New Year, New Me? Not Really...

The new year is upon us and it is barely two weeks old. This is the time of year where people's best intentions (also known as New Year's Resolutions) start to waver. By the end of January, a large amount of folks won't even remember what they resolved to do in the first place.  

A common resolution is to get in shape and lose weight. The popularity of this resolution is apparent by the astounding increase of advertisements offering weight-loss pills, deeply discounted gym memberships, and diet or food programs. I have nothing in particular against any of the companies pushing their products, but the bottom line is the same: you have to WANT to lose weight and/or get in shape. 

I've not lost a single pound since I last wrote about this topic. Not one. In fact, I think I might have gained about three pounds. I was certainly exercising more before I went back to a full time job last summer. Since then I have all but stopped working out. Sure, I get some minimal exertion walking around the building I work in, but that is hardly enough to qualify as "exercise". I figured things might get better when my desk was converted to a stand-up desk. While it has minimized my back and neck issues, it hasn't done anything to help me shed any pounds. I still have to do the hard work associated with that. 

Why haven't I made any progress? That is a question I ask myself every day. Yes, I have to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, but shouldn't I have plenty of time leftover for hitting the gym? I don't have any excuses. I have no children, I don't have a dog to walk (perhaps I should invest in one so I DO walk), and I don't have any activities that take up all my spare time (well, other than trying to devote more time to the art and craft of writing). I have no reason for avoiding exercise. Well, other than that whole....exercise thing. It's hard. Apparently too hard for me.

I've decided on a new path. I will make a conscious effort to watch what I eat and the amount I eat. I've taken to writing down on little sticky notes EVERY bit of food I put in my mouth. This gives me a visual for how much I'm consuming. It makes me much more aware of times I'm eating because I'm hungry, or just eating because I'm bored. I'm trying to make a habit of eating smarter, but I don't beat myself up when I have a snack or eat a bite of fast food now and then. I'm not a big fan of the "deprive yourself of fill-in-the-blank" type of diets. For me, I do much better by slowly shifting my diet toward smarter eating.

On the exercise front, I'm also taking a slow, steady approach. I started wearing a pedometer every day (which gets uploaded to tracking software). I'm working up the courage to wake up 10 minutes earlier each morning so I can work out on my elliptical (which has been idle so long it has cobwebs on it....sigh). I'm also considering buying some leg weights and climbing the stairs in my house for 10 minutes every day. It may not be much, but it is a small step (no pun intended) toward working the habit of exercise back into my daily life.

My diet and exercise plans aren't going to put me in the TV spotlight or win me any awards, but they work for me. The bottom line for any sort of life-change: you have to WANT the rewards in order to stick to the WORK required. Now all I need to do is get off this couch and climb some stairs. I'll let you know how it goes.

"Turkey Day"...I spent it with very different birds

Today is traditionally a day for families to gather around a feast that features a large bird: the turkey. Instead of feasting on fowl, my husband and I spent our day with a very different kind of bird: the man-made variety. We visited the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles, VA. For our meals today, we had pretty typical fare: oatmeal for breakfast, Indian buffet for lunch, and Irish sports pub for dinner. I had no turkey, no mashed potatoes, no stuffing, and no pie. But this is a story of airplanes, not food.

I'd never been to this wonderful place called Udvar-Hazy. For anyone fascinated and enthused by things that fly, this is heaven-on-earth. It is chock full of every kind of flying machine imaginable from the early 1900s all the way through modern times, including space flight and rocketry. I saw my two favorite planes: the F-14 Tomcat and the A6 Intruder. (For the record, I was a fan of the F14 before "Top Gun" made it famous.)

A6 Intruder

As we wandered around the museum, I realized just how much I loved airplanes. I live near the airport and see (and hear) large jets flying over on a daily basis. I never get tired of seeing these flying beasts; I often run outside or to the window to see them fly over. Many years ago I lived near Dobbins Air Force Base and I loved seeing the F/A-18 Hornets and other big aircraft flying over my apartment. When I lived in Seattle, a co-worker invited me to watch the Blue Angles from his boat. It was beyond awesome. 

F-14 Tomcat

Some of my favorite toys as a child were my airplanes. I had die-cast fighter jet models, a very cool GI Joe Apache helicopter, a GI Joe F14, and one of my favorites...a Space Shuttle model. I still have my F14 die-cast model and I also have a commercial jetliner model. Why? They are just plain cool. I actually miss my Space Shuttle model; it was neat-o.

A WWII Fighter and The Enola Gay B29 Bomber

I am always a bit nervous when I take a flight somewhere, but at the same time, I get a thrill at the power of the jet as it races down the runway and thunders into the air...the ground falling away. Even mundane parts of the flight like making a turn before landing are fun. Of course I could always do without turbulence. I love to have a window seat behind the wings where I can see the flaps working at takeoff and landing. What can I say.....I'm a sucker for anything that is well engineered.

Speaking of well engineered, I was in absolute awe when I walked around the Space Shuttle Discovery. I literally stood there and soaked in the wonderful aircraft (spacecraft?). Discovery was actually in space; what an amazing achievement for humankind.  I've taken up astronomy lately, and I was standing there imagining what it must have been like to be outside Earth's atmosphere looking down on our beautiful blue-green globe. I am sad there will be no more Shuttle missions, but I know we will continue to explore space well into the future.

As the day wound down (I had totally lost track of time), I realized all the things I am thankful for: my family and friends; all the men and women who risked their lives flying these planes at home and abroad, in war and peace; living in such a great country;  the men and women who work at the museum so we can see all these great pieces of history. And I am also very thankful for human ingenuity and the human spirit. Happy Thanksgiving.

Halloween...it actually is like it used to be!

I sit here tonight handing out candy as I have done for many, many years. Not much has changed since I was a child, ringing doorbells and yelling "triiiiick ooor treeeeeat!". I get a kick out of everyone's costumes, kids and adults. Every year I also get the teenagers, some with decent costumes and some who don't bother. Some adults are annoyed by older kids participating in trick-or-treat, but I figure as long as you are under 18, you can share in the fun too. I never refuse to give anyone candy even if they are not dressed up. If you are bold enough to walk a neighborhood in any weather, ring a stranger's doorbell and ask for candy, I'll make it worth your while.

I've been carving a pumpkin (or two) for the past several years with varying degrees of success. Without the right tools, it can be tough to get a really detailed carving. I tend to use large, well sharpened knives to do the rough carving and purpose-made carving saws for more detailed areas. This year I had a rotten spot on my pumpkin, so I had to improvise. I gave him a snarl to work around the bad spot.

This year's pumpkin had a snarl giving him extra Halloween 'tude

One thing that always comes to mind while I wait for the doorbell to ring is how trick-or-treaters seem like popcorn. You get a ton during the early evening, then a few more bursts as the evening wears on and then suddenly you get no more "pops". This year I waited until 8:30 to blow out the pumpkin's candle and turn off my lights. I stood on my porch for a few minutes to make sure I didn't hear any more kids around the neighborhood. It was quiet and still, so I knew the festivities were done.

This is the one holiday my black cat can celebrate. He has been cooperative most years in hanging around the front door so the kids can see him. He gets his share of oooos and aaaaahhs. Truth be told, I think he enjoys the celebrity that being a black cat brings on this spooky holiday.

Neo enjoying a sunny day, dreaming of Halloween

Another Halloween has come to a close, and I am ready to go to sleep. I have just enough candy left over to treat myself for the next week or so. I take comfort in the tradition of Halloween in this modern, technology driven world. With that, I bid everyone a Happy Halloween, and before you know it, we'll be eating some turkey and dressing.

Back To School

It is that wonderful time of year again: back to school. Bus drivers are getting their dormant busses back in service, teachers are getting their lesson plans written, parents and kids are shopping for school supplies, and commuters are bracing for worse traffic. 

For the previous two summers, this time of year has passed uneventfully for me. This year is very different. I will be starting a brand new job on Monday, just as all the kids in my area are headed back to class. It brings to the forefront of my mind that tangible feeling of excitement and anticipation I had every fall when I started a new school year. This year, I may not have to buy #2 pencils, paper, or a new calculator, but I will be learning quite a bit as I settle into my new role. 

I am a little sad to give up my self-guided schedule and workload, but I wasn't making much headway earning a living wage as a writer and illustrator. My cats were thrilled to have me home with them (they took turns "managing" me), and I wonder who will be more upset about working outside the house every day: me or them. Maybe my new employer will let me bring them to the office if we have a "bring your child to work day". I can teach them all about careers in the IT field while they blink at me and drift off for another nap. Or maybe not.

In all seriousness, trading my time for a paycheck is something I wondered if I would ever do again. After leaving my last employer, I had real doubts if I'd ever go back into the IT field because my experience had been so stressful. I really wanted to make it as a writer and artist, but I discovered I was not good at marketing myself, or managing my time when left to my own devices. A big part of my problem was the fact that I didn't take my "work" seriously so I let everything and everyone interrupt me. I downplayed my work since I wasn't earning a six figure income (or even a four figure income!). 

In spite of the fact that I didn't "make it" as a self-employed individual, I am not bitter about my decision to go back to the 9-5 working world. The difference this time is I researched the company and I knew what I was getting into. I knew my past experience would be helpful and I could do real, productive, creative work. And I had to admit to myself that I did miss being a technical expert. I don't look at my decision as giving up on my self-employment; I look at this as an opportunity to expand my experience and have enough spare cash to invest in my writing or other business ideas. 

I still firmly believe the way to financial independence is through self-employment, but that path isn't for everyone. It isn't for me right now, but I know I can make a go of it again when the circumstances in my life are better aligned. In the meantime, I need to get my pen and paper ready to take notes from my new teammates, and I have to get the perfect outfit ready to wear. Now I have to hope I can get through all the traffic...

Weight Loss and Exercise...It Really Is Hard Work

If you watch TV at all, you are bombarded with commercials promising instant weight loss if you drink this shake, take this pill, or use this machine. Some claims are so unbelievable, they make me laugh. Really? I can take your fancy-space-age-tested-on-a-lab-mouse pills and eat ANYthing I want and STILL lose weight?! Wow! The weight will just drop off! (Gee, that sounds a little gruesome.) I hear these types of ads and the rational side of my brain thinks, "Hmmm, if a person can continue the bad habits that got them into being overweight in the first place, what kind of weird chemistry is this pill going to do to my system to trick it into shedding calories? That doesn't sound safe." The human body is a marvelous vessel (some might call it a temple). However, many of us treat it like it's disposable. I am guilty of this at times. I was always a skinny kid, and I was very active throughout my early life. Then "work" happened, and I became a little more sedentary in my late 20s and in my 30s. Something else very natural happened: my metabolism slowed down. All those adults who told me, "just wait 'til yer older...you'll gain weight!" They were right. 


I did manage to lose weight while going through my divorce a few years back. I slimmed down from a size 8 to a size 6 and I was thrilled. Sadly my habits (eating less and exercising often) didn't last. I became sedentary again and started eating more than I should have. I also went through several stressful periods that caused me to adopt poor eating habits. Now I'm back to a size 8/10/12 (that's another topic that irritates me: women's clothing sizes, but I'll tackle that another time). I am now facing a decision: put up with the weight I've gained (I am heavier now than I ever have been in my life) or DO something about it.


I've chosen to do something. That "something" involves getting back in the habit of exercising and being smarter about eating. I'm not going on some radical diet or joining some crazy exercise program. I am paying more attention to how much I eat and what I eat, but I am not eliminating anything from my diet. I am making a conscious effort to eat out less. I am also controlling my portion sizes and eating slower. These may not seem like big steps, but small changes are easier to digest (no pun intended). For my exercise, I've chosen running. I purchased a good pair of running shoes from a store that specializes in running. They watched me walk on a  treadmill so they could find the right shoe for how I move. So far I've not progressed very far, but I am still working on it. The salesman at the store recommended the Couch-to-5k program (plug that into your favorite search engine and you can read about it; there's also an app for it!). I've had to restart the program three times now, and I might have to start over again due to some tendon issues in my lower leg. But I refuse to give up. In the meantime I will stick to walking until I'm able to run again.


This goes to prove my point: losing weight (and keeping it off) isn't an overnight success. It takes real effort and a strong desire to push through life's obstacles. I've been working on it for months now, and I haven't lost any weight. Even sticking to an exercise routine without interruption over the past three weeks has not yielded measurable results. But then again, I didn't gain 30 pounds in a month; I certainly won't lose it in a month. If I can lose 10 pounds over the next three months, I will be happy. If I can get back down to a small size 8 or a large size 6 by the end of the year, I will be ecstatic. I figure my patience will be rewarded by new habits and weight loss that won't evaporate when I quit taking the pills or drop out of the trendy exercise program. I will have easy to follow eating and exercise habits that will be fun and painless to follow for many years to come. In the meantime, I refuse to beat myself up if I have a doughnut or miss a day of exercising. Weight loss for me is a marathon, not a sprint.

I Never Thought I'd Say This...

It is a gray, rainy day in NoVA, and I am happy to see it. Yes, yes, I know...I complained vehemently about being stuck in the Pacific NorthWet for 11 years with nasty gray rain. This time is very different. For the past two weeks, the Mid-Atlantic and other parts of the South and Mid-West have been trapped in the grips of deadly heat. We're not talking a little bit hot here; we're talking deadly heat that broke every record for days on end. We're talking about heat so powerful, it buckled pavement on many roads in the area. We're talking about heat so strong it caused an airplane to sink four inches into the tarmac at one of the local airports. We're talking about no rain for many parts of the country for quite some time. We're talking about the kind of heat that when you open your front door, it hits you like a blast furnace and sucks the air out of your lungs. 


People weren't enjoying the outdoors unless it was by a pool or fountain. You literally rushed from your house to your car then from car to store just so you didn't melt into a puddle on 130 degree pavement. Heat index values were well above 100 for several days and actual air temps were at or near 100 for days in a row. We kept all the shades drawn in our house and even put up blankets over the windows to keep out as much heat as possible. We lived in an air-conditioned cave for two weeks. Our tomato plants actually dropped underdeveloped fruit and quit producing blossoms. We watered every day, but the heat was just too oppressive. It burned up some of our flowers. Our gas grill showed a temp near 200 degrees even though it wasn't on! Yes, this was some nasty, hot, debilitating weather for sure.


Then something amazing happened. Thunderstorms came through with a cold front yesterday and the temperature went from 97 degrees to 78 degrees in the matter of an hour. Last night had a low temp of 70; the lowest in weeks. We got up this morning and we could open all the shades in the house. We no longer had to hide from the oppressive oven outside. And I've never been happier to see a gray, rainy day in a very long time. 


I'm sure the hot weather will return, but for now, I will enjoy the mid 80s. I'll also appreciate every drop of rain that falls.

Baby Bunnies - All Is Well

After posting the blog yesterday about my adventures doing yard work, I wanted to write a quick follow up. I went outside yesterday evening to grab some fresh herbs from our deck garden and happen to look over the railing. What did I see? Four tiny bunnies and momma bunny. I was so excited! I was moved to tears to see the little darlings happy and unharmed. I rushed back inside and grabbed the camera. When I came back out, the babies had dispersed and mom was eating grass near the deck. I grabbed a few quick shots as the little ones hopped around. Now that I know when they are active, I will try to get some better shots in the coming days. I think I also found their den, but I don't dare go sticking my hand into unknown holes in the yard; you never know what is hiding in them! But from the amount of brown fur around the entrance to the hole, odds are good that I found their hiding spot. Their secret is safe with me; the only dangers they are likely to face in my yard are from two house cats that aren't terribly good hunters and don't go outside very often. 


After this past week, I am glad to see Friday, and I am hoping for a quiet weekend. Who knows...maybe I'll even take some "National Geographic" quality photographs of wild bunnies.

Baby Bunny No 1

Baby Bunny No 2

Babies No 3 & 4 (or maybe 1 or 2? I can't tell)

Momma Bunny