Wow. My trainer worked me so hard yesterday. My ass hurts today! But, it's weird, I woke up with so much energy today. Last night I came in from exercise, showered and put my pj's on immediately. It was 7 o'clock! I was just so tired afterward. I made a stirfry for dinner and then we went to bed early to watch Project Runway and Ghandi. Interesting mix, eh? I am amazed at how great I feel today from the exercise.

Yesterday I was watching the good morning america and they were doing a story on the whole stay-at-home-mom vs. working mom. It kind of frustrates me because I feel the middle ground is so not represented in that argument. Where is the "email from a viewer" saying that "thank goodness women can make that choice now?" I kind of feel it was a hard won battle. It really irritates me when people take either side as if anyone could say what is right for them is right for all women. The core of feminism is that women have equal rights, among them, the right to choose whether to stay at home or work. The self righteousness bugs me. Also, there are so many women who have to work to support their families. I guess I err more on the side of working mothers because I understand the need to fulfill yourself and feel challenged and viable. However, I would never say that I think all women should work. I totally get that some women are really fulfilled by raising their children. I don't know - I am not exactly eloquent on these matters which is why I don't often write about political stuff. But, I just wanted it out there for the record that I feel it important to respect the choices that other people make for their lives. And I'm a freakin' housewife! ha.

The balance thing has worked out pretty well this week. I have gotten a lot of housework and business stuff done this week. Forest talked me into setting up a page on MySpace to try to get people to come to my website. He really had to help me a lot! I wouldn't have been able to figure out all that stuff if he hadn't been here. Kids are so smart about technical stuff these days! He sent a bulletin out to all his friends to add me. Isn't that sweet? What a great kid I have. Speaking of him, he has been sick with the cold, poor thing. I let him stay home from school yesterday to rest and take nyquil. I think he is feeling better today.

Had lunch with Victoria on Wednesday. It was fun to catch up. We walked around S. Congress and had lunch at Magnolia. I love her new t-shirts!

gotta cut loose, footloose...

It started out a kind of tough day. My glasses broke just as I was stepping on the treadmil and I had to drive home with one eye shut. James was extra nice to me when I got home, giving me pity and a footrub, which made me feel better. Funny how a little kindness can improve your mood. We had lunch at Cosmic Cafe this afternoon. It was great. We split the Herban Renewal sandwich and the Cosmic Stir Fry. Both really yummy. The food is Indian-inspired vegetarian. It is where the old West Lynn Cafe used to be. Tonight we watched the documentary, Murderball. It is about the paralympic rugby team. I worried I might find it depressing but I came away with a really inspired and hopeful feeling. It is a really touching documentary. I like seeing people overcome obstacles.

I have been thinking a lot in the last few days about marketing for my little business. My friend Amy was telling me on Friday night about the stages of change and I was imagining them in terms of the marketing ideas I have right now and am starting to incorporate. I would list the stages here for you but I was a bit inebriated at the time and I might not remember exactly how they go. heh. Friday night was fun. It was nice to be among such supportive friends and catch up on jobs and lovelives.

Downloaded and am listening to some Brad Mehldau songs I didn't yet have. I love the way he covers old standards as well as contemporary stuff, like Paranoid Android. I also got Black Bird, Dear Prudence, and Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered. His piano playing really makes me happy. I love acoustic music - piano, guitar...speaks to my soul.

Saturday was a nothing day. I mean that in a good way. It is nice to do nothing and not feel guilty about it. The guys were both doing other stuff so I just played around with jewelry, worked a little on my website and then googled a bunch of random stuff on the internet, including people I used to know. That is always fun. Oh yeah and I stayed up late watching Footloose on HBO. That was fun. I totally remember seeing it the theater with my aunt and talking about how hot Kevin Bacon was on the way home. I think at the time we said he was "kick ass." That was a brand new phrase in the mid-80's, right?

random stuff

I am really enjoying reading my horoscopes from dailyom.com. They are just generally full of good advice about self confidence, positive thinking and assertiveness.

I was in Target yesterday and noticed that the sewing notions have gotten a bigger display - almost a half an aisle. Also, they are selling sewing machines there now. That is amazing. I guess it is due to the rising popularity of crafting. I remember that last time I had to look for the sewing notions in Target, I had to walk all over the store and finally found them on a tiny endcap. Yay for crafts! I think it is cool to see other places where they are having an effect. At Nordstom's, they have shoes with crocheted flowers on them.

I have completely given up on the regimented schedule. I just can't do it. Instead I am going for balance. - like half a day on housework, half a day on biz. Or if I have to spend an entire day on one, then the next day I work on the other. Balance. That is my new goal.

Went to yoga last night with Sarah for the first time in weeks. My body was doing that gripey thing it does when I haven't been in a while. The poses feel very uncomfortable and difficult. Afterward though I was really glad I went. Angela always dispenses little bits of wisdom. Last night she was talking about how the way we hold our head affects so much in our back and is a result of how we work or feel. We did a lot of poses for help those areas. I always have a lot of neck and shoulder pain so it was good for me.

On the weight loss project: I haven't gained at all this week because I have been watching my diet very closely but I am having trouble getting below 196. I have a very stubborn body! My trainer said I should only be pumping iron on three days of the week so I have made that change. I must have misunderstood her at first because I thought I was supposed to do it every day - just changing out the part of the body I was working on each day. I have to admit I am really relieved though. It was wearing me out. Now I am just doing cardio 6 days per week and weights 3 days.

There is this big show that I wanted to apply to and I invited three other jewelry people to do it with me. They all declined and I have to say I was kind of relieved at that as well. As soon as I emailed to ask them, I was like "omg what am I doing?" I am not even sure I want to do shows this year! This one I am sure would be a good one but it would also be a ton of work and additional costs, like hiring help, buying insurance and paying extra for electricity. I still think I might apply for some of the big established fine arts festivals around the U.S. I get the emails about them and think, maybe I should just try. It would be cool to go to Colorado in the summer. I could visit my sister. Anyway, I was also worried after I sent the email because it would be inviting another group project into my life which I am not really sure I am up for. I think I work best solo.

Today I am having lunch with Melissa and tomorrow I have plans to hang out with my friend Amy and some other girls at her new condo. It is kind of like her house warming. So, I am excited at the prospect of being with good friends in the next few days. That is always nice.

I made about 10 new pairs of earrings this week and I think two of them will make the cut! It takes a lot of re-working to get something right!

Oh, and one more thing - on Valentine's day when James was teaching me how to make a face, I wanted to explain. He makes the funniest faces. I have never been able to do twist my eyebrows or mouth to make a face so he was helping me figure it out. We started with the character I wanted to be: a wife who is doubtful of her husband's driving (which is so close to home! heh) . So, we worked out the eyebrows and the mouth. He said it was pretty convincing. I had had just enough wine to do be doing this in a crowded restaurant. Yeah, we talk about deep stuff when we are together.

Happy Valentines Day

What a nice evening it was! James took me out early to beat the rush at the sushi restaurant which gave us a nice hour of drinking wine. He is so smart! While we were waiting James helped me figure out how to make a face. Now we are home and about to watch The Bob Newhart Show. What a great valentines!

Emily's pictures

My friends Emily came over on Thursday and I took pictures of my jewelry on her. I think the pictures came out pretty good. And it was fun. She was a very good and patient model. I am excited to get them on the website! I would ultimately like to have several women's pictures for the website.

brown was popular in the 70's too

We have been watching the dvd's of the Bob Newhart Show from the 70's and I am totally tripping out over the set. It is so funny how brown was popular back then but it was so different. Like now, it is paired with pink or blue or aqua but in the 70's they paired it with yellows and oranges and avocado green. It makes it look so different. Also, I suppose, it looks different because it also showed up in that fake wood paneling which is all over the set. Anyway, the show is a feast for the eyes. I love seeing all the weird dishes she uses and the clothing and hair styles she wears. That show is quintessential 70's and kind of makes me feel like a little kid again. That is not to say that I watched it as a kid. The visual environment gives me flashbacks. Also, it is a very funny show.

I didn't actually even go out to the movies like I thought I would this past week. James recently upgraded our netflix account to six dvd's so we ended up having a bunch of good stuff to watch this weekend - Corpse Bride, which was so beautiful and Closer, which was just weird, kind of clever in some areas but also just kind of annoying. We watched some other stuff but I can't recall at the moment. Plus, we are still watching Mash - we are in the second season. Did you know you can turn off the laugh track? It is much better that way. It is still pretty good in the second season. We are watching for the 'jump the shark' moment.

I was watching the travel channel at the gym without sound this morning and she was in Austin. I find this host very annoying. Anyway - she was all decked out in her jeans and cowboy boots - 'cause, you know, that is what we all wear here. I didn't see the whole thing but the outfit was cracking me up.

On the weight-loss front: I was thinking this morning that maybe I am not so amped up about my biz because it is not my main focus right now. I only seem to be able to focus on one project at a time and right now I am losing weight. It is my main project. Case solved. I am excited to say that the project is coming along quite nicely. I have set a goal to reach 190 pounds by the end of February. I am a little embarrassed to reveal my weight but maybe it will help me to just put it out there. I am now at 196. I started out this process at 205. I am feeling really focused right now and if I can maintain the focus, I think I can reach this goal for February. I have finally learned that I have to combine exercise and eating right. It just doesn't work any other way. I have never been one to yo-yo diet or anything like that. My previous three attempts at weight loss were all centered around eating better and exercise but always came to a halt after a vacation or big event when I didn't return to it. This time, having that awareness, I can understand how important it is to hit the gym my first day home. It feels really different this time around. I just feel so much more committed than I ever have before. Also, working with a personal trainer is so helpful. I have always been so confused by exercise. She gives me an education. The tools she has taught me have really helped and I can see a difference. Anyway, this kind of change happens so slowly. I have to exercise patience as well.

Four Things

Corn tagged me....

Four jobs I've had:
Realtor
Secretary
Frame Shop Manager
Waitress

Four movies I can watch over and over:
Hannah and Her Sisters
Out of Africa
The Big Chill
Before Sunrise

Four places I've lived:
May
Dallas
Austin
That's it!

Four TV shows I love:
Lost
Arrested Development
The Office

Young and the Restless (guilty pleasure!)

Four places I've vacationed:

San Francisco

London

Greece

NewYork

Four sites I visit daily:

friend's blogs

my own website

dailyom.com

airamericaplace.com

Four places I would rather be right now:

Watching the sunset on Santorini, Greece

Delphi, Greece

Sitting on a beach watching the waves roll in

Working on jewelry

Four bloggers I am tagging:

Young and With It

Textile Fetish

Random Thoughts

Wendy

cool movie

I forgot to mention that the Friday before I went to NY, we saw Jesus is Magic - and omg, it is good! Sarah Silverman is so freaking funny. I was re-reading some Dorothy Parker stories at jury duty the other day and thinking that their humor is kind of similar - like the story called Diary of a New York Lady. Both of them speak from the point of view of a nauseating person in such a funny way. Anyway, I am no professor or anything but Jesus is a very funny show and I recommend it highly. And Dorothy Parker's short stories also rock.

I love getting the emails from Alamo. There are so many great films at the S. Lamar location that I want to see right now! Munich, This Land is Your Land, Matador, Matchpoint (big Woody Allen fan) and Good Night and Good Luck. I already saw Brokeback Mountain and loved it. I am so excited it got nominated for best film Oscar. I think I am going to be seeing a lot of movies this week.

My allergies are killing me. It's like I have a cold or something. I am all sneezey and have to blow my nose a lot and also I am lightheaded. Plus, my ears are all ringy and clogged up. Very pleasant. I am taking a lot of otc cold medicine.

Made earrings yesterday. I feel like I am on a roll with the earrings right now. There is a tool I need though. It is called a flex shaft, pretty much a dremel with a slimmer handle on a flexible shaft that you operate with a foot pedal. I want it so bad!! I am pricing them out and hopefully will be getting one soon.

And lastly, I have this tiny little pet peeve. Let me preface it by saying I know I am such a hypocrite because I am not always so great with the spelling (I have dictionary.com bookmarked) but -- when people use the wrong spelling of things like sale when they mean sell. Or they're when they mean their. It just bugs the holy living shit out of me. That's all.