Definitely one of the hardest tests I've ever sat for.
About halfway through it, I thought it'd take a miracle for me to pass it.
I'm still a little bit in disbelief.
Whew.
Labels: accomplishments, work
In My HeadMonday, August 06, 2007
YEAH BABY!!!!!
Definitely one of the hardest tests I've ever sat for.
About halfway through it, I thought it'd take a miracle for me to pass it.
I'm still a little bit in disbelief.
Whew.
Definitely one of the hardest tests I've ever sat for.
About halfway through it, I thought it'd take a miracle for me to pass it.
I'm still a little bit in disbelief.
Whew.
Posted by Lori at 8/06/2007 08:53:00 PM
|
Friday, July 27, 2007
I quit smoking six years ago today. Hard to believe it. The time has flown by. I almost forgot about it, actually.
Though the odd craving still sneaks up on me sometimes, I know I will never go back.
Especially when I think it through and realize that, even if I picked up a cigarette right now, I would get ZERO pleasure out of it.
I'd cough, choke, hack, get dizzy, and probably wind up with a pounding headache. Plus, my breath would stink, my clothes and hair would stink, my skin would age prematurely, my teeth would turn yellow, and oh yeah...my lungs would turn black.
Is all of that crap really worth it?
Nope.
Is there anything that life could throw at me that a cigarette would make better?
Nope.
Salud!
Though the odd craving still sneaks up on me sometimes, I know I will never go back.
Especially when I think it through and realize that, even if I picked up a cigarette right now, I would get ZERO pleasure out of it.
I'd cough, choke, hack, get dizzy, and probably wind up with a pounding headache. Plus, my breath would stink, my clothes and hair would stink, my skin would age prematurely, my teeth would turn yellow, and oh yeah...my lungs would turn black.
Is all of that crap really worth it?
Nope.
Is there anything that life could throw at me that a cigarette would make better?
Nope.
Salud!
Labels: accomplishments, deep thoughts, health, life events
Posted by Lori at 7/27/2007 11:03:00 AM
|
Friday, March 16, 2007
Someone asked me to write about this, so here goes.
I began smoking cigarettes when I was fifteen. I was working during the summer at a Hallmark card store. There was another girl who worked with me who was a year or two older than I. Her name was Danette. We got friendly and started hanging out occasionally.
One night after we closed the store, Danette’s friends and I were hanging out at a park in Newtown Square. They were all smokers and they asked me if I wanted a cigarette.
I hesitated. My mother had just ended a twenty-five year smoking habit herself earlier that year. I vividly heard her voice echoing in my mind. “If you EVER touch a cigarette, I will break all ten of your fingers!”
Did that stop me? What do you think?
I shrugged as Mike, Danette’s sometimes-boyfriend, extended a Marlboro Red to me. I slid it between my lips as he held up his gold-plated Zippo lighter.
“Wait a minute,” I said, pulling the cigarette from my lips. “What am I supposed to do with this thing?”
They all laughed at my innocence.
“Just inhale it,” Danette instructed. “Breathe in real fast through your mouth when Mike lights it. Pretend like your mom just walked in on you doing it and gasp, like you're surprised. You might cough for a minute or two, but you’ll get used to it.”
So I did. And man, did I cough! I hacked like an old coalminer for a good ten minutes as I struggled to finish the cigarette. I remember thinking to myself, “Why would anyone enjoy this?” But it seemed like the thing to do…it seemed like everyone I knew smoked.
For several months, I was a weekend social smoker. Terrified that my parents might find me out, I didn’t buy my own packs of smokes for nearly a year after I had my first cigarette. But eventually I gave in to the impulse and began smoking every day. I never smoked at home, so I started spending lots of time at my friends’ houses, where I could enjoy my cigarettes without fear of parental rebuke.
It went on that way for eight years. After about a year, I became a standard pack-a-day smoker. Of course, my parents did find out about it. They were quite upset--particularly my mother, who'd had such a hard time giving it up herself--but they realized that they couldn’t prevent me from smoking when I was away from home.
I remember one time, when I was about seventeen, I lit up a cigarette at a family barbecue in front of everyone. At that point, my entire family knew I smoked, so I figured it was no big thing. My mother, who was sitting across the picnic table from me, took one look at me sucking on my beloved Parliament Light and promptly burst into tears. I quickly stamped it out under my sandal and never smoked in front of her again.
In the spring of 2001, when I was twenty-three, I started thinking about quitting. Nothing in particular made me consider it..I just felt like it was time. Ninety-eight percent of my friends were still smokers, and though my mother occasionally nagged me about it, no one ever seriously asked me to quit. By that time, I was dating Brian and he didn’t smoke, but he never complained about my smoking; in fact, after a few drinks on the weekend, he would usually bum a smoke or two from me! Smoking was never a true addiction for him, though, which is something that still puzzles me to this day. If you’re not gonna go full-tilt, why bother at all?
Anyway, I was up to almost two packs a day at that point due to major job stress. But inexplicably, the pleasure I’d always gotten from smoking was steadily waning. Every time I lit a cigarette, I wound up asking myself why I was doing it. Many times, I would stub it out before I had smoked even half of it. I had also recently joined a health club and was feeling like the world's biggest hypocrite when, as soon as my workout ended, I'd leave the gym and light up immediately in the parking lot on the way back to my car.
I am not an impulsive person. I don’t usually make snap judgments about anything. And I certainly didn’t decide in a split-second to quit smoking. I actually thought about it for months and months before I decided to do it. But I didn’t dare tell anyone; I didn’t want to commit to it out loud. It seemed safer if I kept it to myself. I didn’t want anyone throwing it in my face if I failed.
Friday, July 27, 2001 arrived, and I decided that that would be my quitting day. As luck (or in this case, bad luck) would have it, Brian and a bunch of my coworkers were going to a happy hour after work. They wanted me to come with them. All day long, I sat at my desk and contemplated it. I knew that if I went to happy hour and had a few cocktails, I’d wind up with a cigarette in my hand.
I quietly told Brian that I wouldn’t be joining him for happy hour that night, that I’d decided to quit smoking that day and that I was scared to death I’d fail. Not being a true nicotine addict, he really couldn’t understand what the problem was. He didn’t recognize the correlation between booze and cigarettes for me. Namely, booze = lowered inhibitions = me saying, “Awww, what the hell! I can quit tomorrow!” = cigarettes.
I managed to convince him that I wouldn’t be upset if he went to happy hour that night without me. I went home (I was still living with my parents then) and brooded. And by “brooded,” I mean that I sobbed inconsolably for five straight hours, crumpled up on a lawn chair in the backyard as night fell upon me. Seriously. I wept as if my best friend died. And in a way, I guess that was true; cigarettes had been my friend for eight long years. Cigarettes, and the rituals that I associated with them, had seen me through many good and bad times. I was completely devastated about my decision to quit smoking, as much as I understood (with the small amount of sanity I had left at the time) that it was the right thing to do.
That night, I wondered if my life would ever be the same again. I wondered if I’d ever be able to go out with my friends to happy hour again. I couldn’t imagine ever having fun again without being able to smoke. I couldn’t imagine getting through a stressful day at work without taking a few well-deserved cigarette breaks outside. I couldn’t imagine sitting in rush-hour traffic in my car without puffing away on a Parliament Light. ESPECIALLY when I was in my car; that was my favorite time and place to smoke…the windows and sunroof open, music blasting.
But life went on, as life does. And to my surprise, it got easier for me to not smoke. I learned to sit out the cravings. I figured that just because I felt like I wanted to have a cigarette didn’t mean that I had to give in to it. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, days turned to weeks. And the more time passed, the more determined I was to stick to my goal. I didn’t want to start from scratch all over again. What can I say? I’m very stubborn. When I set my mind to something, I don’t let anything get in my way.
My personal secret to quitting successfully? To never, ever, EVER smoke one more cigarette again. Ever.
I don’t mean to sound flip or cute. Not at all. But that’s what worked for me. It’s simple, but not at all easy. Not easy by a long stretch.
For a time after I quit, I had to stop hanging out with my smoker friends. This, as you might imagine, ruffled some feathers. And I did stop drinking for about six months after I stopped smoking. I just felt strangely incomplete with a cocktail in one hand but no cigarette in the other. Even now, I rarely drink.
Does that mean I’m not tempted to smoke now? Nope. Though it’s been almost six years since I quit, I still think about cigarettes every now and then. And I expect it will be that way for the rest of my life. It’s not often, but sometimes the urge to smoke hits me like a fucking stampede of cattle, and I have to take a few deep breaths until it passes.
Especially when I’m sitting in my car in traffic.
I began smoking cigarettes when I was fifteen. I was working during the summer at a Hallmark card store. There was another girl who worked with me who was a year or two older than I. Her name was Danette. We got friendly and started hanging out occasionally.
One night after we closed the store, Danette’s friends and I were hanging out at a park in Newtown Square. They were all smokers and they asked me if I wanted a cigarette.
I hesitated. My mother had just ended a twenty-five year smoking habit herself earlier that year. I vividly heard her voice echoing in my mind. “If you EVER touch a cigarette, I will break all ten of your fingers!”
Did that stop me? What do you think?
I shrugged as Mike, Danette’s sometimes-boyfriend, extended a Marlboro Red to me. I slid it between my lips as he held up his gold-plated Zippo lighter.
“Wait a minute,” I said, pulling the cigarette from my lips. “What am I supposed to do with this thing?”
They all laughed at my innocence.
“Just inhale it,” Danette instructed. “Breathe in real fast through your mouth when Mike lights it. Pretend like your mom just walked in on you doing it and gasp, like you're surprised. You might cough for a minute or two, but you’ll get used to it.”
So I did. And man, did I cough! I hacked like an old coalminer for a good ten minutes as I struggled to finish the cigarette. I remember thinking to myself, “Why would anyone enjoy this?” But it seemed like the thing to do…it seemed like everyone I knew smoked.
For several months, I was a weekend social smoker. Terrified that my parents might find me out, I didn’t buy my own packs of smokes for nearly a year after I had my first cigarette. But eventually I gave in to the impulse and began smoking every day. I never smoked at home, so I started spending lots of time at my friends’ houses, where I could enjoy my cigarettes without fear of parental rebuke.
It went on that way for eight years. After about a year, I became a standard pack-a-day smoker. Of course, my parents did find out about it. They were quite upset--particularly my mother, who'd had such a hard time giving it up herself--but they realized that they couldn’t prevent me from smoking when I was away from home.
I remember one time, when I was about seventeen, I lit up a cigarette at a family barbecue in front of everyone. At that point, my entire family knew I smoked, so I figured it was no big thing. My mother, who was sitting across the picnic table from me, took one look at me sucking on my beloved Parliament Light and promptly burst into tears. I quickly stamped it out under my sandal and never smoked in front of her again.
In the spring of 2001, when I was twenty-three, I started thinking about quitting. Nothing in particular made me consider it..I just felt like it was time. Ninety-eight percent of my friends were still smokers, and though my mother occasionally nagged me about it, no one ever seriously asked me to quit. By that time, I was dating Brian and he didn’t smoke, but he never complained about my smoking; in fact, after a few drinks on the weekend, he would usually bum a smoke or two from me! Smoking was never a true addiction for him, though, which is something that still puzzles me to this day. If you’re not gonna go full-tilt, why bother at all?
Anyway, I was up to almost two packs a day at that point due to major job stress. But inexplicably, the pleasure I’d always gotten from smoking was steadily waning. Every time I lit a cigarette, I wound up asking myself why I was doing it. Many times, I would stub it out before I had smoked even half of it. I had also recently joined a health club and was feeling like the world's biggest hypocrite when, as soon as my workout ended, I'd leave the gym and light up immediately in the parking lot on the way back to my car.
I am not an impulsive person. I don’t usually make snap judgments about anything. And I certainly didn’t decide in a split-second to quit smoking. I actually thought about it for months and months before I decided to do it. But I didn’t dare tell anyone; I didn’t want to commit to it out loud. It seemed safer if I kept it to myself. I didn’t want anyone throwing it in my face if I failed.
Friday, July 27, 2001 arrived, and I decided that that would be my quitting day. As luck (or in this case, bad luck) would have it, Brian and a bunch of my coworkers were going to a happy hour after work. They wanted me to come with them. All day long, I sat at my desk and contemplated it. I knew that if I went to happy hour and had a few cocktails, I’d wind up with a cigarette in my hand.
I quietly told Brian that I wouldn’t be joining him for happy hour that night, that I’d decided to quit smoking that day and that I was scared to death I’d fail. Not being a true nicotine addict, he really couldn’t understand what the problem was. He didn’t recognize the correlation between booze and cigarettes for me. Namely, booze = lowered inhibitions = me saying, “Awww, what the hell! I can quit tomorrow!” = cigarettes.
I managed to convince him that I wouldn’t be upset if he went to happy hour that night without me. I went home (I was still living with my parents then) and brooded. And by “brooded,” I mean that I sobbed inconsolably for five straight hours, crumpled up on a lawn chair in the backyard as night fell upon me. Seriously. I wept as if my best friend died. And in a way, I guess that was true; cigarettes had been my friend for eight long years. Cigarettes, and the rituals that I associated with them, had seen me through many good and bad times. I was completely devastated about my decision to quit smoking, as much as I understood (with the small amount of sanity I had left at the time) that it was the right thing to do.
That night, I wondered if my life would ever be the same again. I wondered if I’d ever be able to go out with my friends to happy hour again. I couldn’t imagine ever having fun again without being able to smoke. I couldn’t imagine getting through a stressful day at work without taking a few well-deserved cigarette breaks outside. I couldn’t imagine sitting in rush-hour traffic in my car without puffing away on a Parliament Light. ESPECIALLY when I was in my car; that was my favorite time and place to smoke…the windows and sunroof open, music blasting.
But life went on, as life does. And to my surprise, it got easier for me to not smoke. I learned to sit out the cravings. I figured that just because I felt like I wanted to have a cigarette didn’t mean that I had to give in to it. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, days turned to weeks. And the more time passed, the more determined I was to stick to my goal. I didn’t want to start from scratch all over again. What can I say? I’m very stubborn. When I set my mind to something, I don’t let anything get in my way.
My personal secret to quitting successfully? To never, ever, EVER smoke one more cigarette again. Ever.
I don’t mean to sound flip or cute. Not at all. But that’s what worked for me. It’s simple, but not at all easy. Not easy by a long stretch.
For a time after I quit, I had to stop hanging out with my smoker friends. This, as you might imagine, ruffled some feathers. And I did stop drinking for about six months after I stopped smoking. I just felt strangely incomplete with a cocktail in one hand but no cigarette in the other. Even now, I rarely drink.
Does that mean I’m not tempted to smoke now? Nope. Though it’s been almost six years since I quit, I still think about cigarettes every now and then. And I expect it will be that way for the rest of my life. It’s not often, but sometimes the urge to smoke hits me like a fucking stampede of cattle, and I have to take a few deep breaths until it passes.
Especially when I’m sitting in my car in traffic.
Labels: accomplishments, family, friends, health, life events, memories
Posted by Lori at 3/16/2007 10:00:00 PM
|
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Livelee tagged me...here goes!
This list can make you feel as though you've done some pretty cool things in your life...or as if you haven't done enough. Which one are you?
Things I've done are in boldtype.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children/currently raising child
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Wow, I've experienced more things than I thought. Thanks, Livelee! You've also given me some ideas for future blog posts!
I'm tagging Teri, Cayman, and Mainline Mom.
This list can make you feel as though you've done some pretty cool things in your life...or as if you haven't done enough. Which one are you?
Things I've done are in boldtype.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children/currently raising child
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Wow, I've experienced more things than I thought. Thanks, Livelee! You've also given me some ideas for future blog posts!
I'm tagging Teri, Cayman, and Mainline Mom.
Labels: accomplishments, life events, meme, memories
Posted by Lori at 3/11/2007 01:39:00 PM
|
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I'm officially tagging MYSELF from LiveLee's meme. So without further ado, here are TEN THINGS ABOUT ME:
1. I am a reformed smoker. July 30, 2007 will be my sixth year of being nicotine-free. Quitting smoking was definitely the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. And I still get the odd urge every once in a great while. But I know that I don't have to give in to it.
2. I've kept a diary since I was in second grade. I have stacks of books at home that track my life from pretty much age 8. Sometimes I read back on my very first diary and laugh my ass off. I was a pretty precocious child.
3. Keeping on the writing theme: I've been working on something (not sure how I want to categorize it at the moment, so I'm not going to label it) for the past several months. I've written around 42,000 words so far. Fiction. We'll see where it goes. I haven't shown it to anyone yet, not even my husband. It's kind of like my baby. I'm not sure I want anyone to scrutinize it just yet.
4. Living in a hotel for the past two weeks for my new job hasn't been bad, but I'll tell you what has been really difficult: eating out at restaurants three meals a day, five days a week! I never thought I'd say it, but I'm about ready for a home-cooked meal.
5. I love to sing and I sing constantly. I'm not very good, but what I lack in talent, I like to think I make up for in enthusiasm. I especially like to sing in the car. At the top of my lungs. Currently I've been singing along with Alicia Keys' Unplugged on my iPod.
6. For most of my life, I've been pretty certain that I wasn't interested in having kids, but in the past several months I've started feeling like I'm ready. Not sure what's prompted this change, but I'm hoping that 2007 is the year for procreation. (Hear that, honey? Step it up!!)
7. My greatest fear in life is losing loved ones, especially my parents. I'm not really afraid of dying, but sometimes I think about my parents' inevitable deaths and I get very upset. So I try to enjoy every moment that I can with them because I know someday they won't be around.
8. My biggest goal in life is to be happy. In every possible way. I'd like to think that I've been pretty successful in that regard. Overall, I'm pretty damn cheerful and I think of myself as a positive realist.
9. One emotion that I just cannot understand is envy/jealousy. I have rarely felt either. I don't pay much attention to what other people have versus what I have. It's a very foreign concept to me. I guess I'm lucky that way. I tend to focus more on living a life that is meaningful to me, and the only person I'm really interested in competing against is myself. If that makes any sense.
10. The thing that makes me most angry is when people don't listen. That includes people who interrupt, people who try to conduct a conversation with someone else when you're on the phone with them, and people who don't make a sincere effort to understand where someone else is coming from.
I'm tagging anyone who wants to be tagged. Good night!
1. I am a reformed smoker. July 30, 2007 will be my sixth year of being nicotine-free. Quitting smoking was definitely the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. And I still get the odd urge every once in a great while. But I know that I don't have to give in to it.
2. I've kept a diary since I was in second grade. I have stacks of books at home that track my life from pretty much age 8. Sometimes I read back on my very first diary and laugh my ass off. I was a pretty precocious child.
3. Keeping on the writing theme: I've been working on something (not sure how I want to categorize it at the moment, so I'm not going to label it) for the past several months. I've written around 42,000 words so far. Fiction. We'll see where it goes. I haven't shown it to anyone yet, not even my husband. It's kind of like my baby. I'm not sure I want anyone to scrutinize it just yet.
4. Living in a hotel for the past two weeks for my new job hasn't been bad, but I'll tell you what has been really difficult: eating out at restaurants three meals a day, five days a week! I never thought I'd say it, but I'm about ready for a home-cooked meal.
5. I love to sing and I sing constantly. I'm not very good, but what I lack in talent, I like to think I make up for in enthusiasm. I especially like to sing in the car. At the top of my lungs. Currently I've been singing along with Alicia Keys' Unplugged on my iPod.
6. For most of my life, I've been pretty certain that I wasn't interested in having kids, but in the past several months I've started feeling like I'm ready. Not sure what's prompted this change, but I'm hoping that 2007 is the year for procreation. (Hear that, honey? Step it up!!)
7. My greatest fear in life is losing loved ones, especially my parents. I'm not really afraid of dying, but sometimes I think about my parents' inevitable deaths and I get very upset. So I try to enjoy every moment that I can with them because I know someday they won't be around.
8. My biggest goal in life is to be happy. In every possible way. I'd like to think that I've been pretty successful in that regard. Overall, I'm pretty damn cheerful and I think of myself as a positive realist.
9. One emotion that I just cannot understand is envy/jealousy. I have rarely felt either. I don't pay much attention to what other people have versus what I have. It's a very foreign concept to me. I guess I'm lucky that way. I tend to focus more on living a life that is meaningful to me, and the only person I'm really interested in competing against is myself. If that makes any sense.
10. The thing that makes me most angry is when people don't listen. That includes people who interrupt, people who try to conduct a conversation with someone else when you're on the phone with them, and people who don't make a sincere effort to understand where someone else is coming from.
I'm tagging anyone who wants to be tagged. Good night!
Labels: accomplishments, deep thoughts, family, friends, life events, meme, memories, writing
Posted by Lori at 1/31/2007 10:49:00 PM
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Thursday, December 28, 2006
I was reviewing the post from the beginning of the year in which I listed my goals for 2006. I wanted to see how many of them I actually accomplished during the year. Here's an update:
1. Be in bed and asleep by 10 p.m. on work nights. Hah!
Even as I wrote that goal, I knew there was no way I'd ever be able to do it consistently. Over the summer I was doing really well, because I was getting up at 5:30 a.m. and going to the gym before work. But in the last couple months, I have been suffering from a serious lack of sleep. So this goal was not fully attained. Bummer.
2. Take a daily multi-vitamin. Even if it's Flintstones.
As if! I took a vitamin faithfully... for about two weeks! Then I forgot. I'm so bad at remembering to take pills, it's a miracle I remembered to take my birth control pills for ten years without any "accidents."
3. Get some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes, at least four days a week. Racquetball, weight-lifting, walking are some ideas.
Unless the weather is really bad, I walk close to three miles every day. Lately I've been slacking off due to holiday crazyness, but otherwise I've stuck to the walking pretty religiously. I do need to start lifting again, though.
4. Plan my meals better so that when I'm hungry, I can eat something nutritious and homemade, thereby reducing the frequency of eating out.
Hmmm...I've tried to do this. Lately I've lost interest in cooking, so I need to get my mojo back in this area.
5. Study for and pass the ASPPA DC-2 exam, so I can get the QKA designation for my job.
Done! In fact I just received my ASPPA QKA certificate and membership card two weeks ago. Yay, me! Now I'm thinking about getting the next designation, which is the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA). That would entail two more torturous exams, one of which is dedicated solely to Defined Benefit plans...ugh.
6. Start thinking about having a baby. Perhaps.
Still thinking about it. I've been having a lot of baby lust, particularly when I interact with our friends' kids. When we visited Rochester for Thanksgiving, we saw Brian's friends' babies (a one-year old and a six-month old) and when I held them, I really thought my ovaries were going to explode! I just love babies. Frankly, we just need to start having more sex. A LOT more.
7. Travel somewhere fun. No more Caribbean islands, please...I'm talking Europe, Africa, or somewhere I've never visited within the borders of these great United States. I've always wanted to go to a dude ranch. Brian thinks I'm nuts but I'm totally serious. Hee-haw!
Unfortunately, the most exciting trip we took in 2006 was two days outside of Syracuse, NY for a wedding. Not exactly what I had in mind when I wrote "somewhere fun." This year, we MUST go somewhere awesome. Hint, hint...
8. Pay off all the new appliances that we bought when we moved into the new house.
Done! I think we had them all paid off by May.
9. Volunteer.
I was way too busy studying for those ASPPA exams to even think about volunteering. Oh well.
10. Continue on the home improvement spree. I slowed down due to studying for DC-1 and then the holiday onslaught began. Now I have all the time in the world to paint and strip wallpaper!
We definitely did a lot to the house this year. Let's see...we:
-painted the basement, the guest bathroom, the master bedroom, the two guest rooms, the upstairs hallway and stairwell
-removed, repainted, and rehung the vinyl shutters on all the windows, and repainted the front door and the trim around the garage and sidelight to match
-installed a new screen slider to the deck
-removed the old mailbox and installed a new wrought-iron Victorian style mailbox
-removed the handrail next to the front step that had rotted out
-had extensive landscaping done--still a work in progress--including pulling up two dead trees, planting a bunch of shrubs, and laying down 6 yards of mulch around the perimeter of the deck (thank you for doing that, honey!)
-installed a small water feature in the backyard all by ourselves
-installed new light fixtures in the hallway and the guest bathroom
-installed new ceiling fans in two bedrooms, the living room, the family room, and the kitchen
-had new carpeting installed throughout the second floor and the stairwell
-bought new furniture (sofa, chair, and tables) for the basement family room, along with a new TV and a home theatre system
-built a custom upholstered window cornice for the guest bathroom window all by ourselves!
-installed a remote control garage door keypad for outside access
-installed a doorbell chime extender so that we can hear the doorbell in the basement
-installed two self-timers for the outside lights (and almost blew up the house putting in the second one...oops!)
-had a new hot water heater installed
-had a new sump pump system installed
-hung various artwork, candle sconces, and curtain rods throughout the house
Jesus! We did more than I thought this year. Looking at this list, I'm amazed that we ever had any downtime on the weekends to just relax and hang out!
In 2007, I would like to get a shed for the backyard so we can move all the lawn and garden crap out of our garage. I would also like to get a new oven in the kitchen. And maybe a new bed.
Did you meet your goals in 2006? What are your goals for 2007?
1. Be in bed and asleep by 10 p.m. on work nights. Hah!
Even as I wrote that goal, I knew there was no way I'd ever be able to do it consistently. Over the summer I was doing really well, because I was getting up at 5:30 a.m. and going to the gym before work. But in the last couple months, I have been suffering from a serious lack of sleep. So this goal was not fully attained. Bummer.
2. Take a daily multi-vitamin. Even if it's Flintstones.
As if! I took a vitamin faithfully... for about two weeks! Then I forgot. I'm so bad at remembering to take pills, it's a miracle I remembered to take my birth control pills for ten years without any "accidents."
3. Get some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes, at least four days a week. Racquetball, weight-lifting, walking are some ideas.
Unless the weather is really bad, I walk close to three miles every day. Lately I've been slacking off due to holiday crazyness, but otherwise I've stuck to the walking pretty religiously. I do need to start lifting again, though.
4. Plan my meals better so that when I'm hungry, I can eat something nutritious and homemade, thereby reducing the frequency of eating out.
Hmmm...I've tried to do this. Lately I've lost interest in cooking, so I need to get my mojo back in this area.
5. Study for and pass the ASPPA DC-2 exam, so I can get the QKA designation for my job.
Done! In fact I just received my ASPPA QKA certificate and membership card two weeks ago. Yay, me! Now I'm thinking about getting the next designation, which is the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA). That would entail two more torturous exams, one of which is dedicated solely to Defined Benefit plans...ugh.
6. Start thinking about having a baby. Perhaps.
Still thinking about it. I've been having a lot of baby lust, particularly when I interact with our friends' kids. When we visited Rochester for Thanksgiving, we saw Brian's friends' babies (a one-year old and a six-month old) and when I held them, I really thought my ovaries were going to explode! I just love babies. Frankly, we just need to start having more sex. A LOT more.
7. Travel somewhere fun. No more Caribbean islands, please...I'm talking Europe, Africa, or somewhere I've never visited within the borders of these great United States. I've always wanted to go to a dude ranch. Brian thinks I'm nuts but I'm totally serious. Hee-haw!
Unfortunately, the most exciting trip we took in 2006 was two days outside of Syracuse, NY for a wedding. Not exactly what I had in mind when I wrote "somewhere fun." This year, we MUST go somewhere awesome. Hint, hint...
8. Pay off all the new appliances that we bought when we moved into the new house.
Done! I think we had them all paid off by May.
9. Volunteer.
I was way too busy studying for those ASPPA exams to even think about volunteering. Oh well.
10. Continue on the home improvement spree. I slowed down due to studying for DC-1 and then the holiday onslaught began. Now I have all the time in the world to paint and strip wallpaper!
We definitely did a lot to the house this year. Let's see...we:
-painted the basement, the guest bathroom, the master bedroom, the two guest rooms, the upstairs hallway and stairwell
-removed, repainted, and rehung the vinyl shutters on all the windows, and repainted the front door and the trim around the garage and sidelight to match
-installed a new screen slider to the deck
-removed the old mailbox and installed a new wrought-iron Victorian style mailbox
-removed the handrail next to the front step that had rotted out
-had extensive landscaping done--still a work in progress--including pulling up two dead trees, planting a bunch of shrubs, and laying down 6 yards of mulch around the perimeter of the deck (thank you for doing that, honey!)
-installed a small water feature in the backyard all by ourselves
-installed new light fixtures in the hallway and the guest bathroom
-installed new ceiling fans in two bedrooms, the living room, the family room, and the kitchen
-had new carpeting installed throughout the second floor and the stairwell
-bought new furniture (sofa, chair, and tables) for the basement family room, along with a new TV and a home theatre system
-built a custom upholstered window cornice for the guest bathroom window all by ourselves!
-installed a remote control garage door keypad for outside access
-installed a doorbell chime extender so that we can hear the doorbell in the basement
-installed two self-timers for the outside lights (and almost blew up the house putting in the second one...oops!)
-had a new hot water heater installed
-had a new sump pump system installed
-hung various artwork, candle sconces, and curtain rods throughout the house
Jesus! We did more than I thought this year. Looking at this list, I'm amazed that we ever had any downtime on the weekends to just relax and hang out!
In 2007, I would like to get a shed for the backyard so we can move all the lawn and garden crap out of our garage. I would also like to get a new oven in the kitchen. And maybe a new bed.
Did you meet your goals in 2006? What are your goals for 2007?
Labels: accomplishments, food, health, home improvement, memories, travel, work
Posted by Lori at 12/28/2006 11:53:00 AM
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Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Well, I didn't throw up last night. Truthfully, I don't even know why I was so nervous; I'd been working on that speech for weeks, and it wasn't the first time the class had heard it. But I came dangerously close to having a nearly full-blown attack of hyperventilation just before I was introduced. Somehow I survived it.
The assignment was to give a five to seven minute speech on any topic of my choice. I talked about retirement planning and the three biggest mistakes that people make when investing for retirement, and my presentation came in at a very tidy 6:21.
I think my speech was well-received, and the evaluations from my classmates and the facilitators were very positive. The main facilitator, Robin, couldn't have been more effusive in her praise. She told me that I have a natural warmth in my voice that is very pleasant to listen to, and that I am able to project my voice without sounding shrill. Who knew?! She told me that my strengths include good speech organization and flow; appropriate use of gestures and facial expressions to accompany my message; and excellent vocabulary. Her comments also mentioned that I "radiated confidence and competence" while speaking, and that she learned anew about planning her investment portfolio. Later in the class, she pointed out that I have a very rare ability for a beginner speaker to avoid the use of filler words such as "uh" and "um" and "like," even when I'm not quite sure in which direction my speeches are going.
I just about floated out of the classroom at the end of the night! Taking this class was an overwhelmingly positive experience for me. I really went outside of my comfort zone when I signed up for the class, and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it or do well at all. The group was so supportive and provided such excellent constructive criticism, though. I'm eternally glad that I went for it.
The facilitators also encouraged me to check out a few of their Toastmasters meetings, so I'll be going to one later this month. As I thanked each facilitator for their help and support during the course of the class, one of them shook my hand and said, "You're going to go places, I can tell."
WOW.
The assignment was to give a five to seven minute speech on any topic of my choice. I talked about retirement planning and the three biggest mistakes that people make when investing for retirement, and my presentation came in at a very tidy 6:21.
I think my speech was well-received, and the evaluations from my classmates and the facilitators were very positive. The main facilitator, Robin, couldn't have been more effusive in her praise. She told me that I have a natural warmth in my voice that is very pleasant to listen to, and that I am able to project my voice without sounding shrill. Who knew?! She told me that my strengths include good speech organization and flow; appropriate use of gestures and facial expressions to accompany my message; and excellent vocabulary. Her comments also mentioned that I "radiated confidence and competence" while speaking, and that she learned anew about planning her investment portfolio. Later in the class, she pointed out that I have a very rare ability for a beginner speaker to avoid the use of filler words such as "uh" and "um" and "like," even when I'm not quite sure in which direction my speeches are going.
I just about floated out of the classroom at the end of the night! Taking this class was an overwhelmingly positive experience for me. I really went outside of my comfort zone when I signed up for the class, and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it or do well at all. The group was so supportive and provided such excellent constructive criticism, though. I'm eternally glad that I went for it.
The facilitators also encouraged me to check out a few of their Toastmasters meetings, so I'll be going to one later this month. As I thanked each facilitator for their help and support during the course of the class, one of them shook my hand and said, "You're going to go places, I can tell."
WOW.
Labels: accomplishments, Toastmasters
Posted by Lori at 12/06/2006 04:09:00 PM
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Thursday, September 28, 2006
I delivered a 20 minute 401(k) enrollment presentation to my company today at our staff meeting. This was a trial for me, because my boss wants me to start doing this for our clients, but I needed to prove that I would be proficient at it before he "lets me out into the wilderness," as he put it.
It may sound odd, but I was waaaay more anxious to present in front of my coworkers than I would be to present to a roomful of complete strangers. The fact is that the people at my company have about 150 years' combined experience in the retirement planning field, so I was more than a little intimidated to talk to them about something they already know so well. Conversely, I know that if I deliver the same presentation to a roomful of factory workers, secretaries, or hairdressers, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be the only one in the room who is well-versed on the subject of retirement investing.
Let me tell you, I've been practicing my ass off for the past two weeks and I have never been so glad for that fact as I was today. I don't think I've ever felt so panic-stricken in my life, but I did it! Granted, for about ten minutes just leading up to my piece, I was almost totally convinced I was going to have a major panic attack right then and there in our conference room. Either that, or I was going to get up in front of everyone, all eyes looking at me expectantly, and then completely forget every word of what I planned to say. Oh, yeah---they filmed me with a camcorder, too. And you know how much I love being on film, right? Ugh.
The good news is I didn't have a panic attack, though I had to really fight the urge to start hyperventilating just as I was asked to stand up at the front of the room. I also remembered all my lines. After numerous rehearsals, my mind was pretty much on auto-pilot today. I just opened my mouth and everything came out as planned. Everyone came up to me after the meeting and commented on how poised and well-prepared I was, which was lovely to hear, because I certainly didn't feel poised on the inside!!
The bad news is my boss planted some really hard, obscure questions with my coworkers for the Q&A session after my speech, which I didn't realize until after the meeting. They HAMMERED me with questions, some of which I truthfully had no answers to. But that's actually a good thing, because I learned how to handle not knowing the answers. It's not the end of the world if I don't know it all, and most audiences won't expect me to know it all. I simply said, "I don't know the answer to that, but I'll look into it and get right back to you, okay?"
I would even go so far as to say that I feel positively euphoric now that this "trial" is behind me. After my presentation, I met The Huz for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate the fact that's it's OVER!
Also, I know he carries a can of deodorant in his gym bag, and believe me when I say I desperately needed a few quick sprays of that shit. Because today I had sweat dripping out of places on my body that I didn't even realize COULD sweat!
It may sound odd, but I was waaaay more anxious to present in front of my coworkers than I would be to present to a roomful of complete strangers. The fact is that the people at my company have about 150 years' combined experience in the retirement planning field, so I was more than a little intimidated to talk to them about something they already know so well. Conversely, I know that if I deliver the same presentation to a roomful of factory workers, secretaries, or hairdressers, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be the only one in the room who is well-versed on the subject of retirement investing.
Let me tell you, I've been practicing my ass off for the past two weeks and I have never been so glad for that fact as I was today. I don't think I've ever felt so panic-stricken in my life, but I did it! Granted, for about ten minutes just leading up to my piece, I was almost totally convinced I was going to have a major panic attack right then and there in our conference room. Either that, or I was going to get up in front of everyone, all eyes looking at me expectantly, and then completely forget every word of what I planned to say. Oh, yeah---they filmed me with a camcorder, too. And you know how much I love being on film, right? Ugh.
The good news is I didn't have a panic attack, though I had to really fight the urge to start hyperventilating just as I was asked to stand up at the front of the room. I also remembered all my lines. After numerous rehearsals, my mind was pretty much on auto-pilot today. I just opened my mouth and everything came out as planned. Everyone came up to me after the meeting and commented on how poised and well-prepared I was, which was lovely to hear, because I certainly didn't feel poised on the inside!!
The bad news is my boss planted some really hard, obscure questions with my coworkers for the Q&A session after my speech, which I didn't realize until after the meeting. They HAMMERED me with questions, some of which I truthfully had no answers to. But that's actually a good thing, because I learned how to handle not knowing the answers. It's not the end of the world if I don't know it all, and most audiences won't expect me to know it all. I simply said, "I don't know the answer to that, but I'll look into it and get right back to you, okay?"
I would even go so far as to say that I feel positively euphoric now that this "trial" is behind me. After my presentation, I met The Huz for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate the fact that's it's OVER!
Also, I know he carries a can of deodorant in his gym bag, and believe me when I say I desperately needed a few quick sprays of that shit. Because today I had sweat dripping out of places on my body that I didn't even realize COULD sweat!
Labels: accomplishments, marriage, work
Posted by Lori at 9/28/2006 02:35:00 PM
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Imagine being presented with a variety of strange-looking kitchen instruments, the purpose of which you have absolutely no idea, then having to choose one and speak about it for two minutes without stopping.
That is one of the exercises I performed last night at my second public speaking class. It was hilarious!
I picked an instrument that resembled one of these:
and I guess I had a bit of an unfair advantage, because I actually knew what it was. Still, I talked about it for the requisite time period, including how to use it and exactly how and why I knew what it was.
Does anyone want to take a guess at what it is?
We also had to give one short speech about our first cars and another speech describing any kind of dessert we've ever made.
This class is the most fun I've had in a long time. Yes, I suppose that makes me a loser.
That is one of the exercises I performed last night at my second public speaking class. It was hilarious!
I picked an instrument that resembled one of these:
and I guess I had a bit of an unfair advantage, because I actually knew what it was. Still, I talked about it for the requisite time period, including how to use it and exactly how and why I knew what it was.
Does anyone want to take a guess at what it is?
We also had to give one short speech about our first cars and another speech describing any kind of dessert we've ever made.
This class is the most fun I've had in a long time. Yes, I suppose that makes me a loser.
Labels: accomplishments, Toastmasters
Posted by Lori at 9/27/2006 03:54:00 PM
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Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Remember my post a while back about Toastmasters? I thought about dropping in on a meeting of my local chapter to check it out, but had been putting it off for several weeks now.
Well, fate stepped in and intervened yesterday morning. I happened across a brochure for adult education classes at the local high school, and noticed that one of the offerings was a ten-week class called "Public Speaking with Confidence," sponsored by another local chapter of Toastmasters! Kismet, I decided. So I enrolled and last night was my first class.
It was really fun! Initially, there were four of us in class: a born-again Christian couple in their 60s who have been married for forty-two years, a married-with-kids guy in his early forties who works for Lockheed Martin, and me. There were also four members of the Chester County Toastmasters who will be taking turns facilitating each class. About an hour into the class, each of us partnered with one of the Toastmasters and were interviewing each other in preparation to speak about our partners. Suddenly, the fifth member of the class walked in, a little out of breath.
The jaws of the four females in the room, including mine, dropped to the floor. He was fricking GORGEOUS! Like Abercrombie-male-model gorgeous.
You know what happened next, right? Grinning stupidly, my female Toastmasters counterpart stood up and told him to be my partner. I could hardly make eye contact with the guy, he was THAT good-looking. Not to mention he's apparently a rocket scientist. Since I interviewed him for the first speech, I learned the following facts about him: He is 31 years old, married for almost five years with no kids. He graduated from Drexel with a mechanical engineering degree, but works as an area manager for Enterprise Rent-a-Car, supervising 30 employees. He's very athletic. Oh, yeah--his dad was a professional soccer player.
Anyhoo, getting back to the class itself, I had the opportunity to speak three times already last night. The last occasion was for something that the Toastmasters refer to as a "table topic." Basically, the facilitator gives the general topic, but each person does not know exactly what they are going to talk about until right before they speak. It's an exercise in improvisation. The other goal is to reduce or eliminate the use of speech fillers such as "um" or "uh" or "like." Don't laugh--it's much harder than you'd think. We rely so much on those fillers that most of us don't even realize when we say them.
The facilitator announced that last night's table topic was "color." She then asked me to speak about the color blue. Somehow, I managed to riff about blue for almost two minutes, with a minimal use of fillers--don't ask how. I was scared to death but plowed through it.
Should be an interesting nine weeks...
Well, fate stepped in and intervened yesterday morning. I happened across a brochure for adult education classes at the local high school, and noticed that one of the offerings was a ten-week class called "Public Speaking with Confidence," sponsored by another local chapter of Toastmasters! Kismet, I decided. So I enrolled and last night was my first class.
It was really fun! Initially, there were four of us in class: a born-again Christian couple in their 60s who have been married for forty-two years, a married-with-kids guy in his early forties who works for Lockheed Martin, and me. There were also four members of the Chester County Toastmasters who will be taking turns facilitating each class. About an hour into the class, each of us partnered with one of the Toastmasters and were interviewing each other in preparation to speak about our partners. Suddenly, the fifth member of the class walked in, a little out of breath.
The jaws of the four females in the room, including mine, dropped to the floor. He was fricking GORGEOUS! Like Abercrombie-male-model gorgeous.
You know what happened next, right? Grinning stupidly, my female Toastmasters counterpart stood up and told him to be my partner. I could hardly make eye contact with the guy, he was THAT good-looking. Not to mention he's apparently a rocket scientist. Since I interviewed him for the first speech, I learned the following facts about him: He is 31 years old, married for almost five years with no kids. He graduated from Drexel with a mechanical engineering degree, but works as an area manager for Enterprise Rent-a-Car, supervising 30 employees. He's very athletic. Oh, yeah--his dad was a professional soccer player.
Anyhoo, getting back to the class itself, I had the opportunity to speak three times already last night. The last occasion was for something that the Toastmasters refer to as a "table topic." Basically, the facilitator gives the general topic, but each person does not know exactly what they are going to talk about until right before they speak. It's an exercise in improvisation. The other goal is to reduce or eliminate the use of speech fillers such as "um" or "uh" or "like." Don't laugh--it's much harder than you'd think. We rely so much on those fillers that most of us don't even realize when we say them.
The facilitator announced that last night's table topic was "color." She then asked me to speak about the color blue. Somehow, I managed to riff about blue for almost two minutes, with a minimal use of fillers--don't ask how. I was scared to death but plowed through it.
Should be an interesting nine weeks...
Labels: accomplishments, pretty, Toastmasters
Posted by Lori at 9/20/2006 09:52:00 AM
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Thursday, September 07, 2006
"The most happy marriage I can imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a blind woman."
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Here's to four years of (blissful) disability!
Labels: accomplishments, life events, marriage
Posted by Lori at 9/07/2006 10:40:00 AM
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Tuesday, August 15, 2006
I must be crazy. Or a complete masochist, at least.
Remember how I had tied myself into a veritable ball of knots for the past year while studying for the ASPPA Qualified 401K Administrator designation? And how many hours of sleep I lost due to my extreme anxiety about taking those damn exams?
Well, just call me a total sucker for punishment. Because now I'm mulling over the idea of going for the latest ASPPA designation, the QPFC (Qualified Plan Financial Consultant). This designation is brand spanking new--it was just created this year.
I just have this thing for collecting as many designations as I possibly can. Most likely because I don't have a college degree and I feel like I need all the professional credentials I can get. I already have the NASD Series 6 and 63. I already have the Pennsylvania life insurance and annuities license. I already have the QKA designation.
Since I already have the QKA, ASPPA will waive two of the four exams for the QPFC designation for me. So that leaves only the PFC-1 and PFC-2 exams.
It's tempting. So very tempting. But studying for these exams is an enormous time-suck. Three months of my life devoted, in nearly a monastic way, to studying. Housework falls to the wayside. Working out falls to the wayside. My social life falls to the wayside. My marriage falls to the wayside. And yet, it's like a need. I must do it, just to prove to myself that I can. There is no other explanation.
In the week or so before the exam, I am an utter wreck. Insomnia sets in. I cannot fall asleep, and when I finally do, I cannot remain asleep. I cannot eat. I feel like there is a 250-pound weight on my chest, and I cannot take a deep breath.
After I pass the exam, I have no idea what to do with myself for at least a month. I feel like a stranger in my own life.
There are many things to consider, not the least of which is that The Huz and I are trying to conceive. I'm afraid that I will get pregnant and either lose interest in the exam altogether, or I will be so exhausted and mentally distracted that I'll fail it.
What the heck should I do?
Remember how I had tied myself into a veritable ball of knots for the past year while studying for the ASPPA Qualified 401K Administrator designation? And how many hours of sleep I lost due to my extreme anxiety about taking those damn exams?
Well, just call me a total sucker for punishment. Because now I'm mulling over the idea of going for the latest ASPPA designation, the QPFC (Qualified Plan Financial Consultant). This designation is brand spanking new--it was just created this year.
I just have this thing for collecting as many designations as I possibly can. Most likely because I don't have a college degree and I feel like I need all the professional credentials I can get. I already have the NASD Series 6 and 63. I already have the Pennsylvania life insurance and annuities license. I already have the QKA designation.
Since I already have the QKA, ASPPA will waive two of the four exams for the QPFC designation for me. So that leaves only the PFC-1 and PFC-2 exams.
It's tempting. So very tempting. But studying for these exams is an enormous time-suck. Three months of my life devoted, in nearly a monastic way, to studying. Housework falls to the wayside. Working out falls to the wayside. My social life falls to the wayside. My marriage falls to the wayside. And yet, it's like a need. I must do it, just to prove to myself that I can. There is no other explanation.
In the week or so before the exam, I am an utter wreck. Insomnia sets in. I cannot fall asleep, and when I finally do, I cannot remain asleep. I cannot eat. I feel like there is a 250-pound weight on my chest, and I cannot take a deep breath.
After I pass the exam, I have no idea what to do with myself for at least a month. I feel like a stranger in my own life.
There are many things to consider, not the least of which is that The Huz and I are trying to conceive. I'm afraid that I will get pregnant and either lose interest in the exam altogether, or I will be so exhausted and mentally distracted that I'll fail it.
What the heck should I do?
Labels: accomplishments, decisions, work
Posted by Lori at 8/15/2006 05:50:00 PM
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Thursday, June 29, 2006
Thank you for all the good thoughts. I took the DC-2 exam yesterday afternoon and passed it! It was seriously difficult, despite all my studying. There were quite a few stumpers on it, so I just took my best guess.
I am so happy and relieved, you have no idea. Now I just have to submit the application for the QKA credentials to ASPPA. Hooray!
Brian took me out to dinner last night and we had a great time. Then I came home and mowed the lawn. I know, I'm strange! But I have been so consumed by this exam for so many weeks that it felt awesome to be able to relax and get some work done around the house. Plus, yesterday was sunny and dry for the first time in almost a week, so I wanted to take advantage of the good weather.
At bedtime, we were laying there and I started to laugh. Brian asked suspiciously, "What are you laughing about? Do I even want to know?"
I replied, "I'm laughing because every night for the past three months, I have thought and obsessed and worried about this exam before I fell asleep...and now I don't know what to think about, since I don't have to worry about the exam anymore!"
He sighed and was silent for a moment, then said in a resigned voice, "I guess that means we'll have to start painting the basement now, right?"
That man. He knows me so well! I always need a project to keep me occupied or else I go stir-crazy.
And it looks like I'll be getting that iPod after all...
I am so happy and relieved, you have no idea. Now I just have to submit the application for the QKA credentials to ASPPA. Hooray!
Brian took me out to dinner last night and we had a great time. Then I came home and mowed the lawn. I know, I'm strange! But I have been so consumed by this exam for so many weeks that it felt awesome to be able to relax and get some work done around the house. Plus, yesterday was sunny and dry for the first time in almost a week, so I wanted to take advantage of the good weather.
At bedtime, we were laying there and I started to laugh. Brian asked suspiciously, "What are you laughing about? Do I even want to know?"
I replied, "I'm laughing because every night for the past three months, I have thought and obsessed and worried about this exam before I fell asleep...and now I don't know what to think about, since I don't have to worry about the exam anymore!"
He sighed and was silent for a moment, then said in a resigned voice, "I guess that means we'll have to start painting the basement now, right?"
That man. He knows me so well! I always need a project to keep me occupied or else I go stir-crazy.
And it looks like I'll be getting that iPod after all...
Labels: accomplishments, home improvement, work
Posted by Lori at 6/29/2006 10:37:00 AM
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Thursday, April 27, 2006
Note: I updated this post with a link to the original post from January here.
When I got home from work last night, there was a brown Fed Ex package waiting for me on my doorstep. The address label bore the Random House logo.
I brought it in to the kitchen and opened it. Two copies of the paperback edition of The Myth of You and Me slid out onto the kitchen table, along with a lovely cover letter from Sally Kim, a senior editor at RH.
I have to tell ya, it was pretty exciting to see my very own words printed inside a book, alongside my name. The only bummer is that they didn't use my full name--for legal reasons, I suppose . I was also asked to change the name of the person about whom I wrote (again, for legal reasons).
But I guess that doesn't matter. It shows my name, my town, and my story.
The thing that tickled me the most was that not a single word of my writing was edited. I am truly shocked by that. As a writer, one becomes accustomed to having their material ripped to pieces and reconstructed for clarity and conciseness and grammar. But this time, my story was captured exactly as I'd dashed it off on Leah's website.
As for the novel, I began reading it around 10:30 p.m. and was nearly finished by midnight, when my tired eyes finally gave out on me. So far, it's an excellent story about intense female friendship. The protagonist is realistic, accessible and to me, eerily relatable.
I highly recommend this book, and not just because I'm a little biased.
When I got home from work last night, there was a brown Fed Ex package waiting for me on my doorstep. The address label bore the Random House logo.
I brought it in to the kitchen and opened it. Two copies of the paperback edition of The Myth of You and Me slid out onto the kitchen table, along with a lovely cover letter from Sally Kim, a senior editor at RH.
I have to tell ya, it was pretty exciting to see my very own words printed inside a book, alongside my name. The only bummer is that they didn't use my full name--for legal reasons, I suppose . I was also asked to change the name of the person about whom I wrote (again, for legal reasons).
But I guess that doesn't matter. It shows my name, my town, and my story.
The thing that tickled me the most was that not a single word of my writing was edited. I am truly shocked by that. As a writer, one becomes accustomed to having their material ripped to pieces and reconstructed for clarity and conciseness and grammar. But this time, my story was captured exactly as I'd dashed it off on Leah's website.
As for the novel, I began reading it around 10:30 p.m. and was nearly finished by midnight, when my tired eyes finally gave out on me. So far, it's an excellent story about intense female friendship. The protagonist is realistic, accessible and to me, eerily relatable.
I highly recommend this book, and not just because I'm a little biased.
Labels: accomplishments, books, friends, writing
Posted by Lori at 4/27/2006 10:27:00 AM
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Wednesday, January 25, 2006
This morning, something completely unexpected and bizarre happened to me.
Several months ago, I came across a website for Leah Stewart, the author of the novel in today’s blog entry title. Truth be told, I don’t even remember how I found her site. But I was intrigued by the “Community” section that encouraged visitors to post personal anecdotes about friendships.
So I did.
And after that, didn’t give it another thought until this morning.
(OK, not exactly true. I did give the author and the novel more thought, and even went to my local Barnes and Noble to find the book. Alas, it was not there. I was totally bummed. Then studying for the grueling ASPPA DC-1 exam began, which forced me to abandon all thoughts of reading purely for pleasure, unfortunately.)
Anyway, I checked my Comcast email this morning, and saw a note in my inbox from Leah Stewart, which perplexed me. In fact, I nearly deleted it without opening it, because I tend to be hyper-suspicious about emails from people I don’t know. But I decided to open it, and here is what it said:
Dear Lori,
We've been having a contest for friendship stories posted to my website--the best will be published in the paperback of The Myth of You and Me. We'd like to include yours. Do we have your permission to do so, and if so, could you send me your mailing address so the publisher can send you something to sign?
many thanks,
Leah
If I had any idea that the author herself would be reading these stories, I would’ve been a hell of a lot more careful in writing it! As it was, I had dashed off a few paragraphs without hardly thinking about it.
I am 100% my skeptical father’s daughter, so I did venture back to www.leahstewart.com to see if this was all legit. It was, so I responded to Leah and told her that my story could certainly be included.
How freaking cool is that?!?
Several months ago, I came across a website for Leah Stewart, the author of the novel in today’s blog entry title. Truth be told, I don’t even remember how I found her site. But I was intrigued by the “Community” section that encouraged visitors to post personal anecdotes about friendships.
So I did.
And after that, didn’t give it another thought until this morning.
(OK, not exactly true. I did give the author and the novel more thought, and even went to my local Barnes and Noble to find the book. Alas, it was not there. I was totally bummed. Then studying for the grueling ASPPA DC-1 exam began, which forced me to abandon all thoughts of reading purely for pleasure, unfortunately.)
Anyway, I checked my Comcast email this morning, and saw a note in my inbox from Leah Stewart, which perplexed me. In fact, I nearly deleted it without opening it, because I tend to be hyper-suspicious about emails from people I don’t know. But I decided to open it, and here is what it said:
Dear Lori,
We've been having a contest for friendship stories posted to my website--the best will be published in the paperback of The Myth of You and Me. We'd like to include yours. Do we have your permission to do so, and if so, could you send me your mailing address so the publisher can send you something to sign?
many thanks,
Leah
If I had any idea that the author herself would be reading these stories, I would’ve been a hell of a lot more careful in writing it! As it was, I had dashed off a few paragraphs without hardly thinking about it.
I am 100% my skeptical father’s daughter, so I did venture back to www.leahstewart.com to see if this was all legit. It was, so I responded to Leah and told her that my story could certainly be included.
How freaking cool is that?!?
Labels: accomplishments, books, good news, technology, writing
Posted by Lori at 1/25/2006 12:02:00 PM
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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
I am so thrilled, overjoyed, relieved, elated...I took the ASPPA DC-1 exam yesterday and passed! I have been studying and stressing about this test for months. I am so glad it is over and I passed on my first try. I'm also going to get a bonus for passing, so that makes it even sweeter! Now I can prepare for the holidays without all this stress hanging over my head. Whew!
I took Bailey to the vet again on Friday night for an x-ray. It took almost an hour, but the vet finally called me back to an exam room and told me that everything looked fine. His thyroid test also came back normal.
The vet recommended that Bailey get more subcutaneous fluids for at least the next week, but I said, "Look, this is going to get expensive if I have to bring him here every other day for a week to do this. Can you teach me how to give it to him so I can do it at home?"
Five minutes later, I was sticking a needle into the scruff of his neck, and he was NOT happy about it. But it went OK. So I went home with a bag of IV fluid and four needles. Brian and I worked together on Sunday evening and gave him another round of fluids, and since then, Bailey has seemed to perk up a bit.
I was talking to my mom about it (she's a nurse) and she thinks that maybe he was just dehydrated for no apparent reason, and that's why his kidney values were elevated. He's doing much better now, thankfully. This morning, we played with one of the cats' many toy mice, and he was chasing it and batting it around like the old times.
Life is back to normal again. This week I'm returning to the gym--I'd been on a rather extended hiatus, unfortunately, while studying for this exam. No more excuses!
I took Bailey to the vet again on Friday night for an x-ray. It took almost an hour, but the vet finally called me back to an exam room and told me that everything looked fine. His thyroid test also came back normal.
The vet recommended that Bailey get more subcutaneous fluids for at least the next week, but I said, "Look, this is going to get expensive if I have to bring him here every other day for a week to do this. Can you teach me how to give it to him so I can do it at home?"
Five minutes later, I was sticking a needle into the scruff of his neck, and he was NOT happy about it. But it went OK. So I went home with a bag of IV fluid and four needles. Brian and I worked together on Sunday evening and gave him another round of fluids, and since then, Bailey has seemed to perk up a bit.
I was talking to my mom about it (she's a nurse) and she thinks that maybe he was just dehydrated for no apparent reason, and that's why his kidney values were elevated. He's doing much better now, thankfully. This morning, we played with one of the cats' many toy mice, and he was chasing it and batting it around like the old times.
Life is back to normal again. This week I'm returning to the gym--I'd been on a rather extended hiatus, unfortunately, while studying for this exam. No more excuses!
Labels: accomplishments, health, pets, stress
Posted by Lori at 12/06/2005 08:29:00 AM
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