Lots of Words on Productivity

At the risk of being that annoying facebook friend:

(I know, it drives me crazy too, and I'm sorry)

... there are some big changes right around the corner for me. I wish I could share them in detail and I can't wait until they're official so that I can do just that. (And no, none of these changes involve a baby, so you can cross that off the list.) Rest assured that they are exciting, challenging, and a little scary, as all changes should be... or so I've heard. If you remember, I'm not a huge fan of change. So for now, to keep from completely freaking out while I wait for the wheels on this wagon to start rolling, I'm channeling my inner boy scout and trying to get prepared.
Most of the preparation is mental: these changes are going to necessitate a jumpstart in the productivity department. I've never been particularly good at time management (see also: master procrastinator), but since college my efficiency rate has been in steady decline. So over the next few weeks, I've got to get my tush back in gear, shaking off the lazy habits and getting ready for the major to do lists that are headed my way. Here's a little peek at my gameplan:

1. streamline the to do list: I've tried hand-written lists, google docs, and a handful of apps to keep track of tasks. I love the feeling of fitting everything I need to do on one sheet of paper (no matter how small I have to write), but it's usually more practical to use an app like TeuxDeux, where edits and changes are quick. I also love their dual layout -- I can keep track of work projects by date, but I can also create personal lists (reading for class, emails to send, even things to pick up at the store) at the bottom.
2. break free from the social media monster: I find myself tapping the Facebook icon so often when I'm bored with what I'm doing, need a break, or reach a tough spot in my work. I waste more time than I should reading things that don't even interest me, and half of the time I end up annoyed with people who feel the need to overshare (or those people who post vague statuses... oops). I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd be better off using that time to read a newspaper article, take a walk, or knock something easy off my to do list (and I doubt I'd really miss the pictures of other people's lunches).
3. get focused: I am a classic example of how today's culture of instant gratification is frying brains. If I have to wait more than a few seconds for a website to load, I'm off to browse somewhere else (ahem... see #2). If I get stuck on something, I scoot over to read a blog instead of working through the problem spot. When an email pops up, I stop what I'm doing to read it. I multitask like a pro, but sometimes I get so caught up in doing 16 things at once that I don't do any of them well. I need to make an effort to slow down and really pay attention to what I'm doing at any given moment. Luckily, this applies to both work and play: when I'm taking time to do something fun, I've got to stop letting my mind slip back to the piles of laundry and half-finished work spreadsheet.
4. count some sheep: How many times can we beat this dead horse? I've got to start getting up earlier, which means I've got to start heading for bed earlier. And stop falling asleep on the couch. And stop hitting the snooze button. It's not complicated, it's just really hard to remember at night when I'm just not sleepy... or at 5:00 in the morning when I definitely am. It's also tough to break the mindset (perfected during my college days) that sleep is a "bonus," some activity to fill the night hours when there's nothing better to be doing. If you've ever met me on a tired day, though, it's obvious that sleep is pretty critical to my ability to function. For the past few months I've been better about aiming for 6 hours a night, but I read this week that most people actually need 7 or 8 (and I'm inclined to believe it, since I'm always tired). Going to bed at 10 just isn't possible sometimes (Dan doesn't even get off work until 10 some nights), but I'm going to try my best to spend an extra hour with my pillow whenever possible.
5. organize all the things: I work so much better when my space is clean and I can find what I need. I typically do a pretty good job of keeping things neat, but every once in a while my stuff gets ahead of me. One of my New Year's resolutions was to de-clutter, and I will be taking that to heart in the coming days. Our poor trash man is probably going to deserve a tip.
6. take a break: I love a good day off as much as the next person, but I don't always use them to their full potential. I have a tendency to pack my long weekends so full of chores, work, and errands that I return to the office more exhausted than refreshed. As life gets busier, time off (be it days, hours, or minutes) are certainly going to get harder to find, but I know that both scheduling and taking advantage of free time is going to be essential. Not that I'll be sitting around with my feet up all weekend, but maybe a few bon-bons wouldn't hurt. Honestly, I think people who spend their time off well (even if they don't get much) are harder workers and happier people.
7. set a goal or three: For a while now I've been stuck in a bit of a holding pattern, waiting things out and trying to stay content with the rut in which I'm finding myself. Although the changes ahead weren't something I actively sought out, they are a great excuse to shake things up a bit and keep the momentum going. It's a good time to look towards the horizon, re-evaluate some things, and then take a few giant steps towards... something. Still working on that last part, clearly.
8. name that priority: If I were to look back at each minute of my day yesterday, I'm sure that I'd be surprised by the time I spent doing things that didn't really matter to me. Doing dishes may be a necessary evil, but bad TV is not, and I'm never going to get that half hour back. If I'm going to master the art of fitting all of the important things into each 24 hour period, I have to start cutting out things that are just wasting space (and yes, I'll also be playing a lot of Tetris to practice).
9. one and done: Years ago, I read some brilliant article (that has since disappeared from the depths of the internet) about how to deal with everything from your overflowing email inbox to your cluttered bathroom counter. The author suggested a simple rule: don't look at anything more than once. When an email comes in, don't flag it to remind yourself to come back to it; answer it. When something lands on your desk, don't add it to a pile; take care of it. When a bill comes in, don't make a note on your calendar; pay it. The author argued that the more times you have to look at something (an email, an item on a list, something that needs to be put away), the harder it becomes to take care of. I am certainly the queen of doing this wrong: the piles on my stairs (of things to take up or down) have begun to grow roots and my email is full of different colored stars that scream "don't forget to come back to me!" Although the article didn't stick with me, the principle did, and it is past time to put it to use and stop looking at things so much.

I certainly have a long way to go: it took me all of 3 days to write this post and I'm sure I moseyed over to check facebook at least 6 times while I was "writing." But I know that it's time to make a change, and that getting good at these things will not only help make the next few months less stressful, they'll become habits and life skills that will stick with me. I'm thinking of it as spring cleaning, just for my brain and my lifestyle.

Now you tell me: what are your favorite secrets to productivity? How do you get so much done in a day? How many hours of sleep do you get? Have you found the code that unlocks 2 extra hours each week? I'd love to hear it (especially that last one)!

   Love,

    Meg

Confessional, Part II

... but wait, there's more!

Confessions, Part II

 -- I spent hours designing thank you notes for our wedding gifts, my mom got me the sweetest return address stamp, I even bought a new pack of pens to use... and I've written all of four. I also haven't put any of our wedding pictures on facebook (and I've only shared one on here!) There are still several boxes of wedding decorations, hundreds of tealight holders, and one pair of formerly-white heels lingering in the corners of our house. I really need a weekend devoted solely to wedding aftermath.
 -- More nights than not, I make a pit stop at my freezer before heading upstairs to bed. I wash my face, put my pjs on, and crawl into bed to read and enjoy a Magnum ice cream bar. These things are super expensive, incredibly bad for you, and most definitely the reason that I am not losing any weight. They are also one of my very favorite things in life. My husband knows that bringing a box home can absolve all manner of sins, and his response to "I've had a bad day" is often "One box or two?" (Love him.) My poison of choice is the double chocolate, and if you haven't tried these yet, I really suggest that you don't because they are incredibly addictive.
 -- Most of my friends went through a "what on earth am I going to do with my life?" crisis during college. Some fit it in before they ever picked their major. A few had one just in time to switch their major. A handful squeezed in just under the wire, managing to find a grad school for something completely different than they studied in college. And then there's me. In high school, I was pretty sure I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I stuck by that in college and for the first year or so after graduation. Now, almost three years out, I'm finally starting to wonder... what on earth am I going to do with my life?
 -- Since I've already come clean on one of my unhealthy food loves, we might as well go all out. I very rarely eat fast food, with one major exception: I crave Taco Bell at least once a week. Go ahead, cringe... I usually do as we pull into the drive through. But when my hubby hands me the bag of warm, delicious burritos and I take a sip of my cherry pepsi, that guilt is pretty much forgotten. And when I bite into that first burrito and get a perfect combination of beans, cheese, and mild sauce... well, in that moment all is right with the world. In my defense, I never eat their meat. But there are few dinners I look forward to like a big fat burrito... followed by a Magnum bar. And now no one is left wondering why I go to the gym every day.
 -- I am the classic example of someone who would probably enjoy life so much more if I could just bring myself to push that "Deactivate" button on Facebook. It's not that I spend so much time on social media (although I will admit that if I'm bored, I check it more often than I probably should). It's more that every time I log in, I see posts that make me angry, upset, or just plain concerned about the future of humanity. As a rule, I stay far away from politics, religion, and ridiculous drama on my facebook page (and in my life). I wish I could say the same for others. So often, it seems like this site has become a forum to spew hate, intolerance, ignorance, and thinly-veiled lies for everyone and their brother to see (and "like"). Gone are the days when people would take the time to ask themselves "Is this something I would actually say to someone in person?" Nope, these days people are so open about attacking each other, making fun of each other, and revealing how witless and abhorrent they truly are. I have lost so much respect for a large number of people simply because of their "Facebook persona" lately.
 -- The showers in my gym's locker room are right next to the entrance to the pool, and twice in the past two weeks I've found myself dancing along to the aquatic exercise group's Ricky Martin mix in the mornings. That's definitely a blast from the past.
 -- I am terrible about remembering to shave in the winter. I can easily go over a week without the thought even crossing my mind. When I do think about it (or when my sweet husband catches a glimpse and makes his wookie noise), I tell myself, Who cares? I wear long pants to work and no one ever knows that I am a wooly mammoth underneath. But then, I think of the poor people who frequent my gym, where I don shorts daily. I don't doubt that I've caused a few people some worried moments... did I just see yeti run by on the track?
 -- I am a paper towel fiend. I try hard to use green products when possible and do my best to recycle, reuse, etc. But anytime I cook, I whip through rolls of paper towels like no one's business (except now it's your business. You're welcome.) Need to wipe off that counter? Just grab a paper towel. Rinsed my hands? Well that one's clearly dirty so I definitely need a new one. Speck of dust in that pan? Just swipe it with a paper towel, but be sure to use a clean one! I think my extreme towel consumption is related to a hypervigilance about cross-contamination and bacteria when it comes to my kitchen. I'm super careful about raw meat, eggs, etc. (I will totally be the horrible mom who doesn't let her kids eat cookie dough), so I'm forever wiping things off, washing my hands, and scrubbing dishes in between uses. I definitely owe the environment a few trees.

Well. That's definitely enough of that. I think everyone should be brutally honest about themselves every once in a while (something about building character), but don't expect me to be doing this again anytime soon... it's going to take a while to restock the pride I used up over the past few days. At the very least, blogging is certainly cheaper than therapy (although so is wine, and I think I may go that route next time). Thanks for sticking with me... here's to being imperfect!

   Love,

    Meg

Confessional

So here's an awkward situation. I was feeling kind of down on myself yesterday (for reasons that will soon be obvious) and didn't feel like blogging. At some point during the evening, though, I decided that it might be fun interesting possible to turn my bad attitude into blog material: namely, a few confessions. "It'll be great," I told myself, "writing about it will make me feel so much better!" So I opened up a new draft and started a list. I typed a little, did some other things on the internet, came back to add a few more ideas, read a couple blogs, added more to my list... rinse, repeat. Before I closed my laptop for the night, I saved that sucker and slept a little more soundly, knowing that I had a post all ready for today. 
Imagine my surprise when I logged on this morning with two more brilliant confessions to add to my post and realized that I had myself one heck of a long list of terrible things. Just reading through the list made me a little squirmy, and I seriously considered cutting a few items trashing the whole idea to preserve a little dignity. But in the end I decided to break it up into two posts, so as not to overwhelm you me by detailing too many of my character flaws at once. So with a little bit of a wince, I present to you...

Confessions, Part I

[We start with confessions that are specific to my day off on Monday. It was a doozy...]
-- Since I had a lot planned for the day, I thought it would be a great idea to take pictures of what I was up to each hour for a "day in the life" post. I was super excited and right at 7:00 I took my very first picture, curled up in bed reading with the cat snuggled at my feet. A little later I headed outside for a run, and even though the sun was shining and the light in our neighborhood was gorgeous, I was only focused on my numb fingers and just how far I was willing to lower my standards of the run before I could head for home. It occurred to me while I defrosted that I hadn't snapped a picture for my 8:00 hour, but I decided I could at least post a screenshot of my RunKeeper app. Around 9:00, I took a picture while I cleaned our bathroom (exciting!), and at 10:00 I snapped a shot of my chai latte and a cozy corner of Starbucks. And then... that was the last picture I took. It didn't even hit me until 3:00, after I'd failed to document several errands, 30 minutes at the Chick-fil-a drive-through (I have one lucky husband), and several large credit card swipes (more on that later). Oh, and there was an hour's worth of history reading for class... and this is where you, dear reader, think "Boy, I'm glad she didn't follow through on this because it would have been pretty boring." All-around fail. (But you're welcome for sparing you the bathroom-cleaning picture.)
 -- It's probably a good thing that I didn't even make it until noon of my "day in the life," because the afternoon was a little rough. First, I got sucked into the vortex of one of my favorite clothing stores and emerged with two pairs of pants (needed), an over-priced sweater (not needed), and a rather large hole in my wallet (I bet you can guess). I did not, however, manage to acquire either of the two items I needed in the first place... excellent. Still reeling from what can only be explained as an expensive blackout, I chose to eat my feelings and made myself a huge bowl of pasta for lunch. It's really a shame that I didn't manage to catch photographic evidence of that gluttony... especially because the pasta was chased just an hour later by a milkshake, brought home by my (enabler) husband. I went to bed Monday night overly full and more than a little guilty.
 -- Before we move past the day that was Monday, I should also confess that my run that morning -- the first outside in over a month -- nearly killed me. I sorely misjudged the temperature, and for the first two miles my hands and face were so cold that I was actually in a lot of pain. By the time I finally warmed up, my endurance (what endurance?) had run out and I was struggling. In the end, I pushed through 3 and a quarter miles before finally giving up, and I collapsed into a sweaty heap just inside the front door. The days of casual 8-milers on a weekday afternoon are clearly looong gone.

[We've (thankfully) exhausted Monday's confessions, so from here on out they get a little general... but certainly no less embarrassing.]

 -- On Sunday, we signed Teddy up for his very first puppy obedience class. One might think that I'd be looking forward to taking this important step towards a well-behaved pup. One might be wrong. In fact, I'm pretty terrified to give up the "he's just a puppy, he doesn't know any better" excuse. Once we start classes, Teddy's behavior becomes a very obvious measure of our parenting skills, and while I have a lot of confidence in him, I'm not sure how much I have in myself. I'm already having nightmares about our first class that usually involve Teddy running around and jumping on everyone and everything while six other puppies sit, stay, and make judgmental faces at me.
 -- On average, our clean laundry stays in the dryer for at least three days. Most loads are subject to at least one case of "Well, they've been sitting in there for a while... let me just turn that back on for a few minutes to get those wrinkles out." My poor husband's shirts are perpetually wrinkled.
 -- Am I the only one who can't stand Kristin Wiig? How about Conan O'Brien? Cameron Diaz? Should I just stop?
 -- I am terrible at meal planning. Every few weeks, I write out a menu and a grocery list, trying hard to judge things like shelf-life, prep time, and leftover potential. I usually go to (cringe) two grocery stores to get everything on my list and more for a reasonable price (and also because I have an unhealthy obsession with Whole Foods). Then two days into my plan, I get a craving for something and start playing tetris, trying to shift my meals around to accommodate whatever it is I'm absolutely dying for. That's always the beginning of the end, because even if I do manage to reorganize and get back on the train, within a day or two something has gone bad and I'm back at the store to pick up three more things. It's truly embarrassing how often I darken the door of our closest Harris Teeter.
 -- In a related confession: I am terrible about cleaning out our refrigerator. The back half of the fridge is where leftovers go to die. It's not pretty.

Oooook, I think that's quite enough for one day. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for another dose of self-confidence (for you, not me). And if you're feeling kind, feel free to leave me one of your own confessions. Unless you're perfect, in which case... why are you reading about me?

   Love,

    Meg

What I'm Up To Lately

After a little bit of a break from writing around these parts, I thought I'd jump back in by catching you up on what I'm enjoying these days!

What I'm Watching:

This was my "single lady weekend" this month (ie the hubs was at training), and I used the few minutes not spent cleaning to indulge in a little non-husband-friendly viewing. First Position has been in my Netflix queue for so long, and surely did not disappoint. It's a real-life Center Stage, as wonderful as Dance Moms is terrible, with a cast that will make you wonder what exactly you've been doing with the past 10-15 years of your life. I spent most of the movie lamenting to the cat that I'd never in my lifetime be as successful as 11-year-old Aran nor as mature as 14-year-old Michaela... but beyond the self-esteem issues it might provoke, it really is a fantastic movie and definitely confirmed my conviction that in my next life, I'll be a dancer.
I also started Parenthood and made it through the first two episodes while folding laundry/finding excuses not to put that laundry away. I'm definitely intrigued so far, and I can even get over the feeling that Lorelai Gilmore has a secret second life, but someone please tell me: am I supposed to like Erika Christensen? I can't put my finger on quite why, but as much as I love the rest of the cast, I just can't stand this girl. I'll definitely keep watching, but I may be (not so) secretly rooting against the baby sister.

What I'm Reading:

I finally (finally finally) finished All the King's Men (which I erroneously referred to as "All the President's Men" once or twice... oops), after two long months. I ended up liking it a lot (it certainly earned its Pulitzer), but I'm a little relieved to be free from the heavy weight of the 1930's south. I am looking forward to watching the movie versions, even though usually all that does is make me long to read the book again.
This weekend, I started a book I've been wanting to read for a while: Marcelo in the Real World. It's great so far and certainly won't take me another two months (my goal is to finish it in time to catch up on my book-a-month resolution, even though I neither started nor finished All the King's Men in January... again, oops).
I'll spare you the pain of recounting all the dry history I've been subjected to lately thanks to my coursera class... but rest assured that it's dry and painful.

What I'm Listening To:

I downloaded a bunch of old purchases to my iPhone a few weeks ago, and so I'm rediscovering some great songs like Foy Vance's Gabriel and the Vagabond and Tina Dico's One (both of which were originally discovered with the help of Grey's Anatomy). I'm also pining over Simon and Garfunkel's Live from New York City, 1967 album, which features stunning performances of so many of their hits, including The Sound of Silence.

What I'm Eating:

Yep, that's right: I just took a wild left turn from entertainment to food. Hang on, friends. As always, I've been snapping badly lit pictures of especially yummy meals, including  pasta (with shrimp and squash and a side of red wine), an impressive super bowl spread (I'd be lying if I told you I exercised self-restraint with the homemade cheese sauce and herbed sour cream. I'd also be lying if I told you this wasn't snapped just before the pizza arrived...), a turkey sub from the best sandwich place in town (a lunch treat thanks to my sweet delivery-husband), and the most incredible white bean chicken chili (please go try the recipe). Thankfully unpictured are the blackened chocolate chip cookies that suffered from a momentary lapse in oven awareness yesterday, on which I'm currently feasting. Crunch, crunch.

What I'm Loving:

You didn't think you could actually get out of here without a pet picture, did you?? I was lucky to have these two to keep me company over the weekend... and to keep things interesting, as Toby interrupted my relaxing Saturday night by sliding off his napping perch and crashing to the ground, taking a lamp with him. At this point, I'm not sure whether these guys are adding or subtracting years from my life...

Happy Monday, all! What are you up to these days?

   Love,

    Meg

Sometimes...

Some weeks run you more than you run them. Some days, the only time you actually feel awake is the moment you step into the shower after a run and discover all those places where your sports bra rubbed. Some weeks, you look down at your poor toes every morning and think "Okay, I really need to repaint those," but you know you won't because really, who even cares in the winter? Some days, when you pass the sunny park on the way to work, it's all you can do not to call in sick, take a quick left turn, and spend the day on the swings. Some weeks, watching the drama of others on Facebook makes you relieved that your own life is actually quite boring. Some days require two cups of coffee... before 10:00. Some weeks, the process of writing a to do list is so exhausting that you don't have any energy left to actually do any of the things on the list. Some days, most exciting part of the whole day is rolling over to go to sleep at night. Some weeks, falling asleep at one's desk is a very real possibility. Some days, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror leaving the gym and are surprised to see cooperative hair that you actually had time to fully dry, a matching outfit that even includes the single pair of pants you own that fits, and successfully masked dark circles under your eyes... so you celebrate with a trip to Starbucks. Some weeks, the only thing that's keeping you hanging on is a three day weekend... two weeks away. Some days, you reheat and re-spice a few random leftovers, throw them together in a bowl, squeeze a lemon over it, and call it dinner. Some weeks, you spend most of your time Monday through Thursday wondering why on earth it's not Friday yet. Some days, you'd rather just stay asleep on the couch than get up and walk all the way to bed.
Some weeks, there are exciting, important, blog-worthy things... happening to other people. This is clearly one of them. See you next week, friends!

   Love,

    Meg

What I (H)ate Wednesday

Ah, another Wednesday in the blogging world... I just love scrolling through my reader on these mornings, sinking deeper and deeper into my chair with each picture of greek yogurt, granola, chicken, and quinoa. I, on the other hand, may or may not have had macaroni and cheese for dinner last night. And no, it wasn't even homemade (although I do make pretty good homemade mac & cheese) -- we're talking straight from the box, squeeze the cheese, convince hubby to bring me a bowl because I can't even pull myself off the couch to walk 10 feet to our stove. No, my WIAW would be a sad disappointment amongst all the chia seeds, protein shakes, and sauteed vegetables. This week I do have an excuse though...

... except, here I am at work. What's wrong with this picture?

In an act of supreme talent, I managed to get right up to that too-sick-to-get-out-of-bed line without quite crossing it. And if I'm well enough to get up in the mornings, I figure I'd rather be miserable at work than waste a whole day off being miserable. So here I sit.
The thing that really gets me, though, is that this is not your run-of-the-mill cold. My type-A self takes a lot of comfort in the fact that I always know exactly how my colds are going to go: 
 -- sometime in the evening, usually after dinner when I'm curled up watching TV with Dan, I feel kind of a funny tickle in my throat. I know what it is immediately, but stay in denial for as long as possible. Approximately 2,000 carefully gauged swallows later, it's worse and I've resigned myself to the fact that the next few days are going to suck. I drag myself to bed, hoping for a miracle.
 -- I wake up the next morning with a full blown sore throat, a runny nose, and a headache. I go through several cups of tea, a few boxes of kleenex, and quite a lot of self-pity that first day.
 -- I can't sleep without changing positions every two minutes because I can't breathe. This continues for three or four nights. My husband just loves me.
 -- On the second day, my throat feels better and the faucet in my nose has stopped running, but is now badly clogged. I spend my day shifting in my chair, trying to find the right position to allow just a few breaths before everything closes up again. My coworkers just love me.
 -- On the third or fourth day, the cough starts. It begins as a congested one, the kind your grandmother would have called "productive." Over the next few weeks, it becomes a gentle hack -- still productive in that it might produce a lung if pushed too hard. The day my mom/husband threatens to make me see a doctor, it magically disappears.
So if nothing else, I am cheered by the fact that in my 25 years, I've become an old pro at this. I know what's coming, I know when to stock up on kleenex and tea, and I know that the most miserable part only lasts a couple days. I just keep telling myself that I'll feel much better by the weekend, and I push through it.
But this cold. This one breaks all the rules. This one refuses to follow the pattern. This is the one that may drive me around the bend.
It started after my sleepless Sunday night, when I woke up on Monday feeling like a train had found its way into our bedroom and spent a few hours making tracks over my head. All day, I fought a killer headache and some incredibly sore muscles, and that night I enjoyed several hours of wheezy, itchy, allergy-like fun. I've been coughing ever since, but just a dry, annoying cough. Yesterday the headache continued, as did the shortness of breath. There were a few sneezes thrown in for good measure. 
But last night, just when I was starting to question what on earth this actually was that I had come down with, I felt that familiar twinge. UGH. Sure enough, this morning I have a sore throat, a three-day old headache, and a major bone to pick with the cold that decided to hang out and play for a few days before getting its act together and doing what it's supposed to do: follow a schedule. I'm left with so many questions now -- am I nearing the end or is this only the beginning? Should I just cancel the rest of the week? Does this strange progression of symptoms even count at the one winter cold I get every year? Will my head explode before I get any of these answers?
Just what you wanted to read today, in the midst of what every other blogger and their sister ate yesterday: the anatomy of a cold. You should probably go wash your hands now, because I'd surely hate to pass on any germs. Have a healthy Wednesday!

   Love,

    Meg

Resolute: 2013

Happy 2013!

And now that makes 5 times today that I have typed the date incorrectly and had to go back to change it, even as I am in the process of acknowledging that a new year has begun. It will take me until at least halfway through January to get this figured out. I don't deal well with change, have I mentioned?
We had a nice quiet New Year's Eve, exchanged a champagne-sweet kiss at midnight, and I promptly fell asleep on the couch for several hours before dragging myself up to bed in the wee hours of the morning. Always nice to start the year with a crick in one's neck, yes? I hit the gym yesterday morning for the first 5k of the year (recently my running has been killing me... I would have loved to log a few more miles on 1/1 but this was all I could get through without crying yesterday). Dan made a yummy brunch and then headed off to work, and I spent the rest of the day deep cleaning. I made a lot of progress, but still have so much left to do... I wish I could take a week off just to organize my poor house. We still have stacks of wedding gifts that are now supporting more stacks of Christmas gifts, all patiently waiting for a home. One of these days.
I made two kinds of New Year's Resolutions this year: abstract, lofty, I'm-going-to-be-a-perfect-specimen-of-a-human-being-by-next-December-31, and realistic, specific, I-might-be-a-little-bit-better-but-basically-still-the-same-old-me-just-slightly-more-experienced-by-next-December-31. I hesitated on whether to share them with the world, because although I enjoy making resolutions, I don't so much enjoy looking back throughout the year to congratulate or castigate depending on whether or not I'm actually following them. I decided on a compromise -- here is a list for now, but don't hold your breath for a follow-up post... unless I do a great job at keeping them, in which case I might write about how I'm totally on track to be perfect by December. My blog, my rules.

The Specific Goals

Read a book every month
I have officially become terrible at reading. I was so excited to finally have some time to read over our honeymoon and brought several books that I was excited about, but smart me picked the most dense, slow read I owned to crack open on the first airplane. I did read a ton, and I really liked the book... and returned a week later, less than halfway through the damn thing. I'm still trucking along, but it's likely that this will end up being January's book... if I can finish it in the next month. I am going to try hard to make more time for reading in the evenings, which will mean putting down the phone/iPad, turning off the tv, and finding some way stay awake for more than half a page. Here are a few of the books I'm hoping to get through this year:

Try something new in the world of fitness every month
My gym time is incredibly boring. I run, I spend some time on the elliptical when I need a break, and I run some more. While sometimes sticking to what you know is best, I often feel guilty that I'm not really taking full advantage of the pricy gym membership. My focus will still be on running, but this year I'm hoping to mix it up a bit: take some yoga classes, try spinning, and finally sign up for a pure barre class (at another gym) that I have been dying to try. To get started, this month I made up a "plank challenge" that will involve a daily plank that gets longer each day... still working on the details. It has been months since I did much ab work, so I'm already dying 2 days in... whee!

Watch less bad TV and more decent shows and movies
I often spend hours watching mindless, terrible tv and reruns of shows that I've seen a billion times, while there are a ton of great new shows I've been wanting to watch, and my Netflix queue spilleth over. I am vowing to no longer get sucked into a housewives marathon or a Family Guy episode that I could quote by heart... but let's be real, at 9:00 every Tuesday night, you'll still find me soaking up every awful moment of Dance Moms. Otherwise, though, I'm going to get started/caught up on these:

Cultivate my sense of adventure in the kitchen
I am very out of the box and brave when it comes to baking and desserts, but our dinner rotation (as my poor husband can attest) has stagnated somewhere between "breakfast for dinner!" and "some sort of baked chicken again?" I am hoping to discover some new recipes in the coming year that we both enjoy, and I'm also pledging not to be deterred by scary words like "poach," "chiffonade," and "add mayonnaise" (I kid you not, just typing that word made me shudder. That's probably one thing that won't change in my kitchen this year... if it can't be made with greek yogurt or sour cream instead, it probably won't be made at all.)

Take more pictures for the ol' blog
'Nuf said.

Lofty resolutions:

Reset my inner clock
Remember how last year I resolved to stop running late? Well, it's a year later and here I am finally getting around to it. While there were a few moments of glory in 2012, this was generally a big fail. So we try, try again...

Communicate better
I also resolved last year to get better at staying in touch with friends. I am extending this one as well, because in 2012 I: 1. didn't do well and blamed it on wedding craziness, and 2. did much better as a direct result of the wedding (staying in closer touch with friends becomes sort of essential when they're in your upcoming wedding party and you're trying to find shoes for them to wear). So this year I'm re-resolving, free of any wedding-related influences. 

Declutter
This is the massive umbrella resolution under which most of my life-changing aspirations fall this year. I want to declutter everything: my house, my desk, my work, my brain, my life. I want to simplify and organize and streamline and cut out the people and things that are weighing me down. I want to sweep out my head and get rid of the things that constantly plague me but are never going to change. I want to be more efficient and get things done faster. I want to stop wasting my time and energy on things that aren't making me a better person (I guess some of that's not exactly decluttering, but go with it). I am determined to come out a much lighter, calmer, happier person on the other side of this year.

Ready, set...

   Love,

    Meg

The View from Friday

I thought that after the wedding, time might resume a normal pace and I wouldn't wake up on Fridays wondering what happened to the first four days of the week (or on Mondays wondering where Saturday and Sunday ran off to), but it seems that for now, at least, life's going to continue at full speed. I was lucky enough to score a four-day workweek this week, but it was so chock-ful of having friends and family over, grocery shopping, catching up at the gym, cleaning, cooking for friends, and rescuing one overly curious cat from behind the washing machine that I feel like it could have been two weeks crammed into one... except it all happened in the space of a blink. The only thing that kept me moving was the knowledge that thanks to our good friend Chris:

(who is certainly better known for his discoveries than his looks...)

 ... this weekend is also a glorious three whole days. Sadly the hubs left bright and early this morning to go play army for the weekend, so it's just me and this guy:

(such a helper)

holding down the fort. We have exciting plans for cat naps, college football, and some yummy food. I went grocery shopping last night for the first time in so long and I'm really looking forward to getting back in the kitchen and putting some of our wedding gifts to good use! The menu for next week includes chili, buffalo chicken pasta, pumpkin muffins, and ribs on this beauty:

an amazing wedding gift from two wonderful friends!

Besides all the cooking, I have a lot of cleaning to do... our house still looks like a wedding exploded, so I'll be devoting a some quality time to sorting through the piles and finding new homes for all of our new stuff! I am also dying to do a little fall decorating, so I think a Target trip may be in order.
Tonight, though, I'm treating myself to a night off: I have a date with my couch, an artichoke, a pumpkin beer, and a movie. Exciting times, people. Try not to be jealous.
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

   Love,

    Meg

Friday Favorites: Single Lady Style

As much as I love Fridays, there is one every month that I dread almost as much as I look forward to the others. It always starts in the same way: a uniformed hubby wakes me up long before the crack of dawn to kiss me goodbye, I spend the next several hours alternating between sleep and worry about Dan driving in the middle of the night (and trying to pry a distressed kitty off my head, where he would prefer to sleep every night), and then I finally drag myself out of bed, feeling a little sad about the lonely weekend ahead. True, I am grateful that this is only drill and he will be home again shortly, but somehow saying goodbye, whether it's for three days or five months, never gets any easier. Luckily, it never takes long for my "single lady" instincts to kick in (and by single I mean less "available and flirty" and more "borderline cat lady"), and I'm able to enjoy the me time that these weekends afford. Many months, I make plans for these few days -- heading out to see a friend, diving into a project, fitting in some family time. This weekend, though, I have nothing on the calendar... nothing, that is, except enjoying the weekend and getting. things. done. When 5:00 rolls around today, I have 48 uninterrupted hours and no excuses -- I am determined to do all of the cleaning, wedding prep, and packing that I have been putting off all week. I am hoping that by the time Dan gets home on Sunday, I'll have several bags worth of clutter ready to be trashed, and lots of boxes ready to go to the new house as soon as we get the keys (next Wednesday!). Of course, I'm also looking forward to the opportunity to embrace some of my favorite living alone tendencies:

1. total control of the remote: Even though we are experiencing some very poorly timed cable issues (please don't remind me of all the precious moments I'm missing with my favorite sports reporter), the fact that I'm the only one in the house this weekend with opposable thumbs means that I get to watch all the girly movies and weird documentaries and marathon TV seasons that I want.

2. strange eating habits: When there's no one around to remind me to eat meals, I tend to adopt an odd schedule. Sleepy mornings lead to slow breakfasts, late afternoon snacks mean late dinners, and lunch gets lost somewhere in there. It wouldn't be good for my body all the time, but it's nice every once in a while just to listen to my stomach and eat anything I want (with no judgement on that serving of seconds) whenever I happen to get hungry.

3. lots of sleep: Unlike my night owl hubby, I need a fairly large amount of sleep to be fully functional and minimally cranky... a fairly large amount that I have not been getting lately. I'm looking forward to a lot of horizontal time this weekend.

4. unlimited time at the gym and pool: While Dan is always super supportive about my workouts and the time I sneak in lying in the sun, it's nice to know that I'm not on anyone else's schedule this weekend when it comes to fitting these in. It's also a little easier to drag myself out of my bed in the mornings to hit the gym early when there's not a warm, comfy human (just a warm, comfy cat) still in it.

5. the possibility of a spontaneous trip: When I have a weekend on my own, I often think to myself "maybe I'll just get in the car one day and drive..." Most times, this line of thinking ends in a rare treat: the far-away (but soon to be soooo much closer) Dunkin' Donuts, frozen yogurt, shopping, or a stop at the college haunt I miss the most -- Wawa. Classy taste, right? Sometimes I fear I have the mind of a 400 pound person inside, just screaming to eat its way out of my decently-sized body. More often than not, I spend lots of time thinking about how nice a spontaneous, solo road trip might be -- windows down, my choice of music, no rush to get anywhere -- but then I never actually follow through. The pull of the couch (or the lounge chair by the pool, or the bed) is often just too strong. I'm thinking, though, that if I get a lot accomplished in the next few days, I might just feel the need for a small reward... a reward that may involve breaking out of the apartment and hitting the open road for a sweet treat. We shall see.

Crazy single lady, eh? Late-night eating, afternoon napping, wish-I-could-be-running time on the elliptical, and bad TV... better hurry home, hubs. The next few days could get a little wild.

Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

Wednesday Words

Yesterday morning, as the exciting but long weekend started to catch up with me, I needed some extra motivation. I'm sure it's no surprise that I turned here for a little wisdom, a little pick-me-up, and a little kick in the pants. As you can see, 

mission: accomplished.

[Arthur Ashe]

[true, but also the bane of my existence.]

A few are a little cheesy, but sometimes, I believe in cheese as a motivator (particularly sharp cheddar). I also, however, believe in a healthy dose of honesty, and a little bit of humor:

And of course....

(always good advice)

Happy Wednesday! Hope you are only as productive as you absolutely have to be today!

   Love,

    Meg

The Best Laid Plans

I had every intention of sitting down yesterday evening to write something meaningful. I planned to come home from a great run in my favorite spot, blog a bit, shower, and then head to the grocery store, getting home just in time to cook dinner before the hubs got home from work late yesterday evening. Somewhere along the way, I was going to return a few emails that have been sitting in my inbox for entirely too long, call my best friend to finally figure out some details of the shower I'm planning for her, throw in a few loads of laundry, paint my toenails, and make sure the puppy got out to the dog park to run around for a bit. I wanted to empty the dishwasher of the clean dishes that have been waiting patiently for days, pick up the shoes that are threatening a coup to take over our closet, swing by to get gas, and prep lunch for today.

HA.

Needless to say, blogging was perhaps the least important of the things I didn't get done yesterday. After a particularly miserable run (part blazing heat, part rebellious stomach, part unwelcome pain that has me threatening to disown my entire right leg again), I dragged myself home, frustrated and exhausted. The twenty minute break to refocus turned into thirty, which turned into an hour nap. I did at least wake up after that, but still found myself in the same spot more than an hour later. I kept telling myself to get up and shower, that grocery shopping would fix my terrible mood, that otherwise I'd regret wasting the evening. I knew that I shouldn't let a bad run ruin my day, that I was being lazy, and that bailing on my to do list would leave me scrambling later in the week. I knew all of this... and yet that little voice kept encouraging: stay here. relax. you need this. And perhaps I did need it. But I also needed to grocery shop... and twelve hours later, I still do.

I did eventually manage to empty the dishwasher, banish my shoes to just one corner of the closet, and, by some miracle, I had a homemade dinner waiting when hubs walked through the door (pasta continues to be the solution to most of my problems). And this morning, I've set myself up with a rather large cup of coffee, an upbeat Pandora station, and a renewed determination to knock out the tasks I so effectively ignored last night. Fingers crossed, I won't have to write another version of this post tomorrow morning...

   Love,

    Meg

Small Things

"We wake up every day, look around and make note of what we have. We smile and say thank you in every way imaginable. When things aren't so great, we do what we can to make them better. And we make it a very important priority not to let life get stale."


[In the midst of a chaotic day, in the midst of a chaotic week, I ran across these words from the incredible Kelle Hampton. As is typical, she seemed to know exactly what I needed to hear at just the right time.]

   Love,

    Meg

Playing Hooky

This has been one of those mornings that would have been better off if I had just turned around and gone back to bed. I made the sleepy morning decision to skip the gym in favor of extra sleep, which in principle was probably a good idea for my exhausted, overtrained body, but in reality left me with only a few minutes of added snoozing and a major guilty feeling when I finally did roll out of bed. Add to that a few laps around the house trying to chase the puppy into her kennel (someone's not getting enough attention now that mom and dad are both working during the day) and an unsettling bite out of my wallet in the space of about 20 minutes (dropped off the rent check and then had to stop for gas, which might as well be liquid gold these days), and you have all the ingredients for a very grumpy morning. I am running dangerously low on energy, motivation, and patience, and I am essentially unfit to do anything other than prop myself up at my desk and watch the clock.

(Since someone shared this with me a few weeks ago, I have literally pulled up this picture every day. Makes me laugh every. single. time. I know how you feel, Ambrose.)

In an attempt to be productive/pull myself out of my funk, I hit up the usually foolproof Pinterest for some easter-y goodness, but even browsing that tried-and-true pick-me-up just left me disappointed... and hungry for chocolate eggs. Humph.

So I headed off to the kitchen, because nothing redeems a morning like an English muffin with the best jelly in the whole wide world, right?

To the random guy in the jelly aisle months ago who practically forced me to buy this brand because "it's life-changing"... I'm sorry for thinking you were creepy. You're absolutely right -- my life is better. I owe you one.

Now, one burnt thumb, one burnt English muffin, and one "why on earth did I put this empty jar of jelly back in the fridge?!" moment later, my day still has not improved. Humph.

So today, since I'm left at a complete loss as for how to salvage the hours between now and bedtime, I am going to do something I never do: I am combining half a personal day with a bit of overtime I've already worked this week. I am leaving the office at noon. I am going home, spending a little time at the gym, eating a real lunch, and taking poor neglected Tess to the dog park for a little sunshine. Then I am going to bed for a long, blissful nap. And I am going to try like hell not to feel guilty about any of it. Hopefully, a few hours spent taking care of myself is all I need to snap myself out of this exhaustion, recharge my battery, and get back to feeling like a real person again. Fingers crossed.

   Love,

    Meg