Snow Days

It’s snowing outside and has been since early this morning. I have had friends post on Facebook pics of their rulers stuck in the snow in their front yards. Most measure approximately 18 inches. Wow. I haven’t seen that much snow in years. When we had a little bit of snow on Wednesday–well a little bit compared to what’s happening now–I drove home in my Prius and a ten mile trek took me almost two hours. I was freaked out and immediately did an internet search for an SUV with good MPG. I have only had this Prius for about 3 years and have been so happy with my gas bill (which months to about 30 dollars a month). However driving in this snow has made me nervous. West Virginia terrain is not made for a car like a Prius.
Any suggestions???

Walking Dead

So I am absolutely obsessed with the show The Walking Dead. I pace while I watch it, have read the comics, look for what the authors call Easter eggs to alert me to what is coming. The comics and the show differ slightly, but some of the events are correlated, characters are killed off and new characters are introduced. There are little clues which tell those faithful and loyal fans what may or may not be coming.

I can’t say it’s a guilty pleasure, because I don’t feel guilty for dedicating my time to watching this show or conversing about it around the water cooler in the morning. I have one friend whom I text during the show and they are also as dedicated a fan.

Just thought I would check in and let everyone know what’s been going on with my life…

Also my email was hacked and taken over. I have lost contact with a lot of the friends that I have made over the years during this time. It makes me sad. And I hope that I can find many of you again. But I thought I was safe and that I didn’t have to memorize anyone’s email. Ugh…

Put Down That Phone

I had lunch with a couple of my friends today and for the most part, after the chatting and eating, we ended up playing on our phone. I thought, why do we bother to have lunch? Why bother having conversation? Most of us text.

I haven’t really talked to any of my friends on the phone for a long time. We mainly keep in touch texting or messaging on FB. I have forgotten how some of my friends sound long distance. And now I communicate with many of my friends via text and via FB messenger. I kind of like it, cause there are times when I think “I don’t want to talk to you right now, but I can answer your text”. What has happened to the art of conversation?

Do many of you text rather than talk?

Flu?? But It’s Summer

So I got the flu…and it is summer!! And I don’t understand why I have the flu at it’s hot outside.

I think it may be because we have had a rainy monsoon like season. We have had so much rain I was thinking of building an ark.

Ugh. I need this achy, congested feeling to go away. I have way too much work to do and not enough PTO to cover staying home.

Another apology

It’s probably getting old right? My apologies to lack of posting?

I am busy. But I do miss this place. And I miss taking to everyone here. I miss it. But life right now is hectic.

On the other hand, I am falling in love. And it’s a wonderful feeling. And I will write about it. But right now it’s so new. And it’s exhilarating. And I do feel like this may be the one. I’ve never thought about anyone being the one. I’m hoping that my hope isn’t just because I’m getting older and fear being alone. But I like spending time with him and finding excuses to spend time with him.

Rainy Days and Sundays

I am sitting in a coffee shop, it’s rainy outside, everyone else is on their laptop and a John Mayer song is playing. What a mood right? The consolation is that it isn’t snowing. I’ve grown tired of the snow and maybe it is age, but it truly has played with my nerves, creating an unpleasant person.

I have a friend who goes into a funk during the winter time. He isn’t as active and becomes quite reclusive during this time of year. I recall studying this in psychiatry class (seasonal affective disorder). He takes Vitamin D and leaves for a cruise in early February. The cruise always “cures” this ailment, its a 360 turn around when he steps off the plane. Perhaps I am also affected by this, just not diagnosed (not as severe though). And I don’t mean to poke fun at it, but I do notice that my mood is terrible. My motivation isn’t affected and I need to leave the house on days like this (as opposed to those who want to curl up under a blanket in front of a fire and sip wine or cocoa–although that would be nice if a partner were involved). I think in my mind it’s more “you shouldn’t leave the house” that causes my desire to do so.

But I am enjoying this rain as it melts the “dirty” piles of snow which have been shoved into corners and the end of driveways and walkways. When snow first falls, its beautiful, turning forests and garden into sculptured wonderlands. And then sometimes turns it gray and filthy.

Okay, I’ve gotta stop as I realize I am brining everyone else down into my mood funk…

Social Media

For Lent, I thought I would truly do something for myself–and give up one form of social media (the really popular one where friends connect with friends–dare I mention it, less I get millions of hits). I chose to give up social media because I spend way too much time on it. I first joined to “keep in touch” with my friends. However, I think I now know more than enough. I know their ups,downs, their political and religious views, what their kids are doing, what their friends are doing etc…etc..etc… And it has gotten to the point where I wonder where my friends are if they don’t post, if they don’t let me know that they are eating chicken for dinner. After work, and even while at the gym, I stop to check people’s status.

So far, so good. I do have the urge to check though…but I am going to force myself to get through the forty days.

I will however continue to write here, as it is therapeutic!!

Happy Month of February

While I still don’t subscribe to the celebration of Valentines, I do find it cute and get giddy when I hear the way my in-love friends spend the day. I am not bitter or hateful and tell them that the holiday is silly, after all someone might find my absolute love for the Christmas season quite obnoxious and pagan. So to each their own.

I have been quite busy this month. With my department down an employee a huge load/burden has been placed on me and my fellow employees. This is my excuse for not writing in a timely manner. And every time I feel I have got the chance, I either plop down in front of the tv to watch a DVR’d show I have fallen behind on, or I just fall asleep.

Lately I have been thinking about the idiocy of our fascination with celebrities. These are people that many of us will never meet, and yet we are intrigued by their very lives. Take for instance the former Olympian turned reality star. While I applaud his decision to final live as a transgender, do we really need to know the very details? On the one hand I think it important for everyone to have highly visible role models. However, how about his privacy. It must be extremely difficult to go through this under a microscope. And you can arguably state that he chose the public eye, but once there, could he truly escape it?

I don’t think I would have the strength to live under the scrutiny of a very opinionated public. The pressure would be too much. I would have ended up shaving my head under this pressure.

Truthfully

I was eating dinner with my folks tonight in one of the newer restaurants in town. When I got my dish, I thought to myself “these scallops are a bit overdone and rubbery”. I have always been afraid to send something back. We have all seen or heard horror stories about the way food is treated once it gets sent back. I had even asked my Dad to taste the scallop to which he also voiced the “over done and rubbery” opinion.

When the waiter came by and asked how everything was, I replied “everything is good”. I am not sure why I said it. I don’t feel I am helping the chef out by complimenting something I truly felt was not even “good”. I would not have sent it back and by that time I was tired and just wanted to go home. It had been a long day at work and I still had a homework assignment to work on for my masters in public health.

Why are we so afraid to tell the truth at times, and we tell the little white lie? I understand that a white lie may be necessary in delicate situations, like telling a kid that their painting is the pretties one you’ve ever seen, telling a bride on her wedding day that she is beautiful in the camo printed bridal gown, or telling someone that their new hairstyle suits them perfectly. However, i think in a service oriented industry, the service will only get better if we do offer the truth.

Starting Over

I took a break from running for awhile. Actually, I took a very long break. I haven’t run in so long. Trying to run after a break is not like riding a bike. It was painful. This time last year I was running around 5 miles every day. And trying again, well lets just say it was a huge fail.

So I am starting over again. I learned to run using this app, that over a course of weeks got me to the point of running 5k. I downloaded the app that in a few weeks will have me running a 10k. In the course of a few days I am feeling better again. And I am beginning to enjoy it again.