• Random Thoughts,  UGH.,  Working On My Fitness,  Writing

    They Weren’t Fit; They Were Just Drawn That Way.

    As if we didn’t have enough to worry about these days, what with everything going on in the world and how busy we are all the time and all of the convenience foods that we devour because we don’t have time to cook healthy meals regularly, now we also have to worry about how technology is making it harder for us to fit into our clothing. It seems like a no-brainer, you know? Just as the best way to lose weight is to get moving, the best way to gain weight is to…stop moving. And that’s what so many of us have done: we’ve just stopped moving. Because of Twitter,…

  • Blessings,  Working On My Fitness

    No Surprise; It’s Been Closing For Years Now

    Until yesterday, I worked at two health clubs. One of them is a large club, with thousands of members. One of them is a small club, with–nowadays–only a couple hundred members. I wrote a little bit about the differences a while back. I put in nearly fourteen (!!!) years at the small club. I worked in several different departments there. The club has had a colorful history, and I’ve always said that if I were the type of writer who wanted to write a great work of fiction, (I’m not) I would use some of the many stories from this club as a springboard. Believe me, they’re there. I’ve seen…

  • Random Thoughts

    Quite Possibly the Cheapest Baby Ever

    I found this little gem that I’m about to show you a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve waffled on posting it because of the timing with the current national healthcare controversy; I’ve never intended to be political on my blog and in fact I still don’t intend that*. I just thought that this was pretty cool and amazing in some ways, and I wanted to share it with you. We often make fun of our mom for keeping EVERYTHING. Really, she does. Sometimes it’s a little strange, because we find things and wonder why she kept them. Sometimes, as in this case, it’s fun. I found the hospital bill…

  • Family Fun,  Food

    The Dance

    The four of us barge into the house through the front door, our hands loaded with plastic grocery bags. The twenty reusable bags I received at BlogHer are still in my trunk, empty, due to my shoddy memory at the time we parked in the store lot. I’ll bring them in next time, really. We pile the grocery bags on every available surface, all of us in a hurry, encouraged by the high-pitched barking coming from our yappy beagle, Roxie, as her entire back end sways from right to left due to the force of her wagging tail. She is impatiently waiting to be released from her crate in order…

  • Random Thoughts

    Hands

    Like so many others in today’s world, I lead an extremely busy life. Running here, running there, always being wrapped up in making sure that each and every detail is cared for can make time fly by. Living in the moment can be hard. Unless you just force yourself. It’s a little bit like exercise. I am often asked (yes, even as a group fitness instructor), “How do you find the time to work out?” Or, blogging. “How do you find the time to blog?” Or, any of my Martha Stewart-meets-Macgyver-style crafting. “How do you find the time to make those?” I don’t find the time. I make the time.…

  • Best Thing Ever,  Blessings,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    Back to School…Again!

    Well, almost. School actually begins for the boys next Thursday, the 20th. Yesterday though, we got to see the brand-spankin’ new high school that the younger boy will be attending. (The older boy, a Senior, will graduate from the same high school he’s been attending since Freshman year.) We’ve been really excited to get into the doors of this new school ever since the school district distributed gorgeous, glossy architect’s renderings of the design almost a year ago; even on paper it was spectacular. The school has an ultra-modern, angular design, and the inside uses tons of natural light. There are courtyards and other open spaces all over the place.…

  • Shameless Promotion

    One Step Closer To World Domination

    Well, now I’ve done it. I’ve started a review blog. I have thought for a long time about doing it, and I’ve really weighed out the pros and cons, and I just took the plunge. I learned alot about the ins and outs of review blogs at the BlogHer conference last month, and I’ve picked the brain of Liz, my Review Guru, until there was practically nothing left to pick. (Ask her. She’ll tell ya.) So what I’m basically saying is that I did not just literally jump in without thought. This was not impulsive. I did some research. I’m going to do this on my own terms. I’m going…

  • My Kid Has Mad Skillz

    What A Great Idea He Had!

    The older boy has been looking for a job for the last month or so, more vigorously since he returned from his Boy Scout high adventure. School starts in ten days, you see, and we would all love it if he could get a part-time job nailed down before then. Last month I told a Tale of Two Workers, parts one and two, about the vast differences in working philosophies–or maybe I should say “desires”–between my two boys. In part two, I mentioned how I have, for a long time, been trying–with ALL my might–to plant the seed in my older son’s head about getting a job at a restaurant…

  • My Kid Has Mad Skillz

    When 500 + 500 = 5000

    Yesterday, we attended a Lacrosse Club picnic and scrimmage. On the way there, we had to stop at the grocery store for some cookies and at the gas station to fill up the tank. We were short on time, so we decided to go to one of those combo grocery store/gas station complexes for practically one-stop shopping. Jim dropped me off at the door of the grocery store (something he ALWAYS does on the days when he doesn’t come in with me because he’s so sweet, but it was especially appreciated this time because I’ve been having some back issues for a couple of days), and he and the boys…