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

And now back to our regularly scheduled program…

As promised, The Evening Mews returns, albeit a few days late. I have to report that I didn’t come up with an exact plan during my break. My general feeling was to write about cats, and nothing but cats (which seems fitting for a blog called Evening Mews). However, after further consideration (and consulting with my own cats), I feel that is too limiting. So I’ve made a decision to keep the blog as it is; a place for me to park my thoughts and my life’s happenings.

Today seems a fitting day to restart the blog since it has been a terribly eventful day so far. I woke up to ants in my bathroom. Not many, just a few here and there. I walked back into the bedroom and spotted an ant on the bed!! I hate ants; they don’t belong in my house. I killed all the ones I could find, still wondering where they were coming from and how many more were lurking. It gave me the heebie-jeebies. I threw on some clothes and proceeded to make breakfast so I could mow the lawn before the heat became unbearable.

Breakfast was uneventful, thankfully. I retrieved the weed-whacker and lawnmower from the garage and set up to mow the lawn so my neighbors wouldn’t call the HOA about my untidy grass. We rent, and the electric mower we use belongs with the house. I don’t get along too well with this mower since it has a habit of shorting out while mowing. The only resolution is to let go of the handle, then pull it again, hoping it will stay running for a few more seconds. It takes about three times as long to mow our tiny lawn thanks to this small glitch.

After cussing the mower repeatedly, I finally finish the front lawn. I proceed into the back yard, which looks like something from a prehistoric jungle movie (thankfully we have a 6 foot wooden fence). I use the weed whacker to tidy up around the porch railings. I move toward the air conditioner when all of a sudden I see SOMEthing move and hear this bloodcurdling squeal. I stop the weed whacker and realize I’ve just hit a poor, hapless baby bunny! OH MY GOD I’VE KILLED IT! Oh, wait, it is running away. I go after it to check it for injuries. It is having NONE of that. (I can imagine things from the poor bunny’s perspective – a giant who just wacked it is now trying to catch it. I’d run for my life too!) It manages to squeeze through the fence boards to safety. I am terribly shaken. I go back and retrieve the weed whacker and see no fur or blood. Whew, dodged a bullet! I finish up and then go back to mowing.

I’m still cussing and fighting with the mower as I move closer to the little shed in the corner of the yard. All of a sudden ANOTHER baby bunny comes flying out from under the mower (which was running, but spinning down thanks to the electrical short). WHAT THE HECK!!??  As I lift the mower to check for fur or blood, ONE MORE baby bunny runs out! *^&%$#!@%!!! I go over to where one of the bunnies is “hiding”. He is still alive. I go back to the mower and run my fingers along the blades; no fur and no blood. Dodged two more bullets. I bang on the shed to make sure no one else is going to run under the mower. Still shaken, I finally get done with mowing and weed whacking. I check outside the fence and don’t find the original bunny anywhere; I'm hopeful he is doing fine.

I manage to get the lawn equipment put away and go inside without further incident. I shower up and collapse on the bed, thankful I didn’t cause the death of innocent baby bunnies. If my cats or a hawk happen to eat them, I wouldn’t be bothered since that is nature at work. But the thought of running them over with a lawnmower or chopping them with a weed eater is too horrific to contemplate. I went out a little while ago and I see no bunnies, so I am hopeful all the little dears got to safety and are resting from their terrifying morning.  One thing is certain: I’ll be a lot more careful before I mow the back yard from now on!

We’ll be right back, after these (non)commercial messages...

The Evening Mews is less than a month old, but it will be taking a hiatus. I’ll be visiting family for a few days (with no access to the Interwebs), and taking time to arrange my wandering thoughts. Hopefully what will emerge will be an entertaining and informative blog that will have folks coming back for more.

The Evening Mews will return on Monday, June 25^th.  Until then, don’t lose heart just because the economy is still sluggish, wildfires are raging out west while the southeast floods from summer storms. And don’t think about the fact that jobs are still hard to find and your house has lost half its value over the past ten years. None of us can change the economy on our own, but we can look forward and prepare for what is ahead. Life goes in cycles so keep your chin up and love those close to you. Hug your spouse or mom or dad or cat or dog or horse or guinea pig. Listen to your favorite song or watch a funny movie. Eat ice cream or have a glass of wine. In the end, the sun will still rise in the east and the birds will still sing their beautiful song.

Miss Ixie sez "If all else fails, take a cat nap."

Being an Introvert

Many years ago I worked for a company that hired an outside consultant to help solve some personality conflicts between the employees. One of the crucial steps in this process was to identify everyone’s personality type using the Myers-Briggs testing. If you’ve ever had this done, you know exactly what I’m talking about. (Are you an ISFP? Maybe an ENFJ?) Eight years later, working for a different employer, I took the test again. I came up with the same results (I guess that’s good; I haven’t had a radical personality shift in the last 10 years). Without revealing my full type, I will say that I am a solid “I”. This means I land well into the Introvert zone. Does this mean I’m a mountain hermit with no social skills and I’m unable to deal with people? No. I like people and I get along well with a variety of folks.

So what does being an introvert mean? It has everything to do with how you get your energy from other people and how you process (and relay) information. Introverts are drained being around people. Extroverts, by comparison, get their energy from other people. I can certainly attest to this part of being an introvert. Even talking on the phone or sending emails drains me. When I’m in a group of people, say at a party, I usually focus on just a few people. Being in large crowds (at a show or at a parade for example) usually causes me to feel uncomfortable and I get tired quickly. By comparison, an extrovert will feel energized and excited after interacting with people.

As far as information processing goes, I do my best when I can concentrate on my work without constant interaction with other people. When I attend meetings, I generally listen and speak only when it is necessary. I process ideas in my head before ever opening my mouth. Extroverts will talk through an idea, sometimes to the point of repeating themselves. Get an introvert and an extrovert in the same meeting and you get a situation where the introvert wonders if the extrovert will ever be quiet and the extrovert wonders if the introvert has quit participating in the discussion. Without knowledge of personality types, this can lead to contention between people and slows progress on any project.

I saw this introvert/extrovert interaction at a few different places I worked, but one situation stands out in my mind. When I worked for a small material storage company in Atlanta, the owner was an extrovert. The CPA was an introvert. During meetings, they never seemed to agree. The owner would talk and talk and talk, but the CPA would say nothing (his body language, however, was very closed). He would start to say something but the meeting was already over; the owner’s attention was focused on the next project. After each meeting, they would end up confronting one another in their offices. She felt like he never listened to her and he felt slighted when his comments were ignored. Once the consultant came in and helped them realize their personality types, things were a bit smoother. After they learned how each personality type processed information, the owner was able to listen more and talk less, and the CPA was able to speak up more effectively so his ideas were heard and acknowledged.

This type of situation plays out in companies large and small. Being aware of your personality type is a big help when it comes to understanding how you process and interact with people, and how others do the same. If you haven’t heard of the Myers-Briggs test, read the book “Do What You Are” by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger (get the latest edition; I read the 2001 edition and loved it, and the newer edition has great reviews). This will explain the different personality types and give the reader an idea for which jobs are best aligned with that type. It may also come in handy next time your boss is talking circles around you and you need to get your point across.