The crazy way we met!

By Christine M. Coppa

Most of us have those strange almost-met-someone moments: Stuck in rush-hour traffic, you make eyes in the rearview mirror at the cutie behind you… or walking your sister’s dog while she’s out of town, you find the pup, well, strongly drawn to a poodle whose owner is adorable… Often, these incidents don’t lead anywhere, but for some of our lucky readers, they were the start of something very, very good. Read their inspiring stories, and be open to meeting your next honey in a most unusual way.

• View photos of singles in your area - FREE
• Meet nearby singles - See profiles & pics now
• Complete Chemistry's personality quiz & get matches

We met at a party we weren’t invited to!
“My best friend’s brother was having a gala graduation party. She invited me last minute to keep her company, like the day of—seriously. My guy was also invited the night before—also a last-minute attendee. He met my friend’s brother out at a bar. And her brother, after a couple beers, boasted: ‘Come to my party tomorrow night, open bar!’ This wasn’t the type of party you just show up to. It was white-glove service and the invitations were printed, like wedding invites! There was a champagne fountain and a dessert show in the middle of the dance floor. When I got there, I didn’t even have a seat card. I saw an empty seat at my now-husband’s table and asked if I could sit there. He said, yes… four years later, I said ‘I do!’”
—Liss Gallotta, 25, Riverdale, NJ

He replied to my profile…which I didn’t post
“I was dating someone my friends hated. You know the story: ‘He’s not good enough for you, you’re too kind-hearted for such a jerk!’ So without telling me, they put me on MSN Dating & Personals to prove a point—that there was someone better out there for me. They totally went behind my back—I mean, I was in a relationship! All the incoming emails responding to my profile showed up as spam (which I immediately deleted). Somehow, one email got through, from a guy named Rich. For some reason, his email fascinated me and I agreed to meet him for a casual cup of coffee. That day, everything just clicked—we knew from day one, we were meant to be together—forever. We talked and laughed and I think by the end of the date we were finishing each other’s sentences. We've even talked seriously about eloping! I guess my friends were right—my ex wasn’t good enough for me!”
—Sara Govatos, 26, Weehawken, NJ

We were trapped on the subway together
“Last year, around 8:30 a.m., I got on the subway as usual. I had my non-fat latte and new issue of Vogue in tow and was looking forward to a thirty-minute commute uptown. The train approached the first stop, but came to a halt underground between stops. I sat there calmly for 5 minutes, but as it approached 9 a.m., I began to worry. The conductor came on the loudspeaker and said there was a small fire at the next stop, and our train was being detained. That’s when Tony, a handsome guy in a suit across from me, let out a sigh of disgust. I responded, ‘At least it’s Friday!’ He smiled, and we started chatting. The train finally continued on, but before we parted ways he asked for my number. We had dinner at a brick-oven pizza place that evening and things took off from there!”
—Gianna Catrone, 30, New York City

I was being set up with his friend
“My friend Joanne was dying to set me up with her pal John’s friend. Joanne has good taste, so I let her play matchmaker. I didn’t know anything about the friend but I had heard John’s name enough in the past to feel comfortable. John told Joanne that he had a friend for me—he said, ‘He’s smart, funny, good looking…’ I trusted his taste so I gave Joanne my number to give to John to give to his friend. When John called to sell his friend to me, we ended up on the phone for hours. We ended our conversation with the agreement that I’d go on a blind date with his friend the next night. But, when my doorbell rang the next night, I was surprised to see John there with flowers! He said that ‘I was just too good to giveaway to some other guy.’ And I have to admit I was glad he did take that initiative!”
—Kristina Katsoulas, 28, Long Island, NY

We met at a wake
My boss’s mother passed away, and I attended the service. I didn’t really know anyone there, except for a couple of the guys in I.T. I felt funny signing the condolence book but figured I ought to. The woman ahead of me turned and handed me the pen. She said: ‘I hate signing in to these kinds of things… I don’t know what to say about my ex’s great aunt.’ I smiled and said, ‘I don’t know what to say either—my boss’s mom.’ Later, after talking with my boss, I saw that woman again, off in the corner alone. I said something really corny like, ‘Come here often?’ and we both stifled a laugh. We ended talking amongst lily plants. We’re still together and we joke that our first date was a funeral—can’t get worse than that!”
—Peter Smithers, 34, Pittsburgh, PA

Christine M. Coppa is a New York City-based freelance writer.

Article courtesy of Happen magazine, www.happenmag.com.

The Single Most Important Thing To Improve Your Health

By Greg Brookes

There are some things that a person can do on a day to day basis that will revolutionise their health. I'm not talking about the latest bunch of exercises or eating more superfoods rather something far more basic and natural. Just by implementing this one simple change to your schedule will almost immediately revolutionise your life for the better. So what is this daily miracle? The answer is sleep.

Everybody knows that sleep is important and I'm sure most people agree that they don't get enough of it. Sleep is such an important part of our lives that without it we would die.
Experiments conducted on rats have shown that sleep deprivation leads to death in just a matter of weeks. Without adequate sleep we get a fall in our immune system, reduced concentration levels, memory impairment, mood swings, energy dips and much more.

Sleep isn't just about how much we get but also about when. As human beings we are still naturally attached to the environment and the rising and setting of the sun. As the sun rises the light stimulates our eyes and activates the stress hormone cortisol. This particular hormone is responsible for stimulating movement and preparing the body for action, and will peak during the day and start to reduce in the afternoon. During the evening cortisol levels should be at a minimum and this releases melatonin and subsequently growth and repair hormones for the impending sleep. As we sleep our body gets repaired first physically and then mentally.

Unfortunately, this pattern of hormonal release isn't how most of us live our lives. We go to bed too late and feed our body full of stimulants resulting in stress hormones in the evening and no physical repair during the night. If you are not sleeping by 10.30pm then your body is missing out on vital growth and repair that happens for approxamately 4 hours during this time.
Remember you are influenced by the sun not when you choose to go to bed.

If you choose to feed yourself stimulants like caffeine, alcohol or sugar any later than early afternoon this will elevate you cortisol levels, a stress hormone, at a time when it should be reducing and in turn will not release melatonin and repair hormones when you most need then during your sleep. So if you are overdoing the coffee or alcohol in the evening then you are not repairing your body for the next day. The result is general fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and pains, joint problems, infections etc.

To live a healthier life you must start to follow your natural sleeping cycle. This means getting out of bed early and going to bed early. Help to keep your stress hormones at a minimum during the afternoon by avoiding all stimulants and dimming lights in the evening and avoiding watching tv too late. Get to bed by 10.30pm and ensure that you sleep in full darkness, remember that light is what stimulates our stress hormones and gets us up in the morning. Get a good 7-9 hours rest each night at the right time and you'll be well on your way to a more productive and healthier lifestyle.

Good night!

Greg is a health and fitness professional and author of "the no gear workout" based in Hampstead, North London. He achieves fantastic results for his clients by using his indepth knowledge and the most up to date techniques. http://www.gbpersonaltraining.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Brookes

The Single Parent Strategy - How to Successfully Pay for College - FamilyVision Column

By Daryl Green

Beth found herself in a hopeless situation. She was divorced, the sole provider for her family, and the mother of three little kids. Although she was determined to make it, every step she took ultimately meant trouble. Beth knew that a college education would afford her with more opportunities. She didn’t have the money. She wondered if her life would change.

Impossible Dream
Are you pursuing your own dreams or the pipe dreams of someone else? Do you want a college education but it appears impossible? Do you feel it is already too late? If you answer “yes,” this report can assist you in fulfilling your dreams by completing college. As a personal coach and online advisor to families, I frequently get questions from single parents on paying for college.

However, it is really more than getting the money. How does a single parent get the emotional and physical support for completing college? The college experience is a challenge in itself; single parents also have to consider their children and in many cases, working a day job to make ends meet.

This article provides single parents with a proven method of getting financial and emotional support for obtaining a college degree. This strategy will be helpful to most individuals.

However, if you want more details, I highly recommend you review my special books for a more comprehensive analysis. I have spent countless hours reading books, searching websites, and reviewing past advice to clients to provide my readers with credible solutions to paying for college. Let’s explore this matter more closely.

The Financial Aid Mystery
Understanding the process of federal financial aid can appear like a jigsaw puzzle. The first step for most federal financial assistance begins with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available at your local college or high school. You can apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

You should complete this form even if you feel you don’t meet the financial need requirement, based on your income. The U.S. government financial aid program includes Federal Pell Grants, Federal Stafford Loans, Plus Loans, Federal Consolidation Loans, Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Perkins Loans. Scholarships and grants are not paid back by the student; however, loans are expected to be repaid by the student to the lending institution. It is important to work with the financial aid office where you plan to attend college. Remember, the process can appear to be difficult. However, it is to your benefit to be patient and follow through with the process.

The Single Parent Strategy
To be successful in obtaining free money, single parents need to develop a strategy. However, the problem is that many single parents get discouraged in the face of their hectic life and the additional stress of embarking on a college education. If a person had his or her own personal planner, life would flow a lot easier! In the absence of this assistant, having a strategy for college becomes even more crucial. After conducting extensive research and providing personal coaching, I have come up with a simple strategy for addressing these problems:

Check out www.fastweb.com to set up a profile for possible scholarships.

Contact your potential online college or a local college in your area for financial aid advice.

Check out the latest college scholarship books at your library, such as Peterson’s Scholarship.

Check out more non-traditional colleges. Go to Jonnie’s Distance Learning Website at http://www.geocities.com/liu_jonathan/dluniv.html.

Submit at least 100 scholarship applications.

Send letters for financial help to friends, co-workers, and other key people.

Write a letter or call local community groups in your area and ask them about scholarships.
Be persistent and patient.

The Path Forward
Paying for college is possible for the single parent if he or she is committed to his or her goals. The process of attending college is not an easy one. However, you have determined that you need additional education to improve the quality of life for yourself and your child or children.

This is one of the biggest decisions that you will make. With my approach you have a simple strategy for success. Do you have the energy and the desire? This is the critical question you must ponder now. Start today and improve the quality of your life.

Daryl and Estraletta Green, who have been noted and quoted in USA Today and AP, provide personal advice all around the country. Want a better life? Get a copy of My Cup Runneth Over:

Setting Goals for Single Parents and Working Couples at http://www.lulu.com/content/609612.
You can also contact them at http://www.darylandestraletta.com.