Just A Hodge Podge

Happy Monday after the Super Bowl!

I might be in the minority, but the Super Bowl for me is all about the food, the commercials, and the halftime show.

As far as football goes, I just know that there are a lot of individuals in tight pants running around the field trying to catch a ball, several yellow flags that are thrown what feels like every two seconds, lots of yelling, and a time clock that seems to take FOREVER to tick down to 0.

I’ll be curious to see social media’s take on all the commercials.

I have to say as I sit watching the game at my parents’ house writing these words, I’ve seen a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez that was enjoyable, an avocado commercial with Anna Faris that made me giggle, a Bradley Cooper T-Mobile commercial with his mom that made me smile big, and the E*Trade babies that are always entertaining and creative.

Speaking of entertainment, I got to travel back to my college stomping grounds of State College as an alumni with Marissa to experience Carrie Underwood this past weekend.

I’ve seen her multiple times in concert and I swear she just gets better and better.

And that also goes for her legs.

#carrielegs

But, aside from her legs and just being a beautiful soul overall, the one thing that I appreciate about her performance is that she is rooted in her faith and is not afraid to sing about it.

She struck all the right notes throughout the two-hour performance and her powerhouse vocals during renditions of “Jesus Take the Wheel,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “Something in the Water. They were gorgeous and filled with emotion.

It was hard not to feel things in my soul during those songs as she belted out the lyrics to a packed house at The Bryce Jordan Center.

Wow.

And while these video links are not the actual performance from this past weekend, they are performances from her Las Vegas residency displaying the beauty and grace of these three songs I mentioned above.

(They also showcase her incredible legs).

Hopefully, you will take some time (if you didn’t already watch these) to listen and enjoy and maybe even add the songs to that playlist you throw on when you are looking for some good vibes and need lifting up in your life.

The rest of the State College experience was delightful complete with wine tasting at Mount Nittany Winery, delicious food at BRGR (highly recommend if you are in the downtown State College area) and The Corner Room (a staple classic), and a stop at the creamery for tasty dairy treats!

So, what else can I talk about this week?

In case you didn’t notice, the title of this week’s post was “just a hodge podge.”

The word is defined as “a confused mixture.”

There are weeks where I know exactly what I’m going to write in these posts and other weeks where I just don’t know what to say.

So, here I am, blessing you with a hodge podge of words.

On Saturday night, I went to the Yorktowne Hotel with some special people. It was a lot of fun…lots of humans…a bit overwhelming at times to be honest, but fun.

On Thursday night, during our stay at the Ramada in State College, Marissa and I were awakened by the alarm clock playing static at midnight.

It startled both of us and it was kind of like living inside a horror movie plot.

Creepy.

Also, on Thursday night, I was awakened by a terrifying dream involving huge spiders. I was discarding an empty bottle of orange juice and missed the recycling bin. So, I went to grab it and was startled by a biting sensation on my toe. It was a giant spider, so I immediately jumped to kill it. I woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavy.

Terrifying.

Marissa and I learned at the Bryce Jordan Center Friday night heading into the concert that her purse was too big for the security regulations.

Crazy.

I bought a pair of maroon All Star Converse Chucks.

Fun.

The mole I had removed two weeks ago came back benign.

Praise the Lord!

Today marks the first day that I’m starting with a new fitness trainer and curated workout plan. His name is Ryan Chalfant and he is known as The Fitness Alchemist.

I’m super excited to get back to regular workouts and holding myself accountable to take action on loving my body and feeling good.

Well, folks.

I’m out.

Thanks for joining me this week for my hodge podge of a post.

Cheers to your week ahead in hopes that it involves love and kindness in multiple forms.

Sprinkle sunshine always,

JP!