Quick update: Bailey, the unfinished story

Further furnishing the story of Bailey's first canoe ride it's important to know that Bailey loves to point, the bigger the animal the more she like to do it. The Huron River is full of ducks, swans, and geese so you can only imagine, a point loving dog ensconced in birdom, was having the time of her life. Not only did she try to swim after the one goose before we stopped her, she also pointed at everyone we passed. You might think she'd learn that a four legged dog on two legs, trying to stand perfectly still while in a canoe, will lead to utter failure. I love my dog, she is not bright, she fell over. A lot.

Weight loss Wednesdays: I Canoe and you can too!

One of my favorite activities is back in style! I love being on the water, and my favorite water activity is canoeing. Summer is here so we'll be going as often as weather and finances permit. It can be relaxing and tranquil among the bright shades of green that nearly canopy the river and, the sounds of birds singing sweetly in a chorus that only the Pure Moods CD can compete with. And yes I own the CD.

The reality is it's hard work that gets you sweating and working as a team with whomever you choose to canoe with. You enjoy the views and the sounds, it's true, but your arms get an incredible burn while your abs get the workout of the year! Ah canoeing, nature at it's finest and my arms at their strongest.

Kevin and I got some bonus ab workouts this last trip. We took our dog, Bailey, on her first canoe ride and her pacing the first half hour of the outing had us leaning every which way trying to prevent the big flip. Which we did. Successfully. The only thing that got wet was Bailey's right front paw as she toiled with the idea of swimming after a goose to which we both shouted "NO!"

I recommend the canoe as a weight loss/active life tool because it's fairly inexpensive, fun and challenging, and can be tailored to any ability based on where in the river you canoe and how long your trip is.

Nutcracker Auditions: Detroit

I was looking around the web for musical auditions for my friend who is currently without the Internet, (I can't imagine), when I came across an announcement for Joffery Ballet's Nutcracker in Detroit.

It is, of course, the children's audition but, if you're between 8 and 15 years old, I say go for it!



DATE: Saturday, September 27, 2008
PLACE: Ford Center for Arts and Learning, Detroit Opera House (across from Comerica Park)1526 Broadway Detroit, MI 48226 *use Broadway entrance

GROUP A
11 – 15 years old
4’5” – 5’2” tall
4 plus years of ballet training

GROUP B
8 – 14 years old
4’ – 5’2” tall
1 – 4 years of ballet training

Rehearsals start in September and the show runs 6 times Thanksgiving weekend. For full details and how to register, click here.

Orginal image can be found here.

Kool Aid vs Vitamin Water

Everywhere I look people are drinking vitamin water. Not wanting to be left out I bought a bottle. I was astonished by what I found, it was like expensive, adult Kool-Aid. No wonder the sugar addicted populous seems to be toting this colorful bottle around. Parents are giving it to kids, one more thing to get them off the couch and bouncing off the walls. I couldn't even finish it.

Turns out this "super healthy" water which has tons of vitamin C, just like the K, is um, just like the K.

16 grams of sugar in Kool-Aid
13 grams of sugar in Vitamin Water

I'll stick with water.

The dirty little secret

Everyone's got one, here is mine. That's right, here, for the World to see is my secret.

I made a compromise about a something we bought for the house. I didn't feel like arguing anymore at the time. We were getting married and I was searching for that happy sweet state-of-mind so I said "You can pick it out."

I liked almost every one of the 40 or so options that you could choose...yet, of course, he picked one of the three I thought I would never like.

And I lied.

I said it's nice, if you think it is the right one for US then it is.

And he did.

Even with a loaded question like that, he thought it was. So now I am stuck looking at this very expensive something for the rest of my life.

The moral of the story? Speak your mind, cause a fight. Being passive is soooo not worth it. Lesson Learned.

Feel like sharing your own, just post anonymously and only you'll know!

Get the most from your veggies

The latest on veggies from Tara Parker-Pope, well writer for the New York Times:

A growing body of research shows that when it comes to vegetables, it’s not only how much we eat, but how we prepare them, that influences the amount of phytochemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that enter our body.

Read all about it here.

Weight loss Wednesdays: Go Go Goji Power

The last few weeks I have been increasing my goji consumption. Goji berries are famed for their many health boosting qualities such as enhancing immune system function, improving eyesight, protecting the liver, boosting sperm production and improving circulation, among other effects.

They are sometimes called the fountain of youth, a weight loss tool, and people have claimed they help focus their autistic children (and I hope it does) and mellow out ADD kids.

I doubt this miracle berry does all of these things, at least not alone or significantly.

The debate rages on and for now I will keep eating them. They taste good and there are enough benefits in eating fruit to justify it, plus what if they are a miracle fruit?

Weight loss inspiration for brides and, well anyone else

The latest motivational story comes from a bride slimming down for her own self esteem and of course, her big day! She realized she'd let herself go, and her mother gently told her she may be unhealthy. It was later confirmed when her future in-laws made a few, ahem, fat jokes at her expense leaving her in tears.



It's sometimes hard to hear, see, and accept that you have become the dreaded obese, which is not as hard to do as you may think. Obesity starts at a BMI of 30 and morbidly obese at 40. You can find out your BMI here.


The key to her success? She made the choice. She lost 130 pounds! That is what it really takes, you can dabble in all kinds of diets and exercise programs but until you truly commit, nothing is coming off.



So here is my commitment. I will lose 20 pounds by August. It will put me in a healthier weight range and increase my self-confidence. It will be easier to carry a child if I am lucky enough to get one, and I will be happier.



Read the profile and details of the bride here.

So you think you can step it up and dance?

This weekend has been a nonstop dance marathon. MTV has been playing "So You Think You Can Dance" with Bravo catching us all up on "Step it up and Dance." It's pretty much all I did, along with making up a ton of choreography I will never use. At least I got a bit of a workout in as I put together the numbers.

"Step It Up and Dance" has some interesting choreography and guests and of course, overly dramatic but pretty good dancers. And Jessica Spano (on Crack?) also known as the 2008 Elizabeth Berkley. She is in great shape, but maybe too great. What makes her hold her eyes open like that? Not wanting to start rumors about what she is or isn't on, I will simply ask, does she seem normal?

Weight loss Wednesdays: Crazy Jackie Warner Workout

Kevin and I have been doing the Workout on-demand from Crazy Jackie Warner. If you don't know who this ego driven, but buff as all get out, blondie is, she is the "star" of Bravo's Workout. It's an enthralling reality show mapping the drama of the gym she runs and her quest toward World domination with stops to make-out with her staff on the way. If you have worked in the soap opera that is a restaurant, it's kind of like that.

Anyways, the workout is pretty good, we have been rotating the twenty minute legs with the 20 minute arms, and tonight, back to legs. Mine are still aching from Monday, but I must press on, and so should you. A little sore is not a lot sore and movement is so great! With this particular workout, I wonder if the World (fitness) Dominatrix knows how incredibly intense it is, even her staff take turns performing the routine. This was either because giving them a "solo" was a kind of cookie for being a fav or because she didn't want anyone looking overly tired at the end. Either way, I am addicted to looking as awesome as this woman, in a much shorter body.

For as in-charge as this woman is, it's important to note she is the real deal and understands what it takes to be really fit and what it takes to become healthy. Here are her top five fitness tips, check out the rest of the list here.

1: Be a smart consumer and read labels carefully. Fat free products are loaded with sugar. Fat does not make you fat – SUGAR DOES! When grocery shopping, meals should have no more than 400 calories and snacks 150 calories – buy nothing with over 9 grams of sugar.

2: No overcomplicated routines/no overcomplicated diets. They have the highest failure rate because they don’t teach you how to live in the real world. Get back to the basic, common sense principles.

3: Never skip meals. All of my morbidly obese clients have one thing in common – skipping meals. The moment you allow your blood sugar to drop (when you feel hunger pangs) you become a fat storing machine. You must eat small meals or snacks every few hours.

4:Don’t ever juice-blend: Always eat the whole fruit, not just its sugary juices. Juicing takes out the fiber but leaves you with the sugars. However, blending fills you with the whole fruit (fiber) and a lot more nutrients.

5: Sugar is the devil. Sugar throws our body into an immune suppressed, non-working state of chronic fatigue, depression, and hormonal imbalance. It is the leading cause of disease and depression in this country. To break the sugar addiction, get rid of refined sugar (anything that isn’t fruit or veggies) for 5 days in a row, then allow yourself to have one cheat meal on Saturday and one on Sunday. You will have curbed the chemical addiction for sugar and your brain will desire less.

An update to the diet tool, that seems like more work then I am willing to maintain. I like to make healthy meals more spur of the moment based on what ingredients are on sale. Affordability is also high on my fitness goals list.

Photo from tv guide.

How much exercise does it take to see the benefit

I feel that most of us don't accurately know what a portion is or what kind of work it really takes to burn the calories we consume. I am a big offender of feeling like my 30 minute walk makes a piece of cake a wash. It doesn't. Oh those are harsh words!

MSN highlighted some reality today -

To burn off a 6-oz. bag of vegetable chips, a 180-pound man would have to:

Run 55 min
Swim 65 min
Bike 70 min
Row 70 min
Lift weights 1 hour, 45 min
Golf 2 hours, 20 min
Shop 4 hours, 30 min
Do desk work 7 hours

Not pretty, who would think vegetable chips would require so much work? Turns out it is, of course, better to eat the veggies. I think it is going to be essential to keep the active lifestyle going in addition to serious workouts.

e-AR, Don't worry that runner is not on the phone.

We may start seeing runners with little sensors behind their ears, and no it is not a blue tooth so their friends can hear them pant along with every stride, it's the e-AR by Sensixa.



The e-AR technology is a sensor athletes can wear behind the ear. This bio-inspired device then measures shockwaves as they pass through the skeleton. It calculates everything from step frequency to acceleration, stride, and joint shock. For any of you out there that love serious training and serious statistics even more (you know who you are), then this is for you! It's my understanding that it's in the final testing stages and should be hitting the market soon.

Drop those pounds! Motivation and inspiration

Sometimes I need external inspiration and motivation to keep me on track to achieving my goals. MSN Fitness and Health featured the story of Caroline, she has lost 124 pounds and has kept it of for over four years! I don't have quite as much to lose, so it can't be nearly as hard. She looks fantastic, and I know I can too! Check out her plan for change.

Forced Networking at WomCom

Tonight was the Women in Communications annual Matrix awards. Let's start by saying I only half wanted to go. There were a few women I was really looking forward to seeing but mostly I wanted to sleep after the long day at the florist.

I got there and the only people I knew where fairly busy so I set off to mingle and network. I spent some time at the bar (while wishing I was at the barre), forcing conversations and I can't honestly tell you what I said and I know even less about what they said. It isn't that I wasn't interested or that there was nothing to be gained from meeting them, it's that I was too dang tired to care.

After some sitting and some downtime of casually talking to women I do know, I was ready to try again. This time I struck up some really great conversations and I am fairly certain only pleasant, mildly intelligent things flowed out of my mouth. I will know more next week when I find out if any of these women respond to my emails.

If you are looking for funny networking stories, I am too tired to provide but I highly recommend one from Steve Crescenzo. All have to say is, I was very tempted to use my cell phone to call my wallet.

Weight loss Wednesdays: exhausted

Oh the joys of Wednesday, a day when we come to terms with what happened over the last 7 days. I have been keeping up on the healthy eating...except for the baby shower, and the birthday party. I really ate like crap, delicious crap, those days, but the working out was spot on as you can see by reading some older posts.

Time to really focus on eating right. Fitness Magazine has a diet tool that lets you create a diet by selecting meals from their list and then generates a shopping list of all the foods you'll need. I am going to give it a shot next week. If you try it, let me know, and I, of course, will do the same.

Dance started back up again yesterday and I was thrilled to be back in class. The energy you get from a class working toward a common goal is incredible. More on that later. Good luck this week!

Standing is hard, is fit worth it?

The standing will kill you. Looking for a way to keep fit during the day? Get a job where you stand and walk around, standing is hard work. This week I have been helping at out the flower shop my mother works at. They are a large wholesale florist, shipping to every chain and specialty grocer in the area and even states away.

The running around: in the cooler out of the cooler, wrapping bouquets, stripping thorns, loading racks of buckets, hauling 10 bouquets at a time and hosting them overhead; it is is madness. My body is tired just thinking about my day. As long as you can resist the cupcakes they bring in to snack on, a physical job like this is bound to help shed some pounds.

The downside: working with your hands makes you have ugly hands.

Keeping Active at the Green Street Fair

With dance on a week long hiatus I had to find something else to fill my fitness needs while stimulating my mind, (let's face it, mindless elliptical work is not fun) so off to the green street fair we went. We got to walk all around the fair trying out green products and tasting organic foods.

While strolling through the Whole Foods zone we picked up some "green" bathroom cleaner, Naturally Clean Life Mildew for $5. Hopefully it smells significantly less terrible and does as good a job as my current not so green, mostly toxic, mildew remover.

We logged 1.5 miles while spending an enjoyable and educational day together. It is important to remember that living a healthy lifestyle isn't always about hitting the gym and protein bars only to wreck it with days of sleeping in and eating out. It's about living an active life, putting good things in your body and using products that are not harmful to be around. Dusting a little more probably wouldn't hurt me either, the thought of mites...gross!

Refresh tea, refreshing indeed

During the whole caffeine drought I became a huge fan of Refresh tea from Tazo. It's invigoratingly minty and delivers a nice refreshing lift any time of day while staving off the need for snacks. I was buying it at Starbucks but decided it best to head to Kroger's and buy a box for the house.

I am a big fan of tea, any suggestions on types to try?

Stop diabetes, prevent heart attacks and erectile dysfunction while defeating depression: ahh Exercise

Oh the many things exercise is capable of. There's an article today in the Times that highlights the many health benefits, both physical and emotional, of exercise. Whether it's lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, depression, hypertension, diabetes (notice the top stories link diabetes to increased risks for heart attacks and depression), obesity, dementia, osteoporosis, gallstones, diverticulitis, falls, erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease and 12 kinds of cancer, physical activity can seemingly do it all!

Exercise may just be the elixir of life as it is even known to help with ailments like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, congestive heart failure and osteoarthritis.

If you know someone who is battling illness or struggling with weight I think the article will help encourage them to take exercise seriously, it sure motivates me.

I tried yesterday's "look hot in jeans" workout and it was mildly awesome, short (about 17 minutes), and just the right amount of difficulty. I recommend playing some Bon Jovi in the background. I plan to add some cardio later, perhaps with the dog again. If you tried the jeans workout, let me know what you thought of it.

Weight loss Wednesdays: Walking the dog is a total gym

Though it has been gray and unappealing outside, I have managed to take Bailey, my not so brilliant dog, for a several walks. Sometimes she is pretty good. Today we walked past Nunzio and Belmont's house, something about these two make her crazy. I have no idea why these dogs make her nuts (nor do I know their real names) but I am going to count holding her back as an upper body workout along with the cardio, she is like my own total gym.

The eating seems to be improving now that I can cook all my food and carefully plan my meals. Who knows, next week might just be awesome.

This week I plan to add in the "Look Hot in Jeans" workout which starts with some releves. You know a leg workout is on the right track when it starts with a ballet move.

The Tamagotchi: Can that possibly be the most memorable gift?

A while back my friend Pamela was on a hunt for the Mariposa Barbie, it had just come out, an Easter release. Presents are the new Easter basket. Anyways, everywhere she went the thing was sold out, so Kevin and I got in on the fun.

Kevin was so adorable as he made me stop store after store proclaiming "I didn't even know what a Mariposa was before today but I simply must have it." He will be a good/spoiling dad someday.

After two days of searching we found the Barbie. I drove to a mall in a mostly African American area and bought the sparkliest one. Perhaps African American little girls don't care for Barbie in the same way, there were many black and many white versions of the doll still available.

I saw the doll last weekend, in pieces at Pamela's house. As appealing as the sparkly doll is, apparently her large wings were not as fun and seem to fall off easily, proving more of a bother to Emma than a thrill.

It all makes me wonder what lengths my parents went to in order to buy me the perfect gift and whether I appreciated the toy as much as their efforts (mostly mom's efforts) would have deserved. There are a few that I still appreciate to this day, some of them Barbie related.

The Barbie Ice Cream Shoppe, which made real ice cream (maybe twice), and Peaches and Cream Barbie are two specific Barbie ones. I loved that peach dress and her soft curls, and after watching that terrible commercial, I wish she was here to play with right now. There are many other great things I was given through the years, but the Tamagotchi is possibly the strangest of all.

The Tamagotchi - I wanted this stupid digital pet so bad. It was shaped like an egg and had a couple of buttons that could be used to "feed" and "play" with the pet. I remember sitting in the kitchen on Nelson, talking about this toy and then out of nowhere she bought it for me simply for wanting it. It really was a stupid toy and I was a little old to be wanting it, but I still remember how awesome it was at the time and how surprised and happy I was to get it. Makes me smile just thinking about it.

Images from www.wikipedia.com and www.ebay.com

Recital, who doesn't love sequins?

This past weekend was my dance recital. My many amazing friends and family were there, and I was so glad to have their support.

Dance has always been such an important part of my life, and like most things we hold dear, you don't feel the true weight of it until it's gone. That's what made this year so special. I knew I loved it before, but the pain of not having it, now that is something.

Five of my lovely classmates, and I mean it, wonderful people and beautiful to boot, are leaving class for college and life. They will be leaving something behind, a part of them. My friend Andrea, also back in class these days, and I have been discussing how much we missed it while we were in college and how they can't possibly be prepared for the loss they will feel. Dance provides an outlet for creativity and stress. It is a place that is challenging and supportive and rewarding. It's filled with relationships with people you may never have approached in your day-to-day life but whose personalities add so much to your own that they truly shape the person you are to become.

I wish nothing but luck and happiness to all the girls and I hope one day, when we all have kids, that they will dance together and grow as we did.

Weight loss Wednesdays: an excuse

So much has changed in a week. I was going to write about how good I feel about my job. SAE World Congress was a great experience, and I am starting to work better with team members I was previously struggling to find common ground with. Though dieting and exercise were terrible after a very busy work week, the team building was priceless.

But I can't say that any of it is true. In my mind those were the happenings of last week. The reality is, the company has no money, they find my skills strong and my work good, and my personality is, well, too much for them. As Casey put it, they are vanilla and I am a sundae bar.

Seriously, who wouldn't want a few sprinkles and some hot fudge?

The truth is, I am happy. I am glad I will no longer be commuting away 12.5 hours a week of my life. I will be able to use those to hours to move my body, and cook. I will have time with my family and time for myself. It is no fun to be let go, no matter the reason but I think I will find work that is right for me. Actually I may already have. I came home on Monday and there was an offer for some freelance work sitting in my in-box. I start next Monday. Life can be funny like that.

Weight-loss will occur, next week. Even though I won't be eating a whole tub of superman, I did feel entitled to wallow in a snicker sundae from Mickey's.

Weight loss Wednesdays: dinner is too late

Since it is 11:01 and my dinner is cooking I have to say my goal for next week is start eating earlier and more frequently. Some how I have found myself so busy this week that I am not eating until almost midnight. That is a must change.

A portion of my late nights can be attributed to work, (BOO) but a lot of it is dance rehearsal. My physical activity plan is join more dance. It is the best you can feel, it's rewarding on physical and emotional levels, mentally challenging and a lot of fun.

If dance is not your thing I recommend joining some kind of summer activity.

Softball (365 calories an hour)
Volleyball (292 calories an hour)
Golf (329 calories an hour)
Hiking (438 calories an hour)
Basketball (584 calories an hour)

Get out there and do something challenging that you truly enjoy. It won't even feel like work, just intense fun. To look at calorie burn more specific to your weight and check out your other favorite activities, click here.

TV is Back, ahh true love

Tonight there is a new:

My Name is Earl

The Office

Scrubs

ER

and 30 Rock (for the 2 people I know that even watch that show)

So you can guess what I am doing. Enjoy TV being back on the air. Ahh, can you feel it, couch potato is settling in. Better be careful not to let my sitting effect weight loss Wednesday. Perhaps there will be some squats during commercials.

Weight loss Wednesdays: what not to read

Wednesday is upon us and it is time for an update, but first, what not to read.

Oxygen Magazine

I bought this magazine mostly because of the marketing tactics placed all over the cover.

Glute issue, Start Now, Instant results (which I know is a lie but maybe it was good advice), 37 butt sculpting moves, 25 easy tips, 10 things you don't know about your glutes!

And that is not even all of them. I bought it because I am always in the mood for some good reading on fitness, healthy diet and tips to making my butt look like, well, the cover model for the issue.

Tosca Reno, a columnist for the mag wrote a review of her own book and how it will help me "eat clean." It was basically a giant advertisement for the book with a touch of content, was no one else available to review the book? Perhaps one of the other major columnists (her husband) could have handled the task.

The editing in this magazine goes in and out of sounding like a high school paper. Some of it is pieced together seamlessly, with beginnings, middles, ends and even a purpose, but, too much of it is thrown together in static thoughts with no details. There is repetitive confusion in many of the articles.

From a Q and A section:

Q: I like long-distance running. However, I'm concerned about my lack of
butt roundness. Is it running that keeping me from having rounded glutes?

A: It depends on whether you are a sprinter or a long-distance runner. Sprinters
usually have well developed glutes. Long-distance runners are invariable light
framed or even downright skinny, and therefore have non-existent butts. If you
were to take up sprinting you would be certain to improve your butt
contour. The choice is yours.

Did this mystery writer not start by saying long-distance was in fact her thing? And what a response. Ugh.

This magazine had more advertorials and special ad sections than most and offered low quality content. Every piece of advice was "just follow the workouts shown in this magazine and you'll be on your way." At no point did it suggest going to a trainer to learn proper techniques and, even suggested that by doing the workouts of stars like Jessica Biel and J-Lo that my butt could look like theirs. Oh my, genetics is just not going to let that happen.

So to wrap up, you now know all you need to about this magazine. If you are looking for some quality content pick up a Self or Fitness instead.

On to the weight loss, workouts have been good, it is probably time to amp up the intensity. Where food is concerned, I have really been watching what I eat but I think I may need to cut out even more. I am going to go over the food list and let you know what I think needs to go. First on the list is probably my Wed. pizza plus combo from Shield's, but a slice of pizza, salad and a bread stick for $4.99 is such an awesome deal it will be hard to resist.

Talk about wanting to puke

No, I am not pregnant! But thank you Kmart clerk, not only for asking but for following up with...

"Oh, you're just fat in the middle then."

"Yep, that's me, fat middle"

See, that is what happens when you are overweight but not so overweight that it's obviously a weight issue. Everyone asks if your pregnant! To all my friends that carry weight in a place other than your belly, congrats. I was thrilled to have lost 7 pounds, now I just feel like it makes me look more like I am pregnant. Hope I can lose 7 more soon, and a few from my belly this time.

Sweet came back! and Recital info

Today there were some fabulous homemade cookies at work and yeah, I ate a few. I am glad I did. I can't help it, food is a reward.

So off I went to the gym to pay for my indulgence. I have to look good, meaning not terrible, when recital comes around in a few weeks.

If you would like to attend the info is:

Friday, April 25, 2008 or Saturday, April 26, 2008

7:00pm - 9:00pm

Sterling Heights High School
12901 15 Mile Rd.
Sterling Heights, MI

Tickets are $13.00 in advance and $15 at the door. If you would like me to buy yours please get your money to me.

If you are coming Saturday the plan is to head out to the bar after I show off all my time spent at the barre, so let me know and I will reserve a seat for you! lgibalawarren AT gmail

Weight loss Wednesdays: Maybe I lost my sweet tooth?

I have not heard much about the sweet tooth, other than of course, having one. But what if you wish to extract this tooth or stop its incessant cravings, or, kick start them back up? Well, after much will power and giving up caffeine I think I may have found a way to say "No cake, you look pretty, but I am not that interested." It's like falling in love, you know there are other foods out there but you are happy with what you have, and wouldn't want to mess up a good thing. But this isn't love and I want to cheat on healthy food in the worst way, I just can't seem to crave it.

I go to the cupboard and I don't even want a cookie, I am at the store and I breeze right past candy. This alone makes life so crazy I hardly know what to make of it all. This week has not been a fantastic workout week. Three workouts and two were yesterday and today.

Excuse number 1: I was too busy, and I was. There was something going almost every day.

Excuse number 2: Walking around Perrysburg is working out. I did say no to the Schakolad but but by the time we got to the bakery I needed to eat something. *I saved half my brownie for Kevin.

Excuse number 3: Kevin was really sick and he needed me. I can't always be the priority.

But no excuses! I am sorry and I am back on the work-out-wagon. My walking buddy and I officially need to up the ante. We finished our walk today and realized that 2 miles was no longer enough to wear us out. We'll be mapping a new route in the morning.

I finished my dinner an hour ago and here I sit waiting for the craving. I did indulge in a some Bear Naked Granola, but that hardly counts as a thin mint. Maybe I'm crazy, but for as happy as I should be that I'm craving the right foods, I am terrified that I may never crave the decadent desserts that I know I love.

Opening Day

It's Opening Day, and the closest I got to Detroit was my picture with the light bulbs.

Today is a personal Holiday. I take it off every year to watch the Detroit Tigers start the season. This year, Kevin took the day off too and we made plans to head downtown and camp out on a bar stool in front of a large TV. Much fun!

Unfortunately, Kevin was sick and he watched most of opening day with his eyes closed and slippers on as he lay in bed.

Dana came by to watch the first couple of innings, but I spent most of opening day watching our TV and ironing. Ella kept me company though, she was more interested in digging in the freshly clean sheets than whether Cabrera was worth the money.

The game lasted forever with suspenseful overtime that lead to heartache, sigh. Baseball season is here and even though today did not go as I planned I am so happy to have the only *sport I truly enjoy talking about back on the tube!

* I also enjoy talking about curling and how I would like to be on the USA Olympic team. "Whoa whoa whooaaaa!" See, I have the yelling part down and I am pretty good with a broom too.

Possibly the best quick meal

Recently my favorite quick meal has become pierogies and peas. It's low on calories and fat, and high in protein and fiber. I love this meal and eat it when I know I am eating a big meal later or have already had a large meal for the day. Bonus: it is quick and easy, has only three ingredients, and tastes like comfort food.

You will need:
Mini Pierogies
Frozen Peas
Pam spray (fat free)

Spray a pan and place on medium heat
Add pierogies a flip them immediately (so they get a bit of Pam on both sides)
Add Peas and let cook uncovered for 3 minutes
Flip and stir contents
Cook until pierogies are lightly browned and hot

Below is the info from the brands I use. Pierogies and Peas are two things Kevin will not eat, so I only make this for one.

Mrs. T's Potato and Cheddar mini Pierogies
Serving: 7 mini pierogies
130 calories
1.5 grams of fat
1 g fiber
4 g protein

Frozen peas
Serving: 2/3 cup
70 calories
0 fat
4 g fiber
5 g protein

Pam Spray:
Serving: 1/3 second burst
0 calories

Meal: 200 calories; 1.5 g fat; 5 g fiber; 9 g protein

Photo from Mrs. T''s

Buy this Bra

Last weekend I was browsing at Target for a new sports bra. I found this C9 by Champion seamless camisole on the clearance rack. I highly recommend you get it. It is soft and cool to the skin, has adjustable racer back straps, and does not make you feel like you have a uni-boob. I wouldn't wear it for super intense sports, though it did fare quite well at dance class and the gym. For $13.29, I may go back and buy it another color.

Photo from www.target.com

A new camera

I had been asking for a new camera. I wanted a digital SLR, and there are many things that kind of camera can do. I don't know how to do any of them, but I am willing to learn. The only reason I want the camera so badly is that it can take pictures fast, and lots them. I love taking candid pictures and the moment is lost so quickly.

After some NPR listening I learned of another camera I might just have to have too. It is one that while usable by all, it is not covered in pink rhinestones, was designed with women in mind. As I go through the interview I find that cameras are being made that auto-focus at an arms length. That's right, it is designed that way because women love to gather their friends and reach out and snap a picture. The camera will even take three pictures in the one flash so you have a better chance of getting a good smile. This is supposed to be one, I can't find anything that calls out the group shot though.

I know women do this, I have done it and my friends do it too. Heck the picture above is Kevin doing it. And yes, he is doing it because my arm wasn't long enough to get us in the picture. What an awesome idea. Keep the gadgets coming!

Weight loss Wednesdays: No, I did not give up

To any who may have concerns that my refusal to workout would last, it didn't. I started right back up last Thursday and only took Sunday off for Easter.

A note on Karma: Friday night we had our friends over for dinner. After dinner Kevin requested I make some peanut butter cookies. I knew I shouldn't make these beasts, but still everyone thought mmm cookies and I got on board and began pulling together ingredients with our friend. Between batches I wanted to cool the pan so I went to take it outside in that lovely Easter weekend snow.

Big Slip! Crash, splat! There I was all twisted around at the top of the stairs, pan on top. I slept with ice on my swollen ankle and toe. I have a huge ugly bruise on my arm and we had to wash the pan again. Pain and more work. Karma was out to get me. In order get back on the cookie karma's good side I made the group do squats while waiting for the cookies to bake. Hopefully we are even now.

My dedication is pretty high these days. Sure I had a bag of sour patch kids after lunch, but I had a salad, soup (broth not cream) and half a bagel for dinner. I don't even want a snack. I have one all planned out, I usually want an after dinner snack, but tonight I actually recognized feeling full while I was eating my dinner. And, I had the strength to stop eating before I felt stuffed. Small victories.

Mean Jillian Michaels is one of my favorite topics. I find her pretty inspiring. She was once 170 pounds and is now a super-buff fitness and motivational guru. In the shred workout series she talks a lot about what it actually takes to get fit and the kind of commitment it needs to be.

Here is my favorite:

Don’t be afraid to push yourself: “People are so placated by

groups that say ‘Start by taking the stairs,’” says Michaels.

“What? That makes people think ‘I’m so fragile, I can barely

take the staircase.’” In fact, she says, the human body can

withstand a lot, and increasing the intensity of your workout

is one of the fastest ways to burn calories and lose weight.
“The more we hear this false message of lethargy, the more

we believe it,” she says. “As humans, we have evolved to the

point where the sky is not the limit. Your capabilities are, in
fact, limitless.” So that means pushing yourself to do that last

lunge, kicking up the speed on the treadmill, and erring on the

side of exhaustion over caution. - Jillian Michaels

She is a little intense but I have a good feeling she gets it. She really understands what it takes. Maybe I relate to her because she used to be bigger, maybe because she is demanding and makes you feel accountable, the reason is not important. She gets it and helps me get it.

Exciting new things from the week:

I finally wake up hungry. I think that means I am not overeating at night.

I no longer crave sweets every time I see them.

I did not indulge in a single Easter candy.

The exciting yet bad:

I know when I want pop again. My birthday is next month and while some plan to drink on their birthdays I am going out for fountain pop! It will be incredible. For dessert...a macchiato.

The goal this week:
Keep finding time to sleep. I really think it is helping.

Photo can be found at Serta.

Quick Updates

Quick updates: More to come tomorrow for WLW.

1. I am still just like my father. This time we can thank Aunt Dorothy for reminding me. I also think I am just like her. Freaky concepts I know. But I think they, and I are all intelligent somewhat stubborn individuals with strong opinions and valid arguments. We are well-intentioned and good hearted, there may even be some scruples involved...

2. Sometimes when you're depressed, which I am not ashamed to admit I have been battling, you just need to talk about your feelings. Find a good friend that can listen and be patient. Sometimes you just need to be the one to do the talking.

3. I am honored to be standing up in the wedding of Ericia Thrash and Dave Caras. I know how stressful planning all of that jazz can get, but she is handling it so well and is going to be a beautiful bride. I don't have a link to her dress but if you want to see the Maids, check us out here and here. I am pretty sure those are the ones.

Life: It's Known to Giveth and Taketh

Easter is tomorrow, the World should be full of life. Spring flowers, pastel eggs, and buds on trees. It's not. What it is full of is SNOW. March 22 and Michigan is once again the icy mess that is generally reserved for February.

But life, in its attempt to make me happy, threw me a bone. When I walked out to dust off (plow-out) my car this morning, my walk was done, and my driveway! But who? Peterson, nah, he does our walk from time to time, but only because it's on the way to Christine's, a woman I think he'll strive to impress until forever.

While driving to the gym I realized it had to be Dave. I called him right away to tell him how thankful we were. It really was such a nice surprise.

See, I think life had Dave snow-blow for us because they are moving, and since life was busy taketh-ing away our great neighbor, life decided to also giveth a little.

Weight loss Wednesdays, and I refuse to workout

As mentioned Monday, the headaches have mostly passed, and my irrational yelling at poor Kevin is back down to its normal level. That is probably still not that great.

So the break down. I did around 3 hours of cardio. Gold Star indeed. I have worked out everyday since my last WLW post. That is a lot of self-control. But it is not enough. I need more. This is not to say that the exercises have lacked difficulty, I just want more, faster. Today, I want sleep. I am starting to think that I am not noticing changes because I have not been sleeping. Sleep is when the body heals, and prepares for the next day.

I dedicate tonight to rest and sleep.

After all, I have been eating pretty darn good for me foods. I indulge in a cookie once in a while, and drink water, tea, and occasionally some kombucha tea. Big thanks to my Green friend for introducing it to me. I even eat cantaloupe. Gross I know. I try to pretend it is a fruit I enjoy, but the real benefit of eating things you don't really like is...you won't eat too much, just enough to fill you up.

This week is about:

Getting the right amount of sleep.

Eating no cookies?

More cardio and strength training.

This week is not about:

Easter Candy.

Must not owe for the rest of my life

Saving money and catching up are a big deal. Big deal. Like most people my age, or any age, we:

Carry too much debt.
Don't save enough.
Don't contribute enough toward retirement.
Buy stuff we don't need.

So it's time to fix it. A few months back I started saving 20% of my check, and wouldn't you know it, all I can think about is spending it on a vacation! But alone it sits for now. I know I should be putting it all towards debt, it's just difficult. I like that there is a little stock pile, and I mean little!

I have to get over it, I have to focus on spending, or not spending or smart spending. Something. It can be frustrating. But now that I have been caffeine free for over a week, and yes, the withdrawals have pretty much gone away, I need to start saving more than that three dollars a day. The savings are helpful, but I am a believer in baby steps, and that means that I must take another towards being frugal. Ack, somewhere my dads heart is beating faster and a he has an unexplainable smile plastered across his face. He'll read this later and think, "ah, she gets it, no wonder I was so giddy last night."

I do get it, but the self control it takes is huge. I am a firm believer that we are only allowed so much self control in a day. I think I use a lot of my self discipline focusing on the needs/happiness of others, and I like this about myself. It makes me feel good. Perhaps I need to better divide that time by using some of my discipline to monitor both my spending and my eating. I would feel a lot better about myself. I could write a whole post on self control, so I will save it for another day.

There is no "I" in team

But maybe there should be. A team should be a group of people working toward a common goal. Some days I feel like everyone on my team spends so much time focusing on how to make themselves look good they forget we still need to succeed as a group.

I understand the need to look out for yourself, but there is no need to one up the rest of your network and break my trust.

In the spirit of discretion and protecting my team, I will end the rant here.

Photo from http://www.fireagility.com/jobspecifictraining.php

Weight loss Wednesdays and my head is pounding

I have taken the next step in losing some pounds. I have given up caffeine. Sucks. Head. Pounding. Lights. Threatening. My. Very. Being.

And don't even try to ask me something. I will have nothing but snarky responses, that is, if I remember to respond at all.

But I am doing this for my own good! Right? I have read some studies showing diet pop, the elixir of life, can lead to the following horrible things.

Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes
Abdominal Obesity
High Cholesterol
Elevated Blood Pressure

The first two run in my family so I guess it is for my own good. Do you want to know whose own good this is not in favor of? Kevin's. I spend the whole day faking being nice and personable and not biting heads just to come home and yell and be unpredictable and wonder why he is not a mind reader. The nerve. Start reading my mind.

I hope this helps with the weight loss because my dinner would've been perfect if only I had a cold, refreshing, tingle on your tongue diet pepsi!

If you'd like to join me on this crusade against caffeine, great, though I understand if you'd rather not feel like a crack addict going through horrible withdrawals. Try replacing one of your regularly caffeinated beverages a day with water or tea. I miss coffee.

On the whole I think my progress is going well. I have been working out regularly, and if you have Comcast on-demand, meaning you pay too much for cable like me, I highly recommend doing the "Biggest Loser" workout with Jillian. She is mean. Even through TV, mean. But it is a really great workout, I feel fantastic when it's over.

Quickly, last week I set a goal of 3 hours of cardio. Did it. Where is my gold star? I have the same goal for this week, and then we can reasses and bump it up! Good Luck, and if you are looking for inspiration, my very dear friend, Jennifer, has lost 30 pounds and is feeling incredible.

Did you know that shorts are 10% off?

I thought they were 75% off, making them, you know, different from pants.

But the real story, shorts are 10% off.

We went shopping on Saturday night and were browsing around a store known for their love of America and patriotic birds. Kevin was seeking a nice pair of jeans, and I, uninterested in jeans, went looking around the women's clothes. I say women, but I think I mean 14 year old girls. Their clothes are cute, but mostly young for me. I digress.

At this point I am in the back of the store and have been there at least 7 minutes. A manager most have noticed I hadn't been greeted yet and sent the 15/16-year-old T-shirt folder to handle the task. Simple right?

He starts his shpeal about "Welcome to Amer...um..can I help you...um"



His mind focused on the bra and panties in my hands, he umed and ahhed a few more word-type-things, turned an adorable shade of red, and walked away. After two steps, he spun back around, eyes to the floor, and said, "Shorts are 10% off today." Awesome.



Photo from www.ae.com

See Club Run? Run Club Run!

The second official run with my work group. I actually went this time. It was a shine day, so off I ran. I enjoyed it a lot. I did learn that "I am shine and dry only." Running on ice is too risky. But I made it! Does that mean I get cake?

No. But I do get dinner and it is 11, so I better do it soon.

Weight loss Wednesdays, So it's Wednesday again

Monday expressed a lot of what is happening in my workout life, but there are a few more details from the weekend that I feel I must share.

I weighed myself Saturday. Up. I can't begin to explain the devastation I feel.

But I begin... at the gym. While on the elliptical, I look to my right, and who is there, this guy, checking me out. I mean staring me down, and not in the "I want to be on that machine so don't you dare give it to someone else," kind of way.

If you haven't guessed by now, that guy was my sweet husband, always trying to make me feel good about myself, even in paint speckled sweats and a ratty old ESPN shirt.

Then I look left, and there was this woman. And my husband was checking her out too! And to top it off, she was fat, like face lost all definition, waddle around, you shouldn't wear those pants pudge-master.

I was standing on the end. Next to the mirror. Horrible. Today is not so positive, I know. My silver lining can only be that Kevin doesn't see it. He is like Niles when Daphne was chunking out over the stress of their relationship. To him, I am as I always have been, except with a few more grays.

I must reiterate, if only for myself, do not obsess over the scale and keep trying.

My goal for the week
Cardio = 3 hours by Sunday.

This was not so inspirational. So I will leave you with some...


That is Ella, the most determined animal I know.

I'm a Shine Only

Today was the first day of my work running club. I was planning an intense walk/job, let's face it, I wasn't going to be running my first day. I brought all my gear with me, and when I arrived at work, in my mail box was a map of the pending run.

The girls I work with have been planning routes with map my run, a pretty sweet site that lets you, well, create routes. The one for today, our first run, was 2 miles. TWO. Now I know that it doesn't seem far, but it did to me so I quickly mapped a new run for me and another beginner for 1.5 miles. It sounded better.

Around 11 I got an email regarding club run from our SVP and fitness fanatic, basically saying the following:

Rain or Shine we'll leave here at 5:45.

Well, at 5:10 I went to grab my things from my car and it was raining. I realized some things about my need to run. So I walked into my favorite Fit Fan's office and said...

I appreciate your enthusiasm, really I do, but I’m shine only.

Now I know what you're thinking, how will not running help with weight loss Wednesday? The answer is it won't. So after dinner Kevin and I prepared for a trip to the gym. This is where the drama begins.

We let Bailey out after dinner thinking she would need to use her backyard facilities, but we forgot it's raining.

We forgot our dog is also shine only. So in her dog house she sat, scared and bitter, refusing to come out no matter how we coaxed.

Back in the house, we wait. Luckily the rain turned to snow 15 minutes later, and there was my dog, happy and ready to walk through the yard and back into house.

So we jump in the car and head to the gym. After 45 minutes, the only shine I can see in on my forehead. Maybe Thursday the weather will cooperate, no rain all shine, and I can actually participate in club run.

Weight loss Wednesdays, I want results!

Yet another week of attempted weight loss. And I am down, but not nearly enough, why does tons of exercise get so easily ruined by a night of wine, cheese, and cake?

I did eat better this week, for the most part, and I exercised pretty regularly. Kevin and I did a workout at Bally Monday that I am still aching from. The sad news for tonight’s workout plan is I definitely hurt my foot at dance last night. Better rest it for a day or so...

The three dollars a day savings plan is working pretty well and I rarely have pop anymore (soda for you non-Michiganders).

Food: I tried the Chili’s Guiltless Black Bean Burger. Guilt free in so many ways, low fat, and at $5.99 it is one of the most affordable meals on the menu. This was one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. It was flavorful, zesty, a splash of ranch and the perfect texture. The steamed veggies it was served with were still a little crisp, no mushy baby food, an excellent meal all around.

Lose that muffin top! That is my primary visual goal for the next few weeks. I refuse, REFUSE to buy pants that fit, I own plenty of pants, and I can wear them all, provided I wear a billowing sweater on top. I did some digging and found some muffin top banishing tips, and unfortunately, they did not include eating the tops of muffins. The workout is basically interval training i.e., a burst of cardio and then some targeted ab moves.

Do’s and Don'ts for the week:

Do
Exercise at least 4 days
Make good food choices; side of veggies, yogurt, fruit
Drink water
Lose muffin tops
Try on a current pair of jeans you own that don't fit quite right; make fitting in them better the goal for March!

Don't
Weigh yourself daily
Obsess over food
Eat dessert unless you've had all your fruit and vegetables for the day
Snack out of boredom
Eat muffin tops

Sometimes You're Just a Kid

While working on her master's, my friend lives with her father. I've known this family for at least fifteen years, and when we were kids, her dad would drive us to the movies, order pizza for our sleepovers and the many other wonderful things dads do.

A few weeks back I was headed to my friend's house to rehearse a tap number on a Sunday morning. I stopped at 7- Eleven for some coffee and water and was starting to call her to see if she or her dad wanted anything. When I looked up, there he was.

"I'm calling you"

"But I am right here"

"Well, I am calling Andrea, do you know if she wants anything?"

"I think I asked her and she said no, double check"

I did, and she didn't, so I go to buy my stuff and he is standing ahead of me…

"and add her coffee and water"

"I can get it"

"No"

He gave me that I'm the adult and you're the kid look, and while I know that if this had been a game of poker, he'd have taken me for all I've got, when it comes to snacks, I'm still just a kid.

I'm 25.

While I am proud of the things I have accomplished in my life so far, and I felt pretty awkward not buying my coffee, I have to admit it was freeing. For one sweet moment, I went back in time and was just a kid.

Weight loss Wednesdays part Deux

This week has been a slow start. I have had some pretty good support, and for those that wanted to be sponsored I have been emailing out tips and things to help us all stay on track. One step at a time, which is all I can take.

Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed
downstairs a step at a time. ~Mark Twain

On working out:
I went to the gym twice since last Wednesday, and did actual working out. Impressed? I am.
I went to dance. That is two hours of work. (To add to my wish list: Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn
Walked the dog; I think she had cabin fever.
Lunges and crunches while watching TV one night.

On eating right:
This was basically a failure with a few high points.
Sunday I was hungry and I remembered I bought broccoli and ate it!
I drank lots and lots of water.
And then... I split a piece of flourless cake from Sweet Lorraine’s with Kevin. I can't do it cold.

My advice of the week is, find a friend to work-out with. Even if it's only once a week, mark it down and hold each other accountable. It's a great way to spend time with your friends while doing something really good for you. I miss my mornings with Kristen, when she lived out here I had a reason to get my butt out of bed before 5 in the morning. Accountability. Who knew it could be so motivating?

My goal for next week is a two-for-one: Spend $3 less a day during the week. This should have the effect of taking away a pop, coffee, shake (the bad kind) and other add-ons I tend to get at restaurants. Plus, that is $15 back in my pocket for weekend fun with Kevin and our friends.

Good Luck Wednesdays! If you would like to receive a motivating* email and tips* during the week, post a comment or send me an email. LGibalaWarren AT Gmail.

* For those that don't know, I am not a professional, and recommend that you assess what I say and use your best judgment on what's best for you. As the standard statement goes: Consult your doctor before attempting any diet or exercise program.

Time spent at the Barre

Tonight was dance night. I watched the lyrical class while I ate my dinner and went over steps in my head. I worked the Aerosmith number with all I had, even if my toes weren't pointed on that kick, I was feeling good. Then tap! I put so much into the first run through I could hardly breathe the rest of the hour. Best feeling ever! Certainly I am not a great dancer, but I feel great dancing. It's that thing in life that always makes my day, even when I am frustrated and can't seem to get it right, Dance=Happy.

My summer rehearsal wish list:

More than a Memory - Garth Brooks (hear it)
Apologize - Timbaland feat. One Republic (hear it)
Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance (hear it)
Fragile - Delta Goodrem (hear it, and see a great piece)

It's doubtful that I will get one of these, but hey, no need not to want, that would be un-American. Okay, exhausted and in need of a shower. More informative post tomorrow.

Hey is that about me?

Do you ever read the paper and think when did I give that interview? When reading the paper I stumbled upon an article that defines so many situations in my life I really thought I must have wrote it, or at the very least, been the inspiration. I didn't and I wasn't, but, when it played out in my head...

For those that don't know, I am a vegetarian, and my husband is, well not. He actually detests most things green (edible, not eco-friendly). The article talked about the toll it takes on relationships, how some can make it through, and the challenges faced in daily life.

Over the years Kevin has learned the importance of separate spoons. For those of you out there thinking of cooking for a strict vegetarian, spoon to sauce contamination is a big thing to watch out for.

Note the two spoon rests in our kitchen

The same holds true for any spread you may use from a jar, once the knife has touched the meat infested sandwich it is not welcome back in the condiment, so take what you want the first time!

This rule holds true for a second element of the article, dealing with those gluten starved celiac patients in your life. Well, at least, dealing with the one in mine.

I am always emailing restaurants trying to find out what she can eat and what she can't, but mostly our system works like this.

Chipotle, Red Robin, Chipotle, Recipes, Chipotle, Red Robin, Chipotle Recipes...

If you haven't figured out what comes next, was there ever any hope?

The moral of the story,

Learning to live with a vegetarian is, well, a challenge I'm sure, but with patience and tolerance, possible.

Living without gluten is, I am guessing completely unacceptable, but necessary.

Letting a vegetarian and a celiac sufferer dine together...who on Earth would've let us find each other?

Weight loss Wednesdays

I was going to put this off one more week...but here we go.

My life has been sedentary of late and it seems I am expanding. I have tried to fight it, but it often feels like a losing battle and fries can't be all bad, right? Well, 25 pounds in less than two years says they are. I am ready to fight back, and I am guessing it's good for my health too.

After a rare series of events, I found myself at my parents’ house, watching Rachael Ray. She had a really interesting guest, no, a guest with a really interesting story. The guest had asked people she knew to sponsor her weight loss. So that is my plan now. Sponsoring and being sponsored.

The sponsor picks a 5-15 pound section, depends what you've got to loose, and makes it their responsibility to help you on the follow through. Encouraging phone calls, working out with you, sending tips, whatever it takes. Then the payoff! For the handful of people I have already sponsored, when they loose the first 12 pounds (I didn't like 5 or 15) I am taking them out for sushi! *I have been sponsored by a pedicure, can't wait for cute toes.

Now I just have to be sure and help them stay motivated, and find some sponsors for the rest of my goals. The first section is covered but I am going to need serious rewards for the home stretch. And no, my good health is not reason enough!

So on Wednesdays, I will be sure and post interesting workouts, recipes, tips and traps I face during the week. Please share your own tips and trials as we can all benefit from better health.

Fleet Street is now Dave Fleet

Internal gone External: (I also posted this to my co-workers)

For those of you Fleet Street PR readers, he has moved his blog back to Dave Fleet. Today's topic? What can PR Pros learn from gamers?

Keep it simple
Make it about the people
Keep it interesting
Get the basis right

So there you have it. If you'd like to find out why, and I imagine you would, check out the full post.

I think we all know how important it is to look outside the industry for ideas and perspective. The question is, are we remembering to do it? Thanks to MVL for reminding me of the following.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

What to do when you're just like your parents? Deal.

"You're just like your father." It's true. I am also, at times, just like my mother. I am fairly happy (made peace with) about it. They raised me, and being like them is certainly not the worst thing. At times it may even be the best.

So why do people use it as an insult? When having a recent debate with my grandma and mom, things went crazy. My grandma made a statement and backed it up. I then made a statement, and backed it up. Apparently I had too much back up. (How dare I have multiple reasons to support what I say?)

My mother shoots off a "You're just like your father," and grandma quickly agrees. My father is a lot of things, some of them good and some of them bad, but he knows how to debate an issue. He follows the news religiously, cites facts and sources when he supports or negates a stance, and takes time to look at other sides. Admittedly, it can get intense. From years of trying to assert my "right-ness" or "left-ness" as the case may be, I too have learned to follow these things with diligence. Yes, it is true I enjoy debating topics from politics, environment, movies, and even food. I like opinions, I like the "why factor." And, when you've known me for a day, a year, or a lifetime, you know what to expect when offering your opinion.

Extra, extra, read all about it!

A few nights ago our dog, Bailey, was barking at 5 a.m. This greatly concerned my husband, Kevin, because she doesn’t bark without reason.

Kevin: The dog was barking and she doesn't bark just to bark. So I got up, and there was a car parked in our driveway, and the door was open! And it was in our DRIVEWAY!
Me: um, a car, at 5, in our driveway?
Kevin: YES!
Me: um, and is there now a paper on your front porch?
Kevin: um, oh, that makes sense. Well, at least she told me someone was there.

I love him!

Should I stay or should I go now...

My life has been pretty high stress of late, and not just because Inky, my in-laws' dog, has been staying with us. The job market here, in Michigan, scares me to death. All around me, businesses are closing their doors. I can see high-end stores hurting when the economy goes a bit south, but what gets me is the TJ Max by our house just closed and now a handful of Value City's are out the door.

When the Mecca of discount goods and the wanna be, Value City, see no value in staying open that can only mean bad, really bad, things are to come. Without the $8.00 an hour retail job, the underemployed of this state will have no place to turn for work. And without jobs, even bad ones, the economy will only get worse.

Which brings me to the stress. We are talking about an exit strategy. Do I want to leave my family and friends? NO! But, we may have to. I am very lucky to have a job, and even luckier that it is in a field I truly enjoy. I am thrilled we can squeak out our mortgage (and that we took the fixed rate) but one surprise and our resources will be tapped. Should I be thrilled to be getting by?

People always talk about not leaving your family, but that is what my family did to get here. My grandparents were born in other states; they all came here for jobs. Because there were jobs. But, today there are none. Have these wise people taught me nothing? I think it's only right that I go were the work is. I wanted to grow up and see my name in lights, but all that means; I want to be a success!

Confused by it all...

Yes Dad

On the phone with Dad yesterday:

Dad: Well hello baby.
Me: Hi Daddy.
Dad: What it is?
Me: Just driving home.
Dad: Did you check your oil?
Me: Yes Dad.
Dad: Lie?
Me: Yes Dad.
Dad: Check your oil.

Turns out I am going to have that exact conversation once a week until eternity.

The silver lining? My brother also has the same conversation at least once a week.

The funny part? He never checks his or mom's.

Writer's guild, writer's guild, wherefore art thou writer's guild?

I miss TV. I am not embarrassed by my love of sitting around at night and watching sitcoms , dramas and even Lifetime movies. It is my unwind time. I laugh, I cry, I allow myself to become vested in a world that is not my own. I love it. This strike is slowly stealing my sanity by not allowing me to escape from time to time.

I have been blessed with a curse recently. The Colbert Report has returned to me, but without writers. This show is of such importance that I receive Google alerts on it right along with alerts for my clients. I fancy myself pro-union, so does this make me a scab viewer?

I know there is new research showing things like forcing kids to apologize when they are not really sorry causes them more harm than good, but I, the third party am suffering irreparable damage. So, networks, writers, lets play nice. I pay too much for cable with no writers.

Monkey see Monkey do

People have always wondered if they in fact worked with a bunch of monkeys. That may not be far from the truth. When reading The Paper yesterday I came across an interesting article outlining the political systems of different animal cultures. The rhesus monkey stood out as the winner of the mock election "Most like some douche I know".

Rhesus monkeys are strategic when vying for the top spots in their political system. They challenge one another for power, they get everything else after. Like people, it is not about the strongest individual, or who is right, it is about which individual has more people on their side. The rhesus waits patiently, watching for signs, and when the risk is minimal they assist the side of the clear winner. They will only put on this show of loyalty when the party in “need” is already higher than they are in the pecking order. No need to help someone who can’t help you right?

Here lies the benefit of playing the game, if you always rally behind the clear winner; you will always get to take a step up with a social promotion or perhaps a real one. If you choose not to play, expect life to stay the same. I would generally suggest leaving a situation that doesn’t place many monkeys on your side however, Dario Maestripieri has reminded me that no matter where we are, the problem will always lie with interactions among other monkeys, err… people.

Dario Maestripieri, a primatologist at the University
of Chicago, has observed a similar dilemma in humans and the rhesus
monkeys he studies. “The paradox of a highly social species like rhesus monkeys
and humans is that our complex sociality is the reason for our success, but it’s
also the source of our greatest troubles,” he said. “Throughout human history,
you see that the worst problems for people almost always come from other people,
and it’s the same for the monkeys. You can put them anywhere, but their main
problem is always going to be other rhesus monkeys.”

Dive right in

Working hard, being appreciated for it, and going home. Seems easy enough. Employers are always "seeking hard working, dedicated, motivated"...fill in the almost infinite amount of terms available. In return for being what they're looking for, they make some promises to the new employee about who they are. This is where it can go sour.

Now, I am aware that am included in what is disgracefully being called the "entitlement generation", but when I ask around, it seems we are only asking for what was promised to us. Reviews, training, time off, seminars, travel; the list grows as I think of friends and the stories they tell. Perhaps there is a "broken promises generation" out there.

A recent article in Advertising Age lets me realize there is hope as someone is out there championing the idea of fostering growth in an employee while increasing their loyalty to the employer.

Little things like acknowledging a good job and following up on questions should be easy enough. "Don't sweat the small stuff", it's a cute phrase but let's face it, little things matter. When I talk to my friends, no matter what career path they have taken, the number one complaint is not feeling appreciated. Maybe it is because our parents were told not to hit us, to reinforce the positive and talk through the negative, but whatever the case we are all here now, and the next crop will be even more interested in instant gratification.