Happy Sunday everyone! I’m feeling rather random today, so I think I’m going to just go with it.
I’ve been addicted to the library lately. Every time I go in to the library to return or pick up one book, I end up leaving with three more. In the last couple weeks I’ve brought home The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway, Burning Down the House: Essays on Fiction by Charles Baxter, My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster, Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku, Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye and Zahra’s Paradise by Amir and Kahlil. I haven’t read any of them yet, but soon I hope.
Have any of you heard of Smash Books? I just came across them this week, and now I really, really want one. Anyone have one? Worth the money?
I officially went back on a diet this week, which is not my favorite thing. I was last on a diet my last couple years of college and lost 30 pounds exercising and counting calories. I quit dieting formally when I moved to Madison, but slowly gained some weight back after I started my desk job after graduation and then some more after I moved to Morris. I finally decided to do something about it, but the first couple weeks counting calories always puts me in a mood.
I’m so, so tired of PR people sending press releases marked important with the big red exclamation point that shows up in Microsoft Outlook. There is absolutely no reason any press release needs to be marked important. None! For whatever reason, that drove me crazy this week.
I’m back on my The West Wing kick. My brother bought me season five for Christmas, and I’ve been watching it all week. I’m also in love with Parks and Rec, which is probably the funniest and sweetest show on television right now. It is the one show that I make sure to never miss. The first couple seasons are on Netflix Instant right now — go watch them!
I got all caught up on reviews yesterday morning while I was writing from a local coffee shop. Well, not totally done — I still have to add some formatting and clean up some rough patches — but basically done. I’m really starting to like my Saturday morning writing time. I can usually get a lot done over a couple big mugs of tea and a pastry. It feels good to be caught up, for the moment.
Today I’m going to go start week two of Couch to 5K, once I get off the couch and make my way to the gym. I’m also planning to keep reading The Social Animal by David Brooks, my second book from the Indie Lit Awards nonfiction short list. Other than that, I anticipate another quiet Sunday at home. I could get used to this!
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I completely agree with how good it is to get so much accomplished over a cup of coffee or tea at a coffee shop. I usually go in on a Sunday morning and get my classwork done for the week, and some posts written up.
The only coffee shop we have in my small town is closed Sundays, so I’ve been doing a Saturday morning productivity session. I spent one Saturday doing stories for work, and the other two doing blog projects. I love starting the week feeling ahead.
Oh yay West Wing! I loved seasons 1-4 SO MUCH. The last few seasons less so, but still good stuff.
I hadn’t heard of Smash books, but those look awesome!
And good luck on the calorie counting. I hate that first couple of days where you’re hungry all the time before your body adjusts to less food.
Yes, season 1-4 were amazing! Season five had some really good episodes (The Supremes comes to mine), but it seemed a little disjointed.
I can’t remember where I came across the Smash Books, but I sooo want one. I might just go ahead and order some tonight 🙂
The first few weeks are always hard… remembering to measure, logging everything, feeling hungry. It’ll get better, I’m confident.
Your remark about press releases–THIS! I don’t get them so much for my blog, but at work, it’s near constant. And multiple follow-up e-mails after a press release is also the opposite of helpful.
And good luck on the calorie counting. I’m semi-opposed to diets (I prefer to focus on healthy habits than on weight loss), but I find that I have to count calories a lot of the time to maintain healthy eating. Come spring, I’m hoping to use the library more as a way of getting more exercise in because it’s in walking distance.
Yes! The press releases thing was a work-related comment. There is NOTHING that comes in press release form that warrants them being marked important. If it’s that important, call me.
I’m not really one for diets either. When I first lost weight, it was really an effort to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which I kept up for awhile, but sort of lost. I think counting calories no is more like a recalibration than a diet, you know?
I know we’ve already talked about this, but good luck with calorie counting! I don’t get many press releases to Outlook, but I know that would annoy me, too. Z and I might start watching The West Wing soon. I was telling him that someone kept mentioning it, but I couldn’t remember who. Now I know! It was definitely you 🙂
You should watch The West Wing. It’s so great! The first season is one of my favorite seasons of television of all time. I just loooove it.
I haven’t heard of Smash books until now. I kind of want one but it sounds a lot like my art journals. I hate press releases and most of them aren’t worth reading. Good luck on your calorie counting.
It doesn’t seem like they’re anything that special. I used to keep a “smash book” of sorts, just a notebook where I glued in tidbits and stuff, but it wasn’t especially pretty. I love the way the Smash Books use fancy paper and stuff… I’m an office supply addict.
Re: high-priority emails — I have a coworker who regularly sends emails and marks them low-priority. It charms me so much. We tease her about it and she’s like “But they don’t NEED your immediate attention!” She’s the only person I’ve ever seen use the priority function in Outlook to mark things low priority.
That’s the best story! I would love to get low priority e-mails, and stop getting fake high priority e-mails. So annoying!
I cherish my writing time too. It’s amazing how many profound words can tumble off your mind when you just spend a few minutes to muse.
Definitely. I didn’t realize how much I appreciate having uninterrupted and undistracted time to put words down.
I love sitting down to write when there are no distractions. I get some of my best writing done at lunchtime at work. It is a great way to take a break from work and get some blogging work done.
Good luck with Couch to 5K! I do love that program. I can never make it beyond week 7 though for a variety of reasons.
I’d love to be able to blog at lunch, but I always need the time away from a computer screen. I do tend to get a lot of reading done though, which is a good trade-off.
Smash Books? never heard of ’em until today- that little video clip on their site is so enchanting. I was never really keen on keeping a scrapbook, but this looks like fun and easy with that glue-pen. Other than that little gadget, what really makes this not just a scrapbook?
Really, nothing, I don’t think 🙂 Maybe because it comes with nice paper there are fewer supplies to buy? It seems sort of like scrapbooking lite.
I think I will try a change of scenery while blogging next weekend – I seem to be stuck in a rut while blogging at home and it takes a long time to get a post written. Thanks for the suggestion.
The Art of Eating In has been on my to read list for a while – I look forward to hearing what you think of it.
I can’t seem to write at home lately. I’m not sure what it is, other than distractions from my cat and television and boyfriend and books. Writing in public seems to keep me focused.
I have a mini Smash Book and it’s really fun! I do recommend.
I started counting calories a few weeks ago using My Fitness Pal. The first few days were miserable, but after a week it was much easier, my appetite has adjusted, and already I’m wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans again and I’ve lost almost ten pounds! I’m sure some of that was just bloating because of how badly I was eating before, but the change has been SO worth it.
Thanks for the positive reminders! I’ve been doing ok with the counting, it’s just really hard at first. It’s getting easier now though, but my coworkers are constantly tempting me with crappy food. On the plus side, it’s making me exercise more to make up for it 🙂
The Smashbooks look so cool! A scrapbook but without having to do all the annoying cutting and pasting of backgrounds, etc. I really like the idea. But I’m also lazy with no time for craftiness. Ugg!
Yeah, I think that’s what I like about it — scrapbooking made easy! I’m not very crafty, which is why I think I’m so obsessed.
Hey girl, yay for West Wing – you already know how in love I’ve been with that show since it first aired. Season 5 does have some quality episodes, just watch out for 6 and 7: I pretend that they don’t actually have anything to do with the rest of the show and it makes it more bearable to watch.
Good luck with the diet/running thing!
Aww… sad! I was hoping it ended on a high note 🙂 It’s always hard when the original cast leave and things shift around. Oh well. I’ll just watch S1 again!
I have never heard of Smashbooks before, but now I am a bit curious…
Me too! I still haven’t ordered one, but soon, I think.
I just checked out the Smashbooks video – it looks like such fun. All the prepared papers there for you, and the stickers and notepads. I like the idea of having a place to stash my ideas. I’ve been adding my ideas to a couple of dedicated “idea” pages in my diy Moleskine planner right now – mind you, I hardly ever have any clippings and now that I’ve gone digital with almost all of my magazine subscriptions, there’s not going to be a lot of pictures for me to cut out!
Yeah, I’m not sure how many clippings I will have for it either. I don’t even have a printer at home to print things from offline and whatnot. We’ll see how it works 🙂
Tony and I became obsessed with Parks & Rec right before Christmas this year… I had always felt lukewarm about it in the past and so didn’t really watch it, but I finally decided I would give it a fair shot. I started with Season 2, and after 3 episodes, we were hooked… Before heading home, we managed to watch EVERY episode that had aired in something like 4 days… that’s a lot of tv watching, but it was so worth it! I think it might be my favorite show on tv right now. Love how it’s hilarious but has tons of heart too.
I think Parks and Rec is the most delightful and happy show on tv right now. I can watch a million episodes in a row, no problem.
I hope the C25K is going well for you! I’m doing the program as well–just finished week 3. I’ve been a bit sick the past week so am behind but I’m signing up for a 5K on March 10th! 🙂
I think it’s going well so far! I’m doing the last day of week four tomorrow. I haven’t signed up for a 5K, I’m not sure if I’m going to, but hopefully soon I’ll at least be able to do it 🙂
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