Walking With Nora

Now that I’m back to being a regular at my gym, I’m starting to feel like part of the community. On M/W/F the same girl shows up about 8pm and does some funky exercises on the treadmill. On Sunday afternoons at 4pm, a group of 20 high school boys flood the basketball court for a semi-impromptu pick-up game of “hoops.” Thursday evening is buff dudes in the weight area. It’s nice to see friendly faces, know the receptionist and just kind of feel like I belong.

However, considering 75% of the TVs at the gym feature CNN, Fox News, MSN-NBC and an insane amount of ESPN, I’m usually left to people watch and rock out to my personal supply of music. (Unless, of course, bull riding is on ESPN. I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. Literally.) This also means that certain gym behaviors start to get to me…

* Cell phones in the gym. There’s one guy who walks around with his bluetooth glued to his ear. Half the time I don’t see the bluetooth device and think he’s talking to me. Let’s not get me started on the girls who use the treadmills and talk about last night’s adventures loudly. I suppose I understand if you’re a doctor on call, a mom with a sick kid, or have a family member undergoing surgery but if that’s the case, what in the world are you doing at the gym? If I bring mine in (it’s rare I do), I put it on silent and only take/make calls outside the gym.

* Towel-less people. There’s a very clear gym rule: You MUST bring in your own towel when you work out. It’s polite to put said towel on the seat of the weight machines, ab machines, and to dab at your sweat as you workout. It’s also required to wipe down the machines you use when you’re done. See those towels & disinfectant spray? Yup, that’s what it’s for. Sadly, one man in particular, an avid bicyclist, dripping in sweat, walks away from the bike without so much as wiping off the seat or handlebars. It’s gross.

* Commentary. I know it’s a public place but I get super annoyed when the dude next to me on the treadmill is listening to political shows while working out and each time he agrees or disagrees he loudly grunts or gives thumbs-up to the TV.

* Machine Hogs. During peak time, I follow the rules. Sign-up for a machine, use it for 30 minutes and move on. There are some people, however, who like to incorporate cardio machines into their weight-lifting, which I totally understand but I don’t see why they need to get visibly aggravated if the machine they *were* using isn’t free when they get back from their reps in the weight area. I’ve seen a confrontation on more than one occasion and really, it just seems so unncessary.

* Creepers/Ooglers. There are a few older guys , you know in really short short short running shorts and hairy legs, who insist on randomly talking to women on the stair climber/elliptical/bike. If one girl won’t talk to them, they go on to the next. I get they want to make friends or score a date but for a lot of us, time at the gym is sacred. It’s our downtime. Talk to us when we’re stretching.  Or take the hint we aren’t interested and don’t talk to us at all. And the ooglers? The guys who literally stop what they are doing to watch women go by, high-fiving and giggling like school children? While perhaps it’s flattering it’s a little  lot awkward (if you’re the girl).

(And if you want to read about other pet peeves, check out Nilsa’s post. A total coincidence that we each posted about pet peeves today!)

What are your gym/public pool/public place pet peeves?

(title courtesy of Animotion’s 1985 song Obsession)

This month I’m kind of obsessed with:

* Man vs Food. Granted half of what he chooses to eat is really, really disgusting (in terms of fat content) it’s definitely amazing to learn about the various culinary tastes of different cities across the U.S. I don’t recommend watching this show after you’ve worked out because no matter what, you will be hungry. Mt. Vesuvius Ice Cream Sundae, anyone?

* Jeffrey Dean Morgan. How I forgot about him since P.S., I Love You, I have no idea. I watched the Accidental Husband over the weekend (feel free to laugh at me if you wish, but I liked it) and not only is he sexy, he plays an NYC Fireman. My favorite combination:

* My Nintendo DSi. Since mid-December I’ve been doing at least three crossword puzzles each night before I go to bed. It’s addictive. It doesn’t help that my parents have fed my addiction with some games that I’m itchin’ to get started.

* The Big Bang Theory. I can’t get enough. I introduced my family to the show by giving my dad Season One for Christmas which we plowed through before New Year’s Eve. We may or may not have finished Netflix-ing (is that a verb?) Season Two last week. So now it’s either Hulu or waiting until Season Three comes out on DVD.  Everything about the show… I just love it.

* Anything on HGTV, Food Network or Travel. These channels are the reason I don’t get to sleep on time. I’m glued to House Hunters International because I just have to know what house they are going to choose, while grumbling about these people who can live in Paris and Belize, I want their jobs. Or stare at Color Splash because the designs are so awesome and the host is hot. Don’t get me started on Iron Chef or anything including Paula Deen (she’s hilarious). I just can’t turn it off. Apparently I have a mildly addictive personality when it comes to all things TV/movie related.

* The Treadmill. Why oh why did I stop running? The energy burst, the sense of accomplishment, the physical benefits. I’m kind of in love with it (again). I also kind of want to be a personal trainer (again). Probably something I should look into.

* Naps. With it being winter and cloudy, naps are the thing. A 20-minute nap after work? Yes, please. A two-hour nap on a Saturday afternoon? Most definitely.

* The Usual Suspects: Books. Movies. Fuzzy socks (well, okay, not a usual, just a winter thing). Netflix. My dog, Jack. Bloggy Friendships.  The snooze button on my alarm and chocolate.

What’s one of your obsessions this month? Anything I must do, see, or check out in February?

(via we heart it)

25 days into 2010 and work is beating me to a pulp. I’m not very good at pushing back at the office or saying no in my personal life which leaves me overextended and gasping for air.  I feel behind in my friendships, my emails, my cards, the fun projects I like to do and kind of feel like a bit of a disappointment to myself and to others. My brain reminds me of Times Square on it’s busiest day: never slowing, lights flashing reminders of projects to-do, chores to attend to, noise and anything but calm.  Overreacting? Maybe, but it’s just kind of how I feel. Maybe it’s the fact that we have had nothing but cloudy, gray days for the last two weeks, or maybe I just need more sleep.  

Times like this it’s important for me to recenter myself, try to slow down and find moments of Inner Peace.

Peace is resolving to leave work at work as much as possible, even if that means not reconnecting your work email to your Crackberry.

Peace is holding a six-week old baby for 15 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. The gray clouds disappeared as you hold a miracle in your arms. Double the peace when you smell the sweet baby scent. I literally could have smelled his head (that’s where babies smell the best if you ask me) all day.

Peace is allowing yourself to take a nap on Sunday afternoon, ignoring the gym, and the laundry pile for another hour or two.

Peace is settling in with another romantic comedy even though the plot is formulaic but alas, they make you laugh, they make you cry, they remind me that you are a hopeless romantic and to never give up.

Peace is hitting the treadmill hard, increasing the speed and distance, blasting the rap & heavy metal and pounding it out.

Peace is falling into bed, reading a good book for 10 minutes before falling asleep with the lights on, the book on your stomach, and your dog snoring beside you.

Peace is learning to shut out the noise, ignore the to-do list (both personal and professional) and just working on refocusing. A work in progres surely, but it’s always good to have a starting point. Next step? Reorganizing the tasks in my work day for maximum productivity, meditating a few times a week, and allowing myself at least one fun-only-for-Nora activity a day.

{via weheartit}

* (Special thanks to Kyla and the conversations we’ve had lately as she’s inspiring me to write what I really need to write lately, no matter the topic. )

What do you do when everything seems to be going a little too fast? I’m always open to advice or new ways of looking at things!

I have a slight addiction.

An addiction to merchandise sold at concerts, plays or other live events I attend. (I buy shirts, occasionally environmentally friendly tote bags, and rarely a sticker. Shirts are perfect for the gym, sometimes going out… DMB shirts have the coolest designs ever… and sleeping in.)

When the doors finally open and I can go into the venue, I make a beeline to the “merch booth,” to peruse the wares. Depending on the event I may be able to find presents for the family (like a “Killers” t-shirt for Darling, or a sticker for my brother to put on his bass case). Other times it’s purely selfish, all for me.

So, when my whole family went to see Eddie Izzard earlier this month, I told myself it wasn’t necessary to buy anything. Sure, I’ve seen his stand-up on DVD but never live, I don’t know all his jokes, so it would be pointless for me to buy something.

And then I saw it. A t-shirt that says “Cake or Death?” I had to have it. Partially because the question is obviously ridiculous and who would choose Death over Cake? Partially because it was a cute fitted black tee with a glorious looking cupcake/cake logo. I bought it.

Then my family teased me for not having a single clue as to what the message on my shirt means. After the show I promptly used “the google,” to find out what I’d be displaying proudly when it’s finally warm enough to wear the shirt:

Another reason to like Eddie, in case you didn’t already? He ran 43 marathons in 51 days. 43 FULL marathons, in 51 days. They showed a video after his show about his journey and I must say it’s incredibly inspiring.

I also can’t wait for this movie to be available in the U.S. It’s a documentary all about Eddie Izzard, his path, his life, but what struck me the most? The quote that is woven throughout this trailer, all about believing in yourself. “You’ve got to believe.” Plain, simple, but so true.

It’s been (more or less) three months since this happened.

Somedays it feels like it was yesterday and I want to curl up in a ball, ignore my life and just cry. Cry because I miss him, I miss us, I miss what made us “us.” Cry because I don’t want to go through the dating scene again. Cry because I thought I was so close to the next fabulous thing. Cry because I feel alone and if I’m being honest a little bit lost. On these days I want to go back to sometime in August when we went on quite possibly my most favorite date ever: an entire day in the park with books, wine, cheese and bread, hand-holding and kisses, hugs and love. We joked when breaking up that if only we could go back to that day, for then, everything was right with the world.

Fortunately those days are few and far between now but when they hit, they hit hard.

90% of the other days it feels like it was so long ago that we said goodbye, embracing each other for one last time, tears and snot (hey, no one said break-ups were glamorous) running down our faces.

On these days I am me…

The girl who goes to the gym five days a week and kicks her own butt until she comes out looking like a sweaty strawberry. 

The girl who spontaneously goes to a movie with the girls, the bookstore to buy yet another book, or opts for a low-key night in.

The girl who is not ready to date yet, because, well, quite frankly I find dating to be a lot of bullshit and frankly, I’m not up for all that.

The girl who is not yet used to sleeping alone. (Thank goodness for her cuddly dog.)

The girl who is back to baking, cooking, volunteering, babysitting and organizing simply because she can and it makes her happy.  

The girl who is friends with her Ex, Irish, for the time being, right, wrong or indifferent because he needs a friend right now and if she’s being honest, so does she.

The girl who hasn’t abandoned the idea of love even though her heart is still in repair and tear ducts still recovering from months of crying.

The girl who is surrounded by engaged/marrieds/pregnant friends who try so hard to understand where I’m coming from but still ask when I think I’ll meet someone/get married/live with him.  

The girl who, despite her hopeless romantic self, gives the stink eye to all things Valentine’s Day related.

The girl who goes on long walks with her dog just to sort through it all, whatever it is that needs sorting.

The girl who would be (even more) lost without her family, her amazing friends and this entire community of friends too.

The girl who still has moments of crippling loneliness that feel so cavernous she doesn’t think she’ll be able to climb out.

The girl who walks with hope in her heart and a smile on her face everyday even when she doesn’t think it will do her a lick of good.

The girl who is oddly at peace with the way things are, even if it hurts sometimes, even if it’s not ideal.

(The contents of this post are brought to you by LiLu and a fabulous band of 30 bloggers; check out LiLu’s blog for the complete list of participants who made this possible!)

The quandry: We feel terrible. Just horrible. And oh so helpless… if only there was something we could DO for them.

The answer: Ummmm. Did you forget that WE ARE THE INTERNET?!?!!??! And also, Yes We Can!!!

The result: Brandy and your Hot Awesome Dude… this one’s for you. Love, The Internet.

Our Plea

Our friend Brandy is a brilliant writer, a wonderful teacher, and a generous friend.  And she is in love with a man who has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

We are raising money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Fund in his name.  For the price of a cinnamon dolce latte, half-caf, hold the whip, you can be part of an effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide.

http://www.loveharder.org

Every dollar brings us a dollar closer to a cure.  And every donation brings a sliver of hope to a girl who needs all the hope she can get.

Love Harder,
Nora

What You Can Do

Give.  Be part of a worldwide effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide.  Every dollar helps.

Pass it on.  Forward this story to five people.  Share this blog post.  Become our fan on Facebook.

Love harder.  Life is short, love is unbending, and no one knows what could happen next.  Tell someone you love them today.
Where Your Money Goes

The American Institute of Philanthropy recently named The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation one of the best organizations to give to in terms of their accountability and use of resources.

By working closely with researchers, clinicians and partners in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, the MMRF has helped bring multiple myeloma patients four new treatments that are extending lives around the globe.

The MMRF has advanced twenty Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. They need your support to advance these clinical research programs and accelerate the development of better, more effective treatments.

The MMRF’s Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative recently became the first to sequence the multiple myeloma whole genome in its entirety.

A whopping 98% of your donation to the MMRF will be used immediately to support high-priority multiple myeloma research.

With diminishing funding for early stage drug development and the next myeloma treatments not expected to be approved until 2011, the MMRF desperately needs your help.

Just a reminder of Brandy’s story:

Brandy’s Story

My name is Brandy. And I have a blog.

And a plea.

I use my blog to showcase the crazy I meet everyday, share the stories of the kids I teach, and document my love for tequila, dairy products and the abdominal muscles of Ryan Reynolds.

Rarely do I talk about personal issues on my blog– as personal as the dude that I adore. But I need your help. And it involves my dude.

He’s a guy who made math comics for my class, so they would love learning about addition. He’s the guy who sends my friends gift cards when they are having hard times, who remembers every story I ever told him, who was the first person I celebrated with when I got a teaching job.

He’s the guy who sent flowers to me at school– dozens of my favourite pink roses just because he loves me. He’s a guy who has spent a year patiently explaining (and re-explaining) everything there is to know about football during the important games when silence is preferred.

He’s made me word puzzles and comics and stayed up late playing Scrabble with me (even though I beat him almost every time). He’s listened to me cry about school and family and jobs. He is everything I never knew I needed and everything I always knew I wanted.

I realize this all sounds dramatic, a Lifetime movie in the making– but this is life. Right now. And I’m throwing away any hint of ego and am humbly asking for you to pray or think kind thoughts. If you are able to pass this on, thank you.

This isn’t a call for sympathy or a plea for pity. It’s just one girl hoping you can think positive thoughts for the person she adores. If my current heartache provides you with anything, let it be the reminder that life is short, love is unbending and no one knows what could happen next.

Thank you for reading this, and if you haven’t already? Please tell someone you love them today.

I did.
DONATE: http://www.loveharder.org
CONTACT: theloveharderfund@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.loveharder.org
MORE INFO: http://www.themmrf.org

Last weekend was spent getting up at odd hours with the 16 year-old beagle that was left in my care while my parents were off jet-setting around South Beach Miami for a few days. It was doting on him, making sure he ate his food, rejoicing in his tail wags as he jauntily pranced along next to Jack on mile-walks.

It was getting slightly annoyed at having to wake up at 6 am on a Saturday morning but giving into sleep on the couch with some cheesy movie on in the background.  

It was treating myself to dinner (pizza) and a movie (Iron Man) on Friday night, followed up with some Big Bang Theory Season Two, follwed with falling asleep on the couch at the hour of 11pm.

It was pushing myself at the gym, feeling the pain, but seeing results. It was going back for more.

It was watching old movies like Sex and the Single Girl and newer movies like 500 Days of Summer. (Side Note: I’d like to look like Natalie Wood in my next life. And I still have a few mixed emotions about 500 Days of Summer but overall, I’m glad I watched it.)

It was venturing out into the foggy evening to see a best friend and her hubs and enduring some crazy talk from another friend. It was being an adult and calling it a night when I knew my heart wasn’t in the mood to head to a bar. It was curling up with the pups, watching Sex and the City and indulging in some ice cream.

It was skyping with a best friend and my brother. It was blackberry messenger chats and phone calls with other besties who sadly live entirely too far away.

It was doing some cleaning because, well, it makes me feel better. It was dancing to Latin-infused music all around the house, making oatmeal chocolate chip cookies at 8pm on a Sunday night because I can, it was waiting for my parents to come home.

It was a weekend that somehow left me feeling slightly less rested than when the weekend started but as usual feeling content, excited and hopeful.

Thank you again to everyone who’s been reading my little corner of the interweb for the last few years; your readership and friendship is such an integral part of my life. Couldn’t imagine my life without this blog anymore!

And now, for the winners!*

The winner of Giveaway #1 for Chocolat the movie, the book & a Cadbury chocolate bar is…. Commenter #61:  Little Miss Obsessive!

The winner of Giveaway # 2 for the artisan Journal, G2 Pens and the thank you notes is… Commenter #43: Amanda from Teasingly Diverse!

Congratulations, ladies! Look for an email from me soon.

Stay tuned as I’ll have another giveway posted in early February!

 *There were two comments that didn’t count- one pingback and one from Darling who didn’t want to enter, so I took those out and renumbered every comment numbers 1-61. Winners were picked via random.org.

 {via weheartit}

That picture? Says it all. It’s how I feel and wow, does it feel good. 

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway; check back on Monday to find out who the winners are.

{Don’t forget to enter my giveaway! Deadline is tonight at midnight.
Also, if you haven’t already, please note my new URL is http://walkingwithnora.com. The old URL will be going away soon!}

We have a very unusual group of men in the office this week: a bold, loud, potty-mouthed group of men.

Some of the things they say is just wow.

Man (to girlfriend on phone): If I had loved you when it was your birthday I would have gotten you something nice. I feel bad that I didn’t love you then. You deserve something better than a fast food dinner on your birthday. But if you want to get me something cool for mine since you love me now, a Wii would be nice or a PS3 or all the Lost Seasons on DVD.
(Nora Thought: …..{there are no words})

Man 1: I don’t understand these people who want to ban cigarette smoke in bars, airports, sports pavillions, restaurants and outdoor events.
Man 2: Me either. And what’s with these people who want to legalize marijuana?
Man 1: They are probably the ones who wanted to ban cigarette smoke. Where the fuck do they think they are going to smoke it? Sure as hell not in the bars, airports, sports pavillions and restaurants. Crazy hippies thinking they rule the world.
(Nora Thought: Tell me how you really feel about it.)

Yet Another Man: I don’t care what anybody says. If I see a dead deer on the side of the road, I’ll stop and take it. Saves me from hunting.
(Side Note: This made it in the list because it just totally caught me off guard. Not being a hunter of knowing much about deer, if you take one from the side of the road, is it safe to process it as food and etc? Or is there another purpose my naive self isn’t aware of?)

Yet Another Angry Man: I don’t get what the big deal is with StL Cardinals. Everyone in this town is so obsessed with them. They fabricate rivalries. The Cubs don’t give a shit about the Cardinals. They are fairweather fans. This town just sucks. I hate it. And the Cardinals.
(It honestly took all my strength to not go yell at this guy for dissing my town and my Cardinals. I gave him the stink eye through the wall, though I doubt he felt it.)