1. Going to the gym daily (or at least two days in a row) is good for endorphins, bad for housework getting done. Either start getting up earlier, or reschedule some key activities - such as laundry and grocery shopping.

2. If you’ve lost 15-odd pounds, chances are you will need a new sports bra, because your chest is now 3″ smaller around than the bagged out bra you currently own. A bad time to discover this is in the middle of a run (holy hell the girls still hurt).

3. If you go directly home instead of showering at the gym, remember to eat then shower. Unless you dig the whole dizzy/nauseous thing.

4. As much as you really, really want to nap as soon as you get home, RESIST! This will only result in a fitful nap, followed by an inability to fall asleep until far too late, followed by much cursing at the alarm clock in the morning.

5. Stick to your program. No matter how cute the guy on the weight bench is, just because you can tack on an extra minute or two of sprinting to your workout, doesn’t mean you should. If you have any doubt about this, your legs will inform you either later that evening, or first thing in the morning.

If you think this is amusing, just wait until I start playing raquetball. Please ignore the resulting black eyes.

As I lay in bed last night, with the bowl of dry cereal on my chest, using my chin to tip dry Special K into my gaping maw, I felt a wee twinge when Darren Barefoot mentioned that he was doing the 30 Hour Famine to help support 3rd world children who don’t have Special K. Or Bowls. Or much else for that matter.

So go forth and donate. He’s a good guy, and I’m sure my readers are good people, and when you put that together and donate, good things will happen.

The first audiobook I finished today was “He’s just not that into you” - the hugely popular relationship book from a pair of writers from Sex & the City.

I originally grabbed it because I figured it’d be good for a laugh - and the writers are indeed hilarous. Then, as so many others have found, one of the excuses hit home. Specifically when Greg said “Do you really want to be four years into a relationship before you finally wake up and realize that the guy you’re with is a selfish jackass?” Then I nearly dove under my desk wondering where they were and how they found me. That’s exactly what I did. In fact, I could pinpoint 90% of the excuses outlined in that book as things I’d said about my ex. Ouch.

It’s a great he said/she said format, Greg sticks firmly to the point that “If your options are feeling shitty being single, or feeling shitty in a shitty relationship, the only options you have left open to yourself are feeling shitty. And that is stupid. At least leave the shitty relationship so you just feel shitty alone, and are still open to the opportunity to happiness.”

But that alone isn’t enough - it’s nothing we haven’t told ourselves already. The kicker is that Liz follows up with reasons why getting to this place of accepting nothing but the best is so tough for us women folk. But also follows up with the caveat that as tough as it may be, if women as a collective refused to accept shit, then perhaps men would step up.

The crux of the matter though, is that YOU ARE NOT THE EXCEPTION. You are not going to change him to be a “better man” or “leave his wife” or “settle down.” Allowing any man to treat you like anything less than the goddess you are is the stupidest thing you can do, because all you are doing is taking time away from time you could be enjoying life, and potentially meeting the man who *is* into you.

I think anyone who can read this book, and honestly recognize the mistakes they’ve made in the past, and move past the toxic men in their lives (current or exes) has set herself up for a much better quality of life - single or partnered. And if you read the book, and still consider yourself an “exception,” well, don’t come cryin’ to me about how your man was an asshole again, cuz I ain’t listenin! I’ve got no time for that shit. I’m too busy making time in my life for someone who’s just that into me.

I am so tricky, I’ve finally managed to fool myself.

In an effort to look more like a presentable human being at work, I’ve started wearing my workout clothes to walk to work, and changing into work attire when I get here. It means I wear a lot more uncomfortable, but oh so pretty shoes during the day.

So I arrive at work, change out of my gym clothes (into an outfit complete with uncomfortable shoes), and leave them in my locker in the gym downstairs. This requires, naturally, that when I leave, I reverse the process and go into the gym, change into my gym clothes (an outfit complete with comfy socks and runners)….

… and suddenly I’m in my gym clothes, at the gym. If I do not work out now I am the epitome of lame and lazy.

So with 10 minutes left in my day (still in the uncomfortable shoes) I’m trying to scheme a way out of going into the gym. And I’m at a loss. Looks like I’ll have to resign myself to another crack at the treadmill.

Crazy like a fox I am. sigh

It’s no secret to those who know me that I have issues with work right now. I’m working on them, but it’s not a very speedy process so far. In the meantime, I’ve found something that makes the day go by MUCH faster.

Audiobooks.

I really don’t get the chance to read as much as I’d like to. I also have trouble lately (adult onset ADD perhaps?) doing just one thing. Just watching a movie, just reading a book, just talking on the phone - anything that requires me to sit and concentrate on it and it alone - hate it.

So I downloaded a couple audio books last night, and I’ve got them going in my ears as I work. I still get to absorb the books I’ve been wanting to read, and it has the added bonus of drowning out anything else in the immediate vicinity of my cubicle (other than the phone - sometimes I still have to pick that up).

Unfortunately, I can’t afford to drop a small fortune on audible tracks. Other than books on CD from the library that I may or may not be able to rip at home, does anyone have any ideas where to get free or cheap mp3 audio books?

Figures. I thought Napster’s great new “to go” idea was too cool to be true. Turns out it is.

There are only NINE players on the market that are compatible with the Napster to Go interface. Sure, you can go download music onto your PC until you’re blue in the face. However, unless you own one of the nine Napster-Sanctioned “partnership” players, you need to purchase your music before you can transfer it to a portable device. And of course, my perfect player is NOT one of the sacred nine (of course, mine is all of the kickass ever, and I love it, and nearly slept with it last night…).

Why, WHY do great ideas happen, and before they can be proven as great, someone comes in thinking about the short-term dollar, and FUCKS IT ALL UP.

LISTEN UP CHRIS GOROG! I WAS READY TO PAY YOUR $15/MONTH FEE, BUT BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR CRONIES INSISTED ON JACKING WITH THINGS, I’M GOING TO CONTINUE DOWNLOADING MUSIC ILLEGALLY.

*sigh* What are the odds that anyone with any influence is actually reading this?

It’s funny how sometimes the planets all align to make something I want quite irresistable.

First, the player of my dreams is within grasp.

Then, engadget posts a really great interview with the Napster CEO Chris Gorog, basically introducing me to and selling me on Napster to Go.

I’d never heard of Napster to Go before - for those in the same boat, here’s the concept:
-You pay $15/mo to access unlimited DRM music from the Napster database.
-As long as you keep paying your monthly fee, the music keeps playing on up to 3 computers and 3 mp3 players. The licenses expire whenever you cancel your subscription.
-If you want to burn any of the music, it’s $0.99/track or $9.95/album, ensuring you keep it forever.

At first I thought that it’s a bit of a ripoff, not owning the music I’d be paying $15/mo to access.

Then I thought about the couple hundred CDs sitting in my living room collecting dust. I haven’t actually listened to any of them in a loooooooong time. In fact, I rarely buy CDs anymore unless it’s something I really want, not because I don’t want to spend the money, but because I don’t want another thing sitting around collecting dust. If I really wanted to keep any of the music, $10 is absolutely reasonable to purchase an album.

I think Gorog is absolutely right in thinking that Napster to Go will absolutely change the way we think about music “ownership.” Once I’ve picked up the player, I’ll sign up for the 2 week trial, and let you know how it goes.

Futile Future Shop is taunting me with their wares. Remember that mp3 player I was (and still am) so strongly lusting after? They have it. For cheap. One tiny snag - they’re only offering it in black - and I really wanted the pink. But I can do black. It’s fashionable, slimming, etc. Black is the new pink. Or something….

So why haven’t I ordered it yet? They’re “taking orders” and “will ship when it’s available.” And that gives me a funny feeling inside that I’ll finally get it once mp3 technology is totally obsolete.

What’s a girl to do!?!?!

Due to growing concerns about the side effects of the long-term use of Depo Provera, I’ve decided to switch my hormonal contraception to the Evra Patch.

I’ve taken oral contraceptives before, and the reason I switched to Depo Provera is because I just couldn’t remember to take the pill every day. When I decided to make the switch off Depo, the patch seemed to be a natural choice. And today is patch day one.

Initial observations:
-I haven’t had any sort of crazy hormonal surge, like I used to get with Depo as soon as I got a new injection.
-The patch was easy to apply, and I don’t notice it on my skin at all (I’ve applied it to my butt for starters, of the four places it can reside)
-It does leave a bit of sticky residue, and I’ve ended up having it stuck to my clothing a little, as well as inadvertently tugging on it when I change. I think that’s mostly due to placement - I’ll change where I stick it next week.

That’s all I have to report for now - I’ll update this as I discover anything else worth mentioning.

I can’t call this one ridiculously high - it’s just a standard, plain and simple.

Be on time.

I was supposed to have a date tonight. We were to meet in front of the bar near my house, then have a couple drinks.

I was on time. I waited 15 minutes. I left.

I may have been stood up. Or he’s punctuality-deficient. Either way, I wasn’t waiting around any longer to find out.

My feed isn’t showing as updated in Bloglines. Whyfor? Is anyone else noticing that the last available post from me on there is from March 7th? (That’s like asking you to raise your hand if you’re absent - I know.)

Most importantly - how do I fix it?

Ola Mi Amigos! It’s audience participation time!

This guy I was out with the other night? Apparently I need to go all Sherlock Holmes on him and start asking questions. I have been informed that I need to Find. Things. Out!

Problem is, I totally suck at that. I’m a big fan of just talking to someone and seeing what comes out. Or having different experiences with them, and seeing how they react in those situations. But that is suddenly not good enough.

This is where you come in: What kind of questions do I need to ask? What is that burning thing that I don’t even know I always wanted to know?

I went out with a guy last night. We had a nice time, and have plans to go out again in a week or two. Here’s my stream of consciousness so far:

His job requires him to travel about 200 days a year. My immediate reaction:

“Fantastic! you won’t be around often enough to drive me batshit crazy and give me cause to hate you!”

Then, the creative (read: crazy!) side of my brain takes over and continues the thought with:

“But will our babies ever really know their daddy? Or will I end up like one of those pro-sports wives who do all the work, while their husbands just fly in and out and have a bitch in every city but bankroll a pretty nice lifestyle for me and I’m sleeping with the teenaged gardener anyway - except without the coolness of being married to a pro-athlete, and when the hell did my life become the bastard love child of Jerry Maguire and Desperate Housewives?”

Let’s just hope he doesn’t find my blog. I prefer to keep the crazy under wraps until at least the 3rd date.

Edit: (2:25pm) I deleted the offensive post I was making reference to. Not because I think I should have to, but because it obviously hurt someone’s feelings, and the fact that it’s out there is much more important to that person than it is to me. So it’s gone. Which is one of the great advantages to this medium.

As blogs gain popularity, it’d be ridiculous to think that they have no impact as a piece of what forms your personal image to the world. This affects the ways different people write in different ways. Someone has beef with the way I portrayed her in the post immediately before this one I just deleted - and really, why wouldn’t she? I said the pieces of information she put out to the world made her look like a jackass. She left a comment to that extent, and added some more information that cleared up a few missing pieces of the puzzle.

This doesn’t change the fact that I still think the pieces of information she initially put out to the world made her look like a jackass. She made a comment on my blog one day, and a post on her own the next day that (when compared to the comment she left) made her sound like a raging hyppocrite. So whose fault is that?

No, blogs can’t tell the whole story. Yes, certain aspects of our lives aren’t anybody’s business but our own.

But isn’t it also true that we choose what we put out to the masses, and it’s our own damn fault if we don’t craft the online picture of ourselves in a favourable light? I probably looked like a Grade A Bitch for posting what I did about someone’s apparent spending habits. Which is why I chose to spin it with this follow-up, and edit the blog again to remove the offending content entirely.

I feel like I have a responsibility to myself to maintain a certain image of myself online. It’s the same reason I usually blowdry my hair and put on makeup before I leave the house for the day. I care what people think. Do you? And what do you do about it? And do you have a right to complain if someone calls you on something in public, when the information is out in the public sphere for anyone who can put two and two together?