Wow, time flies. I didn't realize it had been so long since I last posted; I'll try to do better. However, right now most of my days consist of playing with J, learning the ins and outs of his dietary and digestive habits, and looking for jobs. I love the J part, although the job search gets a bit frustrating.
To that end, here is what I know: I cannot control
...the job market
...why people choose to hire or not hire the way they do
...the weather
...whether people call me back or not
...how long J naps
...the quality of T's day at work
...the health of my loved ones
...the fact that we simply have to spend money on certain things
...certain changes my body has gone through, post-baby
I can control
...how much I pursue a job and the avenues I choose to take to get one
...how I present myself as a candidate
...dressing for warmth, wind, and rain
...making attempts to get together with friends and meet new people
...the general pattern of J's days and what I do within my days
...how I respond to T when he's had a hard day to make it a better one
...positive thoughts and vibes, calling the doctor when J feels bad, trusting my instincts
...my spending on frivolous items, staying within our budget
...working out in tiny increments when I can, eating healthily, accepting the fact that my body's changes have resulted in the most fabulous life change I've ever had the privilege of going through
So I'll do my best to live the Serenity Prayer, really. Not a bad way to go about things, is it?
(Upcoming: lots of pictures of J)
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Monday, October 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Life lessons
Yesterday, we were at my father-in-law's for dinner and as he and T talked about a difficult day T had had at work, he said something rather insightful and brilliant: It was something to the effect that worrying has no point to it; rather, it should serve as a reminder that you need to do something about it. Not only that, it should remind you that you've dealt with things before and handled them. It really struck both T and me.
I thought about it last night as I prepared for my interview today--the fifth (really, the sixth--I had one two years before I got the job) for my same position in the same school as a long-term sub yet again. In previous years, I've fretted and over-prepared and gotten flustered. I've always managed to get the job, but I always worried. This year, I went into it knowing damn well that I'm a good teacher and that I've proved that repeatedly over the past four years I've been there. A part of me walked in figuring, if they don't know that by now, I simply don't know what else I can do to show it because I've done so every day. (Another part of me totally wanted to have a Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption moment and tell them all of that plus say, "Do what you want; I don't give a shit." I didn't, but I felt rather tempted....)
So I went in, I answered their questions to the best of my ability, and when the principal asked me why I should be chosen for one of the three spots, I looked him straight in the eye and told him "Because I've earned it," and I went through the reasons why I believed that. I didn't mince words and I didn't pander. This time, I didn't worry about it so damned much; I did something about it instead.
I've got a baby on the way, imminently. With the job tenuousness, I have been concerned about the fact that if he's late, my health insurance runs out at the end of the month. So I could panic...or make sure I'm induced by a certain date. I can do something about it instead of worrying about it. It kind of links up with another gem I heard lately: It takes more effort to procrastinate than to actually get the thing done.
I hope this is something you can take and use for yourselves--and remind me about doing instead of worrying when I forget myself. I know I am capable because, without bragging, I've proved it over and over again. So have you. Think about it.
I thought about it last night as I prepared for my interview today--the fifth (really, the sixth--I had one two years before I got the job) for my same position in the same school as a long-term sub yet again. In previous years, I've fretted and over-prepared and gotten flustered. I've always managed to get the job, but I always worried. This year, I went into it knowing damn well that I'm a good teacher and that I've proved that repeatedly over the past four years I've been there. A part of me walked in figuring, if they don't know that by now, I simply don't know what else I can do to show it because I've done so every day. (Another part of me totally wanted to have a Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption moment and tell them all of that plus say, "Do what you want; I don't give a shit." I didn't, but I felt rather tempted....)
So I went in, I answered their questions to the best of my ability, and when the principal asked me why I should be chosen for one of the three spots, I looked him straight in the eye and told him "Because I've earned it," and I went through the reasons why I believed that. I didn't mince words and I didn't pander. This time, I didn't worry about it so damned much; I did something about it instead.
I've got a baby on the way, imminently. With the job tenuousness, I have been concerned about the fact that if he's late, my health insurance runs out at the end of the month. So I could panic...or make sure I'm induced by a certain date. I can do something about it instead of worrying about it. It kind of links up with another gem I heard lately: It takes more effort to procrastinate than to actually get the thing done.
I hope this is something you can take and use for yourselves--and remind me about doing instead of worrying when I forget myself. I know I am capable because, without bragging, I've proved it over and over again. So have you. Think about it.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Quick One...sort of
I know, I owe lots of pictures and stuff but I am on a mission to not be my usual, great-intention-crummy-follow-through self. Any of you who know me well know what I mean. You look at me fondly and shake your head and smile wryly because you know the Frau gets crazy excited about certain things, does them for a while, and then puts them in a corner to collect dust, either literally or figuratively.
I'm not this way about everything, but it's one of my least favorite qualities about myself, and I'm trying not to be that way because it frustrates me AND my husband and probably others. The rain barrel I bought? Fills up and overflows because I don't use it for the garden I never put together last summer...although I have hope that if we plant it closer to the house this year, I won't need 200ft of hose to even use the dumb rain barrel. Efforts to green up my life? Meh, some stayed, some didn't. Elliptical machine upstairs so I'd use it more? Classic clothes rack.
One of my other qualities is to dump all over myself about bad habits, so I won't go on; I wanted this to be more of a recognition of my faults in an attempt to heighten awareness. For example, I got half my thank-you notes from my beautiful baby shower done IMMEDIATELY and I'm almost done with the rest. But if I don't finish them this week, well.... But I KNOW this. So that helps.
Anyway, I really wanted to write this because I read an article about procrastination this morning in Real Simple and it suggested a great way to avoid the "I'll just surf the Net for ten minutes" joke that turns into hours of wasted time: A free add-on called LeechBlock for Firefox. It allows you to list the sites you waste the most time on them, and it literally blocks them for whatever amount of time you specify. For example, I blocked Blogger (and Facebook, Gmail, Slate.com....) this morning so I could get projects graded from 9-1pm. Even the sheer act of doing this caused me to focus better. There's also Rescue Time, a site that tracks what you actually do on the Internet and then graphs where and how you spend your time--an eye-opener that can show you just how long you spend and how often you go to certain sites.
On that note, I'm getting off Blogger and making myself a well-earned grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and then continuing to grade on the newly restored back porch, where no evil technology can lure me away. Hooray for spring!
I'm not this way about everything, but it's one of my least favorite qualities about myself, and I'm trying not to be that way because it frustrates me AND my husband and probably others. The rain barrel I bought? Fills up and overflows because I don't use it for the garden I never put together last summer...although I have hope that if we plant it closer to the house this year, I won't need 200ft of hose to even use the dumb rain barrel. Efforts to green up my life? Meh, some stayed, some didn't. Elliptical machine upstairs so I'd use it more? Classic clothes rack.
One of my other qualities is to dump all over myself about bad habits, so I won't go on; I wanted this to be more of a recognition of my faults in an attempt to heighten awareness. For example, I got half my thank-you notes from my beautiful baby shower done IMMEDIATELY and I'm almost done with the rest. But if I don't finish them this week, well.... But I KNOW this. So that helps.
Anyway, I really wanted to write this because I read an article about procrastination this morning in Real Simple and it suggested a great way to avoid the "I'll just surf the Net for ten minutes" joke that turns into hours of wasted time: A free add-on called LeechBlock for Firefox. It allows you to list the sites you waste the most time on them, and it literally blocks them for whatever amount of time you specify. For example, I blocked Blogger (and Facebook, Gmail, Slate.com....) this morning so I could get projects graded from 9-1pm. Even the sheer act of doing this caused me to focus better. There's also Rescue Time, a site that tracks what you actually do on the Internet and then graphs where and how you spend your time--an eye-opener that can show you just how long you spend and how often you go to certain sites.
On that note, I'm getting off Blogger and making myself a well-earned grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and then continuing to grade on the newly restored back porch, where no evil technology can lure me away. Hooray for spring!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Advice from someone who knows
So we've started reading Tuesdays with Morrie in the one class I teach. If you haven't read it, I will write here that I truly did find it inspiring and believe that if we could all live a little more like Morrie Schwartz did, we'd all have much happier lives. Honestly, I found myself disliking Mitch Albom, the author, a lot, but loved Morrie. If you find this sort of stuff treacly and sappy, well, maybe you're just not ready to let in the life lessons? I don't know. I enjoyed it.
Here's what my students have to write about tonight:
On p. 42 Mitch considers again Morrie's statement that "The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say, if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it." Look not only at that quote but what Albom writes immediately before and after it. [he writes about how everyone was so wrapped up in the three-ring circus of the O.J. Simpson trial and how he writes stories about athletes and their celebrity... and who actually CARES about what house Andre Agassi just bought? Why does that matter?]
Do you agree with Morrie's statement? How easy is it to not give in to our culture? How does the media influence us to care about superficial things instead of what might be more meaningful? Any other comments based on Morrie's original are welcome.
So what do you think? I wrote a response about how our culture really doesn't make us feel good about ourselves a lot of the time...we should look a certain way, buy certain things, always look young, make tons of money.... How many of us know more about Lindsay Lohan's latest arrest and how many know about the fact that Chilean miners were rescued today after two months underground? How often does news start with a story that truly isn't newsworthy but is entertainment? We have become so used to being entertained and instantly gratified that I think we (well, I) lose perspective sometimes.
I had a wonderful time with T on Saturday just getting the yard raked and mowed, and winterizing the porch. I didn't want to do it, but I got outside, I accomplished something, and I felt grateful for the fact that I have a lovely, large backyard and a house to winterize. I think Morrie got me thinking about that. Went out dancing with the girls Saturday night--such fun. Then I had a rotten morning on Sunday and had a lovely afternoon with my dear friend M who took me out for comfort soup and shoe shopping because she knew I needed it. That's what's important, not an NCIS Columbus Day marathon or what some reality show star (now, there's an oxymoron) is doing.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Here's what my students have to write about tonight:
On p. 42 Mitch considers again Morrie's statement that "The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say, if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it." Look not only at that quote but what Albom writes immediately before and after it. [he writes about how everyone was so wrapped up in the three-ring circus of the O.J. Simpson trial and how he writes stories about athletes and their celebrity... and who actually CARES about what house Andre Agassi just bought? Why does that matter?]
Do you agree with Morrie's statement? How easy is it to not give in to our culture? How does the media influence us to care about superficial things instead of what might be more meaningful? Any other comments based on Morrie's original are welcome.
So what do you think? I wrote a response about how our culture really doesn't make us feel good about ourselves a lot of the time...we should look a certain way, buy certain things, always look young, make tons of money.... How many of us know more about Lindsay Lohan's latest arrest and how many know about the fact that Chilean miners were rescued today after two months underground? How often does news start with a story that truly isn't newsworthy but is entertainment? We have become so used to being entertained and instantly gratified that I think we (well, I) lose perspective sometimes.
I had a wonderful time with T on Saturday just getting the yard raked and mowed, and winterizing the porch. I didn't want to do it, but I got outside, I accomplished something, and I felt grateful for the fact that I have a lovely, large backyard and a house to winterize. I think Morrie got me thinking about that. Went out dancing with the girls Saturday night--such fun. Then I had a rotten morning on Sunday and had a lovely afternoon with my dear friend M who took me out for comfort soup and shoe shopping because she knew I needed it. That's what's important, not an NCIS Columbus Day marathon or what some reality show star (now, there's an oxymoron) is doing.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Speaking of Poems...
...have I told you all/do you know about the Poetry 180 website? I bet I have, but I want to mention it again. I just love it because it makes poetry accessible to school children...and adults, frankly. The point is to have schoolchildren read one poem every day school's in session, adding up to 180. Sure, I don't like some of it, but a number of others appeal to me because it's not high-falutin' or impossible to understand. It's a nice change from the lofty poetry that gets shoved down your throat as a student, the poetry you have to analyze and examine and find all the metaphors and symbolism and uuuggghhh. Granted, I still make them do that, to some extent. I kind of have to. The greatest irony was looking at the first poem, by former Poet Laureate (2001) Billy Collins:
Introduction to Poetry
Billy Collins
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.
But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.
...And then we examined it. But not too closely. We looked at the first thirty and I enjoyed "Did I Miss Anything", "The Partial Explanation", and "The Distances", to name a few. Check them out. I often feel daunted by poetry and this website helps me find access to it as well. This is also why I have the kids write "found poetry", which is simply poetry created from words that someone else has written. Again, because I don't consider myself a poet myself, I find creating poetry difficult...but if you give me words to work with, I can come up with something. It's why someone created magnetic poetry for the fridge--that little bit of inspiration. I equated it to Legos (I have to get creative to reach the kids): Even if you all have the same set, what you do with them is quite different. Check out this site to see what others have made up--although I warn you, I have no control over any of the content, so I'm not responsible if any of it is questionable. Some of it's quite lovely. Here's one I came up with that comes from the Amazon.com review for Reading Lolita in Tehran. I promise nothing in terms of quality, but I'll give it a shot:
The Book Group
An inspired blend
A moving testament
with the ability to change and inspire people's lives
Azar Nafisi invited seven of her best female students to attend a weekly study of
great Western literature
banned by the government
forced to meet in secret
They met to talk
share
and burst into color
These books "were not a luxury but a necessity."
Try one yourself!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
This is just to say...
That's actually the start of one of my favorite poems by William Carlos Williams, but anyway, I just wanted to point out quickly that what started off as a kind of crummy (to use one of our vocab words, atrocious) day turned into a positive one. I began with sleepy students in one class, overly "funny" students in another (ah, fifteen year-old boys), felt a little blue about silly stuff I can't control, and then had a great, positive, helpful chat with my colleague J, who gave me a lovely pep talk and delicious dark chocolate. Next I did an exercise with my freshmen in which I taught them how to write an introductory paragraph. Not terribly exciting to you, but part of the exercise involved them looking over a paragraph I had written and critiquing it. Once they realized I really did want their feedback, they started pointing areas where I could improve, from repetition of the same word to awkward sounding language that needed smoothing over to missing details.
People, when you get fourteen year-olds examining writing and actually seeing what works and what doesn't and having the ability to verbalize that, it's huge. HUGE. Plus they couched their comments so well--honest yet kind. I praised them to the high heavens, but they deserved it. I have a wonderful batch of freshmen this year; I feel extremely lucky that I've got a lot of eager little beavers. It just made my whole day. Tonight I have a girls' night out with sister C. and Mom, plus T got us a super deal on a gym membership and I plan to work out, so I feel very fortunate that I get to move into the second half of the week on such a high note.
Hope you have good Wednesdays as well!
p.s. As per one of Ouiser's recent posts, my next one may well be about snow. We have lots of it. LOTS. You have been warned.
People, when you get fourteen year-olds examining writing and actually seeing what works and what doesn't and having the ability to verbalize that, it's huge. HUGE. Plus they couched their comments so well--honest yet kind. I praised them to the high heavens, but they deserved it. I have a wonderful batch of freshmen this year; I feel extremely lucky that I've got a lot of eager little beavers. It just made my whole day. Tonight I have a girls' night out with sister C. and Mom, plus T got us a super deal on a gym membership and I plan to work out, so I feel very fortunate that I get to move into the second half of the week on such a high note.
Hope you have good Wednesdays as well!
p.s. As per one of Ouiser's recent posts, my next one may well be about snow. We have lots of it. LOTS. You have been warned.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Taking Stock
I haven't even had time to read others' blogs, much less really post to my own. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas for a teacher flies at breakneck pace, and I just finished up my last ever certification class, so that's one part off my plate. which is nice. Don't get me wrong; I love what I do, but I think when you mentally prepare for something that's coming, like a break, you get into a certain mindset that's hard to get out of. I've felt alternately Grinchy and supremely Christmassy at different times over the last few weeks.
Last weekend I went to a memorial service for a family friend who died of breast cancer. She was 41 and left behind a loving family, including her husband and four year-old twin boys. Wait, no. Don't get too sad. Yes, of COURSE it's tragic. But I went to her service and realized just how much she did with her life, every day, even though she knew it was limited. She fought her cancer for about seven years, if I remember correctly, and it even went into remission for a while. As her husband so eloquently said at the service, she faced each day as an exciting challenge and did so with a good deal of grace and optimism. She didn't ignore what was happening to her; she just didn't let it rule her life. Every time I saw Gyda, she had a smile on her face and she lit up a room; the number of people there to bear witness to her life demonstrated just how much she affected those she came into contact with. What touched me most was that her husband pointed out to his boys that all the people in that room loved Mommy and would help them remember and love her.
It just put a lot into perspective. I'm so grateful for what I have, grateful that we had to make room in the refrigerator last night for the food we'd just bought. I have so much that I try not to take for granted, although I have my moments, just as anyone does. It's funny that at the holidays, this time of "peace", I and others feel so frantic all the time. I haven't gotten my holiday cards out yet, and I have friends who made SURE they were there on my doorstep on December 1. I'm trying to keep a budget but not shortchange anyone. I don't know if it's consumerism that makes us all crazy because we buy into it (hah! I made a funny!) or what? The kitchen is a constant mess, along with other areas of the house. If I hear one more "news" story about Tiger Woods that doesn't involve his performance during a golf tournament, I will go completely insane. I feel that friends I attempt to make contact with don't return my phonecalls, and I wonder if it's that they're simply busy or it means we're slipping away from each other. I keep meaning to exercise but something always gets in the way, whether it's school or grading or grocery shopping or my own lack of motivation. The other night I was in a hideous mood for no reason I could put my finger on, my head full of doubts and negative thoughts.
I don't know where all of this is going. The two paragraphs seem to completely contradict each other. But I guess what I'm trying to express is that I think we all need to find our tiny moments of peace and serenity when and where we can get them, and we need to remember that what's important is how we live our day to day moments. At the end of your life, nobody cares if the kitchen was clean. So I leave you with something that the King of Consumers, Starbucks, put together. It's actually pretty fantastic, so enjoy. Enjoy each other.
Last weekend I went to a memorial service for a family friend who died of breast cancer. She was 41 and left behind a loving family, including her husband and four year-old twin boys. Wait, no. Don't get too sad. Yes, of COURSE it's tragic. But I went to her service and realized just how much she did with her life, every day, even though she knew it was limited. She fought her cancer for about seven years, if I remember correctly, and it even went into remission for a while. As her husband so eloquently said at the service, she faced each day as an exciting challenge and did so with a good deal of grace and optimism. She didn't ignore what was happening to her; she just didn't let it rule her life. Every time I saw Gyda, she had a smile on her face and she lit up a room; the number of people there to bear witness to her life demonstrated just how much she affected those she came into contact with. What touched me most was that her husband pointed out to his boys that all the people in that room loved Mommy and would help them remember and love her.
It just put a lot into perspective. I'm so grateful for what I have, grateful that we had to make room in the refrigerator last night for the food we'd just bought. I have so much that I try not to take for granted, although I have my moments, just as anyone does. It's funny that at the holidays, this time of "peace", I and others feel so frantic all the time. I haven't gotten my holiday cards out yet, and I have friends who made SURE they were there on my doorstep on December 1. I'm trying to keep a budget but not shortchange anyone. I don't know if it's consumerism that makes us all crazy because we buy into it (hah! I made a funny!) or what? The kitchen is a constant mess, along with other areas of the house. If I hear one more "news" story about Tiger Woods that doesn't involve his performance during a golf tournament, I will go completely insane. I feel that friends I attempt to make contact with don't return my phonecalls, and I wonder if it's that they're simply busy or it means we're slipping away from each other. I keep meaning to exercise but something always gets in the way, whether it's school or grading or grocery shopping or my own lack of motivation. The other night I was in a hideous mood for no reason I could put my finger on, my head full of doubts and negative thoughts.
I don't know where all of this is going. The two paragraphs seem to completely contradict each other. But I guess what I'm trying to express is that I think we all need to find our tiny moments of peace and serenity when and where we can get them, and we need to remember that what's important is how we live our day to day moments. At the end of your life, nobody cares if the kitchen was clean. So I leave you with something that the King of Consumers, Starbucks, put together. It's actually pretty fantastic, so enjoy. Enjoy each other.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Weight of Weight
I mentioned this a little while ago, but I thought I'd get going. Sometime over the last year or so, my weight has crept up. It hasn't been anything drastic; otherwise, I would have noticed. (OBVIOUSLY) Oh, sure, I've observed that things that used to fit did not fit quite as well, but I could still get them on and thus continue the denial. I've never had to worry before. Don't despise me for writing that; I just got lucky that until my mid-2os or so, I had a great metabolism where I could eat more or less what I wanted.
Cut to over 30: No longer the case. Plus I can no longer exercise for two weeks and retransform. Ah, aging. For me, it's a combination of denial and poor habits. I don't eat badly, but I do eat too much of things. I've watched T deal with it for as long as we've been together, supporting him while silently, secretly thinking I was glad I didn't have to deal with all that. Well, I do.
The final straw came when I went to put on a pair of pants from the winter wardrobe and could not close them. I burst into silly tears, though T assured me that I wasn't being stupid or silly. He was lovely. Fortunately as well, we have many Weight-Watcher friendly cookbooks and recipes that I will now utilize in terms of portion control. Plus I have a great friend who's a personal trainer and she gave me suggestions and showed me all kinds of tummy and butt moves. She also suggested this wacky "no carbs after 1pm" idea, which I know is wise and right, but it's sooo hard to do. I didn't realize how many of our dinners, albeit Weight-Watcher friendly, have carbs in them. EVIL CARBS! So I have attempted to not eat as many carbs after 1pm, which is total crap and I need to step it up. I've gotten better about exercising and writing things down, which, I swear, is the key to stopping overeating. Seriously, if you know you have to write down everything you eat, you actually, shockingly, think about what you're eating before you simply shovel it into your mouth-hole. I'm also trying to do the whole smaller-meals-more-often thing, and with my 10:00am lunch period, that's working out quite nicely. Then I eat the rest at 2pm. I think my problem, too, is that I do wait too long and then I'm RAVENOUS and I overeat.
I haven't been 100% diligent for various reasons: I got sick. I had grades due. I wanted to sleep past 5am. Those things. And I swear, every time I start a new exercise kick/routine, I get sick. Is my body trying to tell me something? But I've done more, exercise-wise, than I have in the past, which is good.
I think it's all about control, and I'm also fortunate in that this is something I can control, if I so choose. In fact, my jeans feel a bit looser today than they have. I don't care if it's all completely in my head; it gets me motivated. I don't feel the need to get back to my college weight or anything; I just want to be healthier and to fit into my clothes because, as I've said and written before, I don't have money to buy all new clothes.
I realize you might not be super-thrilled to hear about my exercise habits, but it's just one more way I'm trying to keep myself healthy and gain control over a certain part of my life. It's a reality face-slap, and I'm willing to take the slap if it means I can get healthier than I've allowed myself to become.
Thus, when I go out to dinner tonight with Mom, I'll take care in what I order and skip the bread. Happy Friday, folks.
Cut to over 30: No longer the case. Plus I can no longer exercise for two weeks and retransform. Ah, aging. For me, it's a combination of denial and poor habits. I don't eat badly, but I do eat too much of things. I've watched T deal with it for as long as we've been together, supporting him while silently, secretly thinking I was glad I didn't have to deal with all that. Well, I do.
The final straw came when I went to put on a pair of pants from the winter wardrobe and could not close them. I burst into silly tears, though T assured me that I wasn't being stupid or silly. He was lovely. Fortunately as well, we have many Weight-Watcher friendly cookbooks and recipes that I will now utilize in terms of portion control. Plus I have a great friend who's a personal trainer and she gave me suggestions and showed me all kinds of tummy and butt moves. She also suggested this wacky "no carbs after 1pm" idea, which I know is wise and right, but it's sooo hard to do. I didn't realize how many of our dinners, albeit Weight-Watcher friendly, have carbs in them. EVIL CARBS! So I have attempted to not eat as many carbs after 1pm, which is total crap and I need to step it up. I've gotten better about exercising and writing things down, which, I swear, is the key to stopping overeating. Seriously, if you know you have to write down everything you eat, you actually, shockingly, think about what you're eating before you simply shovel it into your mouth-hole. I'm also trying to do the whole smaller-meals-more-often thing, and with my 10:00am lunch period, that's working out quite nicely. Then I eat the rest at 2pm. I think my problem, too, is that I do wait too long and then I'm RAVENOUS and I overeat.
I haven't been 100% diligent for various reasons: I got sick. I had grades due. I wanted to sleep past 5am. Those things. And I swear, every time I start a new exercise kick/routine, I get sick. Is my body trying to tell me something? But I've done more, exercise-wise, than I have in the past, which is good.
I think it's all about control, and I'm also fortunate in that this is something I can control, if I so choose. In fact, my jeans feel a bit looser today than they have. I don't care if it's all completely in my head; it gets me motivated. I don't feel the need to get back to my college weight or anything; I just want to be healthier and to fit into my clothes because, as I've said and written before, I don't have money to buy all new clothes.
I realize you might not be super-thrilled to hear about my exercise habits, but it's just one more way I'm trying to keep myself healthy and gain control over a certain part of my life. It's a reality face-slap, and I'm willing to take the slap if it means I can get healthier than I've allowed myself to become.
Thus, when I go out to dinner tonight with Mom, I'll take care in what I order and skip the bread. Happy Friday, folks.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Lessons from the Dog
I know I always croon about Penny's latest (if only you knew how much I held back. Thank my brother for that, who begged me not to become "one of those people"), but having spent quite a lot of time with her this summer, she has taught me a few things.
Don't worry about getting dirty. Hell, if there's a puddle there, go for it. If the mud's there, don't be an adult--splash in it! You can wash your clothes and yourself later.
Love with your whole body. Light up when that person you loves comes home or even into the room. You may want to wiggle your behind in delight; I leave this up to you. Go ahead and greet that person with kisses. Lots of them.
Eat when you're hungry. Otherwise, it's not necessary. But find yourself good, healthy things to snack on in the meantime...as long as it doesn't require replacing anything expensive.
Go on walks with friends. Everybody benefits. And there might be fun puddles to jump in.
Play well with others. If someone snaps at you, you need to figure out whether to snap back or turn and walk away. Otherwise, just have fun.
Take naps whenever you can. Self-explanatory.
Enjoy life every day.
I don't care if this sounds corny. I like it, and this picture of a filthy, happy dog says it all:
Don't worry about getting dirty. Hell, if there's a puddle there, go for it. If the mud's there, don't be an adult--splash in it! You can wash your clothes and yourself later.
Love with your whole body. Light up when that person you loves comes home or even into the room. You may want to wiggle your behind in delight; I leave this up to you. Go ahead and greet that person with kisses. Lots of them.
Eat when you're hungry. Otherwise, it's not necessary. But find yourself good, healthy things to snack on in the meantime...as long as it doesn't require replacing anything expensive.
Go on walks with friends. Everybody benefits. And there might be fun puddles to jump in.
Play well with others. If someone snaps at you, you need to figure out whether to snap back or turn and walk away. Otherwise, just have fun.
Take naps whenever you can. Self-explanatory.
Enjoy life every day.
I don't care if this sounds corny. I like it, and this picture of a filthy, happy dog says it all:
Friday, February 6, 2009
Something I feel strongly about
Sorry--it's been a crazy busy week and I will post all sorts of whimsical and amazing posts soon...or at least pictures of Penny because she turned 1 last weekend.
I just received this video from the Courage Campaign regarding Prop 8, and I can't stay quiet when bigotry threatens lives of others. If you don't feel the gay community has the right to marry, you don't want to watch this video. I warn you, supporters, that I needed a tissue about halfway through. Especially after listening to two of my GSA students talk about how their parents do not support their lifestyle, this sort of hatred and lack of understanding galls me. I hope Prop 8 stands, and I hope campaigns such as this one actually make something happen.
"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.
So let's hear it for love, people! Go hug someone you care about!
I just received this video from the Courage Campaign regarding Prop 8, and I can't stay quiet when bigotry threatens lives of others. If you don't feel the gay community has the right to marry, you don't want to watch this video. I warn you, supporters, that I needed a tissue about halfway through. Especially after listening to two of my GSA students talk about how their parents do not support their lifestyle, this sort of hatred and lack of understanding galls me. I hope Prop 8 stands, and I hope campaigns such as this one actually make something happen.
"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.
So let's hear it for love, people! Go hug someone you care about!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Newspaper History
My dad told me of the site www.newseum.com. If you click on this link, you can look at hundreds of newspaper headlines from the election. It's rather awe-inspiring. I chose a few at random for you to see (I'm sorry they're so narrow; I had to make them fit.). Well, I chose San Francisco's because all it has is a picture and a name. Pretty amazing:
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