One Small Step

My friend Kristen and I walked around campus for 30 minutes today. Yay us!

I obviously don't care WHAT I look like on outings like this. Good thing!

In Mourning; or, Good, Better, Best

I'm grieving over the loss of my seemingly last bit of free time. I gave up most TV watching, even my beloved British period dramas and police shows from Netflix, a few months ago. That means I also gave up knitting, though I still have hopes of finishing Baby J's stocking before Christmas (it's doable, maybe with a Closer/Major Crimes/Downton Abbey marathon after finals?). So now it's down to the last comfort. Yes, recreational reading. It's basically gone.

I marvel at the many busy women (and men) who manage to read despite all the other things they accomplish, but I apparently need more sleep than they do. I'm sadly about to return the latest Laurie R. King to the library unread, and I've borrowed the latest Mma Ramotswe book three times without finishing it.

On the other hand, I've been more consistent in my scripture reading lately, and for several weeks I've been walking two to three miles a few times a week. I'd also like to say my house is a bit cleaner these days, but that may be my imagination. And, if I stick with the school thing, I'll have another degree one of these days and perhaps be in a position to better my employment.

So, I'm trying to be positive and think about the blessings that come when we choose better things over good things. Still, please be kind if you see me shed a tear or two.

Making it Work

I'm terrible at drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Apparently, I just never had the right container. I bought myself a pink 20 oz Aladdin To-Go tumbler at Target. I fill it with ice and water before I leave for work, and voila! I'm drinking at least 20 more ounces a day, maybe even 40 or 50 ounces more, than I had been.

If only other health habits were so easy to improve!

Bizarro Auntie K

Remember Bizarro Jerry? While I was "running" at the track last week and thinking about what an unnatural act that is for my body, I started to wonder about Bizarro Auntie K. Here's what I think she's like:

Tall and willowy
An early riser
Doesn't own a watch or a calendar
A great volleyball player
A healthfood nut
Tone deaf
She finishes EVERYthing she starts

Ugh

It's 4pm and my 10:30-11:00am meeting turned into an all-day activity (we're going to start IM reference. Soon. I somehow became involved in helping work up the proposal. Fun, but NOT the project I needed to work on today).

Now, it's time to change and go to the track. And all I want to do is the exact opposite--go home and eat a snack and crash. And since I skipped out on the track yesterday, this is a bigger deal than it might otherwise be.

So, any advice? Looking in the mirror and pulling on my ever-snugger clothing every day hasn't motivated me so far.

Status Report

Current Location: office
Chapters read in Deathly Hallows: 25
Remaining visits with fitness coach: 1(!)
Listening to: Simon & Garfunkel Old Friends Disc 1 (thanks A1!)
Just finished eating: jumbo hot dog (impulse purchase at Women in Computer Science bakesale)
Pounds lost during wellness program: -3
Ounces of Diet Coke consumed so far today: 30
Working on: identifying possible competitors for a proposed book project. Gotta love WorldCat.
Temperature outside: 99 degrees F
Temperature in office: 73 degrees F
Table fan speed: Medium
Looking forward to: December

Form is Everything

Some (or all) of you may know I'm participating in a 10-week wellness program at work. Thank you, A2 and M, for being so kind as to check up on my progress when we talk. If anyone else is wondering how I'm doing, here's the lowdown:

*According to my fitness coach, Andy, my form on the dumbbell curl is better than 98% of the people in the weight room. Andy doesn't know I own a (purloined) copy of The Weider System of Bodybuilding and that I once received personal coaching at Austin's Gym.

*At week 4, I have yet to lose any weight. I also have yet to gain any weight.

*I meet for 30 minutes one-on-one with the Registered Dietitian this week. I don't think she'll have many words of praise for me when she sees my food journal, even though I "forgot" to record the 3 heaping spoonfuls of Marshmallow Fluff I ate last night.

*I'm at the weight room 2-3 times a week and doing cardio (usually the elliptical machine) 2-3 times a week. Andy said I need to be doing 40 mins of cardio 4 times a week or more if I really want to see any results. If only I had an elliptical machine in my super air conditioned living room...


photo: Chicago Daily News, Inc. (c. 1905). [Photograph of a man with his hands on a weight lifting apparatus]. Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0003451. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society. Available from Library of Congress American Memory.