First chapter completed. Whew!
It's tempting to rest on one's laurels for a day or two. Except that, really, the only solid days I have to write are the weekends. So I have to start on another chapter tonight. I have outlines for them all, so it's just a matter of picking one. The question is whether I want to complete the trifecta of stories that go with the first chapter, or go down a completely different path. I think I'm going to stay with the same topic for the next chapter. After all, the information from the first chapter is fresh in my mind. And I will really feel as though I have accomplished something when I finish the first trifecta!
On to the next goal. Next chapter here I come.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Today's Mission
I am inches away. So close I can smell it. The light at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter one of my book is almost complete. Of course, it's been almost complete for a couple of weeks now. I made the mistake - or the positive move - of rereading the whole thing before starting on the end. As a result, what should have been a few hours to wrap it up ended up being several hours of tweaking and editing. The end result is better, of course, but the line still hasn't been crossed.
Motivation is there. Will today be the day? Finally? I sure hope so. I have others to write and places to go.
Chapter one of my book is almost complete. Of course, it's been almost complete for a couple of weeks now. I made the mistake - or the positive move - of rereading the whole thing before starting on the end. As a result, what should have been a few hours to wrap it up ended up being several hours of tweaking and editing. The end result is better, of course, but the line still hasn't been crossed.
Motivation is there. Will today be the day? Finally? I sure hope so. I have others to write and places to go.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Losing Track Of Pop Culture
I may be 48, but I try to keep up with what the younger generation watches and listens to. For many years, I have prided myself on being the only kid in my family who knows the names of top pop singers and current TV shows.
I'm pretty good. I even own music by some of the hottest acts in the country. I have P!nk's last CD - which I love. I have Train's last CD - which is okay. I like Taylor Swift's music, but haven't bought any yet. I know who Lady Gaga, Ke$sha, Usher, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry are. I don't like any of them, but I know some of their music. Sort of. But Cee Lo Green? I only know his name because of Glee. Nick Minaj? I know her because she wore all leopard-spotted clothes to the Grammys. Taio Cruz? No idea. Keri Hilson? Pitbull? What?
I have some of the same problems with TV. I do watch Glee, though I was a late-comer. I've never watched The Office, 30 Rock, and a bunch of the ABC sitcoms, but I know the basics, including most of the stars. I think the Jersey Shore is disgusting, but I know something about the show and the "stars". But I don't watch Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, or any of the other CW shows; True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, or any of the other HBO shows; or Burn Notice, White Collar, Royal Pains, or any of the other USA Network shows.
As a result, there are paparazzi pictures, stories on entertainment shows, and other media news that mention things that happened in pop culture or "famous" people and I have no idea who they are.
I'm pretty good. I even own music by some of the hottest acts in the country. I have P!nk's last CD - which I love. I have Train's last CD - which is okay. I like Taylor Swift's music, but haven't bought any yet. I know who Lady Gaga, Ke$sha, Usher, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry are. I don't like any of them, but I know some of their music. Sort of. But Cee Lo Green? I only know his name because of Glee. Nick Minaj? I know her because she wore all leopard-spotted clothes to the Grammys. Taio Cruz? No idea. Keri Hilson? Pitbull? What?
I have some of the same problems with TV. I do watch Glee, though I was a late-comer. I've never watched The Office, 30 Rock, and a bunch of the ABC sitcoms, but I know the basics, including most of the stars. I think the Jersey Shore is disgusting, but I know something about the show and the "stars". But I don't watch Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, or any of the other CW shows; True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, or any of the other HBO shows; or Burn Notice, White Collar, Royal Pains, or any of the other USA Network shows.
As a result, there are paparazzi pictures, stories on entertainment shows, and other media news that mention things that happened in pop culture or "famous" people and I have no idea who they are.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Flexibility Goals
I've been getting into yoga lately. This is in part because my joints are getting older and running is hard on them. And it's in part because running and other cardio exercise does little for flexibility. In fact, I found that just doing cardio exercises actually made my joints, tendons, and ligaments tighter. Which can make them more vulnerable to problems. When I was doing karate, I had developed quite a bit of flexibility. But in the years since I stopped, that flexibility has almost disappeared.
So yoga. Like most forms of exercise, however, you get as much out of yoga as you put into it. The more often you do it, the better you do. This is particularly true for the flexibility aspects. I find that if I do yoga a couple of days in a row, I am much more flexible on day 2 and 3. Likewise, if I don't do any for several days in a row, the next time is almost like starting at the beginning in terms of flexibility.
Because there are no belts to achieve and because I do better with goals, here are my flexibility goals:
1) Be able to get my head to my knee in one-legged stretches. I'm almost there. My head is probably an inch or so above my knee if I do yoga a couple of days in a row.
2) Be able to get my head to my knee in seated forward bend. Again, I am close so this is pretty attainable.
3) Be able to put my palms on the ground and fully stretch in standing forward bend. Right now, I can usually get my fingers on the ground in the second or third round of this stretch. But full palms will take a while.
4) Be able to get my chest to the ground in wide angle seated fold. Right now, I can get my arms up to my elbows on the ground with my legs wide open. I'd like to get my chest to the ground. This is a pretty audacious goal. We will have to see.
5) Be able to open my legs wider than 90 degrees in wide angle seated fold. When I was doing karate, I got to about 135 degrees. I can't imagine getting to a full 180. The instructor on my yoga DVDs does, but he was a dancer before he took up yoga. That might be cheating.
6) Be able to get my feet flat on the ground in downward dog. My heels are still a couple of inches off the floor. This too will take lots of stretching and diligence.
Some poses are beyond me and I don't really desire to get there. Plow pose, for example, where you fold your outstretched legs over your head and touch your feet on the ground behind your head. No desire to be able to do that. It's just really uncomfortable. Likewise, I have no desire to do upward bow. In this pose, you balance on your hands and feet and push your body up in the air. So the only parts of you touching the floor and your hands and feet. I simply don't have the arm strength for this pose, and I can't imagine getting there.
As with karate, I am finding with yoga that I have challenges with my balance. I'm fine with warrior 1 and 2. But warrior 3 is a challenge. I can do it most of the time, but sometimes my balance just isn't there. Same problem with star pose. Triangle is no problem. But moving forward to rest on one hand and one foot with the opposite leg outstretched behind and the opposite arm straight up is something I have definite problems with.
For now, I'm sticking with flexibility goals. I'll save balance goals for another time.
So yoga. Like most forms of exercise, however, you get as much out of yoga as you put into it. The more often you do it, the better you do. This is particularly true for the flexibility aspects. I find that if I do yoga a couple of days in a row, I am much more flexible on day 2 and 3. Likewise, if I don't do any for several days in a row, the next time is almost like starting at the beginning in terms of flexibility.
Because there are no belts to achieve and because I do better with goals, here are my flexibility goals:
1) Be able to get my head to my knee in one-legged stretches. I'm almost there. My head is probably an inch or so above my knee if I do yoga a couple of days in a row.
2) Be able to get my head to my knee in seated forward bend. Again, I am close so this is pretty attainable.
3) Be able to put my palms on the ground and fully stretch in standing forward bend. Right now, I can usually get my fingers on the ground in the second or third round of this stretch. But full palms will take a while.
4) Be able to get my chest to the ground in wide angle seated fold. Right now, I can get my arms up to my elbows on the ground with my legs wide open. I'd like to get my chest to the ground. This is a pretty audacious goal. We will have to see.
5) Be able to open my legs wider than 90 degrees in wide angle seated fold. When I was doing karate, I got to about 135 degrees. I can't imagine getting to a full 180. The instructor on my yoga DVDs does, but he was a dancer before he took up yoga. That might be cheating.
6) Be able to get my feet flat on the ground in downward dog. My heels are still a couple of inches off the floor. This too will take lots of stretching and diligence.
Some poses are beyond me and I don't really desire to get there. Plow pose, for example, where you fold your outstretched legs over your head and touch your feet on the ground behind your head. No desire to be able to do that. It's just really uncomfortable. Likewise, I have no desire to do upward bow. In this pose, you balance on your hands and feet and push your body up in the air. So the only parts of you touching the floor and your hands and feet. I simply don't have the arm strength for this pose, and I can't imagine getting there.
As with karate, I am finding with yoga that I have challenges with my balance. I'm fine with warrior 1 and 2. But warrior 3 is a challenge. I can do it most of the time, but sometimes my balance just isn't there. Same problem with star pose. Triangle is no problem. But moving forward to rest on one hand and one foot with the opposite leg outstretched behind and the opposite arm straight up is something I have definite problems with.
For now, I'm sticking with flexibility goals. I'll save balance goals for another time.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
What's In A Name?
When I was a little kid, my family called me "Barby". With a "y", not an "ie" like the doll. The Christmas stocking my mother made for me when I was a small child still has that name on it. When I got to an age to make my opinion known, I killed the nickname. I didn't want to be associated with the Barbie doll. In fact, I refused to have one of those dolls. I wasn't really a doll person to start with. But being associated with that particular doll just didn't work for me.
I went from "Barby" to "Barb". Throughout junior high school and senior high school, I went by that name. It worked for my teenage self.
When I went to college, I became "Barbara". Since then, I have always introduced myself to new people as "Barbara". But there are still people who call me "Barb" - my family and people who know me from junior high school. Or people who met me through people who knew me from junior high school. But it's rare.
So when people call me "Barb" when they didn't know me way back when or are not my friend, it irks me. Somehow it's assuming an intimacy that isn't appropriate.
Maybe that's going too far? Maybe I shouldn't be so sensitive?
Except that I know other people who go by their full name and would be really ticked off if someone shortened it without permission. So perhaps I'm not the only one.
I went from "Barby" to "Barb". Throughout junior high school and senior high school, I went by that name. It worked for my teenage self.
When I went to college, I became "Barbara". Since then, I have always introduced myself to new people as "Barbara". But there are still people who call me "Barb" - my family and people who know me from junior high school. Or people who met me through people who knew me from junior high school. But it's rare.
So when people call me "Barb" when they didn't know me way back when or are not my friend, it irks me. Somehow it's assuming an intimacy that isn't appropriate.
Maybe that's going too far? Maybe I shouldn't be so sensitive?
Except that I know other people who go by their full name and would be really ticked off if someone shortened it without permission. So perhaps I'm not the only one.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tipping Point
It's chicken vs. egg time. Last night, at 3:15 am so perhaps more accurately very early this morning, I woke up. From 3:15 to 4:17, I tossed and turned, writing my book in my brain. At 4:17, I gave it up, came downstairs to get my laptop, and spent the next 1-1/2 hours writing. At 6:05 am, I came downstairs again to feed the cats. Then I turned off the computer, turned off the lights, and tried to sleep again. But I was still thinking about the book. Still remembering things I wanted to include, plot points to add, ideas to be sure to incorporate.
Why I woke up at 3:15 am is a mystery. I was having trouble sleeping all night, not made any better by a cat sleeping stretched to her limit in the absolute center of the bed. I could have moved her, but instead I tried to sleep around her. And was uncomfortable. But that was probably chicken vs. egg too. If I was tired enough, I would have been able to sleep anyway.
But the book is starting to get to a tipping point. The first story is almost finished. The real story of one of the guys. Once I've finished that story, I will truly feel like I'm on the road to writing a book.
I keep thinking I'm almost there. And then at 3:15 am, my brain starts of thinking about other things I want to add. Last night is the first time I've actually gotten up and written. However, I have a feeling it won't be the last.
Tipping point - obsession or goal. Maybe the better question is whether there's a difference?
Why I woke up at 3:15 am is a mystery. I was having trouble sleeping all night, not made any better by a cat sleeping stretched to her limit in the absolute center of the bed. I could have moved her, but instead I tried to sleep around her. And was uncomfortable. But that was probably chicken vs. egg too. If I was tired enough, I would have been able to sleep anyway.
But the book is starting to get to a tipping point. The first story is almost finished. The real story of one of the guys. Once I've finished that story, I will truly feel like I'm on the road to writing a book.
I keep thinking I'm almost there. And then at 3:15 am, my brain starts of thinking about other things I want to add. Last night is the first time I've actually gotten up and written. However, I have a feeling it won't be the last.
Tipping point - obsession or goal. Maybe the better question is whether there's a difference?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Event Planning
I admire people who plan major events, like weddings and conferences, because every time I have to do this kind of planning, I'm reminded what a hassle it is. Perhaps hasssle isn't the right word, but certainly the logistics can be a huge challenge. And this is from someone who handles logistics for a living!
Event planning is on my mind for two reasons. First, next weekend is the biggest health IT conference of the year, HIMSS. All the big companies and many of the small ones in our industry will have a booth at the convention center. The conference is so large that there are only a handful of cities that can house it. In 2010, HIMSS was in Atlanta. The year before that, it was in Orlando. This year, it's back in Orlando. It's outgrown smaller convention cities like New Orleans, where it was held in 2007. This time last year, I was already in Atlanta. Since I was then working for a small company, I was responsible for all the logistics for our booth, from getting it designed in the first place to being there for its setup. I also had to set up a booth schedule to ensure there was someone to talk about our capabilities at all times. And of course, marketing materials to hand out as needed. There was a great deal of stress involved as well, with so much of the planning and therefore success of spending all that money resting on my shoulders. All in all, I spent two weeks in Atlanta. I got to know the town better than I ever have, but I was compeltely exhausted by the end of it. In 2009, I helped plan and execute the booth for a large company. Also exhausting, but I didn't have to do all the pre- and post-conference support. And I was in more of a support role for all the other elements. Not all the responsibility rested with me. This year, now back at a large company, I'm not even involved in the planning nor will I be attending. It's weird, but I miss the opportunity to participate. Maybe next year?
The second event being planned is resting more on my shoulders. We are trying to get a family reunion together for this summer. My mother is turning 80 this year, and she requested a family reunion for her celebration. Her birthday is in May though, which makes getting the family together for her actual birthday challenging, as some of the extended family has kids in school. So we're planning for a 4th of July reunion. Picking a location was a bit of a challenge as well. Mom had suggested Colorado as possibility, but also Italy. In the end, we ended up in Texas as my remaining uncle is not in the best of health and lives there. We decided on Austin as it's one of the destination cities in Texas, with a great music scene and Lake Travis for water and golfing excursions. Check. Next, I sent a note to all the relatives on my mom's side of the family to see who could come. I heard from almost everyone, so now I had a list of who would be coming, who would potentially be coming, and who couldn't make it. Check. Then we needed to identify a house or two to rent in Austin. This proved quite challenging, given that we needed about 7-8 bedrooms all totalled. The committee for this was me, my sister, and one of my cousins. After several weeks of debating between this house and that house, locations around Austin, and configurations of the family, we have finally pinned down a particular location and are making reservations. Check. Next, we need to make reservations for dinner for a birthday celebration. We've identified that restaurant, so that should be easy. Check. Now I'm working on locations to hear some good music, my cousin is scoping out possible excursions, and my sister will look into the architecture of Austin for our father to explore. Eventually, we'll have to deal with the financials for renting the houses. And then renting cars, making plane reservations, and other details associated with getting everyone to town. Not to mention groceries and other logistics. As many things as we have already planned, there's more to come.
Maybe if you do this for a living, you develop a checklist or two. And you know the timelines for what needs to happen when. Maybe that makes it easier. Maybe.
Event planning is on my mind for two reasons. First, next weekend is the biggest health IT conference of the year, HIMSS. All the big companies and many of the small ones in our industry will have a booth at the convention center. The conference is so large that there are only a handful of cities that can house it. In 2010, HIMSS was in Atlanta. The year before that, it was in Orlando. This year, it's back in Orlando. It's outgrown smaller convention cities like New Orleans, where it was held in 2007. This time last year, I was already in Atlanta. Since I was then working for a small company, I was responsible for all the logistics for our booth, from getting it designed in the first place to being there for its setup. I also had to set up a booth schedule to ensure there was someone to talk about our capabilities at all times. And of course, marketing materials to hand out as needed. There was a great deal of stress involved as well, with so much of the planning and therefore success of spending all that money resting on my shoulders. All in all, I spent two weeks in Atlanta. I got to know the town better than I ever have, but I was compeltely exhausted by the end of it. In 2009, I helped plan and execute the booth for a large company. Also exhausting, but I didn't have to do all the pre- and post-conference support. And I was in more of a support role for all the other elements. Not all the responsibility rested with me. This year, now back at a large company, I'm not even involved in the planning nor will I be attending. It's weird, but I miss the opportunity to participate. Maybe next year?
The second event being planned is resting more on my shoulders. We are trying to get a family reunion together for this summer. My mother is turning 80 this year, and she requested a family reunion for her celebration. Her birthday is in May though, which makes getting the family together for her actual birthday challenging, as some of the extended family has kids in school. So we're planning for a 4th of July reunion. Picking a location was a bit of a challenge as well. Mom had suggested Colorado as possibility, but also Italy. In the end, we ended up in Texas as my remaining uncle is not in the best of health and lives there. We decided on Austin as it's one of the destination cities in Texas, with a great music scene and Lake Travis for water and golfing excursions. Check. Next, I sent a note to all the relatives on my mom's side of the family to see who could come. I heard from almost everyone, so now I had a list of who would be coming, who would potentially be coming, and who couldn't make it. Check. Then we needed to identify a house or two to rent in Austin. This proved quite challenging, given that we needed about 7-8 bedrooms all totalled. The committee for this was me, my sister, and one of my cousins. After several weeks of debating between this house and that house, locations around Austin, and configurations of the family, we have finally pinned down a particular location and are making reservations. Check. Next, we need to make reservations for dinner for a birthday celebration. We've identified that restaurant, so that should be easy. Check. Now I'm working on locations to hear some good music, my cousin is scoping out possible excursions, and my sister will look into the architecture of Austin for our father to explore. Eventually, we'll have to deal with the financials for renting the houses. And then renting cars, making plane reservations, and other details associated with getting everyone to town. Not to mention groceries and other logistics. As many things as we have already planned, there's more to come.
Maybe if you do this for a living, you develop a checklist or two. And you know the timelines for what needs to happen when. Maybe that makes it easier. Maybe.
Monday, February 7, 2011
What Day Is It Anyway?
I have one of those jobs that requires working lots of extra hours. Long days are not at all unusual. It comes with the territory.
But my long days have been too many in a row now. I've worked at least part of every weekend for the past month. Last weekend, I only worked a few hours on Sunday and even fewer on Saturday. But it was enough to make me feel like I worked both days. The weekend before, I worked more than a full day each day. The weekend before, the same. The weekend before that was more partial - like this past weekend.
The problem with working over the weekends is not only that you don't get a break. It's also that you don't get to reset your week. Most of us - certainly those of us who work a traditional five-day workweek, i.e., not retail - have a sort of internal clock. The weekends reset that clock. The weekends tell us when Monday will come around again. The weekends follow Fridays.
So when I work during a weekend, or as has been the case much too often lately through the weekend, my clock doesn't get reset. And the days start running together. And it becomes hard for me to automatically recall the day of the week. Instead, I have to think about it. Hard.
Not happy.
But my long days have been too many in a row now. I've worked at least part of every weekend for the past month. Last weekend, I only worked a few hours on Sunday and even fewer on Saturday. But it was enough to make me feel like I worked both days. The weekend before, I worked more than a full day each day. The weekend before, the same. The weekend before that was more partial - like this past weekend.
The problem with working over the weekends is not only that you don't get a break. It's also that you don't get to reset your week. Most of us - certainly those of us who work a traditional five-day workweek, i.e., not retail - have a sort of internal clock. The weekends reset that clock. The weekends tell us when Monday will come around again. The weekends follow Fridays.
So when I work during a weekend, or as has been the case much too often lately through the weekend, my clock doesn't get reset. And the days start running together. And it becomes hard for me to automatically recall the day of the week. Instead, I have to think about it. Hard.
Not happy.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Being In Good Shape vs. Being Slim(mer)
I've been pretty diligent about getting exercise for nearly 20 years now. When I turned 30, I resolved to getting some regular exercise. First, I did karate for 10 years. In the midst of doing karate, I also joined a gym and was good about going to the gym in addition to karate. When I took my physical fitness exam for my second degree black belt test, I would argue that I was in the best shape of my life. In terms of endurance and cardio strength, I was there. My pulse was regularly around 50 bpm, which is really low for those who know about such things. In fact, there were a couple of times when I went to give blood, and they were nervous about taking my blood because my pulse was so slow.
During this period, I also started to eat healthier and less. As a result, I lost weight. But I remained heavier than I would have liked. And heavier than made sense to me. I was eating 1,800 calories a day and exercising for an hour at a time 4-5 times a week. That's a recipe for not only being in shape but losing weight. I was in fine shape - healthy that is - but not slim.
I resigned myself that I just wasn't ever going to get slim unless I went to an extreme and really dieted for a period of time. I don't believe in diets. It seems to me that people go on these diets and then, as soon as they are done dieting, the weight goes back on. As they teach you when you're serious about losing weight, you have to change your eating habits. I had already done that. And I wasn't really happy with the idea of eating less for any extended period of time to quickly shed pounds. Instead, I stuck with my plan, which was slimming me down but slowly now that I had plateaued and my body was used to the amount of exercise and reduced calorie intake.
Then about three months ago (maybe a bit more - I have a terrible memory for time), I started doing yoga more seriously. I had been doing a yoga-like class at my gym for a while, but only once a week and not even consistently once a week. But my joints were getting achy from running and I missed the flexibility that I had once had with karate. So I decided that I would try yoga more seriously and bought some yoga DVDs. I wasn't convinced that yoga would be enough exercise - especially given that I was used to 4-5 hours of cardio a week - but I thought I'd mix it in with the other exercise.
Then I started teleworking more, and I was having trouble making myself get out to the gym. And I was working a lot of hours. The DVDs helped me still be able to get some exercise. I thought they were better than nothing, but as I said, I wasn't convinced that yoga by itself was going to be enough.
And then one day, I put on my knee-high boots. And they zipped up much better than they ever had before. There was even - gasp! - a little extra room around my calves. My legs are my worst feature. I hate them. They have always been heavy, and I was resigned that they always would be. Could it be that yoga was actually having an impact on them?
I was excited. If I could find a way to slim down, that would be amazing. I started doing yoga almost exclusively. And I've found that my socks go further up my calves than they used to as well. And the legs of my pants actually move around my legs as I walk, rather than having my legs stuffed into them like sausages.
But what truly has convinced me that yoga is tough exercise is when I stopped for a week or so. And then went back to it. I got sick and was working too much. The combination led to no exercise for about a week. Relatively unheard of in my 30s and 40s. When I got healthy again, I did one of my yoga DVDs. And was amazed at how sore I was the next day. I've done the DVDs for the past couple of days, and I really feel it. So I'm convinced.
Yoga, perhaps, finally offers me a way to be both in good shape and slimmer. I'm optimistic again for the first time in a while. We'll see what happens from here, but progress is good.
During this period, I also started to eat healthier and less. As a result, I lost weight. But I remained heavier than I would have liked. And heavier than made sense to me. I was eating 1,800 calories a day and exercising for an hour at a time 4-5 times a week. That's a recipe for not only being in shape but losing weight. I was in fine shape - healthy that is - but not slim.
I resigned myself that I just wasn't ever going to get slim unless I went to an extreme and really dieted for a period of time. I don't believe in diets. It seems to me that people go on these diets and then, as soon as they are done dieting, the weight goes back on. As they teach you when you're serious about losing weight, you have to change your eating habits. I had already done that. And I wasn't really happy with the idea of eating less for any extended period of time to quickly shed pounds. Instead, I stuck with my plan, which was slimming me down but slowly now that I had plateaued and my body was used to the amount of exercise and reduced calorie intake.
Then about three months ago (maybe a bit more - I have a terrible memory for time), I started doing yoga more seriously. I had been doing a yoga-like class at my gym for a while, but only once a week and not even consistently once a week. But my joints were getting achy from running and I missed the flexibility that I had once had with karate. So I decided that I would try yoga more seriously and bought some yoga DVDs. I wasn't convinced that yoga would be enough exercise - especially given that I was used to 4-5 hours of cardio a week - but I thought I'd mix it in with the other exercise.
Then I started teleworking more, and I was having trouble making myself get out to the gym. And I was working a lot of hours. The DVDs helped me still be able to get some exercise. I thought they were better than nothing, but as I said, I wasn't convinced that yoga by itself was going to be enough.
And then one day, I put on my knee-high boots. And they zipped up much better than they ever had before. There was even - gasp! - a little extra room around my calves. My legs are my worst feature. I hate them. They have always been heavy, and I was resigned that they always would be. Could it be that yoga was actually having an impact on them?
I was excited. If I could find a way to slim down, that would be amazing. I started doing yoga almost exclusively. And I've found that my socks go further up my calves than they used to as well. And the legs of my pants actually move around my legs as I walk, rather than having my legs stuffed into them like sausages.
But what truly has convinced me that yoga is tough exercise is when I stopped for a week or so. And then went back to it. I got sick and was working too much. The combination led to no exercise for about a week. Relatively unheard of in my 30s and 40s. When I got healthy again, I did one of my yoga DVDs. And was amazed at how sore I was the next day. I've done the DVDs for the past couple of days, and I really feel it. So I'm convinced.
Yoga, perhaps, finally offers me a way to be both in good shape and slimmer. I'm optimistic again for the first time in a while. We'll see what happens from here, but progress is good.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Office Bound
This week, I am finally back in an office after nearly seven months of being a teleworker. During that seven months, I have had periods when I worked in one of my company's buildings in the area - the company has many - but I didn't have an office that was mine.
It's been interesting to be a teleworker. As I've noted before, there are pluses and minuses to the experience. The biggest plus has been being able to receive packages, furniture, etc., without having to take time off or arrange to be at home. Most of the time, I was already here. The biggest minus has been a lack of personal interaction. Sure, I exchanged emails with my co-workers. We had many conference calls. When I first started being a teleworker, I was concerned that I would not be able to stay in the loop. I was afraid that not being around my co-workers every day would mean that they would forget to tell me things. But the fact is that the organizations that I support are located all over the place, many of my colleagues are teleworkers, and so communications are already a challenge being addressed. That being said, I lobbied to no longer be a teleworker. And this month, I succeeded.
So now I have an office. It's nice to be around people all day again. I don't feel bound at all.
It's been interesting to be a teleworker. As I've noted before, there are pluses and minuses to the experience. The biggest plus has been being able to receive packages, furniture, etc., without having to take time off or arrange to be at home. Most of the time, I was already here. The biggest minus has been a lack of personal interaction. Sure, I exchanged emails with my co-workers. We had many conference calls. When I first started being a teleworker, I was concerned that I would not be able to stay in the loop. I was afraid that not being around my co-workers every day would mean that they would forget to tell me things. But the fact is that the organizations that I support are located all over the place, many of my colleagues are teleworkers, and so communications are already a challenge being addressed. That being said, I lobbied to no longer be a teleworker. And this month, I succeeded.
So now I have an office. It's nice to be around people all day again. I don't feel bound at all.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Nails?
I've been growing out my fingernails again. It's been a while since I had any length of nail. There are plusses and minuses to having long fingernails. I can't decide whether to keep this set. We'll see what happens.
In my 20s, I had beautiful, manicured nails. I did them myself. It was a Sunday evening ritual. Take off the old polish. File the nails. Push back the cuticles. Apply bottom coat (clear). Apply two layers of polish (usually a shade of red or pink - never went exotic with black or blue). Apply top coat. Try not to touch anything for at least a half hour to let them dry completely. Usually, a good, patient manicure would last for a week. Sometimes less if I was doing some kind of manual labor.
In my 30s, I stopped having long nails. I started doing karate, and long fingernails were no longer practical for a couple of reasons. First, they broke off in class all the time anyway. Second, when you close your first to punch, you can punch a hole in your hand with a long fingernail. Third, you can scratch other people - and they really don't appreciate it! So I started trimming my nails regularly.
I gave up karate around my 40th birthday. And I could have started to grow out my nails again. Instead, I kept them short. If anything, I was more likely to keep them trimmed than not. In many ways, it's just easier. But you still have to deal with cuticles - at least I do. And so I wasn't able to ignore my nails altogether.
About 3-4 years ago, my sister gave my mother and me a nail buffer in our Christmas stockings. I'd never buffed my nails before, but we have a genetic thing that puts ridges in our fingernails. The buffer makes them smooth again. Not to mention shiny. So for the past few years, I've mostly just been dealing with that for my nail care - buffing my nails, pushing back the cuticles, but keeping the nails themselves short.
Then for whatever reason, probably too much work, I just didn't cut them for a while. And then I decided to file the edges rather than cut the nails off. Right now, I have eight long nails and two mostly long but not quite AS long because they have broken off. That's the other challenge of growing out your nails. Unless you use the fake ones, it's a challenge to have 10 long nails at the same time.
And I'd forgotten what it's like to type with long nails. It's definitely a different feeling, and you have to "angle" your hands differently to consciously type more with the pad. Or click, click, click with your nails. I know women who type with their nails, but it doesn't really work for me.
I haven't polished my nails since I've grown them out again. I don't have any polish that isn't at least a year or so old. And I haven't decided whether to commit to keeping them long again or not.
But there is something feminine about having long nails. Or is that just my imagination? I'll have to pay more attention to the women around me and see what percentage of women I know have painted nails and what percentage don't seem to bother. It will be a social experiment. I'll report back in a month or so.
In my 20s, I had beautiful, manicured nails. I did them myself. It was a Sunday evening ritual. Take off the old polish. File the nails. Push back the cuticles. Apply bottom coat (clear). Apply two layers of polish (usually a shade of red or pink - never went exotic with black or blue). Apply top coat. Try not to touch anything for at least a half hour to let them dry completely. Usually, a good, patient manicure would last for a week. Sometimes less if I was doing some kind of manual labor.
In my 30s, I stopped having long nails. I started doing karate, and long fingernails were no longer practical for a couple of reasons. First, they broke off in class all the time anyway. Second, when you close your first to punch, you can punch a hole in your hand with a long fingernail. Third, you can scratch other people - and they really don't appreciate it! So I started trimming my nails regularly.
I gave up karate around my 40th birthday. And I could have started to grow out my nails again. Instead, I kept them short. If anything, I was more likely to keep them trimmed than not. In many ways, it's just easier. But you still have to deal with cuticles - at least I do. And so I wasn't able to ignore my nails altogether.
About 3-4 years ago, my sister gave my mother and me a nail buffer in our Christmas stockings. I'd never buffed my nails before, but we have a genetic thing that puts ridges in our fingernails. The buffer makes them smooth again. Not to mention shiny. So for the past few years, I've mostly just been dealing with that for my nail care - buffing my nails, pushing back the cuticles, but keeping the nails themselves short.
Then for whatever reason, probably too much work, I just didn't cut them for a while. And then I decided to file the edges rather than cut the nails off. Right now, I have eight long nails and two mostly long but not quite AS long because they have broken off. That's the other challenge of growing out your nails. Unless you use the fake ones, it's a challenge to have 10 long nails at the same time.
And I'd forgotten what it's like to type with long nails. It's definitely a different feeling, and you have to "angle" your hands differently to consciously type more with the pad. Or click, click, click with your nails. I know women who type with their nails, but it doesn't really work for me.
I haven't polished my nails since I've grown them out again. I don't have any polish that isn't at least a year or so old. And I haven't decided whether to commit to keeping them long again or not.
But there is something feminine about having long nails. Or is that just my imagination? I'll have to pay more attention to the women around me and see what percentage of women I know have painted nails and what percentage don't seem to bother. It will be a social experiment. I'll report back in a month or so.
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