2009 Resolutions

I don't know why, but I've never been a big fan of New Year's Eve. Sometimes I wish I could find that midnight party-goer in me, but relaxing at home and taking it easy has always been the better option for me...especially this year. It seems like the time between Christmas and New Year's has really caught up with me in terms of the pregnancy. Before I was going at full force, trying to hide my secret and not let on that my body was going through this major change. Now, I've just been super-duper tired and actually a little nauseated riding in cars. But in the spirit of New Year's, like always, I still come up with some resolutions.
Here they are in no particular order:
1. Lose most of the baby weight before Brad's wedding.
2. To have more self-confidence and to prove it.
3. To dive in and read my Bible more.
4. To not live so defensively.
5. Be able to do 10 pull ups by this time next year.
6. To reach out and mentor somebody.
7. Finally knit those hats for kids with cancer.
8. Budget....really, really BUDGET.
9. Eat more vegetables and fruit. (It's for the baby.)
10. Go with my instincts more often!

Some Big News

Well, as you can tell a ticker has been placed at the top of my blog. Yes, that means that Skye and I are expecting a baby in July. We are totally excited about this and can't wait to share our journey into parenthood with you. We feel very fortunate to have so many friends going through this experience in their own lives, as well. (I'm glad our baby will have little friends to play with.) So, stay tuned for more updates. I'm still absorbing the news, so I haven't been good with posts so far...but I was also waiting to tell the rest of the family and the bosses at work.

Thanksgiving Past and Present

Last year, at this time, I went away for the Thanksgiving holidays and came back Monday and didn't have a job waiting for me. Rest assured, I've gotten confirmation from my bosses this year that the same thing won't happen.

I can't believe how much I have grown this past year. I've realized many of my strong suits, faced the realities and openly discussed what I do and do not like to do. So many people recommended to me that I read the book Boundries. Why I didn't listen to them sooner? I don't know. It's been helpful in realizing what I actually expect out of people and what they should expect out of me. Really communicating your personal needs in a way that other people won't get offended or hurt.

I've also grown in a way of being more vocal. Especially in my job. When I was at a corporate environment, sitting around a conference table trying to present a marketing plan was torture. My tongue could somehow never find the words floating around in my brain. I was smart, had done all my research, but I didn't really feel that I could communicate in a way that people would listen and take me seriously. Maybe, in all honestly, I didn't believe in the product enough. I feel at times I can be pretty opinionated, but in return I am open to the opinions of others. I've learned to vocalize and stand up for my thoughts and actually give myself some self-credit and worth.

In reflecting on the words above, I want to make it clear that I don't find self worth through my job. Life is too short and there's a bigger plan somewhere. But it does make a difference when you walk in some place every day and feel appreciated and noticed. Therefore, this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the hardships and lessons I've learned. Job hunts, unemployment, grieving (still) have made me stronger. Through my experience, I can help offer words of wisdom, hopefully. It's a tough world out there with the economy and such. I just tell those of you out there suffering, chin-up. Something good will come and your luck will change.

Just a quick note...

Reporters have now moved onto talking about Obama's new administration. Call me crazy, but don't we still have a lot of problems going on right now? Shouldn't we still be figuring out how to solve all these issues like the downfall of the economy? Bank bailouts and now auto bailouts? I am disappointed, in this time of crisis, that the only statements I've heard from the current Bush administration is that "Bush's goal is make Obama's transition as easy as possible!" Way to finish strong, Bush! But then again, what can you expect from a President that now has an disapproval rating of 75%.

Bah Humbug....Halloween?

Tomorrow is Halloween and I am not enthusiastic at all. Probably the best adjective is "cynical," and I hate that. I blame it on the season of life that Skye and I are in. I finally got around to buying my pumpkins this week and don't even plan on carving them. I'll probably just continue to use them as fall decoration for Thanksgiving to extend their use.

We are saving money, so we don't want to go out and purchase Halloween costumes for fun. We feel a bit on the loser side because we weren't invited to any Halloween parties this year, so it doesn't matter anyways. Also, the majority of our friends have kids now, so they at least have the obligation of taking the kiddo's trick-or-treating that night. Therefore, we feel a tad left out there. So, I would say the best bet is to just stay home and hand out candy to the 3 kids that live in the neighborhood, trying to avoid the temptation of eating the remaining candy left in the bowl. YIKES!

The night won't be that bad.I must say, the one thing that I do look forward to on Halloween is the ritual of eating fish sticks and macaroni and cheese for dinner. My mom used to feed this to us, as kids, before we headed out to fill our treat bags. It's one of those comfort foods for me that puts a smile on my face. So, as I sit back an read my Stephanie Meyer vampire book "New Moon," I'll be wishing all you trick-or-treaters and Halloween lovers out there, have fun and be safe!

New Yorker essay by David Sedaris

Last Friday night, I took my husband to see David Sedaris perform at TPAC. Now, I haven't read his books, but I definitely became a fan that evening. He read a particular story that is featured in The New Yorker this week called "Undecided."
Below you will find the intro to the piece I am talking about and a link to read the whole essay.

"I don’t know that it was always this way, but, for as long as I can remember, just as we move into the final weeks of the Presidential campaign the focus shifts to the undecided voters. “Who are they?” the news anchors ask. “And how might they determine the outcome of this election?”

Then you’ll see this man or woman— someone, I always think, who looks very happy to be on TV. “Well, Charlie,” they say, “I’ve gone back and forth on the issues and whatnot, but I just can’t seem to make up my mind!” Some insist that there’s very little difference between candidate A and candidate B. Others claim that they’re with A on defense and health care but are leaning toward B when it comes to the economy.

I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?” To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked. I mean, really, what’s to be confused about?"

Click here to read the rest off the New Yorker's website. Enjoy and now GO VOTE!

Do Something That Scares You...

Monday mornings, it's a no brainer. We always have staff meetings and on the agenda my bosses always have an inspiring quote at the top of the page. Well today, we were charged with "Do something that scares you!" Well, as I sit here typing this new update, I'm icing my knee with frozen vegetables. You see, for a while now, I've been meaning to learn to ride my new road bike with clip-in pedals. I've used my clip-in shoes many times in spin class, but there's safety in that... umm, it's stationary. Tonight, I was determined that I would learn to clip in my right foot, pedal forward, and get enough momentum to clip in my left. It was recommended to me trying this out in the grass first, and I'm glad I did. I'm also quite sure it made it more difficult. You don't get enough speed or balance to really get going, but it does make for a softer fall. I'm sure my bruises tomorrow will hurt, but I did conquer getting on my bike about 3 times tonight. I feel like I'm seven years old all over again with the anxiety, the unsteadiness of the wheel and then of course, the pain and tears that came from falling. Now, you may ask what led up to this nervousness of this task...and the answer is quite simple: Everyone has told me horror stories of their first falls. "Oh, I smacked myself into the side of a truck!" or "I didn't even leave the driveway before falling." Great.....

So, I came to defeating this task by small baby steps. First off, I did a few 30 mile rides just to get used to my bike. I listened to words of encouragement that wearing these "super shoes" would make the ride much easier. After being convinced, I knew it was time to take it to the next level. I had my husband take off my old school pedals and replace them with clip-ins. I've looked at my bike every day for about two weeks and have simply walked away from it and found other things to do. So, today I took their advice and went for it. After many tries and much frustration, I did succeed a few times and then called it a night. Skye could tell that I was not going to quit until I figured it out. What did I achieve tonight? As Obama would say....a little thing called "Progress."

Exciting News in the Cycling World

Henri...Snip, Snip

You feel bad enough when you drop your precious puppy off at the vet to get neutered. But... when you get the bill and it actually says "Castration" with the price beside it, you just feel utter remorse. Here's a shot of him today, when he got home from the vet. Don't you just want to give him a hug?

Political Ads....I'm Fed Up!

I'm fed up with election campaign ads. Not that I was ever a fan of them, but this last effort by McCain has really put me in a bad mood. Yes, I am a supporter of Obama as of now, but I still haven't fully made my decision. I totally supported him against Hillary and since I had to vote in the Democratic Primary, he was my obvious choice. But now that I have to honestly look at McCain to make the wisest decision, my eyes are open. I am not saying that Obama's commercials are better, but why would you go and waste money on an ad that focuses on Obama's celebrity (alongside Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton.) If you want to view it, click here. If you want to see Paris Hilton's response to John McCain's ad, check it out here.

What if we truly had a candidate that was above all of this? What if we had someone who said "Hey, cancer research is an important part of my campaign...let's donate all the ad dollars that would normally be spent and put it towards something valuable... LIKE SAVING LIVES!" That's the type of man I would vote for. I mean, is America really persuaded by these commercials these days? Don't we just set our Tivos and fast-forward through them for the most part now anyways?

Advice to those with pregnant friends...

This article on "6 Things to Never Say to Your Pregnant Friend" was great! I have entered that time in my life where I now attending more baby showers than weddings, so these pointers are good to know! Hopefully, in the past, I've been cautious and nobody has wanted to "poke my eyes out" like the writer Paula Kashtan states.

What is this world coming to?

So, I've been a little behind on my current events, but the other day I was able to finally catch up with some news. One thing that really stood out to me is the story about Obama and The Western Wall." Apparently, while he's been on this overseas expedition he made a stop in Isreal and put a personal prayer in what some people call "The Wailing Wall." (one of the last remaining structures from the Temple in Jerusalem). You are supposed to write a prayer, fold it and stick it in the wall. The prayer then goes directly to God in Heaven from there. Well, unfortunately, in today's society, that isn't sacred anymore. It makes me angry that people feel it's right to take that personal info and sell it to a newspaper. Sure, this man is running for the U.S. Presidency and everything about him is on display and open for criticism, but have you no respect?

Click here to read more on this news story. I actually hope you get as angry as I did reading it.

Why my friend Mason is the coolest...

Click here to watch some mullet metal!

What have you done?

I've been lazy about posting lately, so I decided to steal this from Lynn. You highlight what you have done. I admit, it's a lot of questions, but I am having a slow night here at home, so I've got a little bit of time to reflect....
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabatized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Third Day News

Just got the good word that Third Day will be performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday July 29th. This also happens to be the day their new album Revelation will be coming out. Check it out! This is one of the bands on Essential Records that I feel really privileged to have worked with.

Dreaming of Funnel Clouds

During the past few weeks, I've had at least four or five dreams about tornadoes. I finally took the time to look for some kind of meaning online and this is what they came up with. Should I be worried?

Tornadoes - Dream Symbols
Dreaming about tornadoes is a way of dealing with destructive, uncontrollable forces in your life. A tornado strikes without warning, and there is little you can do to stop it.

Tornadoes are unpredictable and violent storms which often separate families and destroy property. Frequent dreams of tornadoes may reflect past family instability, or people who are prone to violent "outbursts" or unpredictable mood swings.

Interpretation:
A dream that includes a tornado may indicate the onset of sudden and major change in your life, self-destruction or something that is unpredictable or uncontrollable ...

Ouch, My Side!

After a trip to the emergency room and lots of drugs, I'm proud to announce that at 2:32 pm Thursday afternoon, I officially gave birth to my third kidney stone. He's one mm big and weighs next to nothing. I've named him Stallone after his "rocky" blood line.

Nashville Star...Boo!

I want the two hours back that was spent last night over at my brother's watching "Nashville Star." It is seriously one of the worst reality shows I've taken time to watch. I don't know how we got suckered in because neither of us like or watch "American Idol," which is supposed to be the better of the two. The judges, which included Jewel, provided no helpful feedback and I really do feel that there must have been a shortage of talent to choose from when they chose the final 12 contestants. Can't they hear the flatness in their voices? They didn't even pick big fights with one another. I at least want to experience the drama between the judges...can't you give me that? Billy Ray Cyrus isn't the best host either. I know he's kind of a hot commodity right now, but in my opinion he definitely should stick to "Hannah Montana." Either way...the best part of my TV experience last night was the ridiculous "Celebrity Circus" commercials. That's what summer TV is all about....Brady Bunches own Christopher Knight, making a fool of himself. Looks like I'm in for a summer full of badminton and bocce ball. Thank goodess!

Jobless in the USA

I have to say that I am so thankful this month. Ironically, as I was unemployed the past 6 months, the month that unemployment soars to 5.5% (the biggest jump in more than a decade), I land a job. Wow! That's pretty much all I can say. I really feel for all those adults out there working their butts off to secure any kind of job... and opportunities are now being taken away by teen jobs for the summer. Here's the scary statistic...324,000 jobs have been lost this year alone. There hasn't been that dramatic of a start to the year since 2002. I keep my fingers crossed I'll have my new paycheck for a while.

Gotta Love This Video

My husband, who works at the Apple Store, says all the guys are raving about this video.

Even the Queen doesn't like "free-loaders"

Read here for more news about the Queen of England's announcement that before she allows the engagement of Prince William, his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, must get a career. Apparently, since her graduation 4 years ago, she hasn't found routine employment. Good for the Queen, I say.

Just a few things...

Well, I should have updated sooner, but the past few days have been an adjustment. Last Thursday and Friday I was training for my new job at Birdsong Creative and I felt completely drained afterwards. Also, it was one of the more social weekends I've had in awhile. We celebrated Darci and Jeremy's engagement Thursday night with a "Stock The Cellar" shower. I spent the day on Saturday playing the old game of Bocce ball with my brother, Brad and his girlfriend, Whitney...and Skye. Now I felt this was more social because ever since my husband started working at The Apple Store (his official title is "Genius") he has had to deal with the store's retail hours. When he comes home, I'm already done for the day, so it actually feels like we are dating again in some ways. By the way, I kicked butt in Bocce ball; that old-man yard game you avoided playing with your grandparents.

I also went to see the long-awaited Sex in the City Movie friday night. Oh my gosh, I don't think that I've been surrounded by so much estrogen before in my life!!! I won't be a spoiler, but I will tell you that I left feeling satisfied and happy the way the movie left things. It was a bit predictable, but it was good to see the gals on screen again.

So, today was my first day on my own at the job. Nobody was watching over me, guiding me and giving me the play by play. I just went in with my head held high and tackled every task that came my way. To celebrate my new position and also the new designer they welcomed just the other week, we played hooky and went to the movies to see Indiana Jones. (Yes, the bosses treated!) I am really glad to be in a small family/company atmosphere. I feel really appreciated and lucky to be a part of the team. They had high expectations filling this position and I do feel that I had big shoes to fill, so I am a bit nervous in a way, but also really honored to have been chosen. I'm finally in a place where I feel good and actually deserving about this too.

StandUp2Cancer.org

A previous post noted some cancer statistics that were mentioned on a cancer research news segment that aired all week on the news. Network evening news anchors Charles Gibson, Katie Couric and Brian Williams made quite an announcement during live appearances today on ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS's "The Early Show," and NBC's "TODAY show."

Stand Up To Cancer, a new initiative to raise philanthropic dollars for accelerating ground-breaking research, launches today through an unprecedented collaboration uniting the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy. ABC, CBS and NBC will donate one hour of simultaneous commercial-free primetime for a nationally televised fundraising event to air on September 5, 2008 (8 pm EDT and PDT), aimed at rallying the public around the goal of ending cancer's reign as a leading cause of death.

I Got A Job!

I wanted to give a great big thanks to those that have been supporting me the past few months, actually six months. The time during which you are officially known as "unemployed." Last November, I was forced into the trenches of a deep job search. I knew I had to make some serious choices about my next step, but I definitely knew that my next job was going to be something that made me feel like a winner. My patience grew very thin during these past months. I turned down some offers and I'm not going to lie, got really disappointed by losing out to some other candidates on some things too. I couldn't help but feel like somewhat of a loser collecting my unemployment each week. Today, things took a turn. I've wanted to write about it all week, but somehow I felt like I would jinx it if I talked about it. I've been interviewing with a company called Birdsong Creative in Downtown Franklin, and today they gave me an offer to be their project coordinator. It all moved pretty quickly, but its all felt very natural during the process. For once, nerves never got the best of me. This is how I know this is right. It goes back to my love of graphic design and away from the music industry. Hooray. So, thanks to all of you that have been praying and encouraging me along the way.

Along the same lines, if you have been reading this blog or know me, you probably know about all the stupid health insurance issues my husband and I have been worrying about. We applied to quite a few companies and either got denied or got riders put on the very health issues we were concerned about. Skye finally put an end to that problem when he took a job with Apple last week. Yes, a job with full benefits! Worrying over! At first I was concerned about him being tied down to a schedule and an actual routine (he's always been self-employed), but he has come home every night so enthusiastic about his day and looks forward to going back. I'm very proud of him and it's great to know that I won't always being tied down to providing the health insurance for us. Anyways, his business card actually read his actual job title "Genius." Gotta love that, right?

This makes me mad!

Did you know that government funding is drying up for cancer research?

1 in 10 Cancer research proposals gets funded.

50% of men will get cancer and 33% of women will get the disease in this lifetime, but as of right now 10 Million Americans are already living with Cancer right now.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing in clinical trials, rather than simple research.

Researchers are moving careers, such as to Wall Street because they can't get the funding or to go overseas to do research instead.

The New Bachelorette

I have to be in the right mood to get into the TV series The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. So, I've missed a season here or there and I think the last one that I caught was the one with Travis, hometown boy from Nashville. Last night I set the DVR to record the season opener of The Bachelorette. I didn't watch the season where she became got scorned, but I was able to get the just of it. Anyways, let me tell you, I wasn't too impressed with the pickings she had. Out of all the men in America, we found these 25 to represent? (Guys who go by the names Donato and Spero). The most concerning was Greg , the personal trainer from NYC. During the final moments, after he was not given a rose, I might add, he ripped off his shirt and went crazy. I can definitely see why he didn't make it into even the second episode.

GMA week in Nashville

So, there are only a couple reasons why I am reminded that it's Gospel Music Week in Nashville. The best reason is that good friends are back in town, and we have it on the books to catch up. The next being that all my old colleagues have updated their myspace/facebook page status with something like "ready for GMA to be over" or "consumed with GMA meetings." I admit that I almost started getting a little bit envious. I kind of enjoyed GMA week over the past seven years because about 90% of my job was always on the computer. It always gave me a break from the norm and meet new people and see artists. But then on this beautiful, BEAUTIFUL Sunday afternoon, I am grateful I am not working. I woke up and spent some time watching TV and playing with the new puppy, then got to be in the kitchen with my husband, which is a rare time together. I made these gourmet hamburgers and he made a great moroccan sauce from scratch. We also made homemade lemon-aid, fresh corn on the cob and vegetable chips. Yum! We had my dad over for a cookout after church and it was a fabulous time. We ended the afternoon by playing a few rounds of badminton and then went and got ice cream for dinner. I would take all this time outside today over being trapped inside the Nashville Convention Center any day. For once, in this whole unemployment phase, I am glad I don't have a job (enter sigh of relief here).

It's just a flip flop

Skye and I have a new 9 week old puppy. We named him Henri (with an "i"), but his name was actually inspired by King Henry. I've actually been reading a lot about English History, so the name just came to me instantly. The spelling we chose just seemed more "puppy-like." We thought we had been doing really well crate training him. He's been a good dog, more than a bad dog, doing his business, but today we had to get a little strict. We had to put him in time-out twice in the bathroom. Once for doing #2 in the corner of the living room and then also for destroying my most favorite flip flop. I know, I know, puppies tear up things and we all know that dogs love to bite on shoes. It's my fault for leaving them out, but it was out of shear laziness because I need quick shoes to let him out all the time. But these flip flops are special. I got those flip flops on one of the last shopping trips my mom and I ever took together. I remember her every time I slip them on because she wanted to buy the matching purse, but thought it was crazy because she knew she had medical bills. I tried urging her to buy it because if it made her feel good...why not? If you have to put yourself through chemotherapy, you deserve a break. Note to self...they are only flip flops, but it just made me miss her today. I admit I shed a small tear, and then went and hugged my puppy. Henri is still a cool pup.

Rising Food Costs

Can you believe this? The Today Show was talking about economic woes this morning and did some comparisons of rising costs of a few items, over just the past few months. It's not just gas costs we should be worried about...it's also those simple grocery items we all need.

Tomatoes are up 19%
Milk is up 26%
Eggs are up 41%

They pointed out that this is outrageous if you ask yourself, "Well, has your salary increased over the past few months?" Over the past year we are seeing a 25% of retail store closures and more and more stores are taking out bankrupt insurance, such as The Sharper Image.

AWW...Bernie!

Last night my husband and I were tucked in on the couch (with a bowl of low-fat popcorn) and watched the season finale of The Biggest Loser. I was excited that we finally got the first female winner on the show, but was even more ecstatic that Bernie won the "At-Home" Challenge prize of $100,000. I loved Bernie's personality and sense of humor throughout the whole show and was so disappointed when he got sent home. I guess there is proof now that he would have been a big threat. I also can't believe Gillian wore a dress! It's going to be hard waiting for the next season again.

Our puppy is famous!

Our new puppy is the featured "Pup of the Week" on the Lucky Pup website. We got Henri about a week and a half ago and he makes me smile continuously. He's actually 8 weeks old, rather than the 12 weeks she mentions in the blurb. You should go check out the store down in Edgehill Village...it's a lot of fun.

Office Spin-Off Show

In just a quick post, I'm pleased to tell you that NBC has announced that they will include a spin-off of The Office for the fall. Click here for more info about the line-up.

Back on the bike

I go back and forth about posting about my weight loss goals and stuff on here. In a way, it could be kind of embarassing, but I am going from the angle of that it helps with my accountability. So, from time to time, you will continue to see me post on the subject. I keep my fingers crossed that they will remain encouraging and I will be blogging about good results.

Yesterday, I finally went to spin class again. I was motivated by writing about my new diet, that I figured it's time to also get back to the cardio. If you are a loyal reader, you will remember that I suffered a back muscle strain earlier in the year and had to go through physical therapy. Since then, I've been intimidated to go back. I've slowly worked some weight training and running into my routine, but nothing hard core like I was. So, yesterday I sucked it up and went for it. I got in the class and let me tell you, it was hard. I'm not going to lie. Flat out, I know that I am going to have to work at getting back to the level I was, but the good news is that I wasn't discouraged. In fact, that is what I love about spin class. It's an excellent work out and I feel like I really accomplished something when I get off the bike. It's not that I am obsessed about taking the class to lose the weight, but it really is the satisfaction/buzz of finishing 45 min. of hard work. Don't get me wrong, I want to get back into shape and possibly try street biking when it gets warmer. My brother is a huge biker and always asks "When you going to get a real bike?" Maybe soon, 'lil bro, maybe soon.

No more bread...I hope.

This year for Lent I gave up soft drinks. I wasn't drinking a lot of sodas before, but I thought that with now having to deal with high blood sugar levels, it was the perfect time to say "I'm going to give this up!" I'm proud to say that I actually made it through and on Sunday when I could celebrate, I did so by NOT having a coke. It's terrible but I used Lent to kick off an even bigger plan. See, I'm a real picky eater. I hate, HATE vegetables and don't eat a large variety of fruits. I like apples and sometimes bananas...but that's about it. So, this soft drink plan was just the first baby step in reorganizing my diet. I got through that and will continue, but now the next baby step is breads and cheeses. For the first two weeks, I'm doing "NO WHITE AT NIGHT!" rule and then gradually move to no breads. I will be allowing myself one cheat day per week, but I'm really going to try to cut back as a whole. On a sandwich, I don't need a full piece of cheese. A half slice will do and on pizza....(which will only fall on the cheat day too, is actually preferred with half the cheese and double the sauce.) This step is going to be a lot harder, but trying is better than nothing at all, right? Giving up these foods is making me look at other options too. I'm sure I'll let you know how it goes. Right now, I'm already saying "Ugh!"

Officially Ghetto

Today one of our cars officially became ghetto. Yes, those are rubber bands keeping our side mirror attached to the car. Last weekend, the strangest thing happened. I had the car parked on a level surface and five minutes later I'm looking out the window and my car is rolling down the driveway. The first thing you might ask is "Was the car in park?" That's where the strange part comes in. "Yes! Even the parking break was still on!" Luckily, the mirror bent backwards by hitting one of the concrete posts on the side of the driveway and prevented the car from rolling further. Not good news for the mirror, though. The sad part is that this new wreck addition doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. The rusty paint, the scratches and the "maintenance required" light (that is always blinking) all work together making our car officially ghetto.

Break Dance

Enjoy this greeting featuring my brother, Brad, my husband, Skye and Lance Armstrong. Brad and Skye are bikers and Brad actually rode with Lance last October.

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

I Heart Top Chef

Last night was the Season 4 premiere of Top Chef. Don't get me wrong, I am sad that Project Runway is over, but I love my Padma and Colicchio duo. They started the season off great with one of my celebrity crushes Rocco, who judged the "cheftestants" in their skills to make their version of Chicago deep dish pizza. Yum! After the quickfire and elimination challenge, I think it was a good call to let Nimma go home. Seems like she decided to over-salt everything she made. That got on my nerves after she separated herself from the rest of the house and didn't want to bond. Shame on you! (shaking my pointer finger). To point out some of the ones I think we should watch for this season include: Stephanie (last night's winner), Mohawk Richard, and although Ryan messed up his Chicken Piccata, he might redeem himself. It really is too early to tell, but I also like Erik. I like seeing big tough guys do something great in the kitchen, which isn't meat and potatoes. Andrew, I thought, was a bit juvenile.

Here's my own top chef moment of the day. I had to make cupcakes for a friend's birthday. I think these flowered creations came out looking alright. They at least tasted great!

What are kids thinking?

It was all over the news yesterday about this CDC report concluding that 1 in 4 girls have an STD. HPV, the virus mostly known to cause cervical cancer is the most common. It is very sad that so many teens are having sex and not caring about their bodies, but using a scare tactic of the possibility of cancer is pointless. What about all those smokers? Lung cancer doesn't seem to really scare them. People still continue to smoke and can spread the potential of catching the disease with second hand smoke. Did you know that every 1 in 4 cigarette's that you smoke in front of a child is like them smoking a full cigarette themselves?

What kind of message are we continuing to give teens? In today's society, every time we turn on the TV there is a commercial on for medications. It seems we are so quick to go for the easy fix, rather than doing the hard work and helping our bodies. Rather than getting a good cardio workout and watching what we eat, doctors quickly distribute medicines for high blood pressure and cholesterol. I can't recall the name, but there's even one for genital herpes. So, does that give them the message that there is a fix for that too and they can take their chances?

So, for some reason the results of this study don't surprise me, but it does anger me. Kids are raping kids on school buses (a few counties over here in TN) and we find it stressful to find it in the budgets to add teacher aides to prevent things like this? Kids are needing sex so much they feel they have to victimize kids and pass along these viruses this way? Are kids becoming more stupid and ignorant or are parents becoming more irresponsible in what we teach them?

Royal Family Special

There is a program on tonight on ABC that I am really looking forward to. It's a Barbara Walters special that shows the behind-the-scenes look at the Royal Family. Now, if anybody knows me, they can tell you that I am a huge fan of the UK; the history, the Royal family, the music and lifestyle. I lived there with a 6 month work visa and would move back in a heartbeat, if I could. So, when programs like this pop up, you know my Tivo is set. They say that one of the big things you take away from this special is a better understanding at how hard the Royal family works.
One of the big questions floating out there right now is all the extra expense to protect Prince Harry worth the risk of sending him out to war? Critics say that the manpower and cost to protect him doesn't prove it to be worthwhile. In my opinion, I am going to defend the handsome Prince and say that I respect him doing so. Coming from such an elaborate background, he chooses to go and serve in the military and defend his country. Some believe that it's a PR stunt to help turn around his party boy image, but I don't think that they would send him out, risking his life to do so. I think, even though he has protection, being out there on the front lines helps make him feel more of a common man. But it does raise the important question they are asking. Does it put an increased target on the men beside him? Should he be finding other ways to serve his country?

Modern Day Etiquette

I've been babysitting and substitute teaching practically everyday, so I have spent zero time on the computer. Our comcast has also made it almost impossible to log on as well, but it's also been nice to really stay busy. It's been a struggle just to spend an hour of quality time with my husband. I know I needed to put up a quick update, so I decided to share this quick snippet I caught on the Today Show this morning. It's the quick bullet points caught from an interview with the great granddaughter of Emily Post.

1. Do not talk about sex, religion and politics. You can do so with good friends, but not with your boss or company you don't know.
2. Single parent dating-don't give other school mom's something to talk about. Keep it low-key.
3. Using hand sanitzer at the table. It's rude because of the harsh smell and they said it's in the same category as picking your teeth.
4. Email invites vs. stationary invites-watch your audience. It's easy to get lost in junk mail and it is still fun to send out regular invites to help excite your guests.
5. Cell phone etiquette-do not leave out on the table. Keep it on vibrate in your pocket and politely excuse yourself from your guest. Remember, this is a time to be social and it helps reassure your company know that you want to be spending time with them.

Double knot those laces

I've never claimed to be a runner, but it is my new goal. For 6 months I was on the right track at the gym. I was making it there every single day, combining strength training and cardio...and I fell in love with spin class. Every time I walked out of there, I knew that I had accomplished something and that made me feel great. Well, over the Christmas holidays I somehow got a muscle strain in my back, most likely due to bending over incorrectly on the spin bike. So, after some physical therapy and a lot of inflammatories, I feel I am getting back on track. Yet, I am a little intimidated to get back on the bike, so, I decided that my new goal is to learn how to run (not on a treadmill). Today started DAY ONE of my new training and realized that this is going to be a lot of work and that is alright. I went to the park where the milage is clearly marked, and let me tell you it was hard. I kept imagining myself slowly taking charge of the whole track....but I didn't. I've never been good at running outside. It makes my lungs hurt and I have weird knees, but that isn't going to stop me for now. I've decided that the only way to accomplish this is to set small goals each day, so I don't get hurt or feel defeated. My goal is to make it around the whole track without walking by next week and we will take it from there, so wish me luck.

Robbers Beware!

Tonight my husband and I went to the store and bought our first baseball bat...and NO it wasn't for baseball practice. We got a call from a neighbor informing us that 17, yes, I said 17, break-ins have occurred in our neighborhood this week. His house was hit in the wee early morning hours today and the police spent 4 hours fingerprinting. I have to admit, I'm nervous. It's obvious that these hooded guys in some volvo (the get away car in question) are robbing these homes while people are there. So, here's my message to you crazy dudes..."Go AWAY, we've protected our home and everything I have is in my safety deposit box. And please leave my neighborhood alone. There's a lot of little old ladies around here that can't run fast."

Aquarius Posting

I usually don't pay attention to horoscopes at all...but today I glimpsed at it. Just wanted to say "Thank You" to whomever it is talking about.

The extraordinary efforts of someone in your crew -- social circle, office clique, team, whatever -- are creating some incredible opportunities for you right now, and today is the day to take advantage of them! Put the routine matters of the day aside and put your name on the list of volunteers for a brave new experiment. You have to show that you're eager to get involved in order for anyone to involve you. Be sure to show gratitude to the person who enabled all of this to happen.

Happy Valentine's Day...Did you know?

In honor of Valentine's, I've put up some history about the word KISS.

The band KISS used to be known as Wicked Lester. They changed the name in 1973. Paul Stanley (guitar and vocals) became the "Starchild" due to his tendency to be referred to as the "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic." Stanley came up with the name for the band, which was taken from the New York Dolls song "Looking For A Kiss."



The scientific name for kissing is philematology.

Some anthropologists believe that kissing originated with early Homo sapiens passing food to their babies mouth to mouth. As humans developed, the mouth-to-mouth feeding stopped but the learned behavior of kissing remained.

Hershey's Kisses got their name because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

Kissing each day will keep the dentist away. Kissing encourages saliva to wash away food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay, preventing plaque build-up.

You burn 26 calories in a one minute kiss.

The average person spends two weeks of their life kissing.

The top five foods to avoid 24 hours before kissing are garlic, onions, fish, cheese and pastrami.

The longest recorded kiss took place in New York City on December 5, 2001, between Louisa Almedovar and Rich Langley. It lasted 30 hours, 59 minutes and 27 seconds

Recessions drive me crazy

Sticking to the topic of jobs....I'm just going to put it out there and say it. If you read my previous post, just be lucky you have a job. Stick to those simple bullet points and be grateful for the time being. Hmmm...maybe I should explain where this is coming from.

As many of you readers out there know, I lost my job last November. Of course I had my few days of shock and sadness. Believe it or not, there actually is a grieving process that goes on. I didn't even feel mad or bitter towards my boss who gave me the news and I felt confident in my skills, the experience I had gained. I even listened to everyone who said "You will be back on your feet in no time!" Well, it's all about timing. First off, why do people think that giving workers the boot on the holidays make it easier. I love how everyone tries to say "Go out and enjoy the holiday. Now you have time to go have fun and go shopping." Here's a clue, it makes it easier if you have a paycheck to help out. Also, it's a time when NOBODY is hiring, but they all are dreaming big for the new year. So, they are still interviewing people, but in reality, they know that nothing is going to start moving at the pace you need it to. Yet, you can't afford to not be looking and interviewing at the same time. Might as well practice those skills, right?

Okay, so it's the new year. Maybe those prospects, that you thought you won over, might make a decision and move forward now. I keep telling myself, keep your chin up. Stay confident, you can still get through this. Well, as many of you might have heard..Breaking a four-year string of growth in hiring, employers shed jobs in January, the clearest sign yet that the U.S. economy is nearing a recession, if not already in it. Lucky for me, right? Yeah, this doesn't look good. In the meantime, two of the jobs that I was very hopeful about, both claim they continue to grow. But now, I have to take into account that any job that I may get, won't be a great offer because no matter what, all companies right now are cutting back. Especially if they are trying to add on more and more employees.

You may ask, what prompted this post? Well, I got news today from a company that they hired someone internally, that had been doing contract work for a while. So, knowing this makes me sad because I lost out, due to a technicality. What drove it home, was that I got forwarded a goodbye email from the person who got the job. You know, her "Dear John, I'm leaving my job and am eager about this new opportunity..blah, blah."

This new angle makes me feel guilty too. I have a friend that was being interviewed for the same job, as me, at my other prospect. As far as I know, I'm still in the running, but she's already gotten notification of them moving forward. If things ended up in my favor, I would find it very difficult to tell her. She's been very great about it and supportive, but I can't help but think that she might feel the sadness that I feel today over this. It had already been looming over my head since I found out, but I really can't afford to look the other way right now. I need a job and this would actually be something I really want too.

As I am challenged with these things, it has been attacking my self confidence now (back to timing as I mentioned above). I feel like I have the scarlet "U" on my chest, standing for "unemployed." As I move into my third month of this hiring challenge, I am starting to feel a little frustrated towards my situation. I realize why a lot of people in the music business jump from label to label. It is simply because it's all they know, so I advise you to look at #5 on the list below. It's a niche market and it is hard to pull yourself out. I am starting to feel sad that my old job was so quick to let me go and eliminated my position and are now so SLOW in moving forward without me with their plans. What was the rush?

Keep your job

The Today Show had a segment today about keeping your job during this recession time. Geez, I wish they would have a segment about how hard it is to find a job during the recession. These simple steps seem easy and for those of you out there who aren't willing to try...well, you disappoint me. I've listed the bullet points below and especially like the last one. (If you follow through, I may have a lot of friends coming to me. One thing I've noticed in the work place, when you lose your job, is who your friends really are. It was shocking to me how certain people, who just don't feel comfortable around you anymore, find it hard to say "hi" when they see you outside the workplace now.)

1. Be a good sport-don't be a drama queen and don't complain
2. Don't expect to get a raise-don't offer to take a pay cut, but don't turn one down either
3. Work harder and smarter-re-commit yourself to the job
4. Review your company health plan
5. Update yourself-it's time to learn those new skills
6. Add 20% more to your emergency fund-save your tax refund check
7. Prepare other options-there's no shame being open to other jobs and keeping your resume updated
8. Redirect a portion of your 401k to savings
9. Reconnect with people that have lost their jobs-they can give good advice and perspective



On a sidenote- this brief portion came on to help caution workers about work email. I kept on saying to myself "Who is dumb enough to do that?" because not sending your resume/personal emails from your work account just seems to be common sense, right? Well, they say that half of all businesses scan companies emails. They use software that detects key words because they want to protect company secrets, personal information and monitoring inappropriate contact. Courts are finding that businesses have the rights to do this and an employees' right to privacy just doesn't outweigh that interest. That's it in a nutshell.

Turning 30

Tomorrow is my 30th birthday. You know the best part about turning the big 3-0 is the fact that you no longer have to hear people ask the question "Uh, oh, are you scared?" and watch them make that face. That's right, you know the face I'm talking about. It's the one with the look of concern that you're facing the reality that you now are getting old and "What are you going to do?!?!?" Blah, blah, you know what? I don't care. I'm glad to be done with my twenties, I think? Nevertheless, it is a memorable birthday and one that everyone talks about. I am sad that my mom isn't here to celebrate with me and I'm sure she would have made it great.

So, for the big birthday, I'm getting three days of celebration (one day for each decade, I guess). Friday, I got to celebrate with close friends all day. It first started at Noshville with my old girls lunch crew. That evening we headed to the Rosepepper Cantina in East Nashville. Geez, What a great time! I just felt very lucky to have such good friends around me on an important day. Each person around that table mean the world to me. It was just the way I wanted. Small and intimate with the people that genuinely make me feel loved.

Tonight was the family dinner out at California Pizza Kitchen because of course my big day had to fall on SuperBowl Sunday. It's a pretty important birthday and I'm not letting a stupid football game be an excuse to party. I've had that happen before and it sucked. So, instead, I've decided to milk it for all it's worth. I might be able to round up some pictures and post them tomorrow. In the meantime, I give everyone permission to eat really bad tomorrow and have a good time.

P.S. I am still trying to figure out who to cheer for. I wouldn't be upset either way, but I think I'm leaning towards the Giants. They gave they Patriots a good run for their money last time they played and It'd be nice to see them pull it off. But I already give kudos to New England for a great season.

Learn and donate rice

Are you sitting there bored at work? Well, if you are, do me a favor and check out FreeRice.com. FreeRice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.

FreeRice has two goals:
Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free

Would you snitch on your neighbor?

I was watching the Today Show this morning and they had an interesting segment on cybersnitching your neighbor. There is a website called RottenNeighbor.com where you can go and complain about your existing neighbors. They say that this is a wonderful thing when you are house hunting because finding out about your "neighbors-to-be" can be difficult. While watching this, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about my crazy neighbors. When we moved in, we really loved the location. It's about one mile from Historic Downtown and we sacrificed some other things to live in this spot. Well, about three months later, our neighbor decided to let her GROWN son move a full size trailer into the front of their driveway, which blocks the whole view up the street. Yes, he actually lives out there. It's pretty clear when he hooks up his satellite TV and the lights are on all the time. It doesn't EVER move except for stupid Nascar races either. I've been that pesky neighbor and have called the city codes department about it, but they seem to not care. They say that it's against the rules for him to be out there, but maybe he sweet talks his way out of it...that is, if they have ever looked into it. My husband and I did a lot of work on the exterior of our house so that is why it bugs us so much. We love curb appeal so we painted the brick of our house, did some landscaping and even more. We can't help but feel that this situation just shoots our efforts down and lowers the property value. We have tried explaining to them our side, but it doesn't help either. So, we just continue to be stuck.

This RottenNeighbor.com wouldn't have done us any good anyways when we were buying. I haven't mentioned it yet, but I live in Grandpavillle. I am sure that maybe only three to four people on my street even own a computer. So, there wouldn't be any complaints on there to have researched. I talk trash in this blog, but I think that I am taking the advice from the creators and won't snitch on the site. They say that it can also hurt your own home's value if you complain, especially if you are trying to sell, which we might do maybe in the near future.

Just as a disclaimer, I'm sure the website is getting a lot of hits because I've had trouble with the page loading today.

Campaign research...check.

I've been meaning to do this, but it's time consuming, overwhelming and maybe a little boring. Today I researched the '08 Presidential Nominee Candidates. I went through their websites, read up on each individual issue and even took some comparison quizzes. To be honest, there is a lot I still don't understand and I will have to get somebody to explain some things. I do believe that I am making progress and have most likely have narrowed it down to a specific candidate. Typically, I am not really one to force my political opinions onto others and I don't really care for the conflict that can come with doing that. I'm usually the quiet voter that makes my way into the booth, presses the VOTE NOW button and goes on with my day. I might put up a banner or sticker at some point, but I will make sure that I am confident in my choice before doing so. Some people need an excuse to complain and elections are the perfect chance to do so. Ugh, if you do that, there is a 95% I will tune you out. No offense. I do stand firm that voting is important and don't complain if you don't plan on voting to help make a change. It will be a surprise to myself if I become passionate about the upcoming election, but there are issues like healthcare and etc. that were important to me before, but now that I am jobless and on cobra for a limited time, healthcare is even more important. Thinking about the future and keeping in mind; maternity, pre-existing conditions, and prescriptions, some things makes more sense now. Anyways, if you are still researching too, this is a good catch-all page for a brief glimpse.

Hockey game firsts...

So, I went to my first Predator's hockey game last night. My friend Kristen got the opportunity to ride the zamboni after the first quarter, so we went and cheered her on. Unfortunately with the iPhone, I could not get a close up picture, but I that is her on the machine. (squint really hard) I've also included a picture of Holland (another friend's kid), which was too cute to not post. He was introduced to cotton candy at the game. Hmm....I wonder how he slept? Being with friends and their babies last night, I couldn't help but long for the day when I could be a part of that group, the mommies and the daddies. It will come some day, but I guess I really need to get a lot of things in order first. Once I get a job, I need to sit tight for a while so that I can be efficient and establish myself and then we also have to figure out the house situation. We barely have enough space for the two of us, with what we've got now. But then you can never, ever be fully prepared, right?

I met Isabeau!

Oh my goodness...I just met Isabeau from The Biggest Loser. I was in such a bad mood today about going to the gym. You know it's one of those "I hate my body" days. So...I knew in order to solve the problem I had to go, but I did not have the best attitude. This is why I have a personal trainer and set appointments to go, otherwise I would have wimped out and not gone. Thank goodness I went because I got to meet Isabeau. Go Black Team!!! You don't understand, The Biggest Loser was my favorite show last season. I would literally schedule my workouts the day after so I could still be inspired and to tell my trainer what happened on the show. I even got to ask her about the time Jillian made her do a speed of 14 on the treadmill. I remember going to the gym and attempting it and I could only run around 7 speed. So, WOW! Anyways, just wanted to share my starstruck moment of the day. It sort of motivated me out of my workout slump and I'm eager to hit the gym again tomorrow for spin class.

Ugh...American Idol

Oh geez, American Idol starts back up tonight. Even as they are going into Season 7 of the show, I have yet to jump on the band wagon and watch a full episode of the show. I just don't like it, I get bored and change the channel. There have been numerous times that I wished that I could be a part of the "water cooler" discussion about the show, but I just hate it. To top it off, the show comes on like, what, three times a week? So, it's not just a weekly discussion, but almost a daily conversation. Ugh. I do admit that I like Kelly Clarkson and I think Carrie Underwood is pretty good. It might have been interesting to have watched them make it big on the show, but I'm sure there was some other show that was a bigger priority. Yep, I'm certain. But to all you fans out there, I hope it's a good season and hopefully a winner will come out of this season that I will appreciate. Fingers crossed.

I am an ISFJ, what are you?

I was catching up on the Brazen Careerist blog and one post called "Are You A Strategist?" captured my attention. Penelope goes into a bit about jobs and taking a personality test. I figured I would give her the benefit of the doubt and go for it and apparently, I am an ISFJ (Introvert, Sensor, Feeler, Judger)

People of this type tend to be: cautious, gentle, and thoughtful; hesitant until they know people well then affectionate and caring; very literal and aware of the physical world; uncompromising about personal standards and easily offended; diligent and conscientious, organized and decisive. The most important thing to ISFJs is living a stable, predictable life and helping people in real ways. Does this sound like me? When answering the questions, I found myself being very honest and not clicking what I would hope or want my answers to be. It surprised me that it came really easy and I felt confident in answers. It even directly asks you if you are confident.

Take the test, what are you?

Job interview and more

I had a good job interview yesterday. "YES!" I felt confident in my answers and walked away feeling like I could really bring something to the table. I didn't feel like I was stretching for answers and if the discussion goes to the next step, I think I would really like it. Would I want to make the daily commute to Nashville again? It might be worth it. Unlike the offer I had last week, I think that I could naturally fit into the company, the job position and take it on full force. Now, it's just that awful "waiting" period. The dreaded time where you wait anxiously to find out if they think you are the perfect fit. The dreaded time where they interview other candidates and you feel nervous being compared to others. You all know the feeling I'm talking about!

Anyways, never did I think that while being unemployed that I would find myself with little free time. It's surprising. I made the vow to myself that while I didn't have a job, I would be the perfect homemaker. There is no reason why the laundry shouldn't be caught up, the dishes always clean and everything picked up. I did really well at first. I even reorganized the pantry and cleaned out the fridge. Now, it's getting harder. I was telling this to a friend yesterday and she made me realize that when everyone is working, the house doesn't get "lived in." Therefore, you aren't making a mess or moving things around on an hourly basis. Think about it, it makes sense. You say, maybe I should be cleaning rather than blogging at this moment? Hmm.. I haven't cleaned the oven yet and it needs it. But the catch is that I like writing on here. It makes me feel connected to the outside world, still, and not feeling cramped up in my 1050 sq.foot home.

I also made the resolution earlier this year to hit the gym at least 5x a week and I'm doing pretty good so far. I've been twice already this week. This isn't a hard thing for me to aim for since I was already going about that much. It's really a maintence resolution. Monday I had to hold back because I felt the most excruciating back pain ever. I've been sore since I went to Hilton Head the week of Christmas. It might have started from a previous work-out, the long car ride, the awful guest bed...but after two weeks of discomfort, it just wasn't gettting better. I was still going to the gym though. (hint hint, I'm kind of hard-core. In fact, I have a friend who likes to call me a gym rat. Boo.) I did a leg workout, which combined with the back, put me out of order. I was laid up all weekend watching Season 3 of The Office. So, now that the back doctor has given me an anti-inflammatory we are now back in business. Spin class was good and challenging this morning and I'm looking forward to strength training tomorrow. Part of my enthusiasm comes from encouraging news I got yesterday. My personal trainer has a measure day every 8 weeks. We go over everything with a tape measure, do the skin pinchers and the hop on the scale to see the progress. Ever since I started training, the tape measure stuff remained consistent, the skinfolds have decreased, but what?? Why does weight keeps going up? I know there are myths about gaining muscle...blah blah...but still it hurts the ego. You feel like you are doing everything right, but seeing no progress. It's just my body and it's not working the way it should. Anyways, we did the measurements yesterday and I actually saw a decrease in numbers all around. FINALLY! It made me feel great about not giving up. I plowed through the frustrations and kept moving forward. It was also nice to know that I lost weight over the holiday season, rather than gaining. I've got a refreshed attitude about the gym now and am hopeful about things. I know that getting my blood sugar under control has been a big part of this too. I'm eating better and am working on the "eat more vegetables" resolution.

New 2008 Party Dress

Okay, so it's a little late, but I finally got around to updating the look of the site. Nothing drastic, but a new party dress was definitely called for, right?...Hello? Christmas was over like two weeks ago and that header was becoming vintage! Hopefully this blog in 2008 will lead to new and encouraging things. I look forward to your visits and, as always, love to hear your comments.

As many of you guys know, right now I am jobless (take a bow, Leslie). Right now, I feel that I am at this major crossroads. I am taking the time to really, REALLY analyze the things I have done previously and what I am willing to do in the future. I am no longer the recent college graduate desperate for that job. I feel like I am interviewing these companies as much as they are interviewing me. I want to respect an employer's time as much as I want them to respect mine, so I want to make sure that my next gig is the perfect thing...at least for this next stage in my life. (I hit 30 in 27 days and counting). I don't have kids yet, so I have the luxury, for at least a little while, of collecting my unemployment check and finding out what makes me happy. I think I have narrowed it down quite a bit. I did have an interview last week and did get the offer. After walking out the door, I pretty much knew my answer. I took the weekend to fully think about it and made the call today to respectfully decline. I didn't want to rush the decision because I do have a mortgage... and cobra insurance will eventually become too expensive. I felt nervous all weekend about having to let them down. "I don't want to make this call today! I really don't want to give them bad news." It definitely helped boost my confidence a little though. I have another interview tomorrow that I feel might fit better with what I am looking for. Wish me luck.

Thank You Writer's Strike

I might be able to say "Thank you Writer's Strike." Due to the need of reality TV to fill the gaps, The Biggest Loser: Couples has hit the airwaves. This has grown to be one of my favorite shows (previously posted in December). This week, the new season premiered and so far I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I'm excited it's on, but I just don't feel like starting at the beginning again. As the show moves along, you become fans of certain contestants and now I have to start from scratch. Right now, I have no favorites. This season it's all about couples, so they are paired off and have to work off each other's successes and failures. The first week, a father/daughter couple got kicked off because she wanted to be there and he wanted to go home. I felt terrible for her.

This week I've started back at the gym, along with the rest of America. I haven't done my weight training for about two weeks which made me feel awful yesterday. It really does make a difference when you keep it up. I am used to doing an hour, twice a week with cardio filling in the gaps. Due to vacation schedules, I haven't been able to keep up with the routine. So, I started back yesterday and felt wiped out. I was feeling low blood sugar, it was crowded and I was starting a new upper body regiment. I felt paranoid. There were lots of people there staring at everyone and I felt I was going too slow on the machines. I guess you just have to remember that everyone there is unhappy with some part of their body, otherwise they wouldn't be there. I went to spin class today and successfully got through it, so there is hope. I managed to get a little bit of confidence back. Since I don't have a job right now, there is no reason why I can't really work on resolution #5 (see below). I just want my gym back. I don't want to get there an hour early just to reserve a bike and I don't want to have a reason to gripe anymore

My top 5 resolutions.

Here they are In no particular order:
1. EAT MORE VEGETABLES AND GREENS. Now if you know me, you will definitely know and at sometime probably mocked and kid me about hating vegetables. Yes, I am a picky eater. I don't deny it. Over the past few years, I have been slowly making the transition to eat more vegetables. I've started eating green beans, spinach and maybe a few carrots here or there. I have friends that sneak in zucchini into my hamburgers. But this year, I'm going to try. I've got to change my diet to reflect one of a diabetic anyways, so keep your fingers crossed.
2. FINISH A 5K. Last year I walked/ran the Country Music Marathon and thought that was an accomplishment. I might decide to try it again in April, but I am setting a realistic goal too. I want to finishing running at least a 5K.
3. FIND A JOB. Now that I am starting the year off unemployed, I want to make sure that my next job is something that embraces my spirit and personality. No more dreading to go to work. The next thing I pick will be the right thing and I will be able to walk in everyday with a smile on my face.
4. READ MY BIBLE EVERY DAY. Yes, I am a slacker. I love to read. I don't have a hard time finishing other books, but I never really take the opportunity to sit with my Bible and digest it. So, for at least 5 minutes a day (I'm being realistic again) I am going to read The Word.
5. GET TO THE GYM AT LEAST 5X A WEEK. Yeah, yeah, lose weight right? Everyone includes this one. Well, I have to. One reason, I am now pre-diabetic. I can't let this take over me and go to the next level. Also, I want to look great for Susannah's wedding in June. I am determined to be a size smaller for the wedding, at least. I just in general want to feel better too. When I work out, it feels good and I feel like I have accomplished something when I walk out of that spin class. "The hardest part is getting there." I'm not sure if it is a full on resolution, since I already do this, but it also didn't feel right to leave it off the list.