My New Obsession--Dollar Tree!!

I took a trip to Dollar Tree today. I have to admit that I think Dollar Tree is amazing. Here is what I got today:

2 liquid hand soaps
1 White Rain shampoo
1 White Rain conditioner
2 dish detergents
3 bottles of Mr. Plumber drain de-clogger
1 bottle of something called Awesome Cleaner that is supposed to remove calcium, lime, and rust
2 boxes of fabric softener (25 sheets in each)
3 bags of kitchen sponges (10 in each bag)
1 package of 6 razors (this may have been pushing it; I'm not always sure generic razors are such a wise choice)
2 bags of cotton balls
1 bottle of body wash
1 box of powder laundry detergent

I bought 20 items. With tax, it was $21.40. By the way, unlike Aldi, Dollar Tree does take a credit card. At the checkout, I heard the total, and I said to the employee, "Now I think this place is just amazing." She smacked her gum. I guess she wasn't as enamored with the Dollar Tree as I am.

I think Dollar Tree is the place to go to work on the stock up list. What, you may ask, is the stock up list? Well, the stock up list is something that I created that lists items that we may not need immediately but currently do not have a "back up" or "stock pile" of--so if we see a great deal, we should grab several. For instance, I still have about 3/4 of a bottle of laundry detergent at the house, but detergent was on the stock up list today. I didn't HAVE to have it, but if I found a great deal, I should take advantage.

Now, I would buy several to add to my basement stash, but I have never used this particular brand of detergent before, so I decided to stick with one for the time being. I made mistake with trash bags last week. I found a great deal for boxes of 24 bags. I bought 3 boxes--72 total bags. Well, the trash bags suck. They rip when I try to take the trash out, and I wish I would have only invested in one box. I won't throw them again, but I'll curse them every time I take the trash out for...at least 5 months. Lesson learned.

Toilet paper is currently on the stock up list. I have a few rolls left, but if I find a great deal, I will buy away and replenish the stash. I have decided that the stock up list is something I should keep with me when I leave the house. You never know when you might find yourself at Dollar Tree, Aldi, Walmart, or other stock up stations. You should also keep an eye out for coupons for things that are on your stock up list. I've got a system here, and I'm fairly impressed so far with how effective it is. I'm sure it will be tough at times to save money, but some of it really is easy. So easy that I should have been doing it for some time now.

If you don't have a stock up list, I recommend starting one. I like it because it gives me a mission. My goal is to find great deals on the stuff on the list. It's not like I have to have it right now. If I had to have it today, I'd just buy it at the first store I went to, but on stock up items I can wait until the best deal comes along before I purchase. And I buy enough for a while so I don't have to think about buying whatever it is for some time. Then I put new items on the stock up list. The one requirement for a stock up list is that you will have to have a place to stock pile some items. Fortunately, we have a basement. It wouldn't work so well if we lived in an apartment.

We are getting hit by a blizzard here. Of course, this is par for the course in Iowa. It wouldn't seem like winter without about ten worthy blizzards. We are supposed to get 14-18 inches of snow in the next couple of days.

Selling Books, Budgeting, and Significant Progress

I set out an adventure today to explore the idea of selling some books online. My first journey was to webuyyourbooks.com. What a creative name. I collected about 30-40 books that we've read but will most likely never pick up again. You simply put in the ISBN number of your books, and the site tells you how much they will pay for your books. Most of the books I tried were not books they were willing to buy. However, I was offered a total of $61.05 for 10 of the books. I was fairly pleased with that.

The next step is to print out the shipping label and the receipt (which goes in the book). I packed up the books in a box I had and stuck that shipping label on top. If you send in more than $10 worth of books, which I did, they will reimburse you for shipping. I took the books to my local grocery store, which has a postal station. It cost a total of $9.70 to send the books. If I have this right, I should get a check for $70.75 after the books are received and processed.

The second part of my adventure involved half.com, which is part of Ebay. I think I've only bought about two things on Ebay in my life, and I have never sold on Ebay before, so this was new territory. Here is how it works--You put in the ISBN number and designate the condition of the book (brand new, like new, very good, good, etc.). There is also a place to write descriptions. I listed a total of 21 books.

The site shows you what this book has sold for on the site and also shows you what people are listing it for at this point. Then you get to choose the price. If people buy your book, they get to leave feedback, so others will know you are a reputable seller who follows through. I have no feedback as a seller at this point, so I am wondering if people will be hesitant to buy my books.

I got a little out of control with my descriptions and started to TRY to be funny. For example, I listed a book on nutrition. I wrote something like, "Lots of good tips but I've decided I prefer to eat potato chips and sit on the couch. My sweatpants are stretchy anyway." Okay, so I know that really isn't very funny, but I thought maybe it would add some interest and make my listing a little unique.

I have no idea what to expect in terms of this half.com deal. I will get an email when someone buys a book from me. The buyer pays half.com and they, in turn, pay me at two week intervals. I don't have to worry about the buyer flaking out on paying. I'm not sure that this whole deal is for me, but I guess we will find out. If I decide I don't like it, I can just take my books "off the market" and take them to Goodwill like I did with a box of books in December. At least I get a tax deduction for that.

I have a budget set up for us on mint.com, which is my new favorite website. The website tracks our spending in various categories, and I find this not only extremely useful but really neat. Get this--In December, before we started being conscious of our spending, we spent $1088 on food and dining. This figure includes grocery shopping and eating out. In January, after we reigned in our spending (drum roll, please), we spent $349 on food and dining. That is a 68% decrease! Apparently, we had some room for improvement there. In our defense, we did spend four days in Las Vegas in December.

With the budget and tracking of expenses, it just feels like we are so much more in control financially. We were never completely out of control, but if you had asked me 8 weeks ago how much money we spent each money on food, I would have had absolutely no idea. I would say that same thing about some other expenses, like gas and pet food. I think there was a sense of denial there--maybe I didn't entirely WANT to know. However, in this situation, knowledge is power.

We have the power to get ourselves out of student loan debt, but we need to know as much as possible about our spending patterns. I've spent time every day for the past month working on some aspects of our finances, whether it's been researching refinancing the mortgage or deciding what are "needs" and what are "wants." Now that we've got a plan, things don't seem hopeless at all. We've been excited about making changes, and most of the changes really don't seem so difficult. What I'd really like to do is write about this experience (getting out of student loan debt in 5 years) and have something that could be turned into a book when it's over. We are not the only people in student loan debt. Maybe I could support someone else in making a similar plan.

Setting aside rambling about money stuff here...I've been sick all week. Although I've worked out some (mostly because I had to teach aerobics), I am feeling out of shape. I was on the spin bike today for about an hour and half. I wasn't exactly hard core, but I wasn't loafing either. I haven't run in about 10 days--when I last used the treadmill. Tomorrow I should get myself down there for a run, even if it's just a short one because I'm still not feeling great. I have been fortunate to pick up more aerobics classes recently. This is great because it allows me to make money while exercising. However, it does decrease my running because I don't have time to run in addition to the classes. I am committed to teaching extra aerobics through the end of February, which is perfect because I should be ready to concentrate on running outside when it warms up a bit.

And I'm feeling...better

I have been sick this week but am feeling much better today.I took a sick day yesterday. I am bummed because being sick has cost me $40 in aerobics classes....You see, I teach aerobics, and each class pays about $20. Therefore, getting subs for two classes this week has taken $40 out of my paycheck from the rec center. This has especially bothered me because we are in the midst of implementing our money saving strategies. BUT...not much I can do about it. You can't teach aerobics when you've lost your voice.

In other news, Aldi does not carry soy milk. I love Aldi because it is cheaper, but Aldi really doesn't have all that much. And I am learning to think ahead. You see, they make you buy plastic ($.10) and paper ($.06) bags. When I don't bring bags, I get looks from the experienced Aldi consumers that say, "You novice." I am in this for the long haul, so I need to thinking about and bring bags. Friends at Aldi, I am one of you now. So there. Stop looking down on me. I can play this game.

Bill and I have done surprisingly well at saving money. I feel badly that Bill has had to cut back on eating out in Denver. I know that's one of his favorite things to do, and he's had to sacrifice there to some degree. I know he'll be fine, but he's sort of a "foodie" and trying new restaurants is a hobby for him. We have both learned that a lot of easy modifications can be made to our previous grocery shopping to save a lot of money. It's impressive what small changes can do.

I looked at www.restaurant.com. This is a website where you can buy greatly reduced restaurants gift certificates. I haven't bought any yet, but I have a few thoughts. First of all, this works better if you are in a bigger city (like Denver). There are not too many options for restaurants in my area. Also, you have to make sure you read the fine print. There may be a minimum amount you have to spend or maybe it's only good on certain nights. However, I think you could save a good chunk of money eating out by using this site if you wanted to. I am going to recommend to Bill that he check it out.

I have been using www.ebates.com whenever I have to buy stuff online. It's easy and really amazing. If you go to the site first, and then to your shopping site, you can get good cash back rebates on what you buy. I refill my prescriptions on www.Walgreens.com and ebates gives me cash back. I don't really have to do anything. I just think this is amazing.

There is another site that I've found interesting: www.cardpool.com. You can sell gift cards you won't use for cash. They sell them at a discounted rate. For example, you can buy a $100 1-800-Flowers.com gift card for $70. You can get a $50 gift card to Bass Pro Shops for $42.50. If you know you are going to be shopping at one of these places (or you were going to buy somebody a gift card anyway), it's not a bad way to go. There is free shipping as well. It's not like it's going to make you a millionaire, but it's something.

I redeemed some of my credit cards points recently, and I decided to get Target gift cards. (I had lots of choices of what to spend my "points" on.) I had enough points to get $280 worth of gift cards! I was pretty excited about this. It was interesting, though, because they chose to send me a box of 28 ten dollar gift cards instead of sending me gift cards in larger amounts! But...no complaints. I'll can spend them just the same.

Speaking of gift cards, I had a couple from Barnes and Noble and ordered three books on budgeting, saving money, etc. One of the books is Supershop Like the Coupon Queen: How to Save 50% or More Every Time You Shop by Susan Samtur. Everyone knows that when I get serious about something I read whatever I can about it--hence the hundred books on running I've purchased in the past 7-8 years. If you are wondering what the "Coupon Queen" looks like, she is small with big blonde hair. Not sure why, but that's exactly what I expected. I haven't really started on the book, but I'll let you know what I learn.

I have to admit that I just love earning points by putting purchases on a credit card. Obviously, you should not buy more stuff just to get points, but it's a great deal for stuff you would buy anyway. I had a friend recently tell me that she needed a medication that cost $6,000 at the pharmacy and wasn't sure if insurance would cover it. I asked if how she was going to pay for it if insurance didn't cover it. She responded that she would obviously put it on her credit card to get the frequent flyer miles.

I filed our taxes a couple of days ago. Poor Bill--I've been hassling him about getting his W2s together since January 1. He can't control when he gets them. We look forward to getting refunds from the feds, from Iowa, and from Colorado. I hear the federal refunds will be coming later this year due to late changes in tax laws--which annoys me since I am getting money back. However, I will just be grateful to get a chunk of change refunded! It helped that this year we donated a car to Gearheads for God, an organization that fixes up cars and donates them to people in need.

My mom is talking about coming out late this spring. I am excited about that--something to look forward to!

Neutropenia, Soy Milk, & Dog Shampoo

I am still battling a cold--the worst cold I've had in a long time. Exhaustion, body aches, sore throat, headache, etc. Today (as I was feeling sorry for myself) I was thinking about how I don't get as many colds as I used to get. When I was in high school, college, and grad school, it seemed like I got several really bad colds each winter. When I was in grad school, I was diagnosed with neutropenia. Click here for more info:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/204821-overview

When they gave me this diagnosis, the doctors made it sound like this was something that would be life-changing for me, but it definitely hasn't been. After a couple of visits to a hematologist and a bunch of tests, I continued with my everyday life and rarely thought about it. In fact, I think I was already engaged to Bill before I even told him about it. It just never came up.

When I first started at UNI about five years ago, I had a physical and it seemed that I still had the low level of white blood cells. However, I was feeling well, so my regular doctor didn't recommend seeing a specialist unless I felt like it was necessary--and I didn't feel it was necessary. I haven't had any follow up since then. I am wondering if my white blood cell count is higher now because it seems like I get sick less and have fewer infections.

I don't believe neutropenia makes you more vulnerable to colds or other virus. It only affects how prone you are to infection. However, I believe that it was playing a role in how every time I got a cold it was turn into a sinus infection that I would have trouble getting rid of. That doesn't happen to me anymore, so I am wondering if my white blood cells are up. Having a cold right now has made me realize that I don't get seem to get colds as often anymore, and they rarely develop into the sinus infections and ear infections that they used to. Maybe I don't really have neutropenia anymore.

Today I was eating my generic oatmeal and (as usual) adding a touch of vanilla soy milk. I finished the soy milk and then wondered if I would be able to find a cheaper substitute for the soy milk I've been using. I don't think they have it at Aldi, but I am going to check. The soy milk I've been using is about $3.19. I typically use Silk or 8th Continent. I would really like to find a more budget-friendly alternative. Let me know if you have ideas. It really is somewhat of an unnecessary expense for me because I just use it to add to my oatmeal, but I love a little bit of it on my oatmeal!

I am also looking for ways to make dog shampoo. It appears it's easy to make it by combining ingredients such as glycerin, liquid dish soap, aloe vera, and apple cider vinegar. I may give it a try. It'll save some money and might be sort of fun. 

My dad came up for the UNI men's basketball game last night. He called in the afternoon and asked if it would work. Fortunately, I thought ahead to order a ticket because they had sold out by game time. And I would have felt like a real ass had he come all the way up to Cedar Falls and there were no tickets available. Anyway, he seemed to be doing well and it was good to see him. And he got to hang out in the McCleod Center, which he often sees on TV and the internet live feed. Not a nail biter of a game--we beat Drake handily--but I'm glad he could see a UNI win.

Off track?

I am not feeling so well tonight. I actually left a college basketball game early, which is pretty unheard of for me. I think I'll live; it's just a sore throat. However, my sore throat has blown two things: 1) My Eat Clean-Eat Real Food Plan, and 2) My budget.

Today I have eaten a frosty from Wendy's, a black cherry shake at the basketball game, and a chai tea latte from the student union. None of these things were necessary expenses either calorie or money-wise, but I just didn't care. I don't feel well, and I want what I want. And I don't even care that I ate what I shouldn't eat and spent money I shouldn't have spent.

I have been teaching more aerobics recently. I got up this morning and headed in to teach my fitness classes--and I didn't know if I could get through it. I just felt awful, but once I got there, I felt much better. I find that this is typical with a cold/sore throat. A little bit of exercise makes me feel better. I feel like it eases the sinus congestion for me. Then later in the day...I started feeling crappy again. Maybe working out and pushing through it wasn't a good thing in the end.

Enough about that...It's going to be a cold weekend here. I woke up this morning and let the dogs out. I noticed the thermometer on our back porch was indicating an actual temperature of -20! No wonder Murphy didn't want to go out. I can't blame him. The good news, if there is any, is that it wasn't a windy day, so it actually could have been a lot worse!

Take that, student loan debt!

Happy MLK Day! I know not everyone is off of work today, but I am. Gotta love three day weekends. This morning I taught aerobics and then decided to make a couple of stops on my way home. Because we are jumpstarting our journey to pay off student loans, my stops were at Aldi and Dollar Tree. To be honest, this is relatively new territory for me. For the past several years, I have done most of my shopping (groceries, etc.) at SuperTarget. I'm sure that all of these changes will soon become second nature to me, but there is this whole "saving" culture out there that I am getting acclimated to.

Aldi....It's not my beloved SuperTarget. It's a little bit dingy. It's sort of dark. And it's dead quiet. I guess we save money there because they don't pay for a sound system. Is it cheap? Hell yes. There's little variety. Instead of choosing between eight brands of oatmeal at Hy-Vee, you choose between two at Aldi. If nothing else, it makes for quicker shopping.

There's a lot of stuff they don't have. For instance, I really like Fiber One bars. Aldi doesn't carry them. However, they carry mini-trampolines and heating pads. What? Really? It's interesting. It's missing a few things I might consider basics but then has just these random items that you'd never expect. I sort of like this unexpectedness.

Aldi also doesn't bag the groceries. I used to bag groceries at a store in high school, and I don't mind bagging my own. You see women come in with their cloth bags. Now those are the experts. They know the ropes, and I watch them carefully. I may even have my own cloth bags that I can reuse soon. I just don't feel like I can pull that off yet. I'm just an amateur. The other thing about Aldi...they don't take credit cards. This isn't the end of the world, but my credit card is giving 5% cash back for grocery store purchases right now, so I would have certainly used it if I could have.

One of my purchases today at Aldi was Summit Diet Citrus Twist. When it comes to soda, their selection is pretty limited. I don't mind drinking generic pop. The only issue I have is that they only have a few choices for diet (i.e., no generic diet root beer). So the Diet Citrus Twist was $1.99 for a 12 pack. That's less than $.17 a can. Not bad! I could have bought a 24 pack but wanted to try it in a smaller quantity first. I am drinking my first can as I type, and it's pretty decent. I may not actually be able to distinguish it from Diet 7-Up in a blind taste test.

Aldi is in a strip maill in Cedar Falls that I could call Budget Seekers Strip Mall. In addition to Aldi, there is a LaJames School of Cosmetology, where you can get your hair done at less than half the cost of most salons. Of course, that doesn't come without a risk. It's a risk I am not willing to take. I'm sure you can get a great haircut there--and I sure you could get a pretty bad one. They also have one of those check-into-cash places. I hate those. I think they prey on uneducated, low-income individuals.

Dollar Tree....was a lot of fun. Again, lots of random stuff you'd never expect. If you are planning a kid's birthday party, you have got to visit Dollar Tree for party favors, door prizes, decorations, etc. My big find was Hawaiian Punch drink packets. I usually buy Crystal Light packets, which are sort of expensive. I am trying the Hawaiian Punch packets in sugar free lemon berry and sugar free fruit juicy red. I also found a huge body wash for $1 and Suave deodorant for $1.

I did notice the Dollar Tree carries hair color. I color my own hair, and I have for years. I have a new rule that I will not spend more than $5 for a box of hair color. This isn't too hard. There are brands that cost about $4 and there are also lots of coupons out there. I am dedicated to saving money and willing to sacrifice, but I don't think I would ever allow myself to buy my hair color at the Dollar Tree. The conclusion I came to this morning is that I am only willing to sacrifice certain things to save money, and my hair is not one of those things. No LaJames College of Cosmetology and no Dollar Tree hair color for me.

I started thinking about other things I am just not willing to sacrifice, and I would put the following things in that category: internet service, having two cars, cable (we've gone to a more basic plan but I couldn't shut it off entirely), tickets to UNI basketball, and my pets. I know there are many other things I am just not willing to sacrifice. Everyone has these things, and I'm sure they are different for everyone. It's all about personal priorities. I think part of this process is discovering mine.

Embracing Aldi's!

Hello friends! You may notice a change in my blogs from now on. I am still focused on running, but I also have a new focus: saving money. My husband and I learned this week that we have more student loan debt than we realized. (You may ask how we did NOT know how much debt we had? Well, that's a story for another day. It has to do with compound interest and a somewhat deceptive student loan private lender.) Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we have decided to take action. It's time to clean up our spending and put money to the highest interest loans first. As strange as it sounds, I am excited about it--in an odd way. Maybe it's because I like a challenge. I also like learning, and I am learning a lot about how to save money. I honestly think this challenge will make us better people.

We have set an ambitious goal to pay off the student loans in 5 years. I've done the math (over and over and over), and I really think we can do it. Although I am the one who takes care of finances, Bill is totally on board and probably more gung-ho about it than I am. Right now, with Bill living in Denver, we pay to support two households, and it's difficult to have a lot of extra money to put toward the loans. We think he will be back here in the fall. Our plan is to live on my income and put his entire income toward student loan payments. 

In the meantime, we've made a few changes. We are certainly not deprived--and we live better than most people in this world by far. We are not in danger of losing our home. We don't have to sell it and buy a smaller place. We don't have to go down to one car. Our changes are things like cutting back our cable to a more basic plan, shopping at Aldi's, quitting jujitsu (for Bill), eating out only on occasion, using coupons, etc. I should add that I did NOT want Bill to give up jujitsu. Thinking about that makes me want to cry. However, as he pointed out, he lives in Denver and there is no shortage of free outdoor activities for him to participate in.

I am working on refinancing our home loan. That will save us about $170 per month. I'm also re-evaluating credit cards to make sure we get the best rewards program. I have a new card that has 0% financing for 6 months (not important if you pay it off each month) and that gives 5% cash back on many types of purchases. Even though we typically pay our credit cards each month, we do use them a lot. And we should be in the best rewards program possible.

I've opened an account at Mint.com. I highly recommend this website. It tracks all of your finances in one place. I'm actually quite amazed by it. I heard about the site from Clark Howard, the money guru on CNN. It's completely free and has been very helpful thus far in tracking our finances.

Bill is looking for a part-time job in Denver. I want him to find something fun. He does have some free time, and he gets a little bit bored and lonely. If you can find a place to meet people and make a few extra bucks, I'm okay with it. (I was against him getting a part-time job a week ago.) He is particularly interested in bartending. On this end, I will be taking on a few more aerobics classes each week. I get paid about $16 a class after taxes are taken out. That's a pretty decent amount for just working out for an hour. And I would be working out anyway. (And if I wouldn't be, I should be.) The good news is that another instructor had to have rotator cuff surgery, so I can take her classes for the next couple months. (I guess that's not good news for HER.)

I am realizing that we were paying WAY too much for many things, particularly groceries. Bill and I have both been impressed with how much money we can save just by doing more comparison shopping. We plan to stock up on stuff when it's on sale and just be smarter overall. I did some research, and it appears that Aldi's is the cheapest place to buy groceries in our area. Well, hello Aldi's. I am debating whether or not it would be beneficial to get a Sam's Club membership. I've done a little research, and it appears many things are cheaper at Aldi's.

I've also found a cool website: www.ebates.com. This site gives you cash back on almost anything you order online. I will never order anything online without going to this website first! It's totally free to sign up, and you get a check every three months. Highly recommended!

I also found the Dollar Tree website: www.dollartree.com. You can order stuff in bulk and pick it up at your local Dollar Tree. By bulk, I mean 24 boxes of powder laundry detergent for $24. Or 24 body washes for $24. You pay a $4.95 handling fee no matter how large your order is. This would be a good deal, and a good way to stock up, but the quantities may be too large for us on some things. I mean, how long would it take us to use 24 deodorants? I could also buy some stuff at Dollar Tree, like cleaning supplies. Honestly, I've always liked dollar stores. I could wonder around in them for hours, but I had sort of forgotten they existed in the last few years. I am actually looking forward to paying a visit!

My point is that there are lots of ways to save money that are pretty painless. We just need to take advantage. We don't have kids, and that makes this a lot easier. We do have six 4-legged friends to take care of, and if you know us, you know that getting rid of them to save money would never be an option. But we can do some simple things to even save money on pet costs--our dogs won't know if we used a coupon to buy their food. Some of you may also know that one of our dogs, Murphy, goes to daycare. He will continue to go, but only half as often.

There is a show that I've been watching on TV called "Downsized." It's about a family who was living high on the hog (where did that saying come from?) until the recession hit. The husband was a contractor making a million dollars a year, but now he can't get a gig. What I like about the show is that the family makes some lifestyle changes. For instance, the kids give up their extracurricular activities to save money. The show has also given me some ideas about how to save a few bucks here and there.

I need to make it clear that we are not poor. Lots of people live in poverty, and we don't live in poverty. We have a modest but nice house. We drive reliable cars. We have no problem buying food. We have student loan debt, but we are fortunate that we have jobs to allow us to make payments--and more than the minimum payments.

With the economy, lots of people graduate with student loan debt and no means to repay it. We have good jobs because of our education and those jobs will allow us to pay back the debt. And that's the way it should work. It is frightening me that many people graduate with student loans and have to get jobs at places like Starbuck's. That's not us. I am very positive about this whole journey. I feel a sense of accomplishment already for making the changes we have already made and taking control.

My mom mentioned an interesting idea today. She said I should write a book about attacking student loan debt. I am considering it. And you know how I'm always talking about needing to find a hobby? Well, this saving money thing may just become my hobby.

Winter Workouts

It got cold today. This comes as no surprise. After all, I live in Iowa. Surprisingly enough, it hasn't been that cold yet this winter. It's all relative, so I should be more specific. I don't consider 20 degrees to be cold here in the winter. I start saying it's cold when it's about 5 degrees or below. Today the temp dropped down to 3 degrees. I may opt out on running outside for the month of January. Last year, I ran outside until January, and then retreated to the treadmill.

Yesterday I ran in the UNI Dome. I don't know why, but I really enjoy that. I love running the stairs. Yesterday I was sucking air, but it was still enjoyable. However, I was out of breath sooner than I should have been, so I'm not in as great of shape as I wish I was. Tomorrow I teach step aerobics but may also sneak over to run stairs at the Dome in the afternoon.

The privilege of running there is one of the benefits of working at UNI. I had kind of forgotten about it the last couple years, but I think I may be hooked for a while. My husband (Bill) and I ran the stairs there over Christmas break, and I remembered that there is something about running stairs that makes me feel powerful and strong. Until, of course, my legs start shaking like they are going to give out!

Well, Karl, Murphy, and I are off to bed! Can't believe tomorrow is Thursday already!

Happy, happy weekend!

It's Friday night. I am home. I worked a little. I got on the treadmill. While I was on the treadmill, I watched a documentary about death. I got off the treadmill and lifted weights. Then I played my father at online Scrabble. I talked to my husband on the phone for a bit. Next I plan to take a bath. Another exciting Friday night. Actually, I don't mind at all. A Friday night at home really appeals to me. And if you look up introvert in the dictionary, you might find my name. I do wish Bill was here to hang out with me, so we could mess around on our laptops and watch random TV together with the dogs. Oh, and about the documentary on death...it was sorta interesting. (I know what you are thinking. I have never said I wasn't an odd person.)

Students are back at UNI on Monday, so it's back into a routine. I need to make a plan (around my class and meeting schedule) for working out. I will be teaching step every Thursday night. In addition, I have taken on some other classes on Monday and Friday mornings during the month of January. I have my little home gym set up in the basement, and I can always run at the UNI Dome or on my treadmill if I don't feel like running in the cold (or if it's dark). So, I have lots of options, and I just need to make a plan. I am enjoying my home gym lately, which now includes:

1. treadmill
2. punching bag
3. spin bike (I keep this upstairs rather than in the basement)
4. 8 pound dumbbells
5. 15 pound dumbbells
6. 2 different sizes of medicine balls
7. a step
8. resistance bands
9. bosu ball
10. large yoga ball
11. 27 pound body bar

Actually, my schedule for spring will leave me more flexibility than I've had in the past. For the past year or so, I've taught every day of the week. This is unusual for a tenure track professor at UNI. This spring I will only teach Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, I am back to teaching a night class (on Tuesday nights). Wednesdays, like always, are my long meeting days. Mondays and Fridays should allow me some time to work on research projects. To be honest, I've spent little time on research this fall. I've had quite a few administrative things to worry about. I am excited to have more time to work on research. It's one of my favorite parts of my job.

I think I mentioned that Bill put a shelf downstairs so I could watch stuff on my new laptop while on the treadmill. This is awesome! I can watch all sorts of documentaries instantly on Netflix. Did I mention this is awesome? We did get some cheap speakers, and they aren't quite loud enough at times. However, I can also plug headphones into the laptop and listen that way. I have a long list of stuff I want to watch on Netflix, so I won't run out of stuff anytime soon.

Why, Hello January!

I stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve to ring in the New Year. We had planned to go to Ames to celebrate with friends, but the weather was iffy, so we stayed in. I always feel obliged to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve although (as a friend pointed out to me) the New Year comes whether you are asleep or awake. However, I don't remember a New Year's I didn't stay up for. I'm sure as a small child I didn't make it, but since I was old enough to understand New Year's, I've always stayed up. As an adult, it seems as if I rarely have real New Year's plans. In fact, at midnight this year, I was making muffins.

I don't really believe in New Year's resolutions. If you want to do something good for yourself, why wait until New Year's? However, I was glad to see an increased number of participants at the step aerobics class I teach tonight. I always like lots of people--even if I know they may not be back. And I always like that people are exercising because I think it increases quality of life.

As for me...I am working on two goals. The first goal (as you know) is to eat clean/eat real food. My second goal is to work on budget and pay more attention to finances. I am realizing that these goals often create conflicting priorities. I know how to eat healthy. I also know how to eat cheap. However, I am realizing that I do not know how to eat healthy AND cheap.

There is a common denominator here, and that is that the best way to eat healthy is to eat at home--and that's also the best way to eat cheap. However, I struggle with wanting to buy fresh fruits and vegetables which are really expensive, especially at this time of year. I bought a container of grapes a couple of weeks ago that was $6! I also bought some ridiculously expensive strawberries.

I understand why people living in poverty are often overweight. In other countries, poverty may mean people become sickly thin. Not here. You go to the grocery store and find that you can feed a family inexpensively if you don't care if they get healthy meals.

I've come up with a couple of ideas for myself. One is something that I will call (for lack of a better term) fiber stew. I call it that because it has a ridiculous amount of fiber. Here is what I put in it:

1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 can Northern beans (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can green beans (drained)
2 cans corn (drained)
1 can of tomatoes
fresh leaves of spinach--about 1/2 cup--torn up
1 can of lentil soup

I put all of this in my crockpot and leave it in there all day. I don't have any specific rules on how long to cook it or whether it should be on high or low. You can also add a lot of other stuff, or take out what you don't like. It's not rocket science. I sometimes eat it with some melted cheese on top. It actually doesn't make as much as you would think after you drain the beans. However, I'm sure it is pretty cheap per serving. It's also something I can take to work and put in the refrigerator.

Tonight I made pasta with tuna. I made my pasta and put in a can of tuna. I added a little bit of light mayo. Then I put some Steam Fresh peas in the microwave and added those to the mix. I used the pasta with protein--which of course costs more, but overall a fairly cheap meal that will be easy for me to grab and maybe take to work.

I am working on some other ideas. I want stuff that is healthy (Eat Clean--Eat Real Food), not expensive to make, and can be made in larger portions so I can use it for more than one meal. One of my goals for the spring semester is to stop buying lunch at our student union. I will be honest--I am not a big fan of the food there. It's mediocre, and it's not a good deal. I sometimes get a tuna wrap, chips, and a soda, and it's like $7. If I were to pay $7 for lunch and have something I really enjoy, I wouldn't complain, but I continue to pay this much for my lunch one or two days even though I don't even like the food that much, and it's not that healthy. In addition, the lines are long and it takes a while. I need to be bringing my lunch, and saving my lunch money for when I do something fun like go out to lunch with a friend.

I am also looking to figure out how much I spend per week on food. This sounds crazy, but I have absolutely no idea. I know in college that I went to the store once a week and paid $30 for my groceries. I am sure it's more than that now. I made a spreadsheet of our expenses, and there is a big question mark by food. I don't track how much we spend on groceries or how much we spend eating out. So...I am working on our financial health and nutrition. I'm sure it will continue to be a work in progress and a learning experience for me.

Last night I watched the Biggest Loser while on the treadmill. I'm not sure if that's motivating or not. On one hand, being scared of being morbidly obese does keep me on the treadmill. However, watching people who are 400 pounds reminds me that I really am at a relatively healthy weight and makes me realize that there are people out there with weight struggles much larger than my own. And that would be true even if I gained 20 pounds!

Bill put a shelf by the treadmill so I could watch stuff on my laptop while I run. It's awesome--because I can watch so many TV shows on the internet now. If I tell myself I can only watch my favorite shows while I'm on the treadmill, I might run a lot more! I enjoy running for its own sake, but I can always use a little extra motivation.

M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-ON

I am getting back on track after Christmas. I went through the last part of December feeling like crap. Why? It was self-inflicted. I chose to eat poorly and dropped the ball on exercise. (I shouldn't be too hard on myself because I did run twice when we were in Vegas for three days, but overall, I know I can do better.) After working out half-heartedly and sporadically for a couple of weeks, I am back on the treadmill.

The last couple of days I've mixed it up a little. I do about 10 minutes or maybe 1 mile on the treadmill and then jump off to do something else (weights, the punching bag, etc.) for a few minutes. It helps break up the monotomy of the treadmill and gives me more of a full body workout.

Today I did a total of 3 miles on the treadmill. I broke that 3 miles into three 1 mile segments, with leg work in between. I also did some core stuff at the end. I think the whole thing took about 55 minutes. It was really pretty tolerable, maybe even enjoyable. It went really fast. I think tomorrow I may do something similar.

I am wondering if maybe I could find a cheap pair of dumbbells that I could add to my little basement workout room. I have 5 pound and 8 pound ones, but I am wondering if some 15 pound ones would be beneficial to me. I need to pick up on the strength training. I have decided that running is great, but I think that strength training might be the key to keeping off a few pounds now that I am in my 30's.

I'm also eating better. This is my third day of the Eat Clean-Eat Real Food plan. I had a major slip-up tonight. I decided to make myself some oatmeal (not instant) on the stove. I thought I would add just a little bit of wheat bran. I do not recommend adding wheat bran to your oatmeal. To counteract the odd flavor of the wheat bran, I had to add some brown sugar. Then more brown sugar, and finally, more brown sugar. This directly contradicts my master plan to greatly reduce the sugar in the diet. But overall, I am eating less added sugar, more fruit, and more fiber.

Tomorrow night there is a UNI men's basketball game. Bill and I will be there, of course, and I already see the challenge of changing what I eat at the games. I love getting big prezels, and I love getting the carmel corn. Because I am reducing white flour and simple carbs, I should pass on both. I guess I could get a piece of cheese pizza. This is not necessarily ideal, but I think it's okay in moderation.

For the spring semester, I intend to plan a little better to make sure I keep on track with exercise and food. I can pack food instead of eating whatever I can scrounge up at work. I can avoid cookies and candy when they turn up in our faculty work room. I can actually put my work outs and runs on my calendar and schedule around them.

My primary motivation is that I feel fatigued (and grumpy) when I don't exercise and eat right. I've always thought I was a person who needed a lot of sleep. Maybe I am. However, I learned about two years ago that I had lived most of my life in a state of dehydration. I would be on my way to the start of a 1/2 marathon drinking a Diet Coke. I lived and died by the diet soda. And I still do, unfortunately. But a couple of years ago I decided to drink more water (and water with those little Crystal Light packets). I realized that I was a lot less tired--because I wasn't continually dehydrated. I am wondering if maybe I can eat better and see a similar increase in energy. I also need to start drinking my water again. I need to set a goal--maybe 60 ounces a day?

Honestly, I've never really struggled with exercise. I have taught aerobics since I was about 19, and I started considering myself a serious (although definitely not fast) runner when I was about 25. Last summer I did four 1/2 marathons. I currently teach step aerobics at the rec center once a week. The eating part has always been much harder than the exercise part for me. Someimes I fall off the exercise wagon, but usually I regroup quickly and get back in gear. I think a couple things help with this: 1) I get paid to teach aerobics and have no choice on whether to show up; people are counting on me, and 2) You can sign up for races several months in advance, and this serves as motivation for training.

In summary, for those of you who are reading this and have made it this far despite how boring my post is, my goals relate to eating better, exercising regularly and hard, and also drinking more water. I am thinking I need to make these goals more specific--obviously eating "better" and drinking "more" water could be more specific. More on that at a later date.

A week and a half until I return to work...I have a love/hate relationship with both Christmas and summer break. I love my job, but I do look forward to academic breaks when I don't have to grade, lecture, do administrative tasks, etc. However, when those breaks come, my excitement doesn't last long. I don't know whether or not I can say I get bored, but I just don't know what to do with myself. Now, of course, I could go into work and find plenty of stuff to work on. However, I don't want to do that because I will soon be there 40 hours a week and I want to use this time to NOT work. Yet, when I am NOT working, I don't know what to do. Here is what I did today:

10:00 wake up (yes, at 10:00, and that's the earliest I've been up in 3 days)
10:30 eat breakfast
11:00 change into workout clothes and workout
12:30 take a shower and put pajamas back on (why kid myself and pretend I'm actually going somewhere today?)
1:00 eat lunch
1:00-3:00 put away laundry, work on syllabi and course websites, make a smoothie
3:00-5:00 sleep
5:00 wake up and eat dinner
8:30 play Scrabble online with my father

I didn't leave the house, and I don't want to leave the house despite having some sense of cabin fever. I just don't know what to do. I need a hobby to delve into during academic breaks. Something I can really look forward to doing. (Yes, I know, I've said this before but nothing changes.)

Tomorrow I have to be back at work for a couple hours or so, and Thursday and Friday I have some plans to see friends during the day. So it appears that I cannot just alternate between pajamas and workout clothes. I will have to wear real clothes.

Eat Clean-Eat Real Food

Believe it or not, 2010 is coming to a close. I have never been a big proponent of New Year's resolutions. However, I like to think that I am always on some quest (although sometimes misguided) to better myself. I like to think that the best time to make positive changes is always NOW, not on January 1. If you know you want to do better and be better, why wait until a date in the future?

In some ways, I have found myself in a rut lately--maybe since Thanksgiving. When I say in a rut, I am referring to my exercise and eating habits. Today I have been thinking about revamping how I eat. Although I am continually on a half-hearted effort to lose weight, I think it's time to make a different plan. Instead of focusing on the scale, I want to focus on my energy level. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but more importantly I think that sometimes I sabotage my energy by eating stuff I know I shouldn't eat.

Mostly, I am speaking of sweets. If I could reduce the amount of sugar and white flour I consume, I would feel a lot less sluggish. I know this because I've done it in the past. Cookies, cake, and candy...even if very small amounts, make me feel like crap. I tend to think I am more negatively affected by sugar and white flour than most other people. I also think they are addictive substances for me. I say this because I will eat four huge frosted sugar cookies--even though I don't even want the last three. I eat them anyway, and they don't even appeal to me. I can't explain it. I've never been addicted to drugs or alcohol, but I can only imagine it's something like this. You don't really want something and you know it will make you feel like crap, but you consume it anyway.

So, I won't say I am giving up sweets--because I don't believe in "swearing off" certain foods or food groups. I will say I am greatly reducing the amount of sweets I consume. If I eat sweets, I can't stop. If I don't eat sweets, it's actually less of a struggle. I have been doing some reading on being addicted to sugar, and I think I am.

There is a diet out there called the Eat-Clean Diet. It's a common sense plan. I don't intend to follow it like a Bible, but I like some of it's components and it made me think. Basically, you eat protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. It's real food. Very little refined sugar, very little white flour. I looked at some of the recipes on the website. Lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, oats, wheat bran, wheat germ, flaxseed. Real food. Not the fake food I am used to at this point.

My goals are to eat sweets only very rarely and avoid what I would call "fake food." I eat some things that are low calorie, but also have little nutritional value. I need to knock that off. The Eat-Clean Diet suggests you give up alcohol and soda. I am NOT giving up alcohol. I say this not because I drink a lot, but because I drink a little. I probably don't even have a drink once a week at this point, so I don't think that whether or not I give up drinking will make a big difference. If I want to have a couple of drinks with friends occasionally, I will. About soda...I drink only diet pop. I shouldn't even drink that. There's nothing natural about pop, diet or not. Although the soda I drink has no calories, I know it's not good for me. However, I am not willing to give it up at this point. I am willing to drink more water (along with my diet pop) at this point.

Since Bill moved to Denver for the year, I have been eating a lot of a few things---like frozen waffles. I have decided that I can still eat my frozen waffles. Tonight I made my own waffles for freezing. They are a healthier version. I modified a recipe I found. Here is what I did:

Oat Waffles---

2 cups whole wheat flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon wheat germ
2 tablespoons wheat bran
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1/4 cup oats
2 cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not imitation)

In a bowl, combine 1st 6 ingredients. Combine Egg Beaters, milk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl; stir into dry ingredients until combined. Bake according to waffle iron instructions.

This made enough waffles for every morning this week, and I am freezing them. I put one in the toaster tonight and it came out perfectly. I would also think about using the same recipe in the future and using some raisins, blueberries, dried cranberries or something like that in the batter. This is definitely a heartier waffle than I am used to. Probably more calories, but tastier and also more filling.

I also made some muffins tonight. Again, I made some experimental modifications to the recipe. Here goes:

1 cup oats
1 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/2 cup skim milk
1/3 cup Egg Beaters
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tbsp + 1 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup wheat flour
any dried fruit???

1. preheat oven to 350.
2. combine oats, applesauce, milk, eggs, flexseed, and oil in bowl.
3. combine other ingredients in another bowl.
4. make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into it.
5. stir until ingredients are combined.
6. use batter for standard muffins or mini-muffins.

I made mini muffins. To be honest, they could be better. I like them with a little spray butter (which is an example of the fake food I am trying to give up). However, I was planning on adding about 1/2 cup of raisins, but I didn't realize we were out of raisins. I think it would also be good to add dried cranberries or blueberries--or dried cherries would be really good although they are expensive. So, if you try making them, make sure you have some dried fruit to put in there. Otherwise, you may find them a little...boring.

Well, that's the beginning of my "Eat Clean-Eat Real Food" campaign. I am hoping I can continue to try some recipes and work on modifying some existing recipes so I can eat stuff I feel good about. I am also going to pay attention to how what I eat affects my energy level.

Bill and I were in Las Vegas last week to watch college basketball. This was a great reminder to me that when I eat crap, I feel like crap. Of course, NOT eating crap in Las Vegas is difficult--although not impossible. I have eaten very little of nutritional value in the last week, and my energy level is virtually non-existent. Go figure.

As for our trip to Vegas, it was a lot of fun. Our team won the tournament, which was fantastic, and we also enjoyed some Vegas fun, such as the strip, a tremendous buffet, and the Freemont Street Experience. I admit that we are not really Vegas people. Bill only gambled away $14 in the four days we were there, and I didn't gamble at all. I also only had three drinks the whole time we were there. We did make it out to the Hoover Dam. We also toured a chocolate factory that had the largest cactus botanical garden in the world (I think). A highlight was getting to see an old friend who I met in my undergraduate days. She is now working at UNLV.

Although it was fun, it's good to be home, even though home has 8 inches of snow. It really isn't that cold here now--it's in the 20's--so I have no right to complain about our weather. Ahhh, Iowa in the winter...when 20 degrees is warm...I am a native Midwesterner.

DECEMBER!!!!!!

Hello December. December is typically a busy month for me because of the line of work I am in (college professor). This is because:

1. Finals are usually right in the middle of December.
2. I have somehow taken a role in organizing the graduation ceremony--which is usually less than a week before Christmas.
3. Final grades are usually due a couple of days before Christmas.
4. I have to get prepped to start my spring classes, which begin in January.
5. Christmas! And the family celebrations that this entails.
6. I love college basketball and find myself at men's and women's games at least 3 days a week.

So December is busy, although not necessarily in a bad way. I woke up this morning to a little bit of white stuff on the ground, which was okay by me. It's sort of pretty.

As I mentioned before, I read "The Happiness Project" over Thanksgiving break. I am playing around with ideas from the book and how I want to incorporate them in my life. One change I have made after reading the book is a very simple one. I make my bed every morning. Why does that matter, and why does it make me happier? I love climbing into a bed that is made, but in the past I haven't taken the time to make the bed. I've decided that the 30 seconds it takes to make the bed (which for me is just basically neatly pulling up the covers) is worth it. In a small way, it does make me happier.

And that's the point of the book. Change your life without changing your life. It's a concept that I like. I have a great life, all I need to do is make small changes in my thoughts and behaviors to enjoy it more.

I'm planning to go for a run in a little bit. It will be my first "snow" run of the season. It's not that snowy out, but that crunch-crunch under my feet is kind of enjoyable. It's just a change in atmsophere/scenery, and that's good for me. And I do have all of my ridiculously expensive running gear for winter, so I should get some use out of that stuff.

I should add that I have not been running a lot. I've taught some aerobics and I've been on my spin bike, but running has taken a back seat in the last week. I do feel a bit guilty about that, but I guess I shouldn't beat myself up as long as I'm doing something. The advantage of teaching aerobics is that I get paid for it, and the advantage of the spin bike is that I can catch up on shows from my DVR.

I was giving a lecture in one of my classes the other day, and I was talking about things I do that are ridiculous. So, as I was driving home, I thought of a list of things I do recently that are ridiculous but that I plan on continuing to do anyway:

1. I get to basketball and football games early (40 minutes early when possible) because I enjoy the atmosphere before the game. I almost missed tip off at the UNI-ISU game this week because I had a late meeting. I was so stressed out.
2. I eat about 6-8 frozen waffles a day. There are 10 in a package. Sometimes I eat a whole package a day.
3. I wait until the light goes on--and then some-- before getting gas. I honestly cannot remember the last time I got gas before the light went on. I just never do it. I hate getting gas, so I put it off. And when I do stop to get gas, I am very resentful--like "Isn't it ridiculous I have to put gas in my car? Poor me."
4. I go shopping online, and put stuff I like in the shopping cart, but never order it. It's like a game...if I were to order something from this site, what would I order?
5. I put off using the restroom at work until I am in physical pain. I will have to pee, but I think I don't have time because I feel like I am so busy. I once timed myself though. It takes less than 3 minutes from the time I leave my desk to the time I get back (and that is with proper handwashing). Why don't I just go when I have to? It's not like I'm an ER doctor.
6. I keep my house cold in the winter--62 degrees lately. When I get cold, I take a hot bath. Sometimes I take two hot baths a night. Is this energy efficient? Probably not. Why do I keep my house so cold? I think it's so I can tell people that I keep my house cold. I was very proud that I didn't turn on my heat until mid November. Of course, I sometimes took three hot baths a night.

Well, off to get myself bundled up to run. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am celebrating Thanksgiving in New Mexico with my mom, step-dad, and husband. And of course the happy pack of canines (Lucy, Thompson, Gertie, and Gus-Gus). Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Eat everything you can and enjoy it--Thanksgiving only comes around once a year.

I am reading a book that is completely unrelated to running and older adults--which is a rarity for me. It's not a non-fiction book, of course (that would be an impossibility for me). I am reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. It's actually my 2nd free reading book of Thanksgiving break. The first was "Always Looking Up" by Michael J. Fox.

I feel sort of like I grew up with Michael J. Fox. He's at least ten years older than I am (I think more than 15, maybe?) but I loved watching him on Family Ties when I was a kid. He played a nerdy guy--which is maybe why I related to him. Anyway, I do recommend his book. It's a little bit on everything, including Parkinson's, stem cell research, faith, family, 9/11, politics, and his philosophy of life.

I learned quite a bit about stem cell research (which I have always supported but am even more in full support of after reading his book). Interestingly, and perhaps embarrassingly, I've never been able to articulate both sides of the stem cell research debate, and now I feel I could do so somewhat competently. As a professor of gerontology, I feel that I should be an advocate for stem cell research because it may be the best bet to end our battle with Alzheimer's disease.

As for "The Happiness Project," I'm only in the third chapter. I am enjoying it. It's making me think a lot about happiness. I am particularly focused on something she asks herself at the start of the book: What will make me happier? I don't yet have an answer to that question for myself, but I'm working on it. I'm thinking about the role running and other forms of exercise play in the answer, and I'm also wondering about the role of sleep...would finally sticking to that bedtime lead me to more happiness? Would working less make me happier? Or would that make me less happy--much of my happiness does seem to come from career success, doesn't it? But if I worked less maybe I would find more happiness in other things? Another question that has come to mind is the relationship between happiness and spending money...Would I be happier if I saved every last penny and had a greater sense of long term financial security? Or does splurging make me happy?

I'll have to wait for those answers to come to me (or maybe I'll have to search for them) but for now I'm back to running. I took about a week of completely from running. I worked out on my spin bike and taught aerobics, but I just didn't feel like running, so I didn't run.

Being in New Mexico the last few days has gotten me back out on the streets. I did 3.5 miles last night, and about 4 today. Obviously, my mileage is down, and I did have some IT band pain today. I am not going to panic about it. I am optimistic that the lay-off has simply caused my IT bands to tighten up. I will go back to the chiropractor next week, and it is my hope that she can help me out. It's more pain than I've had running in quite some time (probably since trying to come back from the lay-off after kidney stones). I'm not going to let myself get discouraged though.

Speaking of things that make me happy...my mom took me today to get a pedicure. I think I've only done this once before in my life, but it was enjoyable. Maybe I should do it more often.

It's Saturday Night and I Ain't Got No....Life????

It's Saturday night and here I am...doing what I normally do on Saturday night....sitting at my computer--an exciting night of working. I don't mean to sound so negative. I could easily change this if I wanted to. It's up to me. I don't have to work on Saturday night. My job keeps me busy, but I could be doing something different tonight. I choose to work. Why do I chose to?

That's a question I've been trying to answer lately. Is it just that I have nothing better to do, especially now that my husband is working a couple of states away (I could easily find something if I really wanted to)? Is it that I get somewhat of a sense of anxiety if I have work "hanging over my head," even if it's something that really can wait until I'm back in the office? I should add that I really do like being enmeshed in my work. MOST of the time, I enjoy my job, and I like MOST of the stuff that goes along with it. I even like MOST college students (stress MOST). I like research, and I like teaching--which are two of the main components of what I do.

My dad was a workaholic when he was younger. I think I am like my dad with one big difference--my career is in a different age, in terms of technology. I can't leave work at work because so much of my work is computer-based. I can even access my work computer at home, which is a blessing and a curse. This allows me to work 60 hours a week, but it also allows me to leave work at 2:30 on some days. So I struggle with the idea of trying to have more balance between my work life and my home life--but then I struggle with the question of whether I want more balance. In essence, I am who I am. Sometimes I think I'm not very much fun, and sometimes I don't think I have that many friends, but do those things really bother me? Honestly, I don't think so, but I'm really not sure.

Speaking of having a life outside of work, college basketball has started. In the winter, this is pretty much my life outside of work. I love the atmosphere of college basketball games--the music, the crowd, and (yes) even the cheerleaders. I love college football, too, except my interest in college football is limited to our team, and my interest in college basketball is more broad. Sometimes I am feeling down, and the atmosphere of a game is what brings me up. It's impossible to feel down (for me) at a game. Even now, with Bill not being able to go with me most of the time, I enjoy going. I'm even okay with going alone. (Obviously, it's more fun when Bill goes with me, and it's not like I don't know anyone when I get there anyway.)

I've been getting up early to get on my spin bike in the mornings. I'm only running about twice a week. That's a big change for me, but change can be good sometimes. It's hard lately for me to find daylight hours to run. It's pitch black when I get on the spin bike at 5:40 a.m. I guess tonight we set the clocks back (spring forward, fall back). I have never heard a good explanation for why we observe daylight savings time. If you have one, let me know. I really don't get it.

Anyway, I am struggling with how much I want to be running right now. Part of me has a sense of guilt for cutting back, and part of me understands the need for a change in routine. I am wondering if registering for a marathon or maybe even just a half-marathon in the spring or summer would help me out. That would assure me that I will get back into it in a more "hardcore" fashion, and maybe help me relax for a bit (as odd as that may sound). I do love the spin bike, though. You can sit, hover, stand, do hills, sprints, etc. Does it get boring? It can, but watching my favorite shows while on the bike helps a lot.

On another note, I'm reading a good book (work-related) called Aging with Grace. I've read it before, a few years back, but it is a book assigned to my students so I felt like I needed to read it again to refresh myself. It's about a great study on aging that was conducted using nuns as participants. The main focus of the study is Alzheimer's Disease, which is obviously an interest of mine both personally and professionally. I love how this book takes a well-designed research study and makes it readable and interesting to the general public. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I find a book like this that I can assign to my students. It occurred to me recently that I read two types of books: books about running and books about aging. I guess I've even read a couple of books on aging runners, now that I think about it...

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all! In honor of the day, I give you my list of things that are scary to me:

1. How easy it is to get a show on TLC if you have more than 7 children (multiples help, too)
2. Sarah Palin
3. The cost of vet care (this is scary when you have dog who eats t-shirts and socks)
4. Walmart when it is crowded
5. The frequency of natural disasters (e.g., floods and tornadoes) recently occurring in the area in which I live
6. How many people have their own reality TV shows for no real reason
7. How my hanging baskets of flowers get stolen in the summer if I put them in my front yard (I don't do this anymore)
8. What I look like in skinny jeans
9. The Atkins Diet
10. Women who use Halloween as an excuse to dress slutty
11. Girls who use Halloween as an excuse to dress slutty
12. How Halloween has turned into an excuse to dress slutty
13. How attached I am to my flat iron
14. Lindsay Lohan
15. How many calories are in a large blizzard from DQ
16. How good I am at napping

Goodbye October!

Only one more day of October, and that day is Halloween! Time really does fly. We've been fortunate to have nice weather most of October--until this past week. I have to admit today was nearly perfect running weather (contrary to the wet and windy week we've had). I went 5 miles, and it was about 60 degrees with just a tad bit of wind.

Before today, it had been about a week since I went for a run. I've been doing other stuff. I'm on my friendly spin bike quite a bit, and I taught some aerobics at the rec. I thought a little break from running would do me good since I had been feeling just a little burned out. I'm not sure I was right. When I ran today, I had some IT band issues, and some pain in both knees. I am wondering if this might be partially due to the squats and lunges I've been doing. I think it is also partially due to the short lay-off. I'm not too worried about it.

I've been getting up early (like 5:30) and forcing myself to get on the spin bike (or out on the run) by 5:45. I'm hoping that this will get easier for me because sometimes getting up that early is such a battle. There are days though that I think I am getting in the habit. I'll keep at it. I feel like I should try reciting, "I am a morning exerciser," over and over again. I really do want to be a morning exerciser. I was hoping to get to the point where it wouldn't be a struggle, but maybe it's okay if it is always a struggle...as long as I go through that struggle and do it. One of my strategies is to "save" one of my favorite shows on the DVR to watch during my a.m. workout. Friday morning I watched Private Practice while on the spin bike.

A few words about my spin bike. I bought a Star Trac spin bike about two years ago. If I remember, it was about $900. I feel like it was a great investment (as was our treadmill). It's pretty smooth to ride and is fairly low-maintenance. You can easily adjust the resistance. You can sit, hover, or stand. You can really get a good workout on it if you want to. Of course, it's more low impact than running, and it's great to ride when the weather is terrible.

Last winter I did a lot of running outside with my Yaktraks and spent a lot of time on the treadmill--and a little bit of time on the spin bike. This winter I have a feeling I might get back into the spin bike. We'll see. In the winter, my rule is that I can do whatever I feel like for fitness--as long as I am doing something. When it gets a little warmer in the spring, I'll think about getting into some sort of a running plan to train for races.

Speaking of winter....there are few things I really LOVE about winter, and college basketball is one of those things! The UNI men's basketball team has their first exhibition game on Tuesday. I love the time of year when the college football and basketball seasons overlap!