I have been following the Casey Anthony trial. The more I watch, the more confused I get. I really have no idea what happened to Caylee Anthony. I know Casey was involved in her death but I'm not sure how it all went down. We will probably never know for sure.
I have never actually watched any amount of a trial on TV until the past few weeks. I am amazed at how much time is spent discussing things that are irrelevant (in my opinion). I have become fascinated by the sidebars that the jury is not privy to but can be viewed by people all across America. As ridiculous at it seems, I am learning a little bit about our legal system.
Furthermore, I also find it interesting how citizens are trying to get in each day to watch the trial. I have seen footage of people running to get a seat in the courtroom. This seems to be the hottest ticket in Florida. Forget Disneyworld. This is better than a Lady Gaga concert. Maybe, dare I say, better than the OJ Trial.
Which brings me to the question I have been asking myself...Why? Why are people fighting each other to get in the courtroom as spectators? And, why am I spending even a minute tuning in to TruTV or CNN Headline News to see this mess? Don't I have better things to do?
I think the word "mess" explains a lot. Maybe "train wreck" would be a better term. Casey Anthony is a complete train wreck. She's a chronic liar. It's unclear who the father of her child is. She seems to have spent years mooching off her family and friends. I obviously have not met her personally, but it seems she has few redeeming qualities. Her family system is totally dysfunctional. The more I learn about the Anthonys, the more I realize that they are (I hope) not the typical All-American family.
Here is why I think we are all following this case. Of course, America thinks it's sad and awful that a cute young girl has died needlessly (and it is sad and awful). We are curious about what happened. It's an unfortunate true life soap opera. However, I think there is more to it.
I have my issues. I am not a perfect person. Yet, when I compare myself to Casey, I am doing pretty well. I have my act together. I also come from a quirky family. Thankfully, we are not the Anthonys. I think we like to watch train wrecks because it makes us grateful that we are at least a step better than a train wreck. Downward social comparison.
This goes for shows like Maury Povich and Jerry Springer. ("At least I know who MY baby daddy is....") I would say this is also a phenomenon that we see with the Real Housewives obsession. Many of us would LIKE to have the money and lifestyles that these women have. Then we see what a mess their lives really are, and there's a part of us that gets some satisfaction from that. We think, "I may not have your money BUT at least I've not a bitchy diva." I think that when we envy people there is a need to look for their faults and to identify areas in which we are superior to them.
Maybe an aspect of this applies to Casey Anthony as well. She's a cute girl. She's got toned abs. She can pull off short shorts and belly tops. Indeed, she won a "hot body" contest while her daughter was missing. So there is a certain smugness that comes along with knowing that a girl like this is completely screwed up. Somewhere, deep inside, maybe we are thinking, "I will take my fat thighs and inability to pull off sexy clothing in exchange for my life NOT being a complete disaster." And I don't just mean a disaster because Casey is on trial for murder. It was a disaster long before that.
So, the next time you are feeling down, be thankful that you know who your baby daddy is (or at least can narrow it down to fewer than three people), that your significant others isn't taking a lie detector test on a talk show, and that you're not related to the Anthonys. Things could always be worse, and if you need to be reminded, all you have to do is turn on your TV.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
What Is Wrong With Me? I'll Tell You What Is Wrong With Me
I decided to do something today that I've never done before. I thought I would list bad things about myself--my weaknesses, my faults, things I wish were different. I am not sure what lead me to this idea. In a weird way, I thought it would be freeing. I also just like to make lists for some reason I have yet to discover.
Some of these issues are small and rather irrelevant. Others, if I were a character in a book, would be my fatal flaws. I am not actively trying to change all of these things, but I am working on a few of them. I am sure if you talked to my family or friends they would give you more, or at least different, items, but this is my perception which may or may not be accurate.
Please don't email me and tell me that these things aren't true or that's not how you see me because I'm fine with all of this. I don't have a self-esteem issue. I don't cry myself to sleep at night because I don't like who I am.
Yet, the funny is that I thought I would sit down to do this and come up with 10 or 20. Well, I was surprised at how long my list grew in a very short amount of time. I stopped after about 10 or 15 minutes. I am sure I could have kept going. Here is my list:
Some of these issues are small and rather irrelevant. Others, if I were a character in a book, would be my fatal flaws. I am not actively trying to change all of these things, but I am working on a few of them. I am sure if you talked to my family or friends they would give you more, or at least different, items, but this is my perception which may or may not be accurate.
Please don't email me and tell me that these things aren't true or that's not how you see me because I'm fine with all of this. I don't have a self-esteem issue. I don't cry myself to sleep at night because I don't like who I am.
Yet, the funny is that I thought I would sit down to do this and come up with 10 or 20. Well, I was surprised at how long my list grew in a very short amount of time. I stopped after about 10 or 15 minutes. I am sure I could have kept going. Here is my list:
· I am prone to binge eating.
· I hate talking on the phone and I am not good at it.
· I judge people by their grammar.
· I am not outgoing.
· I am bad at loading the dishwasher.
· I never know what socks to wear with what outfits.
· I can’t figure out how to buy the right size clothes.
· I wear pajama pants out of the house too often.
· I watch too much TV.
· I rarely read the newspaper.
· I only vote some of the time.
· I break things around the house.
· I sometimes vacuum so much that it’s bad for our carpet.
· I turn on the AC when it’s not all that hot out.
· I am a bad cook and I don’t even try to get better.
· In some areas, I completely ignore constructive criticism. I am sort of a know it all.
· I don’t lie to get out of doing things, but sometimes I don’t tell the 100% truth.
· I don’t understand phonics AT ALL.
· If something comes easily to me, I can’t understand that it doesn’t come easily to everyone.
· I am a very poor listener.
· I try to avoid brushing my teeth and usually one do it once a day.
· I rarely floss.
· I sometimes put off putting away laundry for about a week.
· I can be very awkward in social situations.
· I hate running errands.
· In many ways, I am not adventurous.
· I buy too many similar items of clothing (i.e., cardigan sweaters, denim skirts).
· I don’t compliment people enough.
· Sometimes I completely lose focus while driving.
· I don’t change or scoop the cat litter often enough.
· I do a poor job keeping in touch with old friends.
· Although I sometimes enjoy them when I get there, I dread going to parties.
· I sometimes come across as very unsympathetic.
· I don’t know as much about politics or history as most people assume I do.
· When I blow my nose at home, I leave dirty Kleenexes around the house.
· There are lots of things that I should recycle and don’t.
· I sometimes buy cat litter and leave it in the back of my car for weeks because I am too lazy to carry it into the house.
· I don’t care if it’s bad to crack your back, neck, knuckles, etc., and will do it anyway.
· I hate plain water and drink it only occasionally.
· My voice is too loud in most settings.
· My voice is annoying.
· I am bad at ironing.
· I am one of the worst singers I know.
· I can’t draw worth a damn unless you are talking about drawing trees.
· I have no interest in writing or reading poetry.
· I don’t enjoy art museums.
· I don’t make friends easily, and this doesn’t bother me at all. (The latter part may be worse than the former in some ways.)
· Sometimes I just can’t log off the internet when it’s time to go to bed.
· I hate most types of shopping that are not online.
· Sometimes I say I don’t like foods that I have actually never tried.
· I overuse the word actually.
· I am overly critical of most, if not all, religions.
· I never had a detention in school but have lied and told people otherwise so I didn’t seem like a nerd.
· I think graduation parties for any educational level lower than high school are ridiculous.
· I remember the lines in the national anthem but can’t remember their order.
· I like Dolly Parton as a both a person and a musical artist.
· I can’t order Girl Scout Cookies because I eat a whole box in one sitting.
· Instead of fixing things, I often just buy new things.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tylenol PM vs. Caffeine
I just made a smoothie with my Magic Bullet. Bill and I are on our second, maybe third, Magic Bullet. Sometimes we go months without using it, and then we get on a kick where we make smoothies at least once a day. Here are my favorite smoothies:
1 banana
handful of frozen strawberries
about 1/2 cup of soy milk or skim milk
a little bit of water
a Crystal Light packet (either Raspberry Ice or Sunrise Orange)
OR...
1 peeled medium orange
handful of frozen fruit mixed fruit (pineapples, peach, whatever is in the mix you buy)
Wild Strawberry Crystal Light packet (this has caffeine for an energy kick)
water or skim milk/vanilla soy milk
It's hard to mess up a smoothie. You could really mess it up if you added coconut, but I only say that because I hate coconut. Once in a while, I add some vanilla protein powder. I've also been known to add a little bit of Diet 7 Up or Sprite Zero for a some carbonation.
If we have fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.), those are great, but they are expensive, so I don't mind using frozen. I used to throw in Splenda. Now I've gone to Crystal Light packets because it adds flavor as well as sweetness.
I know other people are more creative in terms of using veggies as well as fruit. I will be honest and tell you that I could never drink a smoothie that was green, even if would add years to my life. I will eat my vegetables. I have no interest in drinking them. If you drink them, you can't butter them.
If I go running in the morning, I like to have a smoothie before I go, and it helps to add some of the "energy" Crystal Light packets for a caffeine kick. Recently, I am finding myself increasingly dependent on caffeine for some "get up and go." I don't like this. However, I find that I have better runs and workouts when I consume caffeine beforehand. I also find that when I'm "blah" in the morning caffeine works wonders.
Many people are dependent on caffeine. I'm not unique in this. It's new to me though. I've never been a coffee person. I actually wish I could like coffee. Lots of places have free coffee. However, I think coffee tastes like cigarette ashes. I've never tasted cigarette ashes, but I've really only tried straight coffee a few times, but I am convinced they taste the same.
If I have caffeine late in the day (after 4 pm or so), I can't sleep at night. This doesn't stop me from having caffeine late in the day. It just means that I have to take a Tylenol PM about two hours before I want to sleep. I don't like this habit either. It's like I am completely manipulating my energy and sleeping patterns with caffeine and Tylenol PM. It could be worse. I have never done illegal drugs. I'm not addicted to prescription pain pills. I rarely even drink. It's rare for me to eat fried food or fast food. I always wear my seatbelt and I don't ride with drunk people. But Tylenol PM is my friend.
After I take my Tylenol PM to counteract the caffeine, I picture both of them in my body battling it out to see if I will stay awake or fall asleep. I actually visualize this as I take the Tylenol PM. When I am about to fall asleep, I know the Tylenol PM has won. It usually does. I think Tylenol PM is a miracle. And its generic versions work just as well. You can tell me that I should try natural remedies intended to induce sleep in a more "gentle" way. I tried that. No dice. If it works for you, great.
My little buddy Murphy and went running tonight (maybe 4 1/2 or 5 miles). We saw a deer out on the trail. Murphy was only moderately interested. He's much more interested in bunnies. You could say he's passionate about rabbits. Murph also had daycare today, so he's tired tonight. We hope this means he will be well-behaved. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog. If this is true, our dogs are certainly not tired enough.
1 banana
handful of frozen strawberries
about 1/2 cup of soy milk or skim milk
a little bit of water
a Crystal Light packet (either Raspberry Ice or Sunrise Orange)
OR...
1 peeled medium orange
handful of frozen fruit mixed fruit (pineapples, peach, whatever is in the mix you buy)
Wild Strawberry Crystal Light packet (this has caffeine for an energy kick)
water or skim milk/vanilla soy milk
It's hard to mess up a smoothie. You could really mess it up if you added coconut, but I only say that because I hate coconut. Once in a while, I add some vanilla protein powder. I've also been known to add a little bit of Diet 7 Up or Sprite Zero for a some carbonation.
If we have fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.), those are great, but they are expensive, so I don't mind using frozen. I used to throw in Splenda. Now I've gone to Crystal Light packets because it adds flavor as well as sweetness.
I know other people are more creative in terms of using veggies as well as fruit. I will be honest and tell you that I could never drink a smoothie that was green, even if would add years to my life. I will eat my vegetables. I have no interest in drinking them. If you drink them, you can't butter them.
If I go running in the morning, I like to have a smoothie before I go, and it helps to add some of the "energy" Crystal Light packets for a caffeine kick. Recently, I am finding myself increasingly dependent on caffeine for some "get up and go." I don't like this. However, I find that I have better runs and workouts when I consume caffeine beforehand. I also find that when I'm "blah" in the morning caffeine works wonders.
Many people are dependent on caffeine. I'm not unique in this. It's new to me though. I've never been a coffee person. I actually wish I could like coffee. Lots of places have free coffee. However, I think coffee tastes like cigarette ashes. I've never tasted cigarette ashes, but I've really only tried straight coffee a few times, but I am convinced they taste the same.
If I have caffeine late in the day (after 4 pm or so), I can't sleep at night. This doesn't stop me from having caffeine late in the day. It just means that I have to take a Tylenol PM about two hours before I want to sleep. I don't like this habit either. It's like I am completely manipulating my energy and sleeping patterns with caffeine and Tylenol PM. It could be worse. I have never done illegal drugs. I'm not addicted to prescription pain pills. I rarely even drink. It's rare for me to eat fried food or fast food. I always wear my seatbelt and I don't ride with drunk people. But Tylenol PM is my friend.
After I take my Tylenol PM to counteract the caffeine, I picture both of them in my body battling it out to see if I will stay awake or fall asleep. I actually visualize this as I take the Tylenol PM. When I am about to fall asleep, I know the Tylenol PM has won. It usually does. I think Tylenol PM is a miracle. And its generic versions work just as well. You can tell me that I should try natural remedies intended to induce sleep in a more "gentle" way. I tried that. No dice. If it works for you, great.
My little buddy Murphy and went running tonight (maybe 4 1/2 or 5 miles). We saw a deer out on the trail. Murphy was only moderately interested. He's much more interested in bunnies. You could say he's passionate about rabbits. Murph also had daycare today, so he's tired tonight. We hope this means he will be well-behaved. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog. If this is true, our dogs are certainly not tired enough.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Champion Napping
Today I had to be at work on campus from 8:30 to about 12:30. Then I came home and…took a nap. If you know me, you probably know my love of naps. I NEVER met a nap I didn’t like, and I never seem to have trouble taking a nap. I know people who say, “I can’t sleep during the day,” or “I try to sleep during the day but I can’t.” My dad says stuff like that all the time. (I obviously don't take after him in this regard.) I just don’t get that. I can’t remember the last time I went to take a nap and it took me more than seven minutes to fall asleep. I am a champion napper. Oh, and don't try to wake me up before I naturally wake up from my nap. This could be 1-2 hours, but waking up before I am meant to makes me irritable and useless the rest of the day.
I used to try to hide this. I didn’t want people to think I was lazy, so I would do anything to make sure people didn’t know I loved to take naps. Now I have decided to own it. I think it’s because I have been successful enough in life that I know I’m not a lazy person, and I don’t care if people think that I am lazy. Obviously, I can’t take a nap everyday due to ridiculous obligations such as those that are related to my career, but I will say I take a nap ALMOST everyday in the summer. And most weekend days year-round. And just about everyday during winter break.
I think I am a person who needs a lot of sleep. I have noticed that in our society this is not looked upon positively. We brag about how little sleep we get, just like we brag about how busy we are. I get annoyed with this. It seems like the person who works 16 hour days on 3 hours of sleep is the “winner,” but what do they really win?
I hear a lot of conversations where people try to top each other with how busy they are. “You think you’re busy???? Well, let me tell you about MY week….” We tend to think we are more important if we are busier, but maybe it’s a sign we need to re-evaluate our priorities or use our time more efficiently. My thought is that these people either enjoy being busy (and should not complain) or should change their lives so they are less busy. Sometimes I want to tell people that I am not impressed with how busy they are. I would be impressed if they took more naps.
The heat here continues. It was about 100 again today. It's cooled off some tonight, and looks like it could rain. I hope it does rain because I didn't bother to water my flowers today. For the first time in about a week, I didn't go for a run. I'd like to use the heat as an excuse, but really I just bailed. Maybe I did need a day off though. I'll go running tomorrow evening and probably feel better after not running today. I'm thinking about seeing if there are any local 5k or 10ks going on this weekend. I'm in the mood for a race, even if I'm not in the shape for it.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Midwestern Pride
It is nearly 100 degrees here today. My house is air conditioned, as is my workplace, so I cannot complain about the heat. I am so spoiled in my life. Although I know there are people who don’t even have homes, it blows my mind that some people live in homes without air conditioning in the year 2011. I have a lot of tolerance for keeping the heat off when others would turn it on, but I am one of the first in the neighborhood to insist to the air conditioning must be on. With the exception of the residence halls in college, I don’t believe I have ever lived anywhere without central air. And I didn’t live in the residence halls in the hottest part of the year. Yes, I have been quite spoiled in this life.
I am somewhat defensive of Iowa and Iowa’s weather. People here complain so freaking much about the weather. They complain in the winter about the cold, snow, and wind. They complain in the spring about the rain. They complain in the summer about the heat…Of course, without the weather, half of the population would be unable to start a conversation.
Every winter I hear comments like, “This cold is just ridiculous,” “It’s below 10 degrees again,” or “I just hate how freezing it is.” I typically nod knowingly, but come on people—it’s Iowa. What did you expect? Did you really not think it would snow this year? Did you think it would be above 20 degrees for all of January? The same goes for summer. People say it’s too warm, too humid, etc. Again, is the heat and humidity a surprise? One of my thoughts is that you can either complain about winters or summers here, but not both. If you hate the cold, don’t complain when it’s 100 degrees. If heat kills you, you need to appreciate December and January.
I will admit that I don’t always love the weather here. However, I choose to live here. Which brings me to my next point: If you don’t like it here, there are 49 other states. Try one of them. I had an opportunity almost two years ago to move to a warmer climate in the Southeast US. I had a job offer and really debated whether I should stay or go. I chose to stay here. I chose Iowa, weather and all. I had a chance to leave and didn’t take it. It can’t be that bad here.
I have only lived in three states: Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. I am a Midwesterner by heart, and I used to be hesitant to claim that. I thought I would go to college here and leave for good. And I still don’t think I will live in the Midwest my entire life. However, being a Midwesterner is not a bad thing. It’s not exotic or exciting, but I’m fine with it. Even somewhat proud of it. I can easily grow a million tomatoes in my summer garden (if my dog wouldn’t eat every last one of them right before they ripened). I can be four years behind in fashion without being ripped apart—it’s just expected here. (And professors are the worst dressed people in the world anyway, so I could get about with being 12 years behind as a professor in the Midwest.) I also love the Midwest because I get to have a basement. Yes, it’s a place to put all of the junk that I’m not quite ready to get rid of, but if I lived somewhere else, all of that crap would be in the garage. Also, it’s flat here. As a runner and sometimes cyclist, I am okay with that.
That's all for now. Stay cool, campers.
I am somewhat defensive of Iowa and Iowa’s weather. People here complain so freaking much about the weather. They complain in the winter about the cold, snow, and wind. They complain in the spring about the rain. They complain in the summer about the heat…Of course, without the weather, half of the population would be unable to start a conversation.
Every winter I hear comments like, “This cold is just ridiculous,” “It’s below 10 degrees again,” or “I just hate how freezing it is.” I typically nod knowingly, but come on people—it’s Iowa. What did you expect? Did you really not think it would snow this year? Did you think it would be above 20 degrees for all of January? The same goes for summer. People say it’s too warm, too humid, etc. Again, is the heat and humidity a surprise? One of my thoughts is that you can either complain about winters or summers here, but not both. If you hate the cold, don’t complain when it’s 100 degrees. If heat kills you, you need to appreciate December and January.
I will admit that I don’t always love the weather here. However, I choose to live here. Which brings me to my next point: If you don’t like it here, there are 49 other states. Try one of them. I had an opportunity almost two years ago to move to a warmer climate in the Southeast US. I had a job offer and really debated whether I should stay or go. I chose to stay here. I chose Iowa, weather and all. I had a chance to leave and didn’t take it. It can’t be that bad here.
I have only lived in three states: Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. I am a Midwesterner by heart, and I used to be hesitant to claim that. I thought I would go to college here and leave for good. And I still don’t think I will live in the Midwest my entire life. However, being a Midwesterner is not a bad thing. It’s not exotic or exciting, but I’m fine with it. Even somewhat proud of it. I can easily grow a million tomatoes in my summer garden (if my dog wouldn’t eat every last one of them right before they ripened). I can be four years behind in fashion without being ripped apart—it’s just expected here. (And professors are the worst dressed people in the world anyway, so I could get about with being 12 years behind as a professor in the Midwest.) I also love the Midwest because I get to have a basement. Yes, it’s a place to put all of the junk that I’m not quite ready to get rid of, but if I lived somewhere else, all of that crap would be in the garage. Also, it’s flat here. As a runner and sometimes cyclist, I am okay with that.
That's all for now. Stay cool, campers.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Boob Tube (as my dad calls it) and My Lame Life
First of all, congratulations to Bill Henninger, Lynzey Henninger Gallagher, and my other friends who completed the Dam to Dam 20k in Des Moines yesterday! (I believe Dam to Dam is one of the largest 20ks in the world. Of course, 20k is not a common distance to run. Just saying.) I've run it several times and I think it's one of the most-organized and friendly races I've done.
My summer goal is to blog everyday. I’m not sure if or when I will run out of things to write about. Most days I look forward to sitting down to write. It’s enjoyable and makes me feel productive. At least more productive than watching TV or randomly surfing the internet.
Tomorrow is the start of summer orientation. I will be working at summer orientation on campus every weekday for the next 7 or so weeks. However, it only adds up to about 15 hours a week--certainly not all day everyday. Along with teaching my online summer classes and some aerobics classes, it should keep me about as busy as I want to be.
There is something I really like about summer orientation. Incoming freshmen, as a whole, tend to be excited about college. Some of them are scared. Some of them are not scared enough. However, most of them are enthusiastic about a new beginning. They know that they can reinvent themselves to some extent, and they hope to leave behind things about themselves that they don’t like. They see college as an opportunity. I also notice that they have a certain level of respect for professors. Professors are a big deal to them. Unfortunately, that respect will last until about October.
So, summer orientation is fun. There are no “problem students” yet. All incoming freshmen are in good academic standing. Of course, this will change. Of the students I work with at orientation, some will flunk out, some will drop out, some will stick around but be headaches for faculty and staff…but I don’t think about that at orientation.
Speaking of college…This morning I was half-watching a lame but somehow addicting movie on Lifetime called, “The Party Never Stops.” I was flipping through the channels and somehow got hooked. That happens with Lifetime movies. (In a related thought, I think Lifetime movies are where formerly well-known actors and actresses go to die.) The movie is about binge drinking on college campuses and its consequences (bad grades, OWIs, alcohol poisoning, death, etc.). It’s sort of like an afterschool special, if you are old enough to remember those. Very predictable with mediocre acting and a well-intentioned message. Typical Lifetime movie.
Every once in a while, I get hooked on a Lifetime movie as I am flipping stations. Not coincidentally, this is often when I have a long to-do list and little time to waste. And when the movie ends, I always think about how I’ll never get those two hours back.
Later in the day, I got addicted to a marathon on the Big 10 Network of “Journey: Big 10 Basketball 2011.” (I am inserting the link here in case you want more info--I recommend it.) Although I am a college basketball fan, I don’t following the Big 10 particularly closely. Yet a documentary following a season of a college basketball conference is certainly my thing. I hope they do it again next year. I really hope someone does one following the MVC, but my husband and I might be the only ones to watch it. Because I love college basketball and documentaries, I would love it if people made more documentaries about college basketball.
For as busy as people tend to perceive me to be, I watch a lot of TV. Here is what I did today: Got up, ate breakfast, watched TV, ate lunch, took a nap, got up, watched TV, ran about 5 miles with Bill, walked to Kwik Star to get a soda, and watched more TV. I know people who don't have a TV. This is difficult for me to fathom. I think I would actually give up my bed before I'd give up my TV. I'm not proud of that. And don't even start me on DVR. DVR is one of the great miracles of the world. I would give up one of my fingers to keep DVR. And I am NOT kidding, unfortunately. I wish I were.
Just an aside: If you've ever thought about starting a blog, blogger.com makes it easy and fun. No, I am not getting paid or reimbursed in any way to say this. The blog was simple to start, and it's fun to see the stats about how many people are reading your blog and where they are from. I can also see which of my blog entries are the most popular, which is interesting. Blogger is free to use, as well. I should say that I don't have any experience with any of the other blog options out there. Maybe they are great as well. My point is that writing a blog is easy, even if you are not tech-saavy. If you've considered it, don't let the technical aspects stop you.
My summer goal is to blog everyday. I’m not sure if or when I will run out of things to write about. Most days I look forward to sitting down to write. It’s enjoyable and makes me feel productive. At least more productive than watching TV or randomly surfing the internet.
Tomorrow is the start of summer orientation. I will be working at summer orientation on campus every weekday for the next 7 or so weeks. However, it only adds up to about 15 hours a week--certainly not all day everyday. Along with teaching my online summer classes and some aerobics classes, it should keep me about as busy as I want to be.
There is something I really like about summer orientation. Incoming freshmen, as a whole, tend to be excited about college. Some of them are scared. Some of them are not scared enough. However, most of them are enthusiastic about a new beginning. They know that they can reinvent themselves to some extent, and they hope to leave behind things about themselves that they don’t like. They see college as an opportunity. I also notice that they have a certain level of respect for professors. Professors are a big deal to them. Unfortunately, that respect will last until about October.
So, summer orientation is fun. There are no “problem students” yet. All incoming freshmen are in good academic standing. Of course, this will change. Of the students I work with at orientation, some will flunk out, some will drop out, some will stick around but be headaches for faculty and staff…but I don’t think about that at orientation.
Speaking of college…This morning I was half-watching a lame but somehow addicting movie on Lifetime called, “The Party Never Stops.” I was flipping through the channels and somehow got hooked. That happens with Lifetime movies. (In a related thought, I think Lifetime movies are where formerly well-known actors and actresses go to die.) The movie is about binge drinking on college campuses and its consequences (bad grades, OWIs, alcohol poisoning, death, etc.). It’s sort of like an afterschool special, if you are old enough to remember those. Very predictable with mediocre acting and a well-intentioned message. Typical Lifetime movie.
Every once in a while, I get hooked on a Lifetime movie as I am flipping stations. Not coincidentally, this is often when I have a long to-do list and little time to waste. And when the movie ends, I always think about how I’ll never get those two hours back.
Later in the day, I got addicted to a marathon on the Big 10 Network of “Journey: Big 10 Basketball 2011.” (I am inserting the link here in case you want more info--I recommend it.) Although I am a college basketball fan, I don’t following the Big 10 particularly closely. Yet a documentary following a season of a college basketball conference is certainly my thing. I hope they do it again next year. I really hope someone does one following the MVC, but my husband and I might be the only ones to watch it. Because I love college basketball and documentaries, I would love it if people made more documentaries about college basketball.
For as busy as people tend to perceive me to be, I watch a lot of TV. Here is what I did today: Got up, ate breakfast, watched TV, ate lunch, took a nap, got up, watched TV, ran about 5 miles with Bill, walked to Kwik Star to get a soda, and watched more TV. I know people who don't have a TV. This is difficult for me to fathom. I think I would actually give up my bed before I'd give up my TV. I'm not proud of that. And don't even start me on DVR. DVR is one of the great miracles of the world. I would give up one of my fingers to keep DVR. And I am NOT kidding, unfortunately. I wish I were.
Just an aside: If you've ever thought about starting a blog, blogger.com makes it easy and fun. No, I am not getting paid or reimbursed in any way to say this. The blog was simple to start, and it's fun to see the stats about how many people are reading your blog and where they are from. I can also see which of my blog entries are the most popular, which is interesting. Blogger is free to use, as well. I should say that I don't have any experience with any of the other blog options out there. Maybe they are great as well. My point is that writing a blog is easy, even if you are not tech-saavy. If you've considered it, don't let the technical aspects stop you.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
My Waterloo Days Parade and the Un-Oprah List
I went running this morning. I unintentionally ran into the My Waterloo Days parade in downtown Waterloo. It was fun. Lots of dance teams, gymnastics, music, kids, dogs, etc. One things I noticed was that there was NO candy. None at all. I assume it was against the rules to throw candy off of parade floats. What is the world coming to when you can't throw candy in a parade?
A particularly bright spot of the parade was when God provided me with Gatorade halfway through my run. Okay, maybe it wasn't God; it was Prairie Lakes Church. They had a little stand with free hot dogs, water, and Gatorade. I had two or three dixie cups of Gatorade and one of water. I passed on the hot dogs, but many people were cramming them done like they were in a hot dog eating contest, although it was probably not even 10 a.m. yet. Breakfast of champions.
It was a warm morning. I didn't leave here until about 9:20. I should have left earlier. I ran about 6 1/2 miles. It felt like longer than that, but that's probably because I'm not used to running in the heat yet. I've decided I am going to pick up my mileage some in the next few weeks. A few years back, it wasn't a big deal for me to go out for a 8-10 mile run at least three times a week and do shorter runs on the other days. I'd like to get back to that.
Anyway....
I've been doing some thinking. In one way and probably only one way, I am like Oprah. Oprah has a list of favorite things. So do I. However, Oprah's list actually impacts the sales of the products. I guarantee that mine will not. Nevertheless, there are a few products (pet supplies, running gear, foods) that I am quite attached to. Here is my list, in no particular order. I am going to put in links for some of them.
Keep in mind that you can only see the links if you go to the actual blog. If you are emailed this blog, you can go to http://themediocrerunner.blogspot.com/ to see pictures and links of the items. If you go to the blog instead of just reading this emailed text, you also see the design of the blog and any backgrounds, logos, etc. In other words, it's more aesthetically pleasing.
1. Nike Be Strong Capri pants: These are great. I have two pairs. I wear them to teach aerobics and for running when it’s not too hot out. They dry quickly and are very flattering. They are fitted enough to stay in place but tight enough that I feel self-conscious. Maybe a little expensive, but definitely worth it.
2. Kongs: We have several sizes and shapes of Kongs. They keep dogs busy when you are gone or need them to NOT be annoying. Some friends of mine had a puppy with separation anxiety, and a Kong worked wonders in keeping him occupied and quiet while they were gone.
3. Crystal Light Energy: A few years back, Crystal Light started making little packets to add to 12 or 20 ounce water bottles. They have some that are caffeinated, like the wild strawberry flavor. It gives me a nice boost before I work out or when I need to get going in the morning. My husband and I have started calling them “diesel.”
4. Fiber One bars: Think of these as candy bars that have some nutritional value. They aren’t low in sugar but the amount of fiber keeps you full. My favorite is the oats and caramel. Or maybe the oats and peanut butter. I should warn you that these bars are really sweet. Some of you may think they are TOO sweet, but I don't know what it means when people say that. To me, there is no such thing as too sweet.
5. Gentle Leader: When I take Murphy running using a regular collar, he’s all over the place. He wants to chase rabbits and is somewhat hard to control. When he wears the Gentle Leader, he is focused and the best running partner you could ask for. It makes all the difference. It also comes with a DVD on how to fit your dog with the Gentle Leader. I probably would have not known exactly how to put it on him if I had not watched the DVD.
6. Paula’s Choice products: Although these products are generally not as cheap at products you would buy at Walmart, they are not as expensive as Estee Lauder, Lancome, etc. I love that Paula’s Choice is marketed realistically. They make a point of not promising things (like looking 10 years younger) that are impossible. I should add that the skin care products are awesome, but the makeup is only average. They do have great customer service. Paula’s Choice is only available online.
7. Viactiv Calcium plus D: This will make you look forward to taking your calcium. And, from what I have heard, most of us are deficient in vitamin D. They have chocolate, caramel, and raspberry. I like the raspberry best.
8. Nature’s Miracle: We have six pets, so I consider myself an expert here. This is the only thing that we’ve found that really eliminates the smell of urine, particularly cat urine. Don’t be afraid to use a lot. It works amazingly well.
9. Swiffer: Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? I probably use the Swiffer about every other day to do a quick “mopping” of our kitchen and sun room. It works on all sorts of floors, including hard wood. The pads are rather expensive but I have realized I can use one more than once. They remind me of huge maxi pads. You can get the best deal on the cleaning liquid and pads at Sam’s Club.
10. Lands End swimsuits: I don’t have a particular one in mind to recommend. The best part is that you can mix and match tops and bottoms. They have swim shorts—and I don’t mean those stupid little boy shorts that make my hips look 8 miles wide. They have some that are short but a bit baggier. Love them! I bought a pair in high school that I wore for about 7-8 years. I just bought another pair (they came in the mail today), and I'm not sure why I waited so long. All of their suits are high quality and last for years. They can be more expensive, but often they have swimwear sales where you can get 20% or 30% off as well as free shipping. Lands End is also known for customer service.
A particularly bright spot of the parade was when God provided me with Gatorade halfway through my run. Okay, maybe it wasn't God; it was Prairie Lakes Church. They had a little stand with free hot dogs, water, and Gatorade. I had two or three dixie cups of Gatorade and one of water. I passed on the hot dogs, but many people were cramming them done like they were in a hot dog eating contest, although it was probably not even 10 a.m. yet. Breakfast of champions.
It was a warm morning. I didn't leave here until about 9:20. I should have left earlier. I ran about 6 1/2 miles. It felt like longer than that, but that's probably because I'm not used to running in the heat yet. I've decided I am going to pick up my mileage some in the next few weeks. A few years back, it wasn't a big deal for me to go out for a 8-10 mile run at least three times a week and do shorter runs on the other days. I'd like to get back to that.
Anyway....
I've been doing some thinking. In one way and probably only one way, I am like Oprah. Oprah has a list of favorite things. So do I. However, Oprah's list actually impacts the sales of the products. I guarantee that mine will not. Nevertheless, there are a few products (pet supplies, running gear, foods) that I am quite attached to. Here is my list, in no particular order. I am going to put in links for some of them.
Keep in mind that you can only see the links if you go to the actual blog. If you are emailed this blog, you can go to http://themediocrerunner.blogspot.com/ to see pictures and links of the items. If you go to the blog instead of just reading this emailed text, you also see the design of the blog and any backgrounds, logos, etc. In other words, it's more aesthetically pleasing.
1. Nike Be Strong Capri pants: These are great. I have two pairs. I wear them to teach aerobics and for running when it’s not too hot out. They dry quickly and are very flattering. They are fitted enough to stay in place but tight enough that I feel self-conscious. Maybe a little expensive, but definitely worth it.
2. Kongs: We have several sizes and shapes of Kongs. They keep dogs busy when you are gone or need them to NOT be annoying. Some friends of mine had a puppy with separation anxiety, and a Kong worked wonders in keeping him occupied and quiet while they were gone.
3. Crystal Light Energy: A few years back, Crystal Light started making little packets to add to 12 or 20 ounce water bottles. They have some that are caffeinated, like the wild strawberry flavor. It gives me a nice boost before I work out or when I need to get going in the morning. My husband and I have started calling them “diesel.”
4. Fiber One bars: Think of these as candy bars that have some nutritional value. They aren’t low in sugar but the amount of fiber keeps you full. My favorite is the oats and caramel. Or maybe the oats and peanut butter. I should warn you that these bars are really sweet. Some of you may think they are TOO sweet, but I don't know what it means when people say that. To me, there is no such thing as too sweet.
5. Gentle Leader: When I take Murphy running using a regular collar, he’s all over the place. He wants to chase rabbits and is somewhat hard to control. When he wears the Gentle Leader, he is focused and the best running partner you could ask for. It makes all the difference. It also comes with a DVD on how to fit your dog with the Gentle Leader. I probably would have not known exactly how to put it on him if I had not watched the DVD.
6. Paula’s Choice products: Although these products are generally not as cheap at products you would buy at Walmart, they are not as expensive as Estee Lauder, Lancome, etc. I love that Paula’s Choice is marketed realistically. They make a point of not promising things (like looking 10 years younger) that are impossible. I should add that the skin care products are awesome, but the makeup is only average. They do have great customer service. Paula’s Choice is only available online.
7. Viactiv Calcium plus D: This will make you look forward to taking your calcium. And, from what I have heard, most of us are deficient in vitamin D. They have chocolate, caramel, and raspberry. I like the raspberry best.
8. Nature’s Miracle: We have six pets, so I consider myself an expert here. This is the only thing that we’ve found that really eliminates the smell of urine, particularly cat urine. Don’t be afraid to use a lot. It works amazingly well.
9. Swiffer: Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? I probably use the Swiffer about every other day to do a quick “mopping” of our kitchen and sun room. It works on all sorts of floors, including hard wood. The pads are rather expensive but I have realized I can use one more than once. They remind me of huge maxi pads. You can get the best deal on the cleaning liquid and pads at Sam’s Club.
10. Lands End swimsuits: I don’t have a particular one in mind to recommend. The best part is that you can mix and match tops and bottoms. They have swim shorts—and I don’t mean those stupid little boy shorts that make my hips look 8 miles wide. They have some that are short but a bit baggier. Love them! I bought a pair in high school that I wore for about 7-8 years. I just bought another pair (they came in the mail today), and I'm not sure why I waited so long. All of their suits are high quality and last for years. They can be more expensive, but often they have swimwear sales where you can get 20% or 30% off as well as free shipping. Lands End is also known for customer service.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Summer in Waterloo: Photos of Flowers and Mutts
It's very warm here today. I'm not sure if we've hit 90, but we must be close. I like it. It's just a little breezy with not much humidity. I hate humidity. It's my kryptonite. If you ask other women with naturally curly hair who use flat irons, they would probably say the same.
Bill and I spent a few minutes in the back yard after lunch. He mowed, and I picked weeds and gave the dogs a bath. I took a few pictures. Some flowers, some dogs, some guy without a shirt mowing the yard (you have to look closely for him).
If you don't know our dogs, you'll see why we call them the Odd Trio. Many people who have more than one dog have dogs that are somewhat similar in appearance or of the same breed. Our boys are totally different. You could probably guess they were not littermates. Murphy is a neurotic reddish beagle mix who we've had about 4 years. Gus-Gus is a black and white terrier mix who we adopted about 5 years ago. And Karl is our big boy. He's an older brindle English Mastiff who we've had about 2 1/2 years now. He's weighs about 110 pounds, which is quite tiny for a Mastiff. His hobbies include sleeping and drooling. He also enjoys eating socks and underwear. Once he ate a whole t-shirt.
Bill and I spent a few minutes in the back yard after lunch. He mowed, and I picked weeds and gave the dogs a bath. I took a few pictures. Some flowers, some dogs, some guy without a shirt mowing the yard (you have to look closely for him).
If you don't know our dogs, you'll see why we call them the Odd Trio. Many people who have more than one dog have dogs that are somewhat similar in appearance or of the same breed. Our boys are totally different. You could probably guess they were not littermates. Murphy is a neurotic reddish beagle mix who we've had about 4 years. Gus-Gus is a black and white terrier mix who we adopted about 5 years ago. And Karl is our big boy. He's an older brindle English Mastiff who we've had about 2 1/2 years now. He's weighs about 110 pounds, which is quite tiny for a Mastiff. His hobbies include sleeping and drooling. He also enjoys eating socks and underwear. Once he ate a whole t-shirt.
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| Here are some flowers I haven't killed yet. It's only June. |
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| Since moving here, I've learned that hostas are hard to kill. They are perfect for me. |
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| That's Bill with our new lawnmower on the right. |
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| Karl in the normal Karl position. |
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| This is Murphy being a beagle. Nose to the ground. |
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| Karl is tired from all of the naps he's taken already today. |
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| Gus-Gus, the dog so nice..they named him twice. |
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| Gus-Gus working on his tan. |
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| Gus-Gus is quite photogenic. |
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| Karl preparing for his next nap. |
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Don't Play (Board) Games With Me!
First of all, happy 29th birthday to my great husband, William Roy Henninger! I didn't make a big deal about 29. We shall see about 30!
It is a beautiful but windy night in Northeast Iowa. I had to teach a 5:30 step aerobics class, and then I went to a 5 mile run. I felt good on the run, especially since I've done so many squats and lunges in the past two days. I'm deciding what I want to do this summer in terms of races. Do I want to take on a half marathon? Or maybe a full marathon? Or be a little more leisurely and focus on 5 and 10ks? I need to make a decision because if I am going to do a half or a full I need to start doing some long runs. My longest run this year has probably been between 6 and 7 miles.
Lots of people were out on the trails this evening. I love seeing the diversity of individuals. I saw old people, young people, and families biking. Some had top of line biking gear and bikes. Others were riding richety old bikes. I saw a few runners. Some of them were zipping along. Some of them were not. I saw some people walking, with and without canine friends.
The Scripp's National Spelling Bee is on ESPN. I love the spelling bee. I was a good speller as a kid. It came easily to me, and I always got perfect scores on my spelling tests. However, I can't hold a candle to these kids. They are amazing. One of my favorite documentaries is Spellbound. Spellbound shows the journeys of several kids on their way to the national spelling bee. It's awesome. It's getting a bit dated, which means you can buy a used copy pretty cheap on Amazon.com, and I'm sure it's on Netflix as well. If you are interested in watching some socially awkward kids with parents who have questionable mentoring tactics, check it out. And let me know what you think. If you like that, I recommend Mad Hot Ballroom.
One of my favorite elementary school assignments (we may have done it in middle school, too, or maybe even high school) was writing sentences with vocab/spelling words. We would be given a list of words for the week. We would have to learn to spell them but also learn their definitions. I was okay with learning to spell them, but what was really fun was writing the sentences. It still appeals to me to have a list of words and get to just write sentences with them.
I could be the sentence writer for the spelling bee. They kids ask, "Can you please use it in a sentence?" Well, someone has to write all of those sentences. How do I get that job? Does it pay? I would have to learn quite a few new words. As I watch the bee, I realize that I only know about 20% of the words--and that may be giving myself too much credit.
Playing online Scrabble with my dad has proved to me that my vocabulary is less than impressive--especially when I try to challenge his "science" words. I must have not paid attention in chemistry, physics, etc. Actually, I don't think I took physics. My Uncle Stephen is impressive with culinary words, and I'm weak in that area as well. I'm not sure in what area my vocabulary is strong. Maybe health- or disease-related words, but those are seldom used in Scrabble because they are usually long.
I've always been a fan of word-related games (Scrabble, Boggle, Balderdash, Upwords--is Upwords still out there?). I guess part of that is probably because I have typically been good at these games, as opposed to games like Risk, Pictionary, Charades, or Trivial Pursuit. I think people usually like games they excel at. I don't think I am exceptionally competitive when I play board games, but I don't like to lose. An exception would be Jenga. I enjoy it, but I'm awful at it. I'm sort of a "bull in a china shop" type of person. Not much for finesse.
I should add that I am particularly not a fan of Risk. I guess I am not ready to be a military commander. I have been forced into many games of Risk because it was a favorite of both my father and pretty much all of my ex-boyfriends. Once I found a guy who liked me and wasn't obsessed with Risk, I married him. I probably haven't played Risk in 4 years. I don't miss it.
I also dislike games that are based purely on luck, such as the Game of Life (but I love Life the cereal!!!!!) and Farkle. Farkle is a dice game that does involve some strategy, but your outcome is pretty much based on your luck with the dice. I always get annoyed when people compliment you on a win when the game is based on luck. Such as when you win on slots and someone says "Good job." I think that's ridiculous.
I would be interested in how video games (Nintendo, Wii, etc.) have impacted board game sales in the US. I have noticed that many games like Boggle and Scrabble have video game adaptations, which I am assuming they must have to do to survive in 2011. I know you can buy an electronic version of Life and Monopoly. I guess Hasbro and Parker Brothers have had to change with the times.
I am wondering if I should change the name of my blog to "Useless Observations About Irrelevant Stuff." I wouldn't be surprised if that's taken already. It probably describes about 50% of all blogs. I could also go with "Stuff I Think About That You Probably Don't Care About" or "A Blog Only A Parent Could Love."
It is a beautiful but windy night in Northeast Iowa. I had to teach a 5:30 step aerobics class, and then I went to a 5 mile run. I felt good on the run, especially since I've done so many squats and lunges in the past two days. I'm deciding what I want to do this summer in terms of races. Do I want to take on a half marathon? Or maybe a full marathon? Or be a little more leisurely and focus on 5 and 10ks? I need to make a decision because if I am going to do a half or a full I need to start doing some long runs. My longest run this year has probably been between 6 and 7 miles.
Lots of people were out on the trails this evening. I love seeing the diversity of individuals. I saw old people, young people, and families biking. Some had top of line biking gear and bikes. Others were riding richety old bikes. I saw a few runners. Some of them were zipping along. Some of them were not. I saw some people walking, with and without canine friends.
The Scripp's National Spelling Bee is on ESPN. I love the spelling bee. I was a good speller as a kid. It came easily to me, and I always got perfect scores on my spelling tests. However, I can't hold a candle to these kids. They are amazing. One of my favorite documentaries is Spellbound. Spellbound shows the journeys of several kids on their way to the national spelling bee. It's awesome. It's getting a bit dated, which means you can buy a used copy pretty cheap on Amazon.com, and I'm sure it's on Netflix as well. If you are interested in watching some socially awkward kids with parents who have questionable mentoring tactics, check it out. And let me know what you think. If you like that, I recommend Mad Hot Ballroom.
One of my favorite elementary school assignments (we may have done it in middle school, too, or maybe even high school) was writing sentences with vocab/spelling words. We would be given a list of words for the week. We would have to learn to spell them but also learn their definitions. I was okay with learning to spell them, but what was really fun was writing the sentences. It still appeals to me to have a list of words and get to just write sentences with them.
I could be the sentence writer for the spelling bee. They kids ask, "Can you please use it in a sentence?" Well, someone has to write all of those sentences. How do I get that job? Does it pay? I would have to learn quite a few new words. As I watch the bee, I realize that I only know about 20% of the words--and that may be giving myself too much credit.
Playing online Scrabble with my dad has proved to me that my vocabulary is less than impressive--especially when I try to challenge his "science" words. I must have not paid attention in chemistry, physics, etc. Actually, I don't think I took physics. My Uncle Stephen is impressive with culinary words, and I'm weak in that area as well. I'm not sure in what area my vocabulary is strong. Maybe health- or disease-related words, but those are seldom used in Scrabble because they are usually long.
I've always been a fan of word-related games (Scrabble, Boggle, Balderdash, Upwords--is Upwords still out there?). I guess part of that is probably because I have typically been good at these games, as opposed to games like Risk, Pictionary, Charades, or Trivial Pursuit. I think people usually like games they excel at. I don't think I am exceptionally competitive when I play board games, but I don't like to lose. An exception would be Jenga. I enjoy it, but I'm awful at it. I'm sort of a "bull in a china shop" type of person. Not much for finesse.
I should add that I am particularly not a fan of Risk. I guess I am not ready to be a military commander. I have been forced into many games of Risk because it was a favorite of both my father and pretty much all of my ex-boyfriends. Once I found a guy who liked me and wasn't obsessed with Risk, I married him. I probably haven't played Risk in 4 years. I don't miss it.
I also dislike games that are based purely on luck, such as the Game of Life (but I love Life the cereal!!!!!) and Farkle. Farkle is a dice game that does involve some strategy, but your outcome is pretty much based on your luck with the dice. I always get annoyed when people compliment you on a win when the game is based on luck. Such as when you win on slots and someone says "Good job." I think that's ridiculous.
I would be interested in how video games (Nintendo, Wii, etc.) have impacted board game sales in the US. I have noticed that many games like Boggle and Scrabble have video game adaptations, which I am assuming they must have to do to survive in 2011. I know you can buy an electronic version of Life and Monopoly. I guess Hasbro and Parker Brothers have had to change with the times.
I am wondering if I should change the name of my blog to "Useless Observations About Irrelevant Stuff." I wouldn't be surprised if that's taken already. It probably describes about 50% of all blogs. I could also go with "Stuff I Think About That You Probably Don't Care About" or "A Blog Only A Parent Could Love."
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Trends in Blogging
Often successful blogs focus on a project or journey. I think this is a newer trend. The movie Julie and Julia is based on one's woman blog about cooking all of the recipes for in one of Julia Child's cookbook within a year. I've seen blogs about how people take a year and reject consumerism--only buying the absolute necessities while eating foods from their own gardens. Neither of these things are in my wheelhouse. I don't cook and I like to spend money.
However, I've thought about whether or not I should take on a challenge and write about it. Here are my ideas:
- 1. I could live in a nursing home and blog about it. This would be an ideal experience with my career. Of course, I refuse to eat institutional food (I only ate school lunch once in 12 years) so they would have to implement a feeding tube. I should add that this isn't a unique idea. Several people have done this and produced short documentaries, reality TV shows, newspaper articles, etc.
- I could limit my nutrititional consumption to only junk food for some length of time and write about how this affects me. This is along the same thinking of Morgan Spurlock when he did Supersize Me and documented how eating only McDonald's impacted his health. I certainly wouldn't go with McDonald's. I would choose a diet of Red Vines licorice, DQ Blizzards, cupcakes, and animal crackers.
- 3. I could start a dog rescue and blog about saving dogs from being euthanized at shelters. I actually know I could never really do this one because it would be too hard for me when I couldn't rescue every dog. I'll leave this idea to someone else.
- 4. I could move to a nudist colony for a time and blog about my experiences. Fortunately, nudist colonies are generally in warm areas, like Florida (why would a nudist live in Iowa?), so a benefit would be spending time in a warm climate. Obviously, a drawback would be having to look at old naked men all the time. I don't think people generally considered "hot" in our society become nudist. I'm not sure why.
- 5. Here is one I really wish I could pursue...I would like to blog about my students for a semester. (If anyone who doesn't know me is actually reading this---I am a college professor.) I'd like to take one of my classes and write about the development of my relationships with my students, the students' development of relationships with each other, and the issues and problems I have (which are sometimes very funny). I think I could make this really interesting. I also think it would be a good thing for other people to be able to put themselves in the shoes of a professor and see things from my perspective. Why can't I do this? Confidentiality, of course.
- Here's another one I would really like to do but can't. I would like to become a CNA (Certified Nurses Aide) at a nursing home. I could write about the perspectives on life I gain from getting to know the residents. Of course, I don't see a nursing home giving me their blessing to blog about their employees and residents. (As an aside, I assign a book to my students that details one women's experience of becoming a CNA and writing about her experience of working with individuals with Alzheimer's. It's called Dancing with Rose and I highly recommend it. I'll put the link on this page. It's a must read if you know someone with Alzheimer's Disease or a related dementia.)
- 7. I could go a whole year and refuse to buy anything that I did NOT have a coupon for. TLC has a new show called Extreme Couponing which may have impacted my thinking here. This would be an interesting gimmick, but I don't really think it would be a great financial decision. Bill has been doing a great job clipping coupons, but we get plenty of good deals without coupons as well. In addition, I get frustrated when people thinking they are saving money by using coupons when the coupons actually cause them to buy stuff they don't want or need in the first place. I see this on Extreme Couponing. A person doesn't use 100 bottles of mouthwash in their entire life, so who cares if they only cost a dime a piece?
- 8. I could take a kid and travel around entering them in pageants. This idea was inspired by Toddlers and Tiaras and Little Miss Perfect. I would have plenty of stuff to write about. I must admit that I am not a fan of pageants. I think they are ridiculous. In addition, they are expensive, which is one big reason I would never actually do this. Furthermore, I'd have to find a kid.
- 9. We could sell our house in town and move out to the country where we'd have a tiny bit of farmland and some small amount of animals (goats, chickens, cows to milk, etc). I have always lived in the Midwest, but I consider myself a city kid. I've never lived on a farm. Despite what some many think about Iowa, plenty of us do NOT grow up on farms. Anyway, I have a feeling this would be a comedy of errors. I'd learn a lot, but in the end have a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. At least that's what I'd like to think would happen. And our dogs would have a larger area to run. Murphy's ears would be flopping in the wind as he joyously raced around the pasture.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
100--It's about Quantity not Quality
This is my 100th blog post. I didn't know this until Blogger.com told me about 15 seconds ago. I can't say it is special in any way other than that. However, I guess it's somewhat of a milestone in that I've sat down 100 times to write....something.
I started writing about running. I have realized there's only so much one can write about running. I still write about running, but I venture into other areas, such as the meaning of life, my pets, my kidneys, documentaries...I know that in order to have a solid blog with lots of followers you have to focus on one area--like cooking every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook in a year. I don't do that. Some people make a living off of their blogs but I am for certain I will never do that. I'm not focused enough. I'm also not forward enough to promote my blog.
So why continue to have a blog? I've always liked to write. As a child, I showed almost an abnormal desire and need to write. It's one of the quirkier things about me growing up. As a grown-up, I have plenty of opportunities to write for my job. In fact, I have many published journal articles that detail research studies. However, that's a very different kind of writing. Don't get me wrong--I do enjoy the writing I do for work. Yet, there is something about being to write about whatever I want in whatever format I want that is appealing.
Writing has always come easily to me. I'm not saying I am a fantastic writer. I know many people who write much better than myself. Yet, I often sit down to write and realize (after what seems like only a few moments) that I have compiled pages and pages. Is this quality writing? Sometimes. Even when it's not quality writing, I seem to gain something from it though. It's an enjoyable activity for me, even if my strength is quantity and not always quality.
I started writing at an early age. As a youngster (maybe 5???), I started a series of novels about the Kit Family. The Kit Family was a fictional family with, if I remember correctly, about 9 children. I wrote about their escapades: new school years, the birth of a new family member, buying a new car....I should add that I use the word novel very loosely here. I think each was about 10-12 pages. Yet, it was definitely a series. Not bad for a little kid.
I also remember taking on a collaborator when I was maybe in 2nd or 3rd grade, my friend Jennifer. We were going to write a book together. My dad, who was a good sport, volunteered to take our little book to work to laminate and bind it. I don't remember the topic of this particular book. Jennifer came to spend the night and we planned to work on the book. This was to be a working sleepover. However, she seemed to want to play, have fun, and she didn't seem dedicated to working on the project. I was annoyed by this. I'm sure this was the last time we collaborated. I really didn't have many friends as a child.
I also remember that I did something odd in the 5th grade. For 15-30 minutes before the bus came to pick us up at the end of the day, we were required to read. Some kids in our class didn't want to read. I was okay with reading. A few of the kids complained and said they didn't want to read. Finally, our teacher snapped, "Read a book or WRITE a book!" There it was. Another option. I could write a book. So I started writing a book. (I actually don't think my teacher meant to give that as an option. I think it was just something he snapped because he was annoyed.)
I remember the book I decided to write. It was about a set of female triplets. Each had a hobby that they really excelled at. One was a softball player. One was a dancer. The other...I have no idea what the other was...it's not important. The "plot" (if you will) was about how they each had a very important activity (a recital, a game, etc.) and all of these activities fell on the same day. The whole book was about how they would negotiate this day. This was before we did everything on a computer. It was about 200 pages front and back, handwritten.
Somewhere along the line (between 8th grade and college, I guess), I stopped writing fiction. Maybe I lost my imagination. I don't have the desire anymore to make up stories. When I write now, I would rather write about observations of real life. I don't know why this changed. I'm not even sure if I'd be able to write fiction at this point. Is that just a product of adulthood? Obviously, other adults write fiction, so I guess maybe it's just an interaction of adulthood and me. Or the evolution of my hobby of writing.
I used to think blogging was incredibly self-indulgent. I would roll my eyes when people would keep a blog to discuss all of the details of their families, what they made for dinner, etc. My thought was generally to question why these individuals thought others cared so much about the details of their lives. First of all, I have to admit that sometimes other people do care. People you went to high school with are curious (even if it is for all the wrong reasons...particularly to prove to themselves they they did better than you in life even if they are still living in their parents' basement). Your mom cares. She gets frustrated you won't call her back so instead she settles for reading your blog, and she really does care what you made for dinner.
On the other hand, I have to wonder how much of blogging is for others and how much is for the writer. Is blogging just the diary of 2011? (Do teen girls have hand written pink diaries anymore?) Of course, diaries were intended to be private, and blogging isn't private. Were diaries really private though? Didn't our parents read them when we were at summer camp? Mine had a lock but I think I kept the key attached anyway. There is, of course, an aspect of self impression management in blogging. Individuals present themselves in a certain way. It's no different than Facebook. My favorite thing about Facebook is probably analyzing the self impression management process people use before they post things like "LUV my huband (sic)" or "TGIF!!!! Woot! Woot!" (I have been struggling to figure out why everyone needs to use Woot! Woot! as an expression of enthusiasm recently. I'm also not sure why the hell it annoys me so damn much.) Then again, I was a psych major as an undergrad. If only I had know this would serve me so well.
So 100 blog entries. Woot! Woot!
I started writing about running. I have realized there's only so much one can write about running. I still write about running, but I venture into other areas, such as the meaning of life, my pets, my kidneys, documentaries...I know that in order to have a solid blog with lots of followers you have to focus on one area--like cooking every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook in a year. I don't do that. Some people make a living off of their blogs but I am for certain I will never do that. I'm not focused enough. I'm also not forward enough to promote my blog.
So why continue to have a blog? I've always liked to write. As a child, I showed almost an abnormal desire and need to write. It's one of the quirkier things about me growing up. As a grown-up, I have plenty of opportunities to write for my job. In fact, I have many published journal articles that detail research studies. However, that's a very different kind of writing. Don't get me wrong--I do enjoy the writing I do for work. Yet, there is something about being to write about whatever I want in whatever format I want that is appealing.
Writing has always come easily to me. I'm not saying I am a fantastic writer. I know many people who write much better than myself. Yet, I often sit down to write and realize (after what seems like only a few moments) that I have compiled pages and pages. Is this quality writing? Sometimes. Even when it's not quality writing, I seem to gain something from it though. It's an enjoyable activity for me, even if my strength is quantity and not always quality.
I started writing at an early age. As a youngster (maybe 5???), I started a series of novels about the Kit Family. The Kit Family was a fictional family with, if I remember correctly, about 9 children. I wrote about their escapades: new school years, the birth of a new family member, buying a new car....I should add that I use the word novel very loosely here. I think each was about 10-12 pages. Yet, it was definitely a series. Not bad for a little kid.
I also remember taking on a collaborator when I was maybe in 2nd or 3rd grade, my friend Jennifer. We were going to write a book together. My dad, who was a good sport, volunteered to take our little book to work to laminate and bind it. I don't remember the topic of this particular book. Jennifer came to spend the night and we planned to work on the book. This was to be a working sleepover. However, she seemed to want to play, have fun, and she didn't seem dedicated to working on the project. I was annoyed by this. I'm sure this was the last time we collaborated. I really didn't have many friends as a child.
I also remember that I did something odd in the 5th grade. For 15-30 minutes before the bus came to pick us up at the end of the day, we were required to read. Some kids in our class didn't want to read. I was okay with reading. A few of the kids complained and said they didn't want to read. Finally, our teacher snapped, "Read a book or WRITE a book!" There it was. Another option. I could write a book. So I started writing a book. (I actually don't think my teacher meant to give that as an option. I think it was just something he snapped because he was annoyed.)
I remember the book I decided to write. It was about a set of female triplets. Each had a hobby that they really excelled at. One was a softball player. One was a dancer. The other...I have no idea what the other was...it's not important. The "plot" (if you will) was about how they each had a very important activity (a recital, a game, etc.) and all of these activities fell on the same day. The whole book was about how they would negotiate this day. This was before we did everything on a computer. It was about 200 pages front and back, handwritten.
Somewhere along the line (between 8th grade and college, I guess), I stopped writing fiction. Maybe I lost my imagination. I don't have the desire anymore to make up stories. When I write now, I would rather write about observations of real life. I don't know why this changed. I'm not even sure if I'd be able to write fiction at this point. Is that just a product of adulthood? Obviously, other adults write fiction, so I guess maybe it's just an interaction of adulthood and me. Or the evolution of my hobby of writing.
I used to think blogging was incredibly self-indulgent. I would roll my eyes when people would keep a blog to discuss all of the details of their families, what they made for dinner, etc. My thought was generally to question why these individuals thought others cared so much about the details of their lives. First of all, I have to admit that sometimes other people do care. People you went to high school with are curious (even if it is for all the wrong reasons...particularly to prove to themselves they they did better than you in life even if they are still living in their parents' basement). Your mom cares. She gets frustrated you won't call her back so instead she settles for reading your blog, and she really does care what you made for dinner.
On the other hand, I have to wonder how much of blogging is for others and how much is for the writer. Is blogging just the diary of 2011? (Do teen girls have hand written pink diaries anymore?) Of course, diaries were intended to be private, and blogging isn't private. Were diaries really private though? Didn't our parents read them when we were at summer camp? Mine had a lock but I think I kept the key attached anyway. There is, of course, an aspect of self impression management in blogging. Individuals present themselves in a certain way. It's no different than Facebook. My favorite thing about Facebook is probably analyzing the self impression management process people use before they post things like "LUV my huband (sic)" or "TGIF!!!! Woot! Woot!" (I have been struggling to figure out why everyone needs to use Woot! Woot! as an expression of enthusiasm recently. I'm also not sure why the hell it annoys me so damn much.) Then again, I was a psych major as an undergrad. If only I had know this would serve me so well.
So 100 blog entries. Woot! Woot!
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