Balancing Act

Time, where did you go?
Why did you leave me here alone?
Wait, don't go so fast
I'm missing the moments as they pass
-Time, Chantel Kreviazuk

Today's post is about time management, but let me first start off with: Where did the time go? And how have I not blogged since January 7th? I know I'm not an avid blogger, but I usually don't try to go so long without a post! Especially since I had 3 comments on my last post!! Thanks!!!

Anyways, back to the main point of this entry. Yesterday I finally sucked it up and joined a gym. I've put on about 25 pounds since I graduated college (EEK!) and have probably worked out 5 times in the past couple years. Not only am I going to continue to get fat if I don't do something about it, but it's also really unhealthy! But back to my real point...

So, I walk over to a gym a few blocks away from work and signed the paperwork, which was pretty quick and harmless (I joined the gym over the summer - and never went - so no need for a walk through and all that jazz). I head to the lockeroom and change and head to the cardio room. I spend an hour on the Elliptical Cross Trainer and decide I'm not going to push myself any harder since it's my first day back to the gym after 2 or so years. By the time I got home, it was 7:30 and I still had to cook dinner. And I began thinking, How do people balance their time?

I'm not very active during the week. I leave for work around 7:45 am and get home from work around 6:30ish. Then it's time to plop on the couch and watch TV. My question is, how do people who have kids, significant others, etc. balance their time? I was exhausted when I came home from the gym and was asleep by 9. And going to the gym early in the morning before work is not an option for me. My sleep is too precious. And I'm a crabby bitch if I don't get enough sleep -- so even if I look hot in a bikini thanks to my morning gym sessions, no one is going to want to date me because my personality will be ugly!

I would like to make a schedule for myself for gym days, tanning days, hanging out with friends, etc., but I feel like things change on a regular basis that it's almost hard to pencil these sort of things in.

So 2 questions for YOU!

• What do you do to manage your time and things in your life better?
• If you had all of the time in the world, what are some things you would do more often?

Here's my list of things I wish I had more time for (and if money weren't an issue):

• Go back to school full-time
• Work out everyday
• Take dance classes
• Learn to box
• Write more (I like to write stories)
• Read more
• Write a business plan...and start my own business!

Won’t You Take Me to Funkytown?

Right now I’m stuck in Funktown, but I need to go to a “town to keep me movin’, keep me groovin’ with some energy.” OK, corny, I know, but I couldn’t help. But I have been in a real funk lately. I had a great week last week and now I’m just blah. I’m not sure if it’s because the excitement of the holidays is over, there’s not a holiday to be off of work until Memorial Day, or what the deal is. All I know is I need to make some changes in my life, which brings me to New Year’s Resolutions.

To be honest, I hate New Year’s Resolutions because people procrastinate and put off their goals until a new year rolls around and then half the time never do anything about it! If you want to make a change, don’t wait for a new year to roll around! Make it happen! But for argument’s sake and since it is a new year, we will call my goals New Year’s Resolutions…

Be more social. I really need to start going out more often. I feel like I have been isolating myself. I enjoy sleep more than going out, but that’s not healthy for anyone! I’m young and need to go out! How am I supposed to meet new people if I stay in my apartment all of the time?

Try new things. A couple months ago I joined the Facebook group Young Professionals of Chicago. I get messages and invitations to events all of the time, but have I gone to any? No. It’s a great way to network and meet people around my age.

And remember that entry I posted in August about all of the things I want to do while living in the city? Haven’t gotten on that either…

I’ve also been dying to take some classes…whether it’s writing, cooking, exercise, whatever! I want to put myself out there and figure out what I love doing!

Get healthy. And I don’t just mean “lose 25 pounds.” Right now is when everyone gets on their diet and workout kicks for a month and then go back to eating poorly and lazy again. Not only do I need to get to the gym and start eating healthier, but I need to start taking vitamins too!

Vacation. I haven’t been on vacation in almost 2 years! At one point, I had gone to NY 4 times in 13 months! Now I’m going through vacation withdrawals and need to get away! I can’t afford to lose my sanity anymore than I already have!

What are some things you plan to accomplish?

Appreciate What You Receive

‘Tis the season for gift giving and returning! Many of us forget the true meaning of the holiday and turn it into a commercial holiday and all about presents. I know I love the commerciality of it all and get caught up in decorating the house, baking, Christmas music, and buying and receiving presents. But with receiving presents can often lead to re-gifting or returning, which I have learned is NEVER a good idea.

I’m not a habitual re-gifter and haven’t done so in forever, but it’s a no-no. But when you re-gift you have to worry about accidentally leaving something linked to the original giver, questions about where you got it, etc. And if you’re like me, I’m a horrible liar and am pretty sure people can tell when I’m not telling the truth.

And returning gifts isn’t nice either. When I was younger I returned LOTS of gifts (and to my family members who may be reading this, don’t fret, none of them were from you). I hadn’t returned gifts in a long time, but now that I’m on my own and in an apartment with not much storage, I just don’t have the room for stuff I don’t need or will never use. But either way, you feel bad about yourself if you return a gift and here’s why:

The person spent too little on you. I recall one Christmas where I returned a pair of pajamas I received as a Christmas present from a family member (again, this is not any of you that may be reading this). I was in my early teens and the pajamas were something I would have worn as a child. When I returned them, I got a whopping $2 back! I don’t remember if I had the gift receipt when I returned the pajamas, but I didn’t feel too good about myself. I am only worth $2 to that person? And even if they did spend more than $2 (if I didn’t have my gift receipt), they couldn’t have originally been that much more expensive that they were reduced to $2!

The person spent too much on you. As crappy as I felt about the $2 pajamas, I felt even worse when I returned a present and the 1 item cost more than all of the gifts I bought for the person. It felt great having the cashier give me cash back, but I felt bad about how much this particular person spent on me! I just keep hoping Money Bags was re-gifting and didn’t spend that much or I feel super cheap!

My point is, we should all appreciate what we receive from our loved ones and what we have already been given in life. We need to step back and look at the bigger picture and be thankful for everything we have already been blessed with. P.S. Mom, if you’re reading this, this doesn’t mean you don’t have to buy me presents next year. :-)

Company Holiday Party Etiquette

It's that time of year again: the company holiday party! Whether or not you're looking forward to it, it's usually a good Monday morning conversation piece (or even a pre-party conversation piece: taking bets who is going to make a fool of themselves, hook up, etc.).

Last year my department was given a funny handout of "what not to do at a company holiday party." I was hoping I still had it, but unfortunately, I threw it out. However, I did some searching and found a similar list on a message board forum. If you haven't had your company holiday party yet, please keep these tips in mind unless your New Year's resolution is to find a new job. :-)

Hit the bottle. Especially if you are not used to drinking and three or four glasses could make you lose many of your inhibitions. Do you really feel like seeing digital photographs of yourself half-dressed doing a Madonna impersonation on the remnants of the drinks table?

Hit on somebody. If you've been eyeing the new marketing manager for six months, but just couldn't get it together to ask her out, this is not the opportunity. She's not going to take you seriously, and will merely think only Dutch courage made you do it.

Spill the beans about your personal life. Details of your personal life should not be discussed with colleagues. A few drinks may let you tell the wrong person you're having an affair or you don't get on with your stepchildren or your mother has a drinking problem. Tomorrow it will probably be doing the rounds in the mailroom or among the cleaning staff.

Talk about work. This is a social occasion with your colleagues, not a planning meeting. Don't be a bore. For one day, people want to forget about budgets, sagging sales and looming retrenchments.

Buffet bonanza. Just because you're not paying doesn't mean you have to pig out until you're as round as a barrel. Have a good time, but don't behave as if you've been stranded on a deserted island for a week. The last thing you want to do is to throw up on the managing director's shoes as you leave the party. This is not a smart career move. More or less in the same vein is stuffing your handbag full of food – this merely makes you look greedy and uncouth.

Ask for a raise. Just because the boss is smiling for the first time in six months doesn't mean this is a good time to talk to him about your increased salary expectations. This simply is not the time and it's also not the place.

Taking a souvenir. This is a killer. Just because the company has booked out the restaurant for the afternoon, doesn't give you the right to remove anything. Cutlery, table decorations, napkins – they still belong to the restaurant. Taking them amounts to theft. And how do you explain the spoon cascading from your sleeve as you leave the restaurant?

Have it out with someone. Your archrival is sitting diagonally opposite you at the table and having this person in such close proximity just lets the dam wall burst. Cataloguing your long list of grievances between the starter and the main course will spoil the dinner for everyone, and even if your rival's antics would put Attilla the Hun to shame, you're the one to end up looking foolish.

Karaoke crisis. If you can't sing outside the shower, stick to it. If you are a budding Pavarotti, you would have been discovered before this party. A drunken singalong, or even worse, a drunken solo, will do little for your general esteem in the office.

Reciprocate advances from married colleagues. Just don't go down this road. It always ends in heartbreak and drama and will make colleagues lose respect for you. It also complicates the working situation if the person who has to decide on your promotion knows what you look like with no clothes on.

Let it all hang out. If you're usually dressed in semi-formal work gear, by all means go casual for the Christmas party. But don't look as if you're about to audition for a position as a lap dancer at the local strip joint.

Display your exotic dancing skills. Even if you know what you're doing, this kind of dancing best happens behind closed doors between consenting adults. It will be difficult for you to reprimand someone later for being hung over at work, if they can remember stuffing R10-notes into your underwear.

Be antisocial. Even if parties like these are not your favourite pastime, make an effort to be jolly and sociable. Chat to many people and try and have a good time. Don't corner one individual and bore them with endless details of your flyfishing tip.

Drinking and driving. Unless you fancy spending a night or two in the local slammer, sharing a cell with people you wouldn't open the front door to, just don't get in behind the steering wheel if you've had one too many. Call a taxi or get a lift with someone else. Remember there is nothing that sobers you up so quickly as realising that you've run someone over. – Susan Erasmus, Health24

Courtesy of My Broadband Forums.

And for your laughing pleasure, another list that is just humorous: How to Avoid Getting Fired at Your Office Christmas Party.

Music is what feelings sound like

Over the weekend I went to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick something up. When I was waiting in line to pay, I was looking at the pictures for sale. One caught my eye and made me think about how true it is – “Music is what feelings sound like.” I could not agree more. I always say I can find a quote or lyric that represents the way I feel at that particular moment. Sometimes when we can’t put our feelings into words, a song can do it for us.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about an ex-boyfriend and all of the things I would like to say to him given the opportunity. I feel like there are a lot of songs out there that could say it better than I could. Too bad it’s not cool to make mix tapes for people anymore. :-) If there were, here is what my playlist would consist of:

White Flag by Dido


All the Way Around by Ali Lohan (yes, I publicly admitted to that…hopefully this won’t affect what little credibility I may have :-))


So Far Away by Nickelback


Right Here by Staind


Cold by Crossfade


If I Had the Chance by Cynthia


I Want You Back by N Sync (not as bad as the Ali Lohan song LOL)


What Hurts the Most by Cascada

REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE.

Many people are “going green” now of days, but I’m not referring to helping save the environment when I say “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” I often use that phrase when referring to men. I have been single for almost 3 years now. Yes, I’ve gone on lots of dates over the past 3 years and by no means need to be in a relationship, but I’m not going to lie: I get lonely. I have great friends and a wonderful family, but sometimes there’s nothing better than a good hang out with a male companion. And no, I’m not referring to a booty call. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation through texts, going out for a few beers, or watching a movie to make me feel better.

And where do I find these male companions to keep me company?

Simply pull out your phone! I’m pretty sure we all have a friend of the opposite sex that things didn’t work out with on a romantic level, but nothing bad ever caused both parties to stop talking. I know I have a few of these types of people in my phone. Some are from my college years and others I have met since I graduated college.

One thing I have learned over the past couple years is you need to be careful about who you choose to be one of these people. Do NOT pick someone who things didn’t work out with, but you still have feelings for, but know nothing is ever going to happen! You are just setting yourself up for disappointment and heart ache. Trust me. And if you’re thinking otherwise, delete him/her from your phone now!

So it’s your turn to tell me about some of your “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” person(s) of choice!

She's Just Not that Into You Part 2

Have you ever had an amazing date (or what you thought was an amazing date) and then don't hear from the person? I think everyone has encountered this at least once (if not multiple times). I know I have. And most of us dwell on the situation. What went wrong? Why isn't he calling? Maybe he's just really busy? I know I've wished guys would just be straight up with me and tell me they're not interested instead of me playing a guessing game and my self-esteem getting a kick in the ass. However, what if someone was straight up honest with you? Maybe sometimes it's better not knowing why someone didn't call after your date.

On my drive to work this morning, I was listening to a morning radio show. Now, I rarely listen to it since the infamous Eddie and JoBo got canned (again...*tear*), but I'll turn it on every now and then. I'm not sure if this is a regular segment on the show, but this guy called in because he went on a date with this chick a couple days ago and has been trying to call her since, but no answer or call backs. The guy and the morning show hosts call the girl and she picked up. At first the morning show hosts didn't say anything. Basically, the guy calls the girl while she's at work and he asks how she's been. She sounds extremely flustered. She apologizes and said she's been busy and her work schedule has changed. After a few moments of her feeling uncomfortable, the morning show hosts jump in. Needless to say, they get her to say why she hasn't called. Here are a few bullet points of her date and what not to do in the future!

• The two went to Applebees and the guy "swayed" her into ordering from the 2 for $20 menu. Now, I'm not knocking the 2 for $20 menu. I understand the economy sucks and most of us are on budgets. However, I do not think you should ever "sway" or make someone order from a specific menu...especially on a first date!!!
• He left a tip that was less than 10%. If you received poor service, I can maybe understand that. I have never been a waitress or had an occupation where a majority of my income comes from tips, but waiters and waitresses depend on those tips to get by! If anything, I would think someone would over tip to try and show off on a first date!
• The girl did compliment him on that he was cute. The guy proceeded to ask, "Well, if you thought I was cute and I thought you were cute, why didn't you kiss me if we're both attracted to each other?" Apparently, on the date she said she doesn't kiss on the first date. On the radio she went on to say his breath smelled. If you're going to try and kiss someone, make sure you have a mint or gum! And to make things worse, she didn't describe his breath as "bad" or "smelly" she described it as pungent!

I'm sure the guy was kicking himself for finding out the truth. Yes, maybe he got closure out of knowing the real reason she hasn't returned his calls and can work on these things that turned her off, but it's his own fault for trying to find out on the radio! Now anyone listening to B96 this morning on their way to work knows his business!

So question is: Would you rather know or not know the real reason someone is blowing/blew you off?