More Awesome Facts About the Human Body- some new stuff- Did you know?

-Scientists say the higher your I.Q. The more you dream.
-The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.
-You use 200 muscles to take one step.
-The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man.
-Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three.
-A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands.
-A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.
-The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades.
-The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.
-It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.
-The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds.
-Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair.
-At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single cell.
-There is about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.
-Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.
-The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body.
-Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born
-When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate.
-Your thumb is the same length of your nose.

Is it Summer Yet?

So- it's January, it's dull and grey, snow sits on the ground getting darker all the time. The sunlight, when it's out is crisp and clean and it reminds me of summer- except for the bitter cold. I would give just about anything to be lying on a hot, white-sand beach right about now. Sun beating down from 7am til past 9 in the evening. Warmth that goes right through you instead of cold that hangs on in your feet and fingers. Lying in the heat, skin turning bronze and sipping drinks for a bit of relief.

How To Assess A Life-

How does one assess their life? Were you successful? Does it matter how many people show up at your funeral or how many friends you have on Facebook? How many lives have you touched? Do you have a legacy that will carry on? - and does that matter so long as you've paid some positive things forward, so that others can do the same?

Well, as a gay man who does not now see himself having shildren of my own, I know that my family name will not carry on except through my brothers and their families. I do think that I would have made a good parent- likely one of those slightly over-protective but very caring parents. I have to say that if there's one thing that I do not understand in this day and age, is how people have kids who do not really seem to be interested in helping their kids become great people and positive citizens of the world. I know that sounds lofty, but today it is a relatively easy thing to do. Open the world up to them and let them know about the endless possibilities are for them.

Who Loves You?

It's a great question- and one that is rather important. Of course, many people throw that word around quite easily. They sign every note or letter, "Love ya, whomever" but of course there are varying degrees of love.

Who loves you - so much that they would drop everything they are doing to be with you? Who loves you enough to sacrifice for you? It doesn't always have to be a grand gesture, sometimes it's just a warm hug out of the blue. It's funny how much people need to touch. To give a hug to someone that needs one is to provide medicine to their soul. But there are people out there who do not get enough! I now understand why people have pets. Often, I think the pets are an outlet to love. I think there are people who have pets for their unconditional love. No matter how bad their day was or how bad they are feeling, they can walk in the door and be greeted by a wagging tail and a big furry hug if they need it.

I forget exactly how much the lack of touch affected the monkeys in that study done ages ago, but I know the effect was profound. It sounds funny, but I don't want to be one of those monkeys who is deprived of physical touch. I know lots of people who wouldn't miss a hand on their shoulder, or can be quite happy without that connection, but being a person who thrives on touch, being without feels a bit like living half a life.

I cannot get a dog. My lifestyle would not be fair to one, but there are times when I wish I could have one here to soften the blow of a long, hard and difficult day.

If I can make a suggestion, hug more today than usual. Think of whose day you might brighten up just by showingthem a little affection. Wrap yourself in a friend's arms and savour the moment. Sometimes they are few and far between.

Feeling Unawares . . .

Well, ever since the New Year I've been a little disoriented. My holidays were wonderful, probably the best in quite a few years. It was more relaxed and I had lots of opportunity to spend time with family, and just like old times we had a great time.

I'm not sure what it is, but I feel like I am that astronaut who was seperated from the spaceship mid-voyage and am now floating in space in no particular direction.

I have just figured out that I will have 5 days off between now and May- because of work. Work itself, I am tiring of. I used to absolutely love my job. I used to look forward to going in. Now there are so many aspects of the job I dislike or that make me unsure of myself, that I think I need a bit change and fast.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "You can't please everyone", but I have always tried very hard to do so. And, when I am unable to, it bothers me- really bothers me. The nature of this job is that not everyone will be happy and I am not confident enough right now to feel good about this.

Plus, a good friend of mine came to visit over the holidays and I thought we had an incredible, basic, but good visit. To my surprise, that was not the case. My friend, best friend I would say, came away upset with me- and was unable to tell me that for 4 or 5 days. To this day, I still do not understand what happened and it greatly upsets me. I was thinking our relationship was moving on to an even more mature relationship, but one of importance and now apparently that has changed. I still go to bed every night lately quite upset and unhappy.

I have always loved to have plans to look forward to- whether it be a trip, a new adventure of some kind and I feel I am at a stand still- a fork in the road and I'm not sure what road to take. Actually, I'm not even sure I want to follow a road.

I think I need some big change. What would make me truly happy? I need to stop thinking so much about what I can do for others to help them or make their lives happy and make myself a priority.

I am giving myself a deadline. Since I will have very limited opportunity to talk with my friend and for sure will not be able to see him for at least 6 weeks- likely longer, so I will have a chance to put some things down on paper. I really need to look at where I want to be in 5 years and what makes me genuinely happy. I am not a youngster. I know how I function best. I know what things upset me and what makes me content. I will try and make a plan and then take the steps to make those changes.

Stay tuned if you're at all interested in what develops. I know I'm interested in seeing how this ends. . . .