several times a week and I even take a cool Turbo Kick Box class that makes me feel really good after. The more I hit the gym, the more I look forward to going again. That's a good thing, right?! I’m also trying to eat better so don't let me eat anymore chips! :)
Ok—so a cool thing that happened to me in June was I got to go out to New York City and work with a really great guy. This guy wasn’t someone who was a big deal to me prior to my trip. Although I’m a big sports fan (as you may know), he was actually not even on my radar as someone of HUGE significance only because I’m from San Diego (almost complete opposite of where he lives). I mean for work, he’s important to me but personally—I took it as any other event. After meeting him, I realized why this guy is so important and means so much to the city. This guy was Derek Jeter. Yes, THE Derek Jeter, Shortstop and Captain for the legendary New York Yankees. How crazy and delusional was I not to be excited about meeting him? I mean I was looking forward to it but I wasn’t starstruck excited if you know what I mean? Anyway, my flight out to NYC for the event was direct from San Diego which was AWESOME! When I arrived to New York, I was greeted by nice, cool weather (slightly rainy). I stayed at the Affinia Shelburne on Lexington Avenue. It was a quaint hotel that was an older remodeled building. My room was cute and comfy, similiar to a very modern studio. It was in Murray Hill, a Manhattan neighborhood. I always get jet-lag when I fly out to the East Coast. You’d think that 3 hours shouldn’t mess you up too badly but it gets me every time! My co-worker Carrie and I decided to grab an early dinner before calling it a night. We walked a couple of blocks and found a pizza joint which was exactly what we were craving. We had our NY pizza and cheesecake which was the perfect way to feel welcomed by the city. I'll admit, we made a quick run out to 5th Avenue to visit the world renowned NYC Tiffany & Co. My favorite part (besides the jewels) was the elevator attendant. :) Afterwards, I went back to my room and slept.
The next morning, instead of taking the limo over to Yankee Stadium for the luncheon, I opted to try out the subway for the first time ever. Grand Central Station was a few blocks away and I thought it would be the perfect experience to walk to the subway and take it all the way to the ballpark. When I got to the station, it was really crowded. It was a Tuesday morning so the commuters were going about their business hurrying to work. I on the other hand was searching for the signs and trying to make out which train to take to the stadium. Thank goodness for friendly locals who pointed me and my co-worker the right way. I will never forget sitting on the subway for the first time. I people watched mostly and noticed that almost everyone slept on the subway and had their bags/belongings wrapped completely around their arms and/or shoulders. It made me hold my purse much closer too, lol. As we approached our stop, it was really neat to see the “old” Yankee Stadium right next to the “new” Yankee Stadium. They were literally right next to one another except for a road in-between. I thought about how great it would have been to see a game at the old stadium. After getting off the subway and walking out of the station, there it was… standing like a huge castle—Yankee Stadium. It was pretty from the outside, very clean and really big. Getting inside was really annoying because it wasn’t open to the public yet for the game that evening—so many security clearances. Now I know why they say it’s just like Fort Knox.
Once inside, it was pretty amazing. It was so new and full of inspiration from the old stadium. I remember seeing the field and thinking it looked smaller than I thought it would be but still pristine. Our luncheon with Derek took place at NYY Steak (per Derek’s request). The steakhouse restaurant was located inside the stadium. The event was for a group of contest winners that had won a trip to meet Derek and have lunch with him. I made my way into the restaurant to set up our private room. Everything looked great. One of Derek’s reps arrived, she was very sweet. A few minutes later after all of the finishing touches were complete, Derek calls and is ready to go. She and I are escorted to the players parking level where Derek is waiting. As soon I stepped out of the elevator, there he was—standing at the door holding his cell phone (I think it was a blackberry) looking much taller than I expected. He was with another rep. They introduced me to Derek and that was when I realized how personable and charismatic he was. We walked into the elevator together and as we made our way to the restaurant, I gave him the run down of every important detail he needed to know before he stepped into the private room. He listened very closely and nodded at everything I said. He asked me questions and I answered, he smiled a lot. He was an obvious a professional. The moment we stepped out of the elevator and entered the restaurant, I realized what a presence he had. Everyone stopped and looked at him and became mesmerized by seeing him in person. He smiled and greeting everyone hello to those he passed by as I walked him into the private area. The luncheon turned out to be one of the best events I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on. The media we invited were cordial and Derek was great with them. He was extremely well spoken and when the cameras stopped rolling, he became very comfortable and candid with the guests. He answered every question they asked. He ate with us and was even presented with his own steak knife by the restaurant (personalized & engraved) as his meal was brought to him. Following lunch, we had an hour with Derek for an online appearance with kid fans from all over the globe.
After the 2 hour event, I instantly became a Derek Jeter & Yankees fan. Derek impressed me so much. He was genuine and loved being around his fans. He was extremely likable and by the answers he gave during the lunch, you can tell that he is a very down-to-earth person. It truly was an honor to meet and work with him. We attended batting practice and the game that evening (which they won). It was definitely unforgettable. I even stopped at the Yankee’s store and picked up my very own NY hat. In all honesty, I hope one day I get to attend another game at Yankee Stadium. And, since my Padres can’t make it happen, I do hope Derek is able to win the World Series this year. ;) Go Jeter, go Yanks!
Love,
Before we get to the storytelling about one of those events, let me give you a couple of updates so we can reconnect. In case you are wondering, yes—I’m still on Twitter. I’m actually starting to consider myself a *twitterbug* because it’s kind of become a part of my daily routine. Call me crazy but it’s actually turned out to be a fun way to stay connected to folks who actually appreciate what you have to say. Weird but true. I’m not sure if you heard but Twitter went “down” for a morning (actually almost a whole day) a couple weeks back. People were freaking out. Although I wasn’t freaking out, I could understand the frustrations that people had. You see, when Twitter wasn’t working, you quickly realize that you aren’t able to connect with your followers and the people you follow. The best way for me to describe it is a feeling similar to losing your address book. Ok, maybe not THAT extreme but, I kid you not once it was back up and running EVERYONE was tweeting about what happened, why it went down, and even what they were doing while twitter was out of commission. It’s like a whole other world that exists without speaking, all via texting and web updates that disappeared for part of a day. For some, that could be kind of traumatic I guess.
On a side note, I’ve also started to try and become more consistent with my workout routine. I’ve been trying to go several times a week and I even take a cool Turbo Kick Box class that makes me feel really good after. The more I hit the gym, the more I look forward to going again. That's a good thing, right?! I’m also trying to eat better so don't let me eat anymore chips! :)
Ok—so a cool thing that happened to me in June was I got to go out to New York City and work with a really great guy. This guy wasn’t someone who was a big deal to me prior to my trip. Although I’m a big sports fan (as you may know), he was actually not even on my radar as someone of HUGE significance only because I’m from San Diego (almost complete opposite of where he lives). I mean for work, he’s important to me but personally—I took it as any other event. After meeting him, I realized why this guy is so important and means so much to the city. This guy was Derek Jeter. Yes, THE Derek Jeter, Shortstop and Captain for the legendary New York Yankees. How crazy and delusional was I not to be excited about meeting him? I mean I was looking forward to it but I wasn’t starstruck excited if you know what I mean? Anyway, my flight out to NYC for the event was direct from San Diego which was AWESOME! When I arrived to New York, I was greeted by nice, cool weather (slightly rainy). I stayed at the Affinia Shelburne on Lexington Avenue. It was a quaint hotel that was an older remodeled building. My room was cute and comfy, similiar to a very modern studio. It was in Murray Hill, a Manhattan neighborhood. I always get jet-lag when I fly out to the East Coast. You’d think that 3 hours shouldn’t mess you up too badly but it gets me every time! My co-worker Carrie and I decided to grab an early dinner before calling it a night. We walked a couple of blocks and found a pizza joint which was exactly what we were craving. We had our NY pizza and cheesecake which was the perfect way to feel welcomed by the city. I'll admit, we made a quick run out to 5th Avenue to visit the world renowned NYC Tiffany & Co. My favorite part (besides the jewels) was the elevator attendant. :) Afterwards, I went back to my room and slept.
The next morning, instead of taking the limo over to Yankee Stadium for the luncheon, I opted to try out the subway for the first time ever. Grand Central Station was a few blocks away and I thought it would be the perfect experience to walk to the subway and take it all the way to the ballpark. When I got to the station, it was really crowded. It was a Tuesday morning so the commuters were going about their business hurrying to work. I on the other hand was searching for the signs and trying to make out which train to take to the stadium. Thank goodness for friendly locals who pointed me and my co-worker the right way. I will never forget sitting on the subway for the first time. I people watched mostly and noticed that almost everyone slept on the subway and had their bags/belongings wrapped completely around their arms and/or shoulders. It made me hold my purse much closer too, lol. As we approached our stop, it was really neat to see the “old” Yankee Stadium right next to the “new” Yankee Stadium. They were literally right next to one another except for a road in-between. I thought about how great it would have been to see a game at the old stadium. After getting off the subway and walking out of the station, there it was… standing like a huge castle—Yankee Stadium. It was pretty from the outside, very clean and really big. Getting inside was really annoying because it wasn’t open to the public yet for the game that evening—so many security clearances. Now I know why they say it’s just like Fort Knox.
Once inside, it was pretty amazing. It was so new and full of inspiration from the old stadium. I remember seeing the field and thinking it looked smaller than I thought it would be but still pristine. Our luncheon with Derek took place at NYY Steak (per Derek’s request). The steakhouse restaurant was located inside the stadium. The event was for a group of contest winners that had won a trip to meet Derek and have lunch with him. I made my way into the restaurant to set up our private room. Everything looked great. One of Derek’s reps arrived, she was very sweet. A few minutes later after all of the finishing touches were complete, Derek calls and is ready to go. She and I are escorted to the players parking level where Derek is waiting. As soon I stepped out of the elevator, there he was—standing at the door holding his cell phone (I think it was a blackberry) looking much taller than I expected. He was with another rep. They introduced me to Derek and that was when I realized how personable and charismatic he was. We walked into the elevator together and as we made our way to the restaurant, I gave him the run down of every important detail he needed to know before he stepped into the private room. He listened very closely and nodded at everything I said. He asked me questions and I answered, he smiled a lot. He was an obvious a professional. The moment we stepped out of the elevator and entered the restaurant, I realized what a presence he had. Everyone stopped and looked at him and became mesmerized by seeing him in person. He smiled and greeting everyone hello to those he passed by as I walked him into the private area. The luncheon turned out to be one of the best events I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on. The media we invited were cordial and Derek was great with them. He was extremely well spoken and when the cameras stopped rolling, he became very comfortable and candid with the guests. He answered every question they asked. He ate with us and was even presented with his own steak knife by the restaurant (personalized & engraved) as his meal was brought to him. Following lunch, we had an hour with Derek for an online appearance with kid fans from all over the globe.
After the 2 hour event, I instantly became a Derek Jeter & Yankees fan. Derek impressed me so much. He was genuine and loved being around his fans. He was extremely likable and by the answers he gave during the lunch, you can tell that he is a very down-to-earth person. It truly was an honor to meet and work with him. We attended batting practice and the game that evening (which they won). It was definitely unforgettable. I even stopped at the Yankee’s store and picked up my very own NY hat. In all honesty, I hope one day I get to attend another game at Yankee Stadium. And, since my Padres can’t make it happen, I do hope Derek is able to win the World Series this year. ;) Go Jeter, go Yanks!
Love, Peace, &
NY Yanks,
-c
NY Yanks,
-c
P.S. Much thanks to Carrie (Online Community Manager) & Terry (Public Relations Manager) pictured above with me for your help in making this event so successful. And of course to Derek Jeter who made this all possible (even on a game day)! Teamwork~
Sunday, July 5, 2009
.i will remember the king of pop.
How is it possible to be touched by the passing of a person that you’ve never met but feel like you’ve known all your life? The reality of Michael Jackson’s passing did not hit me until a few days after it actually happened. How could someone so amazingly talented and seemingly on top of the world—be gone in a matter of moments? It was much too difficult for me to handle and believe—or even want to believe. You see, I grew up with a love for music and dance. I can say with all honesty that I owe a lot of that to Michael Jackson. His music was definitely a part of my childhood. I remember playing my Dads cassette tapes filled with MJ’s music and blasting his songs in my garage while my neighbors and I danced away. We’d choreograph short routines to Billy Jean and Beat it. We even tried our best to imitate the King of Pop’s moves—as if we could. As silly as it sounds, the "Making of Thriller" was one of my all time favorite videos to watch. I'd watch it over and over so I understood how such (at the time) a scary video was made. The zombies freaked me out but once I knew the behind-the-scenes secrets, I laughed at myself for being so scared. I even memorized the dance moves which prompted my love for dance. Because of this I grew up learning the art of ballet, jazz, and even hula. Being that we were just young kids at the time—little did I realize, MJ’s music would prove to be legendary and his life would be cut without warning many years later. How could I fathom that I would be a grown adult going about my daily work day and would come across a newsflash that Michael, at the age of 50 would be rushed to the hospital with reports of cardiac arrest? At 50 years old?! Despite his tremulous lifestyle, he was a person. One who was a talented individual who was able to do what most people in this world will never EVER be able to do. That was to touch the hearts and souls of many human beings all around the globe with his voice through music, the ENTIRE globe! I choose to remember Michael Jackson as a performer and singer who possessed a priceless perfection when it came to his gift. Whatever negative comments people choose to say about him and the accusations that surrounded him are words that I will try to ignore. He is gone from this Earth now—and no one will ever know the truth about his life. What we will know is that his art is timeless—and that is undeniable. I know in my heart that his music will never get old—even as we all will. I'll never forget the man who made a white glitter glove so famous and the way he magically floated across the stage with a move we all know as the moonwalk. As Michael is memorialized and buried this coming week in Los Angeles, a part of my childhood will be with him as he is placed in his final resting place. RIP Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009).
Sunday, June 7, 2009
.lakers vs. magic + twitter-bug + vick is out.
Of course, the minute I complain about the Lakers vs. Magic series being BORING—Game 2 proved me wrong. With an exciting OT victory, the Lakers proved once again why they truly belong in the Finals this year. The Lakers really pulled together, most especially Odom & Gasol (and of course KB) which was no match for Howard, Lewis & Co. The Magic stood strong but in my eyes played with no sense of urgency which I believe was the cause of their breakdown during OT. Even though I'm a Laker fan, I wanted to look Howard in the eyes and tell him, "Play like you want it, Superman!". It should get even more interesting as the series moves to Orlando for the next 3 games. I expect Van Gundy to light a fire under his team unless they want to get swept at their own home court. That would be no bueno! I caught a bit of the post-game press conference and KB was asked about his game face. "Kobe, now that the Lakers are up 2-0 in the series, are you finally able to crack a smile?" asked a journalist jokingly. Kobe responds (with no smile of course), “…what’s there to smile about, the job isn’t done”. That’s hardcore Kobe for you. As for tonight’s courtside action, I enjoyed watching Lakers #1 fan Jack chat it up with players (from both teams) and even stand up and scream at the officials as they called a foul on his Lakers. Jack wasn’t the only celebrity at the game, as I learned from my new sidekick “Twitter”.Speaking of Twitter, it’s been a couple of weeks since I jumped on and since then…it’s been pretty revealing to say the least. The best way for me to describe it is, “Better than an US Weekly”. Seriously, I am so much more “in the know” on who’s doing what thanks to all my twitter updates. If I wanted, I could even interact with the folks that I usually only read about in the news columns or watch on TV. It’s actually kind of neat—makes me wonder; is Twitter just a fad or a great way for celebs to let their fans take a peek into their world long term? Regardless, I’m enjoying all of it… the little blurbs from T.O. as he vents about house hunting in Buffalo and The Hills cast sending messages back and forth to each other about where they are going clubbing, what their eating for dinner, and even posting photos of what they are doing. Diddy's updates are motivating and he always manages to remind me about Ciroc! Little Miley and Mr. Ashton posts random thoughts and photos quite often. Call it too much information, I call it FUN! I even heard from Kimora Lee about her new baby name first because she announced it on Twitter! Here’s the actually post when her new little one came, “Welcome into the world Kenzo Lee Hounsou. Kimora's + Djimon's baby boy was born on Saturday May, 30th. He was 8 lbs and 20 inches.” How cute! Btw, I saw an article about Kimora's announcement on people.com the following morning and they mentioned Twitter as their source for the news! Haha, by then it was old news to me! :) Kimora posted a photo of herself in the hospital (via Twitter)…doesn’t she look great?! Yes, she was twittering while at the hospital...sharing with her followers that she was in labor!
In news unrelated to Twitter; according to Profootballtalk.com—“Suspended QB Michael Vick's $10-an-hour construction job has been going smoothly and he's been showing up on time.” That’s good news considering the fact that Vick’s every move is more than likely being tracked by the NFL to aid in the decision making process by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell will have to answer when Michael Vick files his NFL reinstatement papers sometime after July 20. We’ll see how that goes. I’ve been torn about the whole Michael Vick saga since the day I found out about his heinous crimes. I’m a dog lover so it was extremely heartbreaking to find out that a role model who people (including kids) have cheered for in the sports world took it upon himself to cause pain and suffering to animals. All for the love of money? I really can’t accept that as a good enough excuse but then again, money makes people do crazy things. He has served his time and is seemingly showing remorse, so a second chance isn’t out of the question. I’m sure glad that I’m not in Roger Goodell’s shoes—his decision is going to upset people either way it goes I’m sure.
Peace,Lakers,
& Second chances,
-c
Monday, May 25, 2009
.tweet tweet.
I have a ton of stuff to catch you up on. I know it's been a while since I've posted and my excuse is my schedule (really!). It's been hectic the last couple of months to say the least. I'm doing well if you are wondering. Work is great and I've been busy with some really exciting events. I know when I started this blog, it was a commitment that I'd update it timely with fun and exciting stories and experiences of my life. Lately, that has been somewhat challenging. To help bridge the gap between my fellow blog friends and my scheduling issues, I decided to take the plunge and sign up for a twitter account. If CNN and Oprah can do it, why can't I? So, a few weeks ago I did it. I signed up and I was official. Funny thing was, after that...I had no idea how to update it from my iphone (such a newb). Weeks went by and finally THANKS to facebook and my wonderful friends, I found the answer! One day I posted a status update asking for some advice: "how in the world can I twitter via my iphone?". Instantly, I got some responses from friends suggesting an app called "Tweetie". I found it on the itunes store and after downloading and updating it to my iphone--WOW! I was actually LIVE and was able to see the twitters off all kinds of people. In addition to my friends, I'm following Diddy, Kim Kardashian, and Terrell Owens to name a few. It's fun and easy...what ever took me so long? Now my only problem is, do I update my twitter or my facebook. I don't have enough time in the day to do both. I'm leaning towards twitter so maybe I'll see you all on?! Follow me friends...I made it SO easy. Find me under "lovemystar"~ tweet tweet. :)
Love,
Peace,
& Tweetie~
-c
Love,Peace,
& Tweetie~
-c
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