Notes are nice

While we have headed towards a more electronic world, it's still nice to send and receive personalized note cards, in fact with the increase in text messaging and e-mail, receiving a personalized note with a small handwritten note, seems even more special now than before. It's something I try to do when I want someone to know I'm really thinking of them.

The dreaded..five...zero...

Today I'm exhausted and I actually can say I feel how old I'm going to be. Yes, the dreaded 50 in 11 days (but who's counting). Turning thirty did not bother me, nor did 40 but the mental concept of turning 50 is one I've been struggling with. It's also made me think about things I never really spent much time thinking about, like Skin Care Products, as I start looking for signs of age spots.

Certain things I thought I'd never have to worry about still bother me. I would have thought by now I wouldn't have to even think about acne products. While I don't have to worry about outbreaks like I occasionally dealt with during my teenage years, once in a while acne tries to make a comeback.

I have accepted the gray hair and stopped fighting that battle, the streaks of silver I tell myself gives me character. The dying and the streaking and the plucking didn't make me feel younger, it was so time consuming. So, like my graying hair I'm sure I'll accept 50, it's just not been that easy...

Spring clothes are already coming out...

While we are still in the grips of cold weather, spring fashion has already arrived in the stores, which means swimwear is not to far behind that. This is typically the time many start looking in the mirror and face the decision of is it time to buy diet pills, go on a diet, join that gym, or all three. I've been trying to stick to a simple plan of walking at least five days a week, originally I tried for seven, but there are some days, especially during the winter when it's just not optimal. Though we have an older treadmill, there have not been enough days where it's been really bad that I have opted for that as opposed to the fresh air aspect of walking. My minimum goal is a mile, though most times I walk at least two, on rare occasion three.

To make up or not to make up

No, I'm not writing about making up as in after having a fight with someone but my long stemming resistance to wearing makeup. Part of it stems from working so many years from home, but now even when I'm on television, I don't wear make up, which creates lectures from my makeup expert daughters on the merits of eye cream and new mineral foundations and blushes, etc., etc. It's really never appealed to me, even when I did wear make up, it didn't last all day, if you did anything strenuous like playing softball it'd streak, and it didn't seem as if it was worth the time. What is ironic that with my make up apathy, all four of my daughters are the exact opposite...

:-)

Another person learns why you should back up information

This past week at work one of the interns learned the hard way that it's important to do some type of a back up of your computer information either using an online backup service or owning an external harddrive. Her harddive failed and she lost everything, including an interview that she was supposed to turn in that week. I have an external harddrive, and on a regular basis I copy all of my documents, pictures and other important data on to it, but I know several people who prefer using an online service, either way? Backup your data...Once it's gone it can be impossible to get back.

Saturday was better than Tuesday...

I'm a bit less obsessive now that a few days have passed, but it has been a very enlightening experience for me to have learned how much caffeine and nicotine impact my mind and my body. You hear it, you read it, but you really don't believe it until you actually remove both from your life. It's been rough but? I have saved at least $40.00 so far when you consider the various caffeine sources and nicotine.

:-)

Whyquit.com versus the American Cancer Society

For all of the hype about the American Cancer Society being a resource when you want to quit smoking, they aren't. At least not as far as online support or message forums. Their forum is not well visited and they don't appear to even have any kind of a moderator to help people who go there at times begging for answers/resources. It was pretty disheartening. Don't get me wrong, some of their tips could be very helpful but as far as any type of active online community? They should just end the message board rather than tell people:

You're not alone. Connect with others who are trying to quit.

Yes, you are pretty much alone if you use their message board.

Now on to Whyquit.com where the only way to describe Joel is that he's the marine drill sergeant of quitting smoking and the only way he thinks works is to quit cold turkey and if you relapse? You are a miserable failure who should have just not taken that one puff because if you take just one puff you might as well just start smoking however much you did before. Yeah, he's that harsh. He also talks about how wrong other groups are that "understand" relapses. Which means he's talking about the American Cancer Society since they say:

Research shows that most people try to quit smoking 5 to 7 times before they succeed. (It's called a relapse when smokers go back to smoking like they were before they tried to quit.) If a relapse happens, think of it as practice for the time he or she will succeed. Don't give up your efforts to encourage and support your loved one.

WhyQuit's relapse policy:

Freedom's relapse policy is simple. Once we understand the Law of Addiction it deprives us of any legitimate excuse for relapse. Any member who relapses shall permanently lose posting privileges.

Joel's message board "Ask Joel" doesn't seem to be any better than the American Cancer Society's, the last message there was several months ago. Another irony about that particular board is the rules for it state you have to have not smoked for 72 hours which means during that first three day crazy period? No help for you.

:-)

The smokers quiz results

The American Cancer Society has this quiz, Quiz: Do You Need Help to Quit? on their website and it is probably not really that helpful for me to have taken it now that I've already tried to quit but it at least makes me realize that what I'm going through is pretty much to be expected, especially since I'm not doing it the way they recommend:

You have a very strong dependence on nicotine. Talk with a doctor or cessation expert about using one or more stop-smoking medicines, which are proven to double your chances of success. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) comes in different products to fit your pattern of cravings. Zyban® and Chantix® also work to curb cravings and are available by prescription. If you are a heavy smoker, consider tapering down a cigarette or two each day in the week before your quit day.

They also recommend social support but right now? The less people I talk to the better. The next person that tells me it will get better? Might get hit with a flying object. :-)

Nicotine is a drug...

Our financial situation made me face the reality of something I didn't want to accept, that we really couldn't afford for me to smoke, and I would have preferred to have quit a better way, with some type of chemical assistance, but? Cold turkey it is since that was the only way open and it's been a heck of a lot harder than I thought it would be.

It made me realize how much it affected me to have not having it be this big of an issue. Right now I could really care less about the people that are saying how it's so much healthier for me, let's face facts, if I was really concerned about the health aspect of it, I would have quit a long time ago. For me the actual nicotine made my life more bearable, whether that is a real affect or one that only existed in my mind?

It is pretty unbearable right now, but in theory? It gets easier. The last time I quit I did it using Zyban and then gradually got my smoking down then stopped, it was no where near as hard as this is. I managed to quit then for several years until my father was dying, which made me start again. I think part of the reason this time is harder is because I really don't want to quit, I enjoyed it, it made me feel better at times and it was my one vice.

Maybe I'll take up swearing...

Time Management skills get a brush up..

Last week I was offered a job that utilizes my research and fact checking skills, my start was delayed because I needed to go to California for a few days. This meant yesterday was my first day of working, I'm only working one day a week for this particular company but you really don't realize how much you get done in one day of working from home, until you are not home.

This is going to require just a bit more planning on my part and some cooperation from family members but overall I'm looking forward to the experience of learning more and hopefully being of assistance to my employer.

I've never had contact lenses...

I've had glasses since I was 12 years old before contacts became popular. Then as I got older and hard lenses first came out, I did consider getting contact lenses but I admit, I was lazy and it didn't seem as easy as just putting a pair of glasses on. When soft lenses came out, the type I needed for my particular eye condition were much more expensive than contacts, then I started having children. Glasses are easy, especially when you have very poor vision. Two of my five also need corrective vision aids, both have tried contacts, and both wear their glasses more than the contacts. Though ironically one that doesn't need corrective eyewear did opt to buy those contacts that make you look like you have cat eyes. Thankfully that stage did not last long, it was creepy...

:-)

The drug store battles, me versus my teenager

One downside to the internet and television advertising creates scenarios when you are shopping with a teenager over what they feel they need that is the latest and the greatest treatments for acne out there on the market. Lured by the promise of an overnight magical *poof* of the pimples, if left unchecked your bathroom can be over run with products that are similar in chemical make up with the refusal to admit that while there is no quick fix, sticking to one product is less damaging to your skin than brand hopping...

Lazy, lazy people...

I spent most of the day at the African American Festival, we were there trying to register people to vote which ended up with no results since everyone we asked was registered to vote. Granted it's hot and humid but the two other members of my family that didn't do much of anything are sleeping on my bed right now and it's 5:13 p.m. Even the dogs have joined them...

Lazy butts....

My new health food life...

I've never been the type to search for the best diet pills out there, though members of my family have had success with that method of weight control. I used to try the different types of fad diets out there and of course they did not work for a long period of time. The most memorable one was the grapefruit diet, it took me years to want to eat grapefruit again.

Now that I've been in a process where I am re-evaluating my life, I've also looked at my diet. During the stress period of not too long ago I wasn't eating properly, infact on some days I'd forget to eat or only eat once if I was lucky. Now, I've been making sure I not only eat, but have been making healthier choices. It's made a huge difference in how I feel and the amount of energy I have.

My husbands "man cave" fantasies...

With my oldest daughter moving, my husband has decided that the basement where her bedroom was will now become his "man cave" where he can put all of his fitness equipment and be able to work out. Right now he uses the garage since it's warmer, prior to that he used the living room. I keep telling him considering we have two other daughters that have moved in and moved out that I wouldn't overly decorate if I were him, yet the dream of the man cave seems to be one he doesn't want to let go of.

"The Road trip" approaches...

At the end of this month I'll be heading via car with one of my best friends and my daughter since she is moving to the San Jose area. I've dubbed the trip "Thelma & Louise plus one minus the suicide ending" and we plan to stop at a few places along the way such as the Grand Canyon rather than to try to drive straight through the 35 hours it's said to take to get to there from here. I've started looking up cheap hotels along the way since we will only need a clean place to sleep for the night as opposed to a more expensive room with lots of amenities.

It will also make it easier to call ahead for quick reservations if I already have a list established, since our arrival times to a location could be flexible...

One way to get a bed to San Jose...

My oldest daughter is moving near San Jose and does not want to take any of her furniture from here since she doesn't want to rent a truck and has to drive her car there since she'll need it. Having friends who have purchased adjustable beds or one of the other beds that Bed in a Box has have been happy with them, it's a great solution for her. She can order it, have it delivered and waiting for her when she arrives.

Having fun with predictions...

I've been developing my skills at being able to predict election outcomes and locally I'm earning the reputation of being right enough that some have found it scary. Of course I don't call every race/issue outcome correctly, if I was really that great at it I'd consider taking up permanent residence in one of the Las Vegas hotels and become a professional odds taker. It is fun though, and while I'm really glad the primary in Ohio is over, I am going to miss some of the political junkie excitement.

They call the primary season the "crazy season" for a reason

Lately I've been so busy with political blogging that I have not had much time to do my "recreational blogging" or even be able to do any online fun such as looking for coupon codes, which I always do before I shop online. Thankfully the primary is almost upon us, here it's March 4th and then perhaps things can go back to the normal level of craziness as opposed to what it's been like recently.

Wine with or without cheese...

I love to try different kinds of wines, which is why the idea of wine of the month clubs sounds very appealing. It'd be an easy way to try some California wines that I might not discover that I liked. The price selection is really not that bad considering what other fruit/food item type clubs charge and their website is very easy to navigate as well as to find information.

Another plus is the discount available if one of the wines sent to you really appeals to you and you want to purchase a half case or a case. My personal favorite is Pinot Grigio and I was happy to see that there was a recent 2004 Pinot Grigio included in the recent selections.