Nap Time

Without fail, sometime between 10:20 and 10:30 every work day I walk over to Lance’s cube and say “I need a nap.” Lance pretty much knows what I’m going to say and there’s also some sort of “I don’t like my job” that goes along with this statement. This is what happens when I’ve been at work for over three hours. What can I say, I’m a pretty simple girl that may have a few routines.


I kind of wonder why naps are so taboo to those of us in the in-between age. I mean, as a child, you’re allowed, nay encouraged, to nap. And those stinking kids fight it! I would love for someone to say “Kiki, it’s 10:30. That means nap time and then we’ll have some juice and cookies when you wake up.” Come on, that would be awesome. Ok, maybe we could change juice to Diet Coke with Lime or some other beverage and maybe the cookies would be a Special K bar or some Triscuts but that would be great. A nice little way to break up the day.

Old people can nap whenever they want too. Imagine a nice little retirement community in Florida with the mid-day siestas the elderly take make the transition from morning golf to mid-day soap operas before hitting some sort of early bird special. No one tells Granny Mary that she’s not fulfilling her life duties when she takes a nap. It’s a travesty of the age bias in our society that these groups can nap but I can’t. I think I should start a petition.

One could say that getting up as early as I do and working the stupid hours that I do without proper sleep could contribute to my nap needs but I say no. On weekends when I’m not up at 5:15 I’m still feeling the urge to curl up on the comfy couch and take a nap. In my defense, my couch has lulled more than a few people into a tranquil sleep.

I say that the “rules” governing naps be applicable to everyone. I mean, it is a free country right? So next time you walk by me at a certain time and see me slumped over my desk, don’t mock, don’t judge, don’t tsk-tsk. Just think about the enjoyment I get from a quick disco nap to make it through the rest of the day.

Rain (and This Mood) Go Away!

Do you ever have those moments where you wonder where your life went off the tracks? That you see someone else having this “wonderful life” and, as awful as it is to say out loud, you KNOW they don’t deserve it? Or that you see what appears to be everyone else moving forward and you feel you’re stuck in place, waiting for things to start? No, just me then?

I’m not trying to hate on other people, but really, why is it that lately things have felt like they are stuck in neutral without a great option to go forward? I’m not just talking about one life aspect, but multiple.

Oy, maybe it’s the ever-present rain we’ve had lately but, just like Carrie in the “Sex and the City” movie, I feel like I have my personal mexicoma to come out of.

Or maybe my fairy godmother or guardian angel could come off sabbatical and flick a wand or snap her fingers and make things right.

The one thing I have decided on is that I need to get back in to my writing. Although that even feels like a ginormous task as I no longer want to continue with the next book that is mostly done. Sigh. Guess I have some work ahead of me. Can’t it just be pool weather and I can lounge in the sun with a notepad and start?

Tell Me How Lucky I Am To Work Here...

Now, before you go and get all self-righteous that I should be happy to have a job, I must tell you that I do know I’m in a (slightly) better position than lots of people. That’s not the point. The point is that every day I can see myself getting complacent and I know that I am so under-valued at this place it is scary.

For example, when I was up for my promotion a few years ago my VP told me that the company had failed me on multiple levels. That’s stuck with me and I see the instances where it is true again and again. It is very hard to have faith in a place when it telling you these things.

Every day I sit here with a wool sweater draped across my legs since it is freezing I know my skills are diminishing and it scares me. The even bigger problem is that I’m pretty picky about what kinds of things I would like to do if I wasn’t here. I’ve done the leaping before looking thing and now is not the time to try that again in terms of employment. Just because the place isn’t here doesn’t automatically mean it will be a better situation.

The level of frustration keeps growing and I’m not sure what to do about it. Hence this picture kind of sums everything up.

Weekly Workout Train 5/8/10

I decided that since I was such a slacker last week that I’d try to run on Sunday. It sounded good in theory but I wasn’t taking the heavy humidity and pollen in to consideration. Those two factors made it an uphill battle. That said, I did end up doing 3.5 miles of fast walking and jogging so I guess that’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Monday’s Monkey Bar had some termed exercise that I can’t remember. The point was to do 20 seconds of the exercise and then 10 seconds rest for a total of eight repetitions and four minutes. We started with skaters, then push ups (arms close then Hindu), Russian Twists then leg lifts, tire runs then wacky jacks and then some kettle bell row thing. As if that wasn’t enough we did a five minute kettle bell swing. I’m the first to admit that I do not do this technique properly which Lisa kept pointing out. I did however, hold on to the damn thing and didn’t throw it at anyone. It’s the little things right?

Tuesday I had an event and couldn’t work out. I was standing on my feet for about six hours though so maybe I can check Livestrong to see what that counts for.

Wednesday I wanted to go for a jog, but with raindrops the size of silver dollars coming down, I had to settle for some hard core cleaning and a Jillian Michael’s video. I’m not a huge fan of hers, but her 30 day shred isn’t the worst program ever. It goes in sets of strength, cardio and abs. And it’s kind of short so I felt like I was doing something without a ton of effort.

Thursday I prepped for both KM 2 and Monkey Bar. In level 2 we had some focus mitt combinations (left straight, right elbow and then left straight, right elbow, liver shot) followed by kick combinations. Since I did squats like a champ Wednesday, my legs kinda hurt. The self defense this week was headlocks from behind which feel weird to defend and to give. My partner and I made it through though.

Monkey Bar started simply enough with yoga. Then we had the “option” of running or doing stuff inside. Thinking it would be easier, I ran. Ha. I don’t like keeping pace with others. We’d do our circuit then come in for a set time of push ups. After that “fun” there was a set of exercises to run through for two minutes or until you maxed out. They were reach ups, Russian twists with 10 lb. weight, powerwheel rollouts and holding plank. I did pretty well with the first two, sucked at the third and was ok on plank. Whew.

Friday I went back to Monkey Bar since I’m a masochist. Well, also because dodgeball is fun. After that, we did the “prison” workout as fast as possible and then got to go home. The workout was broken down in to arms and legs. The first round was arms and the pyramid went 10-8-6-4-2 for reps. It was a pushup (either downdog/updog or Hindu) and then upright rows holding kettlebells. Round two was legs with lateral jumps and broad jumps (you jump forward propelling yourself as much as possible). It sounds easy but trust me it wasn’t.

Saturday was level 2 and level 1 for Krav Maga. Level two was a lot of the same as Thursday with a few more focus mitt combinations. I have to say I’m apparently building some sort of arm muscle as even I feel my punches getting stronger. The headlock thing screwed me up again but I’ll get it eventually. Level 1 was punches, kick to the vertical target and inside defenses. Honestly, I can always use work on my inside defenses;)

So, for those of you counting along at home, that was eight (8) workouts this week. Perhaps I’ll start seeing results soon….

Songs and Memories

There are some songs that bring back certain memories every time you hear them, regardless of how long it has been or where you currently are. As my iPod seems to be playing some nasty little games with me lately, I found it odd that some of my memory songs were all together on shuffle.

It started with “Back in Black” by AC/DC. Every time I hear this song I think of a pep rally in high school. One may wonder just how a Catholic school let this song be played all the time, but I’m ignoring that. Our colors were black and gold so I guess they just went along with it. I hear the song and I’m back in the Aquinas gym and clapping.

“No Diggity” by Blackstreet had a dance to accompany the great lyrics, but I have since forgotten most of them. In my attempt to be in a sorority at MSU (I was in one in MD but transferred) I was part of the active intro that we did prior to the pledge class serenading the fraternities. I remembering being in the ZTA kitchen and figuring out moves to the song and then wearing Adidas track pants, a white shirt and hat for the actual dance portion. Sometimes little snippets come back to me and I think I have it, but I don’t.

I’m pretty sure that singing “What it Takes” by Aerosmith at a wedding isn’t commonplace but that is exactly what happened back in 2001. Ok, perhaps singing isn’t quite the right word as those of us who stormed the DJ and hijacked the mic weren’t exactly singing so much as screeching, but it was a good time. And to have two girls as the leads (me and Kelly of course) was pretty priceless. I don’t think Steven Tyler has anything to worry about, but the pictures are a nice souvenir. Sidebar: I also contended that I didn’t do a shot that night as I don’t do shots, but then saw a picture to prove me wrong).

“Yellow Ledbetter” is a classic at least in my mind and those who ever rode in the Little Red Ford Probe (see previous post about how much I loved that car). As you may remember, there were people who lived in that car and stole things like change and cigarettes from my friends. I should probably also be honest and say this kind of reminds me of a guy I liked senior year as well but given the longevity of the car and the friendships the song is forever bonded to my senior year of high school. It especially makes me think of my friend C that I was going to open a slurpee stand with.


There was a summer that will live in infamy and not for a lot of good reasons, but there is a song to go along with all the driving excursions, pain and drunken times that makes it a bit better. “Without Me” by Eminem is classic and the intro of “two trailer park girls go round the outside” is hard to not laugh along with. At least a great friendship grew out of that summer;)

And that is just what happened yesterday with my iPod. Who knows what today has in store;)

How Reality Bites=My Life

For most of us that graduated in the 90s (late 80s and early 00s too to be as wide-reaching as possible) there are a few key movies that we’ve all seen. It was part of being in that time where flannels, chain belts and Doc Martens were in and (thankfully) big hair was going out. While many of these movies have their place in history and our hearts, I had a complete epiphany about “Reality Bites” as I saw it for the zillionth time a few days ago. The character of Troy completely sums up my romantic history and is a parallel for what I go for and how I think about it. I know, totally out there but bear with me.

In order to completely understand, you have to know that I am that stereotypical good girl. Always have been. I was the “smart, nice” one in high school who was National Honor Society president (for 2 years) and didn’t sneak out, didn’t stay out late. I was that girl your parents always asked if you could be more like. And as every good girl knows, we like the bad boys. Bad boys being a relative term and not in any way indicative of the Detroit Pistons of that era either. For the most part, the guys I liked were pretty decent and I only had one or two that were in to drugs or drinking heavily. Maybe a few that were too old for me but nothing that would really get anyone in trouble. It all began with the desire for someone out of my league though.

Back to the point. I’ve always wanted/liked/pined over the guys that were rough around the edges, needed someone to care, perhaps had an issue or 12 that needed to be fixed. (I know, you can relate.) The thing is, they had absolutely amazing hearts (once you found them). They weren’t bad boys, they were misunderstood or trying to find themselves or everyone else had given up on them and they figured they might as well just be asses. This is where Troy (Ethan Hawke) in “Reality Bites” comes in.

Troy, who is hot by the way and I tended to like guys that I found hot even if other people didn’t, was a wayward son who says that he just gave up due to circumstances and events. He doesn’t hide his issues and will snark on people so that they don’t look at him. But you know he’s looking for someone to reach out to him and just let him be him. And Lelaina almost tries but is so scared of ruining a friendship and is all wrapped up in finding the “right” kind of guy that she takes way to friggin long to come around. Troy is the EPITOME of the guy that I’ve always gone for because he does have a good heart and does come through in the end (that last scene after “All I Want Is You” where he’s on the front lawn makes me want to reach through my TV and hug him way before she does).

See, I know they have good hearts and I know they will (eventually) come through. Therefore I totally ignore rationalize whatever their actions and just look at the light at the end of the tunnel. I’d like to think that in my old age I now don’t do this, but on some level I think I still do. To be fair, I don’t think there is anything wrong with guys that are a little rough around the edges because normal is boring. I like laughs, I like off color jokes. I like that someone is an individual and not part of the herd. Maybe I’ve come a long way since my days of Gap flannels but does that mean that looking for the good in people has to go away too? I hope not. Until I figure it all out though, Troy Dyer (minus the cigs) is gonna have to keep me going.

Weekly Workout Train 5/1/10

Oh my goodness. Monday’s Monkey Bar was one for the books, or maybe that was just because I hadn’t done anything in so long. It’s kind of a blur, but let’s see if I can remember it:
Squats with arm raises
Skaters
Log jumps
Punches
Umpas
Burpees

Sounds simple so far right? Well we started with 30 seconds each exercise, 30 seconds rest. Then 40 seconds each exercise, 20 seconds rest. Then 50 seconds each exercise, 10 seconds rest. Then back through. Yeah, that’s a lot. To say that sweat was pouring down is probably an understatement but I’m at a loss for how to better describe the situation.

Tuesday was an interesting day. For Monkey Bar, we only did the baseline for sit ups and push ups (not my best day) then we did a jump rope workout. Let’s say jumping rope is not my favorite thing to do. We partnered up and it was two minutes on, two minutes off while you timed your partner. These were sprints and we had to do a total of 10 reps each. Then we cooled down with yoga. I’m telling you, jump rope is no joke and that was a hard one.

Level 2 that night saw me do warm up which came to be a bad idea. We had to be in a circle and everyone had to call out an exercise. There were a lot of people there that night. Then we did punch combinations and uppercuts. The thing is, you don’t just get an arm workout while you’re punching, but while you hold the focus mitts for your partner. My arms were toast by the end.

I wanted to run Wednesday but my knee was out of whack from the jump rope. Not wanting to completely wimp out, I did 30 minutes of pilates (mostly abs, buns and thighs). I’m not sure where the ab workout from this week came in, but they were burning about halfway through.

Thursday I got back in the groove of doing both level 2 and Monkey Bar. Level 2 was a little tough since we were doing a bunch of kicks and that hurt the knee a bit. Then we went in to uppercuts and combinations which means an arm workout when you are punching and when holding the focus mitts for others. To end there was a free for all with your partner (or in my case partners since we were a group of three) where your job as attacker was to punch the bag and their job was to keep you from doing so. Let’s just say there were moments I wanted to hit both of them;)

Monkey Bar was another pyramid that went like this:
Upright Rows with a Kettlebell
Snowboarders
Log jumps (just side to side, not over anything)
Standing Russian Twists with a Kettlebell
Umpas
Push ups (Burpees for others but since my knee isn’t so hot, I did these instead)

It was a pyramid like before with the sets being 30/30, 40/20, 50/10, 40/20, 30/30. Now, I have no arm strength what so ever so using a 18 lb. kettlebell is kind of outside my range of ability, or so I thought. I did all the sets with one. I’m not so sure how long my arms will last today, but that isn’t the point. It was intense, with a jump rope warm up and yoga cool down.

That was it for the workouts. Friday was a good dinner with good friends and Saturday I’m a good bridesmaid and trying on dresses. At least my arms should look good in them right?