The Desk

I'm writing to you from my new desk at home.

Big deal, right? I sit at a desk at work all day and I never wrote a blog about it. But this is different.

This is like the time I bought my first computer because I wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before, but bear with me, I have a point. It's like the time I bought my Kindle because I wanted to read more. Both motives worked, by the way. I have a lengthy journal from those first few years of laptop ownership. Most likely because I didn't have the internet and all I could really do was write on the thing. And my Kindle has done wonders for my reading habits. I hate to put the thing down. In fact, I've bought "real" books in the meantime but I always return to the gadget.

This time, I bought a new desk because I want to blog more. My laptop and I are always in the recliner and I really don't write as much because of it. So I tell myself. Sometimes we (the laptop and I) migrate to the couch, but there are little fairies that live between the cushions who induce sleep. That's not good for productivity. The point is, at home I rarely sit at a table or desk while on the computer. I surf the internet in my chair. I pay bills in my chair. I watch funny videos in my chair. Why? It's comfortable and I can watch TV at the same time. And when I say "watch TV" I mean spend at least ten minutes trying to find something decent and virtually ignore it while I'm on the computer.

Let me back up a bit. I was not deskless. When we moved here, Pmo had no desk. So I let him use mine. He seemed to really want one and I just stacked stuff on it anyway. Several months ago, maybe even a year, Pmo decided to bring his desk up from his dad's house. At this point, we had two desks. So I rearranged the dog room/guest room/my room to house my desk again. But I pretty much went back to using it as counter space. You see, my former desk is odd for my needs. It has a built in shelf where you are supposed to sit. I'm guessing for a traditional desktop computer, this would be great. Monitor on top, keyboard below. Other stuff to the side. But you need a flat, open surface for a laptop. And where that flat surface is, there's a drawer and shelf underneath. Therefore, I can't really sit at it and work on the laptop. It's a bit backwards.

When I got it into my head that I "needed" a new desk (and I do that from time to time with certain things) we looked at a few consignment stores, Goodwill, etc., because I was hoping to find some secondhand awesomeness. But that didn't happen. And since I wasn't in any big hurry, I thought maybe we'd happen upon something some day or I would just forget about it. Then I saw a corner desk/small bookcase combo in the Target ad over the weekend and that was it. I was on the hunt again. Except when I got to the store, I decided the desk wasn't big enough even if I put the printer on top of the bookcase. So I came home with a traditional desk with drawers on the side but the entire surface is flat. No shelf. I didn't spend too much on it either, which is a plus. Pmo put it together for me. Now here I am.

Will it motivate me to blog more? Who knows? But I'm doing it now. Did a Y membership turn me into an avid exerciser? No. Does eating right for a day or two transform me into a health nut? Not hardly. All I can do is try. I talk myself into these things and see how far they take me. I'm pretty content with the new desk so far. It's a dark, espresso color so it doesn't match the oak furniture that's in this room, but that's okay. Now I just have to go through all of the papers and files I used to stack on top of the old desk and organize them. That was also part of the motive: to get organized back here. Like I need a reason to do that. I can't function unless my to-do lists have their own to-do lists.  

Summing Up Summer

I have many blog ideas on my to do list. Several, in fact. Although it appears I can't put my money where my mouth is because I haven't blogged in 3 months! But this blog will not focus on any of those ideas. I'll simply catch you up.

I think it's safe to say I've been busy this summer, but I really haven't been *that* tied up that I couldn't have blogged. I think part of the problem is I don't typicaly just sit down and start writing. There's some prep work involved, some time set aside. In the end, I just do something else.

My Kindle is getting a workout though. I've read several books on it, including the entire Fifty Shades of Grey series. I'm currently working on The Hunger Games and my weekly editions of Newsweek and Time. That, in itself, is a major time suck. But I'm glad I'm doing it. I've had such an aversion to reading for so long. The Kindle has really helped me get into it again. I've also been buying books here and there at flea markets and bookstores. However, they're not as convenient as the Kindle and kind of stacking up around here. Unread.

And then there's Bug. He continues to have various ailments that creep up which often stop me in my tracks and require a change in plans. Like a trip to the vet instead of a load of laundry. Nowadays, I stop by there anyway on a biweekly basis to pick up food and/or medication. If you're keeping track of Bug's health, he's 11 years old (12 in February) with arthritis, diabetes, cataracts (he's pretty much blind) and peridontal disease. His latest bout was a bleeding mouth. I'm talking pools of blood appearing in his cage. Doc put him on antibiotics and he's doing much better. Although lately he's been uber hungry. Sigh.

Labor Day weekend is upon us. Pmo and I are heading out for Cincy tomorrow to see KISS and Motley Crue. We're going to make our way back home through southern Indiana the next few days and do some shopping and visit our favorite wineries. There's also more concert excitement ahead in November: Ron White, Bruce Springsteen and Journey/Pat Benetar/Loverboy. Plus we're planning another trip to the Georgia cabin in October as well as some time off for the holidays. The NFL has started back up again and fall is just around the corner. I can't wait.

Work has kept me busy, too. As usual. I've had several meetings and workshops added to the mix lately along with the daily grind of producing the morning newscast. It's safe to say I'm pretty happy to have the next 4 days off.

We've made use of our toys this summer. Not a whole lot because it was painfully hot for such a long time. You'd think during that time I would have had nothing better to do than blog. Anyway, we took the motorcycles for a ride a few weekends ago and explored the greenway on our bicycles another weekend. The one toy we don't seem to use at all is the Wii. And I hate that. We don't have that many games but we have enough to keep us entertained. We just don't use it. But I don't want to get rid of it either. I need to use it. Wii Fit, Just Dance and other games would get me moving. Yet I sit and watch TV.

I also need to take Jack for more walks. I feel sorry for the little guy. He's turning 9 next month and has all the energy of a puppy. And Lord knows I need the exercise, but between working extra hours and trying to get to the Y to use my gym membership and taking care of the house and looking after Bug and trying to spend time with Pmo and finding a moment to read and having to sleep during the day...Jack gets put on the back burner. I don't see how working moms with kids do it.

Okay, that's enough. This is getting too long and I'm starting to ramble. I'll try to write something more thought provoking next time. Like I said, I have ideas. Maybe this will get me back into the swing of things. TTFN.

Breaking Bad

I feel as though I may have named a blog "Breaking Bad" already. If so, my apologies, and we'll call this part 2.

I began somewhat of a healthier routine this week. I pledged to do some kind of exercise every day. Nothing major. I'm not training for a marathon or planning to drop 50 pounds. Just make myself move and try to break a sweat. I also promised to incorporate better foods into my meals and not fall back on junk food all of the time.

I think I did a pretty good job in both areas. Was I perfect? No. I had pizza and fries at least one day. I went out to dinner Friday and Saturday nights. Okay, there may have been some ice cream involved, too. But I also munched on almonds, raisins, bananas, grilled chicken and fish throughout the week.  And I exercised every day. Except Friday. And Saturday. And probably today. It's Sunday. I have to go to bed super early. Back off!

Otherwise, I enjoyed a variety of activities this past week: weights and jogging at the Y, walking Jack around the neighborhood, yoga in the living room and steps on the Wii. I think I also danced to some music in the kitchen Friday morning. It helps having my exercise log to mark things down. It makes me accountable. I'm still holding off on the food diary. Too much work. I have to have time to read my Kindle and do other "me" things.

Speaking of that, I'm starting to realize there really is no greater form of "me time" than eating the right foods and exercising. I usually think of "me time" as eating chocolate, drinking wine, reading magazines, bubble baths, massages, pedicures, shopping, etc. But what could be better for you than treating your body with a little TLC? Not that those other things aren't awesome. I'm totally going to continue to enjoy them, too.

I'm not trying to lose weight. If it happens, great, but then I'll have to get a new wardrobe. The scale puts too much pressure on me. I did have one true success. I didn't have fast food all week. Usually, I stop at McD's or Taco Bell or both by Friday. But that's when I have no time to throw something together in my lunch bag that's easy and manageable. Which is often. I'm chronically late. And I can't exactly have a 3 course meal while typing furiously on the night shift. But time and simplicity are no longer excuses when I have a constant supply of oatmeal and other readily available snacks at my disposal. 

This is not a diet. There is no New Year's resolution. Again, that's too much pressure which leads to failure. I figure I can't quit being lazy and eating badly cold turkey, right? Even smokers get patches and gum. And it's better than doing nothing at all and staying on the clogged cholesterol train.

Doctor's Orders

Last week, I was told by my doctor during my annual checkup that I may be heading (at warp speed, in my opinion) into menopause.

WHAT?

But Mitzi, you say, you're only in your early thirties and you look 25!

Bless your heart.

It's true. My doc thought it was a possibility. The fact that I don't have a monthly visitor bothered her more this year than it did the year before. Because I told her the exact same thing in 2011, and she said it wasn't a big deal. At that time, lab work indicated my thyroid was out of whack. It wasn't serious enough for me to have to take a hormone, but the doc said I may feel better if I did. Since I wasn't feeling horrible, I opted for the vitamin option.

But I digress. Back to the "change of life" conversation. Really? Really! My first thought was WTF? My second thought was, well that will end any lingering questions about having a family. But I didn't break down and cry, yearning for my fertility. I did, however, stop and think about it a little bit. I wasn't too thrilled about the option being totally taken away from me.

Turns out I'm not menopausal. I think I knew that deep down. I had no other symptoms: hot flashes, memory loss, etc. Instead, I have high cholesterol. My orders are to cut down simple carbs, up the fiber intake and get moving. I assign myself different exercise every day on my phone calendar: go to the Y on Monday, do yoga on Tuesday, walk with Jack on Wednesday, etc. But I often end up blowing said exercise off, especially if work runs over or I'm just too tired. This time, I've decided to make a chart (like I did for Bug's meds) so I can give myself a variety of choices daily and check them off as I do them. That way, I can view the week as a whole to see what exactly I'm doing.

The food part is hard. I like to eat. And I like to eat all of the bad things. I thought about keeping a food diary as well, but that's so time consuming. I've been trying to buy healthier food at the grocery store for some time now. I know better. I know Pmo and I aren't getting any younger and if we want to stick around, eating healthier is a big part of that.

It could be worse. I have friends who live with fibromyalgia and diabetes every day. There are women my age fighting breast cancer and other life threatening diseases. There's a whole world of health problems out there I know nothing about. So for now, I know that my biological clock is still intact, it has not stopped, it's still ticking. But I'm sure it's winding down.

Top 10 Moments in Memphis

10. Mom looking in both directions every time went over a bridge to see if she could get a glimpse of whatever river we were crossing.

9. About 60 miles outside of Memphis at an intersection after eating lunch:
Mom (looking north): “I can see Memphis from here…”
Me (pointing south): “I find that hard to believe because it’s this way.”

8. Watching the Peabody ducks that we had talked about and seen a long, long time ago on “Coach” then stealing the drink napkins someone else had used before we left.

7. Ordering drinks before dinner at Pig on Beale:
Mom: “Water.”
Me: “Bud Light.”
Waitress (to me): “Can I see your ID?”
Mom: “You wanna see my ID, too?”
Me: “For water?”

6. Both of us packing a snack bag, including Cheez-its, without the other one knowing.

5. Having 3 TV channels in the motel that continuously played Elvis movies and catching the end of each one.

4. Both of us being ready for bed well before by 9pm.

3. Watching Mom take in Graceland from the ticket stub to the gravesite.

2. Seeing many horse carriage rides with dogs in the front seat, but only one with a pug.

1. The pizza buffet/game place: I don’t even know how to say this and be politically correct so I’ll just explain what happened as best I can. A woman working there (who happened to be outside on a smoke break when I dropped Mom off then parked the car) let us eat for free. Why? We don’t know. But after we got our food and sat down, we realized we were the only white people in the entire place. It reminded me of that Eddie Murphy skit on SNL called “White Like Me”. Watch it, it’s funny.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/10356/saturday-night-live-white-like-me

Country Concerts

I've seen Miranda Lambert twice now. She started this show with a video montage of women in power while Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)" was playing. So cool.

Canaan Smith opened for Sugarland. He was okay, but his guitar players didn't sound like they were in sync.

Lauren Alaina said she was missing her prom so she asked this guy to dance with her on stage.

I've also seen Sugarland twice now. I was surprised how much fan interaction they had during this show. They pulled two or three little girls on stage with them at different times.

I'm pretty sure this was during "It Happens". Love the crazy look on her face.

They opened the first show I attended with "Love" and it blew me away.

Wild Card

A conversation with one of my co-workers sparked the following blog.

Me: "I'm rooting for Louisville."
She: "WHHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTTTT???????"

Ok, so it wasn't much of a conservation.
But I can explain.

I don't pledge allegiance to any particular sports team. Professional or college. I root for the region, basically. If IU is playing NC State, I go for the Hoosiers. If UK is up against Kansas, I'll back the Wildcats. If the Colts are taking on the Titans...well, I have a little trouble with this one, because technically Nashville is closer than Indy. It's because I lean toward my dad's logic: you go for the team that's closest to you. Although he's no sports fanatic either.

I'm really not a true fan. I don't commit. It probably seems like that's the easy way out, but look at it this way: at least I don't get my heart broken when the team loses. Or have to make excuses as to why they didn't win. I don't take it personally. I don't get involved in all the trash talk leading up to the game. And I don't have to eat crow afterwards either. Yet I still enjoy the victories. It's good for my sanity.

Yes, my husband hopes UK will go all the way, so Saturday night will be just like the IU game in our home. But rooting against him makes it fun! Now if I took it seriously, that would be a different story. It could get quite ugly. But he knows I don't care that much, and I still get to take part in all the fun, so it's a win-win. To me.

Plus, I like Louisville. The city. Hell, I've been there 3 times already this year. And I'm going back next month. I have friends and relatives there. I hardly know anyone in Lexington. Not to mention, I love an underdog. Seems like everyone I know is for UK. I'm not alway big on doing what everyone else does. And frankly, sometimes people can get too big for their britches. There's confidence and then there's arrogance.

It's not really about statistics, players and records to me. It's like tonight's Mega Millions drawing, which is now up to $640M by the way! There's a chance the little guy will win. There's the possibility the unthinkable will happen. There's an opportunity for a really good story to come out of this. And go down in the history books. Either way, I'll be just fine. Can't speak for Pmo though.