TV Banishment

I have gotten really off target with my New Year's goal of only one hour of TV/day. One hour has been sliding into 75 minutes, then into an hour and a half. The odd part is, I'm not enjoying my time in front of the TV, even when I cheat to get it. Blair and I watched a movie on Saturday and by the time it was over at 10:30, my head hurt and I was too wired to sleep.

So today I begin anew. One hour of TV/day, max. I do NOT need to watch an episode of Friends for a break at 5:30. I have plenty to keep me busy. In fact, I've pulled together a list of short tasks that need to be done around the house. And there are bonuses to be had. Yesterday I was doing one of these small tasks, the one which involved emptying out and wiping down the silverware drawers, and discovered that this is where Blair has been hiding the dark chocolate from me. (We buy a box of dark chocolate and he doles out a piece a day to me. I can't be trusted to have the box available to me as I'll eat it all in one day. I've been looking for his secret hiding place for months, so yesterday was a big score for me.)

I also need to get my butt out the door and running more often. The Massacre Marathon Relay is on Sunday. I ran the course on Saturday with two of my teammates and it is a hilly 1.6 mile loop. Not huge hills, but enough to put me out of breath if I'm trying to run them fast. I'm aiming for an 8:30 or better pace for my laps.  Go Supergeezer Team, Go!

February New Year's Resolutions

Did I mention I'm implementing  my New Year's Resolutions monthly this year? It just seems likely this will return a higher rate of success.

January, as you're all aware, was the one hour of TV per day.  This has gone well. My focus when I made the resolution was on weekdays. I'll still watch a movie or, for example, the Superbowl, on weekends. I haven't been perfect. There have been a couple of times I've indulged and watched 90-120 minutes of TV. But I'm thinking about it now, and I'm aware that I don't feel good, mentally and physically, after I watch TV at night. So I'll carry that resolution forward as I implement February.

February has to do with food. And after thinking about it, I think I'm going to implement this goal in stages throughout the month.  The resolution is not to read anything while I eat. This is huge for me. Unless Blair and I sit down to dinner together, I ALWAYS have a book or magazine in my face while I eat. Meals are how I keep up with my magazine reading: Newsweek, The New Yorker, Log Homes, NC Business Journal, and several other magazines are read while eating cereal and sipping coffee. 

The problem with this is twofold.  One, I'm unaware of what I'm eating. I look up and--surprise!--my meal is gone. This leaves me feeling like I've never really had a meal and I consequently go back to get more (which disappears while I read the next article). The other problem is that I've trained myself that I need to be eating to finish an article. If I finish my meal but there is still a page to go, I will walk back into the kitchen and find something to eat while I finish reading. Not a good thing.

To begin, I'm concentrating on breakfast. No reading while eating breakfast. If that goes well for two weeks, I'll include lunch. But I'd prefer not to rush it. I'd rather a small good habit take hold versus trying to force an instant overhaul that's unlikely to stick.

I can already tell I'll miss my reading. But I think about this as creating awareness versus a lifelong change. Once I break the habit, there's no law that says I can't read the occasional article at the table.  Moderation in all things.

Wish me luck.

Checkmate

Blair is teaching me to play chess. We spent last night playing a game.  I made one brilliant move, completely by accident. Blair in fact had to point out that in my next move I would capture his queen. He's very patient. It's pretty much like he's playing against himself, as he's still allowing me to talk through every move.

I love the game and how tired I feel after I play it. Much mental exertion. However, I also find it frustrating because at this point, I just can't "see" the moves. I can see maybe 1 or 2 moves ahead (maybe), while you really need to be able to look ahead about 8-10 moves.

"I can't see my next move!" I say in frustration. "How am I supposed to maim my opponent if I can't see my next move?"

"Just enjoy the game," said Blair. "Look, I just enjoy moving the little pieces around the board."

This, I think, pretty much sums up our difference in attitude toward life.

He's pretty funny when we play. I'll go to move a piece and across the table I'll hear, "Cough, cough." So I'll put my hand on a second piece. "Arrrgh, cough," says Blair.

"What?" I ask.

He nods toward the board. "Your horse is in mortal danger."

It's amazing how much free time I've gained since my New Years resolution to watch only 1 hour of TV per day. I didn't really think I watched all that much, but I apparently was vegging out for a couple of hours each night. With no TV, there's now plenty of time for reading, chess, walks, cooking, and household chores.

But for now, I must go. My horse is in mortal danger.

Annoying Things About Me

In a mild, totally non-compulsive type way, I'm always on the lookout for topics to blog about, usually everyday occurrences in life that make me laugh. The other day Blair did something mildly annoying--I can't even remember what --and I thought, "I'll do a blog about his funny, annoying, yet endearing characteristics." Then I thought he might not appreciate such a blog, so I decided to turn the tables and blog about my own funny, annoying and (one hopes) endearing traits.

So in no particular order other than this is how they occurred to me, here is a list of weird, obsessive, and sometimes annoying habits I possess. Blair honey, this blog's for you.

• I have to open the curtains as soon as I get up. Even if it’s 4 am and pitch dark, I twist open the blinds and wait for the sun.
• I believe my plants have feelings and I apologize to them if I accidentally slam their leaves in a drawer or have to yank off a stem. 
• I like to look in peoples homes at night when I drive by them.
• I keep my bedside clock set five minutes fast. I insist Blair do the same.
• I don't mind sorting, washing, drying, or folding laundry, but with all my being I loathe putting it away.
• I am a musical retard. I listen almost exclusively to 80's pop music - Pat Benatar and the Go-Go's still rock in my book.
• I can listen to the same music over and over and over. I only have about 30 songs on my I-pod and they've been the same songs for the last four years.
• If a pan goes on the top shelf, I leave it on the counter for Blair to deal with when he gets home versus getting out the step stool and putting it away myself.
• I like things to be even. If I crack knuckles on one hand,  I must crack the knuckles on the other. If I scratch behind my left ear, I can't go long before I scratch behind my right.
• I have an obsession with clean windows in my home but could care less how dirty (on the outside) my car is.
• I can never remember even rudimentary details about a book less than 24 hours after I’ve read it.
• I will sometimes pretend not to see people in a crowd to avoid talking to them. (For the record, I feel bad about this. ) 
• I always ask Blair if he has his keys when we leave the house, even if I have my keys or even if I see his keys in his hand.
• I can't think straight if there are dishes in the sink
• No matter what the temperature or time of year, I always have cold hands and feet.
• I clean the rooms in our home in the exact same order each week.
• I refuse to reuse a glass. I'll get a clean glass from the cupboard for every meal, snack, or sip of water during the day.
• I have gotten out of my car at a gas station, turned off the car and unhinged the pump before realizing the "pay at the pump" option is broken. I'll get back in my car and drive to a new gas station before I'll walk the 5 steps inside to pay.
• I'm a horrible tipper.
• I  become almost physically ill when I see a stray dog or cat.
• I still don't know how to properly apply mascara.

Sorry. Some days it's harder than others to find things to blog about.