Today's Potential

This has been a pretty boring week. I can't pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps it is that nothing exciting has happened lately (except for Kagans Baby being born). I think the most thrilling thing that happened this week was that I made a really healthy and delish dinner last night.

But, today has potential. After work Tim and I are going to Indy. I am getting my hair cut there (woo-hoo!!) and then going out with my friends I met through VISTA. Emily and Mark are moving to DC in August, so it is our farewell dinner and drinks. We are going to the Elbow room of course! We weighed other options, but there is just no place better than the Bow for us. We can be loud, don't have to be really dressed up, and they have cheap drinks and meals.

So, here's to hoping tonight makes up for the boringness of the past week; and knowing my friends, it certainly will!

Random thoughts

• Well, today I walked to work. Hooray. However, I am dreading the HOT walk home. I know its only a 7 minute walk, but I really hate being sweaty.
• Tomorrow I am going to a diversity symposium for work. I've had diversity training before, but its always just been people coming to my work and giving a speech. I have a feeling this will be a bit more 'hands-on'. Im interested to see what happens.
• My friend Kagan had her baby!!! Welcome to this awesome-crazy world Renzie Jordan Masters!
• I found a new website where you can swap all things vintage. I am so excited about this! I have quite a few things that are 1960's and 1970's that I no longer want (and most friends wouldnt let me leave the house in) ... and would love to replace them with more 40's and 50's things! It's a form of shopping that basically costs nothing but shipping!
• I reconnected with Yacko, Wacko, and Dot today by watching Anamaniacs!

Thanks for letting me ramble...

Movie: No Impact Man

I recently watched the Documentary "No Impact Man." This man, his wife, and his 3 year old child try to live a full year without impacting the earth negatively. Obviously not everyone can or would want to do this, but it was a neat social experiment. The whole point of the movie/blog/book project was to question what you could live without and still enjoy a productive and happy life.

I think the movie worked, at least for me.

I see myself as a pretty ecologically and ethical person. The husband and I recycle, use CFL's, and try not to buy firsthand if we can buy secondhand. I love garage sales, thrift stores, and resale shops. However, there are things I could do to lessen my impact on the earth in which God entrusted us.

Here is a brief list:

1. Stop driving to work - I work about 4 (town) blocks away from our apt. However, I often find myself driving to work for multiple reasons, but mostly because I am always running too late to drive. I know you city folks think im ridiculous, but just remember when we all drove to class when it was a 3-5 minute walk?
2. Actually remember my grocery bags - I always forget to bring my reusable grocery bags to the store! I have so many of them yet they do me no good since I always forget them.
3. Walk more- Again, this relates to always running late. Also, I am lazy and hate being sweaty.
4. Air dry clothes - Since we got this new dryer I have not air dried much clothing. this is mostly due to the fact that we have no convenient place to put the drying racks in our small-ish apartment. Call me crazy, but it just feels weird when laundry is drying in the kitchen.

With that being said, there are a few things that I feel I need in order to be a happy and productive member of society. Those are things such as air conditioning, electricity, and a washing machine.

We all have our limits. What would yours be?

Website Wednesday

I found myself laughing out loud today in my office when I was reading the website Sh*t my Dad Says. The tagline says "I'm 29. I live with my 74 year old Dad. He is Awesome. I just write down sh*t that he says."

This man is hilarious; and not in the 'dad joke' kind of way, more in the 'im-old-so-I-can-say-whatever-I-effing-want" kind of way. Therefore, do not read it if you are not okay with various vulgar curse words.

For those not into vulgar humor, I found another website I really like: EatingWell.com. Mostly I like it because it gave me a recipe for watermelon sorbet... but it has other good stuff on it too.

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In other news, on Friday I will have been eating healthy for 4 weeks! I'm mostly excited about that, but I dont think I have lost any weight since my clothes all fit exactly the same (I don't believe in scales). Granted, I am not eating healthy to lose weight; i'm doing it to lower my cholesterol and take care of physical self.... but I would have expected to lose something! It's a bit maddening really.

It might have something to do with the fact that I still have a goiter, but the Doc said that it wasn't inhibiting my thyroid functioning. Oh well. Even though I haven't lost weight I have had positive results from this lifestyle change; I don't get stomach aches anymore and I have more energy!

Speaking of energy, here is my to-do list for tonight:

• Eat Dinner
• Grocery Shopping
• Water plants in community garden for at least an hour
• Work on current sewing project

Hope all is well with you folks!

Website Wednesday: Thursday Edition

Sorry about not updating my blog lately! I was going to yesterday, but I was super-cranky for no reason, so I thought I would spare you. You are welcome.

Anyway, since finding out about my high cholesterol I've started to live a healthier lifestyle; a lifestyle that involves far less sweets. I've been doing pretty good about things, but I often get cravings for yummy things like muffins, hot fudge sundaes, waffles, and buttercream frosting. I may sound a bit crazy, but it's the truth!

I was pumped to stumble across the blog How Sweet it is today. It has a good mixture of typical sweets (i.e. things that include buttermilk, cream, and a lot of sugar) and healthier sweets in which to indulge. The recipes that really got me were the strawberry-yogurt-granita and frozen hot chocolate. It's pretty obvious I am in an ice cream mood. ;) So while I may not be eating my sister-in-laws almost famous frosting, I am able to satisfy my taste buds with a wonderful substitute.

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On a completely different note, I am considering cutting my hair again. I have my hair cut in the traditional "middy" style of the 40's in order to make putting my hair in rollers easier. The cut is wonderful in that sense, but the problem is that I have not been rolling my hair much due to the humidity and all around hotness that is Indiana summers. Therefore, i'm thinking about going with a bob or some other shorter style that doesn't require much work but still has a bit of versatility. I think when fall or winter hits I would go back to the middy - but another style might be best for now.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Website Wednesday

Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than a spreadsheet full of numbers and dollar signs.

While some out there (ahem, husband and other like-minded folk) appreciate having their finances fit neatly into excel, exposed for the whole world to see, I do not. Numbers have never been my friend. I struggled in school with math and still struggle. Numbers do not make sense to me... which makes budgeting extremely difficult.

Before the husband and I got married we did some pre-marital counseling. The hardest session was the one that focused on finances and budgeting. I am pretty sure I wiped the pastor out of kleenex from all my crying! It was the longest hour and a half of my life, but we made it through. We decided before the meeting that we needed to create a budget and stick to it, and after the session we made the budget in excel. It was rough and not without a ton of anxiety on my behalf, but we completed the task. The husband learned soon thereafter that talking to me about finances is most successful late at night when I am sleepy and cant work myself up. :)

There is, however, one simple internet site that has made things easier for me in regards to finances. This website helps me understand money and budgeting with applications such as pie graphs (I mean, everyone understands pie graphs). The website is also pleasing to look at -unlike excel, which gives me the shivers to even think of because of its coldness and matter of fact layout.

Mint.com is a godsend. Seriously people. Check it out and see if it can do for you what it did for me (and my husband)!

The husband finds his security in facts, science, and numbers. I find mine in easy-to-use internet sites and chocolate.

What the health?!?

Last week I found out that I have high cholesterol and even higher triglycerides. What does this mean to this particular 25 year old?

Well, for starters I have to eat healthy: no more ice cream, enriched pasta, cereal, or beef for this girl. Now it is fat free frozen yogurt, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, and turkey or chicken. It's not that I dislike the latter foods, but it is quite a change, especially since i've never been on a diet.

I am not considering this a diet. It is a lifestyle change. I started this so-called lifestyle change Friday. I handled it pretty well over that weekend, and the husband was very helpful and supportive. However, yesterday I got cranky. I feel bad for the husband! This is going to be touch-and-go for a while, so please be patient with me while I go through sugar detox.

There are perks to this of course: The husband decided that he can't handle me being cranky about having no air conditioning and not having sweets, so we are finally getting a window unit for our living room! No more sweating while sitting down! Woo-hoo! Another perk is that I haven't had a stomach ache in 4 days! And of course, I wouldn't complain too much if I lost a few pounds through all of this.

Exercising is a while other story for a whole other day. For now the husband and I are going to be going for walks after dinner.