Friday, October 31
I just checked the 10 day weather forecast and they are showing a 60% chance of rain the day of my marathon. It is still 10 days away though so things can change, plus rain in Fresno generally is light and doesnt last a long time so I am not that concerned but it would certainly be an interesting twist.
Thursday, October 30
You Know What's Irritating?
When your remote control stops working. Not all of it though, only certain buttons which inevitably are the most important ones. It first started when the volume up botton sopped working. Not a big deal, I used my tv remote to do that. Then the channel up button stopped working. Annoying but I was able to use the channel down button so I would change it to highest numerical channel and go down from there to see what was on and choose a show. But then the nail in the coffin, the select or ok button is no longer working at all. It started out just being difficult to push so I had to jam my nail in it to get it to work but now it no longer works at all which means if I want to change the channel I have to get up and manually change it on the cable box.
This is simply unacceptable. I grew up with use of a remote control. My dad is the biggest channel surfer of all time and it was from him I learned that it was possible to watch 3 shows at once and that you never have to watch a commercial unless you want to. I have probably watched more commercials in the past week than in the past year and they are absolutely terrible. It makes me mad that people are getting shit loads of money to make these pieces of crap.
I will take my remote in next week and get a new one but if you have ever had to go to Comcast, it ranks right up there with going to the DMV. The line is out the door and the customer service is terrible so I havent been to excited about doing that. Until then, I am bitching and moaning about it. Maybe I will try to McGyver some kind of stick that will reach from the couch. Any ideas of how to do that?
This is simply unacceptable. I grew up with use of a remote control. My dad is the biggest channel surfer of all time and it was from him I learned that it was possible to watch 3 shows at once and that you never have to watch a commercial unless you want to. I have probably watched more commercials in the past week than in the past year and they are absolutely terrible. It makes me mad that people are getting shit loads of money to make these pieces of crap.
I will take my remote in next week and get a new one but if you have ever had to go to Comcast, it ranks right up there with going to the DMV. The line is out the door and the customer service is terrible so I havent been to excited about doing that. Until then, I am bitching and moaning about it. Maybe I will try to McGyver some kind of stick that will reach from the couch. Any ideas of how to do that?
Wednesday, October 29
Not The Fresno Bee Letter to the Editor But...
I am listening to NPR and they are discussing the fact that gun ownership has been increasing recently which some experts are attributing in part to the downturn of the economy and others site an unknown cause in late 2006. Jacob however called in and has a different take altogether. After talking to his neighbor that owns (3) guns, he is convinced there will be mass riots after the election regardless of the outcome. If Obama wins, riots and the assassination of Obama. If McCain wins, riots. so Jacob will be getting a gun before the election to protect himself. You have been warned.
I Finally Found It!
I have been looking for a hot red shoe for awhile now and I finally found it, woo hoo! The pair I fell in love with were the Dolce Vita pump with the 4 1/2" heel:
Gawd I looove them, but they were 150 bucks, quite a bit out of my price range. Even though I know I will wear them a lot, these are trying economic times.
So I went online shopping to see what else was out there that was similar but less expensive and I found these bad boys:
Not only are they 100 bucks less than the first pair and look quite a bit similar, I found them at Zappos which means free shipping and I will get them quickly. The name of the shoe is Kacy too so it must be fate. These heels or only 4 1/4" high so I loose a quarter inch but I am ok with that, I am not that short:)
Another shopping success!
Gawd I looove them, but they were 150 bucks, quite a bit out of my price range. Even though I know I will wear them a lot, these are trying economic times.
So I went online shopping to see what else was out there that was similar but less expensive and I found these bad boys:
Not only are they 100 bucks less than the first pair and look quite a bit similar, I found them at Zappos which means free shipping and I will get them quickly. The name of the shoe is Kacy too so it must be fate. These heels or only 4 1/4" high so I loose a quarter inch but I am ok with that, I am not that short:)
Another shopping success!
Things That Annoy Me
I don't do well with people who are not direct with me. If there is a problem or issue just tell me, you don't need to beat around the bush or try to hint at it. I am a big girl, I am not going to take it personally. I will however get annoyed if I have to try to figure out what your point is. I know some people are uncomfortable with any perceived conflict but if you dont just tell me straight out whats going on I have to assume which can be problematic. Here is an example:
A. "Hey Kasey, I need you to make sure you include the time extension on the CORs and in Constructware"
B. "Hey Kasey, I noticed that the CORS dont all contain time extensions but the ones on Constructware do, I thought that was funny"
I choose A because my answer to that is "Ok". With option B, I have to figure out if your point is you want me to change something, you want me to start doing something differently in the future, you need me to look up something to ensure the time extension was recieved, is it funny strange or funny haha... What is your point? Just tell me!
By the way Constructware is a computer program we use on some projects to communicate with the Architect. Also, I asked those questions brought up by option B and his response was "I just thought it was funny".
A. "Hey Kasey, I need you to make sure you include the time extension on the CORs and in Constructware"
B. "Hey Kasey, I noticed that the CORS dont all contain time extensions but the ones on Constructware do, I thought that was funny"
I choose A because my answer to that is "Ok". With option B, I have to figure out if your point is you want me to change something, you want me to start doing something differently in the future, you need me to look up something to ensure the time extension was recieved, is it funny strange or funny haha... What is your point? Just tell me!
By the way Constructware is a computer program we use on some projects to communicate with the Architect. Also, I asked those questions brought up by option B and his response was "I just thought it was funny".
Tuesday, October 28
Some of us were discussing this last night and I stumbled on the answer, I thought i would share:
What if the Phillies had been leading 2-1 after 5½ innings, and the game was stopped because of the rain. Under baseball rules, wouldn’t the Phillies have won the game and thus the World Series?
That’s what nearly everyone thought. And that’s what it says in Rule 4.10 (c): “If a game is called, it is a regulation game:
(1) If five innings have been completed.
(2) If the home team has scored more runs in four or four and a fraction half-innings than the visiting team has scored in five completed half-innings;
(3) If the home team scores one or more runs in its half of the fifth inning to tie the score.”
But in his postgame media conference, Selig said that he made a judgment call before the game began, and informed officials of both teams, that he would not allow a rain-shortened game to take place in the World Series, no matter how long it meant waiting.
“I have to use my judgment. It’s not a way to end the World Series,” Selig said.
Source
What if the Phillies had been leading 2-1 after 5½ innings, and the game was stopped because of the rain. Under baseball rules, wouldn’t the Phillies have won the game and thus the World Series?
That’s what nearly everyone thought. And that’s what it says in Rule 4.10 (c): “If a game is called, it is a regulation game:
(1) If five innings have been completed.
(2) If the home team has scored more runs in four or four and a fraction half-innings than the visiting team has scored in five completed half-innings;
(3) If the home team scores one or more runs in its half of the fifth inning to tie the score.”
But in his postgame media conference, Selig said that he made a judgment call before the game began, and informed officials of both teams, that he would not allow a rain-shortened game to take place in the World Series, no matter how long it meant waiting.
“I have to use my judgment. It’s not a way to end the World Series,” Selig said.
Source
Monday, October 27
Work Annoyance
I have the wonderful job of being responsible for all the correspondance for every project that we have. Since Tennesse has never used a computer in his life (I kid you not) he gives me everything hand written. I can't believe that he ever passed an english class because not only does he not know how to spell (Does is spelled "dose" in his world) but he doesnt seem to even attempt grammar or punctuation. This is Request For Direction he gave me to send to the architect:
at alcove room 5 wall gates demoed but no direction what to do with existing T-start, not indicated to be relocated. Please provide direction to procceed?
For the most part a good portion of my job is deciphering what the hell he is trying to say so the architect doesnt think we are a bunch of fucktards over here. What makes it more difficult is that I am not familiar with all the construction terms he uses so if I make changes, I have to run it by someone to make sure I didn't inadvertantly change the meaning of the correspondance. It gets frustrating.
at alcove room 5 wall gates demoed but no direction what to do with existing T-start, not indicated to be relocated. Please provide direction to procceed?
For the most part a good portion of my job is deciphering what the hell he is trying to say so the architect doesnt think we are a bunch of fucktards over here. What makes it more difficult is that I am not familiar with all the construction terms he uses so if I make changes, I have to run it by someone to make sure I didn't inadvertantly change the meaning of the correspondance. It gets frustrating.
I Didn't Get a Sticker, But I Voted Today
Just dropped my ballot in the mail. The 2008 election for me is done. Now I will do my best to tune out all things political for the next week.
Friday, October 24
Foodie Blog
Man Bites World is a blog from a guy in LA who is going to a different restaraunt every day from a different country or part of the world. Currently he has eaten at 50 restaraunts. He plans on eating the food from a different country until he runs out of restaraunts or suffers massive food poisoning, whatever comes first.
It is a cool idea and he does a good job of describing the food he eats very honestly. You may not go to any if these restaraunts ever in your life, but it gives you a good idea of the types of food that comes from different parts of the world.
I say we start a supper club in Fresno and see how many different countries we can hit up in Fresno restaraunts. After the marathon though, I will not risk food poisoning or explosive colon blow. My poor tummy just couldnt take it.
It is a cool idea and he does a good job of describing the food he eats very honestly. You may not go to any if these restaraunts ever in your life, but it gives you a good idea of the types of food that comes from different parts of the world.
I say we start a supper club in Fresno and see how many different countries we can hit up in Fresno restaraunts. After the marathon though, I will not risk food poisoning or explosive colon blow. My poor tummy just couldnt take it.
Thursday, October 23
I Heart Banana Republic
Banana Republic has a reputation for selling clothes that are traditional and classic. I always feel sophisticated and pulled together when I wear clothes from BR. Nothing is very trendy so when I slpurge on something at that store I know I will wear it for years to come (this somewhat eases my guilt for dropping a nice chunk of change there).
They have a new creative director and recently debuted their Spring 09 line and it got me all giddy. Although it isnt a huge departure from their usual timeless pieces they have loosened up a bit and modernized their silhouettes.The color pallete includes a lot of khaki, slate gray, ivory, and white (very similar to Project Runways winner Leanne's collection actually).
I am going to try to ignore the first models legs that are skinnier than my arms and try to focus on the beautiful clothes and fabrics. I am actually not a fan of the first outfit anyway but I love the jacket in the second pic, looks like buddah. I like the pattern in the 3rd dress but am unsure of whether that would look like on a girl with a booty. Usually any shape that is fitted on the ass and loose on the waist isnt very flattering on me. The last dress I really love because the fabric is silk and it is very flowy and romantic plus it has pockets! I want to touch it which is a sign of good clothes in my opinion.
I am starting to see a lot of these flowy, capri length pants and I didnt really like them at first because they look like Alladin pants but I think it works in this outfit so my opinion might be starting to turn. It is a casual look, but the fabric makes it a little more upscale, plus they look super comfortable.
Finally this dress is sooooo pretty and again flowy and comfortable looking too. I love the color too, very spring and summery. I would probably wear a belt of some kind with it so as to avoid the big blob look but again, I just want to touch it!
Bravo BR, your line is right up my ally.
They have a new creative director and recently debuted their Spring 09 line and it got me all giddy. Although it isnt a huge departure from their usual timeless pieces they have loosened up a bit and modernized their silhouettes.The color pallete includes a lot of khaki, slate gray, ivory, and white (very similar to Project Runways winner Leanne's collection actually).
I am going to try to ignore the first models legs that are skinnier than my arms and try to focus on the beautiful clothes and fabrics. I am actually not a fan of the first outfit anyway but I love the jacket in the second pic, looks like buddah. I like the pattern in the 3rd dress but am unsure of whether that would look like on a girl with a booty. Usually any shape that is fitted on the ass and loose on the waist isnt very flattering on me. The last dress I really love because the fabric is silk and it is very flowy and romantic plus it has pockets! I want to touch it which is a sign of good clothes in my opinion.
I am starting to see a lot of these flowy, capri length pants and I didnt really like them at first because they look like Alladin pants but I think it works in this outfit so my opinion might be starting to turn. It is a casual look, but the fabric makes it a little more upscale, plus they look super comfortable.
Finally this dress is sooooo pretty and again flowy and comfortable looking too. I love the color too, very spring and summery. I would probably wear a belt of some kind with it so as to avoid the big blob look but again, I just want to touch it!
Bravo BR, your line is right up my ally.
Could You Repeat That?
I hope that when I get older, I am not so vain and/or stubborn to not get my hearing checked and wear a hearing aid if need be. Working with two people who don't hear very well and aren't motivated, however aware they are to their inability to hear, to get it checked is super frustrating.
My Dad is the worst offender and often walks away from me when I am still talking because he isnt aware that I am still talking to him. I will tell him that someone is on the phone but I never know if he hears me because he doesnt respond. What is unclear is whether or not he choses to not listen or just doesnt hear. I suspect a little of both. He definitely has a hearing defecit of some kind though, just ask my family.
Susan on the other hand is more obnoxious because she will get on the phone and cover her ear, looking annoyed, if anyone dares have a conversation with someone else in the office while she is on the phone. On several occasions she will ask the person on the phone to hold on while she asks us to talk quieter. If you cant hear people on the phone when people are having normal conversations around you, get your hearing checked. We shouldnt have to whisper at work while you are on the phone.
Hearing aids are very tiny these days, almost unnoticable. Wouldnt you want to be able to hear the world around you? They both know they have an issue because they have admitted it but no apointments are made. I might as well be working at an old folks home. On the other hand I can get away with mumbling curse words at them and they wont hear me:)
My Dad is the worst offender and often walks away from me when I am still talking because he isnt aware that I am still talking to him. I will tell him that someone is on the phone but I never know if he hears me because he doesnt respond. What is unclear is whether or not he choses to not listen or just doesnt hear. I suspect a little of both. He definitely has a hearing defecit of some kind though, just ask my family.
Susan on the other hand is more obnoxious because she will get on the phone and cover her ear, looking annoyed, if anyone dares have a conversation with someone else in the office while she is on the phone. On several occasions she will ask the person on the phone to hold on while she asks us to talk quieter. If you cant hear people on the phone when people are having normal conversations around you, get your hearing checked. We shouldnt have to whisper at work while you are on the phone.
Hearing aids are very tiny these days, almost unnoticable. Wouldnt you want to be able to hear the world around you? They both know they have an issue because they have admitted it but no apointments are made. I might as well be working at an old folks home. On the other hand I can get away with mumbling curse words at them and they wont hear me:)
Monday, October 20
3 Weeks Out and Ready To Go
Yesterday I was scheduled to run 20 miles, but I was not sure if I would be able to do it with the week I have had with my stomach issues etc. Since I had already run 2 20 milers I figured if I couldnt do it, not big deal but if I can do it then yay. I am beginning to think that at least part of my problems with my stomach and my energy this week was due to over training. I have continued my weight lifting during the entire length of my training and obviously I have been running a lot of miles so I think my body just needed a rest.
The 20 miler went well though, I was a little more sluggish than past runs but nothing problematic. I was pleased and relieved because I was getting concerned that with 3 weeks left I was going to crash and burn, which would be my worst nightmere come true. I have made it through the hardest part and now I start tapering! I am also going to back off the weight training a bit and switch to lighter weights, focus on my core, and spend more time on flexibility and I think I will be good to go. This is the first time I have ever trained for anything and felt ready to go 3 weeks out, usually I feel like I could use a few more weeks of training. I am getting antsy to run it though and wish I didnt have so much time left.
Today I also get the day off work to help out at my dad's Rotary golf tournament. I get to spend the day sitting at a golf course watching to see if anyone legitimately gets a hole-in-one to win a Lexus. The weather is fantastic and I will probably get bored, but hell, it beats sitting at my desk all day.
The 20 miler went well though, I was a little more sluggish than past runs but nothing problematic. I was pleased and relieved because I was getting concerned that with 3 weeks left I was going to crash and burn, which would be my worst nightmere come true. I have made it through the hardest part and now I start tapering! I am also going to back off the weight training a bit and switch to lighter weights, focus on my core, and spend more time on flexibility and I think I will be good to go. This is the first time I have ever trained for anything and felt ready to go 3 weeks out, usually I feel like I could use a few more weeks of training. I am getting antsy to run it though and wish I didnt have so much time left.
Today I also get the day off work to help out at my dad's Rotary golf tournament. I get to spend the day sitting at a golf course watching to see if anyone legitimately gets a hole-in-one to win a Lexus. The weather is fantastic and I will probably get bored, but hell, it beats sitting at my desk all day.
Friday, October 17
Dramatic McCain!
Not as good as dramatic prarie dog or dramatic cat, but I like to keep the dramatic series alive.
Adventures In The Digestive System
I have been having a variety of stomach and digestive issues for several months now and after losing my appetite and not being able to run this week I finally decided to do something about it. The doctor I had previously I never liked or felt comfortbale with so I had to find a new doctor. Of course finding a doctor is not an easy process and it took over 2 hours to find anyone I could make an appointment with. I had a streak of luck though because just when I was at my wits end and had given up and was going to make an appointment with my previous doctor, the line was busy so I kept trying other doctors and found one I could get into see that day.
So off I went hoping it would go well but stressed about what they might find if they found anything at all. I know something isnt right with me right now, but with digestive issues especially, it can be hard to pinpoint whats going on. The doctor ended up being great because he asked a lot of questions and was very clear and specific about what tests he wanted me to have and why and then told me that if he doesnt end up finding anything he would refer me to a specialist. He also told me that the 3 most likely scenarios is that I am lactose intolerant, I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome or possibly I might have celiac disease. The first two are more annoyances than anything and can be managed, but if it ends up being celiac, I would have to drastically change my diet and wouldnt be able to eat any wheat product or anything with glueten in it. This would be very difficult to manage and eating in restaraunts would be nearly impossible but it can be dealt with and I wont have an upset stomach every day of my life.
So unless they find anything else in my blood, urine, or stool (that was a fun one by the way), it shouldnt be anything really serious like a tumor or something so thats a relief. I think being stressed about it just made it worse anyway so hopefully I am going to be ok by the marathon, but I wont get any results from the tests for 3-4 weeks. Until then I am taking lactaid before eating any dairy and taking daily fiber. Hopefully something simple like that will be all I need.
So off I went hoping it would go well but stressed about what they might find if they found anything at all. I know something isnt right with me right now, but with digestive issues especially, it can be hard to pinpoint whats going on. The doctor ended up being great because he asked a lot of questions and was very clear and specific about what tests he wanted me to have and why and then told me that if he doesnt end up finding anything he would refer me to a specialist. He also told me that the 3 most likely scenarios is that I am lactose intolerant, I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome or possibly I might have celiac disease. The first two are more annoyances than anything and can be managed, but if it ends up being celiac, I would have to drastically change my diet and wouldnt be able to eat any wheat product or anything with glueten in it. This would be very difficult to manage and eating in restaraunts would be nearly impossible but it can be dealt with and I wont have an upset stomach every day of my life.
So unless they find anything else in my blood, urine, or stool (that was a fun one by the way), it shouldnt be anything really serious like a tumor or something so thats a relief. I think being stressed about it just made it worse anyway so hopefully I am going to be ok by the marathon, but I wont get any results from the tests for 3-4 weeks. Until then I am taking lactaid before eating any dairy and taking daily fiber. Hopefully something simple like that will be all I need.
Thursday, October 16
Carl Lewis - What Were You Thinking?
No really, what? I need to know why there is an old lady with enormous glasses blowing bubbles and hitting on you and you seem to be really enjoying it. There are just no words for this. Keep watching until the end too. Really.
Wednesday, October 15
A New Found Appreciation
Things I am super excited about that I have taken for ganted:
1. Eating. Turkey sandwhich, you taste so freakin good! And stomach, thank you for cooperating with me today after giving me hell last night and the past 3 days. I may still only be eating the blandest of foods but hey I am eating so I will take it.
2. A shower that has water pressure. The water pressure in my shower has slowly been dwindling until today when it wouldnt come out at all. My landlord came over and cleaned whatever it was that was blocking it and now it actually sprays! I had been showering in a trickle and I didnt realize it was so bad until he fixed it. Now I remember what a real shower is supposed to be like and I seriously cant wait to take a shower tonight.
3. I havent exercised since Saturday and I have had no desire to either (thats when you know I am sick). Today for the first time though I am itching to get a workout in and since I have been eating consistently today, I should have the energy to do it. It may not be one of my regular full throttle workout, but I will take it.
I am back among the living, but I need to make sure I dont over do it and wipe myself out again. I am just happy I can eat, shower and workout again.
1. Eating. Turkey sandwhich, you taste so freakin good! And stomach, thank you for cooperating with me today after giving me hell last night and the past 3 days. I may still only be eating the blandest of foods but hey I am eating so I will take it.
2. A shower that has water pressure. The water pressure in my shower has slowly been dwindling until today when it wouldnt come out at all. My landlord came over and cleaned whatever it was that was blocking it and now it actually sprays! I had been showering in a trickle and I didnt realize it was so bad until he fixed it. Now I remember what a real shower is supposed to be like and I seriously cant wait to take a shower tonight.
3. I havent exercised since Saturday and I have had no desire to either (thats when you know I am sick). Today for the first time though I am itching to get a workout in and since I have been eating consistently today, I should have the energy to do it. It may not be one of my regular full throttle workout, but I will take it.
I am back among the living, but I need to make sure I dont over do it and wipe myself out again. I am just happy I can eat, shower and workout again.
Monday, October 13
Blah, Blah, Whine, Blah, Blah
I don't know what is going on with me but I apparently got some sort of weird stomach virus this weekend. Weird because it is a just a constant stomach ache with body aches and chills but thats it. It started Saturday night and then I woke up Sunday because I was supposed to meet my family for brunch and just couldnt do it. Since I wasnt throwing up or anything, I figured it would just go away on its own quickly. I talked to my mom she had the same exact thing but was feeling better already so I thought it would also pass quickly for me. But I did that whole 20 mile run thing on Saturday, which is hell on you immune system so I guess it hit me a little harder.
I literally didnt get out of bed until 6 PM yesterday and only had a piece of toast to eat for the whole day. I feel a little better today,I actually ate something this morning and I dragged myself to work, but my stomach is still off and I am exhuasted.
I hate being sick.
I literally didnt get out of bed until 6 PM yesterday and only had a piece of toast to eat for the whole day. I feel a little better today,I actually ate something this morning and I dragged myself to work, but my stomach is still off and I am exhuasted.
I hate being sick.
Thursday, October 9
Yosemite Bound
My sister and brother-in-law just got into town and tomorrow the family is going to Yosemite. It has been awhile since I have been up there and I always look forward to going. My favorite place in Yosemite is Glacier Point so hopefully there wont be any problems getting there with the rock slides they have recently had. It is also going to be fairly cold (for me at least) so that will also make it a very nice and fall-like trip.
It is always nice to have my sister around, no one quite gets me like she does. Unfortunately she is also an old married lady and isnt going to be going out on Saturday anymore. I understand though, it will be late and hanging out at bars isnt really her thing, but I did want to introduce her and my brother-in-law to everyone. Hopefully next time it will work out.
One more hour of work for the week and then I am off to the pavement to put an 8 miler in. Then I think I am going to watch a scary movie and paint some pumpkins too. It hasnt felt like fall yet so maybe that will help.
Who Said It?
This is purely rhetorical so you dont need to call anyone out. We were all there and we all know who said it, I just didnt want to forget these gems:
"I am panty waste!"
"It is ok, I bought boxers at DD's, irregular size" (I wasnt there for this confession so I dont have the exact quote but you get the idea)
Blast from the past: "More pushin for the cushin"
Keep it up and he may just have a quote of the day calendar, just like George Bush does;)
"I am panty waste!"
"It is ok, I bought boxers at DD's, irregular size" (I wasnt there for this confession so I dont have the exact quote but you get the idea)
Blast from the past: "More pushin for the cushin"
Keep it up and he may just have a quote of the day calendar, just like George Bush does;)
Wednesday, October 8
Links
I could do a post about each of these topics but someone else has already done it so why bother:
Why Mustaches Are Never Sexy
A case for Michael Phelps being A douche - Best Week Ever
Gmail Blog Comes Out With a way to prevent drunken emails-Gmail Blog
Why you shouldn't make signs when you are wasted-GiggleSugar
Maybe this is what Brett Favre had stuffed in the locker-FailBlog
Mmmm Easy Pizza Recipe (just because I love it and I am not a good cook)-Yum Sugar
Why Mustaches Are Never Sexy
A case for Michael Phelps being A douche - Best Week Ever
Gmail Blog Comes Out With a way to prevent drunken emails-Gmail Blog
Why you shouldn't make signs when you are wasted-GiggleSugar
Maybe this is what Brett Favre had stuffed in the locker-FailBlog
Mmmm Easy Pizza Recipe (just because I love it and I am not a good cook)-Yum Sugar
You Dont Have To Be An Exercise Hater
There are people who will swear up and down that they loathe exercise of any kind and find it to be a burdensome chore. Although I believe people when they say this, I also want to know why they think this and how they came to this belief. There can often be an underlying cause that when addresses properly can help people overcome this loathing.
I understand and agree that when you are first starting to exercise it sucks. Your muscles ache, your chest burns, you feel uncoordinated and awkward, your heart beats a mile a minute, you might feel light headed, sick to your stomach and weak among other unpleasant things. If exercise were serendipitous from day 1, everyone would do it. It takes time for your body to adjust, especially if there has been a significant amount of time since you last worked out. Far too often in all aspects of life we are looking for the quick fix and not willing to put in the work for an long term results. If you struggled during your first attempt at exercise, dont use that as an excuse to stop trying and conculde that you are just not the exercise type. Thats bullshit, our bodies were built for actvity not to just sit around on our asses. It may not be easy at first, but stick with it and it will become less painful and you will experience the endorphins that kick in when you exercise that make you feel good.
I can honestly say that I have never regretted a workout but I have regretted not working out. There are days when I dont always feel like going on my training run or going to the gym and lifting. If I know that this isnt due to over training then I will usually make myself go anyway and when I am done, I feel tons better and much happier than I would be if I sat on my couch and watched tv. It makes you feel good for accomplishing something and it can alleviate stress and usually a bad mood. If I take a break from exercising, within a few days there is a noticable change in my mood.
Dont be afraid to try different forms of exercise either. Do what you enjoy and you are most likely to stick with it. If you hate running then dont make that your basis of exercise because you are making in that much harder on yourself to get motivated. I dont like group exercise classes because I am not the dancing, choreographing type of person so I dont make that part of my exercise routine. A lot of people love it though and it works for them. The important thing is to find what works for you.
If you want to do more than just be healthy though and weight loss is your goal, then I have some bad news for you. Exercise works better than cutting calories when trying to lose weight. A recent study compared the weight loss of two groups, one group restricted calories only and the other group excecised only. Researchers found that although both groups lost weight, the participants of the dieting group lost muscle mass during their weight loss, while the exercising group did not. Losing muscle mass will decrease your metabolism and make it more difficult to continue losing weight. Besides, who wants to reduce what they can eat when they can balance some of that out with exercise at eat more? I adore my long runs in part because I know I can eat some stuff that is normally too high in calories and/or I can eat more. I love food, I really do, and if I can enjoy more of it by exercising regularly thats a huge bonus.
Here is so more bad news for you exercise haters. You have probably heard that it is reccomended that you do 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. Well this is somewhat misleading. That is the minimum amount of exercise you should do in order to see basic health benefits. If you want to lose weight, you are looking at an hour almost every day. The reason they shy away making that more widely known is because they dont want to scare people away from exercise entirely. They think people will hear that amount and just throw in the towel and sit back down with a bag of Cheetos and the remote. I would rather be told the real facts though instead of getting frustrated when that evening walk just isnt taking off the pounds. And yes your metabolism does slow down in your 30s, mostly because you lose muscle mass so if you were able to maintain a svelt figure in your 20s without much work, your 30s are probably going to be a different story.
The bottom line is exercise will make you leaner, it will make you healthier and it will make you happier. If this can be accomplished in a pill you know you would be all over that, but there is no instant gratification here. Just some hard work and sweat, which can actually be enjoyable. It is sort of like getting a tattoo. You know it is going to hurt and you probably arent going to find the feeling of the needle penetrating your skin very pleasant, but you do derive pleasure and pride from the fact that you were able to sit through the pain and get it done. The same can be said about exercising. My quads may be screaming at you when you are squating and although in the moment you are probably not thinking ooh yeah, that feels like heaven, when you are done you do get a lot of pleasure out of it.
I understand and agree that when you are first starting to exercise it sucks. Your muscles ache, your chest burns, you feel uncoordinated and awkward, your heart beats a mile a minute, you might feel light headed, sick to your stomach and weak among other unpleasant things. If exercise were serendipitous from day 1, everyone would do it. It takes time for your body to adjust, especially if there has been a significant amount of time since you last worked out. Far too often in all aspects of life we are looking for the quick fix and not willing to put in the work for an long term results. If you struggled during your first attempt at exercise, dont use that as an excuse to stop trying and conculde that you are just not the exercise type. Thats bullshit, our bodies were built for actvity not to just sit around on our asses. It may not be easy at first, but stick with it and it will become less painful and you will experience the endorphins that kick in when you exercise that make you feel good.
I can honestly say that I have never regretted a workout but I have regretted not working out. There are days when I dont always feel like going on my training run or going to the gym and lifting. If I know that this isnt due to over training then I will usually make myself go anyway and when I am done, I feel tons better and much happier than I would be if I sat on my couch and watched tv. It makes you feel good for accomplishing something and it can alleviate stress and usually a bad mood. If I take a break from exercising, within a few days there is a noticable change in my mood.
Dont be afraid to try different forms of exercise either. Do what you enjoy and you are most likely to stick with it. If you hate running then dont make that your basis of exercise because you are making in that much harder on yourself to get motivated. I dont like group exercise classes because I am not the dancing, choreographing type of person so I dont make that part of my exercise routine. A lot of people love it though and it works for them. The important thing is to find what works for you.
If you want to do more than just be healthy though and weight loss is your goal, then I have some bad news for you. Exercise works better than cutting calories when trying to lose weight. A recent study compared the weight loss of two groups, one group restricted calories only and the other group excecised only. Researchers found that although both groups lost weight, the participants of the dieting group lost muscle mass during their weight loss, while the exercising group did not. Losing muscle mass will decrease your metabolism and make it more difficult to continue losing weight. Besides, who wants to reduce what they can eat when they can balance some of that out with exercise at eat more? I adore my long runs in part because I know I can eat some stuff that is normally too high in calories and/or I can eat more. I love food, I really do, and if I can enjoy more of it by exercising regularly thats a huge bonus.
Here is so more bad news for you exercise haters. You have probably heard that it is reccomended that you do 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. Well this is somewhat misleading. That is the minimum amount of exercise you should do in order to see basic health benefits. If you want to lose weight, you are looking at an hour almost every day. The reason they shy away making that more widely known is because they dont want to scare people away from exercise entirely. They think people will hear that amount and just throw in the towel and sit back down with a bag of Cheetos and the remote. I would rather be told the real facts though instead of getting frustrated when that evening walk just isnt taking off the pounds. And yes your metabolism does slow down in your 30s, mostly because you lose muscle mass so if you were able to maintain a svelt figure in your 20s without much work, your 30s are probably going to be a different story.
The bottom line is exercise will make you leaner, it will make you healthier and it will make you happier. If this can be accomplished in a pill you know you would be all over that, but there is no instant gratification here. Just some hard work and sweat, which can actually be enjoyable. It is sort of like getting a tattoo. You know it is going to hurt and you probably arent going to find the feeling of the needle penetrating your skin very pleasant, but you do derive pleasure and pride from the fact that you were able to sit through the pain and get it done. The same can be said about exercising. My quads may be screaming at you when you are squating and although in the moment you are probably not thinking ooh yeah, that feels like heaven, when you are done you do get a lot of pleasure out of it.
Tales From The Gym
From time to time I will share an experience I had at the gym that is bizzare, gross, weird or just plain noteworthy. Yesterday I had such an experience that I feel I need to share. This one can be labeled both gross and weird.
There is an older couple that I see every once in awhile at the gym that I always notice and not for good reasons. They came in yesterday and since the tv wasnt on and I was on the treadmill for 45 minutes and there were no good looking guys to look at, I was able to see a great deal of their workout. Let me first describe the pair. The man is about 65 with the hairest arms I have ever seen. The hair isnt dark but grey and goes from his fingers to his shoulders. Who knows where else it might go but he was wearing a tank top so thats all I could see. He has a very Jimmy Buffet type appearance with longer grey hair that he kept under a hat. The woman is also about 65 and probably doesnt even reach 5 feet tall. She looks hispanic and has short dyed blonde (more like yellow) hair. She was wearing a navy skirt and matching sports bra - no shirt. Both of them practically run wherever they go too. It is like they are on crack and cant sit still because it is a speed walk race to the next machine or exercise. If you have ever seen the Ewok Adventure movie (or whatever ewok movie that was that did not have Drew Berrymore in it), they little white hairy guy Teek that moves really fast, reminds me of them.
Now that you have a visual, let me describe how they exercise. The exercises themselves arent done badly but they do everything simultaneously. So when they were doing bicep curls, they are facing each other and lifting the weights at the exact same time with the same arm so it is a mirror image. They just stare at each other whle they are doing it too, I swear it is some kind of weird fore play for them. Then they went over to a machine and while the man used the machine, the woman stood directly in front of him, literally a foot away and did side bends or toe touches the entire time he lifted and then they switched and he did the same thing. I wish you could see their experssions though, they are so very serious the entire time. Everything they do is as fast as possible too, walking to the next exercise, during the exercise, setting up for the exercise, you just want to tell them to calm down and chill out.
The worst part though was when they started doing ab exercises. Now I will also wear a skirt on occasion at the gym. All 3 of my skirts have built in biker shorts that are the same material and color as my skirt and I have never seen any other athletic skirt that is any different. When she started doing leg raises though (completely in synch with the man dont forget), her skirt came up and it looked like she was wearing tightie whities underneath. Perhaps it was a tennis skirt and they were bundies underneath, I wasnt close enough to tell, but the skirt might as not have even been there. So I and everyone else in the weight room had to see this 65 year old lady at the gym basically in her underwear.
What are people thinking??
There is an older couple that I see every once in awhile at the gym that I always notice and not for good reasons. They came in yesterday and since the tv wasnt on and I was on the treadmill for 45 minutes and there were no good looking guys to look at, I was able to see a great deal of their workout. Let me first describe the pair. The man is about 65 with the hairest arms I have ever seen. The hair isnt dark but grey and goes from his fingers to his shoulders. Who knows where else it might go but he was wearing a tank top so thats all I could see. He has a very Jimmy Buffet type appearance with longer grey hair that he kept under a hat. The woman is also about 65 and probably doesnt even reach 5 feet tall. She looks hispanic and has short dyed blonde (more like yellow) hair. She was wearing a navy skirt and matching sports bra - no shirt. Both of them practically run wherever they go too. It is like they are on crack and cant sit still because it is a speed walk race to the next machine or exercise. If you have ever seen the Ewok Adventure movie (or whatever ewok movie that was that did not have Drew Berrymore in it), they little white hairy guy Teek that moves really fast, reminds me of them.
Now that you have a visual, let me describe how they exercise. The exercises themselves arent done badly but they do everything simultaneously. So when they were doing bicep curls, they are facing each other and lifting the weights at the exact same time with the same arm so it is a mirror image. They just stare at each other whle they are doing it too, I swear it is some kind of weird fore play for them. Then they went over to a machine and while the man used the machine, the woman stood directly in front of him, literally a foot away and did side bends or toe touches the entire time he lifted and then they switched and he did the same thing. I wish you could see their experssions though, they are so very serious the entire time. Everything they do is as fast as possible too, walking to the next exercise, during the exercise, setting up for the exercise, you just want to tell them to calm down and chill out.
The worst part though was when they started doing ab exercises. Now I will also wear a skirt on occasion at the gym. All 3 of my skirts have built in biker shorts that are the same material and color as my skirt and I have never seen any other athletic skirt that is any different. When she started doing leg raises though (completely in synch with the man dont forget), her skirt came up and it looked like she was wearing tightie whities underneath. Perhaps it was a tennis skirt and they were bundies underneath, I wasnt close enough to tell, but the skirt might as not have even been there. So I and everyone else in the weight room had to see this 65 year old lady at the gym basically in her underwear.
What are people thinking??
Tuesday, October 7
So THATS what the key to happiness is!
It says "Happiness is having a hickey". Damn, I always avoid hickeys. All that pain and suffering when all I had to do was have someone suck on my neck and I could have been happy. Note to self.
Why I am a such a weirdo?
I have some strange sleeping habits, I admit it. I have been going to bed pretty early lately if it isnt a Wednesday or Friday night. Early for me is between 9:30 and 10. Ideally if I dont have to get up for any reason I will sleep 9 hours a night, but that doesnt happen all that often so I settle for 8.
Here is the weird part though, I really like waking up in the middle of the night. Waking up and seeing that I have 3 more hours left to sleep just makes me a lttle giddy. If for some reason I dont wake up until the alarm clock goes off I hate it and get very grumpy. Typically I will wake up 6 or 7 times a night and when I do wake up I am not in this zombie like groggy state, my mind is crystal clear and I am as coherent as if it was 2 in the afternoon.
This morning I woke up at aound 4 and decided to take a shower, which I do from time to time (wake up early to shower not just showering in general). I dont always feel like showering before bed and when I do, my hair is completely flat and uncooperative the next day. Even pony tails look bad. But I also dont like to get up early to take a shower before going to work. So I wake up, take a shower and go back to bed. Its quite pleasant. I go back to bed all showered and in my robe so I am warm and go right back to sleep. In the winter I will do this pretty frequently because my apartment isnt very warm so getting out of the shower I am really cold and just want to get back in bed under all the blankets, which I cant do if I need to get to work. I am the only one who does this huh? It seems so logical to me too.
Here is the weird part though, I really like waking up in the middle of the night. Waking up and seeing that I have 3 more hours left to sleep just makes me a lttle giddy. If for some reason I dont wake up until the alarm clock goes off I hate it and get very grumpy. Typically I will wake up 6 or 7 times a night and when I do wake up I am not in this zombie like groggy state, my mind is crystal clear and I am as coherent as if it was 2 in the afternoon.
This morning I woke up at aound 4 and decided to take a shower, which I do from time to time (wake up early to shower not just showering in general). I dont always feel like showering before bed and when I do, my hair is completely flat and uncooperative the next day. Even pony tails look bad. But I also dont like to get up early to take a shower before going to work. So I wake up, take a shower and go back to bed. Its quite pleasant. I go back to bed all showered and in my robe so I am warm and go right back to sleep. In the winter I will do this pretty frequently because my apartment isnt very warm so getting out of the shower I am really cold and just want to get back in bed under all the blankets, which I cant do if I need to get to work. I am the only one who does this huh? It seems so logical to me too.
The Good Wife's Guide
If this is what a good wife is supposed to be, I will happily stay single for-e-ver.
Source
Oh 1955, you so funny.
*Sorry it is so small on my post, I couldnt get it any bigger for some reason so just click on it.
Source
Oh 1955, you so funny.
*Sorry it is so small on my post, I couldnt get it any bigger for some reason so just click on it.
Monday, October 6
Still Running...
Yesterday I went for a 16 miler that ended up being a 17.25 miler. The weather was the best I had run in since the spring which made it very enjoyable.
One difference in yesterdays run was even though I ate the same thing for breakfeast as I did before my 20 miler last weekend, I ended up getting really hungry in the middle of the run. I had one gel at an hour and 45 minutes later my stomach was growling, which was odd. I also felt my energy dropping so I had another gel and felt my energy pick up by last few miles. I had a heavier dinner before my 20 miler so maybe that was the difference.
When I checked my running log today, I realized I have run 219 miles since the middle of August, which is a total of 3 day, 23 hours (I think it sounds cooler in days). It felt really good to look back and see all I had done to get to where I am today and once I get to race day, I should be at around 300 miles. Although I am confident in how my runs have been going, I still feel nervous. My biggest fear is that I will injure myself or get sick and I will have done all that training for nothing. I would in all honesty be devestated if that were to happen. These are the most critical weeks right now and getting to the start line healthy is what is most important to me so that is what I am focusing on. The next 2 weeks will be the hardest, but after that it is smooth sailing physically. Tapering in the last few weeks, especially the week before is mentally brutal, but thats a whole different set of challenges to discuss on another day.
Keep on keeping on.
One difference in yesterdays run was even though I ate the same thing for breakfeast as I did before my 20 miler last weekend, I ended up getting really hungry in the middle of the run. I had one gel at an hour and 45 minutes later my stomach was growling, which was odd. I also felt my energy dropping so I had another gel and felt my energy pick up by last few miles. I had a heavier dinner before my 20 miler so maybe that was the difference.
When I checked my running log today, I realized I have run 219 miles since the middle of August, which is a total of 3 day, 23 hours (I think it sounds cooler in days). It felt really good to look back and see all I had done to get to where I am today and once I get to race day, I should be at around 300 miles. Although I am confident in how my runs have been going, I still feel nervous. My biggest fear is that I will injure myself or get sick and I will have done all that training for nothing. I would in all honesty be devestated if that were to happen. These are the most critical weeks right now and getting to the start line healthy is what is most important to me so that is what I am focusing on. The next 2 weeks will be the hardest, but after that it is smooth sailing physically. Tapering in the last few weeks, especially the week before is mentally brutal, but thats a whole different set of challenges to discuss on another day.
Keep on keeping on.
Halloween Cosutme 08
I have heard some great costume ideas and have also come up with a few of my own which I have narrowed down to 3 for my Halloween 08 costume. What I like about each of these costumes is they are unique enough that I probably won't run into anyone else with my costume and they are easy enough to put together.
In no particular order they are as follows:
1. Clara Bow (Silent Movie Starlet)
Thank you Demirep for this fantastic suggestion! I would find a red flapper wig and a headband, some sort of long slinky dress and heels, costume jewelry, that long cigarette thing and a fur of some kind if I can find it. But the best part of this costume though is that I get to make signs to hold up since I am silent film star. If you didnt read Demireps comments on the post below she suggests this:
They could say: "You mean you don't recognize me?" "I'm the IT girl, Clara Bow." "Go to hell." is also a good one to keep in case anyone says anything jerky.
The possibilities are endless for these signs, which makes giddy.
2. Tippy from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds:
For this I would wear a skirt suit (green if it can be found) and get a blonde wig and attach birds all over me and give myself scratched and gouge marks from the birds attacking me. I have thought about doing this one for awhile but it is a classic so I can do that for any Halloween and it would be just as effective.
3. Angelina Jolie
For this costume, I would wear a dress of some kind that showed of my arms and back so I can get her tattoos drawn on me and visible and then attach a black, (2) asian, and blonde dolls to me and hold two babies in my arms. I might also put a halo over my head but I am not sure about that part. This one makes me laugh and it is pop culturally current.
So those are my top 3. Thoughts??
In no particular order they are as follows:
1. Clara Bow (Silent Movie Starlet)
Thank you Demirep for this fantastic suggestion! I would find a red flapper wig and a headband, some sort of long slinky dress and heels, costume jewelry, that long cigarette thing and a fur of some kind if I can find it. But the best part of this costume though is that I get to make signs to hold up since I am silent film star. If you didnt read Demireps comments on the post below she suggests this:
They could say: "You mean you don't recognize me?" "I'm the IT girl, Clara Bow." "Go to hell." is also a good one to keep in case anyone says anything jerky.
The possibilities are endless for these signs, which makes giddy.
2. Tippy from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds:
For this I would wear a skirt suit (green if it can be found) and get a blonde wig and attach birds all over me and give myself scratched and gouge marks from the birds attacking me. I have thought about doing this one for awhile but it is a classic so I can do that for any Halloween and it would be just as effective.
3. Angelina Jolie
For this costume, I would wear a dress of some kind that showed of my arms and back so I can get her tattoos drawn on me and visible and then attach a black, (2) asian, and blonde dolls to me and hold two babies in my arms. I might also put a halo over my head but I am not sure about that part. This one makes me laugh and it is pop culturally current.
So those are my top 3. Thoughts??
Friday, October 3
Halloween
So Adam dropped the ball in choosing my Halloween costume but I still need help in deciding what to be. I don't want to be super slutty (a little slutty is ok though) and I don't want to always explain who I am supposed to be and it cant be overly complicated or expensive. So if anyone has any thoughts and/or suggestions, I am open to them while retaining my power to veto.
And since Brian backed out of hosting the Halloween party (lame), I will post a pre-party at my place but there is one condition: We are going to have considerably less alcohol than at Cinco de Mayo so we dont stay at my place the whole night. Enough to get us buzzed and save some money but not so much that we end up staying there the whole night. I mean it, I am kicking everyone out whether they like it or not by 11 or so and Xena Warrior Princess aka Abigail will help me.
I also encourage everyone to wear some sort of costume,it will not be cool if it is just Abigail and I on display for the boys. And I dont care if you boys think thats cool because I dont and thats all that matters. Hell Adam you can dress up like Ed and Ed you can dress up like Adam for all I care but please make an effort. I actually kinda want to see that happen (we all know Adam was never going to go as Spitz) so think about it;) I will give you specifics about the pre-party later but I am thinking drinks, some snacks, maybe some pumpkin carving and a scary movie, nothing elaborate.
So your mission consists of the following:
-Help me come up with a costume
-Come up with a costume of your own
-Suggest your favorite scary movie
Now get to thinking!
New Day, No More Complaining
After getting 9 hours of glorious sleep last night, I am feeling like I new woman. Although when I went to my truck to go to work this morning I found that I had two very soft tires that I wasn't able to drive on. One in particular has been giving me problems for awhile and I assumed it was a slow leak and I was too lazy to go in and get it fixed. Turns out it is a defect in the wheel and the tires were fine. I have to get 4 new wheels, which wasnt as expensive as I antcipated so I am just going to be glad that I can afford to get it fixed and I wont have to worry about it anymore.
I should be able to get into my apartment today according to my landlord, pending some unforseen occurrence. That makes me happy because I will also be able to hit the gym today and go out tonight and sleep in, making everything once again alright in my world.
The weather is cooling down which is lovely and it might even rain tonight and tomorrow so Ed and HeEather dont be suprised if you find me on your patio at some point.
So all things considered I am doing quite a bit better mood wise from yesterday, yay!
I should be able to get into my apartment today according to my landlord, pending some unforseen occurrence. That makes me happy because I will also be able to hit the gym today and go out tonight and sleep in, making everything once again alright in my world.
The weather is cooling down which is lovely and it might even rain tonight and tomorrow so Ed and HeEather dont be suprised if you find me on your patio at some point.
So all things considered I am doing quite a bit better mood wise from yesterday, yay!
Thursday, October 2
Whiney Post
It is Thursday afternoon and I havent heard from my Landlord about whether or not my apartment is accessible yet. I only have clothes packed for (2) nights and days and by the condition the stairs were in last night after a full day of work, it is looking like it might be more than (2) nights - even though he originally said (1). They hadn't taken anything down, the only change I saw was the posts on the balcony leaning and they had blocked off the staircase. This is super annoying for many reasons:
First, I adore and cherish my alone time. I am an big time introvert and I just cant be around people 24/7 without getting irritated. Most nights of the week I am alone and I am fine with that because being around people for long periods of time is exhausting to me. I have been gone one night and I already just want to be home and my own place. I know it sounds like I am going to eventually be the crazy hermit lady that lives alone with her 14 dogs but it is groups of people that are most tiring to me, one on one I am usually ok with. Of course I still have to find someone to put up with my idiosyncrasies...*sigh* maybe I will be the crazy hermit dog lady:(
Second, going to my gym is problematic since I work far away from it and my parents live in the opposite direction. If I were to go to the gym I would have to add 40 minutes of drive time which is not cool. Exercising is my other stress/boredom relief and I can still run, but I also lift weights 4-5 days a week and I cant do that at my parents. Basically, it is fucking up my workout schedule which I loathe.
Third, I look forward to going out Friday nights because it is the one night of the week I can go out, have fun and then sleep in the next day. I am super tired from the lack of sleep from last night although I am glad I went out, I definitely needed that. If I have to spend the night with my parents on Friday that puts a serious damper on my weekend. And I know you have all been super nice to offer me a place to crash, but I dont really like spending the night at other peoples places. I dont sleep as well, it is weird in the morning because you arent sure when you should wake up and you dont want to be a bother and I hate getting up the next day in the same clothes with a gritty face and teeth. I just love sleeping in my own bed. Besides, I have nothing to wear since I only brought clothes for 2 work days, I will be going out in my high waisted pencil skirt and work shirt looking like I am going to fax something at any moment.
Fourth, the food in my fridge is going to go bad!
Fifth, my dad has tv watching ADD. He easiy watches 3-4 shows at the same time, changing to a different station each time a commercial comes on so you cant really watch anything. Last night it was baseball, football, a show on the history channel about who would win in a fight between Mega Lion and the Short Nosed Bear (the short nosed bear won btw) animals that existed during and right after the big ice age, and a show on shark attacks.
Sixth, the VP debate is on tonight which I am very interested to see because it is important and I also because I studied gender differences in regard to communication and I am interested to see how the double bind that females face in regard to leadership and communication plays out here. This is all fine and good because my parents will no doubt watch it, but my mom especially is soooo right wing and she will be making comments the entire time.
In sum, I am annoyed that my schedule is disupted and I dont get any time to myself while this work is being done. I dont blame my landlord, those stairs really needed to be replaced and I know how construction goes, it is never smooth or timely. I am crabby pants today anyway, my stomach has been giving me fits and I really need a nap. It is just hard to work and live with your parents at the same time. Luckily though I told my sister that I will deal with my parents now and when they get old they can retire to Austin and then she gets them from then on. Good luck with that sissy poo;)
No, I Would Not Like Fries with That
I don't know how I missed this seeing as it has been a really slow week, but on Tuesday California became the first state Tuesday to require chain restaurants to post calorie content of menu items in chain restaraunts. I have posted about this before and if I labeled my posts I would link you to that but I dont so you just have to take my word for it. I personally thought that posting nutritional information was a good idea, but there is a very adamant side of this debate that strongly feels it is stupid and a waste of time. These are the reasons I disagree with those arguments:
Argument 1: People can look that information up online if they want to see it - Yes for the most part they can, however I do not carry a print out with me of every fast food chain and restaraunt nor do I know at the beginning of the day where I will end up eating so that is not an effecient or realistic way to find nutritional information. Also see youtube clip below to see how difficult this information can be to read. It is a lot easier on the consumer if the nutritional information is listed on the menu board.
Argument 2: People know that fast food makes them fat and if they go to a fast food restaraunt they arent there to eat healthy - Restaraunts, particularly fast food restaraunts, have done an increasingly better job at providing healthier food choices for their customers. Unfortunately, people are not as nutritionally savy as we would like to believe. Yes everyone knows that fries arent good for you, but there are a lot of menu items that are deceptively bad for you. For example the Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich at Carls Jr has 610 calories and 32 grams of fat. The BBQ Chicken sandwich has 360 calories, 4.5 grams of fat. Most people wouldnt know there is such a large nutritional difference between the two because they are thinking it is a chicken sandwich, it cant be that bad. Knowing nutritional information is not as common sense as people would like to believe. Salads are as deceptive as they come too. Again people think a salad is healthy but Chevy's has a salad that is 1,228 calories and 77 grams fo fat! That is waaaay worse than the average consumer would expect. Even though I like to eat healthy, I also like to be able to go to a fast food restaraunt and pick something up quickly too and fast food restaraunts have healthier options that I would like to be aware of.
Argument 3: Government is getting all up in our business and it isnt their place to try to make people eat better, free will yada yada - Two of every three American adults are overweight or obese according to the Center For Disease Control, obviously we are collectively not doing so well on the fat thing on our own. I dont see it as government interferring with my life, they are just helping me become more informed so I can make my better choices if I so choose. The Government is not going to make you order something healthier. If you dont care how many calories you are consuming then dont look at the information. If it bothers you that it is up there then you are probably having some guilt that you should be eating healthier but arent. Maybe you should listen to that little voice inside your head that is nagging you a little more. Personally seeing something had a high calorie count would prevent me from eating it, and I am not the only one who feels that way. Some people actually want to know what they are putting in their bodies, crazy enough. I realistically know that there will be a population of people who dont care either way but I think it may make a difference in the lives of some people. People arent going to loose weight overnight in droves, but overtime the more aware you are the more your eating habits may change.
There is still no information on what this will cost restaruants monetarily or how that will effect the price of food for the consumer but I dont see how it could make that big of an impact. The cost of obesity is a a huge problem and there is no one single way to fix it. Children need a better education on nutrition and exercise, there need to be more opportunities for children and adults to be active, there needs to be a wider variety of ealthier menu items, etc, etc. This is a very small componant that probably wont make a dent in the problem by itself, but it is a start. Let the consumer be more informed if they choose. Knowing nutritional information is not easy regardless of the popular belief that it is common sense and since we are always complaining about being so busy, save the consumer some time and some calories and thank you for Guvanator for making that happen.
Argument 1: People can look that information up online if they want to see it - Yes for the most part they can, however I do not carry a print out with me of every fast food chain and restaraunt nor do I know at the beginning of the day where I will end up eating so that is not an effecient or realistic way to find nutritional information. Also see youtube clip below to see how difficult this information can be to read. It is a lot easier on the consumer if the nutritional information is listed on the menu board.
Argument 2: People know that fast food makes them fat and if they go to a fast food restaraunt they arent there to eat healthy - Restaraunts, particularly fast food restaraunts, have done an increasingly better job at providing healthier food choices for their customers. Unfortunately, people are not as nutritionally savy as we would like to believe. Yes everyone knows that fries arent good for you, but there are a lot of menu items that are deceptively bad for you. For example the Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich at Carls Jr has 610 calories and 32 grams of fat. The BBQ Chicken sandwich has 360 calories, 4.5 grams of fat. Most people wouldnt know there is such a large nutritional difference between the two because they are thinking it is a chicken sandwich, it cant be that bad. Knowing nutritional information is not as common sense as people would like to believe. Salads are as deceptive as they come too. Again people think a salad is healthy but Chevy's has a salad that is 1,228 calories and 77 grams fo fat! That is waaaay worse than the average consumer would expect. Even though I like to eat healthy, I also like to be able to go to a fast food restaraunt and pick something up quickly too and fast food restaraunts have healthier options that I would like to be aware of.
Argument 3: Government is getting all up in our business and it isnt their place to try to make people eat better, free will yada yada - Two of every three American adults are overweight or obese according to the Center For Disease Control, obviously we are collectively not doing so well on the fat thing on our own. I dont see it as government interferring with my life, they are just helping me become more informed so I can make my better choices if I so choose. The Government is not going to make you order something healthier. If you dont care how many calories you are consuming then dont look at the information. If it bothers you that it is up there then you are probably having some guilt that you should be eating healthier but arent. Maybe you should listen to that little voice inside your head that is nagging you a little more. Personally seeing something had a high calorie count would prevent me from eating it, and I am not the only one who feels that way. Some people actually want to know what they are putting in their bodies, crazy enough. I realistically know that there will be a population of people who dont care either way but I think it may make a difference in the lives of some people. People arent going to loose weight overnight in droves, but overtime the more aware you are the more your eating habits may change.
There is still no information on what this will cost restaruants monetarily or how that will effect the price of food for the consumer but I dont see how it could make that big of an impact. The cost of obesity is a a huge problem and there is no one single way to fix it. Children need a better education on nutrition and exercise, there need to be more opportunities for children and adults to be active, there needs to be a wider variety of ealthier menu items, etc, etc. This is a very small componant that probably wont make a dent in the problem by itself, but it is a start. Let the consumer be more informed if they choose. Knowing nutritional information is not easy regardless of the popular belief that it is common sense and since we are always complaining about being so busy, save the consumer some time and some calories and thank you for Guvanator for making that happen.
Wednesday, October 1
What Hallmark Wishes They Had Come Up With
I found an old binder yesterday from when I was at Ball State and it had my list of greeting cards that Hallmark should make for those situations in life that come up that you just can't find a card for. The list is as follows:
- Front: Congratulations... Inside: You got Your Period So You Aren't Knocked Up After All!Phew. Next Time Wear A Condom.
- Front: I Really Like You... Inside: But I Am Just Not Attracted To You, Sorry!
-Front: Time To Celebrate! Inside: I Never Liked That Fucker And I Am Glad You Finally Broke Up.
-Front: Oops Inside: You Might Want To Get Tested. Sorry About That. I Didn't Know.
-Front: Congratulations!Inside: You Are An Asshole.
-Front: Thank You! Inside: He Is Your Problem Now, Not Mine Muhahaha!
Front: Happy Birthday! Inside: I Hope You Get An STD.
Front: Sorry I Hit Your Car Inside: I Am Not Insured And I Cant Afford To Fix It But I feel REALLY Bad.
Front: The Sex Was Awesome! Inside:But I Am Not Ready For A Relationship
Front: Good Luck! Inside: Over Half Of All Marriages Fail But I am Sure You Will Be Just Fine.
Let it be known that I came up with these after a friend got out of a bad relationship so they sound sorta bitter but it made her laugh so thats what matters. I still find them funny though:)
- Front: Congratulations... Inside: You got Your Period So You Aren't Knocked Up After All!Phew. Next Time Wear A Condom.
- Front: I Really Like You... Inside: But I Am Just Not Attracted To You, Sorry!
-Front: Time To Celebrate! Inside: I Never Liked That Fucker And I Am Glad You Finally Broke Up.
-Front: Oops Inside: You Might Want To Get Tested. Sorry About That. I Didn't Know.
-Front: Congratulations!Inside: You Are An Asshole.
-Front: Thank You! Inside: He Is Your Problem Now, Not Mine Muhahaha!
Front: Happy Birthday! Inside: I Hope You Get An STD.
Front: Sorry I Hit Your Car Inside: I Am Not Insured And I Cant Afford To Fix It But I feel REALLY Bad.
Front: The Sex Was Awesome! Inside:But I Am Not Ready For A Relationship
Front: Good Luck! Inside: Over Half Of All Marriages Fail But I am Sure You Will Be Just Fine.
Let it be known that I came up with these after a friend got out of a bad relationship so they sound sorta bitter but it made her laugh so thats what matters. I still find them funny though:)