So I am trying to be healthier. I am going to do more low impact exercises, instead of running, watch my carbs, dress appropriately for the weather, and keep up on my fruit eating.
After hearing from a second doctor that I should not be running I took it to heart. I did my final run tonight. Starting tomorrow it is going to be mostly low impact with only one run a week max. I suppose after a torn meniscus, current arthritis, and a disorder where running can make my knee cap slide off to the side, I should probably heed the doctors' warnings. I love bicycling, but it's hard to find the time. But I may be getting a new job soon so I will have a lot more of it.
I have been watching my carbs for a couple days and already lost a couple of pounds, what the hell was I eating before? I do need to lose weight, I'm not nearly as small as I used to be (thank you office job). I'm on the right path, I just hope I can stay on it again. At least I'm not as big as I once was (high school was miserable) but still, I could stand to loose some weight. Maybe if I go public with it, I will have more success.
So I had an instance of dressing inappropriately for the weather. I went running with a t-shirt and shorts and the wind chill was 28 degrees. I ended up having to stay home from work with a terrible sore throat (can't really work if I can't talk), and the doctor said I had a sinus infection. The silver lining to going on an attendance warning at work due to going to the doctor (bullshit, I know), is that I found out I had asthma, so now this weird cough I've had all my life is going away and I can actually take a deep breathe. Wow.
I love fruit, I just don't buy enough of it. End of story.
I'm really excited about getting healthier. I need to make smart choices, I don't want to end up being forty, unable to work, having diabetes, and being really overweight. It's just hard to think about the long run right now. But I know I can do it, I'm already ahead of where I was, I just need to keep it up and get back on track.
In other news
I may have found a new job, I'm really excited, I am going to be a real insurance agent, not just a sit behind a phone insurance agent. So that's exciting, but also nerve racking as I will be facing a lot of new challenges. Especially working by myself. But I think I can handle it, and I think it's definitely a step in the right direction for my career.
My fiancee and I got new furniture Tuesday. It's our first big step into adulthood. I'm pretty excited. It's also comfortable, maybe I will sleep on it. If I can sleep at all. I'm just so excited about what life has in store for me.
I am going to have a long day tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Things that I find extremely enjoyable
So I was thinking about all the bitching I do, and decided to think of things I have really enjoyed as of late, here is a list of some of those things. Now you should make a list so you can appreciate life a little bit more.
1. Sunny Day Real Estate. If you have never listened to Sunny Day Real Estate I highly recommend it. I often find myself putting one of their CDs into my CD Player in my car and leaving it there for about a week. The vocals are amazing, I love the intricate guitar riffs, they have great basslines. It really makes me wish I was in a band again so I could try and create something half as amazing. And each CD is like listening to a whole new band. I think The Rising Tide is the CD I play the most, but I put in Diary today and my boyfriend asked who I was listening to (He was surprised to learn it was the same band that released The Rising Tide).
2. Running. A lot. So about a year and a half ago I was told that I had osteoarthritis and some weird disorder where the rest of my leg was stronger than my quad and my knee cap was sliding off. So I took a year and a half off, but I really really missed running so one day on a whim I decided to go. I've been running a lot, for about a month now and my knee feels better than the entire time that I wasn't running. I don't know if this is something that is going to come back to bite me, but I've done a lot of research and there are a lot of people with a shared experience. Nothing really beats running. I love bicycling, but I enjoy it when the weather's perfect or I'm on some sweet mountain bike trails, but I like long rides and it's not really practical for it to be my exercise of choice as I work full time.
3. Speaking of bicycling, I really enjoy mountain biking. I know, I live in Iowa, we don't have mountains, but there are some sweet trails in the midwest. In my youth I was quite the adrenaline junkie (I skateboarded for 5 years, a lot of vert, and did a lot of really really stupid things). But when my body really couldn't take skateboarding I discovered mountain biking. Not only do you get to be out in nature but you get an amazing rush. Not a lot compares to looking over the edge of a hill you're about to go down, or wondering how you are going to make it through a muddy trail with a lot of tree branches down. I love it, I dream about it. Really. It is truly an amazing experience.
4. The Toyota Yaris. Not to sound like a blogging advertisement, but I bought one of these. I was skeptical at first, as it was the most inexpensive car in the Toyota line. I drive around forty miles a day, and I have seriously saved so much money. It's rated at 36 mpg, but even in mixed driving I get closer to 40. And it does well in the snow (which is especially important after this last winter) Prior to this car I drove a giant Chrysler Sebring, it looked cooler, but ate gas and it was the worst car I have ever driven in the snow. As soon as you touched the brake the car just slid and went wherever it wanted. I would spin out on flat in an inch of snow. I got stuck on a two foot incline with about an inch of snow. It really sucked. So yeah, the Toyota is fun, and it was really affordable. And don't worry, I got the four door one, it's slightly less weird looking than the liftback.
5. Waking up early. I really enjoy waking up early and going running, cooking a big breakfast, or running errands. It makes me feel so much better about my day. I love waking up in the early morning and going outside because the air is so cool, crisp, and fresh. I love going to the grocery store early in the morning because it is so quiet. I just wish I could fall asleep easier so I would wake up earlier.
6. Ubuntu. I have had an interest in Linux since middle school. My first experience though, was not a good one, I had an older version of Mandrake and partitioned my computer. It was rather cryptic. Today I dual boot with Ubuntu and.. unfortunately, Vista. Using Ubuntu has really made me think about how inefficient Windows is. Things load so much quicker now and I really don't have any problems with freezing. The only downfall is some things aren't compatible. About the only time I load Windows is to use Rhapsody. I definitely recommend Linux, the best part about Ubuntu is that it's all open source and completely free. I use open office which is compatible with Microsoft Office and it was free. My operating System was free, my photo editing program was free, it's amazing.
7. Grilling. Lately my boyfriend and I have discovered the joy of grilling. All we have is this tiny Weber that sits low to the ground, but we've had so much fun. It's so fun to sit on the back patio and grill food. And it tastes great. There's really not much more to say about it.
8. Dogs. Dogs may be one of the coolest animals in existence. Dogs are great, they all have different personalities and different interests. My parents have a fox terrier, it's the coolest dog I have ever met. He's so smart, he behaves extremely well, and he really understands me (I swear). When I go home, he's my running buddy, we have so much fun, and he behaves himself and doesn't stop at all. He's so energetic, he loves car rides, pretending stuffed animals are alive, and lounging on top of the couch. Oh, and he loves being cuddled. And it's amazing because when we got the dog he had been badly abused and wouldn't even let you pet his head.
9. Mp3 Players. Twelve years ago, if you told me that I could have something super tiny that would hold all my music, I would think you were nuts. But it's so amazing, they're so tiny and hold so much music. My car has an mp3 player jack and now I don't have to carry around a ton of CDs. And I use Rhapsody, which is like 14.99 a month for unlimited music on my mp3 player.
So I'm getting tired of the long explanations, if you've made it this far, you probably think I'm super lame. But if I still have any of your attention, here is a list of other random things that make me happy, word finds, canvas grocery bags, spring jackets, pointy toed shoes, new balance shoes, laptops, biking/running trails, random animals in my yard, brightly painted houses, buses, home made blankets, paintings, charcoal and paper, photography, walking, sending/receiving cards, furniture, my bed, and of course, my boyfriend :).
1. Sunny Day Real Estate. If you have never listened to Sunny Day Real Estate I highly recommend it. I often find myself putting one of their CDs into my CD Player in my car and leaving it there for about a week. The vocals are amazing, I love the intricate guitar riffs, they have great basslines. It really makes me wish I was in a band again so I could try and create something half as amazing. And each CD is like listening to a whole new band. I think The Rising Tide is the CD I play the most, but I put in Diary today and my boyfriend asked who I was listening to (He was surprised to learn it was the same band that released The Rising Tide).
2. Running. A lot. So about a year and a half ago I was told that I had osteoarthritis and some weird disorder where the rest of my leg was stronger than my quad and my knee cap was sliding off. So I took a year and a half off, but I really really missed running so one day on a whim I decided to go. I've been running a lot, for about a month now and my knee feels better than the entire time that I wasn't running. I don't know if this is something that is going to come back to bite me, but I've done a lot of research and there are a lot of people with a shared experience. Nothing really beats running. I love bicycling, but I enjoy it when the weather's perfect or I'm on some sweet mountain bike trails, but I like long rides and it's not really practical for it to be my exercise of choice as I work full time.
3. Speaking of bicycling, I really enjoy mountain biking. I know, I live in Iowa, we don't have mountains, but there are some sweet trails in the midwest. In my youth I was quite the adrenaline junkie (I skateboarded for 5 years, a lot of vert, and did a lot of really really stupid things). But when my body really couldn't take skateboarding I discovered mountain biking. Not only do you get to be out in nature but you get an amazing rush. Not a lot compares to looking over the edge of a hill you're about to go down, or wondering how you are going to make it through a muddy trail with a lot of tree branches down. I love it, I dream about it. Really. It is truly an amazing experience.
4. The Toyota Yaris. Not to sound like a blogging advertisement, but I bought one of these. I was skeptical at first, as it was the most inexpensive car in the Toyota line. I drive around forty miles a day, and I have seriously saved so much money. It's rated at 36 mpg, but even in mixed driving I get closer to 40. And it does well in the snow (which is especially important after this last winter) Prior to this car I drove a giant Chrysler Sebring, it looked cooler, but ate gas and it was the worst car I have ever driven in the snow. As soon as you touched the brake the car just slid and went wherever it wanted. I would spin out on flat in an inch of snow. I got stuck on a two foot incline with about an inch of snow. It really sucked. So yeah, the Toyota is fun, and it was really affordable. And don't worry, I got the four door one, it's slightly less weird looking than the liftback.
5. Waking up early. I really enjoy waking up early and going running, cooking a big breakfast, or running errands. It makes me feel so much better about my day. I love waking up in the early morning and going outside because the air is so cool, crisp, and fresh. I love going to the grocery store early in the morning because it is so quiet. I just wish I could fall asleep easier so I would wake up earlier.
6. Ubuntu. I have had an interest in Linux since middle school. My first experience though, was not a good one, I had an older version of Mandrake and partitioned my computer. It was rather cryptic. Today I dual boot with Ubuntu and.. unfortunately, Vista. Using Ubuntu has really made me think about how inefficient Windows is. Things load so much quicker now and I really don't have any problems with freezing. The only downfall is some things aren't compatible. About the only time I load Windows is to use Rhapsody. I definitely recommend Linux, the best part about Ubuntu is that it's all open source and completely free. I use open office which is compatible with Microsoft Office and it was free. My operating System was free, my photo editing program was free, it's amazing.
7. Grilling. Lately my boyfriend and I have discovered the joy of grilling. All we have is this tiny Weber that sits low to the ground, but we've had so much fun. It's so fun to sit on the back patio and grill food. And it tastes great. There's really not much more to say about it.
8. Dogs. Dogs may be one of the coolest animals in existence. Dogs are great, they all have different personalities and different interests. My parents have a fox terrier, it's the coolest dog I have ever met. He's so smart, he behaves extremely well, and he really understands me (I swear). When I go home, he's my running buddy, we have so much fun, and he behaves himself and doesn't stop at all. He's so energetic, he loves car rides, pretending stuffed animals are alive, and lounging on top of the couch. Oh, and he loves being cuddled. And it's amazing because when we got the dog he had been badly abused and wouldn't even let you pet his head.
9. Mp3 Players. Twelve years ago, if you told me that I could have something super tiny that would hold all my music, I would think you were nuts. But it's so amazing, they're so tiny and hold so much music. My car has an mp3 player jack and now I don't have to carry around a ton of CDs. And I use Rhapsody, which is like 14.99 a month for unlimited music on my mp3 player.
So I'm getting tired of the long explanations, if you've made it this far, you probably think I'm super lame. But if I still have any of your attention, here is a list of other random things that make me happy, word finds, canvas grocery bags, spring jackets, pointy toed shoes, new balance shoes, laptops, biking/running trails, random animals in my yard, brightly painted houses, buses, home made blankets, paintings, charcoal and paper, photography, walking, sending/receiving cards, furniture, my bed, and of course, my boyfriend :).
Friday, April 25, 2008
Finding Home
As I begin the transition from recent college graduate to young adulthood I often wonder where my eventual home will be. For now I am happy with where I am living, but I always have a desire to keep moving, trying to find something bigger and better than where I am now. It's hard to make an educated decision without having traveled much, or lived anywhere besides Iowa and Illinois.
When I was younger, Iowa City was just it, it was the epitome of cool. Seriously, I thought this was the greatest place that I had ever been to. Honestly, I hadn't traveled much. So I traveled to Colorado, suddenly Colorado was just it. I still do love Colorado, it would just cost so much and require so much work to move there. Since, I have been to many places and communities in Iowa, each city I go to fascinates me and I have this glorified image of myself living there. I even went so far as to apply for jobs in Dubuque. But honestly, I don't think it's so much where I'm living that makes me happy. I make myself happy, I think I just want to experience more.
Don't get me wrong, I still love Iowa City, but spending a lot of time here really has made me not think of it as being that cool. When I used to come up here I was always involved in the alternative/indie/punk music scene, that's the side of Iowa City I saw. And the vintage stores, boutiques, the ped mall. Now all I see is spoiled college students, a lack of parking, too much traffic, problems with crime, and stuff I can't really afford since I live here now. But when I think about it, really, it's going to be like this anywhere I go. I don't think I'll ever find a city that's just 'me'. I think I'll just go around visiting places thinking that I would fit in well there, and on the off chance I move, I would become just as irritated with the place as I have with Iowa City. All in all, I think Iowa City, and Iowa in general is a good place to settle and have a family, but right now I want to travel and live different places, I want to experience different areas. I would like to go overseas, live in at least three different states, and maybe one other country.
Now if I can just convince Matt to join me on my journey.
When I was younger, Iowa City was just it, it was the epitome of cool. Seriously, I thought this was the greatest place that I had ever been to. Honestly, I hadn't traveled much. So I traveled to Colorado, suddenly Colorado was just it. I still do love Colorado, it would just cost so much and require so much work to move there. Since, I have been to many places and communities in Iowa, each city I go to fascinates me and I have this glorified image of myself living there. I even went so far as to apply for jobs in Dubuque. But honestly, I don't think it's so much where I'm living that makes me happy. I make myself happy, I think I just want to experience more.
Don't get me wrong, I still love Iowa City, but spending a lot of time here really has made me not think of it as being that cool. When I used to come up here I was always involved in the alternative/indie/punk music scene, that's the side of Iowa City I saw. And the vintage stores, boutiques, the ped mall. Now all I see is spoiled college students, a lack of parking, too much traffic, problems with crime, and stuff I can't really afford since I live here now. But when I think about it, really, it's going to be like this anywhere I go. I don't think I'll ever find a city that's just 'me'. I think I'll just go around visiting places thinking that I would fit in well there, and on the off chance I move, I would become just as irritated with the place as I have with Iowa City. All in all, I think Iowa City, and Iowa in general is a good place to settle and have a family, but right now I want to travel and live different places, I want to experience different areas. I would like to go overseas, live in at least three different states, and maybe one other country.
Now if I can just convince Matt to join me on my journey.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Grocery Stores
I often go to the grocery store for lunch to pick something up because it is the closest source of food to my place of employment. There are many things that fascinate me about grocery stores, and just as many things that piss me off (most of which aren't really things the grocery store itself is accountable for)
The amount of food inside of a grocery store amazes me. Seriously. Think of all the work that goes into constantly stocking that much food. Not only that, but think of all the work in organizing, shelving, straightening, and displaying that food. Grocery stores are truly a piece of art. Next time you're there pay attention to things like the design of the displays, the signs, the graphics, the fact that all the cans are spaced evenly and faced the same way.
I love grocery stores that offer something different. I love shopping at our local co op. There are so many new things to try. The whole co op operation really amazes me. Seriously, I have a membership and any profit leftover at the end of the year gets returned back to me in accordance with how much I spent. That's pretty sweet. I also love organic produce, you can laugh at me, but seriously try it. Other things there amaze me, our co op has a bakery with what may be the best bread in the world, or maybe Iowa City :). It's just refreshing to go there. Minus the amount I have to pay for food.
I also go to a grocery store that is more of a full service grocery store, would you believe that they take your groceries to your car? Even if you have just three bags they offer to load them for you. It's so awesome, something that small really makes me consistently shop there over other large grocery stores.
As much as I love grocery stores, the warm fuzzy feeling isn't always there.
Mostly what I don't like about grocery stores is the patrons of the grocery store. I wish everyone else would see the grocery store as a modern marvel, but a lot of people seem to see it as an inconvenience, you can tell by looking at them that they loathe going to the grocery store. I'm not sure the exact correlation between the aforementioned attitude and being inconsiderate, but I think it's probably close to a .75.
I hate the awkwardness when someone has a cart in the middle of a narrow aisle, where there would still be room to have two carts go through, but they are blocking the whole thing. And then you say excuse me and they huff and puff while sliding their cart over.
Express Lanes. Seriously, 12 items, means 12 items. It doesn't mean take your entire cart of items to the express lane and let that poor checker try to ring up $100 in groceries with a handheld scanner. Be considerate to both the checker and the people behind you.
The parking lot. I bought a new car, I think it is a magnet for stray carts, doors and assholes who sideswipe you and take off. Really. And there are people everywhere. It wouldn't be bad, but the people are walking down the middle of the aisle and stare at you when you try to drive past them. And there's always the the person in the SUV who seems to feel that since they pay exorbitant amounts in gas prices and drive a vehicle capable of seating seven they have the right of way regardless. Even if you're a pedestrian in a cross walk, the mighty SUV should have the privilege of going in front of you. And what's to stop them? They're huge, they would crush my tiny Toyota. And if you're a pedestrian, why wouldn't you yield?
So seriously, next time you go to a grocery store really appreciate the fact that you can buy nearly any type of food there. I mean seriously, I bought this mix to make fat free brownies with yogurt, and hamburgers with blue cheese crumbled into them, what can't you find at a grocery store?
The amount of food inside of a grocery store amazes me. Seriously. Think of all the work that goes into constantly stocking that much food. Not only that, but think of all the work in organizing, shelving, straightening, and displaying that food. Grocery stores are truly a piece of art. Next time you're there pay attention to things like the design of the displays, the signs, the graphics, the fact that all the cans are spaced evenly and faced the same way.
I love grocery stores that offer something different. I love shopping at our local co op. There are so many new things to try. The whole co op operation really amazes me. Seriously, I have a membership and any profit leftover at the end of the year gets returned back to me in accordance with how much I spent. That's pretty sweet. I also love organic produce, you can laugh at me, but seriously try it. Other things there amaze me, our co op has a bakery with what may be the best bread in the world, or maybe Iowa City :). It's just refreshing to go there. Minus the amount I have to pay for food.
I also go to a grocery store that is more of a full service grocery store, would you believe that they take your groceries to your car? Even if you have just three bags they offer to load them for you. It's so awesome, something that small really makes me consistently shop there over other large grocery stores.
As much as I love grocery stores, the warm fuzzy feeling isn't always there.
Mostly what I don't like about grocery stores is the patrons of the grocery store. I wish everyone else would see the grocery store as a modern marvel, but a lot of people seem to see it as an inconvenience, you can tell by looking at them that they loathe going to the grocery store. I'm not sure the exact correlation between the aforementioned attitude and being inconsiderate, but I think it's probably close to a .75.
I hate the awkwardness when someone has a cart in the middle of a narrow aisle, where there would still be room to have two carts go through, but they are blocking the whole thing. And then you say excuse me and they huff and puff while sliding their cart over.
Express Lanes. Seriously, 12 items, means 12 items. It doesn't mean take your entire cart of items to the express lane and let that poor checker try to ring up $100 in groceries with a handheld scanner. Be considerate to both the checker and the people behind you.
The parking lot. I bought a new car, I think it is a magnet for stray carts, doors and assholes who sideswipe you and take off. Really. And there are people everywhere. It wouldn't be bad, but the people are walking down the middle of the aisle and stare at you when you try to drive past them. And there's always the the person in the SUV who seems to feel that since they pay exorbitant amounts in gas prices and drive a vehicle capable of seating seven they have the right of way regardless. Even if you're a pedestrian in a cross walk, the mighty SUV should have the privilege of going in front of you. And what's to stop them? They're huge, they would crush my tiny Toyota. And if you're a pedestrian, why wouldn't you yield?
So seriously, next time you go to a grocery store really appreciate the fact that you can buy nearly any type of food there. I mean seriously, I bought this mix to make fat free brownies with yogurt, and hamburgers with blue cheese crumbled into them, what can't you find at a grocery store?
Call Center Courtesy
I'm sure you hate calling centers as much as the people who work there hate being confined to an office chair, so here are some helpful tips to make it go a little bit smoother.
1. The verification process: Many companies have verification processes, complaining about it is just going to start your call off bad. Plus, do you really want anyone to be able to call in, give your account number and name and start making changes? Seriously?
2. How may I help you? Please think beforehand of what your request really is. Saying something vague is just going to confuse the other person. Also, if you're angry, for whatever reason, don't ever start the call off by yelling. That's just going to put the person on the other end of line on defense and they're not going to want to help you.
3. I want to help you, really: It is my experience (there are always exceptions) that the person on the other end truly does want to help you, it makes their job easier if they can get things done instead of mulling around and doing nothing with you on the line. But generally in call centers the call is mapped out, if they're asking a sequence of questions, let them ask them. Listen to the other person. Call centers are designed for efficiency, if you want to get off the phone quickly the best way is to let the other person direct the call. If you have questions it's fine to ask, but don't be upset if the other person tells you they will get to it in a moment.
4. Don't complain about things the person can't help: I really can't help you if you feel I'm asking too many questions. I didn't just come up with those questions, those are questions that I have to ask in order to ensure you get proper service. The best way to get your opinion heard is through filling out customer comment surveys, people really do pay attention to those, so much so it's part of how my performance is monitored. If you tell the person you're talking to about your concerns, chances are there's really nothing they can do, nor will they pass your comment along. If you feel the process is long and drawn out, chances are they do too, complaining about it isn't going to help you get things done.
5. Don't assume anything about the other person's intelligence: I work in a call center, I got my bachelor's degree in three years. The person sitting next to me at work has a PhD. Out of all 9 people on my team everyone has had some college. Not only do we have post secondary education but we have had extensive training. People constantly treat us like idiots. I'm sure if I were face to face with you it wouldn't be that way.
Honestly, I know no one reads this, but in the event I ever pass this link onto someone, I'll take the time to get my feelings out there.
1. The verification process: Many companies have verification processes, complaining about it is just going to start your call off bad. Plus, do you really want anyone to be able to call in, give your account number and name and start making changes? Seriously?
2. How may I help you? Please think beforehand of what your request really is. Saying something vague is just going to confuse the other person. Also, if you're angry, for whatever reason, don't ever start the call off by yelling. That's just going to put the person on the other end of line on defense and they're not going to want to help you.
3. I want to help you, really: It is my experience (there are always exceptions) that the person on the other end truly does want to help you, it makes their job easier if they can get things done instead of mulling around and doing nothing with you on the line. But generally in call centers the call is mapped out, if they're asking a sequence of questions, let them ask them. Listen to the other person. Call centers are designed for efficiency, if you want to get off the phone quickly the best way is to let the other person direct the call. If you have questions it's fine to ask, but don't be upset if the other person tells you they will get to it in a moment.
4. Don't complain about things the person can't help: I really can't help you if you feel I'm asking too many questions. I didn't just come up with those questions, those are questions that I have to ask in order to ensure you get proper service. The best way to get your opinion heard is through filling out customer comment surveys, people really do pay attention to those, so much so it's part of how my performance is monitored. If you tell the person you're talking to about your concerns, chances are there's really nothing they can do, nor will they pass your comment along. If you feel the process is long and drawn out, chances are they do too, complaining about it isn't going to help you get things done.
5. Don't assume anything about the other person's intelligence: I work in a call center, I got my bachelor's degree in three years. The person sitting next to me at work has a PhD. Out of all 9 people on my team everyone has had some college. Not only do we have post secondary education but we have had extensive training. People constantly treat us like idiots. I'm sure if I were face to face with you it wouldn't be that way.
Honestly, I know no one reads this, but in the event I ever pass this link onto someone, I'll take the time to get my feelings out there.
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