Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Snow Days

Wow, so far this month has been *snowy*! Digging out a few times in the past couple of weeks, and trying to keep my frigid apartment somewhat warm.
Eating dinner in the warm bathtub is not unheard of, LOL.

School is under way, panic attacks and revelations all happening right on cue. Planning research projects, writing papers, increasing hours at the library all mark mid-semester. I'd like to take a few days off from work next month and go a little nuts on schoolwork. Focused time is precious!
Doing my own research study on weight gain, apparently, ha ha. It's titled 'How eating a lot severely alters which clothes fit'...


Spent last Friday and Saturday in a lifespan class, then had a celebration lunch on Saturday with my sister and brother in law, their two little ones, and my college roommate, her husband, and their 1 1/2 children...the '1/2' due March 6th. We went for Indian, indulging in our love for the cuisine and hoping the spice might kick my friend into labor...nothing yet :)

My lovely boyfriend and I celebrated Valentine's with roses, chocolate (for him), some music, and the Indian lunch. I'm very lucky to have him in my life and love him more and more each day; he's an amazing caregiver and takes better care of me than I do!
Yesterday he even took my kitty to the vet in the snowstorm for her annual exam, and then back at my place he set up my coffee pot so it was all ready for me this morning! It's the little things...I know.

Oh and I'm not even mentioning the Olympics! I'm relatively addicted and want to watch as much as possible. Last night I watched Lindsey Jacobellis disqualify, bummer! Men's figure skating, wow those are some flashy costumes! I'm amazed by these athletes, and also by their humanness, which I appreciate, given the level at which they perform. It reminds me of the value of imperfectionism as well as the difficulty of what they're doing (and how easy they make it look, overall!)

I'm an Olympic procrastinator, so I better get going on my tasks for the day.
Have a lovely one!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Food, Inc

Spring Semester has begun, and I'm feeling more calm this time around. I think I actually have more work than last semester, if that's possible, but either it hasn't hit me yet or I'm pretty confident that hey...it'll all get done. Always does!

My pre-clinical training class is really fun/interesting. We're taught exactly how a session goes and exactly...what to say, really. A beginning therapist's dream :)

Another class, Substance Abuse, seems chock full of projects/papers/books. I'm reading Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp and I totally recommend it. We were also asked to give something up that we do/enjoy every day, for ten weeks. I gave up chocolate, and instantly regretted it, ha! Maybe when the 10 weeks is done, I won't even want it anymore. I'll...keep you posted. Or, you'll hear that I've run off to be the editor at Chocolatier Magazine and am in full swing training my chocolate lab while learning the art of fondue.

Have brought my yoga practice out of the studio and into my living room, due to class costs and time restraints! Enjoying some David Life and Sharon Gannon DVD's as well as an Ashtange Primary Series on YouTube and a mix of a couple other ones. I want to develop my second bedroom into more of a yoga space...any ideas?

I got into a bit of a Netflix/iTunes movie groove this past weekend with Bob, and we watched Ashtanga, NY (with Pattabhi Jois!) and Food, Inc. OhhhhhmyGod. Please, please watch it. And please, please do what you can to stop factory farming by supporting your local farms and organic fare.
A common misconception is that if you support organic foods, you have to eat ONLY organic. That isn't true! There are certain animal products (meat, milk, eggs) and fruits/vegetables (pears, strawberries, grapes, bell peppers, spinach, potatoes) to name a few that are Must-Buy organic, but there are also lists of the same types of things that DON'T have to be organic. So, learn what's safe and supportive and go from there. You can find so much information online; it's easy, you have no excuse!
Awareness is the answer!