Don't Tread on Me ;)

Just wanted to post a quick update to say that Charles and I finally caved and bought a used treadmill off of craigslist. We got a NordicTrack, and it seems to do the trick quite nicely. I have been trying to walk on it for 30 minutes a day, and I have done so every single day since we've had it, with the exception of days that I actually make it to karate class. I really enjoy the convenience of having it my home. I think it also helps that I have kept my expectations low/realistic: I am not trying to run, I am not trying to spend an hour. I can't see the TV from the treadmill, but I can hear it, so I can either listen to something on TV, or read, or pray, or think. That's enough options for me. We have had it for only a week, but I like it, and even though money is a little tight at the moment, I think it was a good investment for our health. I enjoy walking, but prefer to do it indoors to minimize freckles and leathery skin. I think this is something I ought to be able to keep up with. :)

In other news, my friends Ben and Sharon discovered a great frozen yogurt place. It's called Sweet CeCe's (or is it CiCi's? bah, who knows...). It's one of those places where you pick your yogurt flavor and your toppings and then pay based on weight. They have several flavors of yogurt to choose from, and tons of toppings. They also have a punch card system where you get a punch on your card everytime you buy something, and when you get so many punches, you get free stuff. ProTip: Tuesday is Double Punch day! We've been there twice so far, but it's Tuesday as I write this, so can you guess what the future holds for me? Is it crazy that I am basically undoing all the treadmill's work?

Oh yeah, speaking of delicious things... Sharon made this GREAT pound cake for a cookout the other day, and she shared the recipe with me, so I wanted to share it with anyone here that is interested. Amaretto Pound Cake, nom nom. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/amaretto-almond-pound-cake-50400000110796/

OK I had better get back to the multitude of other things I need to be working on. Have a great day, everyone!

Hustling

I am not a man, obviously, but I am amazed and pleased by this blog post that I read about, basically, improving productivity and reaching personal goals. Whether you are a man or not, you might really enjoy this blog:

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/02/08/the-world-belongs-to-those-who-hustle/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheArtOfManliness+%28The+Art+of+Manliness%29/
:)

Government Shutdown Crisis Averted!

Yay, the federal gov't didn't shut down! Hip hip hooray! Now I just have to hope that the budget situation is favorable. In the meantime, all I can do is try to do a good job at work. Work hard, work smart, work work work. :) I have been pulled off on one of my work assignments due to budget woes. That stinks, because I really enjoyed the work I was doing. But God works in mysterious ways, and this week I was given another (albeit, shorter) chargeback assignment. I love that my job allows me to work with so many people and do so many different things. :) I've also been interacting quite a bit with the students at work. Both of our students are nice, bright people. One of them in particular is a real go-getter, and it's been very rewarding to see her grow and learn as she approaches graduation. In non-work news, we are doing some repairs and fixer-upper type stuff at home. I really enjoy our home, but have been thinking a lot about moving from a condo/PUD to a "real" house. I think there is a lot to be gained by having a "real" house, and even though we wouldn't move for a couple years, it is nice to have something to think about. The downside, of course, is money. Oh that dastardly word. :/ Repairs cost money, moving costs money... Oy vey. I make a very nice salary for what I do (considering I love my job, etc), so I am not complaining about that by any means, but I need to come up with a legal, ethical, non-sucky way to get some extra money so I can reach my financial goals in a timely manner. The husband has already vetoed plasma 'donation', so I am fresh out of good ideas. Anyone have a good suggestion for a way to make some extra money? I am all ears. I could go on and on and write all day with things that I want to record for posterity, but then I'd be spending all my time annotating life instead of living it, so I'm gonna wrap this up. Have a nice day, dear readers. :)

Computers in Libraries 2011

I just got back yesterday from my first Computers in Libraries conference in Washington, DC. OH MY GOSH. Best conference ever. I had such a great time and learned so much! I got to learn about all sorts of great searching tricks, and ways to add value to my work. I talked to some great people, and overall was just very inspired by the youthful enthusiasm I observed. So much of library talk these days is "doom and gloom," so it was great to be in a place where people are passionate about what they can do for their customers. And the focus was very much on things that CAN be done, not things that CAN'T be done. I was exposed to some phenomenal speakers, including *but not limited to* Stephen Abram, Lee Rainie, and the Librarian in Black. I left the conference feeling so rejuvenated, and I wasn't even all that demoralized before I started, so that is really saying something!
I bailed on the last 2 or 3 sessions of the conference because I had to be out of my hotel room anyways, so at lunch break I hit the metro and worked my way towards the National Zoo. It was so amazing! It was *free* and I got to see some spectacular animals. One of my favorite exhibits was of the lions, because the National Zoo recently got some new lion cubs, and they were all out playing when I was there. 2 adult females, 1 adult male, and 5? 6? 7? cubs... Who knows how many they were. Usually when I see big cats at the zoo, they are laying down or pacing, but these were so active. It was cool and humid outside, but all the kids were still in school, so I almost had the lions all to myself! I got some great pictures and video. There were other cool animals, but I digress.
After the National Zoo, I went to the National Cathedral, which was beautiful. I didn't get to spend long enough there because I was anxious about finding the metro again, and my feet were starting to hurt from all the walking. I made my way back to the metro and then to the airport, where I ate and bought a good book. Thank goodness I bought a good book, cause my flight got delayed about 2 hours. I landed in Knoxville ~12:15 this morning, and got to bed around 1. So I am sleepy, but I'm on an information high.
I hope I can go back to CIL sometime. I understand that budgetary constraints might keep me from going next year, but maybe in a couple years I can go back. Maybe I can even present there one day! Whatever the case, I definitely need to get the hubby to go with me to DX sometime. We might even try the MegaBus! OK, duty calls.

Love Your Libraries Fun Run

This weekend I did the Love Your Libraries 5K at UT with my good buddy, Erin. We had a blast-- had a great time talking. She's so nice. I'm really glad I got to meet her. Afterwards I went and ran some errands and then later met up with Erin, her husband, and my good pal Anya. We ate at the Creamery in Fountain City. Oh my goodness-- it was so delicious. I was glad the Creamery accepted my expired internet coupon, cause it wasn't cheap, but the cheeseburger was on a slightly sweet bun. The fries were tasty, and the chocolate shake was the icing on the cake. At ~$12 and probably 1500 calories, I couldn't do it all the time, but I enjoyed it while it lasted! I am so grateful to have so many nice friends. I definitely need more occasions to see these ladies. :)

Gah!

I have been thinking a lot lately about the discrepancy between who I am and who I want to be. But to change requires that I be aware of what I want to be at critical times when I am distracted by other motives. Hm. How to resolve?
Things at work are kind of hectic lately. A voluntary lay-off is going on, and depending on what happens with the FY2011 budget, there could be an involunary lay-off to follow. I am trying to remain faithful, and have been praying for good things to happen. I've been so blessed to have my job, and I don't want to lose it. I've just been trying to be prayerful and patient, and I'm trying to work hard and be productive. Because of all the time and effort I've been putting into work, I've totally slacked on my diet. I just feel like there are only so many things I can focus on at any given time. I'm trying to stick with some small positive changes that I've made, and with lent coming up soon, I should have some new motivation. I think this year I might give up fried food. That means no more fries, no more chips and salsa, no more Sunday donuts. It would be good for me. Mmmm, speaking of chips and salsa, Charles and I have found a new Mexican restaurant in town that we enjoy. Mexico Lindo is on Cedar Bluff. Last night we had their dinner special. It's a "pick two" dinner.... you get to choose 2 items from a list (taco, enchilada, burrito, tamale....), and 2 sides (rice, beans, or mashed potatoes). You get 2 dinners, 2 drinks, and one dessert (ice cream with sopapilla!) for $12.99. It is delicious, and a fantastic deal. I recommend the enchilada. Also, chicken entrees do not have onions and peppers mixed in with the chicken. I like onions and peppers, personally, but Charles does not, so he was very happy with the chicken item that he had.
Lastly, I want to recommend a series of books. They are the Haggis-On-Whey books.... fake sciencey kids' books written by Benny Haggis-On-Whey and Dr. Doris Haggis-On-Whey. They are totally silly! You should check them out if you like silly books. :)
OK, back to the grindstone....

I'm so behind!

As usual, things have been crazy and hectic. I've been working a lot-- having some extra projects to do at work has been fantastic. I tend to work much more efficiently when I have a lot to do, and I've been meeting people, too! My job is where I've been focusing the majority of my energy lately, so I've put all weight loss efforts on hold with the exception of continuing to attend my bi-weekly karate class. I've also been trying to implement some healthy choices by changing one habit at a time and keeping it for a month before adding a new one. It's been helping me to keep a little focus, while preventing me from getting overwhelmed.
Lots have been going on. My hubby has been administering IQ tests as practice for his School Psych degree. He gave a great test this morning to one of the greatest 13 year olds I know. It's been a lot of fun helping him practice and talking to him about pros and cons of different types of tests.
This weekend I got to see Anya and meet a bunch of her friends, and have what was probably the greatest cupcake I've ever had in my entire life. She sent 2 home with me, too, so I'm going to go eat my other one and let the hubs have his in just a moment. I'm hoping Anya will blog about it so I can just link everyone to what I dubbed the Anya Bomb. :)
Here in an hour or 2 I'll be going to a friend's place, probably to watch the Packers lose the Super Bowl. :( Gosh, I hope not. This is really only my 2nd year watchin NFL, so my feelings aren't very strong just yet, but I have serious favorings for the Packers over the Steelers and would like to see the Packers win. I like their small town, Americana attitude. So GO PACK GO and all that jazz.
There was so much that I wanted to write about, but I'm kind of getting distracted at the moment by a very fussy dog, so I think I'm just going to wrap this up and start preparing for the Super Bowl. If you read this, I hope you're having a great weekend! :)