Dancing

The first glimpse you get of my new home! My mom got me a solar dancing panda as one (of many) house warming gifts. 

It's stupid cute!

More pictures in the days/weeks to come!

Fitness

I know it's been a while - again! - but it took us a little time to set up internet and the rest of the house. And, more than anything, it was totally exhausting and I've had no energy to move, live, breathe, much less blog. HOWEVER! I am pleased to announce that despite abandoning all of you, I have managed to keep up with my workout regimen! 

I don't believe I've yet mentioned here that I'm doing P90X3, but I totally am! You guys! It's awesome! Tony Horton is wildly entertaining, which is something I desperately need when my body is sweating to death around me. Plus, I'm actually getting in pretty good shape, and it only takes 30 minutes a day! I highly recommend it.

There are 3 possible schedules: lean, regular, and bulk. I'm on lean, and once I finish this round, Husband is starting a second one with me using the regular schedule. Because yes, I will be going through this more than once. In fact, barring some drastic interference - i.e. boredom - I plan on P90X3 being my workout routine, well... forever. I'll just keep starting it over, switching up schedules, or maybe even creating my own from the available videos. I'm kind of psyched about the whole thing, and I've been able to maintain my momentum for 2 months so far so I think I can pull it off. 

This was the very beginning of my schedule.
I still hate cardio, but these aren't bad.

Easily my favorite!

I HATE IT SO MUCH! It's cardio with weights, like that should be more fun.
But it's good for me so BLEH! I'll do it.

Second favorite! And God help me, I definitely need the core workout.

Trio! My quads get a killer workout in this schedule.
Which is good, they need it. They've lost 4 inches per since I started!

Now THIS is a fun cardio routine. Just imagine beating the shit out of someone
you really hate to punchy music - pun intended.

I'll post pictures of my pre-workout body at some point, but I want to have my after photos ready to go at the same time so you'll have to wait another month or so. Weeeeee!

Staple

I stapled my finger! 

Can you see it?

That doesn't sound like a Smile kind of thing, but it was kind of cool to see a staple sticking out of me. Plus it sort of made me laugh. This? On top of everything else I've got to deal with right now? It was just so ridiculous! I guess it just gave me some perspective. 

I circled the marks from where it went it.

I'll keep you updated with more pictures, since the marks will probably be more visible after the swelling goes down.

Starbucks

As you may recall, I am a Starbucks gold member, so I'm super special and important. In order to feed my addiction/maintain my membership, I hit up a Bucks about once a week. Then, not too long ago, I came across this Upworthy post that showcased how little consideration we give the waste generated by this habit. You take your coffee to-go in one of those lovely special to-go cups because we're busy people on our way somewhere. But those insulated Starbucks cups aren't recyclable (though the sleeves are, so try to recycle them!) and we create a lot of trash that way. Even if you drink in the store, some coffee shops - including Starbucks - use the same disposable cups. 

I don't know why that information struck me so profoundly, but it did. So I decided to start bringing my own mug, as the Upworthy post suggested. I opted for the Starbucks brand of travel mug because it saves you 10 cents on your drink, so why not? And TADA! Here it is!

Had trouble getting a decent photo

I actually wanted a bronze one without the little clippy handle - what, like I'm going to clip it to a backpack and take hot coffee on my hike with me? - but I couldn't find one in store and I am NOT paying the shipping on that. So silver it is. I used the cup this morning and felt like I was saving the world. It'll take a lot more than just this or just me, obviously, but it's nice to feel like I'm making a (small) difference.

Resolutions

You guys, I'm moving and the situation is really stressful for a lot of personal and familial reasons that I won't delve into right now - if ever - but it's got me going through a bit of a rough patch. Rough enough that I am leaning (briefly) on pharmaceutical aids to cope. So my posting may seem a bit off or be a bit late. Apologies. But I will try to rally to the cause.

Today I want to talk about something I've been seeing a lot since the new year, specifically from several Facebook friends of mine, but also heard from a few buddies in person, that is really starting to piss me off. It's this sense of fitness/gym entitlement. I cannot begin to count the number of statuses I've seen or complaints I've heard about all these New Year's resolution losers crowed up the gyms this time of year and how annoying it is that they would dare enter such a place when they clearly don't know what they're doing and just get in everyone's way.

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MAH! How dare people try to get healthy!

I'm paraphrasing of course, but that is a pretty damn accurate representation of the feelings that have been expressed to me. As one of the schmucks who's decided to get fit in the new year, I would like to respond:

Fuck you.

Seriously guys? You don't own the gym. Those people pay just as much as you do for the right to use it. And okay, maybe some of them don't care as much as you, aren't as dedicated as you, but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to be there. Everyone has to start somewhere, including you. Maybe it's been long enough that you don't remember what it's like to be starting down this road, but trust me, you did not pop out of your mama's womb with a six pack. You worked for it, and you probably sucked at first too. Exercise is a skill that has to be learned like any other, so cut the newbies some slack while they acclimate. Maybe they need more downtime during the class because they haven't done it before and need to catch their breath sooner than you. Maybe they got lost during the routine because it's the first time they've tried it, or they pause to make sure they see the correct way to do a particular move. Maybe they're not yet familiar with all the gym policies so they make a few etiquette mistakes. Give them the benefit of the doubt, you don't know that person's life. And for fuck's sake, lighten up!

"BUT!" you begin to whine, "They'll all disappear in a few weeks anyway because they don't really even care! Why should we have to put up with their intrusion and ignorance?" Well again, first and foremost, because you don't have exclusive rights to working out or the work out space. This is 2015. You should have learned to share a long time ago. Reacquaint yourself with the practice. Second, yes, many people will probably abandon fitness resolutions shortly into the new year, but odds are at least a few will stick around and if you check the bad attitude you may end up with a new gym buddy. Furthermore, have you ever considered the possibility that your condescending negativity toward them may be the very reason some of them quit? Who would want to stick with a goal, however noble, when the very people who should support and encourage you make you feel like a loser for even trying. If they're going to feel shitty about themselves either way, skipping gym days is certainly less work and money.

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You never know how profound an effect
your bad attitude can have on someone.

Maybe try being encouraging next time you see a new person at your gym, offer to help them find where things are, or give them some pointers about a particular machine or class. Educate instead of rolling eyes at their ignorance. Then, eventually they won't be ignorant, they will be healthier, and they'll have you to thank for it.

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And in case you were wondering, I'm one of those people who's been sticking with it so far - 5 weeks of intense workouts EVERY DAY - but I exercise at home with P90x3 because the kind of judgmental attitude described above is shockingly common and is exactly what I want to avoid. A person trying to better themselves should never be mocked or scoffed at for doing so just because it might be a minor inconvenience to you.

TLDR: Stop being a dick-faced, gym hipster as though you're the first human to discover the benefits of exercise and so no one else is even allowed to try. If you can't be helpful, just steer clear. Why is anyone else's fitness routine your business anyway?

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International Women's Day

Happy belated International Women's Day! It was actually yesterday, but I'd already posted then and I didn't want to diminish it by posting about it after a Martini. ANYWAY.

Even Google wants you to know!

If you're interested in knowing more, and you should be, here is a Hello Giggles write up about women you should know, here is the IFLS page they based it on, here is a comical take on how modern day misogyny has affected our view of history, or you can just search for #womenyoushouldhaveheardof.

It's especially interesting to me that despite being the majority of the population (51%) women get a WHOLE DAY to celebrate us as a special interest. Weeeee.....

Martini

It's actually been a few weeks since this happened, but not that long ago I got a fancy drink at a fancy restaurant. It had a rind garnish even! I felt so adult.

Look at how pretty it was!

It was a St Germain cocktail, and though I couldn't tell you now what else was in it, it was super delicious. I know it's more expensive, but I might be investing in professionals concocting my drinks from now on. Yum!

TWLOHA

TWLOHA stands for To Write Love On Her Arms. It's a charitable organization devoted to education about and help for those suffering from depression. I know I haven't discussed it at length, but I think it's pretty clear from some of my other posts that I have experience with depression. So I have been a quiet supporter ever since I became aware of TWLOHA years ago through a Facebook friend.

More recently I discovered that THE JARPAD (Jared Padalecki, Supernatural star) was also a supporter. And a much more vocal and helpful one than I at that. He's recently started a charitable shirt sale campaign to raise money for the group. I think he got inspired by his CW buddy, Arrow star, and social media guru Stephen Amell, who is featured in JP's cover photo and who also uses his star power for good by raising money for cancer research and treatment. But I digress - as usual.

This is the shirt

He posted the photo above on Facebook with info about the campaign (status here and campaign here) and I was so excited to be at a point in my life where I have enough income to both feed myself and donate to charity. Plus this was a charity near and did to my heart, yet I'd never done anything to show real support for them. So I ordered one!

Hooray!

As you can see, the campaign has already met it's goal, but there are still 10 more days if you want to contribute!

CW Spotligh: Charmed

As you will undoubtedly know if you are my Facebook friend - as all my readers are - I've started rewatching Charmed to fill my time off this week. (See Snow Day for an explanation of why I'm off.) I love that show to death, and allow me to spend the next few paragraphs telling you why.

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Charmed was my first TV encounter with strong female leads. They certainly had many faults, but it was still very cool to me to see a group of women kicking ass and taking names, frequently saving stereotypically heroic male characters in the process. It was one of my earliest introductions to feminism, though I didn't know it at the time. They even had an episode devoted to Lady Godiva in which Phoebe defended the right of women to breastfeed in public.

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Fun fact, Alyssa Milano - who played Phoebe - is still fighting for this today as she publicly tweets and posts photos of herself breastfeeding her new kiddo.

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Second fun fact, Star Lord's ship in GotG was named for Alyssa Milano as the character had a crush on her from her days on Who's the Boss?. Since I also have a huge crush on Milano - though for her work on Charmed - that basically means I'm Star Lord.

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It also showed a group of women who developed and spent great effort maintaining close relationships. As I'm sure we could all attest, just because you're blood doesn't mean you get along. But the Halliwells spent a lot more time fighting for each other than ever did fighting against demons. Growing up with two brothers and no sisters, I really craved that kind of closeness with other women, and craved it even more after watching the power it gave the sisters. Not the magical power - though, yes, that would be badass - but the emotional strength. To overcome even the most dire odds, to fight through the deepest heartache and come out the other side better and stronger and wiser. That was their real gift, their real weapon, and I wanted it. I still do.

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Plus they , lived in gorgeous San Francisco, had a fabulous house, amazing careers, and killer tattoos. They were incredibly unique individuals and complex characters who changed and grew with each season. They were real women, in as much as fictional witches ever could be, and they weren't defined by their supernatural power. It was a part of who they were as people, but not the sum total. All told, I couldn't care less about being Charmed, but I would love to be a Halliwell! 

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Finally, one of the most wonderful things Charmed ever did for me, and I think many others, was kill off Prue. Not that I wanted Prue to die - although admittedly I didn't care much for the character - but I was so touched and proud of the way the show handled the sisters' grief. It felt raw and real and totally relate-able. So often that kind of pain is swept under the rug on television with a few tears and meaningless platitudes about the loved one "being in a better place." But the Halliwells? They suffered when Prue died, as anyone would, and we saw it. Having lost my own unfair share of loved ones pretty early on in life, and having been in a very dark place for a very long time as a result, it was a great relief to me to see my own struggles with grief played out in the show. It made me feel that what I went through, what I was still going through, was normal. I was allowed to feel broken because I had been broken. And I would survive it, just as they did.

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There are two great lines from that story arc that always stuck with me. One was from Piper, and reminded me what it felt like to be in the grip of fresh, intense grief and when she was pressed to talk about it: "It hurts to talk, Leo. It hurts to breathe. So unless you have some idea of how to bring Prue back, I don't want to talk right now." Holy shit, can I relate to that. 

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The second line comes courtesy of the fourth sister, Paige, who appeared after Prue's death. Having lost her adoptive parents to a violent car crash years before, Paige can relate to what her new-found sisters are experiencing and offers Piper some guidance about what's to come: "It'll never be okay that she's gone, Piper. But I promise, it will get better." It seems like such a simple, obvious statement, but it was the first time I'd ever heard anyone really acknowledge that the pain of losing a loved one would last the rest of your life. Again, it made me realize that what I was feeling was normal.

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Charmed, much like the other CW shows* I've posted about it, meant so much more to me that just pretty people with cool powers. It meant strength and grace and goodness were available to me even if I was still sometimes flawed and selfish. Here's to amazing women doing amazing things.

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 Blessed Be.

*Charmed was actually a WB show, but the WB became CW after partnering with CBS, so as far as I'm concerned, it still counts!

GotG

There's a second run theater near me that, in addition to showing old movies, still uses old concession supplies. Specifically, old containers, not old food. So I got Husband and I some Guardians cups because they're awesome!

See? Aren't they?

Plus, all their stuff is cheaper than the first run theaters so this is officially my new strategy for collectibles. 

Snow Day

Memphis has been cray-cray lately, with tons of ice and snow at a point in the year when we're usually hanging in the 50s or so. It sucks to miss work since I'm hourly and therefore also miss the pay, but the time off is pretty sweet.

And this time it's kind of pretty with snow instead of just ice!

 I'm rewatching Charmed! It's going to be a good day.

Kate Spade

As part of my lovely new laptop gift set from husband, I got a Kate Spade case. It may or may not have been intended for Macs, but the Lenovo fits so I DON'T CARE. 

It's so beautiful, my Tardis case!

Plus, he got it half off! Can't beat that with a stick.

More Flowers

I got myself some flowers! Because why not? I'm finally earning money again and I like to look at flowers. So when I found some really beautiful soft colored roses at Kroger I snagged them.

The initial bouquet

But the only vase I have looked a little empty with just my poor roses so yesterday I ventured out in search of more. I considered getting another bouquet of the same but ultimately decided to spice it up with an assortment. As you can see.

The final product.

It's a minor thing in the midst of a hectic life, but to me that's even more reason to enjoy it. Why deny yourself such things when these simple pleasures can improve your whole day? Week, even, if you change the water. It certainly brings a smile to my face, so I'll warn you now that there may be more of this kind of thing to come.

Checking In

I've got to ease myself back into this business, and it's been a while, so I figured we could all benefit from a quick check-in about the state of our lives. Well, mine anyway since it's my post. Feel free to leave any interesting personal tidbits in the comments though!

Let's see, I've already confessed to getting married several months ago, and months before I told anyone - Hooray for secret romance! Not really, secret romance is dumb, but secret wedding is less dumb because money.

Our attempt at taking a picture with the dog.
Moose is a mess, but it is too cute for us to care!

I also told you all that I finally found a job. Let me fill you in on that a little - but not too much because I would like to keep said job. Basically, I freaking love it. I'll be honest, I'm getting paid WAY less than I should be, but I'm working on fixing that. And while I'm practical enough to want more money, I'm also practical enough to take a pay rate hit if it means a better working environment. It's a small operation that is super laid back so I'm sort of left to my own devices and best judgement, which is awesome. At the same time, being as relatively small as it is, I don't have high stress about meeting productivity requirements or any other kind of bureaucratic nonsense. My boss is also my CF supervisor* and the owner of the business, so she's right there anytime I need her and is insanely sweet and helpful. It's a pretty awesome setup. If only we could lift the practice and drop it in Nashville, it'd be perfect.

It's my office! And this is probably as much as you'll ever see of my work.

The reason the location is less than perfect - other than just personal preference - is that Husband already has a job in the Nashville area. It doesn't make sense for us to trade one income for another, so currently we are back doing the long distance jazz until and unless he can find something here. When we talked about all this, we told ourselves we could pull off long distance because we'd done it before, for 2.5 years! And this time it would actually be easier. My schedule would be more normal so I could visit him more often and if he came to visit me I'd actually be around. Plus it wouldn't be for as long, just until he found something in the same area. It's been 2 months and this is killing me. Having finally been able to live together after all that time apart spoiled me, plus now he's my husband not just my boyfriend, and I really need him around or I feel a little lost. He's my anchor and right now I'm drifting.

It snowed! In TN! Also a story for another day

Husband came for a nice long visit this past week because I got us tickets to Lion King for V-day - it was amazing but I'll tell that story another time - and even in that brief reunion I could tell what a difference it makes in me to have him near. I'm more positive and upbeat and just generally a better person. So yeah, this sucks. But we'll make it, and it will be even more amazing because we'll finally have our own place instead of sharing with parents! Husband's family has a home in our area that they own outright and are willing to let us use. It's the cutest little house, but even if it wasn't, it's essentially free and it's ours so I doubt I'd care. I'm so excited!

A very bad photo of us at Lion King

You guys, I know it's only been a couple of months since I stopped regular posting, but I feel like the world has vastly changed. Not least among these changes is the incredibly devastating loss of Leonard Nimoy who, much as I love Quinto, will always be the real Mr. Spock. In addition to his outstanding work in Star Trek and many other features, Mr. Nimoy was also an outspoken feminist. It breaks my heart to know he is gone. As when we lost Robin Williams, the world feels a darker place without him.

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"I have always been, and always shall be, your friend."
How will the world survive without him?

That's all for now, my dears, but much more to come in the future! If you have any specific questions, feel free to comment and I'll get back to you. And as I said above, I'd love to hear how your lives are going as well, so start with those comments!



*If you have any questions about some of the SLP-related jargon I used, please feel free to ask and I'll gladly explain. I've left it out for now to maintain brevity - as much as I ever have - and because I assume most people who aren't SLPs find it boring. See you soon, lovelies!

I'm BAAAAAACK!

I'm back!

I finally replaced my laptop, see below, thanks to my tax refund. BTW, want a decent tax refund? Get married, people. I never used to get money back on my taxes, and have actually owed the government money twice when filing, but this time? HOT DAMN, guacamole like you would not believe! Don't go thinking I'm rich now - so very not - it's just that my standards for financial boons are low.

Yes, that is in fact an image of me composing this very post, pre-photos.

I got a Lenovo! Yoga! It flips all around and stuff and there's a touch screen!
I'm excited!

So get ready for some hot and heavy posting! Or, you know, back the regular schedule of once a day Smiles like this and semi-weekly full posts. Whatever I can manage while working at my stupid real job that pays my bills.

Was it clear that I'm back now?