Who Knows What Evil Lurks In the Hearts Of Men?
I awoke around 9:30 to a massive monsoon. It was POURING like mad, and continued to do so on and off all morning. Needless to say, I spent most of it continuing with If I Don't Do It Now.... At the very least, I have now figured out two things. First of all, I neither like nor fit in a large corporation. The Acme is too restrictive and just too darn big. I want to work somewhere that's less conventional, with a smaller, somewhat younger staff who have more to do than stand at a register. I want to do something creative, something that might actually engage my brain.
I had a peanut butter and cranberry pear butter wrap and a pear around 1 and ran two episodes from 80s sitcoms that dealt with the supernatural...and the consequences of obvious disbelief. In the Night Court second season show "The Gypsy," Harry fines the title fortune teller for contempt of court and fraud. She insists she's real, and proves it by cursing the entire court. Suddenly, Bull collapses and Dan's accountant drops dead in the middle of an audit. Harry puts on an elaborate bit of magic of his own to prove to Bull and everyone that there is no such thing as magic...or is there? (Dan never does get his money back, though.)
Larry Appleton of Perfect Strangers is also skeptical about magic and the supernatural. In the seventh season episode "Fright Night," his cousin Balki insists that there's a ghost in his room. Balki, Mary Anne, and Jennifer are convinced, but Larry isn't...until strange things start happening in Balki's overly-decorated bedroom.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading more of If I Don't Do It Now... and working on the nonfiction book inventories. Two of the books I added were for pilates, a yoga-style exercise that involves strength and flexibility training. I'm wondering if I could pull off some of the leg and arm motions that don't require standing up while I'm on the mend? It was kind of late to try by then; I'll see what I can do tomorrow.
Made tilapia in white wine sauce, leftover green beans, and sauteed Brussels sprouts and tomatoes for dinner while watching The Shadow. Based after the famous radio show and pulp fiction stories of the late 30s and 40s, this unusual superhero caper has the title character Lamont Cranston (Alec Baldwin), who can appear invisible and "cloud men's minds" (i.e, manipulate them) searching New York City in the late 40s for an insane warlord from the Far East who claims to be the descendant of Genghis Khan. He's kidnapped the absent minded professor father of psychic Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller) who has created an atomic bomb. The charming Asian and the smooth American play literal and figurative mind games, with Margo caught in the middle...
Weird. Very, very weird. More based after the pulp stories, where Cranston had a whole team to work with, than the radio show, where he mostly just worked with Margo. The plot is actually quite involving, and the special effects are excellent for the early-mid 90s, especially the nifty Art Deco set design. Casting is the big problem. Neither Miller nor Baldwin were really meant for roles that stress mystery and adventure - Baldwin tries but tends to be too stiff, Miller is too silly.
While the blurbs on the back of the DVD case compare this to Indiana Jones, it has more in common with The Rocketeer, Dick Tracy, the Tim Burton Batman, and other stylish superhero extravaganzas of the early 90s. Fine for fans of those films or of Baldwin.
Life is a lazy river - no matter where you are. Movies, musicals, mysteries, pop culture, and lots of other great stuff.
Showing posts with label pilates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pilates. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
"I Have a Dream..."
First of all, I salute Dr. Martin Luther King and his dream on this still-cold January day!
I was up late again with Lauren and slept so late, I didn't really have the time to do much of anything this morning. I just worked on my inventories. I moved the comic books to their own section and added the Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts books. I've been meaning to start doing the book inventories for a while now. In addition to separating the comic books from the regular non-fiction, I need to separate the adult and children's fiction and do a separate inventory for cookbooks and Star Wars-related non-film media.
It took me longer to do the inventory than I thought it would, and once again, I was almost late to work. I thought it would be busy all day, due to the holiday, but maybe a lot of people are still recovering from the last holiday or went away for the weekend. It was busy during rush hour, otherwise not bad. I was in and out.
When I got home, I decided to try one of two exercise DVDs I own. Rose gave me Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss several years ago when she decided it wasn't what she needed in her own workout. I was frustrated with how badly I did. I couldn't focus on breathing. I couldn't control my stomach muscles, no matter how hard I tried. It was hard to relax. I couldn't roll up at all! I was in tears when I realized just in how bad of shape I was. I didn't know I let myself go so badly. I think I might try the Yoga for Beginners DVD I bought around 2007 instead and see if that can help me first, before I move back to conditioning my stomach.
I also realized how hard it is for me to do anything without support. There was no one around to tell me if I was doing it right, or to encourage me or cheer me on. It felt lonely. I'm glad I joined the gym. It might be more helpful than any DVD.
First of all, I salute Dr. Martin Luther King and his dream on this still-cold January day!
I was up late again with Lauren and slept so late, I didn't really have the time to do much of anything this morning. I just worked on my inventories. I moved the comic books to their own section and added the Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts books. I've been meaning to start doing the book inventories for a while now. In addition to separating the comic books from the regular non-fiction, I need to separate the adult and children's fiction and do a separate inventory for cookbooks and Star Wars-related non-film media.
It took me longer to do the inventory than I thought it would, and once again, I was almost late to work. I thought it would be busy all day, due to the holiday, but maybe a lot of people are still recovering from the last holiday or went away for the weekend. It was busy during rush hour, otherwise not bad. I was in and out.
When I got home, I decided to try one of two exercise DVDs I own. Rose gave me Pilates Conditioning for Weight Loss several years ago when she decided it wasn't what she needed in her own workout. I was frustrated with how badly I did. I couldn't focus on breathing. I couldn't control my stomach muscles, no matter how hard I tried. It was hard to relax. I couldn't roll up at all! I was in tears when I realized just in how bad of shape I was. I didn't know I let myself go so badly. I think I might try the Yoga for Beginners DVD I bought around 2007 instead and see if that can help me first, before I move back to conditioning my stomach.
I also realized how hard it is for me to do anything without support. There was no one around to tell me if I was doing it right, or to encourage me or cheer me on. It felt lonely. I'm glad I joined the gym. It might be more helpful than any DVD.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Winter Wonderland
I started the day quietly, with the radio, oatmeal for breakfast, and pilates. It was really a rather beautiful day. The sky was was a dazzling blue and the sun a blazing yellow that made the now-three-feet of snow sparkle like thousands of microscopic crystals. I figured few people would be able to shovel themselves out of a foot of snow by 11AM, so I walked to work.
When I stepped onto my porch, I found myself in a white world. Everything was blindingly white, from the ground to the tops of whispery trees. My porch was still messy from last night. I had to walk down very carefully. The path to the street wasn't too bad, thanks to Michael's efforts yesterday afternoon, but the street itself had been blocked by piles of ice and snow scraped off to the sides by snow plows. It took me longer to get to the street than to walk on streets and sidewalks!
Kendall and Manor weren't too bad. The streets were slushy, but they'd been plowed, and many sidewalks were shoveled or in the process of being shoveled. I didn't have any problems until I hit the Black Horse Pike. The highway had been plowed...but naturally, no one had bothered with the sidewalk. I had to walk in the street. The piles of ice along the curb in front of the Acme were a lot of fun to climb over, too. At one point, I stumbled into a snowdrift that was literally up to my waist!
I was almost late to work. I got in just under the wire. Work was surprisingly steady, despite the mess outside. A lot of people were taking advantage of a day off from work or school and the cleared streets to pick up anything they ran out of after the storm. We were only missing a few people, too.
Though I'd been able to get to work all right, I didn't want to chance walking home later, just in case the streets got icy. I called Dad and got a ride home. I was right in not calling him in the morning; turns out he hadn't been anywhere near finished shoveling Uncle Ken's wide driveway at 11, even with help from neighbors.
My porch was still slushy when I got in, but the steps were clear, perhaps a result of them being in direct sunlight. The sun felt rather nice on my back this morning. In fact, it wasn't really that cold, probably in the mid-30s, which would account for the amazing icicles hanging off of people's roofs and the huge puddles on the streets.
I started the day quietly, with the radio, oatmeal for breakfast, and pilates. It was really a rather beautiful day. The sky was was a dazzling blue and the sun a blazing yellow that made the now-three-feet of snow sparkle like thousands of microscopic crystals. I figured few people would be able to shovel themselves out of a foot of snow by 11AM, so I walked to work.
When I stepped onto my porch, I found myself in a white world. Everything was blindingly white, from the ground to the tops of whispery trees. My porch was still messy from last night. I had to walk down very carefully. The path to the street wasn't too bad, thanks to Michael's efforts yesterday afternoon, but the street itself had been blocked by piles of ice and snow scraped off to the sides by snow plows. It took me longer to get to the street than to walk on streets and sidewalks!
Kendall and Manor weren't too bad. The streets were slushy, but they'd been plowed, and many sidewalks were shoveled or in the process of being shoveled. I didn't have any problems until I hit the Black Horse Pike. The highway had been plowed...but naturally, no one had bothered with the sidewalk. I had to walk in the street. The piles of ice along the curb in front of the Acme were a lot of fun to climb over, too. At one point, I stumbled into a snowdrift that was literally up to my waist!
I was almost late to work. I got in just under the wire. Work was surprisingly steady, despite the mess outside. A lot of people were taking advantage of a day off from work or school and the cleared streets to pick up anything they ran out of after the storm. We were only missing a few people, too.
Though I'd been able to get to work all right, I didn't want to chance walking home later, just in case the streets got icy. I called Dad and got a ride home. I was right in not calling him in the morning; turns out he hadn't been anywhere near finished shoveling Uncle Ken's wide driveway at 11, even with help from neighbors.
My porch was still slushy when I got in, but the steps were clear, perhaps a result of them being in direct sunlight. The sun felt rather nice on my back this morning. In fact, it wasn't really that cold, probably in the mid-30s, which would account for the amazing icicles hanging off of people's roofs and the huge puddles on the streets.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Monday Monday
Pretty quiet start to the week. I made a Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake after breakfast, once again using the Prevention cookbook. It calls for low-fat yogurt and milk; there's no butter or oil in it at all. I added to the fiber content by replacing the cup of all-purpose flour with a cup of whole-wheat flour.
I did pilates while the cake was in the oven. I figured out a way to be light on my bad toe. I found a colorful neck pillow I bought at the thrift shop a few years ago and stuck it under the bad toe whenever I needed to get it off the floor. Worked very nicely. I was able to do the workout with a minimum of soreness.
(And the toe is black-and-blue, which I'm hoping means it's merely bruised and not sprained or strained or anything that'll take a long time to heal.)
I left for work after lunch, about twenty minutes early. I ran to America's Best behind the Acme first to tell them that the new trial contacts prescription worked just fine. I paid for 3 month's worth there; it was the only thing I could afford. They should be in by next week.
I wish I'd stayed behind the Acme. It would have been far less of a pain in the rear than being IN it. It's the beginning of the month, and that means all of the fun people who get their money now are out and about. I really wish some of these old people who can obviously do things for themselves would stop acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. I don't really have the patience to mollycoddle them.
(And by the way, that "snow storm" is just about gone. There's a little left on the side path going to my apartment, but anything that's out in the sun has melted. It's been in the mid-30s here and sunny, about par for the course at this time of year in New Jersey.)
Pretty quiet start to the week. I made a Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake after breakfast, once again using the Prevention cookbook. It calls for low-fat yogurt and milk; there's no butter or oil in it at all. I added to the fiber content by replacing the cup of all-purpose flour with a cup of whole-wheat flour.
I did pilates while the cake was in the oven. I figured out a way to be light on my bad toe. I found a colorful neck pillow I bought at the thrift shop a few years ago and stuck it under the bad toe whenever I needed to get it off the floor. Worked very nicely. I was able to do the workout with a minimum of soreness.
(And the toe is black-and-blue, which I'm hoping means it's merely bruised and not sprained or strained or anything that'll take a long time to heal.)
I left for work after lunch, about twenty minutes early. I ran to America's Best behind the Acme first to tell them that the new trial contacts prescription worked just fine. I paid for 3 month's worth there; it was the only thing I could afford. They should be in by next week.
I wish I'd stayed behind the Acme. It would have been far less of a pain in the rear than being IN it. It's the beginning of the month, and that means all of the fun people who get their money now are out and about. I really wish some of these old people who can obviously do things for themselves would stop acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. I don't really have the patience to mollycoddle them.
(And by the way, that "snow storm" is just about gone. There's a little left on the side path going to my apartment, but anything that's out in the sun has melted. It's been in the mid-30s here and sunny, about par for the course at this time of year in New Jersey.)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Winter Weather Surprise
It was merely cloudy when I rode to work at 9:30, but you'd never know it from how busy the Acme was. We were mobbed all day long, with half-way-across-the-store lines. Good thing everyone mostly behaved, and there were no real problems other than the lack of help. In fact, some of the employees were holding an "ugly sweater" contest. The winner was the customer service manager, who wore a black sweater with a pattern of what I believe were supposed to be koalas, though they may also have been fat goats. The second and third prize winners, a seafood worker and a cashier respectively. sported multi-colored Cliff Huxtable 80s sweaters. I forget what they won, other than their picture on the front bulletin board. The store even made a little party out of it and served popcorn, pretzels, and Entermann's donuts in the back room.
The crowds had begun to thin somewhat by the time my relief arrived at 3:30. I didn't realize why until I looked out the windows leading to the main entrance...and saw snow coming down. Hard. That was a shock. I'd heard that we really weren't supposed to get anything at all, and if we did, it would be a dusting. Someone needs to wipe the weather map radar lens.
I did get in little bit of shopping that I wasn't able to do yesterday, including peanut butter and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter baking spread, which were on a $2 for 2 with coupon in ad sale.
I also found the 5th season of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV show in the cheap DVD bin. My memories of the show are more vague the further they got into the 90s, so it'll be nice to see these again. (And Lionsgate wins the award for creative packaging. The 5th season looks like a mini-pizza box, with the discs as the pies. Even the menus on the discs continue the theme - they look like typical pizza joint menus.)
I really got lucky. It must not have been snowing for very long when I looked out the window. The ground just barely had a dusting of snow when I finally headed home. I was able to ride my bike normally, except for on Goff Avenue. I wasn't taking the chance of another spill on the ice, especially when I couldn't see the road, so I walked up and down the hill there.
The snow was falling more thickly as I arrived home, and the ground was getting more and more covered. Not surprisingly, I spent my evening at home, doing pilates, watching Turtles episodes, and eating leftover Chinese food for dinner.
It was merely cloudy when I rode to work at 9:30, but you'd never know it from how busy the Acme was. We were mobbed all day long, with half-way-across-the-store lines. Good thing everyone mostly behaved, and there were no real problems other than the lack of help. In fact, some of the employees were holding an "ugly sweater" contest. The winner was the customer service manager, who wore a black sweater with a pattern of what I believe were supposed to be koalas, though they may also have been fat goats. The second and third prize winners, a seafood worker and a cashier respectively. sported multi-colored Cliff Huxtable 80s sweaters. I forget what they won, other than their picture on the front bulletin board. The store even made a little party out of it and served popcorn, pretzels, and Entermann's donuts in the back room.
The crowds had begun to thin somewhat by the time my relief arrived at 3:30. I didn't realize why until I looked out the windows leading to the main entrance...and saw snow coming down. Hard. That was a shock. I'd heard that we really weren't supposed to get anything at all, and if we did, it would be a dusting. Someone needs to wipe the weather map radar lens.
I did get in little bit of shopping that I wasn't able to do yesterday, including peanut butter and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter baking spread, which were on a $2 for 2 with coupon in ad sale.
I also found the 5th season of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV show in the cheap DVD bin. My memories of the show are more vague the further they got into the 90s, so it'll be nice to see these again. (And Lionsgate wins the award for creative packaging. The 5th season looks like a mini-pizza box, with the discs as the pies. Even the menus on the discs continue the theme - they look like typical pizza joint menus.)
I really got lucky. It must not have been snowing for very long when I looked out the window. The ground just barely had a dusting of snow when I finally headed home. I was able to ride my bike normally, except for on Goff Avenue. I wasn't taking the chance of another spill on the ice, especially when I couldn't see the road, so I walked up and down the hill there.
The snow was falling more thickly as I arrived home, and the ground was getting more and more covered. Not surprisingly, I spent my evening at home, doing pilates, watching Turtles episodes, and eating leftover Chinese food for dinner.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Raging Storm
All of Camden County awoke to a massive storm this morning. Lashing rain and 50-mile-an-hour winds flooded low-lying areas and downed branches all over the area. My porch was already covered with small and large branches at quarter of 8. It was very, very warm and humid, too, probably in the 60s, too warm and too humid for this time of year.
I was originally going to do the laundry today, but I ended up staying inside and messing around online. I just didn't trust the weather. It remained bad through about noon. At one point, the lights flickered and the internet went down briefly. Twenty minutes later, a small but very thick and heavy branch hit the roof over my head and sounded like an atomic bomb, scaring me half to death!
I got some pilates in, but even after the actual rain stopped around 1, I still didn't trust the wind, the debris, or the rising tide. I called Dad for a ride to work.
Work was, at it turned out, dead for most of the night. It was steady around the usual 4-6 rush hour time, but that was it, and even that could have been worse.
I did a few things in the yard when I got home. I cleared out the larger branches that had fallen (and that I could see in the dark), righted my bike and pulled the sodden bike cover back on it, and chased after my trash cans.
I also remembered I needed to take out the recycling tonight. Miss Ellie was coming home just as I was heading for the curb with the blue recycling canister. I wonder what she was doing out late? She's usually home by now. Maybe she was visiting relatives, or she had late work.
All of Camden County awoke to a massive storm this morning. Lashing rain and 50-mile-an-hour winds flooded low-lying areas and downed branches all over the area. My porch was already covered with small and large branches at quarter of 8. It was very, very warm and humid, too, probably in the 60s, too warm and too humid for this time of year.
I was originally going to do the laundry today, but I ended up staying inside and messing around online. I just didn't trust the weather. It remained bad through about noon. At one point, the lights flickered and the internet went down briefly. Twenty minutes later, a small but very thick and heavy branch hit the roof over my head and sounded like an atomic bomb, scaring me half to death!
I got some pilates in, but even after the actual rain stopped around 1, I still didn't trust the wind, the debris, or the rising tide. I called Dad for a ride to work.
Work was, at it turned out, dead for most of the night. It was steady around the usual 4-6 rush hour time, but that was it, and even that could have been worse.
I did a few things in the yard when I got home. I cleared out the larger branches that had fallen (and that I could see in the dark), righted my bike and pulled the sodden bike cover back on it, and chased after my trash cans.
I also remembered I needed to take out the recycling tonight. Miss Ellie was coming home just as I was heading for the curb with the blue recycling canister. I wonder what she was doing out late? She's usually home by now. Maybe she was visiting relatives, or she had late work.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Winter Doldrums
I'm bored. I'm so bored. I can't get into anything - not work, not movies, not writing, not anything. Nothing's any fun. Nothing's going on. I'm gaining weight, no matter how hard I try. I don't know how to shake myself out of this funk. There has to be something wrong. I just don't know what yet.
Work was busy all day, not helped by a mix-up with two cashiers who had switched their times and left earlier than they were supposed to. I can't even figure out why we were so busy. I guess it was the sales. There's no major sports games this weekend, the next big holiday is in mid-February, and there's really nothing else going on.
After leaving work, I headed over to America's Best for my contacts. I ended up doing my follow-up exam to check the new prescription. Turns out that yes, my eyes have gotten slightly worse (despite my mother's claim that they should have stabilized by now). I'll go back at the end of next week for the rest of them if I like how the new prescription works.
Made a brief stop at FYE after America's Best, but I didn't see anything I wanted, so I just headed home. Thank goodness it was a lovely January day, sunny and in the lower 40s. My rides to and from work were quite pleasant.
Like I mentioned above, I've been gaining weight again. All the overeating I've done over the holidays and in the last few weeks hasn't helped. I thought I'd try stepping up my work-outs again. I did pilates for the first time in years this evening, using the DVD Rose gave me in 2007. I found out that I can't breathe right, have poor control over my body, and can't raise myself for stomach crunches of any kind. I'm just too fat.
After I finished my workout, I had dinner and put on Sweet Smell of Success. Like The Misfits and Asphalt Jungle, this isn't the kind of movie that I'd buy, but is said to be worth seeing at least once...and it is. Slick press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) moves through New York's seamy underbelly, trying to get under the skin of powerful, equally immoral newspaper columnist J.J Huntsinger (Burt Lancaster)...but their lies and deceitfulness eventually leads both to tragedy. Not the most fun movie to watch, but a suburb cast and Elmer Bernstein's jazz score make the most of a taught, tough script and Elmer Bernstein's nervous jazz score.
I'm bored. I'm so bored. I can't get into anything - not work, not movies, not writing, not anything. Nothing's any fun. Nothing's going on. I'm gaining weight, no matter how hard I try. I don't know how to shake myself out of this funk. There has to be something wrong. I just don't know what yet.
Work was busy all day, not helped by a mix-up with two cashiers who had switched their times and left earlier than they were supposed to. I can't even figure out why we were so busy. I guess it was the sales. There's no major sports games this weekend, the next big holiday is in mid-February, and there's really nothing else going on.
After leaving work, I headed over to America's Best for my contacts. I ended up doing my follow-up exam to check the new prescription. Turns out that yes, my eyes have gotten slightly worse (despite my mother's claim that they should have stabilized by now). I'll go back at the end of next week for the rest of them if I like how the new prescription works.
Made a brief stop at FYE after America's Best, but I didn't see anything I wanted, so I just headed home. Thank goodness it was a lovely January day, sunny and in the lower 40s. My rides to and from work were quite pleasant.
Like I mentioned above, I've been gaining weight again. All the overeating I've done over the holidays and in the last few weeks hasn't helped. I thought I'd try stepping up my work-outs again. I did pilates for the first time in years this evening, using the DVD Rose gave me in 2007. I found out that I can't breathe right, have poor control over my body, and can't raise myself for stomach crunches of any kind. I'm just too fat.
After I finished my workout, I had dinner and put on Sweet Smell of Success. Like The Misfits and Asphalt Jungle, this isn't the kind of movie that I'd buy, but is said to be worth seeing at least once...and it is. Slick press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) moves through New York's seamy underbelly, trying to get under the skin of powerful, equally immoral newspaper columnist J.J Huntsinger (Burt Lancaster)...but their lies and deceitfulness eventually leads both to tragedy. Not the most fun movie to watch, but a suburb cast and Elmer Bernstein's jazz score make the most of a taught, tough script and Elmer Bernstein's nervous jazz score.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Rhythm of the Rain
It's a good thing I had no outdoor plans today. It poured the entire morning. And I don't just mean a half an inch and then it's cloudy. It deluged from when I got up at 8:30AM until around 1PM, and intermittently after that. I spent most of that time looking up and downloading the Financial Aid sheet. Now, I just need to find out when and where the testing for graduate school around here is. I hope it's not in Camden.
I did get some pilates in before Dad picked me up for work. It's the beginning of the month, a Friday, and the weekend of the Super Bowl, so we were mega-busy up until about 6:30. A lot of annoying people, too. People keep reading the signs wrong. (You really DO need to buy six packs to get the Canada Dry sale!) The people buying stuff for chop shops in Camden were out in full-force, too. I really do hope they work on better legislature to crack down on these people. We're losing valuable money and merchandise because they can't afford to buy from a warehouse like everyone else.
It's a good thing I had no outdoor plans today. It poured the entire morning. And I don't just mean a half an inch and then it's cloudy. It deluged from when I got up at 8:30AM until around 1PM, and intermittently after that. I spent most of that time looking up and downloading the Financial Aid sheet. Now, I just need to find out when and where the testing for graduate school around here is. I hope it's not in Camden.
I did get some pilates in before Dad picked me up for work. It's the beginning of the month, a Friday, and the weekend of the Super Bowl, so we were mega-busy up until about 6:30. A lot of annoying people, too. People keep reading the signs wrong. (You really DO need to buy six packs to get the Canada Dry sale!) The people buying stuff for chop shops in Camden were out in full-force, too. I really do hope they work on better legislature to crack down on these people. We're losing valuable money and merchandise because they can't afford to buy from a warehouse like everyone else.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Ringing In The New Year
My phone woke me up around 7:30AM. It was Donna, one of my managers at work. Would I like to come in from 10:30AM to 7PM? Sorry, no can do. I was up late last night. Donna and I finally got it down to 1 to 7, allowing me to sleep a little more and get some pilates and Voyagers! in before I went to work.
Don't get me wrong. I do need the hours...but not THAT desperately. Besides, I wouldn't have been worth much if I'd tried going in earlier. As it turned out, work was steady but not incredibly busy (except for around 4PM rush hour) anyway. There were some obnoxious beginning-of-the-month customers, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary.
And I just heard this really, REALLY noisy thump. I wonder what THAT was? I hope nothing happened to an airplane or one of the "neighbor" critters...
My phone woke me up around 7:30AM. It was Donna, one of my managers at work. Would I like to come in from 10:30AM to 7PM? Sorry, no can do. I was up late last night. Donna and I finally got it down to 1 to 7, allowing me to sleep a little more and get some pilates and Voyagers! in before I went to work.
Don't get me wrong. I do need the hours...but not THAT desperately. Besides, I wouldn't have been worth much if I'd tried going in earlier. As it turned out, work was steady but not incredibly busy (except for around 4PM rush hour) anyway. There were some obnoxious beginning-of-the-month customers, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary.
And I just heard this really, REALLY noisy thump. I wonder what THAT was? I hope nothing happened to an airplane or one of the "neighbor" critters...
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
We Did It!
As Dora the Explorer often says, "We did it!" Lauren and I completed the NaNoWrite program this month with our Monkees role-play story. Since we'd planned on making this a long story anyhow and have been writing so much lately, we figured...why not? Lauren will be posting the rest of the story and a short comic epilogue at our site tonight.
That's not the only thing I've found I can do lately. I'm getting a LOT better at pilates. Unlike yoga, pilates mat work doesn't require a lot of trying to hold poses. With yoga, I'll fall over because my balance isn't great, but with pilates, you just bend and move. I can do all of the beginner moves listed in the book, most of the intermediate, and about a quarter of the advanced. Compare this to when I first began in May, when I could barely pull myself into crunch positions and could do the beginner, a few intermediate, and one advanced move.
I spent the morning and early afternoon finishing my Christmas decorating. I put up all of the small items, the cardboard cut-outs, the displays on my baker's rack, the doll/Santa statue display on the top of my bookcase, and the small tree (complete with tiny glass balls and a mini string of non-operational lights) on the top of the shelves where my Sailor Moon and Care Bear toys are. Everything looks as good as it's gonna get for now.
After I finished with the decorations and had lunch, I headed over to the Haddon Township Branch of the Camden County Library for my first volunteering session since mid-November. I did books on surviving natural disasters, learning about and healing personal problems like family and drug abuse, and began the true crime. What a mess THAT was! I guess the just-past hurricane season had everyone worried. I eventually took out two Disney comic books, a book on job hunts, and two of the three American Girls holiday books I've never read, Josephina's Surprise and Addy's Surprise. I've read all of Addy's books but the last one, but this is the first I've read in Josephina's series.
I did some quick shopping after leaving the library. Looked for Christmas gifts, but didn't see anything I liked. When I came home, I did my pilates and had a cozy chili and pear muffin dinner.
Oh, and I talked to my sister Rose today. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing for Christmas; I may try to get together with her and her boyfriend, since that worked well at Easter.
As Dora the Explorer often says, "We did it!" Lauren and I completed the NaNoWrite program this month with our Monkees role-play story. Since we'd planned on making this a long story anyhow and have been writing so much lately, we figured...why not? Lauren will be posting the rest of the story and a short comic epilogue at our site tonight.
That's not the only thing I've found I can do lately. I'm getting a LOT better at pilates. Unlike yoga, pilates mat work doesn't require a lot of trying to hold poses. With yoga, I'll fall over because my balance isn't great, but with pilates, you just bend and move. I can do all of the beginner moves listed in the book, most of the intermediate, and about a quarter of the advanced. Compare this to when I first began in May, when I could barely pull myself into crunch positions and could do the beginner, a few intermediate, and one advanced move.
I spent the morning and early afternoon finishing my Christmas decorating. I put up all of the small items, the cardboard cut-outs, the displays on my baker's rack, the doll/Santa statue display on the top of my bookcase, and the small tree (complete with tiny glass balls and a mini string of non-operational lights) on the top of the shelves where my Sailor Moon and Care Bear toys are. Everything looks as good as it's gonna get for now.
After I finished with the decorations and had lunch, I headed over to the Haddon Township Branch of the Camden County Library for my first volunteering session since mid-November. I did books on surviving natural disasters, learning about and healing personal problems like family and drug abuse, and began the true crime. What a mess THAT was! I guess the just-past hurricane season had everyone worried. I eventually took out two Disney comic books, a book on job hunts, and two of the three American Girls holiday books I've never read, Josephina's Surprise and Addy's Surprise. I've read all of Addy's books but the last one, but this is the first I've read in Josephina's series.
I did some quick shopping after leaving the library. Looked for Christmas gifts, but didn't see anything I liked. When I came home, I did my pilates and had a cozy chili and pear muffin dinner.
Oh, and I talked to my sister Rose today. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing for Christmas; I may try to get together with her and her boyfriend, since that worked well at Easter.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Summertime...And The Livin's Easy
A nice, quiet day today, which I appreciate, given what my hours are like later in the week. I worked early, 10AM to 3PM. A few cranky customers and one cracked jar of mayo (thank goodness it was the plastic Kraft Mayo), otherwise on-and-off busy, no major problems.
Today was also gorgeous, hot but not above the norm for August in New Jersey, with low humidity. It was such a nice day that I did my pilates routine outside after I swept the porch. I don't know if I'll do it again. The change of scenery was nice, but I got covered in mosquito bites.
Oh, and I forgot to mention something I saw Thursday night. I kept hearing these noisy thumps on my porch. I thought it might be burglars, but I'm in the back of a house on a well-protected dead-end side street in a small town. I then decided it was very fat squirrels and shrugged it off. It continued on and off for a couple of hours. I was going to the bathroom when I happened to peek out the window and discover what was making the racket. A pair of huge raccoons were playing on my porch! My landlady Miss Ellie told me when I moved in last year that there were raccoons in this area, but I'd never seen them until Thursday night. As long as they stay out of my trash, I welcome them as much as I would any neighbor, fuzzy or human.
A nice, quiet day today, which I appreciate, given what my hours are like later in the week. I worked early, 10AM to 3PM. A few cranky customers and one cracked jar of mayo (thank goodness it was the plastic Kraft Mayo), otherwise on-and-off busy, no major problems.
Today was also gorgeous, hot but not above the norm for August in New Jersey, with low humidity. It was such a nice day that I did my pilates routine outside after I swept the porch. I don't know if I'll do it again. The change of scenery was nice, but I got covered in mosquito bites.
Oh, and I forgot to mention something I saw Thursday night. I kept hearing these noisy thumps on my porch. I thought it might be burglars, but I'm in the back of a house on a well-protected dead-end side street in a small town. I then decided it was very fat squirrels and shrugged it off. It continued on and off for a couple of hours. I was going to the bathroom when I happened to peek out the window and discover what was making the racket. A pair of huge raccoons were playing on my porch! My landlady Miss Ellie told me when I moved in last year that there were raccoons in this area, but I'd never seen them until Thursday night. As long as they stay out of my trash, I welcome them as much as I would any neighbor, fuzzy or human.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Just Two Silver Spoons...
Lauren, here's another about-time-on-DVD TV set we'll both like; I have fond memories of this show from both it's original run, that final synidcated season, and mid-late 80s re-runs.
Silver Spoons: Season One debuts
Not much else going on today. I'm definately going to ditch that pilates DVD the moment I find a replacement or something better. The last twenty minutes are just skipping too badly - I lose about a quarter of the routine.
Work was mostly steady. I ended up staying a tiny bit longer to help two new cashiers handle some sudden crowds.
Lauren, here's another about-time-on-DVD TV set we'll both like; I have fond memories of this show from both it's original run, that final synidcated season, and mid-late 80s re-runs.
Silver Spoons: Season One debuts
Not much else going on today. I'm definately going to ditch that pilates DVD the moment I find a replacement or something better. The last twenty minutes are just skipping too badly - I lose about a quarter of the routine.
Work was mostly steady. I ended up staying a tiny bit longer to help two new cashiers handle some sudden crowds.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
A Soup Kind Of Day
As I mentioned in my recipe entry, it was unusually chilly for this time of year. Not that I'm complaining! I don't often get the luxury of eating soup while wearing my favorite sweater with all the windows closed and no fans or air conditioners running in mid-June!
Today ended up being rather hectic. I woke up somewhat late and worked on my inventories for DVDs and videos; added "Toy Story 2," "42nd Street," and the remaining Bond films. Unfortunately, that took longer than I thought, and I was almost 20 minutes late for counseling.
Scott took it well, but I still feel bad. It's immature and irresponsible of an adult to be late so often (this is the third time in two months I've been this late for counseling), and we lost chatting time. He and Rose both want me to take a better look at Craigslist, the online listing of jobs. At this point, it may be the only way I can find a job. I lack Rose and my brother's network of friends who have known them for years, and the bookstores are looking less and less appealing.
Volunteering went much better. I actually got to show a new volunteer, a nice, soft-spoken teenage boy named Michael, how to organize the back room. I really appreciated the help, too. We had a ton of stuff, including some awesome vintage items from a woman who bought two gorgeous 60s-era coats with real fur collars and cuffs and gave us some lovely vintage do-dads to thank us!
(We've been getting a lot more vintage items than we used to; the vintage shop down the street in Collingswood shut down sometime in the spring.)
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the Collingswood Library looking for more useful Albany guide books (didn't find any), doing pilates, and making soup.
Pilates is hard, much harder than yoga! Actually, the DVD I'm using used to be Rose's; I'd like to find a beginner's DVD with a somewhat less challenging routine, since there's a few things here I really can't do. The DVD also doesn't work very well toward the end; I took a good look at it and discovered it's badly scratched on one side, not surprising given Rose was never the best at taking care of non-living items.
As I mentioned in my recipe entry, it was unusually chilly for this time of year. Not that I'm complaining! I don't often get the luxury of eating soup while wearing my favorite sweater with all the windows closed and no fans or air conditioners running in mid-June!
Today ended up being rather hectic. I woke up somewhat late and worked on my inventories for DVDs and videos; added "Toy Story 2," "42nd Street," and the remaining Bond films. Unfortunately, that took longer than I thought, and I was almost 20 minutes late for counseling.
Scott took it well, but I still feel bad. It's immature and irresponsible of an adult to be late so often (this is the third time in two months I've been this late for counseling), and we lost chatting time. He and Rose both want me to take a better look at Craigslist, the online listing of jobs. At this point, it may be the only way I can find a job. I lack Rose and my brother's network of friends who have known them for years, and the bookstores are looking less and less appealing.
Volunteering went much better. I actually got to show a new volunteer, a nice, soft-spoken teenage boy named Michael, how to organize the back room. I really appreciated the help, too. We had a ton of stuff, including some awesome vintage items from a woman who bought two gorgeous 60s-era coats with real fur collars and cuffs and gave us some lovely vintage do-dads to thank us!
(We've been getting a lot more vintage items than we used to; the vintage shop down the street in Collingswood shut down sometime in the spring.)
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the Collingswood Library looking for more useful Albany guide books (didn't find any), doing pilates, and making soup.
Pilates is hard, much harder than yoga! Actually, the DVD I'm using used to be Rose's; I'd like to find a beginner's DVD with a somewhat less challenging routine, since there's a few things here I really can't do. The DVD also doesn't work very well toward the end; I took a good look at it and discovered it's badly scratched on one side, not surprising given Rose was never the best at taking care of non-living items.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Get In Shape, Girl!
As previously mentioned, I have always had a hard time losing weight. As a kid, I tried exercise videos, but they got old quickly. Why watch Richard Simmons sweat to the oldies when you can sweat to your own oldies...or go outside and sweat to whatever music you want, or none at all?
I did classes, too, when my mom was an aerobics instructor. They were ok, especially the kids-oriented ones my mom did, but the end of the aerobics craze killed the cheap ones (and the studio where Mom formerly worked).
I've tried walking routines, too, but I'd rather ramble and go somewhere than try to keep track of your heartbeat and your zone and this-that-and-the other thing.
The only "sports team" the Cape May County Special Services District had at the time was a floor hockey team for boys only, and that only in my last half-there, half-regular-high-school year. (It enraged me that I couldn't play. I didn't care how brutal the guys got. I just wanted to have fun!)
I played field hockey in high school, and I'd love to again...if an adult female field hockey team existed outside college. Not to mention I'd lose the weight during the season, but I'd gain it all back again over the winter and spring, since field hockey was the only sport I played.
Soccer? No thanks. I saw what it did to my sister. Softball? Can't catch or throw worth beans. Basketball? Can't shoot to save my life, and I run like a snail. Cheerleading? Me, in those skimpy outfits? I had a hard enough time with the field hockey uniforms. Besides, I'd never be able to lift the girls or jump high enough. Swim races? I don't swim any faster than I run. Tennis? My serve never makes it over the net, and there's that "slow" thing.
I can do a few sports. I have a nice volleyball serve. I rocked at Ultimate Frisbee. (I can still throw a mean frisbee.) I did manage to figure Field Hockey out enough that I actually got to junior varasity after two years (not that I played much). My family had a badminton net for a couple of years in the late-80s and I got pretty good.
The only thing I did in college was walk and go for occasional leisurly swims with my friend and (for a time) roommate Amanda. Those "leisurely swims" came in handy the long weekend after the bombing of the World Trade Center - there couldn't have been anything more theraputic for both of us than goofing off in a heated, quiet pool. Going for a long walk around campus on 9/11 was a big help to my well-being that day, too.
I did an on-again, off-again walking routine in Wildwood, but I'd usually succomb to boredom. The proximity of the boardwalk in the summer and it's many high-fat food joints did not help. On the other hand, I did often go for long, rambling walks across the Wildwood Islands, especially in warmer months. I took pictures of some of the Doo-Woppers in Wildwood Crest on one such ramble...which turned out to be more useful than I had planned, as many of those hotels were torn down just a few short years later.
I slacked off last year after I moved, partially due to the hoopla during and after my move, partially because of my nasty knee accident in mid-July.
I'm trying to figure out how to lose weight without losing interest. Right now, I'm doing three days a week of yoga and pilates, alternating them each week. (Pilates are this week.) I'm still walking, though I'm trying for further locations. I'm considering dance classes when my knees are up to it, and I may take a yoga course when I feel ready, too.
As previously mentioned, I have always had a hard time losing weight. As a kid, I tried exercise videos, but they got old quickly. Why watch Richard Simmons sweat to the oldies when you can sweat to your own oldies...or go outside and sweat to whatever music you want, or none at all?
I did classes, too, when my mom was an aerobics instructor. They were ok, especially the kids-oriented ones my mom did, but the end of the aerobics craze killed the cheap ones (and the studio where Mom formerly worked).
I've tried walking routines, too, but I'd rather ramble and go somewhere than try to keep track of your heartbeat and your zone and this-that-and-the other thing.
The only "sports team" the Cape May County Special Services District had at the time was a floor hockey team for boys only, and that only in my last half-there, half-regular-high-school year. (It enraged me that I couldn't play. I didn't care how brutal the guys got. I just wanted to have fun!)
I played field hockey in high school, and I'd love to again...if an adult female field hockey team existed outside college. Not to mention I'd lose the weight during the season, but I'd gain it all back again over the winter and spring, since field hockey was the only sport I played.
Soccer? No thanks. I saw what it did to my sister. Softball? Can't catch or throw worth beans. Basketball? Can't shoot to save my life, and I run like a snail. Cheerleading? Me, in those skimpy outfits? I had a hard enough time with the field hockey uniforms. Besides, I'd never be able to lift the girls or jump high enough. Swim races? I don't swim any faster than I run. Tennis? My serve never makes it over the net, and there's that "slow" thing.
I can do a few sports. I have a nice volleyball serve. I rocked at Ultimate Frisbee. (I can still throw a mean frisbee.) I did manage to figure Field Hockey out enough that I actually got to junior varasity after two years (not that I played much). My family had a badminton net for a couple of years in the late-80s and I got pretty good.
The only thing I did in college was walk and go for occasional leisurly swims with my friend and (for a time) roommate Amanda. Those "leisurely swims" came in handy the long weekend after the bombing of the World Trade Center - there couldn't have been anything more theraputic for both of us than goofing off in a heated, quiet pool. Going for a long walk around campus on 9/11 was a big help to my well-being that day, too.
I did an on-again, off-again walking routine in Wildwood, but I'd usually succomb to boredom. The proximity of the boardwalk in the summer and it's many high-fat food joints did not help. On the other hand, I did often go for long, rambling walks across the Wildwood Islands, especially in warmer months. I took pictures of some of the Doo-Woppers in Wildwood Crest on one such ramble...which turned out to be more useful than I had planned, as many of those hotels were torn down just a few short years later.
I slacked off last year after I moved, partially due to the hoopla during and after my move, partially because of my nasty knee accident in mid-July.
I'm trying to figure out how to lose weight without losing interest. Right now, I'm doing three days a week of yoga and pilates, alternating them each week. (Pilates are this week.) I'm still walking, though I'm trying for further locations. I'm considering dance classes when my knees are up to it, and I may take a yoga course when I feel ready, too.
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