A new challenge

Hanging on the bulletin board in my office is a now-yellowing copy of the Globe and Mail's 100 books to read (The Globe 100), published on November 28, 2009. It caused much discussion in our office and one of my coworkers thought maybe she'd try to read 100 books this year. Not necessarily that 100, but 100.

That's almost two books a week. You can have four weeks off where you only have to read one book.

I've been pondering her challenge to herself (I do know that she's postponed the challenge as there have been some other, more pressing challenges in her life the last few months) and wondering if I could do it. I KNOW I can't read 2 books a week. I have a toddler. Okay, scratch that, the other day we read about 50 books, some of them multiple times, but toddler books just don't seem to make the cut in my challenge to myself.

I've also been missing my book club. It was fun until it gradually disovled as we all became busier and busier and had less time to read and meet. Those ladies are some great friends!

So I thought about it and thought about it and thought about it and I'm going to try to read one book in a calendar month until the end of December. If that goes well, I'm going to try two books in a calendar month. Ideally I'd like to be at 52 books in the year, but not forcing myself to read one book a week. Quite honestly I know there will be weeks where I won't even pick up a book and other weeks where I plow through a couple.

So, I've started another site over there. Just for The Great Book Challenge.

And I've set myself a few rules:

1. If I cannot, absolutely bring myself to finish a book, I will not. I tend to torture myself and force myself to finish books even when they're not keeping my interest and I'm not enjoying them. I'm not going to do that for this challenge.


2. If I don't finish a book, I will still blog about it. Then I will attempt to read another book in that same, now truncated, month.


3. I will try to read books from all kinds of genres, not just fiction or memoirs or toddler books...


4. I will welcome suggestions from other readers. Actually, I always welcome suggestions from other readers. Please, suggest away!


5. For the purpose of this challenge, for a book to count as the book of the month, it MUST NOT be a book I have already read


6. If you have anything to add to what I write about a book or if you have a completely different opinion, leave a comment. Please...I want to hear about what you have to say (and I miss my book club!)


7. If you want to join me, please do! Click on the join tab for more information. Just because you've joined the challenge doesn't mean you have to post anything or read the same book as me.


8. I am going to only read "free" books. So borrowed, library, gifts, gift card purchases or books that already exist in my bookcases. If you decide to join, you do NOT HAVE to adhere to this rule. It's optional. I'm still on a book diet...hence the free book thing.
   

So, please, go visit me over there and see if I manage to accomplish this new challenge. Before I start it though, I guess I should finish the rejigging of this site. Sigh...multitasking only works when you don't get distracted while doing it. Actually, maybe multitasking is just another way to say distracted.

Three things (borrowed from somewhere else)

Three names you go by: Shannon, Mommy, Mommia (this is a new one that started, along with Daddy-o in the car on the way home from k-town on Monday)

Three things you are wearing right now: substitute wedding ring, running shoes, assortment of newish and old clothing

Three things you want very badly at the moment: About six extra hours in the day so I can sleep more, some company in my office, the elves to paint my entire house overnight and leave it spotless too

Three things you did last night: Read Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (yes, I really did read a cookbook and I'm very excited about it even thought it is Alex's birthday present), did the dishes, did a few loads of laundry. What can I say, I lead a very, very exciting life!

Three people you last talked to on the phone: Alex, Rebecca and a former work colleague. Too bad it's not four because a crazy lady called me yesterday. She works for the same institution as I do and she wanted to know who to talk to about her name and business name and phone number being on the website inappropriately. Well, not me for starters. But as the conversation progressed and I tried to figure out exactly what website (the main one, a department, a special event etc) she meant, I decided she didn't really mean a website. She meant the internet. The INTERNET. And somehow she thought that someone here could help her with that. I sent her to a department that deals with stuff like this (sort of) and she wanted to make sure I wasn't sending her to the Equity Office. Very confusing. And confused. Oops. Tangent. Sorry.

Three things you are going to do tomorrow: YOGA! meet with my boss, drop J off at daycare

Three of your favourite drinks: water, Earl or Lady Grey tea, a good cup of coffee

Three things that made you smile today: J patting the floor beside her for me to come and sit and read her a book which I did even though I was trying to get breakfast made, a card from Alex for a special day, a quick visit from my former co-worker (my office is lonely. come visit!)

What are your three things today?!?!

New beginnings?

I did something I don't normally do. Something that I most definitely, certainly, for sure have not done since this blog started four and a half-ish years ago.

I changed the design. And the layout.

I'm not sure if I love it yet, but it was time for a change.

My life is changing right now and has been rapidly changing for the last three or so months (no, J is not going to be a big sister) and I decided it was time for a change here too.

What do you think of the layout? What do you think of the design?

We'll see how it goes...I'm expecting things will shift a bit in the next little while as I experiment a bit, but for now, I'm liking this. Definitely liking this!

Bitten by the yoga bug…and why that makes me grumpy

This post was originally published at Get Fit Chicks. It may refer to posts on Get Fit Chicks that no longer exist. Please email me if you run into any of those and I will break the links. More information about the reposting is available here

(written yesterday).

It’s settled…the yoga bug got me.

I take a yoga class twice a week at lunch time. Since I started, other than days when I wasn’t actually at work, I’ve missed one class. And that was because I had a sinus infection that made my head spin like a top if I glanced down at the keyboard. It might have sent me spinning into space to try something like a downward dog in that condition. Savasana (aka corpse pose), that I could have handled. But only savasana and nothing else.

So the bug bit me today. And now I’m grumpy. It bit me because I had to miss my class. They’re finishing up right now. Unfortunately I have a big meeting this afternoon. At 2:30. And I’m ready for it. But the chair of the meeting. Yup. Waited until 11:30 to prep for it, so I just spent the better part of the last hour on the phone with her, walking her through the same numbers over and over and over again. She’s had the numbers for TWO WEEKS. Sorry. Rant over.

So now instead of being happy and relaxed and yoga-y during my meeting, well, I’m working on it so hopefully it won’t happen, but there’s a really good chance I’m going to be grumpy.

And I was thinking about that…and well, it’s probably the first time since I played field hockey that I’ve been grumpy because I missed a work out. And I think that’s a really really really good thing. And now, because I’ve missed yoga but I still have just over an hour until my meeting I’m going for a walk!

Does it make me crazy?

Is it wrong that the newly resurfaced road leading to and from my office made my Monday morning? It was such a smooth, unbumpy ride.

Now, if only they could do the section of 4th Avenue that's like a roller coaster ride. Most days I remember to slow down to about 15 or change lanes before I hit it...but if I don't remember...UGH.

That's all.

ugh...

Slow cooked itself to death...

Why is it that things die just AFTER the warranty expires? Our slow cooker had a nice three year warranty. And we used our slow cooked a lot.

We had slow cooker food for dinner tonight. MMmmm...Martha's beans and chicken. Even J will eat (small portions of) this meal - it's a bit spicy. The strange thing about this meal was the slightly burnt tomato smell. But it didn't taste burnt to me or to Alex and it didn't look burnt. Anyway, I lifted the cooled ceramic insert out and filled it with water to clean it. Then I looked in the base. Ummm...burnt on goo. Not sure how it got there.

Well, I cleaned the insert, turned it over to wipe the outside and there was that same burnt on goo (but it wasn't charcoal crispy like in the base, just gooey). Cleaned it up and then ran my hand along the bottom of the insert.

Sure enough there was a crack.

A big crack.

A crack that could only have come from hot hitting cold or vice versa. Except that because I'm scared of ceramic explosions I only ever put cool stuff into the cool cooker. No hot into cold. No hot insert on the cold counter or in the cold sink. The insert stays in the cooked until it's cold.

So tomorrow the search for a new insert begins. I hope I can find one because we use our slow cooker a lot. And I checked. It's an expensive slow cooker (wedding gift!) and I don't really want to replace it.

Sigh.

Shuffle shuffle shuffle

So far 2010 has been a year full of all kinds of professional changes for me and for Alex. There have been changes in hours, in shifts, in bosses, in coworkers, in job descriptions, and soon, the last change we thought for at least a few months, a change in job location. Still in the same general area, but a new office for one of us.

Of course all of these changes have meant changes to day care scheduling and our daily routine. We thought the most recent change was going to be the last one for a while and it meant great things for us. Alex was around at night - I got to see him, J got to spend more time (and better quality time) with her daddy, Alex could hang out with friends and our weekends were actually full weekends because no one had to work until 2:00 am on Saturday mornings. It was great. It also took a lot of adjusting and I think, after three weeks, we are pretty close to having a new schedule that works well for all three of us and that we all like.

And of course, just as I was getting used to it and really loving it, it changed. Again. And now, we're heading back to the crap schedule. I'm not looking forward to it. I'm not looking forward to readjusting the schedules again. I'm not looking forward to changing the daycare arrangements again. I'm not looking forward to going to my boss and saying, well, yet again, I need to adjust the hours I work - is that okay? Again?

But mostly, mostly I'm not looking forward to long evenings alone. To Saturday and Sunday mornings occupying J and keeping her from going in to wake Alex up (even more complicated now since she can open all the doors in our house). To hardly seeing my husband anymore.

Excuse me while I go sulk.

That's all.

PS I get that I shouldn't be whining because, hey, we both have jobs and we have relatively flexible daycare and I have a very supportive and flexible (new) boss and all that. But I'm tired. And I feel like whining. Hmmmphf

Christmas is coming?

Well it is, but not as soon as my brain thought it was this morning.

J has a kid's CD that starts with songs and slowly winds down to classical music.

The weather is nasty and cold again. It feels like February or October. NOT JUNE!

One of the classical pieces is...Greensleeves...aka What Child Is This...

My brain started panicking because I'm not ready for Christmas to be just around the corner.

Took me a minute to realize I'd been tricked by the weather. We still have summer to enjoy before Christmas should even be on my radar!

Sleep laughing

I want to sleep laugh. My yoga instructor just told us a little sleep laughing story. She was recently on a vacation and shared a room with a friend, who told her she laughs a lot in her sleep.

I want to sleep laugh. I think sleep laughing is probably an indication of a pretty happy person.

Maybe I do sleep laugh. I can't see myself when I sleep because I'm sleeping! and a bulldozer could work next to Alex when he's sleeping and it wouldn't wake him up, so I don't even have anyone to ask if I do sleep laugh.

But I want to.

That's all.

Twelve Week Program

This post was originally published at Get Fit Chicks. It may refer to posts on Get Fit Chicks that no longer exist. Please email me if you run into any of those and I will break the links. More information about the reposting is available here

(written yesterday).

Through my Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) at work I had the opportunity to participate in a twelve week lifestyle changing program.

For the past, oh, seven or eight years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work for employers who provide extended benefits and those benefits have always included access to the EFAP program. I don’t know about you, but I always thought the EFAP program was just to get emergency access to a counsellor. Turns out it’s not. There are all kinds of interesting programs for all aspects of your life – resources for expectant and new parents, information about childcare and eldercare, support groups (online and in person) for people dealing with addiction, depression and other health issues and this little twelve week program I decided to sign up for.

It involved a work book, some exercises to complete and then a few telephone sessions with a lifestyle coach bases on the exercises. I checked it out on line and people seemed to have positive things to say about it. I was pretty excited – it looked really good.

And parts of it were great! The exercises were good – a health assessment, a stress map and goal setting. I’ve found that all three have been beneficial lately. I’ve taped my goals inside my notebook and when ever I feel like I’m stuck or going in the wrong direction, I take a look at those goals and find it’s actually pretty easy to get back on track, or that I wasn’t actually off track, maybe just plateauing…

The program focuses on making changes not just to your diet and exercise levels to help you lose weight but on changing other aspects of your life (stress levels, relationship and work issues, time management, etc) to become healthier overall. It sort of looks at weight loss as an inevitable, but positive, side effect.

But the lifestyle coach. Well she was just okay. And by okay I mean that I get the same, if not better, support and advice from my friends and husband. And coming from a lifestyle coach didn’t make me any more or less inclined to follow her advice.

And the work book. Well, it looks good. I’ve read it, but it really wants me to journal. And I haven’t. Not for lack of a journal. Because I have a whole shelf of blank journals screaming to be written in. But because I don’t have time haven’t made time to sit down and do it.

I was really excited because I thought I’d have lots to blog about by following this program, but so far, not really.

So (and internet you need to help hold me to this) this week I have resolved that I will start journaling just like the book wants me to.

Really. Wish me luck!