Healthy Food Fail

I don't generally like to say I'm on a diet, because I'm not. I have been striving to eat healthfully for years. It seems my quest for health is renewed each January (much like millions of other resolutioners.) Unfortunately, I'm a stress eater and boy did I stress eat today! After a 3 hours commute to work (DON'T ASK), I stormed into the office craving a doughnut. I didn't care that they were crappy Tim Horton's doughnuts. I needed fried batter, and fast. It was so worth the calories. Also worth the calories were the kettle chips I had with lunch, and the giant cookie I had for lunch dessert. Luckily, zumba was not canceled tonight even though the road to the studio had definitely been overlooked by plows.

So.......time to start anew with healthy living in February.

Book #2

Yesterday, I finished Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. For some reason, this took me a lot longer to read than books usually do but I'm going to chalk it up to being busy at work. Anyway, this one gets a big thumbs up from me. The story follows Oskar Schell on a sometimes laughable but mostly heartbreaking journey following his father's death in the WTC on 9/11. Foer's creation of Oskar is incredible and his story, and the stories of his near relatives, is poignant and thoughtful. The story moved along well and I found myself wanting to keep reading just to find out what happens to Oskar and see how he grows throughout the story while coming to terms with his father's death. My only complaint about the book is the spacing in some of the chapters. I understand it's for effect and yada yada but it made portions of it difficult to read and maybe I'm slow, but sometimes I couldn't figure out who was talking. Other than that, it was different from anything I've read in a long time, in a very good way. Foer also authored Everything is Illuminated which I haven't read but will certainly check out in the future. Foer is one to read and I'm glad I found him since I'm auditioning new authors. Enjoy!

I love you, television.

It's no secret, my affair with television programming. I have always enjoyed watching TV. I try to give all new shows a chance. It is my dream to be a Nielsen family someday. No, I haven't picked up any new shows mid-season. However, some of my old faves have returned thanks to HBO's wacky scheduling. This past Sunday, Big Love was BACK for its third season. This show has some of the most interesting characters on television. My fascination with the polygamist culture may have something to do with my affection for this show, possibly. (Read, Escape by Carolyn Jessop if you share this obsession) In addition to BL (not to be confused with Biggest Loser), the second season of Flight of the Conchords also premiered this Sunday. I laugh through every episode. It's their outfits and kiwi accents and just, everything. If you don't have HBO, watch these online. You won't be sorry.

Quads and Hammies and Shin splints, OH MY!

So, I finally used our brand new rec center passes this weekend. It was awesome for a couple reasons and not so awesome at the same time. Awesomeness: I haven't run since Thanksgiving so it felt good to get back out there, I didn't have to fight for a sweaty treadmill or layer up to run in sub zero temps. Non-awesomeness: even though there are signs that say "Single File Exercise" there are plenty of old women who think it's okay to have one person walk the left lane and one person pull a Johnny Cash and walk the line. Not only is this NOT single file exercising, but it's super annoying when trying to pass these walkers (in dress shoes, which the sign clearly prohibits.) You people need to follow the posted rules of the Rec Center. Also, I am v. sore these days. I did the Wii Fit (he was mad at me for skipping 5 days but my Fit age is 29 -- score!) instead of cardio but it was a battle. I probably won't get back to the rec until Friday or Sunday as I have a crazy week but it's good to know it was money well spent.

Adventures in Sadieland - Sadie is running around with the new shower squeegee in her mouth. This means she entered the shower (which she hates) of her own volition, sniffed out the squeegee, and then took a victory lap with it around the coffee table. You wish you had this dog.

Brrrrr......

Add single temperatures to the list of things that I do not care for about Ohio. When it hurts to breathe outside, it's too cold. It just is. If I have to wear a scarf, gloves, my 180s AND my hood, it's too cold. My toes were FREEZING today. I even wore my boots this morning, thus reaffirming my need for new fur boots. If you breathe in through your nose, your nostril hairs stick together. It's a creepy feeling.

Things that warm me up: zumba, Sadie and "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings which I just downloaded and can't wait to run to at the rec.

P.S. I was told we're not allowed to fly anymore in light of today's Hudson River crash landing in NYC. My apologies to those of you that live farther away than I like to drive.

Bullseye, Target!

If you haven't been to your local Target in the past week or so, do yourself a favor and GO! In the wake of all things Christmas being 75% off and picked over, that part of the store now houses the most delightful home decor I have ever seen in this price point. They have these inventive themes and colors and each new aisle made me want to redecorate every room in the condo. I can't find any of the stuff online, although I'm sure I'm just not looking hard enough. See it in person though. Bravo!

In other Target news......today I said goodbye to an old friend, my brown cardigan. It suffered a laceration near the collar. Too greatly damaged to be fixed, he met his untimely demise. R.I.P. Brown Merona Cardigan. You will be missed.

(Brown Cardigan's Debut, October 2005 -- sorry so tiny)

First Book of the New Year

I started two books this week before finally finishing one. A new resolution for 2009: don't feel obligated to finish a crappy or predictable book. Anyway, I finally settled on reading Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism by Jenny McCarthy. I chose this book for its interest and popularity factor. I'm not a mother and I don't know anyone dealing with autism but I felt like I might learn something about a topic where my knowledge extends about as far as Rain Man. The book itself was so-so; I suppose it depends what you're hoping to gain from it. It is not very informative about autism itself, it may not have set out to be though. I picked up a few nuggets beyond what I know about this affliction but nothing truly scientific. McCarthy's writing was conversational, though riddled with profanity, and not preachy, which I feared going in, the preachy part that is. There's a lot of controversy behind vaccines and autism and believing that's where her son's autism started from, I figured the entire book would scream, "NO WESTERN MEDICINE!" But it didn't, not too much anyway.

The tale itself was heartbreaking but ends on a hopeful note. I read some other reviews post-book-reading most of which point out that the book gives false hope to those who have children with autism in that McCarthy believes her son is cured of autism which supposedly, cannot really happen. Again, no real scientific data to back up any of her claims. In fact, she belabors the point that the majority of doctors she dealt with early on in the diagnosis dismissed her questions and concerns of autism.

It's worth reading if nothing for a glimpse into everything that goes into caring for a child with autism. It's a very fast read, and it's approachable. Better than the first two attempts for this year anyway. 1 down, 34 to go.

Oh, blast!

I figured today might not go so well when I woke up at 4:30 am and couldn't fall back to sleep. When I first woke up I said to myself, Don't look at the clock. It will only psych you out and you'll never get back to sleep. Ten minutes later, I looked at the clock and was excited that I still had an hour until Tuesday began. And then I saw every minute pass until the alarm went off. Rough start.

Then, there was my 30 minutes longer than normal commute due to Ohio's lovely ice storms. Surprisingly enough, I didn't pass a single accident. Maybe southwestern Ohioans do know how to drive in the snow. Probably just a lucky break though.

I got to work and realized I forgot my lunch. I managed to bring an orange and my yogurt, but forgot my soup. The main course. How I overlooked the container of soup when I grabbed the White Chocolate Raspberry Dannon, I'll never know. Regardless, I decide I'll just go to Wendy's and get chili. It's only a dollar and it only has 5 g of fat, thus making it the best possible replacement for my homemade Pumpkin Black Bean soup. (Delicious and fiber-rific!)

At lunchtime, I drive to Wendy's, in the rain, and order the chili and splurge on a Caesar side salad. Watch out! "$3.08," says this chipper voice. Huh? What happened to the Dollar Menu? When did the price of a small chili go up to $1.59 and the price of a side salad rise to $1.49? Nevermind that the Jr. Hamburger is still on the 99 Cent list. Because the cost of lettuce has certainly surpassed the price of beef, right? Uh, NO! Come on, Wendy's. You're better than that. And you're on my list now, along with Panera, that wicked seductress. Don't get me started.

The lunch was a tasty departure but I was still brooding over the inflation while reading a book that I'm so not into. More on that another day......if I can manage to finish it for a proper review.

At least zumba was a good workout. My husband made dinner. And we have sprinkles for our fat free sundaes. Always end on a happy note, right? Vino calls.

Curse of the Cuticle

Most women my age despise wearing pantyhose. I probably would also if I hadn't spent the last 3 1/2 years enforcing a dress code at my place of business in which pantyhose/tights must be worn with all skirts. For this reason, pantyhose don't bother me. In fact, I prefer wearing them. Is pantyhose plural? What's the singular? Pantyho? Anyway, I feel pantyhose, tights, and hosiery in general give off a professional vibe. They polish any look and provide leg warmth in the Ohio winter months. They are not so great in the summer but I still abide by the rule.

Here's where pantyhose and I differ. I can get 2, maybe 3 if I'm lucky, wears out of them before they get a run or a hole and must meet their final resting places. Such was the case today on a leg of my pantyho (one leg, singular, right?) that got a run mid-morning. My nails were trimmed save for a rogue cuticle, the culprit in this incident. I purchased this pair just last week in an effort to beef up my hosiery wardrobe. Why can't they make these out of a more durable material? I believe I would pay top dollar for a pair that might last even a whole year. Of course, I can only bring myself to commit to a $4.00 pair of Hanes Silk Reflections so who knows if I'd really pay top dollar for them. The more expensive pairs I bit the bullet on did last longer, though nothing close to a year. When will I learn, or be more careful?

In other news, I saw Marley & Me this weekend. Bring the kleenex. If you've read the book by John Grogan, which I had, you'll know what's coming. Knowing didn't help me one iota. Nor did it help the theatre full of sniffling adults. The movie is probably just as touching for those who are not dog owners but certainly to me, mother of Miss Sadie. It had funny parts and sweet parts too to compensate for the sad. Worth the price of a ticket, even though I did use a coupon!

I'd also like to report that so far my resolution/to do list for 2009 is progressing swimmingly. Create recipe binder: Check! Use crockpot more: Check! Do Wii Fit 4 times a week in addition to regular cardio: on my way to Check! More on resolutions later.

What to Read

I love to read! I read a lot of great books in 2008 and so I've challenged myself to read 35 books in 2009. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Some of my favorites from last year include:

We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld
Ella Minnow Pea - Marc Dunn
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian

There are so many more! I have a problem remembering what I've read; no matter how recently. I'm hoping this blog, if nothing else, will help me keep track of my reads this year as I review them. I read a lot of crap too though. Consider yourself warned. Chick lit just goes so fast and the covers are so enticing. I've got lots on my To Be Read pile but usually I just grab whatever looks interesting off the express shelf at one of my favorite places, the library!

Happy Reading!

Hello 2009!

Welcome to a new year and a new blog! Hopefully you will find it interesting. Hopefully I will find myself interesting enough to write about. This blog has no direct theme as I have a myriad of topics to discuss. Enjoy!