I've done it, I've turned 40 and I didn't implode. I did it in style, too, within the course of a week we closed on our house sale and purchase, moved, had the birthday, then had my graduation "poleformance" attended by friends and family. I'd say that's a pretty successful and fun way to start a new decade.
The funny thing is, I freaked out for about a year and a half about turning 40, and the morning of my birthday (which is the very same as the FABULOUS Dr. Seuss, I might add) as I was driving to work, I realized that it was just another day. A simple but significant epiphany. So, just like that, for now, the mid life crisis has been thwarted.
HOWEVER, this blog still lives on because I still have a lot going on, a lot to talk about, and a lot more to accomplish...
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Underwear is Fun to Wear!
So, today I participated in the "Cupid's Undies Run" in DC. It's a charity benefit, and as evident in the title, people run a little over a mile in mostly only their underwear. In public. In February.
So, picture hanging out in a bar with 500 people you mostly don't know, about equally men and women, all decked out in the scantiest, wackiest and/or most attention-getting garb they could come up with. There were tons of women in pink, red, and heart laden undies, some even with wings. There were boys with body hugging superhero underwear, hearts carved into their chest hair, etc. It was awesome. And to be honest, with that many people standing around in their underwear, it didn't feel nearly as awkward as I expected to take off my pants, put them in a bag, and give them to the coat check guy. Even though the bar was stuffed with underwear clad people wall-to-wall, at times having to push past each other, it was all cool.
I was there with a team of ladies from the DivaFit studio, and we all wore pink feather boas to supplement our Divalicious wardrobes. It was sunny but still fairly winter-breezy out, and I had on knee high socks, and another pair that I cut the feet out of as arm warmers.
The short run took us by the Supreme Court and the Capitol, with loads of spectators along the way, and it was an exercise in fun, taking pictures, laughing at ourselves and other people, and major camaraderie. When it was time to reclaim our stuff and put pants back on after having them off for a couple of hours, THAT almost felt weird. I think my husband thought I was completely out of my mind for doing this, but I couldn't be more pleased with the experience! We're already plotting next year's team attire...
So, picture hanging out in a bar with 500 people you mostly don't know, about equally men and women, all decked out in the scantiest, wackiest and/or most attention-getting garb they could come up with. There were tons of women in pink, red, and heart laden undies, some even with wings. There were boys with body hugging superhero underwear, hearts carved into their chest hair, etc. It was awesome. And to be honest, with that many people standing around in their underwear, it didn't feel nearly as awkward as I expected to take off my pants, put them in a bag, and give them to the coat check guy. Even though the bar was stuffed with underwear clad people wall-to-wall, at times having to push past each other, it was all cool.
I was there with a team of ladies from the DivaFit studio, and we all wore pink feather boas to supplement our Divalicious wardrobes. It was sunny but still fairly winter-breezy out, and I had on knee high socks, and another pair that I cut the feet out of as arm warmers.
The short run took us by the Supreme Court and the Capitol, with loads of spectators along the way, and it was an exercise in fun, taking pictures, laughing at ourselves and other people, and major camaraderie. When it was time to reclaim our stuff and put pants back on after having them off for a couple of hours, THAT almost felt weird. I think my husband thought I was completely out of my mind for doing this, but I couldn't be more pleased with the experience! We're already plotting next year's team attire...
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Inspired.
One of the most inspirational people in my life (other than my mother) is my dear friend, "W", who I have known since we were sorority sisters in college. As college kids we shared a lot of the same plights: wanting to meet boys, wanting to fit in, wanting to figure out a path in life, wanting to attain a better figure, etc. While I gradually found my way post-school into my career in Planning/Zoning and eventually met my husband and settled down, it took her a little longer to find herself and be happy.
Fast forward to the last few years, and she has turned into the most incredibly amazing woman. She is an FBI agent, and is part of a very exclusive "team" therein which I will not specify out of her need for anonymity, she had the sense to request assignment to sunny Florida, met and married her wonderful sweet husband, has a beautiful house with an amazing backyard pool "oasis" in a fabulous neighborhood, and they now have two absolutely priceless twin baby boys in their lives.
She has always been the pinnacle of organization. When we shared an apartment for a year after college, her area was always spotless and just so, and I used to drive her literally UP THE WALL with my much sloppier habits in comparison, especially when it came to leaving dirty dishes around. Later, after the birth of my son she came to visit and she and my mom spent an entire afternoon trying to organize my house with all the new baby stuff and getting the nursery set up while I napped off my stressed out and sleep deprived haze. The things she/they did definitely helped get a better handle on things, too. About a year later when she again came to visit we had just gotten through some really rough family-wise illness in the middle of the winter, and it was so tough on us we were in a bit of a funk. She pulled me together and suggested that no matter what kind of chaos I was undergoing and trying or not able to keep up with, that if I would just make the bed every morning and keep the bedroom tidy, at least that would be one restful spot on the house and it would gradually spread. Organization is key to mental restfulness. Do you know that to this day 4 or so years later I have made my bed every day since? And gradually, as we've gotten a better handle on things, and especially as our house is in currently in "showing" condition, it truly is a reality that tidiness=peacefulness.
So, now that she is a new mother of twins, I had told her I would visit her as soon as she wanted/needed me to pay back the love and support she had given me as a new mother. She's sounded pretty together this whole time on the phone, even with the boys being born early and spending a month in the hospital. So, here I am to visit, and I am stunned: even with having two new babies in the house, in addition to 4 cats and a husband, she has it completely together. And I mean, COMPLETELY. There is not one speck of dirt and not one thing out of place. The kids rooms are organized, the play areas are organized, the kitchen is tidy and immaculate, and even though she and her husband are juggling the pair of them and frequent feedings, etc., she absolutely puts every single thing in its exact rightful place the second she is done with it. Their house looks like it could go on the market with 15 minutes' notice, no exaggeration!! In addition, she has lost enough of her baby weight that if I hadn't seen pictures I'd never believe she had given birth recently, never mind that they were twins. She is completely put together, too, with cute hair and makeup. The house in in perfect shape, as well, no projects "waiting to be done", she does all that kind of stuff immediately, and she knows how to fix everything from plumbing to electrical work to carpentry to cars. I am totally in awe. She is relaxed, happy, and efficient. It truly makes me want to better myself as a person and live my life like that, with a perpetually organized and efficient life. At a healthy weight. Something to strive for, with an example of how seemingly easy it can be!
Monday, January 10, 2011
A Nine Hour Weekend
Well, ok, nine hours on Sunday plus an evening with friends on Saturday, but truly it only felt like the weekend started at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon. Hence why I am awake in the wee hours of the morning Monday, because I just couldn't bear to have it be any shorter than necessary. We had our house shown a bunch of times on Saturday and an then an open house on Sunday. Well attended for a change, thankfully. And I'm just now getting through all the laundry and stuff for the week as a result. Missed most of the football games, just caught the highlights. Have a four day workweek coming up, which normally would sound like a good thing, but I'm a little busy/behind in my work right now, am fighting off a sinus infection for which I need to visit my doc, and it's supposed to snow on Tuesday, all of which could disrupt the week into being even a little bit shorter. And the added stress of still having the house stuff up in the air and stealing our relaxing at home time that we badly needed is driving me/us to the crack point. I guess the good thing is that I will not be home this weekend, so although I won't be home I will get some time to relax, to myself, in a warmer place...
Friday, January 7, 2011
A Different Kind of New Year
Every single year since I can remember, I have made New Years' Resolutions. Sometimes they are broad, like "Take Better Care of Myself" and sometimes they are more specific, like "Lose X Pounds by X Date". But I have always been motivated by a chance for a fresh start, a new Monday, a new month, and the first Monday following New Year's has always been the mother load.
This year is different. I have three resolutions, of sorts. The first two are rather concrete, and a little bit of a departure for me. The first is "Get an in person sight/smell of the ocean at least once a month." Why? Because it is my happy place, my zen core, and I feel healed and renewed every time I encounter it. I have a concrete and realistic plan for this, with a little help from my parents' beach house and a friend in FL. The second Resolution is also quite concrete- "Run or compete in at least one physical event per month." I also have a plan for achieving this for most of the months, although January is going to be a little dicey. There's only one event I'm interested in and I'm not sure yet if I'll be free. But I'm registered for events in February and March, and have plenty of planned options for April and beyond.
The third is kind of my usual deal, but is already shaping up differently. I want to take better care of myself, like I often aspire to, and part of that is achieving my weight loss and fitness/health goals. This is especially important to me in this year of turning the big 4-0. But even before the new year turned over I was already resigned to a couple of things on this front. One, I am mentally not in a place to be trying hard-core diet programs right now. Our house is on the market, and adding that to my already full plate of mommyhood, work being fairly busy, etc. has me maxed out mentally. Two, every year this "all or nothing with a deadline" approach has consistently and reliably failed.
So, I am actively pursuing the first two concrete resolutions. And the third? Well, I am thinking about ways to take better care of myself, and I am working up to the kind of healthy eating I want to be doing. I am trying to reduce any unnecessary obligations, and focus my time on the stuff and people that are important to me. I do hope that I will be able to make some progress before all of the milestones I have coming up, and it would help a whole freaking lot if we could sell our house and get to buy and move into the one we want and be done with it. But mentally I am in a whole different place than usual, and maybe being forced to sneak up on this goal gradually instead of boxing myself into a "diet" plan and schedule will actually help, for a change.
This year is different. I have three resolutions, of sorts. The first two are rather concrete, and a little bit of a departure for me. The first is "Get an in person sight/smell of the ocean at least once a month." Why? Because it is my happy place, my zen core, and I feel healed and renewed every time I encounter it. I have a concrete and realistic plan for this, with a little help from my parents' beach house and a friend in FL. The second Resolution is also quite concrete- "Run or compete in at least one physical event per month." I also have a plan for achieving this for most of the months, although January is going to be a little dicey. There's only one event I'm interested in and I'm not sure yet if I'll be free. But I'm registered for events in February and March, and have plenty of planned options for April and beyond.
The third is kind of my usual deal, but is already shaping up differently. I want to take better care of myself, like I often aspire to, and part of that is achieving my weight loss and fitness/health goals. This is especially important to me in this year of turning the big 4-0. But even before the new year turned over I was already resigned to a couple of things on this front. One, I am mentally not in a place to be trying hard-core diet programs right now. Our house is on the market, and adding that to my already full plate of mommyhood, work being fairly busy, etc. has me maxed out mentally. Two, every year this "all or nothing with a deadline" approach has consistently and reliably failed.
So, I am actively pursuing the first two concrete resolutions. And the third? Well, I am thinking about ways to take better care of myself, and I am working up to the kind of healthy eating I want to be doing. I am trying to reduce any unnecessary obligations, and focus my time on the stuff and people that are important to me. I do hope that I will be able to make some progress before all of the milestones I have coming up, and it would help a whole freaking lot if we could sell our house and get to buy and move into the one we want and be done with it. But mentally I am in a whole different place than usual, and maybe being forced to sneak up on this goal gradually instead of boxing myself into a "diet" plan and schedule will actually help, for a change.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Worst Weight Loss Blog Ever?
Am I perhaps unique in the fact that I am a weight loss blogger of sorts, but I don't actually stick to any of my healthy eating or exercise plans for long, I frequently don't continue to take heed of the things I learn after I learn them, and I definitely haven't lost my extra weight yet? I just read an article about how prolific the weight loss blogger success stories are, and how helpful the process is. And it made me step back and laugh at myself. I believe in the process, but somehow I've managed to cheat it and myself in the process. Not enough people write about that, at least not that I've run across.
I know some people read this journal because they are or have been friends with me and either find it interesting, enjoy the personal anecdotes, or whatever. And I love having a place to say whatever is on my mind with the knowledge that one or two people might be listening. But what if you had found me on a search for inspiration to embark on your own weight loss journey? Pretty sure I'd be doing you a disservice in the inspiration department.
Personally, I need to find more weight loss bloggers who are in the same struggling phase as me. I've seen plenty of the fatty to fabulous pictures, heard plenty about how they were able to make the decision to focus on that goal and just get there one day at a time. And then, armed with the understanding that I'm not the only one who sucks at this but still has the gall to write about it, perhaps I could just start heading down the right track for once and for all. Maybe 2011 is my year.
I know some people read this journal because they are or have been friends with me and either find it interesting, enjoy the personal anecdotes, or whatever. And I love having a place to say whatever is on my mind with the knowledge that one or two people might be listening. But what if you had found me on a search for inspiration to embark on your own weight loss journey? Pretty sure I'd be doing you a disservice in the inspiration department.
Personally, I need to find more weight loss bloggers who are in the same struggling phase as me. I've seen plenty of the fatty to fabulous pictures, heard plenty about how they were able to make the decision to focus on that goal and just get there one day at a time. And then, armed with the understanding that I'm not the only one who sucks at this but still has the gall to write about it, perhaps I could just start heading down the right track for once and for all. Maybe 2011 is my year.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
My Last Grandparent
My Grandmom was an awesome lady. She was strong and independent, she was elegant, she was stylish, she was a good cook in the day, and most importantly, she was a fabulous mother and grandmother. I was lucky that I got to have her around locally growing up, and I got to see her a lot. Countless holiday and Sunday dinners, family events, you name it she was always there with us.
I've seen a picture of her as a little girl, riding a horse. I've seen a picture of her on the beach in a bathing suit holding my toddler Dad's hand in which she looks like she could have been a pinup model. In my parents' wedding album (circa 1969) she looked beyond fabulous and fashionable in a lavender minidress with a pillbox hat and gloves. We have years and decades of pictures of all of us at the family dinner table, and although I got older and everyone gradually looked a little different, she hardly seemed to age until about the last 10 years or so.
Her earlier life certainly wasn't easy. She was a military wife, raising two kids while my Grandpop fought in WWII, Vietnam, and Korea. Later, they divorced, and she found herself alone and having to stand on her own two feet. Happily, years later they reconciled, although I don't think she ever completely forgave him for leaving her, but it was good they were able to spend his later years reconnected. She had two kids, my Dad and my Aunt, and I was her only grandchild. And she even stuck around long enough to get to know my 5 year old son, her great-grandson, which I am grateful for. My other Grammy made it just long enough to meet my husband and be at our wedding, but my Grandpop died shortly after college and my Mom's Dad died when I was like one or two at most. So it was good to hang on to one last grandparent for a lot longer.
My favorite memories of her include a period of time in which my parents were in a bowling league on Tuesday nights and they dropped me off at her apartment for a couple of hours. She would cook me dinner, which we ate at her cozy little kitchen table, and we somehow decided we had a mutual interest in the show Mash, which became a beloved bonding time for us.
Today a small gathering of her family and friends of the family joined to remember her, and I learned some wonderful new tidbits about her, as well as sharing fond memories and pictures of her. It was just right for her small, soft spoken, and very loving family, and I know she felt all the warm feelings we sent her way. Grandmom, you will be missed.
I've seen a picture of her as a little girl, riding a horse. I've seen a picture of her on the beach in a bathing suit holding my toddler Dad's hand in which she looks like she could have been a pinup model. In my parents' wedding album (circa 1969) she looked beyond fabulous and fashionable in a lavender minidress with a pillbox hat and gloves. We have years and decades of pictures of all of us at the family dinner table, and although I got older and everyone gradually looked a little different, she hardly seemed to age until about the last 10 years or so.
Her earlier life certainly wasn't easy. She was a military wife, raising two kids while my Grandpop fought in WWII, Vietnam, and Korea. Later, they divorced, and she found herself alone and having to stand on her own two feet. Happily, years later they reconciled, although I don't think she ever completely forgave him for leaving her, but it was good they were able to spend his later years reconnected. She had two kids, my Dad and my Aunt, and I was her only grandchild. And she even stuck around long enough to get to know my 5 year old son, her great-grandson, which I am grateful for. My other Grammy made it just long enough to meet my husband and be at our wedding, but my Grandpop died shortly after college and my Mom's Dad died when I was like one or two at most. So it was good to hang on to one last grandparent for a lot longer.
My favorite memories of her include a period of time in which my parents were in a bowling league on Tuesday nights and they dropped me off at her apartment for a couple of hours. She would cook me dinner, which we ate at her cozy little kitchen table, and we somehow decided we had a mutual interest in the show Mash, which became a beloved bonding time for us.
Today a small gathering of her family and friends of the family joined to remember her, and I learned some wonderful new tidbits about her, as well as sharing fond memories and pictures of her. It was just right for her small, soft spoken, and very loving family, and I know she felt all the warm feelings we sent her way. Grandmom, you will be missed.
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