I got a bazaar phone call from one of my best friends on her day off, and when she sent me these two photos I almost wet my pants from laughing so hard...

Those are A LOT of empty benches!

Oh.. Uhh, Why, Hello There!

I told my girl she was just so irresistible people sought her out in effort to pick up her amazing energy... haha! 

We joked about how typical it is when you go out of your way to get away from people, and with out fail they flock to you like white on rice. Why is that? What is it that makes people flock to other people?

Prime example, the photos above. My friend (who really needs to start a blog to document the crazy things that happen to her AND the amazing life she lives, by the way!) was at the health food store minding her own business, enjoying her fresh mango when out of ALL the benches to choose from this couple sits rightnexttoher.

She was fit to be tide. Not having it. I teased her some more and encouraged her get up and move to another bench. My theory was that it would send a silent, but loud statement. Instead, she stayed right where she was and we thought up more scenarios.

You could be at the beach, minding your own business, enjoying the beauty of literally having an entire beach to yourself, only to notice people joining your party. They have an entire beach to choose a spot, and they hunker down right next to you like there's assigned seating. Why is this?!

You could be in a parking lot, going out of your way to park away from the crowd for fear of door dings and welcome the extra steps for a little workout, only to come back to your car and find another car rightnexttoyours. Again, why is this?!   


#PhotoADayApril

Day 4: Someone Who Makes You Happy Day 5: Tiny | Doesn't my man make that tree look tiny? ;)

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I have a confession.

I have consciously put off composing articles about the extensive research I have been conducting alldayeveryday since 11/01/2011. Why?

For several reasons. Two main reasons being: people don't really care. and people don't really change. 

Cynical? ..YES. In my fit-of-fury right now, I'll admit to that. But I hope you indulge in my rant..

Have you ever noticed the things in life that are too simple are almost always disregarded?


People disregard crucial information relevant to their everyday health, and come up with ridiculous justifications.

How many lives do we get? One.

How many bodies do we get? One.

Let's take care of the one body we have so we can live a long, healthy life in the one life we get. We do this by caring what we put into our bodies. By knowing what we are buying and eating.

Let's educate ourselves. Don't just wonder about something -- research it, cross-reference it. We should even research opposing views so we can have prospectives from both sides and make (better) educated decisions, and be prepared for counter arguments when educating others. <-- I'm still working on that!

Why am I so fired up?

Here's why:

It's estimated that a jaw-dropping 2/3 of processed foods contain genetically engineered ingredients. Plus over 80% of corn and soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically engineered. Not to mention that the majority of the livestock we consume have been raised on genetically engineered grains. But you'd never know by looking at food labels.

Do you look at labels? Is the Ingredients the first thing you look at? Because it should be.

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. The most frequent use of the term GMO is in relation to the food that we eat, in that many crops and factory-made foods are created from genetically modified ingredients.

Genes from other plants, viruses, bacteria, animals, etc. are inserted into the genes of certain products such as corn and soy, (click for top ten GMO crops) to make them more stable and resistant to drought, disease and pesticides.



DID YOU KNOW, GMO crops have patented genes? If you are an organic farmer downwind of another farmer choosing to modify his or her crops and their seeds spread (go up in the air and pollinate) your organic non-GMO crops (unknowingly or accidentally) the patent holder (a.k.a. MONSANTO) now has the right to control the use of those crops. Read that again--until it sinks in. You would no longer own your crops! Perhaps now Occupy Monsanto makes a little more sense?

If this pisses you off (it should!) please take action:


Here's the thing, every bit of information I just shared above is just the tip of the ice burg.

I was at Costco the other day, and walking down the aisles I became so disgusted, my stomach felt like it was turning into knots. As I looked around all I could see were large companies selling poison and other large companies making money off the diseases these products create.

Enter:




Oh, but I digress. And please don't say or even think, "but it's organic.." because it DOESN'T MATTER: sugar is sugar!

According to Dr. Jerry Lee Hover, “Eating white sugar will paralyze and hinder your white blood cells from fighting off an infection. Eating 25 teaspoons of sugar will paralyze 92% of your white blood cells for approximately five hours. The average American eats over 42 teaspoons of sugar per day." I.E. One 12 oz coke has approx. 8-10 teaspoons (Source).

I will go into detail about how sugar is killing consumers, but for now I will save that for a future post. Now I want to introduce the purpose of this post and why I am furious: PLU Labels.

Q: What is a PLU code?
A: PLU stands for price look-up code. PLUs are used on items that are sold loose or bunched, by weight or by each (i.e. an individual apple or bunch of greens). A PLU code contains 4-5 digits total. The PLU is key-entered at point of sale in order to obtain the price

I always knew those codes stood for something, I just didn't know what exactly. I also knew that a certain sequence represented U.S.A. but never knew the numbers. Since Genetically Modified (GMOs) products currently do not need to be labeled, these barcodes are crucial for reference. I urge each of you to write the following information down and take it with you the next time you are at the grocery store:

Q: How is organically grown produce coded on a PLU label?
A: The number 9 is added to the front of the regular four digit PLU code. (e.g. an organically grown banana would be 94011.)

Q: How is genetically engineered produce coded on a PLU label?
A: The number 8 is added in front of the regular four digit PLU code. (e.g. a genetically engineered vine ripe tomato would be 84805.)

"Those that run PLU-universe figured that someday some retailer might want to distinguish between a GMO and a non-GMO for price or inventory purposes. So they created a convention of 5 digits starting with an 8, just in case it catches on. But it hasn’t. No one uses that number 8 as far as we can tell. And why would they? Most Americans say they would avoid GMOs if they were labeled. 

Some seed companies don’t even want gardeners to know which seed is genetically modified. One company that sells zucchini seeds outfitted with virus genes announced that they would refuse to sell seed packets in Vermont, since the state legislature requires GM seeds to be labeled."

I did a little research of my own in my refrigerator and found this:

I am unsure about these mushrooms now, and don't event want to take the chance. Wouldn't it be great if GMO products had to be labeled? 


We deserve to know, right?





There are millions of reasons to avoid GMO's, but here's 10 reasons according to the Institute for Responsible Technology. And here's 65 health risks of GM foods if you were wondering.  

More than 80% of processed foods at U.S. grocery stores are likely to contain genetically engineered ingredients. And you wouldn't know it, because the FDA doesn't require labels for foods with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients ‒ also called genetically modified organisms (GMOs) (Source).



Tell The FDA!

A legal petition (Docket # FDA-2011-P-0723-0001/CP) has been filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the FDA to label genetically engineered (GE) foods.


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I wanted to share some random rants thoughts I've had while running lately. As you all know, I live on a beautiful small Island in the middle of the Pacific, and I even go out of my way to run a somewhat secluded route; however, it seems my little Island has the some big city issues!

Exhibit A:

No, really--you are!

People really need to slow down! I'll be the first to admit I used to be a speed-demon; however, I have slowed down so much with age, it really irks me now when people speed--especially on an island--where yah gonna go?! Even people sporting these stickers need to wise up! We have ONE ROAD here on Maui--ONE! Mostly two-lanes, four in some spots, and our speed limit is never over 50mph, and that's in maybe one spot. Also, if you happen to pass someone, you WILL see them at the next stop. They probably won't like you, either.

So far, during every.single.run (I've  only been running outside since I've been back), at least one speeding car whizzes past me so fast I feel the draft! I swear I'm not one of those annoying athletes who take up half the road, either! Did I mention I go out of my way to run in a somewhat secluded area? People should especially be going slow where I run. Ridiculous. One of my childhood friend's Dad recently passed away because he was hit by a car while riding his bike, and I literally fear for my life when I go running now!

Speaking of cars whizzing by...

Exhibit B:

Change your oil dude!

There is absolutely nothing worse than running in a tropical paradise only to be slapped with nasty fumes from a car passing by that is over-due for an oil change or is a big-rig diesel truck. Yuck! I'm out-and-about, getting my cardio on--minding my own business, enjoying the priceless backdrop I get to call home, and some car passes by (almost kills me) and leaves me with a mouthful of exhaust. Awesome. Thanks chief.

Speaking of nasty smells...

Exhibit C:

Your habit -- not mine!

If you read this post you might know why I loathe cigarettes. Not only was I born when your lungs develop, but I grew up with chronic bronchitis, and I am very allergic to cigarette smoke. Imagine running and getting your workout on only to take a deep breath and inhale someone else's disgusting exhale and cancer induced second-hand smoke. Yum, that's exactly what I wanted when gasping for air trying to PR.

Speaking of PR's...

Exhibit D:

Running in the Rain

I am a huge fan of rain--I love rain--it's raining right now! But unless I'm running a RACE, I am not interested nor am I that dedicated to running in the rain. Trust me, I'm a nature-girl, get-down-n-dirty, and enjoy the unpredictable tropical weather my paradise offers, but here's the deal: I prefer to run on a treadmill. Yup--this genius invention most people refer to as the dreadmill... I luuuuurve it! Who wouldn't enjoy a forced (dry) run in a clean environment, with A/C?!?! Not to mention watching a movie or TV show makes those long runs FLY BY!

I'm really starting to think of myself as a running diva. In fact, I completely labeled myself that on my last run, which led me to research my new term, only to discover the real Running Diva's website! How awesome is their company name AND their merch? I want! 

All I want to do is continue living a fun, active, outdoor lifestyle, and embrace running--my labor of love--to maintain optimum health! Is that too much to ask? I've been making an effort to run outside, and I swear everything is going against my best efforts! Perhaps I really am a gym rat.


PS: Suz over at Cows & Lasers is hosting a LARABAR giveaway until 10/26 -- Check it out & let her know @JennsAdventures sent you:)

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If you are a reader and haven't yet followed me via Google Friend Connect located on the top right of my Blog's Sidebar, please do so! Following, Subscribing, or commenting on my Blog is the biggest compliment you can give!

When I first saw this I totally wanted to jump on board--then I lost where I originally found it--and just found it again! I've officially linked up with Amber & Neely to avoid making the same mistake twice, and encourage you to do the same! 

If you are a reader and haven't yet followed me via Google Friend Connect located on the top right of my Blog's Sidebar, please do so! Following, Subscribing, or commenting on my Blog is the biggest compliment you can give!

A couple Wednesday's ago was my Birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with chocolate?! I'm a simple girl that enjoys simple pleasures... and the photo below includes a simple pleasure I always have room for;)

Before & After | Demolished in 2.5 minutes MAX!

The following day was dedicating to laundry, and packing accordingly. I tried to plan out my outfits perfectly since I refuse to check baggage nowadays. [Commercial] air travel used to be a luxury, but now it's a mere inconvenience. Stick to carry-on bags, friends...pack lightly and it'll save you time, money and drama--trust this professional adventurer!

Keepall 55 with Shoulder Strap

Neverfull GM (a.ka. mary poppins bag)

I was abnormally nervous and had some preflight jitters. I was scheduled for the 10:30PM redeye on United, but couldn't get seat assignments when I checked in online--and although I planned on sleeping the duration of the five hour flight to LAX, I loathe being in the back of planes--been there done that, don't want to be back there ever again...ever!

I had dinner with the ohana (family), and Dad took me to the airport around 8PM. It takes about an hour to get to the airport from where I live, and I wanted to square away my seat debacle--otherwise, I'm a "run to your gate" kind of girl...or used to be anyway;)

Dad and I said goodbye at the curb, and I breezed through security.. I was at my gate within 15 minutes and noticed there wasn't a lot of people there. I got a little excited, thinking it wouldn't be a full flight and visited the agent behind the counter. He had that "I hate my job" vibe oozing with hatred and laziness, and routinely gave me a boarding ticket with a seat assignment somewhere in the 20's--not too far back, but not close enough for me, so I held back a cringe as I asked him if bulkhead was available, and when he firmly said "no," I persisted by asking for an exit row--again, his answer was a firm "no." Thanks pal.

I went back to my seat and distracted myself before long noticing it was a little after 10PM and we hadn't boarded yet, in fact, there wasn't even any pre-boarding action going on--wtf? My "friend" said all but a few words on the intercom about "the plane being on-time, and should be here around 10:45PM" ..Say what? ...Pardon? ...According to my ticket, we should be in the air by 10:30PM, what's the deal?

I kept looking at my ticket, intensely inspecting it--like you would those photo "find the difference" games--and remained confused since [duh] it said my departure time was at 10:30PM.

While walking to the bathroom to freshen up, I thought I heard something about one of the aircrafts not being cleared and I could only assume there were two flights going to LAX that night, and seemingly they were then combining them (without letting us know). Thanks United. Appreciate that. Nothing better than waiting, and not knowing why.

Our gate began filling up, no longer a question it would in fact be a full flight--on whatever plane we ended up on! At no point in time, as the seconds kept ticking now after 11PM did anyone from United speak up and clearly state what was going on. From my prospective, it looked as if my flight of passengers (who expected to be in the air at 10:30PM) were restless from being delayed, meanwhile the later flight passengers (11:30PM?) were barely affected, and everything was business as usual.  

Three more agents came to the area and had extra springs in their steps, and it became apparent United overbooked my flight, and decided to possibly wait for a larger plane to accomodate the passengers by delaying them two hours. This wouldn't have been a problem or something I was so irate about, except for the fact that it also became clear I would be missing my morning connection flight from LAX to LAS. Awesome.

This is plane we ended up occupying for about five hours...took off around 12:20AM(??)

A Brick Shit House

You know how I mentioned earlier I prefer to run to my gate? It's because I hate waiting. Particularly at airports. I also don't care to be first on the plane, being the last to board is fine by me. In this case though, I was in seating zone four, so I was last to board anyway. I was beyond irritated passing by all the empty seats--especially those window seats. I tried to remain in my sleepy state though and passed out when I finally made it to my aisle seat. And good thing I only had plans to sleep, because look at these sad TV's... 

What a waste

I woke up as we were landing--just in time for my flight tracker app to notify me of my connection flight taking off two minutes early. REALLY?!

Get me the F OUTTA HERE!!

United Airlines Customer Service was less than sorry I wasn't on my connection flight, even though it was completely their fault and acted as if they were doing me a favor by booking me on the 10:30PM flight from LAX to LAS. Yeah, you read that right: 10:30PM. It was 7:50AM mind you, when discussing this ridiculousness, and the next flight wasn't until 1PM--and the best they could do was suggest I go standby. Gee thanks, I planned on it, genius. OH! And they gave me a $15 voucher. F-you United, and your $15 voucher. That's supposed to last me until 10:30PM? More than 12 hours away? Yeah, F-you!

Grande Non-fat Cappuccino, Oatmeal, Fruit cup, & Banana bread = $15.44

I ended up making friends with a couple guys who were on my OGG to LAX flight--they vacationed to Maui and were headed back home to Utah via Las Vegas and they definitely helped make the time go by quicker since we were in the same predicament. They must have bitched better though, or used their good looks at the United Airlines Customer Service counter, because somehow they ended up getting confirmed on that 1PM flight, while I was still standby. I was number two on the standby list, but that didn't mean shit if the flight was overbooked--which United is FAMOUS for. Assholes.

The next flight (after the 1PM flight) wasn't until 4PM, and at this rate, I would have been better off renting a car at 8AM and trekking the 4 hour drive into the desert. I must have been wearing down though, because as much as I wanted to get on that 1PM flight, I began changing my "balls-to-the-wall" or "90-to-nothin'" mentality, to "what will be will be." And with that, 30 passengers failed to show up for that flight, and I was cleared for take headed to Vegas with my new friends!

Finally Made it to Sin City!

Landing in Vegas I immediately caught a ride to the Strip and checked in to our hotel so I could shower the almost 24 hours of travel nastiness off of me. While changing and touching base with friends, I was torn between taking a much needed nap or hitting the ground running--there's just something about the Vegas vibe that gets us Locals going. It's an infamous joke, Sin City is Hawaii's 9th Island, and it's because we frequent it so often and spend all our money there! Luckily for my health, my friends were still working for a couple more hours, so I could get some shut eye.

Later, I met up with one of my friends and her boyfriend for drinks and we kept our fingers crossed the boyfriend would make his connection flight, which then transitioned to hoping his flight didn't get cancelled. After many rounds of drinks for us, and many hours of being delayed for the bf, he finally made it to Sin City around 11PM.

He didn't make it to the hotel until almost midnight, and we ended up meeting at the room where he quickly changed and we walked around the Strip. Here's an epic photo I strategically took while on our walk...

Brings new meaning to "Babydoll" outfits!

Earlier, when meeting up with my friend and her boyfriend, I saw a lady wearing black lace leggings with a thong. Had she not been over 50 years old, saggy, and wrinkly, perhaps it would have been okay. Not the case. No picture:(

Anyhoo, the bf and I ended up where we met and had some much needed food before heading back to the hotel. So far, that's been our tradition--and I love it:)

Day one: That's a wrap.

Do you ever have days where the music you're listening to simply can't be loud enough?

Hate is such a strong word! I was raised to never say it, so I feel a little bold suggesting I hate the following, so let's just say I strongly dislike..

Keeping up with my expenses

What's up? TAXES & RENT!

Bills. Bills. Bills!

On the 6th of every month: I'm in a bad mood. It's the day I pay ALL my bills. I hate paying bills. I look through the statement and get pissed off about all the things I picked up. I pay them in full, every month, though. Always have--always will.

One thing I need to work on is my attitude, particularly when reviewing my credit card statement (I never use cash). My Dad was (is?) always in a bad mood when reviewing his statements and I think it's worn off on me over the years. Apparently his Dad was the same way, too (Grandpa passed away before I was born) and that would make me the third generation with this horrible habit, so I'm actively working on it! *Mean People Suck*

One thing I REALLY hate--probably MORE than paying bills; is when people forget their blinkers are on. It makes me CRAZY! It doesn't matter if you're driving in front or behind me, if I see it: I just want to screeeeeeeam!!

Pay Attention!!

I also hate when I have to repeat myself. Talking takes energy as it is, even composing an email takes time--and well, uh, if you can't listen OR read--we have a problem!

I could definitely think up more, but I prefer NOT to dwell in negativity!

What do you hate? 
What drives you crazy?
Are you on top of your expenses?
Do you get "angry" or in a bad mood when paying bills?

In a previous post I ranted about my most-of-the-time-brillant boyfriendʻs carelessness with his iPhone 4...

You can read about that here.  The short of the long of it: We were driving back to Huntsville from Auburn one weekend--stopped for gas, and the phone disappeared (wait, what?!) ..I posted a picture of what the phone looked like when we found it.. Sad day!

But my handy-dandy electronics engineer can fix anything, right? So he ordered some parts, performed minor surgery, and voila.. fixed iPhone 4. Awesome.

Well... a couple weekends ago, returning home, yet again from Auburn en route to Huntsville my now most-of-the-time-not-brillant boyfriend does it again!!

Seriously?! What NOW!?

He accidentally puts his [3rd $300 iPhone 4] in a cup of water!

How, the?!

Sigh.

His third iPhone 4 people. Third! How is this even possible when Apple just released it the end of June?

Sigh.


My oblivious lover definitely didnʻt see this one coming.
He was the road warrior this trip and when we finally made it to Birmingham, he was in the far left lane needing to be in the far right lane in order to make the turn to our friendʻs house. He routinely put his iPhone in his cup holder, got us safely to the far right lane, and we even made our turn. Parking and then blindly gathering some of our things, thatʻs when I saw it. His iPhone 4 was in an undesired bath of water...

SIGH.

The worst (best?) part is he didnʻt even notice! I didnʻt see it happen, so the phone was literally marinating in the cup of water for a solid five minutes! Hmm. How do you suppose he fixed it this time? He decided to leave it on the dashboard of the car so the sun could heat it and naturally dry. We were almost late for a Soccer Tournament, so heʻd have to deal with it later.

When later finally came he noticed the phone was super hot, and the LED light wouldnʻt turn off--the phone was toast. I probably shouldnʻt provide details on how he ended up fixing it, but he did fix it. And I must say, however, he is getting better at taking iPhones apart and putting them back together.

As woman of the house it is a blessing and a curse to know where everything is. Especially when you have a boyfriend like mine, who never knows where anything is…

There isn’t a day that passes I don’t hear him frantically ask the air, “where are my keys!?” … “where are my glasses?!” or the one I dread the most, “where is my phone!?” ..If his head wasn’t attached to his neck, he’d no doubt lose that, too!

Me? I know where everything is. And I refuse to help him.

First of all? I was taught to look with my eyes. Second? I put things back where I found them. So, I purposely stay out of whatever quest it is he is searching for at that moment, mostly because whatever it is? Is in his hand, on his head, or in his pocket.

Over the holiday weekend we took a mini road trip, and on our way back—no more than 20 minutes from our house we stopped for gas. I had been driving and my boyfriend was quietly sitting in the passenger seat playing a game on his phone. He kept his head down mostly, intently concentrating on clearly a very important iPhone game. Every now and then he would look up to offer some backseat driving advice, but I hardly paid any attention to that.

I pull in to the gas station and as I situated the car next to the gas pump, he jumped out to fill the tank. Enjoying the break, I began to peacefully play on my phone; checking emails, twitter updates, etc. when all of a sudden I hear expletives followed by some banging. I look over to see what he is fussing about, and it appears that the gas pump isn’t working. No biggie. I whip it around to the other side for a second attempt as instructed.

Okay. We’re good.

After setting everything up, locking the pump in place etc. I once again hear some expletives as he makes his way around to the passenger side. I start to get irritated because clearly he is in a mood and wants the world to know. He starts moving things, and shifting random objects around in the car, opening and closing doors, and finally asks me, “Do you know where my phone is?”

Shocker.

My boyfriend loses his phone 348 times A DAY. And at this moment? I’m REALLY starting to wonder if purchasing the iPhone 4 was a good idea.

I make the obvious remark that it was just in his hands for four hours straight while he played his game, and suggested to retrace his steps. No sympathy.

My question is: How in the world could he have LOST his phone between sitting in the car, and filling up the gas tank?!?!?!?!?! Wouldn’t he notice it fall? Um. Hello?!


He walks off to the previous pump and I begin searching the car for the VANISHED iPhone while simultaneously cleaning. I’m calling, and calling, and calling his phone with no avail.

He comes back to the car angry and confused with no phone, and walks off again going inside to check with the Gas Attendant if some karma-phobe citizen dropped off a missing iPhone. Yeah. Like someone will turn in a brand new iPhone 4...

Meanwhile, the car is now spotless, and because I’ve run out of places to look I begin thinking of how much money we just wasted on this iPhone if it doesn’t turn up.

Now I’m angry.

I’m angry about his carelessness. I’m angry he never knows where anything is. I’m angry he never puts anything back where it belongs. Iʻm angry because some how he always blames me for everything. I loathe filling gas and I could almost hear him thinking, "Stupid this. Stupid that. Why couldnʻt she have just filled gas. Then I wouldnʻt have lost my phone!"

Seriously?!


Whatever.

We finally leave and while we’re driving home in furious-silence I contemplate bringing up my helpful ideas of overdosing on ginko biloba and maybe even attending some self help classes on ʻhow to take care of your shitʻ. I refrain, not wanting to beat a dead horse… But then quickly change my mind midway and throw out: “Baby, this is why you can’t have nice things!”


Silence.

A few minutes pass and he shows relief, almost excitement when he realized he recently put a special lock on his phone and that there is no way anyone would figure it out. He decided he was going to call his phone and keep calling it until [someone] maybe answered.

Persistence people. Wins every time! The Gas Attendant eventually answered the phone after maybe, oh, 20 attempts? The guy on the other end said someone dropped it off right after we had left. Huh. Look at that. Go figure.

I make a U-turn; happy and scared for what his phone might look like… having that thought again about how it really wasn't a good idea getting him a $300 iPhone...

And I'll admit.. I imagined damage--but nothing like this!!

So...


This is why my boyfriend can’t have nice things!


Since only God really knows what happened to this phone, our consensus is that whoever thought their luck was turning around by “finding” a brand new iPhone 4, was wrong.. because they couldn’t unlock the screen to even attempt to use it—or play this addictive game my boyfriend always plays; THEY SMASHED THE $300 OUT OF IT!


Epilogue: After thorough examination and testing of all aspects of the phone it was determined a new digitizer LCD combo would put this soldier back together. A very exciting diagnosis; for minor surgery on iPhones are nothing new in this family!! High five!!