I'll Take a Big Mac to Go...

1.  Husband and I decided to go computer shopping because his computer died.

2.  We decided he would get my old desktop computer and I would get a laptop.

3.  We went to Best Buy looking for a cheap PC laptop.

4.  I am now typing this blog on my brand new MacBook.*

*Disclaimer - I had no real intention of buying a Mac.  I have never owned a Mac.  My husband has never owned a Mac.  I have only ever lived in a family of PC owners and users.  I have NO technical skills whatsoever.  However, I just took this thing out of the box ten minutes ago and I am already on the internet (with no help from any outside parties), so I guess that is a good sign...  

Yikes!  Holy crap, what have I done?!

Embracing Winter

Above - Me in the 70's enjoying another long Pennsylvania winter.


It's one of those days where it's sort of cold outside (30 degrees), but not too awful--especially for someone who has grown up enduring Northeast winters. Yet, somehow, between the dampness, cloudiness and chill in the air, I can't seem to warm up and/or wake up. I've been working the morning with my coat wrapped around me at my desk. After downing a sugar free Red Bull, a diet cranberry juice spiked with a vitamin powder, an espresso shot and (last but not least), a green tea, I would have imagined I would be bouncing off the walls right now. (In reality, I just have to pee a lot.)

It's that mid-winter slump in the middle of a cold, cloudy week with not even a good snow in the forecast to blanket the landscape with a bright coat of pristine white. It's that time of the year where we are all pale and have to practically bathe ourselves in moisturizer. That time of the year where the days are still too short to enjoy much sunlight. That time of the year where you wish hibernation was an option for humans.

Then, I look at the calendar and hope begins to set in. I realize that in about 17 days I will enjoy the beautiful views of snow capped mountain tops and sunlight glistening off of Lake Tahoe while getting to play in the snow for three solid days in Heavenly.



Above - Heavenly Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe

I think skiing brings back those childhood memories and experiences of building igloos and snowmen and getting days off from school. Soup and hot chocolate. Snowflakes and icicles. I get to dig out the long johns, glove liners, fleece and goggles. I don't even care if I get "hat hair".

Fill the flasks with peppermint schnapps and slather some sunscreen on your nose! It's almost time to embrace winter again!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go exfoliate and dunk myself in moisturizer for a while...

Enough is Enough Already

It's been a trying week.

Movie ticket sales weren't as big as we were hoping them to be for opening weekend (although we have increased our number of theaters and are hoping for a strong second weekend). With layoffs occurring and/or scheduled at both my company and my husband's company (lovely coincidence, isn't it?), I have just been riding a wave of emotions.

Fear that I might lose my job. Relief when I didn't. Sadness for the people who did. Fear that my husband could lose his. Frustration and anger as the impending layoffs at his company are dragging on with no information. Frustration with myself for being, well...frustrated. Finally, the frustration just turned to...numbness.

My only saving grace this week was the gym. As the stress increased, so did the intensity of my workout. I started out the week following the guidelines of my trainer on where I should keep my heart-rate during a workout, to just saying "screw it" and not really caring how fast my pulse raced and pushing myself as hard as I could. I think I like pushing myself because it makes me feel less numb. Then there's the part of me that just wants to skip work, put on sweats, drink heavily, and watch Grey's Anatomy all day and night without showering, but I don't think that would help anyone. So instead...I hit the elliptical machines until it hurt before the numbness would slip back in.

So, I think that finally, today, I am feeling a little better. It still bothers me to know that major layoffs are coming for his company, but I can't stay in this...funk. So, I took a drive in the sunshine at lunch. I stopped by the movie theater and bought tickets to go see Cloverfield tomorrow night (seeing a monster tear up New York should get my mind off reality for a while) and this afternoon I cheered myself up by listening to some Nickelback, Buckcherry and The Rolling Stones at my desk while I worked.

Whatever happens, happens. Enough is enough. I can waste my time wringing my hands over what might be or I can just move on. I don't want the fear of the unknown to ruin my weekend.

TGIF. Maybe next week will be better. In the meantime, I'll just keep burning calories.

Box Office Jitters

I work for a company that has been working on a movie with a major Hollywood studio ever since I've joined the company about a year and a half ago. Tomorrow, the movie actually opens in theaters.

I haven't physically worked on the film itself, but working in the Design department, I helped coordinate and schedule the design of literally hundreds of projects to promote the movie (like posters, ads, displays, etc.). I've spent enough time on it to earn a movie credit. Strangely enough, after being so involved in the promotion of a project for so long, it's odd how emotionally attached you become to the success of that project, even if your part in it is minimal in comparison to the involvement of the other people who actually physically worked on the movie.

Last night, we had a company premiere for family, co-workers and vendors. As I watched the names go by in the credits, it was so different than any other credits I'd ever watched. As each name went by, I thought, "I live in his development" or "I bought popcorn from his son for Cub Scouts" or "He and I talked about The Beatles for about 15 minutes the other day" or "He ate lunch with us yesterday". My friend sat next to me snapping her camera--frame after frame of the credits--getting pictures so that we all have a chance to capture that moment of the first time we see our names up on the big screen.

So many people are so intimately involved in this project. There is a lot at stake for everyone. Not just for the money, but the overall company morale and emotional state of the people I work with.

I now think about the hundreds of people go through this kind of emotional roller coaster every weekend--every time a movie comes out. This is the first time I have ever experienced it.

Tomorrow, our offices are closing early as people start making plans with family and friends to go and support the movie on opening weekend.

As I sit here, sipping my Michelob Ultra Amber (seriously, this stuff is good) it's a strange feeling to know that tomorrow the numbers will start coming in and there's not much more we can do. No more speculation. By late tomorrow, we will have hard facts. There are "results parties" planned as the box office totals start coming in and people have collected home email addresses to keep people up to date all weekend.

The work is done. Fingers are crossed. I can't remember the last time I have been so physically exhausted. Now, all any of us can do is wait.

I feel like we have climbed to the top of a mountain and we are teetering at the top waiting to find out if we fall off the edge or have a nice smooth ride to the bottom. Either way, things are about move.

Perspiration Inspiration

We joined the YMCA this week. I've never loved working out. I don't think I ever will.

However, one very exciting discovery that I made this week is that many of the cardio machines at the Y have actual iPod docks and headphone jacks on them!

My first thought--"I must create an awesome work out playlist to inspire me."

So far, I've picked out about 4.5 hours worth of music. I'm sure I will add to that list as I think of more.

Here is just a sampling of some of the ones that I hope will inspire me to keep moving:

Gettin' Jiggy Wit It - Will Smith
That's The Way (I Like It) - K.C. & The Sunshine Band
Toxic - Britney Spears
Super Freak - Rick James
Bring Me to Life - Evanescence
Nothin' But a Good Time - Poison
Shout It Out Loud - Kiss
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Separate Ways - Journey
Bootylicious - Destiny's Child
Into the Groove - Madonna
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses
Hella Good - No Doubt
Start Me Up - Rolling Stones
Barracuda - Heart
Crazy - Gnarles Barkley
Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? - Rod Stewart
Hot For Teacher - Van Halen
Cult of Personality - Living Colour
I'm Every Woman - Whitney Houston
Rock & Roll - Led Zeppelin
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Brick House - The Commodores
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC DC
Gonna Make You Sweat - C&C Music Factory
Fergalicious - Fergie
Since You've Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
I'm Real - Jennifer Lopez
Hot Legs - Rod Stewart
Looks That Kill - Motley Crue
Turn Me Loose - Loverboy
Survivor - Destiny's Child
Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue
Little Miss Can't Be Wrong - Spin Doctors
Just a Girl - No Doubt
You Had Me - Joss Stone
Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

And the list just wouldn't be complete without....

YMCA - The Village People

Pass the deodorant, people. It's time to sweat.

A Fresh Start

Well, the champagne has been poured and the clock has struck midnight. Here we are in 2008.

There is something about the New Year that is just so refreshing. I realize that it is just a date on the calendar page, but it is a chance to mentally get back on track. To re-examine life. To set new goals. It's a clean slate!

As I look back at last year's resolutions, I realize I did fairly well this year. My underwear drawer is still organized. I am starting this year at a lower weight than I started last year. Not only did I learn how to do Sudoku puzzles, I fell in love with them and I am now paying all of my bills online.

However, I didn't work out as much as I had wanted to and I didn't take as many bubble baths as I had hoped, but I am closer than I was the year before. So this year I would like to:

• Join the YMCA and start weight training in addition to cardio. Short term - to improve my skiing (February 9th--Heavenly, here I come!). Long term - to raise metabolism and build some muscle.
  


• Schedule doctor's appointments. Since I don't get sick very often and don't really take any prescriptions regularly, I tend to be bad about making doctor appointments. (I haven't even transferred my medical records here from PA yet and I've been here over 3 years.) It's time to make my appointments and get a check up.
  


• Seriously. More bubble baths. (Maybe if I am hitting the gym more, I will need more bubble baths. Maybe these two resolutions can work hand in hand...)
  
  
• Anti-aging cream day AND night. Facial scrubs. Facial buffers. Facial peels. EXFOLIATE! (I might have to turn 38 this year, but I don't have to look like I am.)

Here's to a clean slate in 2008!