I watch the ABC World News with Charlie Gibson every evening while I am eating dinner or getting in some Wii Fit stepping. I absolutely love Charlie and the way he engages everyone in the news and I especially enjoy that he tells me that he hopes I had a great day at the end of every broadcast. It’s his signature sign-off.

The other evening, I was super excited to hear Charlie introduce a segment about something I’m going to get to see firsthand this fall…Dolphin Bubbles at SeaWorld! Just watch, and you’ll quickly see why I was so captivated by the video…

Everybody knows that dolphins are super intelligent, but the story goes that one dolphin started blowing bubbles and taught all the other dolphins how to do the same! Now they all blow perfect circles, push them around with their noses, and swim through them to entertain themselves and the SeaWorld guests! It’s easy to see why the dolphins are a huge attraction at the park.

All of their personalities really start to shine when you see all the dolphins playing and interacting with each other, and I can’t wait to see dolphin bubbles for myself when I visit in October!

I know this post may be a little heavy-hitting for my blog, but bear with me and weigh-in.

I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m a huge NPR fan. I don’t understand half of what they talkabout, but I find it calming and I might even be learning a little something in the process.

Today, I listened to This I Believe, which is a short segment where people from all over the country share one of their core beliefs. Sometimes they are touching and sometimes they are funny, but today’s segment was about Finding Freedom in Forgiveness and was absolutely shocking.

Jennifer Thompson-Cannino picked Ronald Cotton out of a line-up as the man who raped her in 1984. After 11 years in jail, DNA evidence proved that Ronald was not the rapist and he was released. Jennifer felt tremendous guilt and met with Ronald to ask for his forgiveness. He told her that he forgave her long ago because they were both a victim of the same crime. Because of their ordeal, the two are now good friends.

To me, it’s a tremendous story from both accounts, because I don’t know if I’d have the guts to face up to my mistake and apologize like Jennifer did and I don’t know if I’d have the complete lack of bitterness that Ronald has.

The two have written a book together called Picking Cotton and will be featured on 60 Minutes in a segment about mistakes in eyewitness testimonies this weekend. You can also download This I Believe free on iTunes and watch a video clip on Amazon.

So, would you be able to do what either one of them did? Stand up and confront your mistake or forgive someone who essentially took years of your life away from you?

I’ve already established that I think Michelle Obama is no Jackie O, but the dress she wore to the first White House state dinner was what she should have worn to the inagural ball. Love the sparkle, love the pearls. Much better than the wad of toilet paper she was rolled in back in January.

I have a long history of being scared shitless of roller coasters. I don’t know if it’s the height or the speed, but I try to avoid them. I think it started with a trip to Kings Island where I could see the highway from the top of the coaster and culminated with a trip to Disney where my dad almost killed us with a dropped video camera on Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster.

No matter the reason, I think it’s time to face my fears on the NEW Manta roller coaster at Seaworld and what a lucky coincidence that there is a chance to win a trip to four to Seaworld at http://www.ted.me/manta! Take a look behind the scenes at the new Manta ride and tell me what you think. I’ll be watching through my fingers I’m such a wuss.

The trip includes airfare, hotel, and two full days at Seaworld to take advantage of priority access to the new Manta ride. Just visit http://www.ted.me/manta for all the info to enter!

I absolutely love going to the horse track, and in the past year have probably been at the track more weekends than I care to admit. The races are amazing to watch and the dedication of the trainers and jockeys is unbelievable. Not to mention I can leave with a little cash in my pocket if I pick the right ponies!

Day and night, people’s lives revolve around training and caring for their animals. Even if they are just casual riders, horses require more care and companionship than a cat or a goldfish, plus the training, equipment and know-how to ride, which I do not possess. That’s why horse lovers need a partner that understands their dedication and shares in their love and appreciation for horses.

If you’re a horse lover looking for love, or just a riding buddy, take advantage of the FREE sign-up at equestrian cupid and find someone to ride off into the sunset with just in time for Valentine’s day. With a large community of singles that share a love for riding, you’ll immediately have something to share and connect over, and maybe even find that perfect match and their, very large, four-legged friend!

Oh, and if you’re a horse lover, feel free to leave me some tips for betting on the ponies!