So, I really did not put together until recently that this is not only the end of 2009, but the end of a decade altogether. I think it has something to do with those zeroes. Anyway, I now feel the urge to take some time to reflect on the last decade, for better or worse, to see where I was and where I am today. Now that I have been forced to take a look at it, it is rather interesting.
2000 - I graduate from Mississippi College with a B.A. in Psychology, move to Memphis for graduate school with no job and the craziest - nay, only one of the craziest - roommates I've ever had. Go on a date or two with some stupid guy from my job in Jackson who never calls again. Drive home numerous times over the summer/fall for weddings. And finally find a job that falls in the field I am studying.Listen to: David Gray - White Ladder; Dido - No Angel; Lenny Kravitz - Greatest Hits; Beastie Boys - Anthology; Jeff Buckley - Sketches for my Sweetheart; and, discover the wonders of Napster
2001 - Get my own place in Memphis and throw myself into grad school and work. Develop thyroid cancer, thus requiring removal of thyroid and radiation. 9/11 happens, I'm 3 hours from home and sick as a dog - freakout ensues. Meet/date a boy who turns out to be huge waste of time. See Barenaked Ladies in the 5th row, fly (for the first time anywhere) to Charlottesville, VA, to see Dave Matthews Band for the first time at their "homecoming show" with a bunch of strangers I met on the interwebs. See G. Love and Special Sauce in Oxford. Continue to enjoy Napster.Listen to: Barenaked Ladies - Maroon; Ben Harper - Burn to Shine; Various Dave Matthews Band bootlegs; discover a little-known artist named John Mayer and see him perform at Jubilee!JAM in Jackson to a crowd of six people. See various performers at Memphis in May including DMB. If you can't tell, I am a huge DMB fan at this point in time.
2002 - Finish up grad school, ditch stupid boy for good. Travel to Nashville at least twice for concerts - DMB front row pretty much the height of my DMB fandom. Saw several other concerts - James Taylor, Norah Jones, David Gray. Change jobs, contemplate moving home for the first time. Take a fun beach trip with the girls. Beck changes my perspective and my life. In several weddings, again.Listen to: Beck - Sea Change; Ani DiFranco (various albums); Joseph Arthur - Redemption's Son; Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head; Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; India.Arie - Acoustic Soul; Norah Jones - Come Away with Me; Lauryn Hill - Unplugged; Justin Timberlake's "Justified" becomes a total guilty pleasure. Delete Napster account.
2003 - "Hurricane Elvis" hits Memphis in July. Make the move back homeward, live with the parents for the first 5 months or so. Spend as much time with my friends as possible while looking for a better-paying job and the ability to live on my own again. Still rock out to Justin Timberlake like nobody's business. Sister and best friend get married. Finally end my duties as bridesmaid for a while.Listen to: The White Stripes - White Elephant; Booty music such as Ludacris, Missy Elliott, etc. (because I was still going "to da club" at this point in my life); Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below; Maroon 5
2004 - Finally get a better-paying job and my own place in Flowood. At my new job, meet the man I will eventually date and hope to marry. Take another great beach/cruise trip with the girls - friends start to move away from Jackson just as I have finally moved back. Discover Nick Drake and dig deeper into Big Star. Travel to Washington, D.C., for the first time.Listen to: The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots; Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News; Big Star - #1 Record Radio City; Postal Service; Garden State soundtrack, which includes Nick Drake, The Shins, Imogen Heap, and, well, I discover that there is a whole lot of music besides what I've been listening to the last few years. Discover Super Furry Animals, Band of Bees, The Walkmen and Clinic, albeit a couple years behind, Polyphonic Spree, Ray LaMontagne, Rufus Wainwright, thanks to VH1's online radio stations, and eventually, Radio Paradise.
2005 - Dive headfirst into relationship with said man. Continue to discover cool indie and local music, and begin writing for the Jackson Free Press as a music writer. Travel to Orlando, and Las Vegas. Hurricane Katrina hit. Lost two important people in my life - my grandmother and great-grandmother. Gain the understanding that life is incredibly short.Listen to: The Postal Service - Give Up; Snow Patrol - Final Straw; Spoon - Gimme Fiction; My Morning Jacket - Z; Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise; Foo Fighters - In Your Honor; Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love; Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
2006 - Barely remember this year. Traveled to Austin, TX, I remember that. Traveled to San Diego in January for work, decide not to take any more work trips when there are no cool people to hang out with.More friends moved away from Jackson. Relationship with the BF continues. We catch one of the greatest shows either of us has ever seen – Daniel Lanois at the Thirsty Hippo in Hattiesburg. More writing for the JFP in music, food and special-interest areas.Listen to: Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am...; Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones; The Decemberists - The Crane Wife; Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block; Feist; get my first Ipod, beginning the end of listening to full albums in one sitting.
2007 - Not the best year ever in some ways, but my niece is born in January - becoming the first kid I ever truly loved. Became music editor of the JFP. Join the Chick Ball committee and form a band (The Mary Anns) with Laurel Isbister and Tara Blumenthal, and we play at Chick Ball. BF loses his job and we go through a pretty rough patch. Oh, and I turned 30, yay.Listen to: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible; Amy Winehouse - Back to Black; Zero 7; Jose Gonzalez; Spoon; Radiohead - In Rainbows; Of Montreal; Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou soundtrack; Guillemots; I Am Kloot
2008 - A slightly better year. Started a new job that I love. Travel to Las Vegas (again). Live with BF for a few months. Quit as music editor, but stayed on as freelance writer. Joined Jackson Progressives, continued involvement with Chick Ball. A dog named Sally was dropped off at my door. Soup group begins!
Listen to: Elbow; Doves; Built to Spill; Common; The Magic Numbers; The Black Lips; Neko Case; The Pixies; Yo La Tengo; Royksopp; Buena Vista Social Club
2009 – Good year. Travel to Vegas once more and Portland, OR, for the first time ever. Catch Papercuts, Port O’Brien and Viva Voce while there, which was awesome! Start running and run my first 5K, followed by a few more. Participate in the first ever production of the Vagina Monologues in Jackson. Perform at Chick Ball again as the Paper Dolls. Move to Belhaven!
Listen to: Of Montreal (Skeletal Lamping); Viva Voce; M.I.A.; Cat Power; Beirut; Avett Brothers; Flaming Lips and Stardeath and the White Dwarfs – Dark Side of the Moon; Star and Micey
In some ways, this seems like the fastest decade ever. But in another way, it seems like eons ago when I consider that I was still a college student when the decade began. I certainly don’t feel like the same person I was in 2000. I’m less conservative, more open-minded; I’ve made a home in Jackson, despite the fact that I once thought that I would have been far away from here by now. I’ve had a few different jobs, traveled more than I ever have in any other decade, and have been in my first long-term relationship for over 5 years. Anyway, a LOT has happened! So what is there to look forward to in the ‘10s?
I turned 30 in the ‘00s. I went from a fairly hard-partying post-college chick to a more settled young adult (who still likes her wine and live music). By the end of the ‘10s, I will be … gulp… 40. So a lot can happen in the next 10 or so years. Besides the typical marriage and kids, which may or may not happen for me (and I may or may not give a crap, either) – I want to travel more, maybe even overseas. I hope to be in a lot better shape than I have ever been. And I plan to learn as much as I can every day.
My goals for 2010 are as follows:
1. Make a list of books that most people have read by now, but I haven’t. Read one book a month if possible from the list. I went to a tiny private school in the boondocks, and the older I get, the more I realize just how sheltered we were. It’s embarrassing when I talk to my BF or to other friends about books we read in high school, and I have only read ¼ of what most people read at that age. I hope to rectify that situation this year!
2.Run a half-marathon. I think I might be crazy for setting this goal, but I also think that I can do it. There is a half marathon in December, so this gives me all year to train and prepare. It would be so awesome to be able to say I did it! Not to mention how good I hope to look as a result of all the exercise.
3. Listen to full albums by artists I love, or artists I want to get to know better.
With the advent of Itunes and the Ipod, I hardly ever listen to, buy or download full albums anymore. I think this is sad and not something I want to make a habit for the rest of my life. There are so many great albums being made now, and so many I have neglected along the way – I want to make a point of getting the whole thing and really devouring it. I think I’ll get to know the artists better that way, too.
4. Get a record player and bring out the vinyl.
I have a lot of records that I grew up with, and some new ones I’ve picked up recently that I haven’t been able to listen to because my record player is broken. This year, I’m biting the bullet and getting one so I can once again enjoy the crackly, thumpy sound of vinyl.
5.Grow things in my yard.
I finally have a bit of a yard, and I hope to be able to grow herbs and veggies so that I don’t have to buy as much this year. I’m also considering joining a local CSA or splitting it with someone.
So those are five goals. I think I probably have a few more things I want to accomplish this year, but this is a good start. Considering I started this post before the New Year and it is now over halfway through January, I hope I won’t be this slow in getting everything else done this year! I guess I could also add that I hope to blog more often. Looking back over the decade, it’s sad that there are so many things I’ve forgotten. I think having a record of what is happening is so important. The older I get, the harder it is to keep up.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Quickie-Blog
I don't have a lot to write about today, and I should be packing, but I figured I'd take a little break for some random thoughts.
Note to Business Owners:
Do not advertise on digital billboards. Worst invention ever created. I can't tell you how many times lately I have been interested in something on a billboard, only to have it change before I get a chance to read the whole damn thing. I sat at a red light and watched one of those digital billboards change about 8 times with totally different ads every time. I don't know how much it costs to advertise on one of them, but it's not worth it if you really want to get your info across to drivers. This is one of those times when technology is not that big of a deal.
*********
We had a great weekend - nay, I'd say it was epic, on par with last weekend, which was even better in a lot of ways. Last weekend the BF and I had a romantic, no-special-occasion-whatsoever (unless you count Halloween, and we don't) dinner at Ro' Chez. We are picky about where we go out to eat, but I had a feeling (based on a recommendation from K. and her man) that we would not be disappointed. It was divine. A 5-course meal, just-right portions and served with just enough time to savor each course. Chef Roache changes the menu every week, but it seems there is always a Cajun influence. Everything we ate was lovely - we even got lucky and had a bonus course at the beginning of the meal: walnut-encrusted goat cheese with pears, brie, a balsamic reduction and crouton. The chef told us he got the goat cheese from the farmer's market, and so I just had to go get some for myself this weekend. We were not disappointed. Ryal's Goat Cheese is based in Tylertown, and they have several varieties of goat cheese, including feta. I went with the basic chevre, though, because I'm a purist. I had it with some pears and dried fruit, and Oh. My. Goat. totally delicious. Please go support these people at the Farmer's Market on the fairgrounds. Even if you don't like goat cheese - go buy me some. I love that our farmer's market is finally growing (thanks in part to the recent merge with the Belhaven Market) - I hope one day it will be as big and awesome as the one I went to in Portland.
I'm getting mentally geared up for my big move. I have cleared out a lot of junk, gotten old clothes together for Goodwill, and packed a box or two. But I think next weekend will mark the beginning of the Big Packing Ordeal. I am literally counting the days until I am out of here (22!) - especially after having to call the cops on my neighbors last night for fighting and generally disturbing the peace. I went for a walk/run in Belhaven this afternoon with my friend A., and let me tell you, it was so peaceful. I am so looking forward to this next chapter in my life!
And that's about it. I need to go be productive with the next couple of hours (What is up with it getting dark so early, yet it's so warm? Totally messing me up.) I will be driving right into the hurricane this week it seems, but hopefully I'll be back to blog another day next week.
Note to Business Owners:
Do not advertise on digital billboards. Worst invention ever created. I can't tell you how many times lately I have been interested in something on a billboard, only to have it change before I get a chance to read the whole damn thing. I sat at a red light and watched one of those digital billboards change about 8 times with totally different ads every time. I don't know how much it costs to advertise on one of them, but it's not worth it if you really want to get your info across to drivers. This is one of those times when technology is not that big of a deal.
*********
We had a great weekend - nay, I'd say it was epic, on par with last weekend, which was even better in a lot of ways. Last weekend the BF and I had a romantic, no-special-occasion-whatsoever (unless you count Halloween, and we don't) dinner at Ro' Chez. We are picky about where we go out to eat, but I had a feeling (based on a recommendation from K. and her man) that we would not be disappointed. It was divine. A 5-course meal, just-right portions and served with just enough time to savor each course. Chef Roache changes the menu every week, but it seems there is always a Cajun influence. Everything we ate was lovely - we even got lucky and had a bonus course at the beginning of the meal: walnut-encrusted goat cheese with pears, brie, a balsamic reduction and crouton. The chef told us he got the goat cheese from the farmer's market, and so I just had to go get some for myself this weekend. We were not disappointed. Ryal's Goat Cheese is based in Tylertown, and they have several varieties of goat cheese, including feta. I went with the basic chevre, though, because I'm a purist. I had it with some pears and dried fruit, and Oh. My. Goat. totally delicious. Please go support these people at the Farmer's Market on the fairgrounds. Even if you don't like goat cheese - go buy me some. I love that our farmer's market is finally growing (thanks in part to the recent merge with the Belhaven Market) - I hope one day it will be as big and awesome as the one I went to in Portland.
I'm getting mentally geared up for my big move. I have cleared out a lot of junk, gotten old clothes together for Goodwill, and packed a box or two. But I think next weekend will mark the beginning of the Big Packing Ordeal. I am literally counting the days until I am out of here (22!) - especially after having to call the cops on my neighbors last night for fighting and generally disturbing the peace. I went for a walk/run in Belhaven this afternoon with my friend A., and let me tell you, it was so peaceful. I am so looking forward to this next chapter in my life!
And that's about it. I need to go be productive with the next couple of hours (What is up with it getting dark so early, yet it's so warm? Totally messing me up.) I will be driving right into the hurricane this week it seems, but hopefully I'll be back to blog another day next week.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
You can do what you want -- the opportunity's on
Harold and Maude is on TV right now, and even though I'm in the next room, it makes me happy just to know it is there.
So it's not Sunday, but for some reason lately my Sundays have been too busy for blogging. Imagine that! I'm just catching up as catch can. And what the eff does that phrase mean anyway?
I mentioned in my last post about my move to Belhaven. Wahoo! It's official! I paid a large sum of money to make it so. And now the cleaning/packing begins. Reinforcing my decision to leave, I come home often to the sound of my neighbor's really loud music. Her speakers must be right on the other side of my wall, so I can hear every beat and basically every word the singer or rapper is saying. Since I figured out how to rig up my Ipod to play in the house, I have been launching a Battle of the Loud Music whenever I can. They blast "party blues"* and bad hip hop/R&B**, I hit them with the Pixies and the Beastie Boys' "The Maestro." But then Feist comes along and totally crashes the party. Eh, I've got a little more than 30 days!
*I tried to find a link to a definition for you, but it is elusive. If you've ever heard "Strokin'" by Clarence Carter, this is a prime example of "party blues." Party blues is not really blues-y in the traditional sense of the word, and it is almost always, ALWAYS, about sex. There is a local radio station that used to play this type of music at 7 in the morning. Never was there more of a hilarious way to wake up!
**I have nothing at all against hip hop and R&B, but I am picky about what I listen to in that genre. My all-time, top five favorite hip hop artists are: 1. Tribe Called Quest 2. Digital Underground 3. Biggie Smalls 4. Common 5. (obviously) The Beastie Boys. Yes most of that is old school, but I have not found a lot these days to match the music I grew up with. With the exception of Common, he rocks!
I ran two 5Ks in the last two weeks, and got a "PR" which is "personal record" in the first one! I ran about an 11:27 mile, which is ca-razy because I thought I was still shuffling along at 13:00+ per mile. I don't know how it happened, but I am not complaining! YAY progress! I did have to walk a little both weekends, but I ran more than I walked, and it is slowly but surely getting easier. My clothes are also fitting better, but I still haven't really lost any weight. I am going to just keep on keeping on, but I really hope to see some results in another month or so. I realized recently that I've only been back at it for a couple of months. My friend K. said it took her about 6 months to really start dropping the pounds, so that makes me feel better!
I've been reading my friend QB's zine, "Letters to Mr. Konigsberg," and I have to say that I am really enjoying it so far! If you are a Woody Allen fan, and even if you aren't, you should get a copy. I've only seen Annie Hall (and I love it), but I still get a lot of what QB is saying. I also realize two things about my friend:
1. He is way smarter than me. But I already knew that.
2. He uses the "F" word a lot more on paper than he does in real life. Unless he's just being polite around me! Ha!
I am lucky enough to be part of QB and my friend Anna's wedding the weekend after Turkey Day, and I am really looking forward to it. There was a time in my life, not-so-long-ago, that I was going to kill someone if I had to be in another wedding. But now that some time has passed, I am really looking forward to this, if nothing else because my dress and my shoes are FABULOUS and I spent very little money on the outfit. Plus QB and Anna are one of my fave couples of all time!
Lastly, and I have to get to bed after this, but I would totally read the book in the #1 spot at the bottom of this page.
So it's not Sunday, but for some reason lately my Sundays have been too busy for blogging. Imagine that! I'm just catching up as catch can. And what the eff does that phrase mean anyway?
I mentioned in my last post about my move to Belhaven. Wahoo! It's official! I paid a large sum of money to make it so. And now the cleaning/packing begins. Reinforcing my decision to leave, I come home often to the sound of my neighbor's really loud music. Her speakers must be right on the other side of my wall, so I can hear every beat and basically every word the singer or rapper is saying. Since I figured out how to rig up my Ipod to play in the house, I have been launching a Battle of the Loud Music whenever I can. They blast "party blues"* and bad hip hop/R&B**, I hit them with the Pixies and the Beastie Boys' "The Maestro." But then Feist comes along and totally crashes the party. Eh, I've got a little more than 30 days!
*I tried to find a link to a definition for you, but it is elusive. If you've ever heard "Strokin'" by Clarence Carter, this is a prime example of "party blues." Party blues is not really blues-y in the traditional sense of the word, and it is almost always, ALWAYS, about sex. There is a local radio station that used to play this type of music at 7 in the morning. Never was there more of a hilarious way to wake up!
**I have nothing at all against hip hop and R&B, but I am picky about what I listen to in that genre. My all-time, top five favorite hip hop artists are: 1. Tribe Called Quest 2. Digital Underground 3. Biggie Smalls 4. Common 5. (obviously) The Beastie Boys. Yes most of that is old school, but I have not found a lot these days to match the music I grew up with. With the exception of Common, he rocks!
I ran two 5Ks in the last two weeks, and got a "PR" which is "personal record" in the first one! I ran about an 11:27 mile, which is ca-razy because I thought I was still shuffling along at 13:00+ per mile. I don't know how it happened, but I am not complaining! YAY progress! I did have to walk a little both weekends, but I ran more than I walked, and it is slowly but surely getting easier. My clothes are also fitting better, but I still haven't really lost any weight. I am going to just keep on keeping on, but I really hope to see some results in another month or so. I realized recently that I've only been back at it for a couple of months. My friend K. said it took her about 6 months to really start dropping the pounds, so that makes me feel better!
I've been reading my friend QB's zine, "Letters to Mr. Konigsberg," and I have to say that I am really enjoying it so far! If you are a Woody Allen fan, and even if you aren't, you should get a copy. I've only seen Annie Hall (and I love it), but I still get a lot of what QB is saying. I also realize two things about my friend:
1. He is way smarter than me. But I already knew that.
2. He uses the "F" word a lot more on paper than he does in real life. Unless he's just being polite around me! Ha!
I am lucky enough to be part of QB and my friend Anna's wedding the weekend after Turkey Day, and I am really looking forward to it. There was a time in my life, not-so-long-ago, that I was going to kill someone if I had to be in another wedding. But now that some time has passed, I am really looking forward to this, if nothing else because my dress and my shoes are FABULOUS and I spent very little money on the outfit. Plus QB and Anna are one of my fave couples of all time!
Lastly, and I have to get to bed after this, but I would totally read the book in the #1 spot at the bottom of this page.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Re-normalizing
So this past weekend was our biggest fundraising event for work. Starting, oh, about last Tuesday, we (meaning the three people in our office including me) began the huge task of lifting a lot of boxes, stuffing goody bags and registration packets, picking up large vehicles, picking up loads of groceries and supplies, and general running around. By the end of the weekend, I was so tired and delirious that nothing but sleep would satisfy me. But it really was worth it. The event is a huge bike tour (as in bicycles), and it is a lot of fun in spite of the work. I get to meet a lot of people, mostly professionals, that I might not otherwise get to meet, and some riders of the male persuasion don't even look half-bad in all that spandex.
Having said that, I have come to the conclusion that, at least for now, cycling is too expensive and complicated a sport for me. I love to ride bikes and I think I could get into it if I really tried, but for now I'll stick with running. All you need to run is a good pair of shoes and decent clothing. Oh and I can't run without my Ipod, but that's about it. Bicycles are expensive and so is the maintenance, not to mention all the fancy clothing and safety gear. I do want to get a hybrid bike for tooling around town though. There is a new group that has just formed - Jackson Bike Advocates - I am on their mailing list even though I do not own a bike right now. I am all for bike safety, bike lanes and more bike-friendliness all around. I am hoping that I will be able to bike to the grocery store and other local necessities when I move to Belhaven.
Oh yeah, did I mention I am moving to Belhaven?
It's been in the works for a while, and it just so happens a good friend of mine is moving out of her cute little place in December, which worked out great for me time-wise. So by Christmas I should be in my new home. It is right where I want to be in Belhaven, very close to where many of my friends live, and it has a screened porch!! That is the biggest draw to me. I can't wait to sit out on my porch with Sally and watch the neighbors go by, or just enjoy the fresh air. I won't know what to do with myself!
It will also be really nice to have a place I don't mind inviting people over to. Where I live now is so tiny and pretty ghetto - I am just about embarrassed to have people over here anymore because the neighborhood seems to be getting worse and worse. It's time for me to move on up, anyway. I have lived in tiny apartments for 6 years, and while the new place is not gargantuan, it is more spacious and definitely in a more desirable location. I will finally be able to call myself a Jacksonian for real!! I'm not thrilled to think about the car tag prices and such, but otherwise I'm ecstatic. I forsee a big house party after the first of the year!
Random interruption: there is a person that I come in contact with on a regular basis who looks just like Granny Squid from Squidbillies:
"How is it that a person can look like a squid?" you might ask. Well I have no idea, but she does. It took me a while to figure it out, but she is the spitting image of that elderly squid.
I am doing another 5K this weekend, and I hope my performance will be a tad bit better than the last one I ran! The weather is looking a lot cooler (but really, anything is cooler than 100), and although I am not quite running 3 miles comfortably yet, I am prepared for the walk breaks and just hope to finish with a tiny shred of dignity stuck to my shoe. Next weekend I am walking another 5K with Sally - this one is for ARF so I really wanted to bring the doggie out to play. After that I am taking a break from races for a bit to continue training. I wanted to do the St. Jude 5K in Memphis, but it is the same weekend that I will be moving, so I don't know that I can do both at the same time and still keep my sanity. It makes me sad because some of my friends that I have not seen in a long time were going to do it and it would be a chance to hang out with them. But I just don't see any other way to make it all happen.
Other than my apparent new obsession with running and work stuff, there isn't much time for anything else in my life. The BF gets his first paycheck soon and he's taking me to eat massive amounts of sushi, and I can't wait. The fair is in town and I hope to get my fill of greasy food by the end of this week, rain be damned. And I still have no idea what I will do for Halloween or what I will be, but I hope to spend at least part of it with my niece, as I have done the past couple of years. This year she will actually be able to walk around and get her own loot!
That's about it. I'm going to go try to catch up on my sleep, and hopefully it will stop feeling like midnight all the time in a few more days.
Having said that, I have come to the conclusion that, at least for now, cycling is too expensive and complicated a sport for me. I love to ride bikes and I think I could get into it if I really tried, but for now I'll stick with running. All you need to run is a good pair of shoes and decent clothing. Oh and I can't run without my Ipod, but that's about it. Bicycles are expensive and so is the maintenance, not to mention all the fancy clothing and safety gear. I do want to get a hybrid bike for tooling around town though. There is a new group that has just formed - Jackson Bike Advocates - I am on their mailing list even though I do not own a bike right now. I am all for bike safety, bike lanes and more bike-friendliness all around. I am hoping that I will be able to bike to the grocery store and other local necessities when I move to Belhaven.
Oh yeah, did I mention I am moving to Belhaven?
It's been in the works for a while, and it just so happens a good friend of mine is moving out of her cute little place in December, which worked out great for me time-wise. So by Christmas I should be in my new home. It is right where I want to be in Belhaven, very close to where many of my friends live, and it has a screened porch!! That is the biggest draw to me. I can't wait to sit out on my porch with Sally and watch the neighbors go by, or just enjoy the fresh air. I won't know what to do with myself!
It will also be really nice to have a place I don't mind inviting people over to. Where I live now is so tiny and pretty ghetto - I am just about embarrassed to have people over here anymore because the neighborhood seems to be getting worse and worse. It's time for me to move on up, anyway. I have lived in tiny apartments for 6 years, and while the new place is not gargantuan, it is more spacious and definitely in a more desirable location. I will finally be able to call myself a Jacksonian for real!! I'm not thrilled to think about the car tag prices and such, but otherwise I'm ecstatic. I forsee a big house party after the first of the year!
Random interruption: there is a person that I come in contact with on a regular basis who looks just like Granny Squid from Squidbillies:
"How is it that a person can look like a squid?" you might ask. Well I have no idea, but she does. It took me a while to figure it out, but she is the spitting image of that elderly squid.
I am doing another 5K this weekend, and I hope my performance will be a tad bit better than the last one I ran! The weather is looking a lot cooler (but really, anything is cooler than 100), and although I am not quite running 3 miles comfortably yet, I am prepared for the walk breaks and just hope to finish with a tiny shred of dignity stuck to my shoe. Next weekend I am walking another 5K with Sally - this one is for ARF so I really wanted to bring the doggie out to play. After that I am taking a break from races for a bit to continue training. I wanted to do the St. Jude 5K in Memphis, but it is the same weekend that I will be moving, so I don't know that I can do both at the same time and still keep my sanity. It makes me sad because some of my friends that I have not seen in a long time were going to do it and it would be a chance to hang out with them. But I just don't see any other way to make it all happen.
Other than my apparent new obsession with running and work stuff, there isn't much time for anything else in my life. The BF gets his first paycheck soon and he's taking me to eat massive amounts of sushi, and I can't wait. The fair is in town and I hope to get my fill of greasy food by the end of this week, rain be damned. And I still have no idea what I will do for Halloween or what I will be, but I hope to spend at least part of it with my niece, as I have done the past couple of years. This year she will actually be able to walk around and get her own loot!
That's about it. I'm going to go try to catch up on my sleep, and hopefully it will stop feeling like midnight all the time in a few more days.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Update Continued...
Before I go on to #3, I didn't mention this previously so I just want to let it be known: while I am still overweight, I would like everyone to know that my clothes ARE fitting better. That is all.
3. Chick Ball
I have helped with this event for the last three years now, and this year was probably the biggest ever. I think all told by the end we raised about $18K for the Center for Violence Prevention, which is great. They will use the funds to start a batterer's intervention program, which is a novel idea and a great idea if you ask me. This year, I played with a couple of my friends, Tara Blumenthal and Laurel Isbister, as The Paper Dolls. We played two years ago as The Mary Anns, but this year decided to change our names. I played guitar and sang, which was an accomplishment for me because I couldn't do both last time! Laurel played bass and sang, and Tara played drums and provided vocals on a couple of songs too. We just did covers this year, some Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Go-Gos, Cat Power, etc. and it was a lot of fun, but let me tell you, being a "rock star" is a lot of work! Sadly, the Paper Dolls have not been able to get together since the event, because we all have insane schedules. But I truly enjoyed playing live and would like to do it again if I get the chance.
4. A Day or Two at the Beach
So I have been needing some beach time for a while now, and so had my sister. Plus, my niece had never been to the beach before. We decided to take a trip, albeit a short one, this summer. My sister's husband is in Iraq and unfortunately had to miss the trip, but we tried to document it with both pictures and video so he could see it later. I tried to imagine what seeing the beach and the ocean for the first time must be like. My parents took me to the beach for the first time when I was about Scottlyn's age, so I don't really remember what I felt when I saw it. But seeing Scottlyn's reaction to it was enough. She was overjoyed! Of course we had built it up big time before we got there, but still, when we crested the dunes and saw the rolling waves for the first time, well, who needs Disney World is all I'm saying?
As you can see, my niece is tiny. Most two year olds are tiny, but she is really petite. Problem is, she doesn't know it. So we had to hold her the entire time we had her in the water, although she really wanted to explore it on her own.
We had a grand time, collecting seashells, studying a dead sea turtle that washed up on the shore ("I want to give it a hug," she said when I told her the sea turtle had died.), eating junk food to our hearts' content, and buying prettier seashells at the souvenir shop. It was a good time, but do not be fooled: a beach trip with a 2-year-old is unlike any beach trip I have ever been on since, well, at least my sister was 2. I packed David Sedaris book, knowing how quickly I breeze through his stuff I thought it would be perfect light beach reading. I only got through Chapter 1. Scottlyn is a wonderful, well-behaved and fun little girl, but at least at this age, she demands your attention 24-7. And that is ok, really, it was just a bit of an eye-opener for me. My last beach trip was with several college friends (post-college) and involved copious amounts of alcohol and cute outfits.
5. Everything else...
Besides all these things, we have gone through some major changes at work. To spare you the boring details, the main idea is that our chapter, which was once made up of 15 offices spread out around the country, has been split up and we are each joining up with our nearest geographical office that will eventually be included in a region. So some of our job titles are changing, and our structure has definitely changed. I love my job, something I haven't been able to say pretty much ever so far in my life, and one of the reasons was the great people I have had the privilege to work with over the last year or so.
One of the most influential people was my supervisor, Becky. When she called to offer me the job last April, I think she really was just as excited as I was. In talking to her through the interview process, she made me feel like I was definitely making the right decision joining this particular non-profit, and her enthusiasm and excitement about her work was contagious. I thought, "If she has been here for nearly 8 years and loves it, that can't be a bad thing." Becky turned out to be one of the best supervisors I have ever had. She was genuine from day one and so encouraging and respectful of me. She was someone that you did not want to disappoint, so I tried to do the best job I can for her.
This past Thursday, October 1, Becky passed away. She had been in a coma since Labor Day because of heart failure which was caused by malnourishment, which was caused somehow because she had gastric bypass surgery in August. I don't really want to go into the details here out of respect and the fact that I don't want to get upset again. But suffice to say it was a tragic loss for her family, her three little kids who I hope will always know what a wonderful woman their mother was, and of course to us who worked with her. I believe in God, and I do think everything happens for a reason, but sometimes I think things happen that even God wished didn't. I just don't think it was her time, but maybe He will prove me wrong. She was only 37, and her kids are 9, 5 and 3. It still doesn't seem real. I can't believe that I can't just call her up and talk to her anymore. It has truly been a sad month.
My office left our chapter the same day, October 1, and in some ways I am glad. It would not be the same anymore without her there, anyway. I know she would want me to just keep on doing the best job I can no matter what chapter we belong to, and in her memory I plan to do just that. We have a huge event coming up next weekend and I fully expect to be exhausted by the time it's over, but it will be worth it.
-------------
The only other thing I'd like to mention right now which is actually a bit of GOOD news for a change, is that the BF FINALLY has a job!!! After lots of resume-sending, applications and interviews, he accepted a job with a local firm and starts officially this week. I am so proud of him, and I think he will do a great job. We plan on going out (after the first paycheck of course) to a nice dinner to celebrate really soon. It is high time!! I hope this is just the first of many good things to come for him and me.
And that's it. There's more, for sure, but I think you are up to speed now. I hope, seriously, to update this at least once a week. I'm cutting back a little on the writing-for-money this month because my day job is so busy, so hopefully that will help me find time for the blog. So... see you next Sunday?
3. Chick Ball
I have helped with this event for the last three years now, and this year was probably the biggest ever. I think all told by the end we raised about $18K for the Center for Violence Prevention, which is great. They will use the funds to start a batterer's intervention program, which is a novel idea and a great idea if you ask me. This year, I played with a couple of my friends, Tara Blumenthal and Laurel Isbister, as The Paper Dolls. We played two years ago as The Mary Anns, but this year decided to change our names. I played guitar and sang, which was an accomplishment for me because I couldn't do both last time! Laurel played bass and sang, and Tara played drums and provided vocals on a couple of songs too. We just did covers this year, some Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Go-Gos, Cat Power, etc. and it was a lot of fun, but let me tell you, being a "rock star" is a lot of work! Sadly, the Paper Dolls have not been able to get together since the event, because we all have insane schedules. But I truly enjoyed playing live and would like to do it again if I get the chance.
4. A Day or Two at the Beach
So I have been needing some beach time for a while now, and so had my sister. Plus, my niece had never been to the beach before. We decided to take a trip, albeit a short one, this summer. My sister's husband is in Iraq and unfortunately had to miss the trip, but we tried to document it with both pictures and video so he could see it later. I tried to imagine what seeing the beach and the ocean for the first time must be like. My parents took me to the beach for the first time when I was about Scottlyn's age, so I don't really remember what I felt when I saw it. But seeing Scottlyn's reaction to it was enough. She was overjoyed! Of course we had built it up big time before we got there, but still, when we crested the dunes and saw the rolling waves for the first time, well, who needs Disney World is all I'm saying?
As you can see, my niece is tiny. Most two year olds are tiny, but she is really petite. Problem is, she doesn't know it. So we had to hold her the entire time we had her in the water, although she really wanted to explore it on her own.
We had a grand time, collecting seashells, studying a dead sea turtle that washed up on the shore ("I want to give it a hug," she said when I told her the sea turtle had died.), eating junk food to our hearts' content, and buying prettier seashells at the souvenir shop. It was a good time, but do not be fooled: a beach trip with a 2-year-old is unlike any beach trip I have ever been on since, well, at least my sister was 2. I packed David Sedaris book, knowing how quickly I breeze through his stuff I thought it would be perfect light beach reading. I only got through Chapter 1. Scottlyn is a wonderful, well-behaved and fun little girl, but at least at this age, she demands your attention 24-7. And that is ok, really, it was just a bit of an eye-opener for me. My last beach trip was with several college friends (post-college) and involved copious amounts of alcohol and cute outfits.
5. Everything else...
Besides all these things, we have gone through some major changes at work. To spare you the boring details, the main idea is that our chapter, which was once made up of 15 offices spread out around the country, has been split up and we are each joining up with our nearest geographical office that will eventually be included in a region. So some of our job titles are changing, and our structure has definitely changed. I love my job, something I haven't been able to say pretty much ever so far in my life, and one of the reasons was the great people I have had the privilege to work with over the last year or so.
One of the most influential people was my supervisor, Becky. When she called to offer me the job last April, I think she really was just as excited as I was. In talking to her through the interview process, she made me feel like I was definitely making the right decision joining this particular non-profit, and her enthusiasm and excitement about her work was contagious. I thought, "If she has been here for nearly 8 years and loves it, that can't be a bad thing." Becky turned out to be one of the best supervisors I have ever had. She was genuine from day one and so encouraging and respectful of me. She was someone that you did not want to disappoint, so I tried to do the best job I can for her.
This past Thursday, October 1, Becky passed away. She had been in a coma since Labor Day because of heart failure which was caused by malnourishment, which was caused somehow because she had gastric bypass surgery in August. I don't really want to go into the details here out of respect and the fact that I don't want to get upset again. But suffice to say it was a tragic loss for her family, her three little kids who I hope will always know what a wonderful woman their mother was, and of course to us who worked with her. I believe in God, and I do think everything happens for a reason, but sometimes I think things happen that even God wished didn't. I just don't think it was her time, but maybe He will prove me wrong. She was only 37, and her kids are 9, 5 and 3. It still doesn't seem real. I can't believe that I can't just call her up and talk to her anymore. It has truly been a sad month.
My office left our chapter the same day, October 1, and in some ways I am glad. It would not be the same anymore without her there, anyway. I know she would want me to just keep on doing the best job I can no matter what chapter we belong to, and in her memory I plan to do just that. We have a huge event coming up next weekend and I fully expect to be exhausted by the time it's over, but it will be worth it.
-------------
The only other thing I'd like to mention right now which is actually a bit of GOOD news for a change, is that the BF FINALLY has a job!!! After lots of resume-sending, applications and interviews, he accepted a job with a local firm and starts officially this week. I am so proud of him, and I think he will do a great job. We plan on going out (after the first paycheck of course) to a nice dinner to celebrate really soon. It is high time!! I hope this is just the first of many good things to come for him and me.
And that's it. There's more, for sure, but I think you are up to speed now. I hope, seriously, to update this at least once a week. I'm cutting back a little on the writing-for-money this month because my day job is so busy, so hopefully that will help me find time for the blog. So... see you next Sunday?
Big Fat Ass Blog Update
I told you it was coming. That is, if we have talked about my blog lately. Otherwise, SURPRISE SURPRISE!! I'm updating my blog.
I feel terrible for leaving you hanging back in June, but since then I suppose life has just gotten totally out of hand, plus I have had some writing-for-money to do, and that leaves very little time for writing-for-the-hell-of-it.
Since we last met, I have visited Portland, Oregon, ran my first 5K, played guitar and sang at the same time in front of people at Chick Ball, hurt myself, read many books, went to the beach with a 2 year old, experienced some major changes at work, including the loss of a dear friend. Here in order, are some highlights and not-so-great things from the 2nd half of my summer:
1. O Portland, my Portland
I am slowly making my way around the country to all the hip/big cities. So far I have been to Boston, DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, NOLA, Dallas, Houston, Austin, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Denver, and San Diego. But adding Portland turns my list on its ear. Besides Austin, I’d say Portland is one of the coolest cities I’ve ever visited, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. My friend Leigh, who used to live here in Jacktown, moved to Portland about a year ago and had been begging me to come visit ever since. I combined this trip with my Vegas trip, so once our conference was done, I hopped a plane to Portland and was there in no time. The downside of the trip was that I had a cold that I think I got from the dry Vegas air, but otherwise we had a great time. We did have some rain the first full day I was there, which Leigh swore was uncommon by this time of year, but I was not so sure. I had purposely planned to visit in the summer so as to avoid the rainy season. But we just laughed it off and kept going.
We had been doing some shopping and had lunch at the Grilled Cheese Grill, which is a grilled cheese restaurant where you can eat your lunch on a converted school bus. It was sooo delicious, and so awesome. Portland is full of quirky restaurants and foodie havens, particularly little food carts all over the place and lots of organic, locally grown goodness. I had what might have been the best zucchini bread I’ve ever tasted at a coffee shop. And I bought some Dave’s Killer Bread at the farmer’s market on Saturday, which was really some of the best bread I’ve ever had. Leigh joked that her sister had the same remarks about the food in Portland, but it’s true – food just tastes better there. Sure, we have delicious food here in the South, too, but I didn’t eat anything bad while I was in P-town for sure.
Probably the most fun night was when we went to an open house for a new dance troupe that had just acquired a cool warehouse for their practice space. The troupe did some dancing for us and it reminded me of Cirque du Soleil – there was free booze at this event, and after several drinks we were allowed to try out some of the props that the dancers use. Probably not the best idea, but it was a great time! After that, we went to see Viva Voce at a place called the Wonder Ballroom, and they were fantastic. One of my new favorite bands for 2009. THEN, to top the whole night off, and because we were all pretty drunk, we stopped at Voo Doo Donuts for some of the yummiest treats I’ve ever had. I am still thinking about that chocolate-covered, raspberry-filled voodoo man.
Portland is beautiful and artsy, liberal and green – I could totally live there in another phase of my life. It was hard to come back to the Bible Belt, back to the 120-degree heat (we slept with the windows open every night during my visit), but while I was in Vegas and PDX, Jubilee JAM happened here, among other things, and I really missed home as I read everyone’s updates on Facebook. So ultimately, Mississippi is home, and while it’s easy to be yourself in Portland because it’s so accepting and embracing of different types of people, it’s also really hard to stand out. I expressed this thought to Leigh after being there for a couple of days – I realized that a “preppy” in an oxford shirt and khakis would probably stand out more than anyone else in Portland. Here in Jackson, we have breathing room for all of our weirdos, and I kind of like that.
2. Can't I just get a sticker that says, "3.2"?
So before I became a runner (which I still don't feel like I'm qualified to say), I kept seeing these "13.1" and "26.2" stickers on the back of people's vehicles and wondered WTF was up? Between the BF and I we finally figured out it was the length of half- and full marathons, and these were people who have completed one or many. Good for them! Seriously, now that I have started running I totally admire anyone who can run that long and not because a large animal is chasing them.
That being said, I don't know whether or not I will ever join their ranks. I ran my first 5K on June 27 of this year, at the Tomato Festival in my hometown of Crystal Springs. After kind of half-ass training with the Couch-to-5K program (I started out with C25K, then just sorta took off on my own until I was running 30 minutes or so straight.), I ran 3 miles a couple of times before the 5K, and I thought I was ready. But that first 5K totally kicked my ass. Not to make excuses, and yes I did finish and NO I was not the very last runner, but there were a few factors weighing against me. First, it was hot as hell, and that is no lie. We were experiencing a major heatwave, so that even at 8am it was already 90+ degrees with a heat index of a billion. Second, whoever designed the Tomato Fest route must be a glutton for punishment, or at least they like to watch other people suffer. The longest stretch of the route was uphill both ways (no lie) on black pavement in the broad sunlight. I thought I was going to stroke out. Third, I was recovering from my desert cold, and still had chest congestion, which did not help my breathing. And Fourth, because I had been sick and out of town and whatnot, I had not been able to train as much in the days leading up to the race.
So, wahh wahh poor me. At least I did it, and rather than give up on running all together, I decided to continue my training and not do any more races until the weather cooled off. I knew that WellsFest would be at the end of September, so I made that my goal.
Then, a couple weeks later, this happened:
See that nice, normal-looking foot on the right? See how the one on the left looks as if it has been stung by an entire hive of bees?
Thankfully I was not stung, but I did nearly break my foot. This was somewhere around the first or second week of July, and even now the top of my foot is still a little sensitive. I was rushing out to meet some friends on a wet evening and slipped on my wooden steps, dragging my poor foot underneath me the whole way down. It really is a wonder I could walk at all. So, as you can imagine, there was no running or any sort of physical activity for a few weeks. Even swimming hurt. Talk about a total letdown. The reason I decided to pick up running in the first place was to try to lose weight and keep it off, and here I was injured and unable to do anything, much less run.
Once the swelling and pain went down enough that I felt brave enough to try on my tennis shoes, I decided to start training again. This time I found some podcasts to help me with the C25K, and it has made a real difference. I had already been back into running for a couple of weeks, so I started with week 5 (C25K is a 9-week program). The guy who did these podcasts does a great job, letting you know when to run and when to walk, and the music is upbeat techno-esque music that is a good tempo for running. Admittedly, I miss my music, but I can return to it once my training is over. I'm now about to start week 7 (I repeated weeks 5 and 6), and I ran 25 minutes straight for the first time since before my injury yesterday. Yippee!
As for WellsFest, I did participate, but I did not run. I decided I would walk, and walk as fast as I could. I was so incredibly sore afterward, but my time was not bad! I walked at a pace of 13:31 per mile which I think is pretty good considering I probably run slower than that right now. One of my friends said, "Why don't you just focus on speedwalking?" But that kind of hurt my feelings because I really do want to run, and I enjoy running. It just doesn't sound the same to say, "I'm going to go for a speedwalk." No. Unless I become impaired to a point where I can't run, I want to try. I am painfully slow now, I know that. But I am also still overweight and still training. So I hope over the next year I can really work on my speed. I am going to run my next 5K in a couple of weeks, and I already know I may do more walking than I want to, but that is ok. At the very least, I'm getting off my ass, and that is a huge accomplishment!
I am going to end this post here and start a new one because this is getting incredibly long! Stay tuned for #3.
I feel terrible for leaving you hanging back in June, but since then I suppose life has just gotten totally out of hand, plus I have had some writing-for-money to do, and that leaves very little time for writing-for-the-hell-of-it.
Since we last met, I have visited Portland, Oregon, ran my first 5K, played guitar and sang at the same time in front of people at Chick Ball, hurt myself, read many books, went to the beach with a 2 year old, experienced some major changes at work, including the loss of a dear friend. Here in order, are some highlights and not-so-great things from the 2nd half of my summer:
1. O Portland, my Portland
I am slowly making my way around the country to all the hip/big cities. So far I have been to Boston, DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, NOLA, Dallas, Houston, Austin, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Denver, and San Diego. But adding Portland turns my list on its ear. Besides Austin, I’d say Portland is one of the coolest cities I’ve ever visited, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. My friend Leigh, who used to live here in Jacktown, moved to Portland about a year ago and had been begging me to come visit ever since. I combined this trip with my Vegas trip, so once our conference was done, I hopped a plane to Portland and was there in no time. The downside of the trip was that I had a cold that I think I got from the dry Vegas air, but otherwise we had a great time. We did have some rain the first full day I was there, which Leigh swore was uncommon by this time of year, but I was not so sure. I had purposely planned to visit in the summer so as to avoid the rainy season. But we just laughed it off and kept going.
We had been doing some shopping and had lunch at the Grilled Cheese Grill, which is a grilled cheese restaurant where you can eat your lunch on a converted school bus. It was sooo delicious, and so awesome. Portland is full of quirky restaurants and foodie havens, particularly little food carts all over the place and lots of organic, locally grown goodness. I had what might have been the best zucchini bread I’ve ever tasted at a coffee shop. And I bought some Dave’s Killer Bread at the farmer’s market on Saturday, which was really some of the best bread I’ve ever had. Leigh joked that her sister had the same remarks about the food in Portland, but it’s true – food just tastes better there. Sure, we have delicious food here in the South, too, but I didn’t eat anything bad while I was in P-town for sure.
Probably the most fun night was when we went to an open house for a new dance troupe that had just acquired a cool warehouse for their practice space. The troupe did some dancing for us and it reminded me of Cirque du Soleil – there was free booze at this event, and after several drinks we were allowed to try out some of the props that the dancers use. Probably not the best idea, but it was a great time! After that, we went to see Viva Voce at a place called the Wonder Ballroom, and they were fantastic. One of my new favorite bands for 2009. THEN, to top the whole night off, and because we were all pretty drunk, we stopped at Voo Doo Donuts for some of the yummiest treats I’ve ever had. I am still thinking about that chocolate-covered, raspberry-filled voodoo man.
Portland is beautiful and artsy, liberal and green – I could totally live there in another phase of my life. It was hard to come back to the Bible Belt, back to the 120-degree heat (we slept with the windows open every night during my visit), but while I was in Vegas and PDX, Jubilee JAM happened here, among other things, and I really missed home as I read everyone’s updates on Facebook. So ultimately, Mississippi is home, and while it’s easy to be yourself in Portland because it’s so accepting and embracing of different types of people, it’s also really hard to stand out. I expressed this thought to Leigh after being there for a couple of days – I realized that a “preppy” in an oxford shirt and khakis would probably stand out more than anyone else in Portland. Here in Jackson, we have breathing room for all of our weirdos, and I kind of like that.
2. Can't I just get a sticker that says, "3.2"?
So before I became a runner (which I still don't feel like I'm qualified to say), I kept seeing these "13.1" and "26.2" stickers on the back of people's vehicles and wondered WTF was up? Between the BF and I we finally figured out it was the length of half- and full marathons, and these were people who have completed one or many. Good for them! Seriously, now that I have started running I totally admire anyone who can run that long and not because a large animal is chasing them.
That being said, I don't know whether or not I will ever join their ranks. I ran my first 5K on June 27 of this year, at the Tomato Festival in my hometown of Crystal Springs. After kind of half-ass training with the Couch-to-5K program (I started out with C25K, then just sorta took off on my own until I was running 30 minutes or so straight.), I ran 3 miles a couple of times before the 5K, and I thought I was ready. But that first 5K totally kicked my ass. Not to make excuses, and yes I did finish and NO I was not the very last runner, but there were a few factors weighing against me. First, it was hot as hell, and that is no lie. We were experiencing a major heatwave, so that even at 8am it was already 90+ degrees with a heat index of a billion. Second, whoever designed the Tomato Fest route must be a glutton for punishment, or at least they like to watch other people suffer. The longest stretch of the route was uphill both ways (no lie) on black pavement in the broad sunlight. I thought I was going to stroke out. Third, I was recovering from my desert cold, and still had chest congestion, which did not help my breathing. And Fourth, because I had been sick and out of town and whatnot, I had not been able to train as much in the days leading up to the race.
So, wahh wahh poor me. At least I did it, and rather than give up on running all together, I decided to continue my training and not do any more races until the weather cooled off. I knew that WellsFest would be at the end of September, so I made that my goal.
Then, a couple weeks later, this happened:
See that nice, normal-looking foot on the right? See how the one on the left looks as if it has been stung by an entire hive of bees?
Thankfully I was not stung, but I did nearly break my foot. This was somewhere around the first or second week of July, and even now the top of my foot is still a little sensitive. I was rushing out to meet some friends on a wet evening and slipped on my wooden steps, dragging my poor foot underneath me the whole way down. It really is a wonder I could walk at all. So, as you can imagine, there was no running or any sort of physical activity for a few weeks. Even swimming hurt. Talk about a total letdown. The reason I decided to pick up running in the first place was to try to lose weight and keep it off, and here I was injured and unable to do anything, much less run.
Once the swelling and pain went down enough that I felt brave enough to try on my tennis shoes, I decided to start training again. This time I found some podcasts to help me with the C25K, and it has made a real difference. I had already been back into running for a couple of weeks, so I started with week 5 (C25K is a 9-week program). The guy who did these podcasts does a great job, letting you know when to run and when to walk, and the music is upbeat techno-esque music that is a good tempo for running. Admittedly, I miss my music, but I can return to it once my training is over. I'm now about to start week 7 (I repeated weeks 5 and 6), and I ran 25 minutes straight for the first time since before my injury yesterday. Yippee!
As for WellsFest, I did participate, but I did not run. I decided I would walk, and walk as fast as I could. I was so incredibly sore afterward, but my time was not bad! I walked at a pace of 13:31 per mile which I think is pretty good considering I probably run slower than that right now. One of my friends said, "Why don't you just focus on speedwalking?" But that kind of hurt my feelings because I really do want to run, and I enjoy running. It just doesn't sound the same to say, "I'm going to go for a speedwalk." No. Unless I become impaired to a point where I can't run, I want to try. I am painfully slow now, I know that. But I am also still overweight and still training. So I hope over the next year I can really work on my speed. I am going to run my next 5K in a couple of weeks, and I already know I may do more walking than I want to, but that is ok. At the very least, I'm getting off my ass, and that is a huge accomplishment!
I am going to end this post here and start a new one because this is getting incredibly long! Stay tuned for #3.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Drive By Post
I know I need to update this thing before BPS (blog protective services) come to take me away. But all I have time for at the moment is to show you this ridiculous new Miracle Whip ad that my Facebook friend Chris Nolen hipped me to, and I only post it for two reasons: to show you how stupid it is, and so you can read all the hilarious comments underneath.
No Need to Tone Down This Condiment!
Go here to read the comments!
No Need to Tone Down This Condiment!
Go here to read the comments!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Big-Ass Blog Update Part 1
There is just no way I can catch you up on everything that I've been up to in the last month in one blog post, so I'm splitting this bad boy up!!
I've started keeping notes for myself when I think of something to blog about, and it's been so long I have a few notes now, so here is what I wanted to talk about as of several weeks ago:
1. The movie "Taken" with Liam Neeson. If you haven't seen it, and you're in the mood to see some pure-D ass kicking, check it out. This movie is basically what my mom thinks is going to happen to me every time I leave the house, and then Liam just totally kicks ass and kills nearly everyone for an hour and a half.
2. I went to a Magnolia Roller Vixens bout a few weeks ago to watch my friend Dawn, from WAPT, and my friend Donna, from the JFP, have a skate-off. It was a lot of fun, and just reinforced my desire to strap on some skates again one of these days. I don't have time for roller derby, but I just want to skate around a rink a few times for fun. Also, my sister and I watched the movie "Roller Boogie," which that Of Montreal video I posted a while back is set to a clip from that movie, and it is my new favorite cheesy '70s film!! It has everything: short shorts, tube socks, roller skates, feathered hair, disco and Linda Blair!
3. I am willing to describe myself as a Foodie. I blame the BF, he is the ultimate Foodie and he totally turned me into one too, what with his gourmet cooking and fancy recipe books and whatnot. So I'm not very picky about what I eat, although I have a few caveats: I don't like olives, mushrooms (although things cooked with mushroom are usually tasty), oranges (but I like orange juice), pineapple or grapefruit (it's texture for all but pineapple - I just plain don't like pineapple at all), licorice, okra or radishes. Everything else in the food world is pretty much up for grabs, but there is another exception that has more to do with preparation rather than the actual ingredients.
During the holidays a few years ago, the BF invited me to dinner at his parents' house. His mom is an excellent cook, so I expected great food of course. And it was, but the first course took me by surprise. It was tomato aspic, and it was something I just could not swallow. She served it with sour cream and caviar on top, and I thought I just might hurl right there at the table. I like tomato, I like sour cream and caviar, but in my humble opinion, jello should never, EVER be savory! I can't even think of a good use for it, unlike Bloody Marys, which I also don't like -- they would make a terrific marinade. So I had to politely decline from finishing my aspic.
Cold soup is another item I can't wrap my brain around. As with the Bloody Mary, I'd marinate some lamb in gazpacho or pour it over a salad. But to just sip it out of a cup? GROSS.
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So I spent some time in Vegas a couple weeks ago, both for work and for fun. The first day or so I spent by the pool with some coworkers, soaking up rays and enjoying fruity adult beverages. There were nice ladies walking by every few minutes to see if anyone needed a cocktail, and I couldn't help but wonder - what would it be like to put on a bathing suit for work every day? Would it get old? How much sunblock would you go through each week? These are questions that I had.
Another question: Does Carrot Top have a girlfriend? And if so, who the hell would date him? I dare say there aren't too many other people in the world as annoying as him.
I'm pretty tired of Vegas actually, this having been my third time to visit there in almost as many years. But I had a good time with my fun coworkers and I even won a President's award, which was awesome! I even got a 2-mile run in on the treadmill while I was there. As for the rest of the week, well... tune in later. That will be part 2! It's bedtime for me now.
I've started keeping notes for myself when I think of something to blog about, and it's been so long I have a few notes now, so here is what I wanted to talk about as of several weeks ago:
1. The movie "Taken" with Liam Neeson. If you haven't seen it, and you're in the mood to see some pure-D ass kicking, check it out. This movie is basically what my mom thinks is going to happen to me every time I leave the house, and then Liam just totally kicks ass and kills nearly everyone for an hour and a half.
2. I went to a Magnolia Roller Vixens bout a few weeks ago to watch my friend Dawn, from WAPT, and my friend Donna, from the JFP, have a skate-off. It was a lot of fun, and just reinforced my desire to strap on some skates again one of these days. I don't have time for roller derby, but I just want to skate around a rink a few times for fun. Also, my sister and I watched the movie "Roller Boogie," which that Of Montreal video I posted a while back is set to a clip from that movie, and it is my new favorite cheesy '70s film!! It has everything: short shorts, tube socks, roller skates, feathered hair, disco and Linda Blair!
3. I am willing to describe myself as a Foodie. I blame the BF, he is the ultimate Foodie and he totally turned me into one too, what with his gourmet cooking and fancy recipe books and whatnot. So I'm not very picky about what I eat, although I have a few caveats: I don't like olives, mushrooms (although things cooked with mushroom are usually tasty), oranges (but I like orange juice), pineapple or grapefruit (it's texture for all but pineapple - I just plain don't like pineapple at all), licorice, okra or radishes. Everything else in the food world is pretty much up for grabs, but there is another exception that has more to do with preparation rather than the actual ingredients.
During the holidays a few years ago, the BF invited me to dinner at his parents' house. His mom is an excellent cook, so I expected great food of course. And it was, but the first course took me by surprise. It was tomato aspic, and it was something I just could not swallow. She served it with sour cream and caviar on top, and I thought I just might hurl right there at the table. I like tomato, I like sour cream and caviar, but in my humble opinion, jello should never, EVER be savory! I can't even think of a good use for it, unlike Bloody Marys, which I also don't like -- they would make a terrific marinade. So I had to politely decline from finishing my aspic.
Cold soup is another item I can't wrap my brain around. As with the Bloody Mary, I'd marinate some lamb in gazpacho or pour it over a salad. But to just sip it out of a cup? GROSS.
----------------
So I spent some time in Vegas a couple weeks ago, both for work and for fun. The first day or so I spent by the pool with some coworkers, soaking up rays and enjoying fruity adult beverages. There were nice ladies walking by every few minutes to see if anyone needed a cocktail, and I couldn't help but wonder - what would it be like to put on a bathing suit for work every day? Would it get old? How much sunblock would you go through each week? These are questions that I had.
Another question: Does Carrot Top have a girlfriend? And if so, who the hell would date him? I dare say there aren't too many other people in the world as annoying as him.
I'm pretty tired of Vegas actually, this having been my third time to visit there in almost as many years. But I had a good time with my fun coworkers and I even won a President's award, which was awesome! I even got a 2-mile run in on the treadmill while I was there. As for the rest of the week, well... tune in later. That will be part 2! It's bedtime for me now.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Just another year...
That is my favorite version of this song, but I must give props to Ani DiFranco who wrote the song, and who is one of my all-time favorite singer/songwriters.
So yes, I am 32 now, and I am owning it so far. When I was about to turn 30, the BF, who is 12 years older than me, assured me that "Your thirties are your best years." At 29, my immediate thought was, "Yeah right, what could be more fun than your 20s? 30 is the time to get serious. 30 is when you have to really start thinking about wrinkles and retirement funds."
But you know what? He was right. So far, my thirties have rocked. Now, of course it has not been all wine and roses, but overall, I have felt more confident, self-assured, and free to do whatever I really want since I turned 30. So 32 is just a little more kick-assy than 31.
I tend to celebrate my birthday all month long, a practice I put into place years ago. But this year I found myself surrounded by many other Taureans who also enjoy celebrating their entrance into the world for an entire month. This all culminated in a party at Hal and Mal's last weekend. While some of us were unsure as to how the evening would turn out, I have to say I think it was pretty fun. There was dancing, there was karaoke, there was random guests and a special surprise guest for me - one of my dear friends just happened to be in town from Nashville and showed up unannounced. It was great! So nice to have such a formidable group of ladies to grow older with.
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Reason #569240 that I love Mimi Smartypants:
Her diatribe on the meaning behind Wheat Thins marketing
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So the economy is in the crapper, we all know that. My job has recently been affected, because starting next week, I get a half-day unpaid every week until late September. This will hopefully save us enough money to keep us operating in FY10, but naturally there is the worry that it won't. I am not happy about this of course, but I am thankful beyond words that I still have a job. And hopefully the economy will turn around soon. But coming off of this past holiday weekend, I have to admit: I am kind of looking forward to having the extra time at home! That is something I never get anymore, really, is time to do things around the house. Since I won't have any money with which to go out and have a good time on my days off, I really think I will enjoy having time to clean out my closets, or start on a collage project I'm thinking of doing, or talk to my plants. Seriously! They may have a hard time getting me to go back to work on Fridays once this is all said and done.
Finally, I have to say, being a former show choir nerd, I am loving the new Fox show "Glee." I watched the pilot on Hulu today and was laughing my ass off. "There is nothing ironic about Show Choir!" Oh but yes, my dear, there really is!!
Here's the trailer:
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
This is getting good...
So today was election day in Jackson, at least for the mayoral primaries and city council positions. I wish I could have voted, but I don't live in Jackson YET, so I had to sit on my hands all day whilst reports came in that turnout was embarrassingly low at the polls. What was everyone doing? Getting blasted at Cazuela's for Cinco de Mayo? I truly don't think many people even realized today was election day, in spite of all the ads and signs and reminders from the media.
Now, our Mayor has collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. I truly hope he will be okay, but this man has cried wolf so many times that I don't know what to think. It just seems to convenient or ironic that this happened on election day - but it did happen after the polls closed, but still. Keep it here for breaking details...
It's thundering outside and threatening to rain, so that is another great reason for me to be inside under a blanket. I don't get nearly enough opportunity to snuggle on my couch, so I'm savoring this one.
Earlier this evening I was aurally assaulted in two ways. I will now tell you about it:
1. I went to a spin class and, without thinking, chose a bike directly in front of the speaker. I like the teacher because she usually brings good tunes. Today she chose a lot of death metal, and she also chose to yell really loud, so my ears are still ringing. Yay.
Also, while I was spinning, I realized something astounding. Jam band music would be the absolute worst type of music you could possibly work out to. Most of the songs that we spin to are around 3 minutes long, mayyybe 5 minutes maximum. This way you change up the type of activity for each song, so you have a well-rounded workout. I can't imagine doing jumps for all 12 minutes of Phish's "Stash." Not to mention the lack of a steady rhythm. No wonder so many stoners are out of shape!
(OK now it is pouring down rain AND hailing. Crazy!)
2. The creepy ice cream truck came inching down my street right when I got home from the gym. Ice cream trucks creep me out big time -- the way they slowly creep down the street, playing that same eerie song over and over again, lingering a little too long on the street, looking for more children... I console myself by imagining that it's Big Worm:
Then again, maybe I don't really want that kind of thing going down on my street, either!
Now, our Mayor has collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. I truly hope he will be okay, but this man has cried wolf so many times that I don't know what to think. It just seems to convenient or ironic that this happened on election day - but it did happen after the polls closed, but still. Keep it here for breaking details...
It's thundering outside and threatening to rain, so that is another great reason for me to be inside under a blanket. I don't get nearly enough opportunity to snuggle on my couch, so I'm savoring this one.
Earlier this evening I was aurally assaulted in two ways. I will now tell you about it:
1. I went to a spin class and, without thinking, chose a bike directly in front of the speaker. I like the teacher because she usually brings good tunes. Today she chose a lot of death metal, and she also chose to yell really loud, so my ears are still ringing. Yay.
Also, while I was spinning, I realized something astounding. Jam band music would be the absolute worst type of music you could possibly work out to. Most of the songs that we spin to are around 3 minutes long, mayyybe 5 minutes maximum. This way you change up the type of activity for each song, so you have a well-rounded workout. I can't imagine doing jumps for all 12 minutes of Phish's "Stash." Not to mention the lack of a steady rhythm. No wonder so many stoners are out of shape!
(OK now it is pouring down rain AND hailing. Crazy!)
2. The creepy ice cream truck came inching down my street right when I got home from the gym. Ice cream trucks creep me out big time -- the way they slowly creep down the street, playing that same eerie song over and over again, lingering a little too long on the street, looking for more children... I console myself by imagining that it's Big Worm:
Then again, maybe I don't really want that kind of thing going down on my street, either!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Run to the hills!
Run for your lives!!
I had an awesome playlist for my run today:
Let's Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire
Club Thing - Yoav
Get on the Good Foot - James Brown
Reckoner - Radiohead
The Distance - Cake
Rock With You - Michael Jackson
I've decided to stop running on the street for now and start running at a track so's I can listen to my Ipod without worry of being mowed down by a Mack truck or a soccer mom. It's amazing how music can be so motivating. I am running further and more often than I was before. I really think I will be ready for a 5K by at least May if I keep this up!
It's Crossroads Film Fest time again, and although I won't be here for part of the weekend, I am really excited nonetheless. I just think it's so cool that Jackson has a film festival as competitive as and as comparable to those found in bigger states or even in Europe. I got to preview a few of the films for the JFP, and I was really impressed with what I saw. The feature-length film I previewed was a documentary, a genre for which I am a total sucker. Some people are into horror movies, some are the romantic-comedy type, but give me a documentary and I am a happy camper. It can be about plastic wrap, I don't care - I will be riveted. I just haven't seen a documentary yet that didn't grab me. There must be something about documentary filmmakers - they know how to make the ordinary seem so much more interesting. Of course some topics are totally interesting... this particular film I saw was about a punk band in the UK where 3/5 of the band had developmental disabilities, and I think that's pretty interesting. But even if it was about parsnip farming, I'd watch it.
It's almost April, which means it's almost May, which means my BDAY is coming up soon. I have this awesome group of friends made up of many Taureans like myself, and we are planning a giant space-jump party since there are so many birthdays. I'm excited about that, but I'm also still pining to have my skating party that I didn't get to have for my 30th birthday. I have heard that the two remaining skating rinks in town aren't keen on adult birthday parties, but I may check into it, anyway. The only problem I have is that I would want to be able to drink for my party, and I'm pretty sure drinking and skating do not go hand in hand. But I am working on a soundtrack, nonetheless. Today I stumbled upon a whole slew of old-school roller rink songs on Itunes. Wonder if I can dig out those white skates with the pink wheels?
Seriously - this is what my birthday could look like:
I'm pretty sure the reason everybody was so skinny in the '70s is directly related to roller skating and blow. Probably in reverse order. So maybe skating and beer wouldn't be so bad after all?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Pig Snacks
The BF found a recipe for some type of British meat pie, and part of the recipe is a broth made from "trotters," or in Mississippi terminology, pig feet. Knowing that the suburban Krogers doesn't typically carry such pork parts, we headed to the Piggly Wiggly off Meadowbrook in search of trotters.
What a hidden treasure we found! First of all, there was a guy getting DOWN to the rock music in the parking lot. He was wearing headphones, dancing his ass off, whilst hanging on to his tricked-out bicycle. We stopped in the parking lot for a full 5 minutes just to watch him dance. Then once we were inside, we found a wall of bargain items - 3 packs of onion soup mix for $1, Jiffy cornbread mix 2/$1.00 - I snatched that stuff up. Plus, the meat selection was incredible! Not only did we find pig's feet, but we also found pig tails, ox tails, pig ears, hog mawls (which make me think of "Friday," but I don't want to eat them), and much much more. I even bought a "hen" thinking it was a regular ol' chicken. 2 hours cooking time later, I realized there was a huge difference. My enchiladas were still delicious though! Anyway, two thumbs way up for the Jackson Pig. I have been non-impressed - nay - scared shitless - of the Pig in Crystal Springs, but this one was much larger, nicer and had way better selection and better prices than the K-rogers.
That picture above is from a better spot to shop in Crystal Springs, Wilson's meat market. Best pork rinds I've ever had. Yes, I have a thing for piggies and all meats made from pig.
Just don't tell Nummies:
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Random Doo Dads
There used to be a snack mix called "Doo Dads," do you remember that? That was my favorite snack in preschool.
We were rehearsing "All We Like Sheep" from "The Messiah" at choir practice the other night, and I couldn't help but wonder, why don't adults have to dress like sheep and angels and whatnot in church plays like kids do? I think "The Messiah" would be more fun if I could wear a sheep suit.
I have been waiting for a while for the grocery stores to start selling those colorful plastic balls that they keep in the big bins in the aisle. Sally is pretty athletic so I figured one of those toys would make the perfect little soccer ball for her. Tonight I was picking up a few things at the Krogers, and I heard this little girl saying, "Mommy, I want a BALL!" over and over. So I rounded the corner, and lo and behold, a big bin of colorful plastic balls! Much to the chagrin of the little whiny girl, I plucked one out and brought it home for Sally. She loved it, kicked it around awhile, and about 5 minutes later this is what I found:
It was the saddest thing I have ever seen.
That's the fastest $1.50 I've ever spent.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
For Katie, my lone reader
I hope she isn't my only reader (but even if you were I'd still write for your entertainment K!), but since she asked for an update here it is.
I'm fine, I'm just fat.
I went to the doctor Monday morning and only had to read Coastal Living for about five minutes before they called me back. Then the nurse weighed me (I won't say what it was, but I will say I think their scales are WRONG), and took me into a little room and asked me what was going on. I started telling her about my BP being high a while back, and then the cat/puffer thing, and the chest pains, and the high BP last weekend, and I'm telling her as fast as I can, but she interrupts me and says, "So you're just here for a BP check?"
No, I said, well, yes, but also to see why I'm having chest pains. So she takes my BP whilst telling me that the home version of the sphygmomanometer (there's that word again) is no good, and it's no wonder I got a weird reading. She tells me my BP is normal and in comes the doctor. He is in an even bigger hurry than the nurse, but he listens enough to hear the part about the cats and the puffer. So he says it's probably just because of my asthma/allergies, and I will be fine.
I wrote them a check for $20 to tell me that nothing is wrong. Guess I should have gone for that run after all! Admittedly, I feel a little better this week, and maybe stress had something to do with the chest pain too because I have certainly been stressed the last week or so with work, but still. I couldn't believe how quickly they got me in and out and how disinterested they were in my CHEST PAIN. Normally if you go to the ER with chest pain they usher you right by the bleeding, barfing people in the waiting room. So maybe I need to find a new Dr.?
Anyway, I'm fine as far as I know, but I am fat, as evidenced by the pictures one of my clients took today at our Advocacy Day at the Capitol. I put the Rotund in Rotunda! It's okay though, I'm hitting WW hard core and trying to exercise somehow every day. I'm actually sore today from yoga I did yesterday, so that is a plus. Thanks for asking!
I'm fine, I'm just fat.
I went to the doctor Monday morning and only had to read Coastal Living for about five minutes before they called me back. Then the nurse weighed me (I won't say what it was, but I will say I think their scales are WRONG), and took me into a little room and asked me what was going on. I started telling her about my BP being high a while back, and then the cat/puffer thing, and the chest pains, and the high BP last weekend, and I'm telling her as fast as I can, but she interrupts me and says, "So you're just here for a BP check?"
No, I said, well, yes, but also to see why I'm having chest pains. So she takes my BP whilst telling me that the home version of the sphygmomanometer (there's that word again) is no good, and it's no wonder I got a weird reading. She tells me my BP is normal and in comes the doctor. He is in an even bigger hurry than the nurse, but he listens enough to hear the part about the cats and the puffer. So he says it's probably just because of my asthma/allergies, and I will be fine.
I wrote them a check for $20 to tell me that nothing is wrong. Guess I should have gone for that run after all! Admittedly, I feel a little better this week, and maybe stress had something to do with the chest pain too because I have certainly been stressed the last week or so with work, but still. I couldn't believe how quickly they got me in and out and how disinterested they were in my CHEST PAIN. Normally if you go to the ER with chest pain they usher you right by the bleeding, barfing people in the waiting room. So maybe I need to find a new Dr.?
Anyway, I'm fine as far as I know, but I am fat, as evidenced by the pictures one of my clients took today at our Advocacy Day at the Capitol. I put the Rotund in Rotunda! It's okay though, I'm hitting WW hard core and trying to exercise somehow every day. I'm actually sore today from yoga I did yesterday, so that is a plus. Thanks for asking!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Down with the Sickness*
So Sally and I have both been a bit under the weather this weekend.
Friday night, I filled in for a friend and "hosted" the Singer/Songwriter's Showcase at Sneaky Beans, and the BF and his friend Bill joined me. I put "hosted" in quotations because I really did not have to do much - just introduce the artists and let them go to it, which to me is the best kind of "hosting" there is! Sherman Lee Dillon, Taylor Hildebrand, and Drew McKercher (who for some reason I wanted to call "Jeremy" all night, he looks like a Jeremy I guess,) played some really good tunes. Kudos to my friend Anna Kline who put the whole thing together. Next month she is doing an all-girls' singer/songwriter showcase, so check it out.
I had to go to Oxford Thursday for work, and I stayed with my good friend Emmy, who has two cats. I am allergic to cats, and Emmy does a good job of keeping them out of the spare bedroom so I won't be too affected, but I still had a pretty big allergic reaction, in the form of sneezing, wheezing, and itchy/watery eyes. I used my puffer (I have mild asthma) multiple times over the two days I was there, and by Friday my chest was hurting a little bit. I figured it was just because of the overuse of the puffer. Nonetheless, I went to the most awesome breakfast place with Emmy on Friday morning, Big Bad Breakfast, and had my fill of scramby eggs, ho-made sausage (they make it fresh on-site), home fries and a biscuit. I have been telling everyone I know about this place - go check it out if you are in O-town.
So I had to board Sally until Saturday morning. The BF and I picked her up and took her home, and I got to making lunch, which was Pad Thai with tofu and bean sprouts. We noticed Sally was not her usual spry self, and shortly thereafter she decided to puke on my carpet. After that (and I made the BF clean it up), there was a series of horks and gacks, dragging her to the linoleum floor of the kitchen, only to have her barf on the carpet when we weren't looking. Every time I took her outside, she would graze like a little moo cow. For those who don't know, dogs eat grass when their tummies are upset - it makes them barf. I don't know what they fed her at the vet's, but next time we are taking our own food, that's for sure!
Later on that night, I started having mild chest pains again. I didn't want to scare anybody, but it was rather annoying. I told the BF, and he made me lie down with my feet up. We had a healthy dinner of seared tuna over mixed greens with strawberries, goat cheese and pecans, and I took a couple of BC powders, which made me feel better. We took my blood pressure, which was a bit high, and I went to bed at a reasonable hour. I slept until about 10:45 this morning.
Today has been okay - Sally has still been a little under the weather, but she did eat some kibble and just a few blades of grass. We totally missed the snow, or at least I did. BF said Sally tried to eat it when he took her out early this morning. I managed to do some yoga this afternoon, and wanted to take my BP afterward, just to see the effect, but my stupid digital sphygmomanometer (how's that for a $5 word?) wouldn't work right. So I really have no idea what my BP is this evening. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to get it checked out. I need to lose some weight - that much is obvious - but only like 10 or 15 pounds. I think that will get me back to normal BP and everything, but until then I might have to take something. I want to be able to continue my running (which was going pretty well until this happened), but I don't want to be found lying in a ditch somewhere, either. I can just see it now - the headlines would read, "Pudgy woman found dead of a heart attack on her pathetic less-than-a-mile running route."
On the money-saving/making front, I went to the grocery store for the first time in a week on Friday, used coupons which saved me like $20, and should have enough food to get me through until the next weekend, or even the next paycheck, who knows? Also, there is this event going on next weekend at a local hotel where you can go sell your gold, so I may go check that out and see what I can get. I actually have a little more money than I thought I would at this point after paying bills and stuff, so maybe I am saving a little bit? Stay tuned chickens!
*Sorry for the reference to a pretty lame hard metal song - I don't remember who does the song but I did rock out pretty hard to it whenever it used to come on the radio. So there's that.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Bring on Spring
I'm tired of Mother Nature being a tease. It was 70 degrees a few days ago, now it's like 25. STOP MESSING WITH MY MIND!
The good news is, I can bundle up and hide my fat rolls a little while longer. Maybe if I can step up my workouts and tone down my snacking, I'll be presentable by Easter.
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This past weekend, Jackson experienced its first "V-Day," and the Vagina Monologues was presented for the first time here with a wonderful cast that included many good friends of mine. I stayed in the background, serving food and wine, and enjoying the play twice in a row. I'm so happy I got to be a part of this performance, and I'm already looking forward to next year, where we undoubtedly will see if we can push the envelope just a little bit further...
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On the money making/saving front, I am doing pretty well so far. I have only gone to the grocery store maybe 3 times in the last two weeks, and only one of those trips was a "big" trip. I have received some help from family members, which I did not ask for, but surely do appreciate. And I am still planning to sell my gold, I just can't seem to remember to go down to the jewelry store. I better do it soon, before they decide something else is worth more money. I'm also still saving cans and have a rather nice pile going near my trash. Now I just need to find somewhere that will pay me for my tin.
Last night after the Vagina Monologues, I was invited as an "honorary cast member" to the cast party. It was at the home of one of the other cast members, and her home was AMAZING. Awesome, open living area, totally made for entertaining, and an even more impressive back yard complete with fire pit and goldfish pond. I was totally jealous, of course, but also very inspired. The owner told me she bought the house herself years ago and put nearly every penny she made into making it what it is today. She had only recently remarried. So even if I am dirt poor right now, I still feel like it's possible for me to have a nice home one day too, if I really want it and work for it hard enough. I'm tucking that away as a non-immediate goal, but a goal nonetheless.
I'm actually into the Oscars this year, so I'm going to stop here and go back to watching that little gold man hop into the hands of various and sundry celebrities.
The good news is, I can bundle up and hide my fat rolls a little while longer. Maybe if I can step up my workouts and tone down my snacking, I'll be presentable by Easter.
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This past weekend, Jackson experienced its first "V-Day," and the Vagina Monologues was presented for the first time here with a wonderful cast that included many good friends of mine. I stayed in the background, serving food and wine, and enjoying the play twice in a row. I'm so happy I got to be a part of this performance, and I'm already looking forward to next year, where we undoubtedly will see if we can push the envelope just a little bit further...
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On the money making/saving front, I am doing pretty well so far. I have only gone to the grocery store maybe 3 times in the last two weeks, and only one of those trips was a "big" trip. I have received some help from family members, which I did not ask for, but surely do appreciate. And I am still planning to sell my gold, I just can't seem to remember to go down to the jewelry store. I better do it soon, before they decide something else is worth more money. I'm also still saving cans and have a rather nice pile going near my trash. Now I just need to find somewhere that will pay me for my tin.
Last night after the Vagina Monologues, I was invited as an "honorary cast member" to the cast party. It was at the home of one of the other cast members, and her home was AMAZING. Awesome, open living area, totally made for entertaining, and an even more impressive back yard complete with fire pit and goldfish pond. I was totally jealous, of course, but also very inspired. The owner told me she bought the house herself years ago and put nearly every penny she made into making it what it is today. She had only recently remarried. So even if I am dirt poor right now, I still feel like it's possible for me to have a nice home one day too, if I really want it and work for it hard enough. I'm tucking that away as a non-immediate goal, but a goal nonetheless.
I'm actually into the Oscars this year, so I'm going to stop here and go back to watching that little gold man hop into the hands of various and sundry celebrities.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Ok, so...
So here's the deal. I just found out I owe a little less than $3000 to Uncle Sam. Why, you ask? Was I trying to be like that guy who is now the Treasury Secretary? Well, sort of.He somehow didn't realize he wasn't paying taxes on his income, then paid them later (more like $30K than $3K), blah blah blah... my situation is pretty much the same, except I caught it before it got ridiculously out of hand. I filled out my forms correctly when I started my job, but somehow it didn't get keyed in right, so not enough was being held out each check.
So. I really don't have beef with Timothy Geithner, because I know how easily something like that can happen. Although, someone in his line of work should probably know more about taxes than me. I'm a real dumbass when it comes to numbers. I looked at my checks over the last several months, but I didn't see anything amiss. Now, unfortunately, my checks will be even less, yet I'll be paying out the wazoo to make good on this debt. Wahh.
I had a big cry over this when I first found out. I was upset and angry for the stupid mistake. But I was also upset because I feel as if I can never get ahead. I've been very slowly paying off the small bit of debt that I already have, and doing things to try to save money, like getting a cheaper car, going out to eat less, bargain shopping, etc. And I felt like I was making some progress. I started making plans to save up some money in order to move to a rental house. (I even gave up on the idea of buying a house!! Of course, the economy helped me make that decision, but still!!)
So it was really frustrating to think about having to put my pithy little dreams on hold for a bit longer. But, after a few drinks and a trip out of town to watch the Grammys in Memphis, I realized that my situation will never get better if I am going to just sit around and mope about it. It's time to get smart, get creative, and yes, get used to doing without a few things for a while.
Being in a recession makes this a really good time to find new ways to save money and make money. I plan to blog about the things that I come up with so that you all (wherever you are) might benefit as well.
Here are my first three ideas:
(I don't expect points for originality, but bear with me!)
1. That old coin ring from 8th grade? Gots ta go.
I pretty much stopped wearing gold jewelry in 1996, so I am gathering up a lot of rings, bracelets and necklaces to sell to a local jewlery shop. I don't trust those "Cash 4 Gold" through-the-mail scams, but a few stores here in Jacktown have advertised that they will buy gold. I promise to report what I sold and for how much. And I am actually keeping my coin ring, it has sentimental value. ;-)
2. HEY! You got any cans? I'm the can man!
Some weird old man once jumped out at my sister at a gas station and said that to her. He left her alone, but he had the right idea, sort of. I drink enough Diet Coke (Diet Dr. K these days - budget soda y'all) to fill the reservoir, so I figure I should be able to get a decent return on all those cans that I normally throw away. I don't plan on scaring people into giving me their cans, but don't be surprised if you see me on the side of the street picking them up.
3. Get thee behind me, Kroger
If one were to take a look at my bank account, one might think that I have at least 4 kids. That's because the majority of my money goes to groceries. I only have one "kid," and she eats dog food. The problem is that I love food. LOVE FOOD. I have become a bit of a "foodie" in the last few years, and I am constantly wanting to try different recipes, foods, etc. Or I get a craving and swing by the store to fulfill whatever it is. This all adds up to around $500/month on groceries. Now, granted, I do cook at home more than I go out, which saves money, but I also feel that I could definitely cut down on my trips to the store. My mother used to always go to the store on Saturdays. Mainly this was because it was the only day she had free, but I think it also helped to cut down on needless spending. If we ran out of something, we were just out until Saturday, unless it was TP or something. But somehow we never seemed to run out of things like that.
I would like to try from here on out to limit my trips to the store to once or twice a week. Preferably once, but there is always that chance I'll run out of dog food or milk when I really need it.
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That's all for now, but I hope to update at least once a week (really!) with more ideas or reports back on whether or not this stuff is working. Maybe I can get one of those thermometer things to show my progress on paying off Uncle Sam. I have to make this fun and creative for myself, or else y'all are gonna find me on the 6:00 news for crashing my car in the front lobby of the Internal Revenue Service. And orange is really not a good color for me.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A Year of Going Without
I will explain this more later, but this blog is about to take a turn toward a different subject, based on some really bad news I just received in re: my taxes.
In lieu of packing up my clothes, cooking utensils and the dog and high-tailing it to Costa Rica, I have decided to get creative and give up some things (as if there are many more things I can really do without anyway, but I digress...) in the next year so that I can hopefully, MAYBE, one day, have the life that I really want. And believe it or not, that life is not the one you see in Crate & Barrel and Brooks Brothers. But it is going to require a bit more financial stability than what I currently have.
Stay tuned, and after the booze has worn off, there will be more details...
In lieu of packing up my clothes, cooking utensils and the dog and high-tailing it to Costa Rica, I have decided to get creative and give up some things (as if there are many more things I can really do without anyway, but I digress...) in the next year so that I can hopefully, MAYBE, one day, have the life that I really want. And believe it or not, that life is not the one you see in Crate & Barrel and Brooks Brothers. But it is going to require a bit more financial stability than what I currently have.
Stay tuned, and after the booze has worn off, there will be more details...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
VDAY - get yer tickets, donate here
As previously mentioned, I am helping with Jackson's first production of the "Vagina Monologues," to benefit the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Women's Fund. The event is Feb. 20-21. If you haven't gotten tickets yet, you better hurry up, because we already know it's going to sell out. Click below to donate, and go to www.jfptickets.com to get your tickets.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Sorry I'm Late
Yeah, I've been really really busy. January is gone in a flash, yet I'm still having trouble remembering to write "09" on checks and whatnot.
I'm half-assedly watching the Super Bowl right now. It's pretty obvious who's going to win, I think. And John Madden's questionable choice of adjectives to describe plays really cracks me up.
Earlier today, I went to the annual "Soup-er Bowl," which is a benefit for the Salvation Army. It was my first time to attend, but I am sure it won't be my last, especially if Steve's Downtown Deli will be there again next year. Oh my Lord, their Senegalese Peanut Chicken soup was the best soup I have ever tasted. And I'm not one for sweeping generalizations, but I really could eat that soup every day for the rest of my life.
Some friends and I have made a weekly "soup night" tradition, where one of us makes soup and the rest of us bring side items/booze. We've had some mighty tasty soups, and I thought I knew all there was to know about soup, but I was so wrong. I may have to try and recreate this peanut-chicken deliciousness for a future event.
What else... my sweet little niece turned 2 yesterday and we had a big party for her. She is so cute, has so much personality -- I can't wait until she is a little older and she can talk better so we can really have fun. Right now I just try to interpret most of what she is saying. She is going through a possessive phase right now -- everything is "my cake," "my toy," even "my Andi," which I agree, I do belong to her. I've never been big on kids, but that little girl has definitely stolen my cold little heart.
I am working with a group of lovely women on Jackson's very first VDay this year - please click on that link and find Jackson so you can get more info and donate or buy tickets. Yes, we are doing the "Vagina Monologues," and I am really interested to see how Jackson's businesses and citizens in general react to that. It's such a scary word, that va-jay-jay word. I am limited in my ability to garner sponsorships because I work for a fundraising organization during the day, but I will do what I can after hours. It is going for a good cause - The Women's Fund and the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence will split the proceeds and make sure the money goes to help victims of domestic violence. I'm really excited about this program finally coming to Jacktown, and I hope that we can add it to the list of cool things that go on in this city each year.
Gotta go do my American duty and drink more beer whilst watching football, but before I go, here are a couple of links to some new favorite websites:
Food Network Humor
Make Your Own Short Animated Movie
Design Your Own Warning Sign
I'm half-assedly watching the Super Bowl right now. It's pretty obvious who's going to win, I think. And John Madden's questionable choice of adjectives to describe plays really cracks me up.
Earlier today, I went to the annual "Soup-er Bowl," which is a benefit for the Salvation Army. It was my first time to attend, but I am sure it won't be my last, especially if Steve's Downtown Deli will be there again next year. Oh my Lord, their Senegalese Peanut Chicken soup was the best soup I have ever tasted. And I'm not one for sweeping generalizations, but I really could eat that soup every day for the rest of my life.
Some friends and I have made a weekly "soup night" tradition, where one of us makes soup and the rest of us bring side items/booze. We've had some mighty tasty soups, and I thought I knew all there was to know about soup, but I was so wrong. I may have to try and recreate this peanut-chicken deliciousness for a future event.
What else... my sweet little niece turned 2 yesterday and we had a big party for her. She is so cute, has so much personality -- I can't wait until she is a little older and she can talk better so we can really have fun. Right now I just try to interpret most of what she is saying. She is going through a possessive phase right now -- everything is "my cake," "my toy," even "my Andi," which I agree, I do belong to her. I've never been big on kids, but that little girl has definitely stolen my cold little heart.
I am working with a group of lovely women on Jackson's very first VDay this year - please click on that link and find Jackson so you can get more info and donate or buy tickets. Yes, we are doing the "Vagina Monologues," and I am really interested to see how Jackson's businesses and citizens in general react to that. It's such a scary word, that va-jay-jay word. I am limited in my ability to garner sponsorships because I work for a fundraising organization during the day, but I will do what I can after hours. It is going for a good cause - The Women's Fund and the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence will split the proceeds and make sure the money goes to help victims of domestic violence. I'm really excited about this program finally coming to Jacktown, and I hope that we can add it to the list of cool things that go on in this city each year.
Gotta go do my American duty and drink more beer whilst watching football, but before I go, here are a couple of links to some new favorite websites:
Food Network Humor
Make Your Own Short Animated Movie
Design Your Own Warning Sign
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