There have been so many mornings when I have woken up with a song going through my head. Sometimes it's a happy, peppy song, other times it's a love song. This morning's song I have no answer for. I don't want to know what put it there, nor do I want it there ever again. Therefore I'm sharing it with the rest of you. The earworm can go visit someone else's ear for a while.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
the crap i keep
I've been purging things lately (unfortunately not poundage) and yesterday's task was cleaning out my personal email inbox. I was hoping I'd find some more of those great time capsule emails from friends that I had referred to in a previous post, but instead I found a treasure trove of recipes I'll never try, emails from family members complaining about mundane day-to-day events, and newsletters that are completely obsolete.
Was I just too lazy to delete these emails? Did I think I'd go back to them again and find some use for them? And good lord - why did I keep weather alerts from 2008?
And then I looked in a folder I had named "Saved Messages" and I found even more emails in there that I have no clue why I would deem them as something to be saved. I think I was some sort of email hoarder back in 2007/2008.
The thing that really pisses me off is that there are emails that I wish I had kept that I apparently deleted. Great conversations that I had with friends, words of wisdom, passwords to sites I rarely go to but are necessary - you know...important stuff. But no, they're gone.
Instead I'm left with lists of cleaning tips that I've never looked at and forwarded jokes that weren't even that funny when I originally received them...five years ago.
Sigh
I've whittled down the 45 pages of emails that I had down to 6. I could probably go even further, but I don't want to look pathetic either. Can someone please send me some great, meaningful, funny or touching emails that I can keep forever...for a good reason?
Was I just too lazy to delete these emails? Did I think I'd go back to them again and find some use for them? And good lord - why did I keep weather alerts from 2008?
And then I looked in a folder I had named "Saved Messages" and I found even more emails in there that I have no clue why I would deem them as something to be saved. I think I was some sort of email hoarder back in 2007/2008.
The thing that really pisses me off is that there are emails that I wish I had kept that I apparently deleted. Great conversations that I had with friends, words of wisdom, passwords to sites I rarely go to but are necessary - you know...important stuff. But no, they're gone.
Instead I'm left with lists of cleaning tips that I've never looked at and forwarded jokes that weren't even that funny when I originally received them...five years ago.
Sigh
I've whittled down the 45 pages of emails that I had down to 6. I could probably go even further, but I don't want to look pathetic either. Can someone please send me some great, meaningful, funny or touching emails that I can keep forever...for a good reason?
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
more motivation please
Help!
I'm stuck on a weight-loss plateau again and I'm losing my motivation to keep going. My exercise has been on a less-than-regular basis and I think I might have gained a little bit again.
This is not good.
I have 10-15 pounds to go to reach my goal and I don't want to give up, but I just don't have the motivation to keep going. I need something to look totally hot for. I need a n event or to see people I haven't seen in a while. Something a few months in the future so I can realistically get there, but have to work to do it. I won't have a class reunion for another couple of years, I don't have any friends getting married, no vacations that I need to fit into a bikini for.
Any ideas??
I'm stuck on a weight-loss plateau again and I'm losing my motivation to keep going. My exercise has been on a less-than-regular basis and I think I might have gained a little bit again.
This is not good.
I have 10-15 pounds to go to reach my goal and I don't want to give up, but I just don't have the motivation to keep going. I need something to look totally hot for. I need a n event or to see people I haven't seen in a while. Something a few months in the future so I can realistically get there, but have to work to do it. I won't have a class reunion for another couple of years, I don't have any friends getting married, no vacations that I need to fit into a bikini for.
Any ideas??
Friday, August 19, 2011
losing yourself... (sorry, this one's not humorous)
I'm not talking about losing yourself in a good book or some great music. I mean you - the real you. Your memories, your habits, your personality - your you-ness. Imagine what you would do if those parts of you began slipping away, never to return again.
Every 69 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease. What if it was you? Once you're diagnosed, you have an average of 8 years to live...sometimes more, sometimes less...but in your remaining time, your identity disappears. Bran cells are damaged causing memory loss, erratic behavior changes and confusion. Slowly, you would lose your ability to connect with others, think clearly, walk, talk, eat... Your friends and family would gradually become strangers, your favorite foods begin tasting like paste, the memories you cherish most - your first kiss, wedding, the birth of your children, would just disappear.
And there's nothing you could do about it. Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the country and the only one in that ominous top 10 list that cannot be cured, prevented or even slowed down. While death rates for other diseases are on the decline, the rate for Alzheimer's is increasing. Increasing! And with the Baby Boomer generation now beginning to reach the age of 65, that rate is going to jump up even faster unless something changes.
I'm trying to help move that change along. In order to raise awareness and funds for research and support, my family and I will be participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Lake Geneva on September 17th. We will be walking in the name of my 3rd grandmother, Rusty, who suffered from the disease and passed away last month.
Now I'm reaching out to all of my friends (hello friends!) and asking if you could spare a dollar or two this month to donate to our team, "The Rusty Walkers." All of the funds we raise will go directly to supporting the efforts of the Alzheimer's Association. I know times are rough right now and we don't have much we can spare, believe me I know, but when you add up all of those spare dollars it could really help.
If you're at all interested in donating, you can do so by following this link:
Thanks for taking a moment to read my rambling plea for donations (I've never been good at asking for help), and thanks in advance for any assistance you can give.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
the simple rules i live by
Laugh it off. Trust me on this one. When life is throwing crap at you like a room full of monkeys, dodge it with laughter. Yes, try to fix things that need to be fixed, don't just ignore the problems, but don't let doom and gloom get you down for too long. Laugh at the ridiculousness of it all and you'll feel much better.
Never spread rumors. Well, unless it's a test. (My friend and I tried this once. We started our own rumor about ourselves and had another friend relay the rumor to us once she heard it. It was quite humorous - especially when we heard how it had morphed.)
Always smell the milk before pouring it. I don't care what the expiration date says - expiration dates lie! You don't want your cereal to taste a little "off" or give your child accidentally "extra chunky" mac and cheese. Take a quick little whiff before you infect the rest of your food with a tainted dairy product.
Don't get jealous of your friends who are constantly travelling to cool places while you're sitting at home snacking on cold turkey cheese hot dogs in your pajamas looking at the pictures they're posting on facebook. (What, is it only me?) They're probably (hopefully) stressed out about something like transportation, language barriers, gas money, malaria, etc. Maybe if you're lucky they'll be kind enough to bring you something to add to your collection of souvenirs from places you've never been.
When presented with time alone in your house, go naked! Seriously. When we were young and single or in new relationships, we used to do it all the time. Why not do it now? Feel the breeze on your other cheeks. Let it all hang out. Who's gonna see ya? Just don't make the mistake of watching the neighbors' kids from your living room window because you've completely forgotten that you are sans-clothing. That could make for unwelcome visits from people in uniforms.
Eat the crumbs at the bottom of the snack bags. Don't you know that's where all the flavor goes? Go ahead! Forget the nicety of a bowl - just pour them straight into your mouth. And then brush your teeth. And vacuum...because you've probably gotten crumbs all over the floor as well.
Let yourself regress. Don't constantly live in the past, but enjoy those memories and interests from time to time. Watch hours and hours of He-Man cartoons some rainy Sunday, do the Roger Rabbit to MC Hammer, try picking up a drawing pencil or some watercolors and see what you can do with them, cry to that song that used to remind you of the boy you loved but didn't love you back in junior high, play with your kids' Barbies or Transformers while they're taking a nap. Just don't give yourself mall hair, put on an acid-washed jean jacket and spritz yourself with Electric Youth perfume before you go to a family function. That's going a little too far and they might commit you for that.
Everything in moderation. Naughty food, alcohol, even bad feelings. A little of these things won't do you in. Just don't overdo it. Excess could lead to becoming the large 50-year-old woman in crop tops and spandex at the dark dive bar downtown who gets into fights with anyone who looks at her the "wrong way." This leads to a life of no friends, probable incarceration and heart disease which will probably result in an early death. See how it works? Moderation, my friends.
Enjoy the little things. Ah, yes, the old cliche line. I can't help it - it's true. If you see a butterfly going past, actually watch it. Soak in the sound of your kid's laugh. Hug your best friend a little longer. Savor the flavor of that ice cream you're not supposed to be eating, and don't feel guilty about it. Watch the clouds, the sunrises and sunsets, and in the words of the Almighty Pee-Wee, "Take a picture, it'll last longer!"
Never spread rumors. Well, unless it's a test. (My friend and I tried this once. We started our own rumor about ourselves and had another friend relay the rumor to us once she heard it. It was quite humorous - especially when we heard how it had morphed.)
Always smell the milk before pouring it. I don't care what the expiration date says - expiration dates lie! You don't want your cereal to taste a little "off" or give your child accidentally "extra chunky" mac and cheese. Take a quick little whiff before you infect the rest of your food with a tainted dairy product.
Don't get jealous of your friends who are constantly travelling to cool places while you're sitting at home snacking on cold turkey cheese hot dogs in your pajamas looking at the pictures they're posting on facebook. (What, is it only me?) They're probably (hopefully) stressed out about something like transportation, language barriers, gas money, malaria, etc. Maybe if you're lucky they'll be kind enough to bring you something to add to your collection of souvenirs from places you've never been.
When presented with time alone in your house, go naked! Seriously. When we were young and single or in new relationships, we used to do it all the time. Why not do it now? Feel the breeze on your other cheeks. Let it all hang out. Who's gonna see ya? Just don't make the mistake of watching the neighbors' kids from your living room window because you've completely forgotten that you are sans-clothing. That could make for unwelcome visits from people in uniforms.
Eat the crumbs at the bottom of the snack bags. Don't you know that's where all the flavor goes? Go ahead! Forget the nicety of a bowl - just pour them straight into your mouth. And then brush your teeth. And vacuum...because you've probably gotten crumbs all over the floor as well.
Let yourself regress. Don't constantly live in the past, but enjoy those memories and interests from time to time. Watch hours and hours of He-Man cartoons some rainy Sunday, do the Roger Rabbit to MC Hammer, try picking up a drawing pencil or some watercolors and see what you can do with them, cry to that song that used to remind you of the boy you loved but didn't love you back in junior high, play with your kids' Barbies or Transformers while they're taking a nap. Just don't give yourself mall hair, put on an acid-washed jean jacket and spritz yourself with Electric Youth perfume before you go to a family function. That's going a little too far and they might commit you for that.
Everything in moderation. Naughty food, alcohol, even bad feelings. A little of these things won't do you in. Just don't overdo it. Excess could lead to becoming the large 50-year-old woman in crop tops and spandex at the dark dive bar downtown who gets into fights with anyone who looks at her the "wrong way." This leads to a life of no friends, probable incarceration and heart disease which will probably result in an early death. See how it works? Moderation, my friends.
Enjoy the little things. Ah, yes, the old cliche line. I can't help it - it's true. If you see a butterfly going past, actually watch it. Soak in the sound of your kid's laugh. Hug your best friend a little longer. Savor the flavor of that ice cream you're not supposed to be eating, and don't feel guilty about it. Watch the clouds, the sunrises and sunsets, and in the words of the Almighty Pee-Wee, "Take a picture, it'll last longer!"
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
right vs. left
Noooo....I'm not talking the state of our political climate. I'll leave that to other people who want to spout forth their own opinions on the subject - I'm done. I'm talking about my brain and the odd way in which it works.
As I've said before, I've gone from being more right-brained to just about 50/50. It's an odd phenomenon for me. This morning I realized that the sides of my brain must be taking turns being the dominant side, yet they don't want to work together. You know how some people do their best thinking on the toilet? Well, I"m not one of those people. No, my brain seems to work the best when I'm standing nekkid in the shower. Go figure. Yesterday morning I had an epiphany about the best way to do a report at work. And it was beautiful. The ol' Left Side was working away while Right Side must have been taking a break, popping a short daydream or memory in from time to time to say, "I'm still here." This morning, Righty kicked into full gear and came up with some great ideas for blog posts. (You lucky, lucky people) I think Lefty was still asleep.
The problem that I'm running into now is that I'm having a hard time switching from one side to the other fast enough and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. Not enough time to do what I'd like to do because I'm being pulled in two different directions. I want to be doing creative things while I'm being forced to do math or I'd really like to write a story for a great cause, but my left brain is making me write a list instead. I'd love to be able to run one report, shoot out a somewhat witty email, type up a contract, do a blog entry. It's not working as fast as I would like it to and I'm getting frustrated.
Maybe I need a brain mediator or something to make them work together in a more civilized fashion. I could make my projects more of a combination between the two sides of my brain. I could add some nifty designs to my reports or organize by photo albums by year. Oh wait - that sounds far too Martha Stewart-esque. Scratch that.
I just want a working, happy, non-cluttered brain again.
As I've said before, I've gone from being more right-brained to just about 50/50. It's an odd phenomenon for me. This morning I realized that the sides of my brain must be taking turns being the dominant side, yet they don't want to work together. You know how some people do their best thinking on the toilet? Well, I"m not one of those people. No, my brain seems to work the best when I'm standing nekkid in the shower. Go figure. Yesterday morning I had an epiphany about the best way to do a report at work. And it was beautiful. The ol' Left Side was working away while Right Side must have been taking a break, popping a short daydream or memory in from time to time to say, "I'm still here." This morning, Righty kicked into full gear and came up with some great ideas for blog posts. (You lucky, lucky people) I think Lefty was still asleep.
The problem that I'm running into now is that I'm having a hard time switching from one side to the other fast enough and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. Not enough time to do what I'd like to do because I'm being pulled in two different directions. I want to be doing creative things while I'm being forced to do math or I'd really like to write a story for a great cause, but my left brain is making me write a list instead. I'd love to be able to run one report, shoot out a somewhat witty email, type up a contract, do a blog entry. It's not working as fast as I would like it to and I'm getting frustrated.
Maybe I need a brain mediator or something to make them work together in a more civilized fashion. I could make my projects more of a combination between the two sides of my brain. I could add some nifty designs to my reports or organize by photo albums by year. Oh wait - that sounds far too Martha Stewart-esque. Scratch that.
I just want a working, happy, non-cluttered brain again.
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