Ten Tens

Today I managed to squeak out November's 100 Things, which is good since tomorrow will be December. This month I decided (at Molly's suggestion) to go back and get rid of 10 more things that were part of each of the past 10 months of 100 things. That means that today I lessened my load by disposing/displacing the following: 10 books (January), 10 DVDs (February), 10 kitchen doodads (March), 10 CD's (April), 10 Disney treasures (May), 10 articles of clothing (June), 10 photographs (July), 10 bathroom things (August), 10 attic things (September), and 10 utility doo-dads (October).

The funny thing is that I thought I had gotten rid of so much of each "thing," yet there was still more stuff to discard. I'm not sure if the getting rid got easier, or if the stuff became even less important, or if somehow the stuff that was left mated and made more stuff. But it proves that there's always stuff that I don't need.

One of the blessings in all this is that I'm a little better about not bringing more stuff into my home. I'm also getting better about taking unnecessary stuff out. And in the end, it's all just stuff.
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Things that make today great: New boot camp session with Maribeth joining me again; waiting at the oil change place, and the emissions testing place, and the car tag renewal place; free internet at the car place and freecell on the laptop at the emissions place and Tetris on my cell phone at the car tag renewal place; new lamp for the sectional; getting vacation laundry done; extended stay for Christmas vacation

Too Cute For A Sunday

Thanks to Maribeth, tonight's blog is a gimme. Thank goodness, 'cause I need a day off after the past ten days!


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Things that make today great: Pancake family brunch; beginning to get caught up after being gone; exciting Tennessee Titans game!

Ahhh, Home Again

After a flight through Denver to San Diego, three days walking all over San Diego, a redeye flight to Orlando, a week with the family in Orlando, and a day-long drive back to Nashville, I'm happy to report that I'm back home, ready for a good night's sleep in my own bed.

... at least until Thursday, when I may be out again. Stay tuned!!
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Things that make today great: Drive home with Steve, Maribeth, and Molly; watching redbox movies on the way; pictures from class reunion get-together; icky McDonald's; packing the car

What I Did During Family Thanksgiving

1. Ate a bunch of crap - Coke Zeros, assorted candy I rarely eat, breakfast crap from fast food places, more crap, and Diet Cokes. It was not pretty and I am going to pay for this.

2. Watched junky tv. Okay, so I tend to do this sometimes. But I watched the same reruns that I can watch at home. WASTE OF TV TIME!!!

3. Watched movies. Here are my reviews: Pelham 123: Thumbs up. GI Joe: Thumbs down. Four Christmases - Thumbs down - except for the various funny parts - about 5 minutes total. Angels and Demons - Thumbs midway - was on the computer for some of it, didn't read the book, not a fan of Dan Brown, but seemed sort of interesting. Now, if only SOMEONE had brought Love Actually and/or Elf to watch on the way home!!

4. Caught up on sleep. Possibly. Still not sure of where I am on sleep deprivation meter after going to California and flying to Florida. Also got up early for Black Friday today. Of course, sixty gallons of non-calorie coca-cola products has not helped.

5. Shopped. If you count driving the shopping car for the real shoppers. I hate shopping but will drive people if they will shop for me. So, I now have new 700-count sheets, new sweaters, and fleece pj bottoms.

6. Watched fireworks. From the balcony of our hotel. Big tree was in the way, but I got the general idea, and didn't have to battle the crowds to see them!

7. Worked out. One day. In a minimal workout room. I would like to believe that it will help me with the next session of boot camp, but I think not.

8. Washed clothes. I only had one set of clean clothes and a whole bag of dirties from the 3-Day, so it's not like this was an option. It was a choice between clean and dirty, and clean won.

So, I guess it was a typical Davidson family holiday after all!!
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Things that make today great: Chauferring the shopping people; peppermint mocha frap; black Friday shopping by proxy

Thankfulness

On this day, I am reminded of my many blessings in life. One in particular was last weekend's Breast Cancer 3-Day. Another blessing, Molly, helped me with some graphics, and then another blessing, Sam, put the pictures together in this great video. Finally, more of my blessings, Steve, Maribeth, and Lynnette, sat through several viewings of the finished product.

All in all, a great day to be thankful!


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Things that make today great: Thanksgiving brunch at Mimi's with the family and the highs and lows; watching movies all afternoon; finished 3-day video; a great day with family

Time vs Age

Last Thursday I went from Tennessee Central Time Zone to California Pacific Time Zone, gaining (or losing?) two hours. I got up the next morning at 4 am, which was really 6 am to my body. For the next three days, I got up at 5 am and was sound asleep by 7 pm every night. I capped off the weekend by taking a redeye flight to Orlando, Florida, aka Eastern Time Zone. Even though the flight was only four and a half hours, I landed seven hours later, with very little sleep. Mix in some daylight savings time where it's dark by 5 pm, and I'm a mess. I've spent the last few days trying to convince my body that it's okay to sleep, with varying degrees of success.

The good news is that on Saturday, I shall be returning to Tennessee and good ole' Central Time. Now, can anybody tell me if all the time changes made me younger or older?
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Things that make today great: Maribeth, Sam, and Lynnette flying in for Thanksgiving; brief stay at Hilton suite; Goodings/Winn Dixie experience with Molly

A Pair of Sneakers

Last weekend I spent three days walking in San Diego. It was an amazing experience. The walk itself was beautiful – along the coast to see surfers and crashing waves, down streets lined with shops and cafes, up (and up and up) hills that literally took my breath away, through beautiful parks where I could shed my shoes and run my feet through the grass, and in neighborhoods where the residents set up stands and offered encouragement along the way.

Rather than try to describe this indescribably awesome experience, I thought I would just list some of the highlights:

*children offering bowls of candy, saying, “Go walkers!” in their sweet little voices

*signs, signs, and more signs with words that made us laugh, become teary-eyed, and keep taking that next step

*groups of girl scouts, teenagers, families, schools, sports teams, and just about any group that could call itself a group, out on the course, just to show support by cheering, passing out stickers, and offering snacks and drinks

*the boys lacrosse team who walked in honor of one of their teammate’s mom

*the signs, shirts and ribbons worn by the walkers to honor those affected by breast cancer

* the survivors who walked in the event and those who cheered us along the route

* the San Diego, San Jose, and other law enforcement officers who kept us safe along the route

* the countless volunteers who carried our bags to our already-set-up tents, or prepared and served our food, or cleaned up, or offered a kind word, or bandaged our blistered feet and wounded bodies, or massaged our weary muscles, or passed out towels, or restocked the porta-potties, or did whatever it took to make the weekend unforgettable

*the walkers who looked after each other, who helped another get up that hill, who offered assistance and advice when needed, who shared their bandages and ibuprofen, who passed along their cardboard squares to sit on the damp ground, or who told their personal stories as you walked along with them

*the dude who took Marilyn’s hand and walked with her awhile along the beach

* the bars and cafes who offered specials (like $1 margaritas) and treats in front of their establishments

* the Girl Scouts who gave out Thin Mints on Sunday morning

* the snores from the tent behind us, and the walker who yelled out “STOP SNORING” at some point in the night

* the Girl Scout troop who bussed our plates at the end of dinner

* the hot showers in the shower trucks

* the unbelievable, absolute kindness and good spirits of everyone involved in the 3-Day (well, except for the one old geezer who yelled, “Quit taking up the whole sidewalk!” – he’s lucky he kept going, because there were several walkers in our group who were about to get him!)

* the walker who gave out pins to random walkers

* the butterfly lady with butterflies representing her donors and honorees, the sisters we had breakfast with, the knee-cyst lady, the sister team during opening ceremonies, the two friends who helped Marilyn get a good position in the closing ceremony, the brother/sister team in the tent next door, and countless other walkers we met along the way

* the fact that over 3800 walkers raised over 9 million dollars this weekend alone

* the poignant and meaningful opening ceremony when we honored those we lost to breast cancer and the inspiring closing ceremony when we honored the survivors

In other words, it was three days and sixty miles, but so much more. It was a lifetime of memories packed into those three and sixty. It was the chance to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. It was the physical representation of how people can get together and do something momentous on many levels. It was the opportunity to do something significant that will literally save someone’s life.

And all I had to do was put on my sneakers and walk.

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Things that make today great: watching Pelham 123 and GI Joe with Molly; doing a little of this and that

The Day After

After showering in a shower stall larger than an airplane bathroom, being able to use the facilities that includes a flush valve, and walking absolutely nowhere, I spent the rest of today napping intermittently. In other words, the blog recap of the weekend will have to wait one more day. It's time for a real night's sleep.

Maybe tomorrow the residual from the Energizer Bunny's hug will help!______________________________________________________________
Naps; Wal-Marting and Chic-fil-A-ing with Molly; peppermint mocha fraps; organizing the duffel mess from the 3-Day; chatting with the Red Cross lady

A Glimpse of the 3-Day

Well, we did it. We made it through 60 miles in 3 days in San Diego. It was an awesome experience ... that I'll tell you about later. For now, I'm going to tread softly on my blistered feet, try to stay awake until I board the red eye for Orlando, and hope that my muscles cooperate when it's time for me to deplane in Orlando. I have lots of pictures and stories to tell. Stay tuned!
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Things that make today great: Finishing the 3-day; closing ceremonies; Adam and Allison picking us up and taking me to LAX; the entire 3-day experience

Mountaintops

Today as I made my way from Nashville to Denver to San Diego, I passed over mountains and the Grand Canyon. It was pretty awesome.

Tomorrow I will begin walking another kind of mountain as I go 60 miles in 3 days during the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day. And as awesome as those mountains today were, they won't even begin to compare with the awesomeness of the next three days. I'll be walking, showering in a semi, toilet-ing in a porta-potty, and sleeping in a tent. It will be great!!

See you in three days!
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Things that make today great: Perfect flight from Nashville to Denver; Denver snow; safe flight from Denver to San Diego; lunch with Marilyn; Marilyn's mall adventure; fellow 3-day-er on the shuttle

Feet and Couches

Today our new couch was finally delivered. The old sectional had seen its better days and this new one was to take its place. A few weeks ago, Sam, Lynnette, and I spent a few hours in the Lazy-Boy store trying to choose just the right configuration of pieces. Of course, the Davidson way of doing such a thing is to get on the phone with Maribeth (who was at home), trying to determine how much space we had and could fill with a variety of pieces. I guess I should mention that she was using the "foot" method of measurement - in other words, she measured by taking steps with her feet.

When the dudes arrived with the couch, I had Molly and Maribeth here to help me decide exactly how things should be arranged. Basically, there were six pieces, three of which were interchangeable. After two or three times, assisted by the mover dudes, we finally got everything put together. In a word, the thing is ginormous. We have seating enough for the whole street. It ended up being a little larger than I expected, but I expect it to work out for the family.I just guess the next time I ask Maribeth to measure something, I will specify metrics instead of feet!____________________________________________________________________
Things that make today great: New UA pants from Steve for the 3-Day; new couch sectional; family pizza new couch party; Dollar Store-ing with Molly; packing for the 3-Day

Tuesday Is Done

I made it to, and through, today's session of boot camp. I unpacked and started to repack. The heating got fixed and it wasn't the thermostat (which I had a new one waiting) but the doohickey in the unit (which the heater man had to go get). I mailed a package, put some money in the bank, went to the grocery store, and got some cash back after my purchase. I washed, dried, and folded clothes so I will have some to pack. I got my hair shampooed, cut, and blown dry. I returned the lamps back to Sam's office that I got from Sam's office yesterday. I returned Molly's side table so I could set up my new side table. I unloaded the dishwasher so I could reload it. I put new litter in the litter box so Maggie the Cat could express her displeasure by pooping on the floor. I met with my women's group and then came home to eat Steve's Bubba Burger in other to have some energy to move a couch and loveseat to Molly's house.

Now I'm going to bed. Boot Camp begins again in 7 hours!
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Things that make today great: mailing packages; ladies at Women's Room; new UA pants and Neil Diamond Christmas CD from Steve; Steve's Bubba Burgers; new end table and salesdude from Merridian; cruise dress from Maribeth; Allyson cutting my hair and telling me her pregnancy news

Coming Home

This one is for anyone who's ever had a dog. Or welcomed a serviceman home. Pure joy!


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A Few Golf Lessons I Learned From Stephen Ames

1. Have fun. Stephen Ames was clearly enjoying himself today on the course. Every hole wasn't a birdie, but he didn't let that bother him. He laughed, he talked with the other golfers, and he chatted with his fans.

2. Take your family along for the ride. Sometime after the 9th hole or so, I noticed a young boy (maybe 10) had joined the crowd of marshalls, scorekeepers, etc., who were walking with our threesome of golfers. As it turns out, it was Stephen Ames's son. Stephen made sure his son had food and drink, and talked and joked with him while walking to his next shot. His son was obviously having a ball. The best conversation was between an honorary observer and Young Ames on the 18th tee and went as follows:
Young Ames: So if my dad makes a birdie, will he win?
Honorary Observer: Well, he'll be in a tie for the lead. If he wins, that will sure be a great ride back home.
Young Ames: Yeah, and carrying that big trophy!!
His smile was almost as wide as Mickey Mouse's.

3. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day. And PGA golf tournaments aren't won on one hole. As the turtle said, "Slow and steady wins the race." So you can accomplish what you want - it just takes one step at a time. Stephen Ames was several strokes back at the beginning of the day. But slowly, birdie after birdie, he became one of the leaders. He bogied one hole, but kept at it, a birdie here and a birdie there. After two play-off holes, he did it - he won.

Okay, so maybe they technically weren't golf lessons. But they were great lessons to learn on a great day on a great golf course.
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Things that make today great: Helping Steve learn the Disney bus ropes; being assigned to the eventual winner of the golf tourney; Michele Wie winning her first golf tourney; honorary observer dudes; today's helpful sign guy; sweet note from Steve; Kentucky couple on the bus; fellow volunteers

Helping

When I am at Disney World, I really have to control my impulse to "help" people. When I overhear conversations on the bus about where a family is trying to go, I really want to give them some advice. Sometimes it's hard to squelch.

Today I didn't have to. After my shift at the golf tournament, I was waiting at the MK bus stop for my resort bus. A lady and her daughter asked me if I worked there (maybe I looked like a bus driver?). I replied that I didn't, but maybe I could answer her question. She asked, and I sent her on her way to customer service.

My bus came and waited for me while I answered the next family who asked me about where to get on the boat for Fort Wilderness.

I boarded my bus and three adults boarded after me. They were asking the bus driver about how to get to Downtown Disney. He gave them several options and off we all went. During the bus ride, they asked me and I gave them more options. During a lull in my advice-giving lecture, one of the ladies asked me, "Does Disney have an extra person on all the buses to help people?" I couldn't help but smile as I told her my true circumstances for being on the bus.

So I guess there are always people who need help. Some who ask and some who don't. I'm not sure how to tell the difference, or how to be helpful and not a buttinsky.

But I think it helps if you wear some sort of "uniform" and credential - even if it's for a golf tournament!
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Things that make today great: Chatting with the other golf tourney volunteers; seeing Steve on the golf course; chatting with golf tourney attendees; beautiful weather; surprises from Steve

Spotter-ing David Duval

Today my assignment as a spotter was to follow David Duval. A few years ago, he was the number one golfer in the world. Today, not so much. After each hole, I had to radio Karl and give him David's score. After bogeying the first four holes, David's score was +8, not a score anybody wants broadcast. Although he later regained three shots, he still missed the cut. Unfortunately, after every hole, I still had to report his dismal score.

It dawned on me that sometimes I'm my own worst spotter. When things aren't going well, I feel the need to report to myself on all the bad stuff. It's like I need to remind myself of my failures and missteps. And frankly, it sucks when I have to hear it again, since I've already been through it once.

But the good news, in my own personal case, the One I report to is God. He already knows everything that I do, but I think He still wants to hear from me. The only difference is, I believe that He wants to hear the good stuff, and there's plenty of that in my life to report.

So maybe from now on, when I'm tempted to beat myself up over something crappy, I'll stop. Maybe instead I'll tell myself of the good things that I've done or experienced. Like in golf, it may not make an crappy situation any better, but it certainly will make it more enjoyable.
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Things that make today great: Watching the Magic Kingdom opening; new sunglasses and the cast member who sold them to me and then cleaned them; Karl feeling better and making jokes; sign man; grandfather and grandson on the bus back to Saratoga; later afternoon swim; beautiful day

Spotter-ing

Today was my first day as a volunteer "spotter" for the Golf Channel. To do this, I got to wear a headset with a button that enabled me to talk to Carl, who is in charge of video or something and needs to know breaking details on the course. Basically, I was to follow a group of golfers around and report. I also had a clipboard and information sheets that listed the players in my group and a score sheet to record their scores. I was only to report in when my group left a hole - my transmission was to be "Group 28 leaving 9." I was also to report any exciting details, but there weren't any in my group.

It was a lot of fun. I met a bunch of new people who were volunteers like me. The weather was overcast, windy, a little damp, and fairly cool. There were only a handful of spectators following my group. The scorecard bearer was old and needed a bathroom break every few holes. But putting them all together, it all made for a great day.

My main concern was making sure I (a) knew which golfer was which, since they both were unknowns to me, (b) paid attention to the shots my golfers were making, just in case something report-worthy happened, like somebody got hit with a golf ball, and (c) didn't make an idiot out of myself by falling down or getting in the way or not paying attention to Carl if he asked me a question. By the time Carl said I could leave my group and return to Golf Central, I had achieved all of the above.

Sounds sort of like mothering to me ....
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Things that make today great: New volunteer friends and their stories; passing Rocco on the course; score lady and bearer with my group; golf channel lunch; family trying to get to Downtown Disney; cast member at morning bus stop; Kodak picture on the course

Nothin'

No pictures, no videos, no links, no words. In short, no blog.

But tomorrow I begin my golf tournament volunteer adventure, so certainly there will be something to say. Hopefully that will not involve a story about how the Golf Channel went offline due to some volunteer tripping over some important cable.

Until then ...
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Things that make today great: swimming in heated pool; shopping for this and that; sleeping in

Hello Tuesday

It all started as usual, with a 5:45 boot camp call. After lamely executing several rounds of walking jumping jacks and other such things, I returned home to finish some odds and ends and head off to the airport for my 11:25 flight to Orlando.

I decided to eat a bite before the flight. I chose a tuna sandwich from Panera - half of which ended in my lap.

The flight was only about half full, which was good, because that meant the screaming toddler could sit in the very back with his parents. He gave us a 10-minute break from his tirade during the 2-hour flight. The dudes behind me were thinking the mom needed some duct tape, while the dudes two rows in front were think Tylenol 3. Meanwhile, I found that the pilots and I have differing ideas of a smooth flight.

Upon landing, it was time for my rental car adventure. Since I had checked in online, all I had to do was find the full size car selection. However, National and Alamo share space, and it can be confusing to an anal person like me. I asked the Alamo dude walking past if those full size were my full size, and he said yes, and then told me that the black car, a Ford Something, was the best car out there. I would have believed him except that Fords are not my favorite car.

There was a red Mustang parked next to the best black car. I know - a Mustang is a Ford, but that's different. I inspected both cars. The best black did have leather seats, Sirrus radio, and fancy button locks. But the other car was a red Mustang!! So I heaved my bags in the red car and backed it out - only to hear the brakes groan. So I chose safety and chose the best black.

My next stop was to check in at the resort. I needed to get my resort parking pass so I could get into Epcot without paying for parking (since I thought I had forgotten my annual pass) in order to get on the bus to go to the golf volunteer place and get my credentials. I checked in and found out that my room was on the 4th floor, which was fine since there is an elevator in that building. I got my Mickey Christmas party ticket for tonight. I gathered all my check-in stuff and put it in the car and headed to Epcot, parking pass in window. I followed signs to volunteer parking lot and talked to Officer Betty of Disney Security while waiting for the volunteer bus.

Officer Betty told me that when I got to Shades of Green, to go down the hill to "Will Call." You should always listen to security officers. When I got to Shades of Green, bus coordinator told me to go inside, where I found volunteer signs that directed me to the back side of the kitchen to an empty volunteer table. I went back to the bus dude, who went with me to various places, where someone finally said to go to Room 104. Had no clue as how to get there. Saw an old guy with a golf volunteer shirt, who walked with me down long hall and tunnel and he said to go to Room 148. Went there, but found out it was the wrong room. The people there said I was supposed to go to Will Call.

Finally found my way to Will Call and picked up my credentials, and then had to go to pro shop to pick up my shirts, but when Lois Golf Clerk checked my bag, she discovered there was no jacket there, so she had to go get it. This was after Deloris Golf Clerk couldn't find my bag of clothes because she was looking for Laura Robertson's bag.

Anyhooo, once I had my requisite golf volunteer paraphernalia, I went back to the bus stop. Actually I ran to the bus stop because I saw the big yellow bus pulling up to the bus stop. To legally get there, I was supposed to go through Shades of Green Resort, but in order to make the bus, I had to sprint across the parking lot and where the buses pull up. It was Disney illegal, and I'm lucky I was not Disney arrested.

So I got back to Epcot, back in the car, and headed back to the resort to find my 4th floor room. I found it, and found that I have the last room in the resort. You know, when they list certain buildings and give you a starting and ending room number? Well, my room is the last one listed - for the entire resort. It's sorta weird, like you're at the ends of the earth.

By this point I was very hungry, since it had been quite a while since I had eaten my tuna half-sandwich. It was also time for Mickey's Christmas party, so I headed to the Magic Kingdom. Upon arrival, I went to Casey Jones and ordered a hot dog, corn dog nuggets, and french fries. Bad choice. What do you do when you make a bad choice? Follow it up with a hot fudge sundae. At this point, I considered becoming bulimic, but instead went to the Monster's Inc Comedy thing.

When it was over and I came out of the attraction, I discovered it was raining. Not hard, but a steady rain. People were in their Disney ponchos. The shows and parade were cancelled, and it wasn't looking good for the fireworks. I decided it would be better to go back to my room and lie down than walk around in the rain. On the way out, I saw a lot of people at City Hall. I decided to see what was going on.

It turns out, you could turn in your ticket for tonight's party for another party night, or use the ticket for a one-day park pass anytime for the next year. I opted for the park pass. Wet, stuffed, and tired, I returned to my room in time to see the last hour of "The Biggest Loser."

All in all, quite the lineup for a Tuesday. We'll see what lays in wait for Wednesday - at least I won't have to eat anything!
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Things that make today great: Little girls singing on the bus from Magic Kingdom; Disney cast members; man/lady getting pins at Magic Kingdom; safe, smooth flight; boot camp buddies; news that new couch is in

Cuteness

Because everyone needs a little cute on Mondays!
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Things that make today great: Shout out from boot camp; Whole Foods chicken salad sandwich via Molly; Steve's 3-Day surprise; making my 3-day goal; MB's return from the West

An Expert?

I went to Home Depot today with the purpose of getting a new thermostat. Ours is broken - again - the second "energy efficient" model that has decided to die. I went to the store, hoping for a Home Depot thermostat expert, willing to not only show me the absolute best in thermostats, but also able to tell me why that certain thermostat was the best and would make my life complete.

But apparently that dude was on vacation. Instead, I got Buford, who knows as much about thermostats as I do - in other words, he can read. I proceeded to explain my dilemma of broken thermostats. He seemed sympathetic, and gazed with me at the scads of possibilities on the shelves. I explained what I wanted, to which he replied there were none like I described. He picked up one from the display and handed it to me. It was the cheapest, which I figured he thought was appropriate, based on my attire (I still had on my jog togs from my training walk). Anyhow, after more mindless conversation, I left with my thermostat. Now all I have to do is wait for the a/c dude to come for the fall tune-up and install it. Hopefully, the weather will hold out until next week's appointment.

I guess the point of this rambling is to say that I don't know if Mr. Home Depot was really helpful or not. He did choose a product that was inexpensive, whereas I would have thought the more expensive, the better. He did seem to believe that the product he chose was better than the one I was eyeballing. He did hang around until I left with my choice, although then he probably bolted to the back of the store. I just don't feel that confident that he knew what he was talking about. Would I have chosen an inferior product if he waxed poetic about a different one?

The question is - what makes an expert? A person who boldly talks like he knows about something, or a person who quietly stands his ground and persistently and consistently remains steadfast about what he believes?

I don't know for sure, but in this case, I guess I'll know when the temperature drops!
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Things that make today great: 13 mile training walk; Whole Foods lunch via Molly; picking up Steve and Barry from the airport

Gimme A "T"!

Quickly followed by a "I-R-E-D!" Whaddaya have? Me, at this moment. The cats just had a fight on top of me, and all I did was move my hand in front of my face. Guess yesterday's prep and today's yard sale has done me in.

So it's off to sleep until tomorrow, where new adventures await.
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Things that make today great: yard sale; meeting fellow San Diego 3-day walker; fish burrito; Lynnette's baby shower and friends; Molly's baby shower cake

Facebook - My New Conscience

Okay, so I'm a relative neophyte when it comes to facebook. When new changes on the site appear, I really become flummoxed, much to the humor (or irritation) of my daughters (on whom I call for explanations and instructions). I am still trying to figure out the news feed/home/profile - which one gives me the latest updates? And who sees what when they click on my name? And which pictures of me can the world at large see?

Anyhow, lately I feel like facebook is becoming my moral compass. For one thing, I get constant updates on who my friends are becoming friends with. Is this so I can screen my friend's new friends, in case there's a bad influence? Should I be doing background checks?

Another thing is the matter of how many friends my friends have, which the sidebar tells me. The other day, I was told that one friend "has only 9 friends." Should I call in a counsellor? Is there a friend quota that is a marker for depression? Facebook seems concerned - should I be?

Facebook also reminds me which friends I have not contacted in awhile. If facebook is so concerned, why aren't they contacting that friend? Facebook also suggests that I should "poke" certain friends. Why? Is that even socially acceptable? What really does a poke do, except imply that I am too lazy to write them a note and ask how they are?

As if concern about the friends I already have isn't enough, facebook also keeps suggesting new friends for me to make. Apparently not communicating with the ones I have is not too huge a concern, because facebook seems to believe that I can handle more. To add to the guilt trip, it tells me how many mutual friends my potential friend and I have in common. Does that make me a friend by association? Should I be that person's friend, even if they may not know me? Is this the future of detente - we can be friends with that country because they're friends with another country who is friends with us?

Finally, I am reminded of birthdays, and supposedly can click on their homepage (or profile or newsfeed or something) and give them a gift. If I have credits. Which I don't. Or know how or where to get them.

So, in conclusion, thanks to facebook, I have hopes for making this world better through friend-ing. Poke that, Facebook!!
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Things that make today great: Heaving my body to the top of the Allen Tower - twice; painter sitting at Sam's and Lynnette's; Starbucks peppermint mocha; taking Steve and Barry to the airport

TMI

There are many things that (a) shouldn't be taped, (b) shouldn't be rapped about, and (c) shouldn't be shared. This would be one of them. So, of course, I thought I'd share it with you!


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Things that make today great: Hemming curtains and waiting for the painter at Sam and Lynnette's; Michael's and Which Wich with Molly; good boot camp day

The Power of Positive Words

During the course of Nashville Adventure Boot Camp, der Fuhrer (aka young Josh) sends all us gals a daily email. In his missive, he starts off by telling us what we did that morning. This is valuable to me, because during the session my brain works overtime to (a) breathe correctly, (b) execute the exercise correctly, and (c) count how many of the torture moves I am semi-completing. To remember actually what I did would be impossible, since after the morning session my muscles (or at least what is in the space that should be occupied by muscles) refuse to speak to me at all.

Anyhow, Herr Josh also sends along a daily recipe, a few health and exercise tips, and other random butt-camp-related messages. He always ends his manifesto with a shout out to a few of us inmates. Every person in the group will get a shout-out during the four weeks. He finds something encouraging to say about whomever's day it is to be shouted out to. Even on my day, he finds something good to say (and not, "Kudos to Luanne for not having a heart attack today!"). It's always great to read the verbal applause - you can't help but feel inspired, even when it's not your day.

The saying goes, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Why not just say nice things on a regular basis? People can be encouraged just hearing supportive words, even if they're meant for somebody else. Sometimes, just by hearing words that encourage another, we are encouraged to keep going. We all want to believe that someone believes in us, and all it takes is a positive word heard out loud.

As for me, I'm still the slowest jogger in the class. I still can't hold a front plank for 45 seconds. I still am waiting for my abdominal muscles to resurrect from the dead. But I keep trying. This week, The Boss noticed and mentioned it. While it may not directly help my walking lunges (or lunge-ettes in my case), it helps me believe I will eventually get there.

Sometimes that's all it takes - a positive thought expressed out loud - that keeps us headed in the right direction. It helps us realize we're not alone and that somebody's paying attention to our efforts. It gives us the emotional and mental power to keep going, when our physical strength may be waning.

All it takes is a good word or two, and somebody to say them. We've just got to remember that sometimes, that somebody is us.
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Things that make today great: Taking Maribeth to the airport and her surprise rental car experience; attic cleaning and Pier One-ing with Molly; kitty cuddling with Maggie and Grayson

Yay Meb!!

The New York Marathon was held on Sunday. I completed this race once, and love it. I watched it twice on Sunday as Meb Keflezighi won, the first American to win the race in 27 years. Here's the winner:


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Things that make today great: Women's Room; 8 mile training walk

Daylight Savings Time - The Fall Part

Today it has just really kicked in. Daylight when I get out of boot camp, dark by 5pm. Which means if I take an early shower, I feel like getting into my pajamas. Which I did today. Which makes me sleepy. Which means the brain starts shutting off after dinner. Which means if I haven't blogged by now, the brain can't form a sentence.

So there you go - today's blog (or lack thereof) was brought to you by Daylight Savings Times. Kinda sucks, huh?!
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Things that make today great: Friends at boot camp; mailing birthday packages; McD's with the M's; Barry's brief visit; 5 mile training walk; getting stuff done; new cruise booked

It's November!

The leaves are turning colors and falling in the yard. The Halloween candy leftovers have been safely stored away from me - well, maybe. The weather has cooled a bit, much to the disgust of my sinuses. The clocks have been turned back. The furnace filters have been replaced. The Christmas decorations have made their way into the stores.

I just don't know how it can be November already - wasn't it July just yesterday?
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Things that make today great: Brunch at the Factory with Sam, Lynnette, and Molly; Steve and Maribeth's return from GDizzle's; Thanksgiving travel changes; Bubba burgers via Steve for dinner; watching the NYC marathon replay on tv- GO MEB!!; Titans win (finally!)