Just barely!

That’s right...I just barely survived another day at work! Okay, I’m a little melodramatic (are you really surprised?)! So I really wanted to write a blog post tonight (I haven't missed a day since December 28th!) but my brain is just barely functioning. When I arrived home from work, I just barely ate dinner (does yogurt with bananas, blueberries and strawberries count?), and I just barely had time to take a bath and relax. Now do you understand why I just barely have enough energy to write a funny yet thought-provoking and inspirational blog post?

Okay, since you insist on having me write a blog post tonight, how about a peak into my just barely functioning mind before I go to bed? (don’t be scared!)

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I just barely had the strength to sign this petition but it’s important because it has global implications...the deregulation of genetically engineered alfalfa (click on the link to sign the petition):

Ask President Obama to Protect Organic and Stop Monsanto's GE Alfalfa! | Change.org

http://www.change.org/petitions/ask-president-obama-to-protect-organic-and-stop-monsantos-ge-alfalfa

On January 27, 2011, the USDA announced that it would fully deregulate genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. This decision means that without intervention from President Obama, farmers will begin planting GE alfalfa this spring, a scenario that could cripple the organic alfalfa, meat, and dairy industries. It's not too late to take action, though! By signing our petition, you can tell President Obama that he has an obligation to protect the organic food industry.

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The courageous people in Egypt (need I say more?)

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I’d like to say that I just barely had the strength to watch today’s episode of Oprah about how Oprah and her staff ate a strict vegan diet for a week but I truly didn’t have the energy.  Here’s some food for thought:

According to PETA, if all 378 Harpo employees who participated in the challenge stayed vegan for one year, they’d save the lives of about 37,800 animals.

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To do list:  take out the garbage and recycling, remember to send that e-mail, remember to call that person, buy bananas (you ate the last one for dinner!), stay away from sugar, set the PVR to record Ellen (I just love it when she dances!), take tofu out of the freezer to thaw, maybe tomorrow you could start yoga-ing, watch the Oprah "vegan for a week" episode, make sure you have enough energy tomorrow night to write a blog post, shovel (there's a snow storm coming our way!).

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Since I just barely have the strength to write this blog post, I couldn’t help but think about the adverb “just barely”...isn’t it a strange thing to say? Why add “just” before “barely”? Does it make it sound more dramatic? Geez...just what I need something that makes me sound more dramatic :)

For fun (I know, I know...I'm a wild and crazy girl!) I just barely came up with the following sentences as examples:

• I just barely made it to my meeting.
• I just barely got home before it started to snow.
• I just barely made it to the bathroom. (ew!)
• I just barely ate that piece of chocolate.
• That music was just barely danceable.
• The turkey was just barely big enough to feed all 33 of us.
• The opaque white is just barely transparent.
• The system works but just barely.
• My ass butt just barely fit into those jeans.
• He just barely passed grade 10.
• Mr. Snuffleupagus just barely missed being seen by people.
• My laptop battery just barely made it through this blog post.

See what I mean? It’s just barely ridonculous! (that’s not a spelling mistake, it’s a word in my vocabulary!)

So when was the last time you said “just barely” in a sentence? (P.S. This is your opportunity to just barely interact with me!)

I’ve decided that saying “just barely” is actually pretty brainy cool after reading an inspirational quote from Albert Einstein (my hero!):

"One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one's greatest efforts."

P.S. I just barely had a chance to check for spelling and grammatical errors so Sarah if you see a mistake, please let me know (yes, I'm a perfectionist)!