I Hate...

Last night, we were watching a new episode of Tosh.0 (if you don't know it, it is a weekly series on Comedy Central hosted by comedian Daniel Tosh where he shows and makes fun of various things posted on the Internet - love it!) One of the videos he featured was an I Hate rant. After watching a rant posted by a random person, Tosh did one of his own. I have decided to write my rant here. So, here goes:

I hate narrow minded people
I hate cigarette smoke
I hate disorganization
I hate poor grammar
I hate stubbing my toe
I hate vomiting
I hate being scared
I hate feeling insecure
I hate people who drive and talk on their cell phones
I hate that my best friends and family live so far from me
I hate reading about Heidi Montag all the time
I hate when my favorite sub shop puts too much mayo on my sandwich
I hate "sales" where you have to buy two or more things to get the deal
I hate season finale cliff hangers
I hate mosquitoes
I hate not remembering things as well as I used to
I hate that weekend are only two days
I hate paper cuts
I hate what the oil leak is doing to the Gulf
I hate war
I hate packing
I hate having to wait for the next book in a great series to be published
I hate people who cheat on their expense reports
I hate having to wait to get New Release DVDs
I hate unnecessary "Reply to All" E-mails
I hate traffic
I hate gray hairs
I hate when my printer says there is no paper when there is paper
I hate excessive amounts of staples in paper
I hate brown nosers

Aaah. I feel much better.

So, what do you hate?

Time to try something new

We like to challenge ourselves to doing at least one new thing a year. In the past few years, we have run half marathons, then marathons, then triathlons, then longer triathlons (still not done with that one yet!) We have also tried new classes and things we have just always wanted to do (Yes, I have a bucket list.) Well, I tried something new on Tuesday, sort of.

A few weeks ago, a website called Groupon (which I am now addicted to) featured a daily deal to a local indoor rock climbing center called The Vertical Edge. I was familiar with VE as hubby has climbed there on and off for many years. I have been there and I have watched people climb, but I have never done it myself. So, I used the deeply discounted deal as an excuse to go.

I signed up for the class and arrived at 7pm as an eager student. Of course, my eagerness waned after the instructor told us it was about a two hour class (I was expecting to be there about an hour so we could then head out to dinner). Since I was there, I tried to make the best of it. We first learned how to fasten the harness properly (see red and you are dead), and then we moved on to knots. We learned how to tie in to the climbing ropes safely. After learning how to be a safe climber, we learned how to tie in as a belayer (the person who stays on the ground to make sure the climber will not fall if he/she slips.) There were more knots, safety positions, and voice commands to learn. Soon, we were on the floor ready to belay with the instructor as backup.

Hubby got to be my climber. He headed up the wall and took a series of falls - some planned and some unplanned. I was able to belay him (after the initial jolt of weight - it is really not hard.) I took my test, and passed with flying colors. I am good to go.

Well, I did spend some more time belaying for Bill. It is actually kind of fun to focus on someone's climb and know you are there to catch them if they fall. It was nice to be able to hold up hubby's entire weight and lower him after he finished his climb. It made me feel strong (yes, there are pulleys, friction, and safety equipment so you are not holding all of their weight, but it still made me feel good.) The only thing I did not do is climb myself.

It seemed like a good idea until I got there, but then all sorts of things crossed my mind. What if I am too fat to climb? What if I get scared of the height and freeze? What if the rope breaks and I fall? What happens if I just can't do it? These thoughts kept me grounded this time, but I still had fun.

Luckily, the deal included a pass for a second session and equipment rental. I have a chance to go back when I am ready. I only hope that this time I don't keep my feet on the ground.

New Toy #3

We have finally come into the cell phone technology era. For years, hubby and I had just phones. Yes, the salespeople at the store would just stare at us when we requested a cell phone that just made phone calls-no camera, no data, no messaging. Well, with the end of our latest cellular contract, we decided to take the leap. Yes, that's right. We are Smartphone users with full plans.

It has been strange getting used to the new technology. I can text message now - so weird! I have to say that it come in handy. Just last night, I was able to send a message to a friend who was at a concert. He got the message - no screaming over the phone or disturbing those around him. The phone also has a calendar function. It has been fun getting all of my various events loaded into the phone. There has been a lot of syncing between the phone, my computer, and my ITouch. I have been working the past few days to update my "people" as well. I have been eliminating the duplicates and cleaning up my entries (finding those entries that make you say who is this person?) It has been a lot of work, but I think I am finally ready to get the most use out of the phone.

My biggest issue is with my ITouch. I love my ITouch. It is a great device, but lacks the phone and camera functions of my new Hero. For now, I am carrying both with me, but I am wondering how long it will last. I really don't need the ITouch any more -the phone does everything it does and more. I just don't want to part with it.

It is always fun to get a new toy. With the new toy, you also get to buy new accessories. I got a great hot pink case for my phone that makes it look less plain and helps to differentiate my phone from hubby's exact same model.

I am happy for now, but I wonder what the next great thing in cell phones may be. I hope we can just enjoy this one before it becomes obsolete.

Menthi

I had the great pleasure to be able to travel to one of my lifelong best friend's 40th birthday party this past weekend. My friend is of Indian descent and decided to throw herself a Goddess party. In true Goddess fashion, one of the traditions that my friend wanted all of her fellow goddesses to experience was menthi. Menthi is the process of putting henna designs on the hands (and sometimes the legs or other places). It was a unique experience.

The artist (and believe me, she is truly an artist) cleaned the back of my hands and used a small, fine point funnel to apply a mud colored paste to the hands. All of the designs were done completely freehand. The paste had a pleasant tingly feeling as it dried. After about 10-15 minutes, the paste started to turn black. The artist then used a lemon water mixture to apply to the black harden paste. We tried very hard to keep our hands stable and to not smudge the design. As it dried, it sometimes fell off in areas, like small scabs (gross, I know, but true). There were little pieces of menthi all over the condo - it was like a rampant rabbit pooped all over the place.

We kept the paste on our hands as long as we could, and eagerly awoke at about 7:30 am to see how our hands looked. Leaving black pieces all over our respective sheets, we went to the sink to wash off any remaining bits. Under the faucets, we got our first glimpse of the gorgeous work. I absolutely love my hands now. It looks like lace on my hands. I am sad to notice a difference already in the quality of the henna. I wish it would stay longer that the week or two, but it just gives me an excuse to do it again. Soon.

The other alternative is dying

It seems that this year, more than any other, I have really noticed that I am aging. It is not so much my mindset, but my physical body. In my mind, I am still the same person I have always been. I know that technically I am an adult, that I have a job, pay my bills, take care of a home, a husband, and two dogs. I still feel like a kid though, as if I am just playing at these things. My mind does not feel any different that it did 10 years ago.

The body is a totally different story. I noticed this week that I have a lot of silver hair growing near my scalp. I have been coloring my hair for years, but I have never noticed these hairs like I have this past week. It made me briefly wonder what my hair really looks likes under all this dye, but then it made me even more determined not to find out. I also have floaters in my eyes now. Every now and again, a lovely little black spot flies past my eye and there is nothing I can do about it. Some days, my body just feels like it is slowly breaking down - the knees are a little tight, the muscles are a little more tender. I went through a phase where I believed I was having heart issues. Every little twitch makes me think something could possibly be wrong. I was never like this before. I am middle aged. When the heck did that happen?

Just When I thought it was over

Funny addition to the Great Hair Saga...

I decided that K did a really great job, and I have decided to continue seeing her. I had booked my next appointment about 3 weeks ago, but as of last night, I have a change of plans. I won't be able to keep my scheduled appointment - I needed to move it back one week.

Well, K is not available one week earlier, but guess who is? That's right. It looks like I will be seeing J again. I hope she believes in bygones...

First Triathlon of the Season-2010

Yesterday was my first triathlon of the 2010 season. Bill and I chose to do the Triangle Orthopaedic Sprint Traithlon. We figured this would be a good event to start because it featured a challenging swim - a 750 meter open water lake swim. In retrospect, I may not chose this event again.

The race began at 8:00 am on a very chilly April morning. The race took place on NC State's Centennial Campus in Raleigh. We woke at about 5:30 am, and arrived at the race site at about 6:30ish. At this point, I was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt over my tri suit. I was still a bit cold setting up my transition area. I did recently purchase a wetsuit for racing, but I have been having issues with the fit. Since I have not been able to get it on properly, I decided to forgo the wetsuit. I was quite disappointed to find that about 98% of the other 257 participants were wearing wetsuits. I became quite nervous prior to the start, but I have never quit a race. So, I stripped down and headed to the lake.

The swim was in Lake Raleigh. It was a "dock" start meaning that each participant went in to the water one at a time. We walked down the boat ramp into the water. I was freezing just standing in line waiting for my start. I had no idea what was coming.

The lake temperature on Friday afternoon was 65 degrees. In contrast, our pool at the wellness center is kept at 84 degrees. To say the water was shockingly cold is an understatement. I went in to the water and pretty much screamed for the first 100 meters. I was just shouting "cold" or "ah" because I could not help it. I could not put my face in the water; it simply took all of the air from my body. So, I did a weird version of a doggie paddle until I was able to get acclimated. I can honestly say that I never became comfortable in the water, but I was able to get my head down and take two strokes before needing to breathe. There were some good things about my swim. I did not feel tired during the swim. It is a much longer distance when you get in the water than it looks from the shore. Still, I felt my sighting of the buoys was good. It was a much smoother swim than my first open water swim at the Triangle Triathlon last year. I did not have to stop to look for the buoys, and I did not need to resort to the breast stroke because I was tired. It took a bit on time getting out of the water (I planted my right foot on the boat ramp to get out, and my left foot slipped off. I was down in the water again, so I took extra time making sure my footing was good before trying again). I actually knocked about 2 minutes from my other 750 meter swim time. I wonder how much better I would have done in perfect conditions.

I hate being barefoot, so I left a pair of flip flops to grab on my way to transition. From the lake, you had to run up a long hill to the sidewalk, then over to the grassy transition area. I decided to take my time getting back to transition, but I was soon off on the bike. I saw my friend, Amy, shortly after starting the bike. I was still pretty cold, but it was nice of her to check in with me. We shouted encouragement to each other before we parted ways. The 10.5 miles bike route was on open roads. It was a big, hilly loop around Raleigh. I found out very quickly that the roads around NC State are not well maintained. At some points, I was shaking quite hard going over the rough asphalt. Again, the bike was the strongest of my disciplines. I finished in 43:45.

I went into transition to drop my bike, and found that my neighbor's bike was laid down across my spot. I was really frustrated since I now had to put up that bike while attempting to balance my own. Luckily, a nice man head my cries, and took my competitor's bike from me. I changed shoes, and headed out on the 3.1 mile run. Running in a triathlon is always a weakness for me. My legs are just shot after the bike. This run had a particularly hilly first mile. We wandered through campus, and I thought it seemed like most of the mile was uphill. I had to stop to walk quite a bit. Mile 2 was much better as we finally got a bit of a downhill break. I was able to run more by then and felt much more comfortable. Of course, the race ended on yet another up hill, so I walked a bit until I got near the finish line. I did finish in a run at 39:15. My overall finish time was 1:51:02.4. I was hoping to finish under 2 hours, so my goal was met.

It was a tough choice for a first race - cold weather, COLD water, and lots of hills. During the race, I would have said I will never do this event again. Now, a day later, I am thinking about next year. With some better preparation, I just might be able to break my course record.

Next triathlon: Ramblin' Rose Raleigh - May 23.

The Great Hair Saga

Well, I got my haircut last Saturday, and received another good cut from K. J was there during my appointment, and was very nice. She came over to say hello and returned later to show me pictures of her new baby. There seemed to be no awkwardness in the appointment. Still, I did not make another appointment yet. I was not sure who to choose.

After a week of styling my hair and looking at it in the mirror, I am still happy with my cut. So, I think I am going to have to make the next appointment with K. She does a good job, and I really like her. It is no bad reflection on J, but it just seems that K and I are on the same page. It is not a personal decision, it is purely business. I just hope J sees it that way.

A love of Reading

I was very lucky to be raised by two parents who loved to read. The love of reading was passed down to me at an early age. I can remember the first book I read - Richard Scary's I Am A Bunny. I actually bought a copy of that book a few years back and have it proudly displayed in my living room. It is still a favorite!!

I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I recall finishing up my math problems as quickly as possible in high school so I could have a few minutes to be able to read my latest novel. I remember moving away to college and having no television. I remember thinking I would never be alone or be bored as long as I had a good book. I remember travelling to Europe for summer school in college and carrying 10 books for the six week trip. I could not be without a book! I still do not understand friends of mine who say they are not readers. I cannot imagine my life without books in it.

I still love to read, but it has become harder and harder to find the time to do it. Our library allows a three week period for each borrowed book. I used to laugh at the time period. Really, who needs three full weeks to read one book? Now I know - I do! I just recently finished reading The Help (fabulous book - you must read it!) and it took me the one day shy of three weeks to finish it. It took so long that I had to return the other book I borrowed unread. I have never had to return an unread book until recently.

To quote Charles Buxton "You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." I guess I need to start making time for reading. It is something I truly love to do, so it shouldn't be too difficult. I do know what I will be doing during my two week vacation this summer. There are a lot of books out there just waiting for me.

Is the substitute better? - Part 2

Please see my 2/6/10 blog post for part 1 of this saga.

So, I have a hair appointment this Saturday at 1:00pm. Last week, I received a call from the salon about the appointment. The receptionist told me that J, my stylist and friend who was on maternity leave, will be in the salon on Saturday. She said it did not matter if I wanted to keep my appointment with K or change over to J. She just wanted to let me know since it would be one of J's first days back at work. I was torn. I knew this decision was coming, but I still did not want to make it. K gave me a good haircut, and I thought I would get one more appointment to decide if I liked her styling. In the heat of the moment, I told her I would go ahead and keep my appointment with K.

Well, on Monday I received a phone call from J herself. She wanted to be sure I knew she would be in. I kind of stammered and said I wanted to keep my appointment for that specific time of day. She said she could take me in the same slot, so it was not a problem. Then she said it did not matter either way. Well, I stuck to my guns and said I would go ahead and keep the appointment with K. I can at least say (this time) that I had scheduled the appointment 6 weeks in advance (which is usual for me) and I felt I needed to keep the commitment to K. J seemed OK about it. I told her I was looking forward to seeing her, and she said she would bring pictures of the baby.

So, I have bought some time. I get another appointment with K, and I hope I have not ruined a relationship with J. I guess I will know on Saturday. I will keep you posted.

Baba O'Reilly Meets Slowhand

On Monday night, hubby and I had the great joy of being able to see two legends in concert - Roger Daltrey and Eric Clapton. Hubby says it was the best show he has ever seem, and I have to agree it is definitely near the top of my list, too.

The show took place at the RBC Center - home of the Carolina Hurricanes and NC State Wolfpack. The stage took up a good portion of the oval shape floor. We had great seats - row N on stage right about 3 sections from the stage. Those seats were worth every penny.

The show started promptly at 7:30pm (gotta love the more seasoned musicians - no need to stroke the ego by having the crowd wait). Roger Daltrey and his band (which includes Pete Townsend's brother, Simon) started the crowd rocking with a favorite from The Who "I Can See for Miles." Hubby and I were lucky to see Daltrey in another venue in October. His set list was a condensed version of that show, and just as fantastic as it was. He did several Who songs as well as a few bluesy covers and his own music. It was an absolute treat to be able to see him again. My hubby is a huge fan, and to see Daltrey twice in 5 months was just great. He finished with Baba O'Reilly, which is now on my short list for greatest song ever written, and the whole arena was on its feet. I have never seen an opening act receive a standing ovation, but it was no ordinary opening act.

Clapton took the stage about 20 minutes later. Again, no making the crowd wait. He said very little to the audience over the course of the show, but his guitar sure did speak. He is probably the most amazing guitar player I have ever had the pleasure of seeing and hearing. It was wonderful just to watch his hands. His voice sounded great - just like the new Cream of Clapton CD I purchased. His set focused mostly on the blues side of his music. I never realized just how much the blues influenced Eric Clapton. I know the blues brought about the birth of rock and roll, but I had always associated Clapton more with rock. I was glad to be introduced to these other songs. He did play some favorites - I Shot the Sheriff, Layla, Wonderful Tonight, and Cocaine. He closed after a single encore song - Crossroads.

It was just a fantastic show. I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was. I feel truly lucky to have been able to see these two legends in concert. The talent, both from years of experience and natural born, was great to see. Even over 60 years of age, these two men can put on one heck of a show. The younger guys should take note.

Photos courtesy of John Rottet, newsobserver.com

Up next - George Thorogood and The Destroyers

Oscar Wrap Up

I love all of the award shows, so I was, of course, seated on the sofa Sunday night for the big show, The Oscars. I watched the show in its entirety - from the Barbara Walters Special to the Red Carpet arrivals and all the way through the Best Picture announcement. Am I glad I did it? Two days later, I can actually say not really.

I loved the choice of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin as co-presenters. They were fabulous every time they hit the stage. I laughed all the way through their monologue, but there was not enough of them. I thought we were off to a great start. What happened over the course of the next 3 hours and 45 minutes was not as exciting.

This year the Oscars doubled the best picture nominees from 5 to 10. They expanded the list because the chief complaint about the Oscars is that the show is too predictable. It's true. It is the last award show of the season, so we have already heard what the Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes), the actors (SAG Awards), the directors (Director's Guild), the producers (Producers Guild), and even the British (BAFTA) have decided are the best performances of the year. When it comes to Oscar time, it is really a moot point.

As it happened, the Oscars went to exactly the actors, director, and picture that were most often predicted to receive it. It was kind of a letdown. I almost wanted Jeremy Renner or Meryl Streep to win just to shake it up a bit, but the odds on favorites did win. The sad part is also that the actors knew they were all expected to win as well. None of them expressed any surprise when their names were called. In January, there was a little shock and an impromptu acceptance speech. Now, the speeches were all well rehearsed. Nice, but a bit too thought out before hitting the stage.

There were some nice surprises along the way - a great tribute to John Hughes, a funny give and take between Tina Fey and Robert Downey, Jr., and a special Modern Family commercial that had me laughing. There was also, however, and awful interpretive dance, an unnecessary tribute to horror films, and an awkward on stage appearance by all of the lead acting nominees.

Perhaps next year I will skip the staying up until midnight and just catch the highlights the following day. Or maybe I will DVR it so I can skip all the boring stuff and get right to the end. What I won't skip is the fashion photos and reviews. I think that is possibly the best part of the evening. My pick for Best Dressed at the 2010 Oscars? Sandra Bullock, hands down.

So, tell me, what did you think? Or did you even watch the show?

I am an old hypochondriac

Well, I started getting nervous about the problem of my eyesight, so I called my optometrist and made an appointment. It turns out those lovely gray spots passing through my sight are floaters. They are caused by the deterioration of vitreous fluid in the eye. It is a normal part of the aging process, and is not serious. I can confirm, however, that they are highly annoying. So, I was glad to find out that there is nothing serious wrong with my eyesight. My doctor says it is like getting a grandfather clock. You will hear the ticking of the clock at first, but will get used to it the longer it stays around. So, I guess I just need to get used to these little buggers.

I also realized why my chest has been hurting. I have been swimming more than ever - an hour at a time of upper body exercise. I am not used to doing any exercises with my upper body (as a matter of fact, I have a pretty weak upper body). My poor chest muscles are not used to any use, so no wonder they hurts.

So, I am well. I am just getting older. It could be worse.

Mystery Pains

I am beginning to worry that I am a hypochondriac. I am not feeling well, and I worry that it is something really bad. I always imagine the worst when it comes to feeling a little sick. After my bump in the night fears, I am nervous to go to the doctor again. Hubby says I am just getting old. Maybe there is some real truth to it.

Since January, I have had little black spots in my vision. They come up occasionally, move across my vision, then disappear. It is annoying, but hasn't caused any other problem. I Googled black spots (I guess I did not learn from the last incident), and it says it is just a sign of getting older. Today, though, I did decide to e-mail my eye doctor to see if he thinks I should come in for a check up.

Last night, my right thumb started hurting. It was hurting very badly. It did not look swollen and I did not bang it. I could just barely seem to move it. When hubby touched it, I thought I was going to cry. It still hurt this morning, but I heard it pop around lunch time. It is feeling much better now.

The left side of my chest hurts. It hurts from under my arm down the side of my chest. It feels like a muscle ache. I have felt around and there are no bumps. I really have no idea what it is. It started last night too, but before bed. It is not from sleeping in a bad position.

I wish my best friend was a doctor. I wish I knew someone who could say "Don't worry." For now, I guess I will just try to rest and hope it goes away. The groin pull I had a few weeks ago went away. Maybe I really am getting old.

Sunday Cooking

I have been on this new kick lately. For the past three weeks, I have been cooking a soup, stew, or chili on Sunday for the week. It has really been quite nice. It gives me a chance to enjoy cooking because I don't have to rush on a Sunday. I can make a big dish like chili and don't have to worry about waiting an hour for it to cook while we are starving. It is also nice to get everything cleaned up without having to do dishes at 9pm. There are plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week so we can have it for dinner one night or lunch throughout the week. The best part of all - soups and stews usually taste better the next day anyway.

I have made a white bean vegetarian chili, butternut squash soup, and black bean turkey chili (we're having that for dinner tonight) so far. I have two more recipes lined up - a Moroccan sweet potato stew and a red potatoes with chickpeas Middle Eastern stew. Today, I just downloaded Senegalese Peanut Stew with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes. Yum!

I am so glad I started this process. It has been so nice to cook hearty food for Bill and me. It has really brought back the joy of cooking and has encouraged me to try new things. I can see myself continuing the process for a long time. Chilled soups over the summer, anyone?

The Winter Olympics 2010

The Winter Olympics started last Friday with the Opening ceremonies. We watched "Couples Retreat" on DVD that night. After seeing that movie, perhaps we should have watched the opening ceremonies (just kidding, it wasn't THAT bad). Over the next few days of competition, we still did not tune it. I have seen some of the medal tallies and results on various Internet pages, but I have not watched a single thing. I have seen friends make comments about the Olympics on Facebook, but I still have not tuned in. I don't really know why. I do love sports and, let's face it, there is really not much else on TV to watch.

Yesterday. Team USA had a record day (thank you, MSN.com). The USA got more medals in the Winter Olympics yesterday that any other previous day. I was intrigued so I watched Lindsay Vonn's downhill run and Shaun White's half pipe skills. I was so impressed by the pure athleticism and the emotional charge of these two athletes. It made me want to see more. I used to watch the Olympics every year. It is sad that it seems like there is not enough time to watch the world come together in celebration of incredible athleticism. I hope I can catch more in the second half of the games.

Have you been watching the Winter Olympics?

V Day 2010

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us. I honestly haven't thought about it too much this year. It is one of those holidays that is blown out of proportion as far as I am concerned. Much like New Year's Eve, all of the restaurants are crowded and serving "special" menus for crazy prices. I am not interested.

I told my hubby that my perfect Valentine's Day would be staying at home with him and our two dogs. I would like to cook a nice dinner, but I don't need a gift or even a card. I guess I like cards sometimes, but really, what do you do with them? You read them once, you are thankful for the sentiment, and then they sit on the table for days. I always feel guilty about throwing away any cards, so I keep them in a basket in our bedroom. I don't read them again, but I have them all...just in case. When the basket gets full, I toss the oldest cards. It just seems a bit silly to me. My husband can tell me he loves me, and I will be perfectly happy.

So, that is our plan for this Sunday. We plan to go to Whole Foods to get steaks and lobster tails. I would like to cook a butternut squash soup for us as an appetizer, and we will probably get something sinful for dessert. After dinner, we will probably sit on the sofa and watch a movie. I think it sounds great and it sure beats a crowded restaurant any day.

Master Swim

Since this year seems to be the year of the triathlon for us, hubby and I have started to take a Masters Swim class. Last Thursday night was my first class.

I learned to swim as a youngster at the YMCA. I continued to take lessons at various recreation centers in my youth, but I was never a great swimmer. I can manage to swim well enough to complete a sprint level triathlon. Since this year's goal is an international distance for me and a half Ironman for hubby, we decided we needed extra help.

I was very nervous in the class. Luckily, there were about 12 people there, so it worked out well to have 4 people in each of the 3 lanes. Both of us easily got spots in the beginner's lane. The Masters class has a set workout for a one hour session. There is a trained coach there for assistance and critique. There are also lane leaders who are people who have been to several classes and know most of the technical drills.

I was scared that I would not be able to swim for a full hour. Our warm-up consisted of several 200 meter drills (that's 8 pool laps per drill!). At the end of the first drill, I was pretty tired. I felt like I had to swim as fast as I could just to keep out of my fellow swimmers way. I was getting pretty discouraged at first, but with the help of my hubby and my other lane mates, I continued to swim.

My normal reaction to critique is to quit. I almost quit the class. I realized that the coach was giving me tips and not making a personal assault on my swimming skills. I also realized that I came to the class to become a better swimmer. If a certified swim coach says I need to rotate my hips more, then it is not a criticism, but something I need to do to have a better swim stoke. Once this realization was out of the way, I actually enjoyed and got a lot out of the class.

Sadly, I have a different class this week, so I will be unable to attend this week's Master swim. I am already looking forward to next week. I feel confident that taking this class, listening to the coach, and swimming on my own will have a very positive affect on my swim times this year.

It's all about the fitness

I am very excited about an upcoming event at work. I serve as a member of the employee appreciation team. One thing we thought would be fun to do while the year is still young is a Health and Wellness week. We have a couple of things planned, but I am by far most excited about our fitness challenge.

A colleague of mine has been doing fitness challenges for a while now. I have been doing them with her and her group of friends (which does include some of my colleagues) for over a year now. The challenges all have a theme, but the core remains the same. Workout, record your workout time in minutes, and submit that number each Monday via e-mail. I contacted my colleague to see if she would be interested in doing a company wide challenge in association with Health and Wellness week. The ME Fitness Challenge was born.

We are using a theme of March Madness. For 8 weeks, each person records their workout times, and those times are converted into baskets. The teams of 5 people have their individual scores tallied, and the teams play in a round robin type tournament until the ultimate winner is chosen.

I thought it would be nice to have 10-15 people join. Based on experience, I really thought that was all I would get. I am thrilled and excited to say we have 40 people doing the challenge - that's 50% or more of the company!!! We had to expand the teams from 6 to 8 to accommodate all of the people. I am so, so very excited that folks are participating in this event. I think it will be lots of fun, and any effects from the challenge will only be positive.

The challenge starts 2/14/10 (I know, not the best day, but people can start working off those Valentine's Day chocolates right away). I'm sure I will be posting more as the challenge continues.

Is the substitute better?

My stylist, J, just had her first child last week, a gorgeous baby girl. We knew it was unlikely that she was going to be able to do my next haircut after our last meeting, so I went ahead and scheduled an appointment with K for today. I knew K was new to the salon. I actually did not recognize her at all when she called me name for my appointment. We hit it off right away and got down to business. We picked a nice chocolaty brown color for my hair, and away we went. After the color processed, she asked me what I wanted as far as the cut went. She took some off the bottom and cut my bangs, something that was much needed. I looked and felt great when I left the salon.

Here is the problem. I have been going to J for about 4 years now. She is actually a personal friend as well as my stylist. I attended her baby shower not 3 weeks ago. The thing is, K gave me one of the best haircuts I have ever had. What's a girl to do? I did schedule my next appointment with K for 6 weeks from now. I don't think J will be back by then, but she will surely be back for the appointment after that one. It's not like I would be leaving one salon to go to another. I would still be at the same place. I would still see J if I did decide to switch. I guess there is no sense worrying about it now. I have at least one more appointment to make a decision.

What do you think? Stay loyal to a friend who does a good job or make a business decision to change to someone who may do a better job?