This week has been a slog at work. I thought it was just me but I've heard comments from co-workers that the energy has just been a grind this week. Fortunately, it isn't because of co-worker conflict, it's just the sheer amount of work that is flowing through this place and we're all working very hard to get a handle on it. By the time I get home, I'm so tired that with the best will in the world, I can't seem to start an exercise routine. Good thing I have next week off. I'm going to Palm Springs the first part of the week to visit some dear friends. I'm looking forward to spending some time with them, although I'm not looking forward to the heat. I leave Saturday and return Monday.
My plan for next week is to go for a walk in the early morning; return home and eat breakfast; work out to one of my exercise DVDs then go for a swim after. Once I have my exercise routine done for the day, I plan to work on various projects throughout the week. I'm also planning on having lunch or dinner with friends, go to the beach or someplace that I haven't been before. I plan on being relaxed but busy. I want to get some projects completed in my house so I can stop thinking about them and I want my exercise routine back.
Lots of plans in the previous paragraph. I just hope that some of them happen.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
August 19, 2014
So the great re-write is still creeping along slowly. I want to CHANGE ALL THE THINGS at once but of course, that would make my head explode and I'd just have another mess to clean up. So I've settled for changing one thing (or two, if they're small) at a time. For example, I cleaned out my frig the other day, seriously, it was so gross. Then I went grocery shopping, came home, put the food away and what do you know, I can see what I have to eat. Huzzah! Tonight I will cook some chicken and some rice. That usually lasts a couple of days in the frig for dinner, then each night I can just cook some veggies to go with it, quick and easy. I also bought some smoked turkey, cheese, bread, pickles, tomatoes, avocados and horseradish mustard to make sandwiches for lunch. I can eat lunch for a week for what I spend on going out to lunch in one or two days. Next time I go out, I will enjoy it more. And I bought some grapes and raw almonds and have been eating those for breakfast. So my quest to eat healthier is my first major change.
My next change is to establish a regular exercise program. I need to get up and walk for 10 - 15 minutes at least twice a day while at work. I could do this in the morning and afternoon on my breaks. I was also working out every day after work, doing Insanity. And I loved it! But when my schedule changed, that went out the window and I haven't started up again. I have to remember that I loved my workout more than I love sitting on the couch on my butt.
My next change is to establish a regular exercise program. I need to get up and walk for 10 - 15 minutes at least twice a day while at work. I could do this in the morning and afternoon on my breaks. I was also working out every day after work, doing Insanity. And I loved it! But when my schedule changed, that went out the window and I haven't started up again. I have to remember that I loved my workout more than I love sitting on the couch on my butt.
Monday, August 18, 2014
August 15, 2014
So the re-written script is working, so far so good, I'm still working on breaking old habits. Especially the habit of sitting in front of the TV watching stuff I'm not interested in. I need to think of how to re-write that portion so that it's more of 'Hey! Do this! Or This! Or This!' instead of saying 'Don't Do That Anymore.' I need something to fill the space. I love to read but even that's not enough to fill in the blank areas. The blank areas cause me to tense up which creates that old feeling of ennui. Definition of ennui: a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. And ennui puts me on my butt doing nothing.
My opinion is that creativity isn't just used to create some form of art, not an original thought I know, but if I think of day to day chores as creativity instead of drudgery, it helps to combat ennui. For example, I get home from work and there's 8 billion things to do in my house. It can leave me feeling defeated before I even start. But if I look at cleaning the kitchen and putting everything away as creating a space where the energy flows, that space can be used to create good food. If I apply that creative thought to all the spaces in my house, then my house will feel like a place where I want to create other things. I know this worked because I cleaned up my office at work and now when I come in to work in the morning, my office is in good shape and I don't feel over-whelmed immediately. Believe me, I have enough work to do every day, I don't need a messy space to stop me in my tracks.
Monday, August 11, 2014
August 11, 2014
I was talking with a friend about people and I said if someone was unhappy with where they are in their life, why don't they just write the script they want to live. Oh, wait...
Get up late, rush around, drive to work, arrive late, deal with ennui by telling myself I'm tired, sit on my ass all day in front of a computer, eat lunch out every day, drive home, flop on the couch, sit on my ass all night in front of the TV, eat junk for dinner, go to bed, sleep badly, get up late...
So the paragraph above is my day to day life in a nutshell. No wonder it's not working for me. It's the road-map of the life I don't want anymore. It's time to write the script of the life I want to live. Here's my new road-map:
Get up on-time. When I do this, I have time to do my twenty minute yoga stretch in the morning. That always starts my day in a better place. And I don't have to rush around like a crazy person trying to throw myself together to get out the door.
Drive to work on-time. When I do this, I can have a much more relaxed drive to work and I'm won't already be stressed when I arrive at work. On time. And I won't have to tell myself I'm tired as an excuse for being late, feeling stressed, which puts me in a place of ennui.
Get up and move around at work. I set my Outlook reminder to pop up every 15 minutes. It says 'Get up.' And I do. Sometimes I walk around the office, sometimes I just stand up and stretch. It's too easy to sit at a computer and never move. I've been doing that for many years and by the end of the day, I'm in so much pain. By getting up every 15 minutes and stretching or moving around, I feel much better.
Eat better. I was eating a muffin and a cup of coffee for breakfast. Carbs and caffeine, the super-woman breakfast. Now, I have a hard-boiled egg and 2 small strips of bacon. Protein and a little fat. I will add some fresh fruit to this but I'm still having coffee. And for at least a year now, I've been eating lunch out. Part of it is being lazy (I haven't been cooking at all) part of it is a desire to get out of the office. But eating out every day means that going out to eat is nothing special, it's just another thing that I do. Plus it's expensive and fattening. Even when I eat healthy, the mega-size meals that most places serve is just too much food. So now, I'm making my lunch every day. This week, it will be sandwiches. Toasted whole-grain bread, sliced turkey, one slice of cheese, tomato, avocado, pickle and mustard with water to drink. Tonight, I will have left-over vegan Mexican food from Sunday brunch; tomorrow, I will cook some chicken and brown rice for the week and have it for dinner every night with a different vegetable. Easy to do and easy to eat.
Drive home. The drive home has heavier traffic. I'm practicing sitting back in my car, relaxed as I navigate my way home. I have found that I still get home in the same amount of time as when I get in a hurry and speed. I'll let others be tense and rushed.
Get home, change into my workout clothes, put on one of my dvd exercise videos and go to town. Since it's summertime and hot, I can also go for a swim after my workout. That will feel great. Then a shower, dinner, maybe a little TV if there's something specific I want to watch. Then bed at a decent hour.
This is my new road-map, my script to how I want my life to be. Two things I already know: if I get out of bed on time, my day will flow a lot smoother because I won't be rushed from the time I get up. And also, if for some reason I don't/can't adhere to the new map, that doesn't mean I should chuck it all and give up. It's just a slight detour. I can see it as a disaster or an adventure. Adventures are more fun.
Get up late, rush around, drive to work, arrive late, deal with ennui by telling myself I'm tired, sit on my ass all day in front of a computer, eat lunch out every day, drive home, flop on the couch, sit on my ass all night in front of the TV, eat junk for dinner, go to bed, sleep badly, get up late...
So the paragraph above is my day to day life in a nutshell. No wonder it's not working for me. It's the road-map of the life I don't want anymore. It's time to write the script of the life I want to live. Here's my new road-map:
Get up on-time. When I do this, I have time to do my twenty minute yoga stretch in the morning. That always starts my day in a better place. And I don't have to rush around like a crazy person trying to throw myself together to get out the door.
Drive to work on-time. When I do this, I can have a much more relaxed drive to work and I'm won't already be stressed when I arrive at work. On time. And I won't have to tell myself I'm tired as an excuse for being late, feeling stressed, which puts me in a place of ennui.
Get up and move around at work. I set my Outlook reminder to pop up every 15 minutes. It says 'Get up.' And I do. Sometimes I walk around the office, sometimes I just stand up and stretch. It's too easy to sit at a computer and never move. I've been doing that for many years and by the end of the day, I'm in so much pain. By getting up every 15 minutes and stretching or moving around, I feel much better.
Eat better. I was eating a muffin and a cup of coffee for breakfast. Carbs and caffeine, the super-woman breakfast. Now, I have a hard-boiled egg and 2 small strips of bacon. Protein and a little fat. I will add some fresh fruit to this but I'm still having coffee. And for at least a year now, I've been eating lunch out. Part of it is being lazy (I haven't been cooking at all) part of it is a desire to get out of the office. But eating out every day means that going out to eat is nothing special, it's just another thing that I do. Plus it's expensive and fattening. Even when I eat healthy, the mega-size meals that most places serve is just too much food. So now, I'm making my lunch every day. This week, it will be sandwiches. Toasted whole-grain bread, sliced turkey, one slice of cheese, tomato, avocado, pickle and mustard with water to drink. Tonight, I will have left-over vegan Mexican food from Sunday brunch; tomorrow, I will cook some chicken and brown rice for the week and have it for dinner every night with a different vegetable. Easy to do and easy to eat.
Drive home. The drive home has heavier traffic. I'm practicing sitting back in my car, relaxed as I navigate my way home. I have found that I still get home in the same amount of time as when I get in a hurry and speed. I'll let others be tense and rushed.
Get home, change into my workout clothes, put on one of my dvd exercise videos and go to town. Since it's summertime and hot, I can also go for a swim after my workout. That will feel great. Then a shower, dinner, maybe a little TV if there's something specific I want to watch. Then bed at a decent hour.
This is my new road-map, my script to how I want my life to be. Two things I already know: if I get out of bed on time, my day will flow a lot smoother because I won't be rushed from the time I get up. And also, if for some reason I don't/can't adhere to the new map, that doesn't mean I should chuck it all and give up. It's just a slight detour. I can see it as a disaster or an adventure. Adventures are more fun.
Friday, August 08, 2014
August 8, 2014
I went to Italy on my vacation in May and when I came back, I was having trouble fitting back into life as usual around here. I still am although I slid back into a lot of my old habits. The thing is, those old habits aren't working. I find myself sitting on the couch watching TV, nothing wrong with watching TV if I'm interested in what I'm watching, but a lot of what I'm watching is time-filler. Just watching it to pass enough time to go to bed. Not good. The distraction from my life as is isn't working anymore and no matter how long I sit on my ass. passively watching time go by, that fact isn't going to change. What I have found works for me is picking something to do, whether it's something fun or necessary, setting my intention to be in present time, or 'in the moment' as the saying goes, and maintaining my mental focus on the action at hand. I have done this many times since I returned from Italy and it works for me, but still I returned to old habits. Creating new habits takes time and attention, something I need to keep in mind. I think my word for the rest of this year is Focus.
August 7, 2014
I booked a first class flight to Portland Oregon this morning to visit a long-time friend that I haven't seen in a long, long time. I am really looking forward to seeing Judy. I met Judy on the guestbook/forum of our favorite singer, Bruno Pelletier, back in 2001. She was going to be attending one of his concerts in Montreal and had posed a question on the forum about hotels near the theater in Montreal. I was also attending this concert and posted the name and location of the hotel I was staying at while there. We met up at the hotel and proceeded to have a fine time together. We've been friends ever since but I've only seen Judy three times in person in thirteen years. I think we're gonna have a grand time together, we always have.
Something that came up today while I was booking my flight. One of the seats I chose was on the emergency exit. On Alaska Air site, a box pops up to ask if you're willing to do it and if you're capable. I'm both willing and capable but one of the requirements is that you do not have to have a seat-belt extension. In the past, I have needed a seat-belt extension, but I have dropped 20-30 lbs since my highest weight. Sometimes, depending on the plane, I still have to request one. Now I have approximately 60 days to get in the kind of shape that I do not ever have to request one again on any plane. I can do that easily.
In other news, the issue I was having with my co-worker has been resolved. Their panties were finally un-knotted, the snit gotten over and we are working well together again. Having been promoted, I can now make strides to getting things organized around as my new boss is open to suggestions and we are finally starting to use some of the databases around as they were meant to be used. Currently, the only thing digital around here is the file we're moving; everything, EVERYTHING, else is manual. Find the file, move the file, track the file. All manual because nobody wanted to pull the trigger on actually using the database we have. TPTB are always getting feedback about what we need to do our jobs from people who don't actually do our jobs, and then go spend money on stuff we don't need. Dudes! Just update the database we have and let us use it the way it's supposed to be used. It will solve the majority of the issues around here. Finally, somebody listened. Hallelujah!
Something that came up today while I was booking my flight. One of the seats I chose was on the emergency exit. On Alaska Air site, a box pops up to ask if you're willing to do it and if you're capable. I'm both willing and capable but one of the requirements is that you do not have to have a seat-belt extension. In the past, I have needed a seat-belt extension, but I have dropped 20-30 lbs since my highest weight. Sometimes, depending on the plane, I still have to request one. Now I have approximately 60 days to get in the kind of shape that I do not ever have to request one again on any plane. I can do that easily.
In other news, the issue I was having with my co-worker has been resolved. Their panties were finally un-knotted, the snit gotten over and we are working well together again. Having been promoted, I can now make strides to getting things organized around as my new boss is open to suggestions and we are finally starting to use some of the databases around as they were meant to be used. Currently, the only thing digital around here is the file we're moving; everything, EVERYTHING, else is manual. Find the file, move the file, track the file. All manual because nobody wanted to pull the trigger on actually using the database we have. TPTB are always getting feedback about what we need to do our jobs from people who don't actually do our jobs, and then go spend money on stuff we don't need. Dudes! Just update the database we have and let us use it the way it's supposed to be used. It will solve the majority of the issues around here. Finally, somebody listened. Hallelujah!
Friday, July 11, 2014
July 10, 2014
Well, so far today, I have worked my butt off. And went out for Thai food for lunch. And made the decision that I was going to stop complaining about my co-worker as it's doing more damage to me than to them. And I'm feeling pretty good about that decision.
Wow! I just got a promotion and a raise. I had been talking to my boss about how I needed to be more involved in aspects of the department that I haven't really had time to learn.
Wow! I just got a promotion and a raise. I had been talking to my boss about how I needed to be more involved in aspects of the department that I haven't really had time to learn.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
July 9, 2014
Okay, well, I guess I decided to take a few days off from here. I didn't even think about writing. Here are some of the things I did while away:
Laundry (a never-ending chore).
Dishes (another never-ending chore).
I read a lot.
I played video games.
I re-potted my 20+ year old philodendron. Seriously, I bought that sucker when I lived in my first apartment after I moved here and I had it for a few years before I moved to where I'm currently living. I lived in the first place from November 1989 to November 1995. I cannot believe that plant is still alive, although I think it may be on it's last leaves.
I put all those re-organized cameras and cords away (finally).
I had a bunch of fruit I'd bought days earlier at the farmer's market, too much for me to able to eat before it went bad, so I juiced it all. It was interesting that after two days of adding a couple of glasses of fresh made juice to my daily food how much more energy I had and how good I felt. Even having a glass of juice before leaving for work has altered my coffee habit. Granted, I usually only drink two cups of coffee per day but in the last couple of days, I now just have one cup. It wasn't deliberate on my part because I love coffee, I just never went for the second cup. Now I have a bunch more fruits and veggies to juice in the frig when I get home tonight.
I went to see Ghost the musical. It's based on the movie starring Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg and Demi Moore. It was an interesting experience because this musical is a West End production and the lyrics and music were written by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame. That means it doesn't have that 'Broadway' musical sound, which I liked because I'm not a fan of Broadway musicals or the Broadway style of singing. Just not my thing. This production, at the Pantages, suffered a great deal from the vocals. Harsh words for a musical but here's the issue. There are four lead roles: Molly, Sam, Carl and Oda Mae Brown. Three of the four vocalists did not have the vocal power required for these roles. At certain points, I literally could not hear them over either the chorus or the orchestra or both. It could also be the audio isn't balanced right. I've had this issue with a number of musicals I've seen at various theaters. Anyway, I thought there was a decent musical there, just not the production I saw.
Laundry (a never-ending chore).
Dishes (another never-ending chore).
I read a lot.
I played video games.
I re-potted my 20+ year old philodendron. Seriously, I bought that sucker when I lived in my first apartment after I moved here and I had it for a few years before I moved to where I'm currently living. I lived in the first place from November 1989 to November 1995. I cannot believe that plant is still alive, although I think it may be on it's last leaves.
I put all those re-organized cameras and cords away (finally).
I had a bunch of fruit I'd bought days earlier at the farmer's market, too much for me to able to eat before it went bad, so I juiced it all. It was interesting that after two days of adding a couple of glasses of fresh made juice to my daily food how much more energy I had and how good I felt. Even having a glass of juice before leaving for work has altered my coffee habit. Granted, I usually only drink two cups of coffee per day but in the last couple of days, I now just have one cup. It wasn't deliberate on my part because I love coffee, I just never went for the second cup. Now I have a bunch more fruits and veggies to juice in the frig when I get home tonight.
I went to see Ghost the musical. It's based on the movie starring Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg and Demi Moore. It was an interesting experience because this musical is a West End production and the lyrics and music were written by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame. That means it doesn't have that 'Broadway' musical sound, which I liked because I'm not a fan of Broadway musicals or the Broadway style of singing. Just not my thing. This production, at the Pantages, suffered a great deal from the vocals. Harsh words for a musical but here's the issue. There are four lead roles: Molly, Sam, Carl and Oda Mae Brown. Three of the four vocalists did not have the vocal power required for these roles. At certain points, I literally could not hear them over either the chorus or the orchestra or both. It could also be the audio isn't balanced right. I've had this issue with a number of musicals I've seen at various theaters. Anyway, I thought there was a decent musical there, just not the production I saw.
Friday, July 04, 2014
July 3, 2014
Once more into the breach, as they say. I'm feeling better about the situation with my co-worker. I realized that this person has a habit of non-communication about work flow changes and then likes to throw people under the bus. The thing is, they are often wrong about what they are stating as fact. I have been corrected by them in meetings in front of a lot of people and since I'm not sure if they are correct or not, I double check my info after the meetings. Turns out I'm right in a lot of cases. Since this makes me realize that I'm not stupid or ill-informed, and this person is simply doing what they do, I can now move on. A lesson I keep needing to learn over and over again. Onward!
I was just looking at my notebook and realized that I have forgotten to focus. Since I came back from vacation, I have found that my old patterns of just sitting in front of the TV or computer randomly watching anything as a distraction wasn't working anymore. Believe me, I tried to slip back into that but it really wasn't working. So what I tried and what has been missing from these last few days is focus. I couldn't veg in front of the TV but in order to create other things to do, I needed to focus on that particular thing. I was doing that and it worked. I've been forgetting to focus on what I want to do. Focus on one thing until I'm satisfied with the outcome. Then move on to the next thing and focus on that. A good reminder.
So here's some things to focus on tonight, one at a time:
1. Put away odds and ends that go with the cords and cameras, etc.
2. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell.
3. Cook dinner.
4. Vacuum.
5. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware.
6. Find receipts for expenses to be reimbursed.
7. Pay rent and utility bills.
Update: long, long meeting at work, took up way too much of the afternoon. I worked late then came home and basically passed out.
I was just looking at my notebook and realized that I have forgotten to focus. Since I came back from vacation, I have found that my old patterns of just sitting in front of the TV or computer randomly watching anything as a distraction wasn't working anymore. Believe me, I tried to slip back into that but it really wasn't working. So what I tried and what has been missing from these last few days is focus. I couldn't veg in front of the TV but in order to create other things to do, I needed to focus on that particular thing. I was doing that and it worked. I've been forgetting to focus on what I want to do. Focus on one thing until I'm satisfied with the outcome. Then move on to the next thing and focus on that. A good reminder.
So here's some things to focus on tonight, one at a time:
1. Put away odds and ends that go with the cords and cameras, etc.
2. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell.
3. Cook dinner.
4. Vacuum.
5. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware.
6. Find receipts for expenses to be reimbursed.
7. Pay rent and utility bills.
Update: long, long meeting at work, took up way too much of the afternoon. I worked late then came home and basically passed out.
Thursday, July 03, 2014
July 2, 2014
This morning I woke up without the knot in my stomach that's been there for the past couple of days due to the issue with my co-worker. I realized that what she's doing is her way of doing things and whether it's unconscious or deliberate, it's not my problem. In fact, this morning during my meditation, I became grateful because it made me realize that once again, I was giving up my power to someone else. It is a habit that I have and I realize that these situations happen to remind me that I am in control of my path alone. This doesn't mean that I need to be belligerent, or passive/aggressive. It's more of a state of being: being in the moment; being on my path; being aware. I'm not trying to be perfect, just more aware of who I am. I'm still going to have emotions and conflicts, the key for me is to be conscious to what's happening, not paranoid. Always trust my gut if something doesn't feel right. When I've ignored gut feelings in the past, the outcome has usually been some form of disaster. Now that I've addressed that, onward with my day. I have a meeting today that runs until 5:00, which is about 30 minutes past my usual end of work day. I work 7:30 - 4:30 usually but have been leaving work later, which means the traffic is heavier and it takes longer to get home. My list of things to do doesn't seem all that daunting and I don't think I have anything happening at home tonight that will stop me from accomplishing the list. Nothing except my own inertia.
1. Put away odds and ends that go with the cords and cameras, etc.
4. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell.
5. Cook dinner - if I don't cook, then I need to freeze the chicken.I do have leftover Korean BBQ from lunch. Yum!
6. Vacuum.
7. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware.
8.Put dishes away.
9. Find receipts for expenses to be reimbursed.
I have been walking around the office a lot today. Anytime I need to go to the other side (our office is split with a central lobby) I walk all the way around the perimeter of both sides of the office to get a little extra movement. I will be back with an update tonight.
One other thing: my birthday is one month from today. When that milestone happens, I would like to have 30 days of something (besides sitting on my butt) under my belt. Okay, later.
Update: I feel like I'm failing at this experiment. Another late night at work, still a lot of things left undone. I crossed out the things I actually managed to do. The good thing is today I have no meetings to keep me here late and like a lot of people, I have the 4th of July off from working which gives me a 3-day week-end. Woo-hoo! If I can create a pattern over the week-end of accomplishing things, then I think I have a better chance of carrying through the work week. Fingers crossed!
1. Put away odds and ends that go with the cords and cameras, etc.
4. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell.
5. Cook dinner - if I don't cook, then I need to freeze the chicken.
6. Vacuum.
7. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware.
8.
9. Find receipts for expenses to be reimbursed.
I have been walking around the office a lot today. Anytime I need to go to the other side (our office is split with a central lobby) I walk all the way around the perimeter of both sides of the office to get a little extra movement. I will be back with an update tonight.
One other thing: my birthday is one month from today. When that milestone happens, I would like to have 30 days of something (besides sitting on my butt) under my belt. Okay, later.
Update: I feel like I'm failing at this experiment. Another late night at work, still a lot of things left undone. I crossed out the things I actually managed to do. The good thing is today I have no meetings to keep me here late and like a lot of people, I have the 4th of July off from working which gives me a 3-day week-end. Woo-hoo! If I can create a pattern over the week-end of accomplishing things, then I think I have a better chance of carrying through the work week. Fingers crossed!
Wednesday, July 02, 2014
July 1, 2014
Today is not a good day. I'm having issues with a co-worker that just makes me want to spit acid. So. Things I want to accomplish today:
1. Put away cords, cameras, etc.
4. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell
5. Cook dinner
6. Vacuum
7. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware
8. Do more dishes
I will not be able to walk today at work, it's just too nuts. Hopefully, I can work out when I get home.
Update: another late night at work. I had leftovers for dinner and have put the cords and cameras away. Not my best day.
1. Put away cords, cameras, etc.
4. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell
5. Cook dinner
6. Vacuum
7. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware
8. Do more dishes
I will not be able to walk today at work, it's just too nuts. Hopefully, I can work out when I get home.
Update: another late night at work. I had leftovers for dinner and have put the cords and cameras away. Not my best day.
Monday, June 30, 2014
June 30, 2014
Today's the day to see if I can actually make a commitment to myself and keep it. I have so many things that I want to do, to create, to transform. I have spent enough time sitting in front of a TV, computer, tablet passively watching time pass by. People live, on average, 25,000 days. I have already lived a majority of those days and now have no more time to waste. So each day I will write and post a list of things I want to accomplish that day and also post what I actually managed to do. This is a way for me to actually see what my stumbling blocks are. Some I know: many hours on my butt in front of the TV or on my tablet playing Dark Manor. I don't intend on giving up those things entirely but limiting the amount of time I waste watching something I'm not interested in when I could be doing something else is definitely something I aspire to. So here goes:
Today's List
1. Call phone company re: activation
2. Pay cable bill
3. Put cords, cameras, etc. in plastic containers and put away
4. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell
5. Cook dinner
6. Vacuum
7. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware
8. Do dishes
All of the above are to be done tonight after work and if I'm not vegging on the couch, it's a very doable list.
I have a slightly different list for while I'm at work.
1. Go for two short walks - one in the morning, one in the afternoon
2. Get up every 15 minutes and stretch, every 30 minutes and walk around the office
So that's my list for today. I'm going to save this as a draft and update tonight before bed
Update: I got some stuff done today but not everything. I was on the phone with AT&T for over an hour when I got home about my phone but it's all straightened out. Combine that with leaving work late and not starting dinner until 7:00, and the evening got away from me. I managed to do #1, 2, 3 & 8. I didn't cook dinner, I ordered delivery. I also got in my morning walk at work but not the afternoon walk. I was up and down all day and walked around the entire office several times. It goes to show there may be many hours in the day but they do seem to slip away from us.
Tomorrow, I will add the items that I didn't do today to the list and see if it flows better.
Today's List
1. Call phone company re: activation
2. Pay cable bill
3. Put cords, cameras, etc. in plastic containers and put away
4. Do my workout - cardio & kettle bell
5. Cook dinner
6. Vacuum
7. Get replacement value for Mom's sterling silverware
8. Do dishes
All of the above are to be done tonight after work and if I'm not vegging on the couch, it's a very doable list.
I have a slightly different list for while I'm at work.
1. Go for two short walks - one in the morning, one in the afternoon
2. Get up every 15 minutes and stretch, every 30 minutes and walk around the office
So that's my list for today. I'm going to save this as a draft and update tonight before bed
Update: I got some stuff done today but not everything. I was on the phone with AT&T for over an hour when I got home about my phone but it's all straightened out. Combine that with leaving work late and not starting dinner until 7:00, and the evening got away from me. I managed to do #1, 2, 3 & 8. I didn't cook dinner, I ordered delivery. I also got in my morning walk at work but not the afternoon walk. I was up and down all day and walked around the entire office several times. It goes to show there may be many hours in the day but they do seem to slip away from us.
Tomorrow, I will add the items that I didn't do today to the list and see if it flows better.
Monday, May 06, 2013
What? No Workout?
How can that be? How can I not have a workout today? I need my workout! Uh oh, I've turned into one of those people. I think I've become an...Insaniac! Oh, dear. So tonight, I'll do the fitness test plus the cardio ab workout. The fitness test is supposed to be done every two weeks, so you can track your progress. I know I will have improved since I could hardly do anything at the beginning of this adventure so that will be interesting to see. There are still things that are beyond my capability (high jumps, anyone?) but there are also things where I know I've improved. And the cardio ab workout is only about 15 minutes (of pure hell). It usually done after the pure cardio workout but that is still too much for me. For now, I'll do it as a stand-alone workout.
And after two weeks of working out, I've finally dropped a few pounds. When I started this workout, I went up 3 lbs immediately and pretty much stayed there. Now I've dropped those 3 lbs and lost a couple more besides. I know it's because after the first week, I moderated what I was eating, cutting down on salt, sugar and simple carbs. I bought some sliced turkey at the deli and some whole grain bread, so I will have turkey sandwiches this week with tomato, avocado, pickle, 1 slice of gruyere and mustard. I'm still experimenting on how much whole grain wheat I can tolerate. I figure I'll try once a day and if that doesn't work, maybe a couple times a week. If that doesn't work, I'll have to cut back to what I was doing before: if I make it, it will be gluten-free. If I go out somewhere to eat, like Tomato Pie Pizza Joint, I'll eat their wheat based dough, since they don't have gluten free and they totally rock the pizza.
Bob and I went to the Arclight Hollywood yesterday for brunch and a movie. We saw Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf-Goodman's. It was an interesting and entertaining look at how the department store does what it does. Of particular interest was the focus on how they create the window displays, especially for Christmas. They work on those windows for months before they're installed. I really enjoyed the movie. But I think Bob (aka Dr. Christmas) got way too many ideas for Christmas decorating this year. I foresee a lot of work coming up.
And after two weeks of working out, I've finally dropped a few pounds. When I started this workout, I went up 3 lbs immediately and pretty much stayed there. Now I've dropped those 3 lbs and lost a couple more besides. I know it's because after the first week, I moderated what I was eating, cutting down on salt, sugar and simple carbs. I bought some sliced turkey at the deli and some whole grain bread, so I will have turkey sandwiches this week with tomato, avocado, pickle, 1 slice of gruyere and mustard. I'm still experimenting on how much whole grain wheat I can tolerate. I figure I'll try once a day and if that doesn't work, maybe a couple times a week. If that doesn't work, I'll have to cut back to what I was doing before: if I make it, it will be gluten-free. If I go out somewhere to eat, like Tomato Pie Pizza Joint, I'll eat their wheat based dough, since they don't have gluten free and they totally rock the pizza.
Bob and I went to the Arclight Hollywood yesterday for brunch and a movie. We saw Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf-Goodman's. It was an interesting and entertaining look at how the department store does what it does. Of particular interest was the focus on how they create the window displays, especially for Christmas. They work on those windows for months before they're installed. I really enjoyed the movie. But I think Bob (aka Dr. Christmas) got way too many ideas for Christmas decorating this year. I foresee a lot of work coming up.
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Second week
I started my second week of Insanity yesterday. I had a bit of a tougher workout because my knees were stiff and sore. Not sure what that was about, other than Sunday was my rest day (no workout), everything tightened up and not in a good way. But I did the workout to the best of my ability and I completed it, which became my goal as the workout progressed. Today I am feeling better and have also learned the lesson that if something hurts, don't just suffer with it, take a tylenol.
I feel better and stronger just in one week of doing this exercise routine but I haven't lost any weight and I know that it's because I haven't addressed what I'm eating. I've been a little lazy about that but today I started using myfitnesspal again to track my food. I'm eating way too much and yet not enough. For example, yesterday I had oatmeal and berries for breakfast but then I went out to lunch with a friend at work. We had Korean food and shared bulgogi; spicy pork; fried mandoo plus sides of steamed rice, veggies and kimchi. It all sounds very healthy and it is. But it's stir fry and salty and a lot of food. Much more than I need to be eating at one sitting. And I've been doing the "I'll just have hors d'oeuvres for dinner" routine instead of fixing a meal. So yeah, I have some work to do on my food. My plan for tonight is to prep the chicken and put it in the oven to cook while I'm doing my workout. It will be done by the time I'm through with the Pure Cardio dvd, then I'll heat up some rice and green beans and it will be a feast. Then I'll have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Awesome!
The other thing I need to do is move around more during the day. I sit at a desk in front of a computer all day and I need to get up periodically during my eight hours at work and move around. You would think that moving around all day would make knees stiff but in reality, it's sitting or standing all day.
Edited to add: Two days later, I'm finally finishing this post. I have been tracking my food, although it hasn't become consistent. Maybe if I put the app on my phone, I'll remember to do it more often. Also, I did cook dinner and I did exactly what I said I was going to. It worked out perfectly. Plus I pushed myself to do a little bit more in my workout. I've had to modify but I'm getting stronger every day and I am now modifying my modifications back to what's actually on the video. I am very pleased.
Edited to add: Two days later, I'm finally finishing this post. I have been tracking my food, although it hasn't become consistent. Maybe if I put the app on my phone, I'll remember to do it more often. Also, I did cook dinner and I did exactly what I said I was going to. It worked out perfectly. Plus I pushed myself to do a little bit more in my workout. I've had to modify but I'm getting stronger every day and I am now modifying my modifications back to what's actually on the video. I am very pleased.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
First week done!
So I just finished my first week of Insanity. Can I do all the exercises yet? No, but I do notice a slight improvement in my ability to do some of it. I'm getting a little more air in my hops, I'm jogging a little faster in place, my feet are coming higher off the floor in my kicks, I'm moving a little faster. Maybe no-one else would notice but I noticed a definite difference today. And I was feeling a bit ambivalent about working out today but I threw my workout clothes on and went for it and I'm glad I did. Tomorrow is my rest day but I may check out the power abs since that's coming up next week. Wanna be ready.
In other news, I went to New Balance today and bought some cross training shoes and wow, what a difference they make. Not just in my workout but in walking around in general. I guess I needed more support in my shoes than I realized. I also went shopping and bought a new pair of pants and a couple of tees for work plus a pair of shorts to work out in. Now I have a couple of pair I can use. I also went to Trader Joe's and to the library, just to round out my day of running errands. Now I have to decide if I'm having chicken or shrimp for dinner. Decisions, decisions.
Today, I did that thing we all used to do before Itunes and instant music. When I drove into the parking lot of the mall where I did my shopping, a song came on the radio just as I arrived and I sat in my car and listened to the whole song before I went in the store. It was awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivFYVAntpw0
And as long as I'm on an 80s kick, here's one more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qUFZwJb9GA
Time to eat!
In other news, I went to New Balance today and bought some cross training shoes and wow, what a difference they make. Not just in my workout but in walking around in general. I guess I needed more support in my shoes than I realized. I also went shopping and bought a new pair of pants and a couple of tees for work plus a pair of shorts to work out in. Now I have a couple of pair I can use. I also went to Trader Joe's and to the library, just to round out my day of running errands. Now I have to decide if I'm having chicken or shrimp for dinner. Decisions, decisions.
Today, I did that thing we all used to do before Itunes and instant music. When I drove into the parking lot of the mall where I did my shopping, a song came on the radio just as I arrived and I sat in my car and listened to the whole song before I went in the store. It was awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivFYVAntpw0
And as long as I'm on an 80s kick, here's one more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qUFZwJb9GA
Time to eat!
Friday, April 26, 2013
Still Insane
So today is day 5 of the Insanity workout. It's actually day 4 of the workouts, the first day I took the fitness test, which is about 30 minutes. I'm still looking forward to going home every day and doing the next workout. I haven't lost any weight, as a matter of fact, I went up 3 lbs. I think that has to do with my salt intake this week, a lot of what I've eaten has a high sodium level. Since this isn't just about weight loss but getting healthy and strong, I'm pleased with my progress. I will tweak my food over the next couple of weeks, less sodium, more fresh food. Today is the Pure Cardio workout, it's about 45 minutes long. I will, of course, be breathing hard and sweating buckets by minute 2. But just completing the workout every day is giving me a sense of accomplishment. I'm already starting to feel the effects of it, not just feeling better but all those little projects and ideas I've had in my head thinking "I'd like to do that." is starting to come to fruition. I notice that my patience for sitting on my butt for hours on end is diminishing. Passive entertainment is no longer holding my attention the way it used to either. After my workout tonight, I'm going to pick a task and work on it until it's done. Then I will start another project. I'm hoping this keeps on because there are a number of things outside of work and home that I would like to do as well. I want to take a first aid/cpr class at the American Red Cross. On a completely different tangent, I'd like to learn to tango. Maybe now, I'll have the energy for these things. That would be nice.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Update
So since my last post, I have been eating better, exercising more, working harder and ignoring this blog. I also went to Cloverdale for a few days, so my brother and I could work on the storage units. We have a couple, a large one my brother had and a smaller one he rented when Mom moved into assisted living. Both units had stuff from Mom's house in them and we needed to go through everything and consolidate. Now that both of our parents are gone, I arranged to take a couple of days off work and fly to Sonoma County. I got there Thursday morning and after driving to my brother's, we had lunch and then started in on the units. My poor brother had caught a bad cold the day before I arrived. I kept telling him not to push it but he worked very hard even though he was really under the weather. We hauled a queen size box spring and mattress along with some other trash to the dump and returned back to the storage facility. We then loaded up the back of the truck and hauled it down to the Salvation Army. Here's what you have to understand about Cloverdale. It's a very small town and if the traffic light is with you, you can go from one end of town to the other in about a minute and a half. But it takes at least 15 - 20 minutes to get anywhere else. And since the back of the truck was loaded, we stayed off the highway and took the back road, so it took even longer. I entertained myself by videoing the drive, off and on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4YbsPxq1b0 . It's kinda blurry, as one would expect from a video shot out the window of a moving truck. But it's really beautiful up there and I don't mind the drive to the dump in such a place. Anyway, over the course of three days, we took one truckload to the dump and seven or eight truckloads to the Salvation Army. We moved the bed, furniture, a refrigerator, boxes and boxes of stuff. I hadn't realized that even the haphazard amount of exercising I was doing before I went would make such a huge difference in what I was able to accomplish. I lifted heavy items, worked hard for several hours each day and even though I was tired and sore, I didn't feel lethargic and exhausted like I used to.
Something else that kinda hit me sideways was the level of emotion that was attached to dealing with our parents stuff. I didn't cry or anything, it was more of a melancholy feeling but it lasted for days even after I returned home. It was another reminder that that whole generation in our family is really gone. My family tends to live a long time: Gramma was 103 when she passed, Grampa was 90. My uncle was 93, my aunt 88. Mom was 85, Dad was a relatively young 74. So all those people who were there my entire life, it seems they went so quickly and there's an odd empty space where they were. Add to that, the worry over my brother doing too much, plus his stress over a relationship with a member of the family that's very rocky right now, it was overall a tough weekend. I knew I was right to worry about him, he had a bad case of pneumonia the week after I left. He's doing better now, but it was a rough one.
When I came back, my intention was to start back up working out right away, I was so pleased with how much stronger I felt while cleaning out the storage units. But it was several days before I actually did anything. I would go to work, come home, sit down "just for a minute" and wake up a couple hours later. I was more tired than I knew. Before I went to Sonoma, I decided that it was time to commit to working out harder, so I ordered the Insanity workout. I needed something that was tough, that was different and that, if I did it for the 60 days, I would be in much better shape than I am now. I started that this week. The first day was the actual fitness test, which was tough enough. There are things that I can't do right now, so I modify and do what I can. For example, at my weight, I can't jump in the air. As a matter of fact, it had been so long since I'd jumped, I couldn't remember how. So I braced my hands on the counter and gave a little jump, more of a hop really. And that's what I'm doing. The folks on the video are jumping in the air, I'm hopping. My goal at the end of 60 days is to be able to do at least full perfect form repetition of each of the exercises on the fitness test. I really want to be able to do more, but I will be happy if I can do it at all. Anyway, Insanity is promoted as the toughest workout on dvd. I don't know if it is but omg, it's hard. I can't wait for tomorrow to do it again.
Something else that kinda hit me sideways was the level of emotion that was attached to dealing with our parents stuff. I didn't cry or anything, it was more of a melancholy feeling but it lasted for days even after I returned home. It was another reminder that that whole generation in our family is really gone. My family tends to live a long time: Gramma was 103 when she passed, Grampa was 90. My uncle was 93, my aunt 88. Mom was 85, Dad was a relatively young 74. So all those people who were there my entire life, it seems they went so quickly and there's an odd empty space where they were. Add to that, the worry over my brother doing too much, plus his stress over a relationship with a member of the family that's very rocky right now, it was overall a tough weekend. I knew I was right to worry about him, he had a bad case of pneumonia the week after I left. He's doing better now, but it was a rough one.
When I came back, my intention was to start back up working out right away, I was so pleased with how much stronger I felt while cleaning out the storage units. But it was several days before I actually did anything. I would go to work, come home, sit down "just for a minute" and wake up a couple hours later. I was more tired than I knew. Before I went to Sonoma, I decided that it was time to commit to working out harder, so I ordered the Insanity workout. I needed something that was tough, that was different and that, if I did it for the 60 days, I would be in much better shape than I am now. I started that this week. The first day was the actual fitness test, which was tough enough. There are things that I can't do right now, so I modify and do what I can. For example, at my weight, I can't jump in the air. As a matter of fact, it had been so long since I'd jumped, I couldn't remember how. So I braced my hands on the counter and gave a little jump, more of a hop really. And that's what I'm doing. The folks on the video are jumping in the air, I'm hopping. My goal at the end of 60 days is to be able to do at least full perfect form repetition of each of the exercises on the fitness test. I really want to be able to do more, but I will be happy if I can do it at all. Anyway, Insanity is promoted as the toughest workout on dvd. I don't know if it is but omg, it's hard. I can't wait for tomorrow to do it again.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Found: 1 Mojo
At least, I hope I found it. When I was in Quebec last week, I noticed a definite improvement that I put down to the exercise I've been doing. Jet lag was minimal while I was there, I had much more stamina and balance. As a matter of fact, I didn't notice any jet lag until the day I returned to L.A. and I think that was because I didn't sleep well the night before. I think I may slept about two hours total and that wasn't a deep sleep. I slept a little on the plane on the way back but I was most definitely out of it when I got back home.
At the beginning of the week, I was fine while I was at work but as soon as I got home, I would fall asleep. It took a couple of days for that to pass so I haven't been consistent with exercise this week. And after having stomach issues all day yesterday, I don't know how many wake up calls I need to make the changes that I keep saying I want to make. Maybe I should stop talking about it and just do it.
So this weekend, I focused on getting everything caught up, bills are paid, taxes will be done, laundry will be done, etc., etc. I have to go to Trader Joes and then when I return, it's back to 10 minute trainer. I'm going to the Whiskey tonight to see a quebecois band called Rock IN Soul and I will need the energy that exercise gives me to step out of my normal Sunday night routine. It's early enough in the day that I can get a lot done today and actually feel like I've accomplished something. Here I go!
At the beginning of the week, I was fine while I was at work but as soon as I got home, I would fall asleep. It took a couple of days for that to pass so I haven't been consistent with exercise this week. And after having stomach issues all day yesterday, I don't know how many wake up calls I need to make the changes that I keep saying I want to make. Maybe I should stop talking about it and just do it.
So this weekend, I focused on getting everything caught up, bills are paid, taxes will be done, laundry will be done, etc., etc. I have to go to Trader Joes and then when I return, it's back to 10 minute trainer. I'm going to the Whiskey tonight to see a quebecois band called Rock IN Soul and I will need the energy that exercise gives me to step out of my normal Sunday night routine. It's early enough in the day that I can get a lot done today and actually feel like I've accomplished something. Here I go!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Ack!
The following post may be TMI. I've been having problems with my gut since I was in Quebec last week. I wanted to blame it on jet lag when I was up there, but I've had issues all this week and I know it's related to what I've been eating. I have to finally realize that anything that sours my stomach and makes me start burping, that requires me to reach for an antacid, is something I cannot digest comfortably. One of the biggest culprits for me is wheat. I had issues for years before I ever heard of gluten-free and believe me the first time I tried it, there were hardly any GF products on the market and what was there was expensive and not all that wonderful to eat. But I immediately felt better and I stayed GF for awhile. But gradually, gluten crept back into my diet and I think because it doesn't cause breathing issues or make me swell up or break out in a rash, I ignore that it is causing problems for me.
I'm going back to the primal diet I was on at the beginning of the year. I felt great when I was on it and I want to feel that way again. Lean meats, poultry, seafood, veggies, fruits, nuts, beans. All of these things I can eat with no problem but I will be cutting out all grains for a bit and then gradually add brown rice and GF products into what I eat. I will also keep dairy to a minimum. I don't have an issue with dairy but I eat A LOT of it, so cutting back a bit will be helpful, I think. I can still drink a glass of wine with dinner. My biggest hurdle at this point will be dark chocolate. I LOVE dark chocolate. I tend to eat sweets mostly out of boredom and laziness but most of it, I can take or leave but dark chocolate is YUMMY! I will try to avoid it, mostly because of the sugar, but I'm not promising anything.
I'm going to have to be a bit more organized and a little less lazy when it comes to prepping food, especially for lunches this week. I will cook some chicken and hard boiled eggs to take with me and then get a couple of pre-made salads from Trader Joes. The less I have to fuss with food at work, the more likely I am to stay with eating this way. At this point, I'm willing to stay with it to avoid spending more time than I want to in the bathroom. Sigh...
I'm going back to the primal diet I was on at the beginning of the year. I felt great when I was on it and I want to feel that way again. Lean meats, poultry, seafood, veggies, fruits, nuts, beans. All of these things I can eat with no problem but I will be cutting out all grains for a bit and then gradually add brown rice and GF products into what I eat. I will also keep dairy to a minimum. I don't have an issue with dairy but I eat A LOT of it, so cutting back a bit will be helpful, I think. I can still drink a glass of wine with dinner. My biggest hurdle at this point will be dark chocolate. I LOVE dark chocolate. I tend to eat sweets mostly out of boredom and laziness but most of it, I can take or leave but dark chocolate is YUMMY! I will try to avoid it, mostly because of the sugar, but I'm not promising anything.
I'm going to have to be a bit more organized and a little less lazy when it comes to prepping food, especially for lunches this week. I will cook some chicken and hard boiled eggs to take with me and then get a couple of pre-made salads from Trader Joes. The less I have to fuss with food at work, the more likely I am to stay with eating this way. At this point, I'm willing to stay with it to avoid spending more time than I want to in the bathroom. Sigh...
Friday, March 29, 2013
A mini-vacation
Last week, I took a mini-vacation to Quebec. I flew into Montreal Thursday night and flew back on Sunday morning. The flight to Montreal was delayed by 90 minutes, supposed to take off at noon, finally took off about 1:30. I was just grateful it was non-stop and I didn't have any connecting flights to try and make. We landed in Montreal about 9:30 p.m. local time. I didn't know how late the rental car services were open, so I grabbed my carry-on and headed for the parking lot. Enterprise was still open and they had three people working. It took almost 30 minutes for me to get my car and there was only one other customer. To say they were a little disorganized would be an understatement but I finally got the car. I plugged the address of my hotel into the gps and took off. The gps had me on the 520 nord instead of the 40 ouest. I knew as soon as I got out of the airport that I was heading the wrong direction but wasn't sure how to correct my course. Then I ran into construction on the highway and within about 1 km, the highway completely shut down.
I pulled off the highway onto the access road, saw a Comfort Inn and realized that I had stayed there several years ago. I drove into the parking lot but there was no place to park, so I drove out again and parked on the side road. I went into the lobby and waited for the night manager to finish helping the other folks and then explained my dilemma, where I wanted to go and could he give me directions. He was very nice and tried to be helpful but he kept changing his mind about how I should get there. Finally, I just went the way he said even though I knew it was still sending me the wrong direction. In a few minutes, I saw a Hilton and pulled in there. The night manager there gave me great directions and drew me a little map and I was at my hotel in 5 minutes; it was after 11 p.m. and I was beat. It took me about an hour to wind down but the hotel room was great. I had the most comfy king bed and it was so quiet. I had an awesome night's sleep. In the morning, I went to the free breakfast buffet and had scrambled eggs, a toasted bagel with cream cheese and coffee. Since I got so lost the night before, I went to the business center at the hotel and got some directions to the restaurant that I was going to for dinner and to the theater for the concert that night.
I started going to Quebec in 2001 to see the Quebecois singer Bruno Pelletier perform. In the intervening years, I've made a bunch of friends, people I've met at his shows. Now, when I post on FB that I'm coming up, they invite me to their pre-show dinners and gatherings. It makes me feel very welcome! On Friday night, I met a group of people at La Maison Vert in Ste Genevieve in an area I've heard referred to as the west island. There were several ladies and one young man from Quebec, plus Mew from Japan and Annette from Germany. An international crowd, all there to see Bruno. The food was muy delicioso, I had beef bavette in a mushroom-red wine reduction with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. Very flavorful and rich! There was also a cup of leek soup to start, tres tasty. The only downfall was the dessert. It was bland and doughy and I should have skipped it. I don't know if it's considered part of Montreal proper or if it's a separate town but Ste Genevieve feels like every small country town I've been to: little pockets of surprises in a town that feels little provincial. My family lives in a town like that in Sonoma County.
After dinner, I followed Line and Diane over to the theater. I knew how to get to the theater but it's a good thing I followed them because I would have never found the parking lot in the twilight! "Heavenly shades of night are falling, it's twilight time!" Wait, where was I? The theater was really nice and I was in the 3rd row just to the right of center stage. The show that night was really great, I think I used the word splendid when I posted on FB. Bruno was in great voice and there were several songs that really stood out. One was his version of 'Roxanne'. If I remember correctly, it was just Bruno and the guitar player, who's name escapes me at the moment. They slowed it down turning it into more of a sultry, almost R and B, song (and lament) of desire and longing.
I never liked 'Roxanne' in its original version by The Police. I found it to be monotonous and kinda boring. But then I heard this rendition of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDJMXSXSmtA I thought this was such a great version particularly the beginning. Bruno's version reminded me of this at first but he slowed the song down all the way through and that changed the entire vibe. It's a whole different song done that way. Just a little lesson to keep an open mind, that a little spin on something can change it from 'meh' to 'wow'.
My favorite song of the whole show was Bruno and Julie's beautiful and haunting version of Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up. Sometimes I hear a song performed live and it seems as though the air is shimmering. I don't even want to take a breath or move in any way because I don't want to disturb the energy. Gorgeous, gorgeous rendition. It was an all around terrific concert. Plus Bruno did me a massive favor and met with me to record a video message to a friend of mine (and a fan of his) as she struggles through a very rough time in her life.
Saturday, I left my hotel in Dorval and drove to St Jerome. I checked into the hotel and waited for my pal Lynne there. She arrived about 4 p.m. from Gatineau. It was so good to see her, even if only for an evening. We always have a great time together! She and I had dinner with Line and Mew at St Hubert and then drove over to the theater. Everything went well up until I sat in my seat. Someone sitting near me, either right next to me or right in front of me, REEKED of hairspray. I must confess that I hate the smell of hairspray, it gives me a headache and this person smelled like they had used a whole can of it all at once. I couldn't get away from it. Typing this right now, I don't know why I didn't just move, I didn't think of it. As far as the concert that night, I have to say it was the rockiest performance I've ever seen Bruno give. I know when I create something, I have an idea in my head of how I want the energy to flow. This performance was like the energy went sideways on Bruno. He still sounded good but the performance was off for a lot of the evening. He maintained his humor about what was happening and the audience still loved it, I loved it because I don't think he's capable of giving a truly bad performance and by the end of the evening, he had regained control of the stage, but it was...different. I have wondered how much of my perception of the show was colored by the stench of the hairspray, it was really bothering me.
At the end of the night, Bruno came out in the lobby to chat with people and Lynne and I got in line. I wanted to say good-bye and thank him for the video. When I got to the table where he was sitting, he looked at me and asked if I was alright. I said I was fine and we spoke for a moment. Someone else spoke up while we were chatting and he responded to them then turned back to me. He asked me again if I was okay, and I assured him I was. We said good-bye and I left. It was only later that I realized that, mentally, I was already on my way back to L.A. and so wasn't fully present in the moment. I wonder if that's why he asked me that. Or maybe I just looked ill from the hairspray. Lynne and I went back to the hotel and went to bed. I got up at 5 a.m. to get to the airport, made it in plenty of time and flew home. I had a great time in Quebec and as always, was glad I went and was equally glad to be home again.
I pulled off the highway onto the access road, saw a Comfort Inn and realized that I had stayed there several years ago. I drove into the parking lot but there was no place to park, so I drove out again and parked on the side road. I went into the lobby and waited for the night manager to finish helping the other folks and then explained my dilemma, where I wanted to go and could he give me directions. He was very nice and tried to be helpful but he kept changing his mind about how I should get there. Finally, I just went the way he said even though I knew it was still sending me the wrong direction. In a few minutes, I saw a Hilton and pulled in there. The night manager there gave me great directions and drew me a little map and I was at my hotel in 5 minutes; it was after 11 p.m. and I was beat. It took me about an hour to wind down but the hotel room was great. I had the most comfy king bed and it was so quiet. I had an awesome night's sleep. In the morning, I went to the free breakfast buffet and had scrambled eggs, a toasted bagel with cream cheese and coffee. Since I got so lost the night before, I went to the business center at the hotel and got some directions to the restaurant that I was going to for dinner and to the theater for the concert that night.
I started going to Quebec in 2001 to see the Quebecois singer Bruno Pelletier perform. In the intervening years, I've made a bunch of friends, people I've met at his shows. Now, when I post on FB that I'm coming up, they invite me to their pre-show dinners and gatherings. It makes me feel very welcome! On Friday night, I met a group of people at La Maison Vert in Ste Genevieve in an area I've heard referred to as the west island. There were several ladies and one young man from Quebec, plus Mew from Japan and Annette from Germany. An international crowd, all there to see Bruno. The food was muy delicioso, I had beef bavette in a mushroom-red wine reduction with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. Very flavorful and rich! There was also a cup of leek soup to start, tres tasty. The only downfall was the dessert. It was bland and doughy and I should have skipped it. I don't know if it's considered part of Montreal proper or if it's a separate town but Ste Genevieve feels like every small country town I've been to: little pockets of surprises in a town that feels little provincial. My family lives in a town like that in Sonoma County.
After dinner, I followed Line and Diane over to the theater. I knew how to get to the theater but it's a good thing I followed them because I would have never found the parking lot in the twilight! "Heavenly shades of night are falling, it's twilight time!" Wait, where was I? The theater was really nice and I was in the 3rd row just to the right of center stage. The show that night was really great, I think I used the word splendid when I posted on FB. Bruno was in great voice and there were several songs that really stood out. One was his version of 'Roxanne'. If I remember correctly, it was just Bruno and the guitar player, who's name escapes me at the moment. They slowed it down turning it into more of a sultry, almost R and B, song (and lament) of desire and longing.
I never liked 'Roxanne' in its original version by The Police. I found it to be monotonous and kinda boring. But then I heard this rendition of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDJMXSXSmtA I thought this was such a great version particularly the beginning. Bruno's version reminded me of this at first but he slowed the song down all the way through and that changed the entire vibe. It's a whole different song done that way. Just a little lesson to keep an open mind, that a little spin on something can change it from 'meh' to 'wow'.
My favorite song of the whole show was Bruno and Julie's beautiful and haunting version of Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up. Sometimes I hear a song performed live and it seems as though the air is shimmering. I don't even want to take a breath or move in any way because I don't want to disturb the energy. Gorgeous, gorgeous rendition. It was an all around terrific concert. Plus Bruno did me a massive favor and met with me to record a video message to a friend of mine (and a fan of his) as she struggles through a very rough time in her life.
Saturday, I left my hotel in Dorval and drove to St Jerome. I checked into the hotel and waited for my pal Lynne there. She arrived about 4 p.m. from Gatineau. It was so good to see her, even if only for an evening. We always have a great time together! She and I had dinner with Line and Mew at St Hubert and then drove over to the theater. Everything went well up until I sat in my seat. Someone sitting near me, either right next to me or right in front of me, REEKED of hairspray. I must confess that I hate the smell of hairspray, it gives me a headache and this person smelled like they had used a whole can of it all at once. I couldn't get away from it. Typing this right now, I don't know why I didn't just move, I didn't think of it. As far as the concert that night, I have to say it was the rockiest performance I've ever seen Bruno give. I know when I create something, I have an idea in my head of how I want the energy to flow. This performance was like the energy went sideways on Bruno. He still sounded good but the performance was off for a lot of the evening. He maintained his humor about what was happening and the audience still loved it, I loved it because I don't think he's capable of giving a truly bad performance and by the end of the evening, he had regained control of the stage, but it was...different. I have wondered how much of my perception of the show was colored by the stench of the hairspray, it was really bothering me.
At the end of the night, Bruno came out in the lobby to chat with people and Lynne and I got in line. I wanted to say good-bye and thank him for the video. When I got to the table where he was sitting, he looked at me and asked if I was alright. I said I was fine and we spoke for a moment. Someone else spoke up while we were chatting and he responded to them then turned back to me. He asked me again if I was okay, and I assured him I was. We said good-bye and I left. It was only later that I realized that, mentally, I was already on my way back to L.A. and so wasn't fully present in the moment. I wonder if that's why he asked me that. Or maybe I just looked ill from the hairspray. Lynne and I went back to the hotel and went to bed. I got up at 5 a.m. to get to the airport, made it in plenty of time and flew home. I had a great time in Quebec and as always, was glad I went and was equally glad to be home again.
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