A look back at 2009; 2010 Resolutions

Before I greet 2010 with open arms, a review of this past year's resolutions and whether or not I actually accomplished anything in 2009 (I copied this list straight out of last year's post btw):

10. Keep a more open mind when it comes to movies, music and books.

I feel like I accomplished something here. If not with movies and books, most of you know my friends, David and I started a music club called Music Togetherness. We're about to enter week 17 (or week 2-1). See how open I'm becoming at http://musictogetherness.blogspot.com.

9. Budget money better and build savings back up.

Being that my savings right now is at an all time low, it doesn't look like I accomplished much in this area. Between moving to a new home with cheaper payments and getting a better job with better pay I really don't know where it all went, but at least I can honestly say I'm entering the upswing in this category. Paying off credit card debt is a good start to 2010, wouldn't you say? I did also start a checking/savings account for the house if that counts.

8. Get rid of unnecessary clutter at home and at work.

Well, we got a new house in 2009, so instead of getting rid of clutter, we spread it out. I am doing better with more space though I think. And my work desk is organized to the hilt.

7. Try your hand at improving cooking and entertaining skills.

We've hosted a number of parties this year, including Thomas's surprise 25th birthday and one helluva Halloween party. In addition, I got really good at making these kick butt breakfast burritos and I got a lot of new cooking equipment for Christmas so onward and upward.

6. Get lauranette.com up and running with a purpose.

Well, I got something up, but it's not what I wanted. Try again.

5. Update resume and professional contacts.

Accomplished! I got a new job in August :)

4. Get my associate's degree in Web design from LCCC.

Not quite, but I have a good excuse. I took a little hiatus while getting some time in as an LCCC employee, and after February, I can take my last 4 classes for free! Boo-yah.

3. Organize files on computer, get more space for file storage.

Check. Got a 1TB external hard drive for Christmas. Cleaning off C drive as we speak!

2. Feel better about myself, lose 25 pounds by 2010.

I found out I had asthma which was why I felt terrible when trying to run, so with a new inhaler I found out I actually like running. I ran a 2.5K in October, and although I slacked after that and overall gained more weight than I lost, at least I gained some self confidence in 09.

1. Eat better and exercise regularly. Get back into yoga.

I did well with this on and off for about 3 out of the 12 months. Overall, fail.

Now for my new list. What can we expect in 2010?

10. Read more books and check some of those off my Goodreads.com to-read shelf.

9. Redesign laurnanette.com with a purpose.

8. Learn to cook and eat new, healthy dishes to improve skills and diet.

7. Finish associate's degree in Web design; take classes in photography.

6. Buy a Canon Rebel Ti1 DSLR camera and become a better photographer.

5. Budget money, pay off credit cards and build up savings.

4. Have a yard sale to get rid of unnecessary clutter at the house (and earn a little extra money for 'Roo).

3. Commit to at least 5 days of exercise per week.

2. Train for and run at least one 5K race in 2010.

1. New you for Bonnaroo - Lose 30 pounds by Dec. 31 and be at least halfway there by Bonnaroo in June.

Google Voicemail is a hoot

The text translations are never quite right are they? Here are a couple I've received since switching from regular voicemail:

• A coworker, looking for a missing cell number - "And I page. I'm just trying to get a hold of parcel lock midnight. Thank you work on her cell number yesterday. If you could give me abuzz back"
• My dad, telling me James needed to reschedule an appointment - "Hey, This is regarding a problem gym after work friday there anyway when you can change that Thursday Hi Bill is because we're give me a call."
• Family video, telling me some games were late - "Hello from your friends and family video. I'm calling to remind you WE Hill items over due on your account, please do their 24 hour drop box for your convenience or renew your late items over the phone. Thank you for choosing family. They DL at your entertainment. Joy." (Actually, that one was pretty good....)
• Me, calling to locate my cell phone - "There is what you guys hello"
• My mom, telling me I was late for Thanksgiving dinner - "Hello. You gotta run off Alliance well."

And that is why, you don't leave a voicemail. Or you speak really clearly when you do.

The roughest weekend of Mini cat's life so far

Yesterday I took Hayley kitty, or Min-Min as I so often call her, to the vet for two shots, spaying and declawing. I thought this would help her kick the urge to climb into my Christmas tree and the timing seemed about right.

This morning I picked her up. She seemed to be in good spirits but Sadie Gray was, much to my dismay, VERY unhappy to see her back in the house. She hissed and spit and poor recovering Mini had no idea what to do. She still wanted to be with her big sister. I realize that's fairly normal and that they will have to get used to one another again, but I'm not in the mood to be patient.

I noticed Mini was licking herself way more than I remember Sadie did. I tried to stop her but you can't completely control kitties without watching them 24/7. After awhile, while she was licking her belly wound, I caught a glimpse of what looked like the incision coming open. There was a little bit of blood around the area, although no guts, but I freaked out.

I called David, who had his parents come over and take a look while he was at work. They too noticed it looked like a stitch was missing and by gently touching her wound we were able to definitively tell the wound was indeed open. We made the decision that it would be best to call the local animal hospital since our kitties' regular vet was closed for the weekend.

When we got her there she was still in good shape, and they let me know she still had a layer of internal stitches holding her insides in (thank GOD!) but that she had indeed chewed through the outside layer as we had feared. They put a number of staples in her belly to make sure that wound stays closed, gave us some antibiotic to give her to ward off any infection and told us to keep her in an Elizabethan collar for two weeks until the staples and stitches can come out.

She hated the collar of course. In true Mini cat fashion, it took her an hour or under that to get an arm through the collar, and then another 15 minutes to wriggle it down to her midsection where it wouldn't do any good. David and I fixed it so it's pretty tight, taking precaution that she can still breathe and eat and all that good stuff. Since then she's been sleeping and cowering on David and I whenever the other kitty comes near.

So she's not going to like it but for the good of the family, Sadie is going to be sleeping in the basement for the next several nights and staying down there when we aren't around to keep an eye on them - until she can learn to get along with the sick kitty. When we're home they can spend some time trying to get reacquainted.

That's the story.

Birthdays just aren't as exciting when you're older

First, thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. Though not that different from usual, it was a pretty nice day.

I spent my entire day at work designing (which I think is totally fun) a booklet about L&C's Green Initiatives (which is a subject I actually am very interested in), then came home to roses (yellow, not for friendship but because they're my favorite color of roses), two kitties and a boyfriend that I love. We watched an episode of The Office we DVR'd from last week before meeting my family at Tony's in Downtown Alton for a steak dinner, which was delicious. After Tony's I convinced them to walk over to Bossanova (which has remodeled in the front and is gorgeous), where I asked Steve the bartender to make me a surprise that turned out to be a kind of tea with vodka (but not a Long Island) and was quite tasty. To David's surprise, since he was going to pick up the bill, that drink wasn't even on it - so score one for us (and yay for Steve the bartender). Afterward we headed to my parents' for cake that my dad forgot to use water in (bless his heart) and presents. I got some new storage for the bathroom, yay! David got me a video game that's pretty much an extension for my love of Farmville, which I need to play tonight, and is getting me some iPod accessories later this week, which will be nice. So it was pretty low key.

Most of my birthdays over the years have either been really bad or really good, so last year I decided to stop making a big deal about them.

Trying to squeeze something super special out of my birthdays before the big 25 had only really gone well twice - the time I turned 17 and Diane threw me a surprise party where several of my best guy friends danced around in her black bras, and my 22nd birthday bingo bash in Charleston for which my favorite roommate Erin whipped together all of my EIU people and plenty of Jello shots, and even got my favorite professor out to the Moose lodge for some O66 Clickety-click, Bottoms Up, will-never-forget fun.

My 21st birthday could have gone better - EIU was new and fresh and the only person I really knew all that well that was 21 drank too much and got sick by the time I even made it to Marty's, and my 24th (Rick Ankiel) left a permanent scar and numbness in my right knee from an unpadded ball pit at the City Museum in St. Louis.

So there was no pica pole this year, and no abundance of wine like there was last year, and much of my day was a pretty regular day at work. The good news is I'm in a much better place at 26 than I have been in the past.

I own a home that we fixed up nice, I have a live-in boyfriend and two cats who are my precious babies, I have a job that I actually love and that isn't bankrupting me, and things are otherwise going well. I only wish I'd have been able to make it to darts this week and I'm sad I'm going to have to miss volleyball this week. (At least I still get to play volleyball, as the LCCC faculty and staff take on student teams Thursday night).

Stumbled upon some Adam Lambert snippets today...

So the guy everyone thought had loads of talent and unique style about him is coming out with an album that sounds strikingly like girly pop, not the rock he was supposed to be all about - http://mjsbigblog.com/for-your-entertaiment-preview-snippets.htm

From the snippets, I can tell that the title track" For Your Entertainment" might be a hit with popular radio audiences, and I'm guessing that because of its similarities to the sounds of Lady Gaga and Miss Britney Spears - it reminds me a lot of "Toxic" and we all remember how popular that was. 

OK, yes, his voice is fabulous, but I don't think we're seeing full potential here, not by a long shot, and quite frankly I'm starting to wonder if he should have taken Queen up on that offer...

On the positive side, I really like the track "Sleepwalker," or what I've heard of it. As I read on (http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/11/11/adam-lambert-for-your-entertainment-song-snippets/), I'm not surprised that OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder had a hand in that one.

The album is not without its ballads - time to show off his pretty side - but for the most part, "For Your Entertainment" is very Backstreet Boys' "Millenium" for a newer age. I bring up that comparison only because I was stuck without an iPod in my rental car last week and was forced to listen to the one CD I grabbed or deal with talk shows in the morning. If you listen to the two side by side, there are similarities. Adam's voice is much better than the Boys' but the songwriting and peppy tunes have a lot in common and that's kind of disappointing. 

Not to say I won't listen to it and like it, but I still enjoy the BSB and NSYNC so what do I know? I will be surprised if my music-loving boyfriend finds any quality in this stuff (then again, we could have an "Umbrella" repeat on our hands, who knows).

2009 EIU Homecoming Weekend

As luck would have it, I came down with a rather nasty cold/sinus infection on Thursday that caused me to miss a day of work on Friday, and I feared I might have to miss this year's Homecoming. Determined to make it anyhow, I got my rest and doped myself up with cold medicines, B vitamins and plenty of fluids and made the trek to Charleston around 5 a.m. on Saturday.

I arrived at my one-time home around 8 a.m. and picked up my registration materials (including the ugliest T-shirt ever) at Old Main for the 10th Annual EIU Homecoming 2.5K race - my first race and a big reason I was so bent on making it. I ran the race with Mal and Stephen and kept pace about 3/4 of the first mile until Stephen started walking and I joined him. Mal shot ahead. She would go on to run the whole 1.5 mile stretch, but that wasn't even a goal of mine - I just wanted to do my best and cross the finish line. Not as many people were out watching as I had thought there would be, so that was nice, but I did pick up some inspiration from two kids on 7th Street giving high fives to passing runners. I ran most of 7th street, walked around the square, then ran/walked the last portion down 6th, finishing at 18:05. I could have done better had I not been sick and forgotten my inhaler, but I thought I did well for me at a 12:03 minute pace. For the rest of the day, the cold that had settled into my chest that morning made it hard for me to catch my breath in the chilly weather.

While visiting Lola and JR in the DEN newsroom, Mal (and baby Ian) and I scored two front row tickets to the afternoon football game v. Tennessee Tech (thanks to Sally), which Stephen was shooting for EIU. We stayed until it started to sleet, then took cover, and when we returned sat a row higher to watch Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo have his number retired and receive a key to the city of Charleston.

I wondered how hard he had to try not to laugh at that, but was impressed that he came back and humored his little alma mater, backwards hat or no backwards hat. College girls screamed and a cheerleader blushed when he said "hi" to her as he passed. I heard rumors that he had rented out Stu's to party that night, and Mal and I wondered what all the displaced underage drinkers would do for kicks instead. Of course, I can't confirm that actually happened, but it's neat to think about - Tony Romo, at Stu's.

I heard Billy Panther tried to put his arm around him too, haha. Anyway, the rest of the game, Mal and I sat in the car and took walks with little Ian, who is incredibly charming, especially in his EIU gear, while we waited for Stephen.

After the game, our little group joined DEN newsies, teachers, advisors, alum and friends at Top of the Roc for Chili Bash. Erin, who came down with the flu, was not present but I did get to see my former roommate David, who unfortunately had to work for Top of the Roc that night and did not get to fraternize with us as much as we'd have liked. I visited with Marco and Colin, Colin's lady Claire, and a few others before driving back to good ole' A-town to continue my health recovery.

Halloween approaches...

... as does Homecoming and Fright Fest and a visit to Cincinnati - October is a busy month!

It's already been pretty eventful. Brian came out on Oct. 2 and we watched Final Destinations I, II and III as well as Halloween I, II, III and IV, and caught the second to last regular season Cards game on Saturday. We never made it to R Acres of Terror because of a flat tire, but it's always a good weekend when Brian comes in.

Last weekend the Cards lost their third game in the National League Division series, effectively ending their season, while I was with Amy and one of her friends at the Fox for "Phantom of the Opera." It was my first "Phantom" experience as well as my first at the Fox, and I'd love to go back. That place is incredibly beautiful. The show was good too, as was the Boathouse in Forest Park, where Amy took us to eat beforehand. Sunday, after little Brianne's 2nd birthday party, David and I got some shopping done and while he and his friends held a hardcore basketball league draft, I decorated the main floor of my house. There is still much to do...

Tonight and tomorrow night, I'm going for light runs on the treadmill in prep for this weekend. I'll go to bed early Friday, drive into Charleston around 8 a.m. Saturday and run in my very first race. It won't really be much of a race for me - just a self-motivation fun sort of thing. There are people walking the route, so hopefully I shouldn't come in last - but if I did for some reason, it wouldn't be a big deal because it's finishing the race that means I've accomplished more than everyone who isn't participating ;) Chili bash at Top of the Roc will follow a day of catching up with old friends, and that makes for a pretty nice weekend. Sunday, I can relax and maybe get some more decorating done.

The following weekend, we have plans to go to Fright Fest with Rachelowe, but our Oct. 31 party will be here before you know it. I hope we get a decent amount of people out, and I hope they have a lot of fun. The weekend after that, I think we're going to try and make it to Cincy to visit Thomas and Beth. (Regardless of that visit I hope they can make it to our party!)

In other news, David and I are now in a darts league in Jerseyville with my cousin Lisa and her boyfriend Kevin. Every other week we play at our home bar, Molloy's, and every other week we play elsewhere in Jville. We're not amazing, but after one night we are 8-5.

Additionally, I've been working on T-shirts for volleyball that are coming out nicely. I think I'll experiment with more designs when I get some more free time...

Things at work are going well, and I'm getting excited because we have a Web site planning meeting this week. It looks like my fun is about to begin ;)

And that's my life right now in a nutshell. :)

The Office Wedding: Cutest Thing Since Ross and Rachel

I just finished watching "The Office" Wedding special, but was lucky enough to catch the wedding sequence itself Thursday night before volleyball. I hear it's creating some Emmy buzz, and I'm just in love with it.

In one three-minute clip, the show manages to be funny for the same reasons it's been funny for six seasons - kooky personalities and clever references to what's going on in pop culture - and at the same time melt viewers' hearts with a romantic milestone of what's possibly the sweetest and most realistic relationships between two characters on TV.

Me, I've always been a Ross and Rachel fan (and will remain one) - but after numerous breakups and seasons of dating other people, it's easier to see those characters as individuals in addition to the big picture.

In "The Office," despite Roy and Karen flukes, it's always been Jim and Pam :) and I'm glad they got their happy ending, office style.

I love Madison

I never thought I'd be one to fall in love with Wisconsin, but that very thing happened while I was there with a friend/coworker this past weekend.

From Madison, WI

We flew in Sunday to get a head start on things and stayed at the Doubletree Hotel, where we were greeted with a warm cookie and pleased to find out the beds were COMFY!

Because we didn't look at the NCMPR conference brochure carefully enough, we missed a cruise on Lake Monona, but did get to explore on our own, wandering onto University of Wisconsin's campus where we had the perfect view of Lake Mendota and down State Street where we spent lots of unnecessary but fun money. My favorite stores were one called "Sunshine Daydream" and another that had really cool retro and vintage items.

The weather was very cold and wintry, so I bought a Wisconsin hoodie (although I'm told by an Illini fan I shouldn't have), a hat and gloves with the fingers cut out.

Our shopping trip was cut short when it started pouring on us, but we hurried back to the hotel in time to dry off a bit and watch some TV before hitting the Nitty Gritty for dinner. We seriously regretted not lying about it being one of our birthdays. Apparently the place is known for that. They have great burgers too.

Monday we woke up early and caught a shuttle to the Monona Terrace Convention Center for a day of work-related learning. We learned A LOT, but only one speaker really stood out, Dr. Pam Cox-Otto from Interact, who had a really fun personality and taught us all about Gen Y (which really hit home for Korin and I, being that we are Gen Y'ers). The food wasn't fabulous but the view from the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building was.

From Madison, WI

We skipped out on the awards dinner because Lewis and Clark hadn't put in any entries. Instead, we hit State Street again for some more shopping. It started raining again, but we got back to our hotel safely and rested before taking a ride back to some Italian place, Tutto Italian Bar e Grill, or something like that. It was recommended to us by one of our shuttle drivers, who was young and seemed fun and friendly. On the way back, we gave a bum our leftovers, bc we didn't have a fridge or microwave anyway, and called it a night.

Tuesday wasn't as eventful, but we hit State Street for yet another go, only this time we wanted to see the free local exhibit at the art museum. One of the exhibits was all about the Earth and recycling and the other about lists. I'm not sure I got the lists one right, but it spoke to me about how people are so busy these days that it can become overwhelming pretty easily.

From Madison, WI

We ate at the hotel's Badgerland Bar and Grill, and they gave us another warm cookie although Korin's nervousness about the flight home got the better of her stomach.

So good news all around - I had a lot of fun, found a place a really enjoy, got to know a coworker a lot better, got two great nights of sleep, learned a ton and the week was half over by the time I got back. And Brian's coming in this weekend so there will be fun to be had by all!

Just a few quick updates

*I'm on Week 3 of the Couch to 5K running program and I just ate 6 cookies and a piece of birthday cake at the office, so I'm not looking forward to tonight's run.

*I am flying out to a PR conference trip with a coworker this weekend. It's in Madison, Wisconsin and I'm really excited.

*Brian is visiting in two weeks, which officially starts Halloween season a little late for me this year. I still need to decide on a costume.

*The Cardinals are close to clenching their playoff spot, and the Cubs have officially sucked for their 102nd year straight.

*I need a haircut somethin' fierce.

*Beatles Rock Band is awesome and I am not a bad singer when mimicking the vocal stylings of John, George and Paul (Ringo's voice is a little low for me).

*Music Togetherness, our little tunes club/discussion and review blog, is in it's third week - Herbie Hancock. Check it out to see what we thought of NSYNC and Jamie Cullum.

Bonnarooers are right, Kanye really does suck

And last night's display of jerkitude at the MTV VMAs, which I didn't watch, proves it.

Congratulations, now a whole new group of music lovers hate you.

As reported by various online news sources, the first Moon Man last night for Best Female Music Video went to Taylor Swift for "You Belong With Me." (Which I watched just now and find absolutely adorable. Embedded below.) Apparently Kanye West thought Beyonce should have won for "Single Ladies" because he rushed on stage, took the mic and crashed Taylor's party by preaching in favor of a different outcome. Talk about unclassy.

I've watched the reruns, with Kanye on his soap box and poor Taylor standing there looking stunned... She's just a kid for Christ's sake, and she deserves to revel in her win.

And that's exactly what Beyonce said, remembering when she won for the first time with Destiny's Child. That was right before she waived her own acceptance speech for Music Video of the Year in favor of letting Taylor finish her moment.

I'm not a huge country fan but I love Taylor Swift. On the other hand, I'm always talking about how much I loathe Beyonce... but after this, I have to respect Beyonce for being the classy woman that she is.

By the same token, I could do without supporting a giant d-bag like Kanye. Boo Kanye.

Music togetherness project

So David and I saw a post on the "I Love Music" message board where a guy and his girlfriend are using music as a togetherness project.

We decided to do the same thing.

The idea is that each week, we will take turns choosing an artist and a sampling of either all their albums or up to five of their albums to listen to and discuss at the end of said week. It's like a book club, with music.

We are starting with NSYNC. That David is a lucky man.

We'll tell you how it goes...

HERE ARE THE RULES

1. Albums must be listened to in chronological order.

2. There are no excuses for not listening, and there are no albums that are off limits for this project (as long as artist has put out two or more CDs).

3. At the end of the week, each participant (David and I) must have more to say than "that was doody" and offer some insight to the other participant to be posted on this blog.

4. A new artist is picked every Friday, and discussions of the previous artist will take place over the weekend. Discussions will be posted online by Monday.

5. No repeats are allowed, with the exception of solo artists from a band that's already been covered.

Happy listening to us.
And one more thing...

Dirty Pop.

Daily mile

As some of you may know and some of you may not know, it has been my recent desire to become a runner. 

I have goaded David into eating better with me and I've been trying to cover some miles every day after work. Stephen showed me to a wonderful Web site, dailymile.com, which tracks all my progress (see the widget on the left side of this page). I could use a few friends and motivators, if you're interested, or you can leave me comments right here.

I haven't given the Couch to 5K program another shot lately, but I've been employing the same idea at my own pace to get used to running (and to convince myself I like it). I decided, the first day I ran for two minutes without dying, that I do. Eventually, I will re-employ the actual program. 

My next goal is to do a 2.5K at EIU Homecoming on Oct. 17 to see if this is something I could really get into. Stephen and his wife Mal, I believe, are going to do it as well, and my friend Amy might be coming with :)

Once I get through that, there's a whole world of possibility out there for me - fun runs, charities, etc. 

And there's the health benefits too. I feel so much better physically (except for my legs) now that I've been running, and I'm hoping I can lose some weight in the process. We were out shooting the soccer girls' team photos today and I realized how much I miss being somewhat athletic. Couldn't hurt my volleyball game either...

American Idols Live Tour 2009 hits St. Louis

I took my mom to go see American Idols Live 2009 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and was not disappointed.

We got there a little late - traffic was bad and parking a nightmare. We missed Michael Sarver, which I didn't think was a big deal, but ended up feeling bad about when I found out my mom actually likes him.

When we found our seats in the upper deck, I was surprised to see that almost no one had bad seats. On top of that, they were super comfortable. Quite a departure from Bonnaroo 2009 ;) (Which I loved, don't get me wrong.)

Megan Joy was first. I'd always liked her voice and been disappointed week after week on the show by her performances, but was presently surprised to see I liked her live.

After Megan Joy was Scott MacIntyre, who turned out to be a veteran performer and quite funny as an added bonus. He made jokes about his blindness and "the high five heard 'round the world," and put everyone in good spirits. I liked his rendition of Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles."

Lil Rounds was next. I didn't really like her set. Then again, I'm no fan of "Queen B" either, so I wasn't happy when she sang "Single Ladies." I did like this one OK tho.

Anoop gave a beautiful rendition of "Always On My Mind" but I enjoyed Ne-Yo's "Mad" better. I could have seen Ne-Yo live with a press pass earlier this year but didn't make it to the show.

Matt Giraud came out with the song I enjoyed most by him, "Hard to Handle." He showed off his vocal range with "Georgia on My Mind," which was nice, but then he sang "You Found Me," which I still agree with the judges from this season doesn't fit his voice very well.

Allison Iraheta's "So What" was disappointing, although I agree it helped her seem young when her voice sounds so much more mature. "Barracuda" was cool, but I can't find decent YouTube video of that so here's the duet with her and Adam Lambert on "Slow Ride."

Danny Gokey was mostly mushy and disappointing, to my dismay. I loved Danny from the beginning and I think he's hot and feel bad that his wife died, but American Idol is not about preaching. Additionally, if he's going to sound this gushy on a CD he's just not for me. However, "PYT" was entertaining and "Maria Maria" was hot.

I knew Adam Lambert was going to be big, but what I didn't know was how sexual he would be on stage. I liked most of his set, aside from Muse's "Starlight." I was most excited to see "Mad World" live, which was great, but this Bowie Medley almost made me wish I were a gay man.

After Lambert, I was nervous for this year's Idol winner Kris Allen, but I shouldn't have been. Because I'm such a fan, here is his entire set (I thought this version of "Heartless" was amazing live in a big venue):

Lunch with Dad today

Dad came in today and ate lunch with me in the Reid Cafe. He said he really enjoyed the pork tenderloin, while I had a garden burger, which was really good by the way. I'll have to eat that more often.

We spent the rest of my break walking around campus, admiring the gardening and the sculptures. We even wandered into the library, which has always held interest for me because of the rumors that it is haunted.

We were both impressed by the library, which I had been in before, and it was really nice to have a visit from him :) We'll have to do that more often. 

Once I got back into the office, Korin (the graphic designer I share an office with) and I talked about hauntings and now I'm really in the mood for Halloween... maybe it will make for some cool campus discussions on our social sites or something... Just a thought.

New job, new routine, new lifestyle

As you can tell from the ticker on my blog, I did not reach my diet goal for the start of school. Instead, stress and other factors contributed to a 5-pound weight GAIN.

I'm disappointed but not ready to give up yet. Other things are changing in my life, so why not this? (Am I starting to sound hopeless or what?)

Since I last updated, I left The Telegraph for a new job at Lewis and Clark Community College as a media specialist/Web editor. Basically, I left behind stressful deadlines, low morale and sleeping in for a more lucrative career, friendly people, a stimulating atmosphere, a job that I think I'm really going to like and 3 more hours of daylight than I used to have. 

I figure stress was one of the factors in my eating and exercise patterns, and likely one of the causes of my weight problems - along with having to eat out of vending machines if I wanted to take a short break and eating fast food late at night - all of which has virtually disappeared. 

I'm going to put it to the real test, a bit of which I got to taste last week during my first full week at the new gig. Here's my plan, if I have enough will power to follow it:

1. Eat something healthy for breakfast every day. 

For the last week and a half I've gotten myself into the habit of getting up in the morning with time to shower and dry my hair, put on some makeup and eat something quick for breakfast - typically Special K cereal, a granola bar, two slices of whole wheat toast, a yogurt cup or a piece of fruit and a bottle of water. This I already consider a success, because it's easy, makes me feel good and gives my metabolism a jump start each day. 

2. Eat lunch at the same time everyday. 

I hear it's good to get into patterns, and while I may not be able to eat lunch at noon on the dot every day here, I can get much more into the habit of a schedule than I could at my old job.

3. Try to make healthy lunch choices. 

With all the fast food around here, this is going to be a tough one - thank God there are healthy choices downstairs in the Reid Cafe, at Subway across the street and sometimes at my parents' house. I do have to watch my dad, who still tries to feed me like I'm a starving child and who stocks up on junk like doughnuts, Hostess cupcakes and Pringles, but it's nice to be able to visit him. After awhile I might stock some frozen veggies in their freezer for lunch so I have more time to visit and unwind and less time to eat his junk.

4. Drink more water. 

I really have to cut down the soda intake, but this is going to be a process. If I can learn to make healthy choices elsewhere and don't go overboard with the soda, I think I can ween myself away slowly.

5. Work out. 

David told me the other day he wanted to be skinny again. My Metro Sports couples' membership breathed a sigh of relief. Five times a week is going to have to be mandatory for me this semester, and NO, volleyball won't count. I'm going to bring a bag to work with me so I can work out here before I leave campus, unless David calls and wants to meet at Metro. If I miss a day during the week for any reason, I should hit Metro on the weekend.

6. Record food/exercise journal on Livestrong.com. 

I was doing this for awhile but fell out of the habit. I need to get back in. This is a great way to tell what your patterns are and to watch overeating after excercise. 

7. Fix dinner rather than going out. 

With my new hours, working out AND cooking dinner are both feasible. The only problem is my portion control, because if I wait that long after working out and have to smell food while I'm cooking it, I'm going to want to eat more than I need. Admitting that is the first step to making sure it stops happening.

8. Get a good night's sleep. 

Knowing I am not a morning person has made me go to bed much earlier than I used to which I know is healthier for me. 

Family photo archive Web site

I recently purchased a scanner with the idea in mind to scan all the old photos in my parents' ancient photo albums. It'll be quite the undertaking, but I'm up to the task.

Today, I started with the oldest (mind you, they are not completely in order) and have started a private Web site on Shutterfly.com, which I will be inviting family members and friends of the family to join.

http://griffithwittman.shutterfly.com

I named the site Griffith-Wittman because the photo albums that started it all contain my parents' photos from both sides of the family as well as of friends from both sides.

Besides the fact that some of your old photos could be on the site, there are other benefits to joining -

Once a member of the site, a person can view and add photos, notes and video to keep everyone updated.

For those interested in photo-personalized gifts, this site makes it easy to order straightaway from any of the photos posted.

Unfortunately, members can't download photos from the site, so if you are a member and would like a digital copy of anything, please email me at laminette.griff@gmail.com and I'd be happy to e-mail you a copy you can print at home or at Walgreens. Additionally, I think the site allows you to order prints...

I'm trying to find everyone on Facebook and ask them to spread the word, but if you know someone who would like an invite, send me e-mail addresses.

Thanks!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

3.5 out of 5 stars

Don't look at this as a movie review, rather than my own personal reaction to HP 6. I really liked the movie, and since I hardly remember what was in the book when I read it, I didn't notice discrepancies that other people did between the two versions. 

What I liked was the humor, and the fact that the movie was incredibly visually appealing. (Those main characters sure are growing into their own aren't they? It's fun comparing them now with their tiny baby selves in the first movie...) 

What I didn't like was the lack of a fight scene inside Hogwarts that took place in the book between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix (-1 star), and the fact that Remus Lupin was in the movie for about 8 seconds (-0.5 stars). Lupin is only my favorite HP character, followed by Ron, then Harry. 

Now I'm back to reading the sixth in the Harry Potter series, and then I'll be back to talk more about the differences between the two. (And then onto 7 and then inevitably back to that dreaded fan fiction.) Until then, I'll leave you with this. 

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" was as chilling as I hoped/thought it would be, and somehow at the same time, managed to be the most fun and funny of all the previous movies in the franchise. It was a good time, and it will be had again. By me. When I buy the movie set. (David already has the book set.)

I disagree that the story was not well told, though I will agree the book told it better. Despite the fact that much of the material had to be left out to fit into a comfortable time frame for a movie, I think it would have been fairly easy to follow if I hadn't known the story beforehand. As easy as the sixth part of a franchise can be for someone getting into it late, anyway. 

Alright then, I'm off. 

Harry Potter!

Just got our tickets on Fandango.com! We're going to Edwardsville at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Woohoo!

July 4 weekend set me back

... Justin's red pepper burgers, too yummy to resist, and stupid, stupid alcohol, contributed to a 3 pound weight gain that set me back this Fourth of July weekend. That and the fact that I had NO energy all week and a wierd schedule that kept me in bed until work Monday through Friday.

Thank God this week I'm back to a somewhat regular schedule. Still tired as all get out tho.

How did your weekend go?

My parents met me on July 3 after work to see the fireworks in Downtown Alton. Not so much after work as a half hour before I got off, because I got held up waiting for the fireworks story for the front, but it turned out OK in the end.

They got to see the newsroom and sit and relax for a little bit while I finished, then I showed them around and got one of the press guys to give them a tour of the whole newspaper printing process. I think I got the walking tour three years ago when I started but it wasn't as in depth as that.

Afterward, the lawn to the left of the building here was a perfect vantage point for watching the fireworks. We could even see the St. Louis fireworks in the distance, and the show was a good one. It sprinkled a little but never really rained, thank God.

On July 4, Justin and Jacob came over and played the new Tiger Woods golf game for the Wii while Justin prepared the grill. Thomas, Beth, Madden, Pam and Amy all came and ate, and we played some bags and The Game of Things later in the night.

By Sunday I was completely wiped out. I laid around watching "Friends" all day.

With the exception of the 3 pounds, it was a pretty decent weekend.

Toying with an idea...

Of finding a 5K and attempting to train for it. Would be much more interesting and fun to train with a friend. Anyone interested?

Anyone know where I can find an affordable pedometer that measures distance?

Off to a good, and bad, start

Three pounds. Not bad for the first week back.

I didn't work out Friday, but after a week of working out after work, I did clean the heck out of the house. I ate decently healthy and mostly small meals most of the weekend, minus some Domino's Pizza on Sunday, which was, I might add, a veggie and I only had two small pieces (and then I ate the other two this morning).

I didn't work out today. I was in a sort of depressed state and wanted to lay in bed. I didn't go to the gym all weekend but hula hooped, step classed and rhythym boxed on the Wii on Saturday, which worked up a sweat. We walked yesterday, but it was to One Stop, and what began as a trip for healthy beverages (water, diet soda to quench my soda craving) ended with the purchase of a Snicker's Ice Cream bar, containing 300 calories. Luckily, I hadn't eaten much else that day.

Still working on all that.

This is the week of wierd schedules so I won't be hitting any classes at Metro except maybe yoga on Wednesday, so I have to find another way to get fit for an hour and I have to find the motivation to do it in the morning. I'm so not a morning person.

Everything will be OK as long as I don't overdo the eating this week and throw myself off track. It is a holiday week, which is not the best of signs... I'm not losing hope though.

Laura v. Minette Diet Challenge '09

(Or at least, that's what I'm calling it.)

Over our Chicago vacation (which was fabulous by the way) my mom and I decided to challenge each other to a weight loss competition. Sure, it's great to do something for yourself, but it's also easier when you break out a competitive edge. Just ask the "Biggest Loser."

Starting at approximately 171 lbs. each, we'll see who can get closest to 145 lbs. between now and the end of August (around "American Idols" Live and the beginning of a new school year).

If I win, she pays me $20. (Almost $1 per pound.)

If she wins, I clean her house. (She likes a thorough house cleaning, so nothing easy.)

I lost 6-8 pounds during my quest to be skinnier and more healthy for Bonnaroo, but then I fell out of rhythm and gained all of it back. Dieting and exercise is hard work when you're super busy! But in my quest to be healthier for Bonnaroo I did pick up a few healthy habits to help me on my way. I discovered boxed veggie lunches and Zumba classes at Metro. And sand volleyball started back up.

Wish me luck! I'll keep you posted.

Subsequent Roo-related posts at Bonnaroo Virgin

Please head over to my Bonnaroo blog for more posts about my experience at 'Roo throughout the next several weeks. (And then hang out there afterward for music and festival-related posts...)

I'm a Bonnaroo Virgin (well, not anymore I guess)

In the meantime, this blog will head back to life as usual in LaLa Land :(

I'm at ROO! Updates

This post used to contain a widget for people to follow my weekend tweets while I was away, outside of my actual Twitter page, http://twitter.com/lauranette

Since the weekend is over, visit my work blog for a re-tweet, so to speak - a rundown of all my Twitter and Twitpic posts throughout the weekend.

http://quarterlifecrisis.freedomblogging.com/2009/06/15/bonnaroo-weekend-re-tweet/

Supply shopping for Roo '09

I know I have a blog strictly dedicated to 'Roo, but for the next week, they're all going to be the same. That's right. I'm duplicate posting everywhere.

David and I bought most of our supplies tonight at Wal-Mart and piled them in the guest bedroom. I wanted to have all this done before the weekend was over, but I guess we've still got two days to make sure everything's in order before we actually have to take off.

Anyway, we netted a 12 x 10 Coleman tent for close to $80 at Wal-Mart. It's made for 5 people so it'll be nice and spacious. We hope to get a lot of use out of it in the future. Additionally, we got a lot of hygiene supplies and food that won't go bad in the Tennessee heat.

One change in the plans - Justin will not be coming with us. I knew this days ago but haven't updated as I should have. It's a money thing, but he'll be with us in spirit.

As I mentioned a number of times before, I'll be Twittering the whole thing. My new cell phone (which can hold 6,000+ photos) will be on hand at all times and ready to post whenever via picture messaging. David will be sending photo updates as well. Battery power won't be an issue - I got a car charger that fits both of our phones.

You can follow my Twitter page (@lauranette) to get all the updates, or report here, where a Twitter widget will be displaying the feed - another example of all the ways Twitter can be a pretty impressive tool for us journalists.

David is in the office listening to Animal Collective (which we will see on Friday), while I have Dave Matthews streaming via my blog, which reminds me - I really need to update that playlist...

Tickets aplenty!

Just got a note in my e-mail that my "American Idol" tickets have been printed and will be shipped shortly. Couldn't be more pumped about that.

Furthermore, I was notified that my Bonnaroo ticket should arrive sometime today or tomorrow! 

It's all happening at once, so exciting ;)

I am totally in need of a vacation. After today and tomorrow, I've got one full week and then I'm on vacation. 2 weeks till 'Roo! Just trying to hold out that long...

Memorial Day + Justin + grill = I ate too much

Obligatory holiday post. 

David and I were gearing up for a pretty boring Memorial Day and boy was the weather crappy. I got up the same time I would have if I had gone to work and cleaned for HOURS. David actually did go to work. I went grocery shopping and to drop off some library books. I planned on browsing Twitter, watching too many episodes of "America's Next Top Model" and then falling asleep.

Then Justin called David, wondering if we wanted to grill, so we decided to take advantage of an overhang we have above our walkout basement. We got two games of bags in before we had to retire them for the day, and spent the rest of the night cooking, chatting -  generally taking it easy. 

When the food was done, I decided against my vegetarian-esque lifestyle and opted for a burger this time. What the hell? They were infused with onions and red peppers, it's not like I didn't get my veggies in ;) They were the best hamburgers (yes, plural) that I have ever tasted. He really should open a restaurant. He'd make the big bucks just off me.

We spent the rest of the night watching Larry King Live, which was more Ryan Seacrest and Idols live than anything, and then they made CDs that we'll listen to on the way to Bonnaroo. Getting pumped! By then, though, I was tuckered out and ready for a night's sleep.

Some links I'm browsing today

Clay Aiken says a Kris Allen victory takes 'Idol' back to its roots

http://elitestv.com/pub/2009/05/clay-aiken-on-kris-allen-and-adam-lambert

Addictomatic- Type in something you're addicted to and get ready for instant gratification ;)

http://addictomatic.com/

"Idol" backlash strikes

OK people. I thought I had posted my last Idol blog for awhile but it seems never ending. I just read a bunch of stories and blogs and commented on the Huffington Post Web site that called Kris Allen "mediocre." I can't help but repeat myself.

I will be the first to admit that I voted for Kris (about a 100 times). But unlike what every news article or opinion I've read today says - it wasn't because Adam's sexuality is questionable (come on people, that shouldn't matter in any situation, let alone a singing competition) or because I like to reward mediocrity.

I don't really think people should compare apples and oranges.

Adam is a GREAT performer. (Which I've been kind of scared to admit until today, knowing that if he won I would be totally bitter and I didn't want to jinx it - but there it is.) His performance with Queen last night blew me away. He's got vocal range that Kris doesn't have, and is super exciting as a performer.

Just because Kris isn't exactly those things doesn't mean he's mediocre. I think he actually has MORE artistic ability than Adam - his renditions overall were more creative than Adam's ("Heartless"? I mean come on. It was better than Kanye). He has a great voice too - it doesn't need as much range because in his genre he would have no need for the high falsetto. He plays a number of musical instruments and is certainly likeable.

As far as looks go, both performers are extremely good looking. In different ways. Apples and oranges.

It's like comparing John Lennon and Michael Jackson. Just because they're different, will you deny that they're both great? It's a matter of preference - and while Queen and Kiss were super popular decades ago, it's the Jason Mrazes and John Mayers of the world you hear on popular radio these days.

That's why Kris won, and he certainly deserved it.

Extending the dorky 'Idol' obsession through August

Yes. I bought tickets to American Idols Live. 

I paid approximately $62 each - 2 tickets - and David's coming with.

The show is Sat. Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. It's been too long since my last dorky concert.

Liveblogging tonight during 'Idol' finale Part I

For those of you that are interested, I will be Twittering during the "Idol" finale (part one and part two, tonight and tomorrow night, beginning at 6:50 p.m. both nights). 

You can of course read my Tweets on this blog, or you can take the higher road ;) and read them at http://twitter.com/lauranette

If you feel strongly either way about how this season will end, check out my work blog http://quarterlifecrisis.freedomblogging.com and agree with me, or leave me a nasty comment.

It's our anniversary!

David and I have been together now for two years. Unfortunately, I have a final presentation tonight and we can't celebrate properly. I just wanted the world to know how much I love him and how happy I am that we made it to this point ;)

Happy anniversary, baby.

Back from a long weekend in Chicago

Today I'm back to work after a long weekend in Chicago. A long weekend period, really. 

Saturday morning David and I joined Mark and Emily from the Lincoln Lofts, where we used to live, in playing a volleyball tournament out at Wave Taco in Downtown St. Louis. We lost six games before we won the last two, but it was really fun. However, my face is sunburned from lack of sunscreen, and I got a late start in getting to Chicago. 

I got out of the shower and headed out around 5:30, arriving in Chicago about five hours later. Brian had just got off from work. Good timing. Erin brought her man over and visited a little bit, and then they left and we headed to bed to get ready for an early day on Sunday. 

Around 10 a.m. Sunday we gathered with a bunch of Brian's family members in Chicago and boarded a bus for Milwaukee. It was Brian's birthday and Mother's Day all at once, so we celebrated with a 4-2 Cubs win at Miller Park, which was beautiful. I got lots of pictures and video of the Sausage Race. 

That evening, we ate at Lou Malnati's with Brian's family and his brother's fiancee Nora. It was pretty good. I wrote a blog about it. By the time we got back to his house and whipped out Guitar Hero: World Tour (a birthday present from his sister Katie), I had pretty much conked out on the couch. I went to bed, and Brian finally fell asleep hours later. 

Monday morning we headed out to Hyde Park and decided to hit the Harry Potter exhibition at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry before Erin met us up again. It was amazing. I also wrote a blog about that. 

When we met her in Wrigleyville that afternoon, I recognized Lucky's Sandwich Co. from the Travel Channel's "Man vs. Food," so of course we had to eat there. I really liked it. 

I left the city around 4:45 and got home around 10 (traffic jam as I was leaving the city). Look for individual posts on all of this on Twitter or at http://quarterlifecrisis.freedomblogging.com. 

Wacky 'American Idol' last night...

I just commented this at Huffington Post and I thought it merited a blog appearance. 

David I'm sure was in good company last night when he was blown away at the fact that Kris and Adam rounded out the AI bottom three along with Matt. Allison and longtime favorite of mine, Danny Gokey, were in the top two. Even I was surprised, though somewhat relieved. If they had been in the bottom three, I would have feared for the safety of one of my favorites.

I learned a valuable lesson last year, and America should have too, when many of us thought little Davy Archuleta had it in the bag. Performance after performance, being praised by the judges for being perfect is something he has in common with this year's Adam. True, Adam has something that David didn't - real performance talent and experience (although they both have great voices). Adam owns the stage when he's up there, he doesn't twitch like a 16-17 year old boy in front of his stage daddy (don't get me wrong, I love David A.). But the two have another something important in common-

When that many people like you, you can bet just as many hate you. I still think that's what gave David Cook the win last year, although I loved him as well.

Personally, I'd expect Kris to come in and pose a serious threat to Adam's stability in this competition. Kris is gorgeous, musically talented with a great voice and instrumental ability, completely original and that package comes in a great "guy next door" wrapping. Better than last year's Cook, if you ask me, but comparable in numerous ways.

Adam has hands-down the best voice in the competition - but that doesn't mean it's the best suited for selling an incredible number of albums. I'd pay lots of money to see him on Broadway, but would never buy his CD. He's too theatrical and too all over the place. You can't blame him for wanting to show off his incredible range, but come on Adam - it's getting ridiculous.

I didn't even like this week's performance. And although I thought Kris was great - and I may be going against the grain with this one - Danny and Allison deserved their top two spots this week. Not saying they are the top two in this competition because they're not - but based on this week, they were right where they should have been.

I was pretty sure Matt was going home, and I was OK with it, even though I've been a big fan from the beginning. I mentioned on Twitter today that I really want to go to a piano bar now. Sometime soon, anyway.

My predictions for the last 4? If it goes the way I want it to - Allison goes next, then Danny, then Adam with Kris being crowned the American Idol at the end. I could be wrong, but I'm going to live dangerously.

Dick Ankiel?

Last night,  David made mention of some of his Cubs fan friends who had taken to calling my beloved Rick "Dick" Ankiel. Like David, I thought they were taking a shot at him. 

So until last night, I admit, he wasn't having a very good season. He's on my fantasy team and I'VE even sat him out. I know. You can pick up your jaw now.

On top of that, he's been sporting some very strange facial hair as of late. I was liking the dirty unshaven look (just when I thought nothing could be prettier than Ricky's clean-shaven face) and then he went and cut it all off EXCEPT THE DIRTY MUSTACHE. I didn't see it, though I hope to get a peep tonight. From what I hear though, yuck.

Now this. 

He actually WANTS to be called "Dick." Why, Ricky, why?

About to turn 30 this year, planning to start a family, and on the brink of free agency's windfall, Ankiel sees contentment where others see quiet. There is only one thing he's thinking about changing.

His name.

Ankiel has been preoccupied recently about when it is age appropriate for him to shorten his given name, Richard, to "Dick" instead of "Rick." Some friends and clubhouse denizens have already taken to calling him "Dick" this spring. He calls it an instant "ice-breaker." 

That Dick Ankiel, always redefining himself.

Call him Rick. Call him Dick.

Call him a Cardinal.

Get the full story from the Post-Dispatch here.   

Took my test at the doctor's today

I have never been admitted to or had to do anything inside of a hospital other than visit my parents or spend some time in the emergency room, so it goes without saying that I got lost inside Alton Memorial this morning. It wouldn't have been so bad but all the rerouting from the construction in the front can really confuse a person. 

On top of that, the pulmonary function tests are taken inside a unit for "wound care," which was a little alarming. I was almost afraid I'd see something gross - kind of like when I was at Walgreen's last night and saw a little girl carrying a plastic bag of puke around with her - but I digress...

They had me sit in this plastic chamber and breathe into a tube. Normal breaths, deep breaths, panting breaths... oh, and my favorite *sense the sarcasm* - they had me hyperventilate on purpose. I could have passed out, but other than that the test was mostly harmless. 

Then they made me breathe in all this medicine - the same stuff in the Proventil inhaler Dr. Ricci prescribed - and had me take the tests again to find any difference. The tests inside the chamber were supposed to simulate breathing during and after exercise.

I have to wait for the doctor's official results but the lady that performed the tests said there was a 35 and 55% difference in my lungs after the medicine. So the good news is, it's manageable :) Yay.

I just jogged for the first time since my inhaler

And it was a great experience. 

Mostly, I walked so I wouldn't get all sweaty and gross for work, but I pushed my limits a few times to see how things would go. I only jogged for about three minutes but I could finally tell a difference between out of shape catching my breath and asthma gasping for air.

This could be kind of exciting...

Couch to 5K, I'm coming back for another round!

Busy week ahead

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning to take a full pulmonary test in relation to my recent allergy and asthma issues. We'll see how that goes.

Friday, the boss is sending me to Carbondale to recieve a number of awards The Telegraph recently won from the Southern Illinois Editorial Association, so that will be my entire workshift. It's a long drive, but it will be a nice break. Additionally, it'll be nice to reap some rewards from all the staff's hard work.

Friday night and Saturday morning we have a lot of cleaning and cooking to do at the house to prepare for the housewarming/open house. It should be a lot of fun, so I hope to see you there. (P.S. I bought invitations but never sent them out. Maybe I'll get to that tomorrow. :( ) Here's the info anyway.

6- 9 p.m.

Sat. April 25, 2009

Laura & David's place (ask if you need directions)

BYOB, we will have food and fun :)

Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Blame It"

Saw this on Extra last night. Loving it. 

I can finally breathe

I started having major allergy problems about two years ago. 

I endured sinus infection after sinus infection. I treated itchy, burning eyes with allergy drops. It was all manageable with a little Claritin D, but when that got too expensive to use on a regular basis, I tried to switch back to plain ole' Claritin. But plain ole' Claritin didn't work. 

When the wheezing and itchy throat started, Benadryl would give me one good day, then would cease to work. Then Zyrtec. Not even the D, which I'd dubbed my magic bullet all that time, could help.

I tried to pinpoint the beginning of all this mess and the onset of the major problems seemed to have come on after a particularly bad go at Week 2 of the Couch to 5K program I had been so excited about. 

I had worked through Week 1 - three 20+-minute workouts (plus warm up and cool down) that consisted of light intervals of walking 60 seconds and jogging for 30, with a day of rest in between. I was out of breath, though it got a little better after my second day. Week 2 had been a different story. The same workout lengthened itself to 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking - but the way my body reacted, one would have thought I jumped straight to the 5K.

My iPod malfunctioned and my Couch to 5K podcast  stalled just after my warmup, then 30 seconds of jogging. I walked briefly to restart the program and then hit it hard. What normally wouldn't have hit me until just before the 20 minutes was up hit me like a brick during the first interval. I ignored what I then thought was my out of shape self and pushed on. I got to the end of the workout, coughing, sneezing, wheezing all over the place. It got worse when I thought it should have been getting better. Embarrassed, I sat in the adjoining empty dance studio, in the corner, in the dark, trying to concentrate on my breathing and recover. My chest was tight and I couldn't get air IN, although it didn't seem as hard to get it out. A half hour passed but the wheezing hadn't gotten better. I could at least stand up without fainting, and thought it might be safe at this point to drive home. In bed at home, it took me more than an hour more to recover. 

I told this to my doctor last week when I told him about the allergies. I also told him that my grandmother had pretty severe asthma as a young woman. He said it sounded like a case of exercise induced asthma, as I had somewhat suspected. 

I still have to get a chest x-ray and a respiratory test sometime before the beginning of May, but in the meantime he has me on Singulair and gave me an inhaler to use before exercise. I can finally breathe!! (He also gave me some allergy medication, but I can't afford it right now. For now, this will have to do.) Last night, after some brief exercise, I felt what it must be like to be out of breath and not in-pain out of breath.

It all makes sense, really. I never had much wind in me as a kid, and even in high school, I loathed running because I didn't have the lung capacity for it. Everybody always told me to stop whining and I felt bad because I thought I was lazy and blamed myself. It's somewhat assuring to me now that I have a problem, and better than that, it can be controlled. 

And I can get back to my weight loss program. 

With only 8 weeks to go, I am only down 4.5 pounds from my start weight...  20 pounds from my original goal (due to not eating meat, but also not exercising much :()

2.5 lbs a week seems a little strenuous but I'd be happy to get down to 155 (10 pounds lighter than now) if I can establish a regular routine.

Housewarming/ open house set for April 25

Hey readers, 

For those of you who have been following along, we are just about ready to show off the house. I have set up a closed Facebook event (ask if you want an invite) and will be sending a few (mostly to those not online) via snail mail. 

I have also put event information and extensive photographs at my new Shutterfly site, soon to be linked to Lauranette.com, http://lauranette.shutterfly.com

We're officially moved in

Other than a few technical things like paintings and my desk - we are completely moved in. 

Thank God. I was starting to really reach an unmanageable amount of stress.

This weekend will be the first I don't have to work my butt off the whole time. It will be nice. 

Here and There is undergoing some changes

Some of you who read this blog also read my work blog, Here and There . Those of you that don't should still read this update:

Hello there, readers!

Soon, the Here and There blog will have a new name and a new logo, but I'm here to tell you not to worry, and assure you that the change is good. 

Here and There was first conceived with the ideas of travel and entertainment in mind, but with the economy not doing so great and my posts ever digressing from the original idea, the new blog name and logo will be much better suited to its content. (And you will still have access to all my old posts on the new blog.)

 "Quarterlife Crisis," as the new blog will be called, will cover life issues and topics of interest for young adults in their 20s. I should know, because I am one of those people. 

Life in one's twenties can be very similar to life in one's teens, or it can jump ahead into adulthood with the start of a blossoming career, the purchase of a new home or the building of a family. 

My goal is to make my posts more informative for readers by incorporating current events and advice as it pertains to young adults. I'll also be covering topics of interest ranging from local entertainment to lifestyle choices like vegetarianism or an interest in practicing yoga, and some of the same topics I've already chosen to write about here.

Please do lookout for the change, and I hope you'll stay with me.

~Laura

I'll add the new address once "Quarterlife Crisis" goes live, which could be tomorrow or it could take a week or so, depending on how busy corporate and our IT guys are currently.

Once the change is made, most of my posts at "One Too Many blogs" will remain similar to a personal journal, and less personal topics will be covered over there. Stay tuned!