So, you know how your husband goes out of town for the weekend and your young dog has been vomiting and having diarrhea for four days, and you have big deadlines, and you have to go get your daughter at camp, which ends up taking more than six hours, and you cry the whole way there because you just got a crown on your bottom tooth, and it’s sitting too high and jamming your upper tooth into places where it shouldn’t be and “bruising” the nerve, and it hurts so bad that you take three Dilaudid and it still hurts, but OH BOY do you sleep…you know, when you should be working, and you need to do laundry so you can pack to go out of town and speak in front of 3600 people, and then your old dog gets a tick and when you try to pull it out with tweezers you just end up getting half of it and a whole lot of blood all over your kitchen, and you have to make an emergency trip to your out of town dentist on a Sunday…you know, when you should be working, and then the young dog who has been vomiting and having diarrhea for four days decides she DOESN’T WANT TO GO IN THE YARD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM ANYMORE and you have to literally drag her to the grass, and then she gets stung by something and her face swells up so much that she can’t see, and then you are SO HAPPY when your husband walks back in the door?

Yeah, me too.

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When I was growing up we had a family tradition that I fondly remember. Every year, on Memorial Day, we would pack up the car at the crack of dawn and drive to a local park where we would meet up with our entire family for a picnic.

All of my aunts, uncles and cousins were there and we would eat eggs cooked on the grill, then take walks on the trails and after lunch we would play a rousing game of softball–the youngsters against the old-timers.

It. Was. So. Fun.

Those Memorial Day picnics were the highlight of my spring each and every year. I remember laughter, bug spray, dirt and scraped knees. I remember the sun, the gravel under my feet and the smell of the charcoal. Did I mention laughter?

I miss those picnics so much.

That’s one reason why I am SO EXCITED to be taking part in the second annual America Is Your Park campaign sponsored by the Coca-Cola Live Positively initiative. Whew! Say that three times, fast!

The goal of America Is Your Park is to encourage people to play, be active and help their favorite park win a recreation grant provided by Coca-Cola Live Positively. First place winner receives $100,000 and the title of America’s Favorite Park, second place wins $50,000 and third gets $25,000.

How awesome is that?

So, I’m co-hosting a family picnic at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park. Ohio is known as the “Birthplace of Aviation”, because Dayton, Ohio is where Orville and Wilbur Wright were born and is where the design of the airplane first took shape and was perfected.

These men changed the world and we get to see where it happened. We get to sit down with friends and family, have a picnic and probably some of those laughs I was talking about, right on the spot where the Wright Brothers made aviation history.

You can’t beat the historical value, it’s an hour from Columbus and this National Park is located inside of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, where the Air Force Museum is located. Bonus! This park even has a flight simulator for the kids!

We are looking forward to a day, together as a family, enjoying this amazing National Park. It should be great! And, if I can create memories for my children like the ones from my childhood, it will be even better.

Voting details:

·         Everyone can vote for their favorite park to win the title of “America’s Favorite Park” by visiting LivePositively.com.

·         Voting runs until September 6,  2011

·         There are other ways to vote for your favorite park, including uploading photos of the park to LivePositively.com/americasparks and checking in on Facebook Places when you go to your park. More information about these methods on LivePositively.com/americasparks

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Do you remember when you were young and gas station attendants used to come out and fill up your tank, wash your windshield and check your oil? If you’re under the age of 30, don’t answer that.

I can still hear the “ding ding” as we would pull into the station and I can see the attendant looking spiffy in his uniform. Buying gas was a pleasurable experience.

Somewhere along the line, things changed. Prices went up, we started pumping our own gas, checking our own oil and washing our own windshields…and what I consider the biggest crime of all, paying for air.

So, when BP asked me to be involved with their Commute Better campaign here in Columbus, I was unsure. Aren’t these companies…I don’t know…the enemy, or something?

No, as it turns out, they’re not.

BP wants to make your experience pleasurable again. They have enlisted a Commute Better Crew who will be at crucial points for Columbus commuters for the next four weeks. They will be handing out commute essentials, answering your questions and maybe they’ll give you one of those old-fashioned smiles like we used to get from the people pumping our gas.

Now, remember…I was skeptical. Before I signed up to work with the BP Commute Better Crew I wanted to be educated on their product. I know a lot of Columbus drivers whose mood depends on the ease of their commute. I have friends who never deviate from their normal route and will sit in traffic no matter what. I see parents who leave their cars idling while sitting in the school parking lot at dismissal. I wanted to help all of them by informing them that it’s okay to make a change, but I wasn’t going to do it without knowing everything I could about BP.

So, I went to gas class. For real.

I learned that most every BP station is a sole proprietor; a mom and pop shop, if you will. And, apparently, each and every one of them prides themselves on making your stop enjoyable. They want to provide you with clean facilities, bright lights, fresh paint, nice landscaping and more than anything, they want to be known for brewing a good cup of coffee.

I recently spent half a day with a chemist who explained, in detail, how a car engine works and why using quality gasoline is important. Almost everyone I know uses their grocery store loyalty card for better gas deals and I saw with my own eyes what happens to an engine when you’re using a low detergency gasoline. It isn’t pretty, folks.

I saw that all grades of BP gasolines with Invigorate, help to clean and protect your engine from harmful build-ups and I learned that the knocking I hear in my car is not a good thing. Not good at all.

Because BP wants us to Commute Better, we brainstormed on how to prevent wear and tear on your vehicle. From the aforementioned idling to mapping out your day so that you run all of your errands at once, preferably on the same side of town. And, whether I liked it or not, local auto expert Dan “Boots” Longenette said that we should check our air pressure and oil every other time we fill up. I know that’s a pain, but your car is likely the second most expensive thing you will ever buy. You should treat it right.

And, guess what? BP wants to treat YOU right too! One lucky reader will receive a $40 BP gift card! Just leave a comment on this post telling me how you “Commute Better” (Do you change your air filter every 12,000 miles? Do you accelerate gently? Do you drive without air conditioning?). Please leave a valid email address with your comment before Monday, August 1st at noon EST. A winner will be chosen at random.

*Update* Congrats to Colleen! She was the lucky winner!

Disclosure: I was compensated by BP for my time and promotion of the Commute Better Crew.

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My husband comes from a family of poker players. A family gathering isn’t complete without a Texas Hold-’em tournament…or two.

One of their favorite games is Omaha Hi Low. If you’ve never played it, it can get confusing. Actually, even if you have played it, it can get confusing. Trust me.

What you need to know is that it can be a split game. It’s always good to have a high hand, because it can win the whole pot or half the pot if there is a low hand that qualifies. A qualifying low hand is one where all five of your cards are under an eight and the cards can’t be paired. The best low hand is Ace through 5, which can also be a high hand. See? Confusing.

Why am I explaining this to you? Because my last week has been one constant game of Omaha High Low. Let’s review, shall we?

Royal Flush – I find out that I was chosen to speak at the BlogHer ’11 Conference Community Keynote. This is like the blogging equivalent of the Oscar…or the Heisman…depending on what you’re into.

Three 3’s and two 2’s – I realize that being chosen to speak at the Community Keynote means that I have to stand onstage, in front of thousands of people. It appears to be a low hand, but it ends up winning the pot as a high one.

4 of a Kind – I am picked for three, big, exciting campaigns, two of which may benefit my local community.

Ace through 4…and a 9 – Two campaigns are set to be unveiled (and therefore WORKED ON) the week before I attend the BlogHer ’11 Conference where I will do my job on Twitter with 30,000 people following what I say and where I will speak (again with the thousands of people). Almost a low hand, but not quite.

Straight Flush – A friend of mine, who knows I have been either sleeping on our couch or on top of six pillows because our 30 year old mattress hurts my back, tells me she’s going to make it her mission to win me a new bed. AND SHE DOES! I had to promise to give up liquor and Ambien, so you KNOW I want it bad.

2 through 6 – I check email only to find out that my daughter’s summer camp starts in three days. Two days after her softball tournament and one day after a big event I’m planning for a sponsor. Camp involves laundry, last minute supplies, packing for a week and driving her out of town. All while I’m doing that Twitter stuff, and my regular job and planning these three campaigns. What? Oh, I’m going to a conference next week? The one where people fret over what they’ll wear and how good their business cards look and making sure your shoes are stylish AND comfortable. Oh, and I’m speaking? And, there’s stuff to fill out for that? And, I may want to get my roots done, and wax my eyebrows and have you seen my feet? There needs to be a pedicure.

Flush – My daughter’s softball team wins their league championship and the tournament.

2 through 5…and a 7 – The games are in 100 degree heat, my old dog gets overheated on her walk, sees a trash truck (which she is terrified of), falls over and pees all over herself, my son gets a booger and it makes him vomit and then I trip over the reins of one of those horse heads on a stick.

Ace through 5 – I realize that despite being so busy that my head feels like it’s going to pop off, I will live through all of it, see good friends along the way, experience something I have only dreamed about, then sleep in a fabulous new bed.

No matter how you look at it, I win.

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