Dear Santa,

I hope you are staying warm on your sleigh. When you get to Portland, be sure to wear a bright yellow slicker, because it has not stopped raining since the beginning of November. We will make sure to keep the chimney open for you. We called a chimney sweep last week to make sure it was all clean for you. They said that it is in tip-top shape for you, so we will wait to build a fire until Christmas Day.

Since I try hard to be good and eat healthy, I did not leave you any cookies this year. Just a green smoothie, full of spinach and protein powder as it will give you the energy you need to make it to all the other houses on your list. If you do not like the green smoothie, there is some egg nog in the refrigerator. I made sure I had back up reserves just in case.

I do not have anything on my Christmas list. I hope instead that you bring toys, jackets, and presents to any children that are in need this year. I hope you escalate them to the top of your list. Also, if you could find a way to comfort those families from Sandy Hook Elementary School. I guess if I did have something on my list, that would be what would be on my list this year. I was good this year, I promise.

Be safe. Until next year.

-tami

Do you have Teeter Totter days?

Posted by random olio

Some days I feel like I am on both sides of a teeter totter. (I am chuckling to myself because when I typed that the first time I wrote teeter tooter.) Do you ever have those days? One second you are incredibly positive and grateful. The sun is out and the air is clear. You are happy. Then moments later all hell breaks loose and you are grumpy and frustrated. It is pouring down rain and cold. You feel dumpy.

Ever happen to you? It is not the norm for me. Just sometimes a random day when like a flip of a light switch things change in a moment and everything is turned upside down. Which is worse on a teeter totter: getting stuck on the bottom, or getting stuck up in the air? For some reason, I remember as a kid not liking getting stuck in the air. It meant the person sitting on the ground had all the control. If they stayed down, it meant you were stuck up in the air. Sometimes that was fun, but other times it sucked. Is that what it is like when you have a teeter totter day? When you get the bad news that knocks the wind out of you, it feels like being stuck in the air? When you feel that you are oh so close to that next thing, and then it is snatched away from you so fast you do not even see it happen?

How do you get out of the air? Usually the individual on the ground either has to let up on their heavy hold and let you have a turn down on earth, or you have to change partners. Which makes me think that on those tetter totter days I either have to let go of the heavy hold I have on what I want, or I have to change gears. Look at the situation in a different way. Find the good in each moment. Even in that moment where what I wanted flew by before I could even tell.

What do you do in your teeter totter moments?

Rush of adrenaline…

Posted by random olio

What gets your adrenaline going? Do you feel it after a long run? A presentation in front of many people in your company, or just a few peers in your department? Do you feel exhilarated after climbing, camping, or hiking? Or after salsa dancing? Do you feel it when you finally fit into your bathing suit or jeans? Or, is it after completing a painting or making a new business sale or partnership?

For me, it’s how I feel after a good long run, when I feel that a painting is complete and I hang it on the wall, sometimes it is a new experience with someone I’ve never met before and I feel a bit nervous. Other times it’s when I am direct with someone and am not always sure how they will respond. I have other encounters and experiences, but that is just a start.

When we let our juices flow, and our adrenaline is up, we feel alive. Sometimes it is a day full of meetings, with then a night of connecting with friends you have not seen. When you finally crawl into bed for sleep your mind is going a mile a minute of all the notes you did not have time to make at work, or the conversations you had with your friends. Your mind will not shut down and so sleep is fleeting.

What gets your adrenaline going?

12.12.12

Posted by random olio

It happened last year on 11.11.11, and the year before that on 10.10.10, and before that and before that. However, these repeating dates will not happen until 01.01.2101. They only occur in the first 12 years of a new century. What will you be doing at 12:12 pm on 12.12.12?

Doing a bit of research I came across quite a few websites specifically for 12.12.12. A bit shocking to go to so much trouble on a website meant for one day in a year. Some are calling it doomsday like the Mayans have selected December 21, 2012, some are calling it a spiritually enlightened day, and others are using it to raise money. There is a concert for Sandy Relief will be happening on December 12, 2012. It looks like it will be televised tonight at 7:30 ET. There is also a group calling 12.12.12: World Day of Interconnectedness.

For me it is just another day. However, because there will not be another repeating day while I am alive, I want to do something fun and memorable. What should I do at 12:12:12 on 12.12.12?

“Did I leave my jacket at your place?”

Posted by random olio

Last week I received this email from Oxfam with the subject line: “Did I leave my jacket at your place?” I could tell by the email address that it was from Oxfam, which often I just delete depending on how many emails I have to go through. I got a chuckle reading the subject line and decided that their cleverness was enough to make me read their email. An impressive marketing ploy to get their subscribers to read their messages. It makes me want to take it to the next level in my own writing (work and personal) to continue to find clever ways to give others a laugh, or make them curious about what might be inside an email. With our full inboxes, often filled mostly with junk, it is refreshing to find a message that adds a little humor.

See below for the full email from Oxfam:

Hey Tami –

It’s Aziz Ansari. And of course I didn’t leave a jacket at your place. I’ve never been to your home.

But I’m glad you opened this email, because I actually wanted to talk to you about something much more important. I want to tell you that this holiday season, you need to get a gift from OxfamGifts.com. Your gift could be exactly what someone in poverty needs to build a better future for their family.

Get your family gifts they’ll love. Instead of the usual boring gifts, why not get your mom some bees ($18)? No, not like a swarm that will attack her, I mean some bees that go to rural farmers so they can learn the latest beekeeping methods and harvest more honey from their hives. More honey means more money for families in need. That’s pretty cool, right?

And for dad, instead of a tie, get him some goats! A goat ($50) can provide fertilizer and food for families. Does a goofy tie provide fertilizer? NOPE.

Check out my video to see what’s so special about OxfamGifts.com this year and start shopping now >>

Here’s how it works:
	You purchase an item.
	You personalize a gift card.
	The card goes to your friend or loved one.
	Your donation goes to those who need it most.

What are you waiting for? See why everyone wants to give – and get – chickens, wells and other life-saving gifts this holiday season >>

You get to skip the mall, find the perfect present for everyone on your list and help people in need, all without leaving home – I’d call that a major win. Start shopping now >>

Best wishes,

Aziz Ansari