The Last of the Business Cards

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Do you ever procrastinate on something to the point of ridiculousness? I'm usually pretty Type A about attending to the details of life, but I apparently have some sort of unresolved mental/emotional block toward ordering business cards that prevents me from taking even the first step in that direction. Probably something that happend in my childhood.

I have FOUR cards left. Four. And I've got a book signing/workshop presentation the 2nd weekend in Novemeber and I'm a featured speaker at a writers conference in Atlanta the 3rd weekend in November. Hmmm... think there will be any immediate need for cards in my future?

I know why I'm waiting. I have 2 cards I use - one book oriented and one business-writing oriented. I'm reviving and updating the book card, but what's happened is the woman who designed my cards has gone a different route. So what used to be a quick call on my end - "Linda, I need more cards" has now morphed to mega-hassle proportion in my mind as I must take her image, erase some text, add others, find a new printer, etc. (Yes, it will probably take all of an hour once I sit down and do it, but I'm finding any reason to avoid doing that, including early voting today.)

The other card, my business card, needs an overhaul as well - new background and something... something... on the back side. I'm meeting tomorrow with the friend who designed this card and little does she know of my plans to ambush her and beg help with a new design.

Cards before the book signing--that's the goal.

Running Starts the Day Out Right

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When I stepped outside this morning at 7:15, sky just beginning to pale with the rising sun, frost silver on the grass and my breath visible in clouds in front of me, my initial thought was, "S***."

I am not a fan of being cold. Therefore, I was not happy about hauling my cookies to GSO to do a freezing cold trail run. My first mile out on the trail didn't help. "This isn't fun anymore," I thought, as I wiped my dripping, frozen nose with my icy hands. My ass was a solid chunk of ice.

But about 2 miles in the sun seemed to pop out of nowhere, changing the fall leaves to a bright gold under our feet and sending sparkles of water and shimmery fog across the lake. We entered into a steady pace and my body warmed up, allowing me to enjoy the crunch of leaves and branches under my trail shoes as I watched squirrels and chipmunks scatter out of our way. Dave and I chatted about running and races or jogged in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

By the time we completed our 6 mile loop, I was wondering why I ever did anything with my time BUT run. There simply is no better way to kick-start the day. I came home, took a long, hot shower and have been a walking bundle of energy ever since. The sun is gleaming through the windows and even though it's already past 11, the day still feels filled with potential. There are hours in which to write, cook, read, and love on the cats. And the small things that seemed annoying this morning (I need to order business cards, we have a yellowjacket nest over our back porch so I need to call the exterminator--AGAIN, I have calls to return,...) now seem okay. Fun, even.

Would I have felt this way without the run? Maybe, but I doubt it. The cold was worth it. What a great way to start the day.

Someone remind me of this on Sunday, when we do our last 21-mile run. =)

 

Da Funk is Shook - Day 1 Success

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Happy to report that mission "Lose Da Funk" is a go. I had a busy, productive day that has left me eager to dig back into work tomorrow. I had a great writing day and on top of that, managed to prepare a kick-a** spicy red pepper lasagna AND a spinach paneer Indian dish over basmati rice. The morning was wonderfully relaxing with no stop and jerk checking of blogs and e-mails. I got the headlines, organized my work for the day, took a few phone calls, and made it to yoga.

I went into GSO to work, but when I got back the mojo kept flowing. Instead of vegging with 40 minutes of Oprah (which always turns into closer to 2 hours), I watered the plants, ran to the grocery store, entered receipts in my expense account, and spent an hour going through the hall and linen closets, as well as my jewelry, shoe, and purse collection, weeding out items for this Saturday's yard sale. 

I did ab work while the rice simmered and shot out some e-mails while I waited for the red peppers to cool. Instead of sitting down at 7 pm in front of the TV, I finally got around to responding to today's e-mails. 

I'm tired, but in a good way. Got a lot of good writing done and all the other minor details make me feel like I've accomplished something today. None of this is surprising, however, I am always a model student on Day 1. And I'll have enough of a buzz left over from today to carry me through tomorrow.  The real test will come later this week when I just want to bonk in front of mindless TV or eat cereal for dinner instead of making something healthy.

The great news is I started a new chapter - a Myers Briggs Type profile for felines-- and I'm cracking myself up as a I write it, always a good sign.

On a different note... a woman in my running group who has trained like a warrior all summer for her first marathon found out that she has a pulled ligament she has to stay off of for a minimum of 6 weeks. That means no marathon for her. If you're not a runner, it may be hard to understand the heartbreak associated with this. You all have seen how much time and focus I devote to my running and trust me when I say I take it easy on you--I could write about running 24/7. Pumping yourself up for a marathon is like planning all year for the vacation of a lifetime--you've got the star hotel, you've made lists of everything you want to see, you've got new clothes, and your whole being is focused on the number of days left until you escape to your paradise--only your boss pops up and demands you work that week and the whole vacation is trashed in an instant. Amy will be back next year for sure, but it's cruel to have an injury like that this late in the training. 

That's all for tonight. One last check of e-mail and then I'm signing off for the night.