Thursday, December 9, 2010

Day Nine - My Christmas Gift to Myself

I have a new self-imposed challenge...but I'm not going to disclose the full challenge for fear of failure.

But I will tell you I'm on day nine today.  Day nine of a "get your bottom to the gym X days in a row you silly slacker you" kick.

You see, I'd been quite casual about visiting my beloved Koko Fit Club.   I'd been letting my personal social anxiety overpower me and honestly I was talking myself out of visits with rational like "I'm not feeling nice today, I don't want to hurt Jeff's (the owner and usual staff member) feelings by being short.  Ummm...yeah.  That's a good reason to skip the gym, especially when the reason I got to the gym is primarily to improve my anxiety and moodiness.

So, after the Thanksgiving holiday, when I realized I'd not seen the inside of Koko and not plugged my Koko Key in to a smart trainer in over SIX days...shame filled me.

You see at Koko your workouts are tracked, you log into your My Koko account and you can see how you're doing, etc.  Each time when you setup to either the Koko Smart-trainer or one of the cardio machines, it lets you know when you last visited.  It's embarrassing to go as long as I had, especially when I drive PAST the gym every day to and from work AND the workouts are only 30 minutes!!!  (I could walk there from home in less than 5 minutes it's so darn close)

In any case, I've made a new pledge to close out 2010 with a bang and give myself a wonderful Christmas gift of time.  I've pledged to myself permission to take the time to fill my days with things that make me proud of myself, instead of giving myself excuses to be less than my best -- starting with an easily tracked and tangible appointment with the gym.  Each day I have a promise to myself to give myself 30 minutes, 30 minutes of time dedicated to me and me alone.

Really, in life so often we're consumed with external pressures -- be it social obligations, work, family...that we forget that without nurturing ourselves a little each day, there is NO way we can handle the rest of our realities.  I hope that by teaching myself to have 30 minutes of gym time I will soon be able to call that a habit and expand that personal focus time to other things such as meditation, etc.






After the first of the year, the first week of 2011, if I make my goal for December...I plan to rock the new year with this amazing eating challenge for 2 weeks from my new favorite product Amazing Grass.  I've been starting each day with a quick glass of OJ and Green Superfood and I've got to tell you that combined with my dedication at the gym is really helping the old mood and energy levels.

I'm headed into the busy time of year at work and in life -- end of year -- and I'm happy to report that I think this might be the first year I'll get to say I'm doing things right for a change!!

I hope you all give yourself the gift this holiday season of the permission to take a moment (or several) just for you too, you deserve it.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Ask - by Sam Lipsyte

The Ask - By Sam Libsyte

My most recent commuting partner has been The Ask, by Sam Libsyte.  This is his 3rd novel, but the first I have read.  A satirical, dark novel The Ask was a quick read (try 3 train rides).

In an era where estate and income taxes for the wealthiest Americans are being debated this timely novel that centers around the world of development for a smaller educational institution hits home.  The main character Milo is a lowly development officer in a world where there are still "the ruler and the ruled" in terms of economic power equaiting to societal value. In The Ask we follow Milo as he navigates the extremes that come between those that have and those that do not.

Milo is a self-hating dreamer who failed to achieve the dreams of his youth and is now in what comes across as a mediocre existence -- although to some his young son and wife would be "the dream" -- his additional trials are certainly something that many in today's environment of an astounding 9.3% unemployment rate will relate to.   He finds himself in the lowest of his low days only to be reunited with a college pal, who has made quite the fortune and needs Milo's help in a personal task.  Milo is quickly drawn into a world that does nothing to help him out of his depression.  In fact, he is surrounded by iconic figures which reach out to the reader and shake them into the fact that this is not just Milo's reality, but a conversation about the reality in which we all find ourselves today.

As Milo's world closes around him the reader is filled with a general sense of dread and bleakness that can only come from good writing. 

Here's a few other reviews of this book that might interest you from The NY Times  and my personal favorite, if for nothing else but the unique and equally depressing citations, The LA Times.

"According to Santa Fe Institute economist Samuel Bowles, roughly one out of every four Americans is now employed guarding the wealth of the rich."  

Sadly, if you, me and 2 other people were in a room...I'd be that one.

You see, I work for an organization that acts as servants to development officers that work to serve the wealthy...as such I can't help but be left with a bit of a depressive hang-over after completing this novel.

Overall, this is a well-crafted tale that keeps you interested until the last word.  Certainly worth your time, but make sure you've got something light and airy to act as dessert to this heavy intellectual meal.





Monday, December 6, 2010

Fewer steps = greater chance of failure?!

Burnt Rice
I don't know about you, but the simplicity that is making rice has challenged my skills for years. 

Either it's burnt, or too al dente or mushy or just weird.  I could NEVER get the perfect rice, even with loads of patience and reading every how to article on the web.  I've done everything short of buying a rice maker that sings to you -- these exist and are AMAZING (I just have a tiny horribly designed kitchen)! 

Mushy Rice
Then stepped in my good pal Ellen with her fool proof way to make rice so that every single time it comes out chewy, fluffy in perfect.

You take it off the gal-darn stove top and pop that stinker into the oven.  That's right rice making as you know it has forever changed for the better friends.

To make this perfect "set it and forget it" rice - all you do is put the rice in a baking dish with a 1:2 ratio rice:water - toss in some flavoring should you choose (dehydrated peppers anyone, anyone?!?) cover with foil and pop in a 350°F oven for about an hour.  Volia - rice perfect each and every time.

Perfect Oven Baked Rice with Zucchini - Tales of a Spoon


Thursday, December 2, 2010

Uninterrupted Online Multitasking

Okay, maybe I'm behind the curve here, but I've recently started a new habit when browsing the web that's genuinely made me happy.  So, of course, I want to share the happy.

I used to read along on a page and when a link came up that interested me, either I'd click and leave the page at that time or I'd try to remember to come back to it.

Now I've started taking advantage of the options that are available if you right click a link instead of just clicking it.  Specifically, I've started using "open link in a new tab" whenever anything catches my eye.  As such, I can finish reading what I'm reading currently, then move on to the next interesting item.

I've found this particularly helpful when I'm hunting a recipe or idea for something to bring to a party.  I can open all the interesting options in separate tabs and then when I'm through looking at options review the ones that caught my eye.

Now I just have to learn to stop before I have 50 tabs of stuff I wanna read later and actually read some of it!

Hope this helps your browsing experience as much as mine.

Ps.  My ever so intelligent sister pointed out that I should note that the way links appear after you click on them - either taking you to that site or by opening a new window is a default based on how the page was designed.  Interesting to consider when working on ones own site for sure!