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Ibuprofen and Facebook

Thursday was a BAD DAY.

You know those days where every attempt at what should be easy is ridiculously hard? Just getting to campus by 9 AM became a epic journey and I live less than 2 miles away. Yeah, that kind of day.

On Wednesday, I worked out. My first step class in over 15 YEARS. It kicked my ass. So Thursday morning I was sore and tired. And I just never caught up with the day. We hosted a state wide conference for high schoolers and I felt like I was in a fog all day. Even their impossible enthusiasm couldn't penetrate this dense cloud. And I felt like crap all day.

Things got a little better when a friend invited me over for some wine and snacks at her house. We had a nice time and I was able to clear the fog with a couple of glasses of wine. But I was still sore and with the mellowing effect of the wine, I was feeling sleepy.

I left for home, took care of my pack, and got ready for bed. Normally, I don't like to take pain relievers, but I decided I had earned one. Good for me! I got the best night's sleep in a long time. Thank you, Ibuprofen!

Then yesterday I heard from an old friend on Facebook. We keep in regular contact, but the link she had shared really resonated with me. I think it will speak for itself considering the nature of this blog:

http://www.ted.com/talks/neil_pasricha_the_3_a_s_of_awesome.html

So I was grateful she shared it. Here's to all those small, fleeting, joyful moments. And here's to writing them down.

And today another old friend stepped up to the plate. When I moved to my new town, I reconnected with a friend from High School on, you guessed it, Facebook. We weren't close in High School, but friendly enough. However, both our lives being busy, in 2.5 years we had only seen each other once. I know! ONCE!

Yesterday she posted on her FB page she was trying to get back into shape. What a coincidence, me too! So I sent her a note, asking her if she was running at all. Well, after a few e-mail exchanges, I now have a new human running partner! We ran this morning and it was really nice catching up and spending time with her. I look forward to running with her 3 days a week.

And finally, Facebook did it one more time today. Somebody I worked with nearly 20 years ago for one summer found me on Facebook. I recognize that sometimes we hear from people on FB we can't remember, or didn't like. But this was woman with whom I had spent one of the best summers of my life. I called her TROUBLE, because the two of us together were a lot of it. It was so much fun seeing where her life had taken her. I'm really happy to have reconnected.

So thanks to the ibuprofen and Facebook, I've had a pretty good few days.

Namaste

Last spring I went to a Health & Wellness Fair on the campus where I work. I got some free blood work done, checked out some local health vendors, and won a free 3-month membership at a local gym.

I finally signed up on Sunday and today, took my first yoga class there.

When I was living in Washington, DC, I was in regular yoga practice. I had a work-study for a studio on Capitol Hill and really loved the classes and teachers. When I moved away from DC, I stopped practicing yoga.

I've missed it. I ran my best marathon times when I was in regular practice. I felt strong and balanced. I felt calm.

So today I gave my free class a try. It wasn't bad. It wasn't what I was used in DC - about half the length with no savasana and no sustained poses. But who am I to complain? IT. WAS. FREE.

Tomorrow I'm trying a step-interval class and on Thursday will return to the yoga class.

Ultimately, I'm just trying to get back into some regular workout routine. This free membership will help me do that and, once I'm back in that routine, I'll be able to be picky 'cause I'll be ready to maintain the workout.

For now, I'm grateful for the free yoga. Namaste.

Running Partners

This morning I went running for the first time in a while.

It was cold (22 degrees/felt like 12) and I hate the cold, but I got dressed just the same as part of a New Year's Goal.

I used to be a marathon runner. Then, in 2007, I got a serious stress fracture training for the Chicago Marathon. I've never really recovered.

Oh sure, the bone has healed, but I was out of the running game for 3 months and I've never managed to really get back into the game. At the same time I got hurt, my running partner of 10 years decided to retire. Her name is Zoe and she's my chocolate lab.

So it's been a tough road since then. In 2008, I moved and subsequently became a sort of "stray whisperer". It's a long story, one that's sure to be told in these pages in the future, but the long and short of it is in 2.5 years I have rescued 12 dogs. TWELVE. And a kitten.

Of the 12, 4 are still living with me and Zoe. They're an odd pack, but I love them.

Two of them I hope to make my new running partners. Stella is a pit/boxer mix and is . . . unenthusiastic. She HATES the cold, and I'm not really convinced she likes running except when playing. She manages well enough for about 2 miles, but after that would rather walk.

Jake is another matter. He's a giant rat terrier and LOVES to run. I'm setting my hopes on him to be my next great running partner. Zoe ran as far as 15 with me in the mid-Atlantic heat so she'll be hard to beat, but Jake has the spirit of a runner in him. I just wish he didn't need to mark every tree, sign-post, and clump of grass along the way!

Regardless, I'm grateful for these two canine running partners. Without them, I wouldn't go at all. So thank you Jake and Stella for finding me. May we share many miles together.

Nice & Easy

Today I am grateful for home hair color.

Yes, I mean the kind in a box you buy at a drug store.

You see, I have the misfortune of inheriting my mother's propensity for going gray early. I am not a YOUNG woman, but I'm not OLD either and I'm not ready to be fully gray, which is what I would be if it weren't for home hair color.

I started graying when I was 16. Yes, SIXTEEN. My hair stylist said it was due to heat from the blow dryer, but I knew better.

I was apalled when, at 21 or 22, my older brother by 3 years noticed my gray hair and actually said to me, "Wow. You really are going gray, aren't you?" Kill me. He's a guys guy and notices very little in that department, but he managed to notice my gray hair.

I still held out. My hair was, pun intended, my crowning glory. I had long, thick, naturally curly/wavy, red hair. It was the one thing I truly thought special about my appearance (and something the boys noticed and apparently liked) and there was NO WAY anybody was going to get near me with a bunch of chemicals.

Besides, I had visions of my mother: plastic bag on her head with brown running down her neck. Nope. Not this girl. I wasn't about to become my mother.

So I held out. And then I was in my late 20s and couldn't ignore the gray hair any longer. As an actor, I was aware that my appearance really mattered. So I found a stylist to HIGHLIGHT my hair. That's it. Just some blonde highlights to cover the gray done by a professional.

Then I became a full out blonde because highlighting wasn't enough and as a poor actor, the blonde blended longer with the gray roots than red.

Finally, I gave up. I was broke and probably had an audition coming up. I bought a box. Turns out, it wasn't my mother's hair color. It looked pretty good.

But I was still blonde. And finally, after a few years, I decided to go back to red. I was making better money and truly believed boxed red would look brassy and all one color - fake - so I found a new colorist and returned to my auburn locks.

It was a good choice. I felt special again.

And then I moved far away. It broke my heart to leave my trusted colorist! The time had come to try the box again.

Again, I was surprised. It wasn't brassy or fake looking. And as time has gone by, I have experimented with different shades of red. It's kind of fun subltly re-inventing yourself. Along the way I had to be a dark brunette for a show - I liked it - but I couldn't stay away from my identity as a redhead.

So today, to ring in the new year, I gave my hair it's regular "boost" of color (happening now about every three weeks I'm sad to say). I look younger and feel better. And I'm saving a bunch of money.

It was Nice & Easy . . . and I'm grateful.

Happy Sunny New Year

Well, it's a new year and like most people I consider it a time of new beginnings. This is the time when you're asked,"What's your New Year's Resolution?"

For years I've avoided having one at all. Seriously, why set yourself up for failure? Even with achievable goals, something always came up that made finishing what I started difficult. So for a long time now I've just stopped making public resolutions.

This year is really no different. Oh true, by starting this blog I'm going "public" in a way, but it's still ANONYMOUS. I'm not telling my friends or family about the blog. Not yet, anyway.

However, as 2010 was coming to an end, I thought about what I "resolved" to do this year and rather than choose to be disappointed again, I decided to be pleased by what I already had.

Like so many people out there, I complain about my life: I'm not where I hoped to be career-wise, or I could lose 10 pounds, or I'm too busy, or I eat unhealthy, or my love-life is non-existent. You get the picture. But as the year drew to a close, I thought about just how fortunate I really was compared to so many other people. I mean, what did I really have to complain about?

So that's when I "resolved" to keep this blog. Each day (that's the goal, anyway), I will mention and/or discuss ONE thing for which I am grateful.

That shouldn't be too hard, right?

Of course, I keep trying to decide exactly when I'll post each day. Certainly the end of the day makes the most sense . . . I'll have had an entire day to decide what ONE thing stands out.

Then again, getting up and getting it down before my day begins would, one should think, put me a positive frame of mind for the rest of the day.

Finally, I'm a busy woman so just finding a time to get it done will be a miracle.

So I'm not putting any rules on this thing. I'll just write when I can about what I like. And along the way I'm sure you'll read SOME complaining. But at least there will be balance.

And since I'm here right now, I'm going to state the ONE thing for which I'm grateful today: the sunshine.

Sounds dorky, I know. But it was 20 degrees (with a "feels like" temperature of 7) this morning when I was walking my dogs and I was so happy to feel the sun on my face.

My father calls me a hot-house flower. He's right. I LOVE the summer and the heat. I live for days outside in the sunshine. So winter gets me down. I'm not sure if I truly suffer Season Affective Disorder, but I'm definitely not as happy when it's cold out and the days are short.

So being able to enjoy a little sunshine on my walk this morning was pretty special. It reminded me the days are now getting longer and it won't be too long before I will be able to strip off the winter layers for cotton tees.

Happy Sunny New Year.