Irene

Irene, you suck. So in my 28th hour without power, there are a few things I would like to say.

 Many thanks to-

 For my 3 visits today and endless supply of coffee and customer service...

 For opening and allowing me to work out AND catch up on TV...

 For providing me with endless fun while out of power...

 For existing (remember when you couldn't take your computers and get internet out of your house?!)...

  Friends for allowing me showers and laundry at their houses...

And I DO NOT thank-

 For falling on my driveway and neighbor's cars, houses and power lines...

For CONSTANTLY BEEPING IN MY ROOM AT A HIGH PITCHED NOISE when the power is out...I mean I can't stay at my apartment because of you....

no explanation...damn you!!!

I survived the QUAKE of 2011

It was a crazy day, but I live 30 miles from the epicenter of the 5.9 quake and found the amount of coverage pretty ridiculous. This facebook post and following comments pretty much explain it all. (Thanks, Elyse)!

 Earthquake devastation.
[They were in a neat pile prior to the quake]

Your prayers and continued support are appreciated as I work through this disaster.

Comments:

• I am so sorry for your loss. 
• Thanks everyone. I'm just trying to put the pieces back together... 
• Elyse, if you need anything at all just give me a call. You'll get through this 
• OH THE HUMANITY....
•  FEMA announced they are on the way... I just hope you have the will power to make it another 3-6 weeks until they arrive. :-)
• I am laughing out loud. At work. Embarassing. But, my paperclips and such are in a drawer so my desk is neat. 
• You must rebuild. 
• fill out your aid papers 
• lol ;)
• watch for LOOTERS! 
• arm yourself elyse 
• Did one of those paperclips hit you? Let me know if you need help with the workmans comp claim. :) 
• Guys, I have an update... we will be holding a benefit concert for the displaced paper clips featuring U2, Ke$ha, and REO Speedwagon. Please send your donations to the "Hope4DeskDi$a$ter" fund. No amount is too small, guys. A mere $2.75 will purchase a NEW box of clips. - Thank You 
• Everything happens for a reason Elyse - Jesus will get you through. 
• will a memorial be erected? 
• i hope that's not confidential client information on your computer screen. 
• I was thinking about you and Matthew I hope you guys are ok!! 
• LOL!!!! 
• Lol. Clearly we are not fine... LOOK AT THIS DESTRUCTION!!!! 
• bahahahahahahahah love it
•  LMAO 

I thought all that was hysterical. It's not like the news OVERREACTS or anything!

In all fairness, it was a very weird feeling and very odd for Virginia. But everything is fine. The only destruction to my house was a wall picture was slanted and one of my roomies pictures fell off the wall. But I did learn how to react in a quake (hey, knowledge is power)! *hint: it is NOT best to run into a hallway and duck. Use the doorways*. Important information for us uninformed Virginians!

Now the west coasters can take back their earthquakes...we'll just stick to hurricanes.

Books I read this summer

Ahhhh summer breaks of endless vacations, relaxation, pool/beach time and reading. But that is all over for me as I am back to work on Monday. Here is a list of all the books I read this summer (not all chic lit, thank you). I starred the ones I recommend. If you want to know more about them, just send me a message in the comments section!

1. The Hunger Games series (read in June as school was ending)*

2. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot

3. Night Road by Kristin Hannah*

4. True Colors by Kristin Hannah

5. Summer Sisters by Kristin Hannah

6. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

7. Bossypants by Tina Fey*

8. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Bardnouin*

9. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell*

10. Commencement by Courtney Sullivan*

11. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan*

12. Eating Animals by Johnathan Foer*

13. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

14. If Only by Geri Halliwel (autobiography)*

15. Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr

16. Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews

17. Bubbles Unbound by Sarah Strohmeyer

18. Envy by Sandra Brown*

19. Chill Factor by Sandra Brown*

20. Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger* (chick lit, but a fun one)

21. Play Dirty by Sandra Brown*

The Exercisers' Curse

I have worked out consistently since I was little. I always played sports, and once sports ended, I started going to the gym. Now I run, go to the gym and play soccer & tennis. It is part of my life- it keeps me sane and makes me feel good. What is hard, though, is when I can't exercise for some reason. And this is when being a consistent exerciser becomes annoying. I hate when I am on vacation or have a busy week and just can't get to the gym and then I feel guilty and gross. Most normal people do not complain about not having to exercise, but for the consistent exerciser, the curse of guilt ensues.

It is something I least enjoy about being active, because while I love working out and having it be a part of my life, I hate the guilt and mind games (and preoccupation) that come when I can't exercise or when I am on vacation and just want to relax. It is very hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I can't work out like I normally do sometimes for extended periods of time. Luckily, since I run now, I can do that just about everywhere, but sometimes weather and time do not cooperate.

So to those of you who tell us "exercisers" to relax and just get over it- I say I wish I could. It truly is the curse of the exerciser. But I guess it is better than never feeling to urge to exercise at all.

Still Vegan?

It's been a while since I posted about my vegan eating goals. Well, it's been difficult traveling eating vegan all the time, but I have had no problems eating vegetarian. It's been 6 weeks since I became an official vegetarian and it's been pretty easy. I would say that I eat vegan 50-75% of the time, and most of the time (90%) when I can control it, but vegetarian 100% of the time. The problem is eating out or eating with other people. Then it becomes difficult to be vegan, and I do not want to inconvenience anyone. But I have been feeling good, no lack of energy or anything like that, and I find that I can eat more because I am eating healthier. I have actually lost a few pounds even though I have been on many vacations and haven't limited the amount of what I eat. However, I watch how much crap is in what I eat, so I try to stick with foods with fewer ingredients and ingredients that are more natural or are things I have heard of. It isn't hard- simply a matter of reading labels and being conscious about it all. I also have started shopping at Trader Joe's, where food is pretty cheap and more natural, so I haven't been spending more on food than before. I actually have probably started spending less (I have also started using the online budget tool- www.mint.com- go check it out. Seriously. You will be amazed).

This whole experience is making me believe that it is more about what you eat, rather than how much you eat. I find that fact very freeing and it allows me to eat much healthier than before. And I am becoming semi-obsessed with cooking, which you would have never heard from me 1 year ago. I actually like it now and making up new recipes :). My favorite: veggie pizza with NO cheese!

The Perfect Summer Day

Summer can be wonderful. But it can also be long. Some days are quick, busy and feel like less like summer and more like work, some are slow, boring and monotonous, and other days are relaxing and just perfect. Today was one of those days.

I woke up refreshed (9 hours, thank you). Went to the gym. Came home to clean up and watched some old Saved by the Bell reruns. Went to the bank. Arrived at the pool. Relaxed in a low-humidy day. Chatted with neighbors who showed up. Read a good book. Showered and celebrated my dad's birthday. Went out to eat (Cheeburger Cheeburger). Visited a friend on the way home. Watched some DVDs. Read and journaled.

A perfect summer day as summer is winding down in my opinion:)

 

Family Matters

I think it's easy to forget your roots sometimes as you go through life. I had a great weekend reconnecting with family in Ohio. My mom and I visited my Grandmother in Springfield (my uncle and cousin were also there- she is 91 and still living on her own) and then went to Worthington, where I used to live, to tour OSU, walk around our old stomping grounds, and visit more family.

I always enjoy learning about my grandparents lives and what it was like living through the Depression, World War 2, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Vietnam and everything in between. What an exciting century to live in. They became flexible people who embraced change while never losing site of who they were. I admire my grandparents for all that they experienced. I am lucky to have 2 grandmothers still living, and I really cherish the times I get to see them because I know it won't last forever. And when they go I know it will be even less frequent that I see my aunts, uncles and cousins, since we live all over the country and many of them are already married, so there aren't many weddings left. I have pledge to myself to be a good communicator by sending cards and keeping up with what is going on in heir lives. It will be hard, but I hope I can do it. Luckily, facebook does make keeping in touch easier...(facebook sure has changed from when I joined it in 2004!)

Trips like this help keep life in perspective and are a good reminder of the importance of family, even if distance separates your frequent visits.

Hom(p)eless

So I was sitting in Starbucks this afternoon reading "Envy" by Sandra Brown (check it out- good book) and a homeless man came in and sat across from me. He was mumbling to himself, staring into space. Another guy across from me on the other side was getting visibly annoyed. He flinched when the  homeless man spoke, kept sighing loudly as if annoyed, moved around in his seat and eventually got up and left. When the homeless man left, he came back. When the homeless man came back about 10 minutes later, the same scene repeated.

The whole thing got me thinking. It is so easy for us to judge others. This man's mere presence was uncomfortable for the other man, who seemingly, is very successful and has a nice life, as he is enjoying his coffee and reading his Kindle. Who are we to judge others that have less than us? We do not know this homeless man's story; his circumstances, what he was born into, what his choices were or what life he leads. But we make it about us when he comes in. It is uncomfortable for us, wrecking havoc on our time enjoying our coffee when we are taking a much deserved break. Because rarely do we stop to think about people who have less.

I stayed in my seat as this homeless man came and went. I did not move; I didn't even look his way. Because it is not my job to judge him, and if the biggest inconvenience of my day is that a homeless man is sitting, mumbling in a chair near me, otherwise keeping to himself, then I do not have anything to complain about. This is the real world and sometimes we need to get a dose of reality to bring us back to earth. Not everyone is a lucky as us and not everyone can overcome certain obstacles. And even if this man brought his situation upon himself, I should not judge him anymore than I don't judge the rich lawyer or hardworking constuction worker.

Judging is easy. Sometimes staying still and not minding is the hardest part (as the other patron demonstrated). But it shouldn't be.

You know you're getting older when...

...you want this

instead of this

But to be fair, I don't always make that choice. It's just becoming more common. What is happening to my sweet tooth?! Damn you Starbucks Iced Coffee w/ Soy Milk and Truvia (a great Vegan treat)!