Responsible Adult (on occassion)

Last night was one of those nights where I take a deep breath, look in the mirror and say, "I can be a responsible adult after all. Whew!"

It is a shame how rarely I feel that way.

After work I went home to change clothes and then - gasp - went to the gym! The shock! And even more shocking was how much I LOVED it! It takes a lot to get me to a gym (I would be the mayor of LazyTown but the election was too much trouble), but once I'm there I kind of freakin' love it. My gym (Fitness19) has those cardio machines with a tiny TV, so I plug in my headphones, find something funny to distract me and set to a brisk walk on a heavy incline. Suddenly I realize I've walked a mile! Without the distraction I just stare at the timer thinking, "It has only been 5 minutes?!? Whaaaa!"

After that I hit the leg press. I don't know why, but it is almost always my favorite machine. The location seemed perfect, too (right under a fan), but if I were a man (or a lesbian) it would have been even better, because I was right behind the girls in short-shorts on the stair-climbers. Oy... I just cranked up my music and stared at the ceiling.

I closed with some free weights; triceps and obliques. Since I'm just starting out I'm staying in my comfort zone. Hopefully before long I can push myself to different exercises.

On the way home I stopped at the store for pasta and chicken. I made the simplest, YUMMIEST salad! It was kind of a "fridge cleaner", because I chopped up any and all veggies in the fridge. I used the tail end of a shallot, the remaining halves of a zucchini and squash plus some asparagus. I gave them a quick saute and tossed them with farfalle and some rotisserie chicken. Add lemon juice and olive oil (plus salt and pepper) and it was right tasty! If Brad doesn't finish it for lunch, I will probably do it for dinner again tonight. I might add roma tomatoes, but I'm not sure. Oh, and I put in a little goat cheese, but I like it better without. (I was inspired by this PW recipe.)

After dinner I organized out tax paperwork so we can go be grownups tomorrow. And then I watched the first half of Micmacs while soaking in the tub. Overall it was a truly lovely night.

Tonight I'm going back to the gym and having another delicious, low(ish) calorie meal and then painting my nails. I know, I know, it is a fast-paced and glamorous life I lead. Try not to be jealous.

Dwell with Dignity

I don't spend nearly enough (read: almost any) time working with charities and other helpful organizations. Even my activities at church are fairly limited. I would like to believe that if we had a Dwell with Dignity in Houston, I would spend some time there. At the very least I would donate some furniture to those with greater vision and stick-to-it-iveness.

(From their website)
"Dwell with Dignity is a non-profit group of Interior Designers and volunteers dedicated to creating soothing, inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty. We provide and install home interiors for families that include furnishings and art, bedding and kitchen supplies, and food in the pantry. Our mission is to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design. One household at a time."

How cool is that? Some people might think of it as fluff, "decorating someones home to make them feel better", but they do so much more. They provide homes, not just shelter. They give people pride and a sense of worth in what they have. They create an atmosphere of safety for those who might not have had it in a long time, or possibly ever.

You can help! Of course they need people to underwrite donations for home goods, but they also need your stuff. You can contact them with descriptions and photos of any furniture and they decide whether nor not they can put it to good use. Repurposing is a large part of their process, as it teaches responsibility in ownership. Also, if you live in/near the Dallas area, they always need volunteers, "everything from refurbishing furniture and making art to putting fundraisers together and writing grants."

If nothing else, check out their projects, the amazing before and afters. They are very inspiring.

New Low: And yet I'm surprised...

Several months ago my husband came home from work and asked, "Have you heard the new Katy Perry song? Something about dreams?"

ME: No, don't think so.
HUBS: Let me show this to you.

So we find a YouTube video that shows the lyrics. And we listen, and Brad just watches me as my jaw hits the table.

ME: The hell?!? These lyrics are horrible!
HUBS: Yeah, that's what I siad.
ME: Is she seriously condoning teenagers getting drunk and having sex in hotels? What the hell?

It made me really angry. Any time it came on the radio I immediately changed the station. And I want to hate Darren Criss for making me like it during the Glee cover. How can we slide not-so-gradually into a media that ENCOURAGES illegal and unsafe behavior in children?

It makes me feel old. Which I hate, not because I'm 27 and shouldn't feel old, but because that means accepting this trash is a young mentality. ::shudder::

And then, this morning, I turn on my radio and hear Rhianna's new song, "S&M". Yeah, THAT S&M. As in sadomaschism. Let's take a look at some of the "lyrics" (I'm truly sorry):

Feels so good being bad
There’s no way I’m turnin’ back
Now the pain is my pleasure
Cause nothin’ can measure

Love is great, love is fine
Out the box, outta line
The affection nothin’ feelin
Leave me wanting more

Cause I may be bad, but
I’m perfectly good at it
Sex in the air
I don’t care I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me

S, S, S&M, M, M
S, S, S&M, M, M

Ohh
I love the feelin’ oh you bring to me
Turn me on, you turn me on
Is exactly what I’ve been yearning for
You need forgive me turn me it up
And make me be in my …, in my bodies surprise
I like it, like it

Cause I may be bad, but
I’m perfectly good at it
Sex in the air
I don’t care I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me

S-S-S&M-M-M
S-S-S&M-M-M
S-S-S&M-M-M
S-S-S&M-M-M

So... this is on the radio. Neat.

I'm gonna go cry now.

New Zealand

An earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand last night (lunchtime their time). It was the worst natural disaster seen in the region is 80 years. At last count, 65 were counted dead and several are still missing.

And do you know my first thought when I heard a quake had hit New Zealand? "I hope it wasn't in the wine region." That was the first thing that popped into my head, and I am not proud of it.

I generally remain blissfully ignorant of the world, big-picture. I won't deny that. And again, I'm not proud of that. I am such an empathetic person that, if I keep up with the news, I feel consistently depressed. But how is that an excuse?

The BBC has an article on their site detailing the damage, and they paint a horrific picture. Among the missing is a group of visiting Japanese students. Among the dead are two buses full that were crushed by buildings. People describe bodies just lying around under a layer of brick and screams issuing from the rubble.

I urge you to pray for this community. They are without power and water. They are scared and can't find their friends and family. Please pray for them. Right now. Stop what you are doing and take a knee. There is no time like the present to do what you can.

Doctor Who Valentines

I can always count on Jamila (MsChicGeek) to provide the most delicious nerdery online - her blog is a treasure trove of geekiness! Today she has up a large group of Doctor Who Valentines, which you know I couldn't resist. Go check it out, but these are my favorites:

Snorg Tees

I'm sure Snorg Tees are aimed at hipsters. I mean, come on, their ads are always next to American Apparel and on sites like TextsFromLastNight and LOLCats. But hey, that doesn't mean some aren't really great. Here are my faves:

Walking the fence between hectic and boring

I'm adjusting well to my new job functions... at least, I think I am. I feel like I'm in limbo right now at work: I'm still sitting with my old group, due to a lack of offices near the new team. This leaves me kind of "without a country". If I have questions, I have to either pick up the phone or walk to the other side of the building. I know, I know, #whitegirlproblems, but I feel strangely isolated. At any given time, my team members could be running around frantically trying to complete a task, but if no one calls me, I won't know. I will be sitting over here twiddling my thumbs in between emails.

If these past few weeks are any indication, this new job will have me walking the fence between hectic and boring at all times. My first week on the job I worked 64 hours and completed a beautiful product on deadline. Whew! Since then, I've been slugging along, hoping I'm not overlooking some huge responsibility because no one showed it to me.

It does give me the opportunity to continue helping my old team on the sly, which is nice (for them). I hated to walk away from it as it reached completion, but one has to go where one is told*. At this point I am just praying for an office to become available: that way I can be in the heart of the team, instead of feeling/looking like an outsider.

Plus, I really want to put up my Doctor Who poster, and the only way I am doing that is on the back of an office door. No shame in my game, but no need to wave my nerd flag quite so high in my corporate office...

*Ah, the drone mindset...