New Year’s Resolutions
Last year I resolved to floss more, amongst other things. I managed to hold onto this resolution though about August with great success. The success became intermittent during September, October, and sort of went poof! during November and December. Dental Hygiene just wasn’t as important to me as finishing a paper for one of my Industrial Hygiene classes.
Speaking of hygiene in general, dental hygiene as a profession has ruined it for us industrial hygienists. Now, no matter what I try to do, as soon as the word hygiene leaves my mouth when I tell people my major, they look at me and think, ‘what, like in dentistry?’ Oh, they may not say it, but they are thinking it. “Industrial hygiene huh?, Oh, I get it, you teach industry to brush its teeth!” Nope! The dictionary defines the word hygiene as 1.The science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health, and 2. Conditions and practices that serve to promote or preserve health. Therefore an industrial hygienist is one who creates conditions to promote or preserve health within the workplace, or industry. Similarly, a dental hygienist is one who promotes and preserves health within the mouth. See. Ok, I just had to clear that up. Oh, that and the fact that I went into industrial hygiene had nothing whatsoever to do with my resolution last year to improve my dental hygiene.
This year, I plan on renewing the aforementioned flossing resolution. It can’t hurt, and unlike those resolutions to ‘lose some weight’ or ‘get in shape’ it is a small goal and readily attainable. Floss more than zero times a year last year turned into flossing with pretty good regularity for 3/4ths of the year. This year, I’ll go for 4/5ths or even 5/6ths. (I’m having fun with fractions, boy but I’m a geek!). I’d like to make a second resolution, but for the life of me I can’t come up with one. Yes, I want to lose some weight. I also want to tone up the tummy and other bits of the self, and get into better shape. This is not necessarily a resolution which, by the way, the dictionary defines as: a course of action determined or decided on, the state or quality of being resolute; firm determination. I would very much like to do the North Shore Inline Marathon again this year, and I think I’m going to expand my racing to include the Great River Roll and the Roll for the Roses. (Two local Cities races, one is a half marathon, and the other only 6 miles I believe.) I’d also like to be able to finish the Hairpin Run 5K without having to walk at all – time is irrelevant as I don’t plan on winning. These are all goals though, not resolutions. This leaves me in a quandary. I get into better shape to do these things (which inherently includes the losing some weight and toning up) but I have no other resolutions to spout to friends and strangers Friday night. Hmmmm. I thought about saying “I resolve not to procrastinate on my Master’s Thesis work.” That would be an outright disaster though. I know me, and I know I can’t not procrastinate on things, especially big papers.
Ooh, I know…how about I resolve to journal more. Both on my blog and in a paper journal that I bought two years ago, started, and then ripped the pages I’d started out of so that it’s blank again and ready for the ‘me of now’. I could have left them in there (and I didn’t throw them out) but I am SUCH a different person now that two years ago when I started it that it would be very strange to read back from one to the other. Ok, barring an epiphany that includes a much better resolution than ‘journaling more’ I think I’ve found my resolution for aught five.
What are other people resolving to do?
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Has anyone ever heard of a consistent office temperature?
Perhaps, but only if that temperature is labeled “cold”. It’s freezing in my little cave of a cubicle today. I know that all caves of a certain size and depth maintain one temperature year round (unless there are some sort of hot springs located there). That temperature is about 55, 60 degrees or something like that…which is what my office feels like today. I’m freezing! I own way to many ¾ length shirts and that leaves ¼ of my arms and my hands feeling like attached icicles. I have had lunch; I thought that maybe I was hungry because I had not eaten. Nope. I had tea this morning, and I spent a good 20 min reading my document with my hands cupping the mug and my body huddled over it’s warmth like some strange office fire place. I am seriously going to bring a blanket to work if it doesn’t get any better.
The only problem with a blanket at work is the succinct comfort that blankets create. I would be lulled into this state of warmth and happiness for a few seconds at a time, and then I’d have to get up to go get a file, or reach outside my cocoon for something on my desk, and my little happiness bubble would shatter. After lunch I just might find that having a little bubble of happiness translates far too easily to a little bubble of naptime.
I really need to get out from behind this desk I think. I’d even do a site visit in the rain (yes, I wrote rain. Bloody end of December in Minnesota and it’s drizzle raining here). Maybe someone has a new project for me that involves brains rather than mindless typing of labels onto the computer. Maybe I should rent a book or two on CD at the library for this label making. It can’t hurt, and I’m going to need some mental stimulation as I look forward to another 2.5 weeks of full time work with no more projects besides organizing and labeling files.
And WHERE is my snow?! I want to build snowmen, like the one I left for Rachel on her car last year because I could. I’d like to make one that encased a car, too bad they moved the derelict black car behind our house just before it could have become useful. Huh, sigh. I also want to go skiing on something besides manmade ice chaff. Oh well, enough ramblings for now, yes? I must get back to the overly stimulating task of making labels for files.
Perhaps, but only if that temperature is labeled “cold”. It’s freezing in my little cave of a cubicle today. I know that all caves of a certain size and depth maintain one temperature year round (unless there are some sort of hot springs located there). That temperature is about 55, 60 degrees or something like that…which is what my office feels like today. I’m freezing! I own way to many ¾ length shirts and that leaves ¼ of my arms and my hands feeling like attached icicles. I have had lunch; I thought that maybe I was hungry because I had not eaten. Nope. I had tea this morning, and I spent a good 20 min reading my document with my hands cupping the mug and my body huddled over it’s warmth like some strange office fire place. I am seriously going to bring a blanket to work if it doesn’t get any better.
The only problem with a blanket at work is the succinct comfort that blankets create. I would be lulled into this state of warmth and happiness for a few seconds at a time, and then I’d have to get up to go get a file, or reach outside my cocoon for something on my desk, and my little happiness bubble would shatter. After lunch I just might find that having a little bubble of happiness translates far too easily to a little bubble of naptime.
I really need to get out from behind this desk I think. I’d even do a site visit in the rain (yes, I wrote rain. Bloody end of December in Minnesota and it’s drizzle raining here). Maybe someone has a new project for me that involves brains rather than mindless typing of labels onto the computer. Maybe I should rent a book or two on CD at the library for this label making. It can’t hurt, and I’m going to need some mental stimulation as I look forward to another 2.5 weeks of full time work with no more projects besides organizing and labeling files.
And WHERE is my snow?! I want to build snowmen, like the one I left for Rachel on her car last year because I could. I’d like to make one that encased a car, too bad they moved the derelict black car behind our house just before it could have become useful. Huh, sigh. I also want to go skiing on something besides manmade ice chaff. Oh well, enough ramblings for now, yes? I must get back to the overly stimulating task of making labels for files.
Monday, December 27, 2004
White Christmas: Accomplished
I had my white Christmas, and what a nice weekend it was. My car caught a cold on the way home to Green Bay. The symptom most shown was spontaneous loss of gage readings, (looked much like an anti-sneeze), the speedometer, odometer and gas gage would go down to zero and then they would come back. While that happened the brake light would come on. It happened 50 times on the way home. At first I was really worried that I wouldn’t make it home, that I was loosing the alternator or something. I called Lance to see if it sounded familiar, and he blamed a cold too (or rather THE cold as it was only 1 above freezing with a -20 wind chill). I called Saturn then to see if I should bring it in to have it checked out; they said at my leisure. So either they are so busy this time of year they don’t need or want more business or they really don’t see it as a problem. I’m betting the former as the nice guy said the storm in green bay caused so many cars to be towed to them to be fixed. So I gave my car new windshield wipers for Christmas, and a new quart of oil, and that perked up her spirits greatly. On the way back to the Cities, she didn’t sneeze once. I figure I’ll keep an eye on it, but it’s probably one of those electrical or computer problems that you can spend a fortune on trying to isolate and never every truly fix.
On Christmas Eve, my family had to break with tradition. The NFL, in its infinite wisdom and money grubbing scrooginess, decided to have the Packers play on Christmas Eve at 2PM. Usually my family goes to Mass at 4, then eats dinner (prime rib-yum!) and then opens gifts. This year we did it a bit differently. You see, it wasn’t just any Packer game, it was against the Minnesota Vikings, and the winner would be crowned the NFC Central Division Champs. So, We switched the order. Watch the Packers, eat, go to Mass, and open presents. My dad got his present early when the Packers beat the Vikings 34-31 (same score as the first game played in GB). He was like a kid with a new toy for the rest of the night. The rest of the fam was quite happy, cause none of us wanted to deal with a grumpy papa for the rest of the night. Would have dampened the Christmas Spirit…drown it really.
Present opening was great fun. Everyone got something they really really wanted. My mom got her record player (for the old fashioned 33s, 45s and 78s), dad got his Miter saw, Troy got a Soniccare toothbrush (if you know my brother, it will not surprise you that this present made his day) and he liked the sling ski-carrier I got him too. I got so many wonderful things. A new desk chair, some nice winter gloves from Troy, and the Lord of the Rings, Return of the King DVD being high on the list of things I wanted. I got a new shiny from my parents too, though I don’t have it yet.
Christmas Day we had dinner with some of the extended fam. There was only 10 of us; it was quite quaint and really relaxing (usually we have a minimum of 20-25 for holidays). After a super yummy lunch of ham and acorn squash (where I got the leftovers) we settled into the living room to play some Phase 10 while light snow fell outside on top of the 8 inches of beautiful white stuff that was there already.
Sunday we went to my mother’s brother’s house for Turkey dinner (where I also got the leftovers) and more family togetherness. I headed back to the Cities after that, and the roads were clear, empty of traffic, and the temperature was warmer. Probably one of the best Christmas’s I’ve had in a while.
I had my white Christmas, and what a nice weekend it was. My car caught a cold on the way home to Green Bay. The symptom most shown was spontaneous loss of gage readings, (looked much like an anti-sneeze), the speedometer, odometer and gas gage would go down to zero and then they would come back. While that happened the brake light would come on. It happened 50 times on the way home. At first I was really worried that I wouldn’t make it home, that I was loosing the alternator or something. I called Lance to see if it sounded familiar, and he blamed a cold too (or rather THE cold as it was only 1 above freezing with a -20 wind chill). I called Saturn then to see if I should bring it in to have it checked out; they said at my leisure. So either they are so busy this time of year they don’t need or want more business or they really don’t see it as a problem. I’m betting the former as the nice guy said the storm in green bay caused so many cars to be towed to them to be fixed. So I gave my car new windshield wipers for Christmas, and a new quart of oil, and that perked up her spirits greatly. On the way back to the Cities, she didn’t sneeze once. I figure I’ll keep an eye on it, but it’s probably one of those electrical or computer problems that you can spend a fortune on trying to isolate and never every truly fix.
On Christmas Eve, my family had to break with tradition. The NFL, in its infinite wisdom and money grubbing scrooginess, decided to have the Packers play on Christmas Eve at 2PM. Usually my family goes to Mass at 4, then eats dinner (prime rib-yum!) and then opens gifts. This year we did it a bit differently. You see, it wasn’t just any Packer game, it was against the Minnesota Vikings, and the winner would be crowned the NFC Central Division Champs. So, We switched the order. Watch the Packers, eat, go to Mass, and open presents. My dad got his present early when the Packers beat the Vikings 34-31 (same score as the first game played in GB). He was like a kid with a new toy for the rest of the night. The rest of the fam was quite happy, cause none of us wanted to deal with a grumpy papa for the rest of the night. Would have dampened the Christmas Spirit…drown it really.
Present opening was great fun. Everyone got something they really really wanted. My mom got her record player (for the old fashioned 33s, 45s and 78s), dad got his Miter saw, Troy got a Soniccare toothbrush (if you know my brother, it will not surprise you that this present made his day) and he liked the sling ski-carrier I got him too. I got so many wonderful things. A new desk chair, some nice winter gloves from Troy, and the Lord of the Rings, Return of the King DVD being high on the list of things I wanted. I got a new shiny from my parents too, though I don’t have it yet.
Christmas Day we had dinner with some of the extended fam. There was only 10 of us; it was quite quaint and really relaxing (usually we have a minimum of 20-25 for holidays). After a super yummy lunch of ham and acorn squash (where I got the leftovers) we settled into the living room to play some Phase 10 while light snow fell outside on top of the 8 inches of beautiful white stuff that was there already.
Sunday we went to my mother’s brother’s house for Turkey dinner (where I also got the leftovers) and more family togetherness. I headed back to the Cities after that, and the roads were clear, empty of traffic, and the temperature was warmer. Probably one of the best Christmas’s I’ve had in a while.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas!
That makes me think of the Coke commercial now. Well that, and I'm drinking a cherry coke. Yuck - but I wanted bubbles. I think it's MFatGG that sings the I'm dreaming of a white christmas rendition for that commercial, I think I recognize the style. Erin, any opinions on that?
But more to the point, I want snow! I talked w/ Mom back in GB, looks like I'm going to get my White Christmas. While here in the Cities we only have a whee dusting of the white stuff, they got 8 inches! Woot! I'm going to go sledding on this hill I played on as a child. If I can't find my old sled, I'll use I plastic bag. Here in the cities if they want a whiter christmas they'll have to dream harder. It's bloody cold outside, and it's only going to get nippier. Something like -25 to -30F tonight w/ windchills. My car doesn't appreciate it. It can't snow when it's this cold, just no way. The the good kind of snow. The wet, fluffy, build a giant snowman that is so tall you have to engineer a way to get the balls on top of eachother, kind. (Katie, we are building a snowman in our yard this year!! Remember your Sorrels!) Problem is, it's so cold in GB now that my 8 inches of fluffy snow will be all icey crystals by the time I get there :(
I also think of skiing when I hear about this much snow. I have many friends I want to go skiing with, and to teach if they haven't before. I only was on my skies for a total of an hour last year. I did spend half an evening learning to snowboard. I will be spending more time learning that this year. It's a good workout. Anyone have any skate-style cross country skies they want to lend me (size 7.5 womens boot). I want to learn to do that too! Oh, and snowshoeing is fun.
I went to work out again on Monday with Katie. My poor stomache muscles. I'm going climbing tonight for the first time in like...2 months. I love how I take a bit of time off for doing the working out and then just start up again. No ramping up and down, nope. I love just jumping in. One of these days I'm going to jump in head first and find out the pool is made of ice. I may hurt my head, but when I recover, I'll go ice skating. :P
That makes me think of the Coke commercial now. Well that, and I'm drinking a cherry coke. Yuck - but I wanted bubbles. I think it's MFatGG that sings the I'm dreaming of a white christmas rendition for that commercial, I think I recognize the style. Erin, any opinions on that?
But more to the point, I want snow! I talked w/ Mom back in GB, looks like I'm going to get my White Christmas. While here in the Cities we only have a whee dusting of the white stuff, they got 8 inches! Woot! I'm going to go sledding on this hill I played on as a child. If I can't find my old sled, I'll use I plastic bag. Here in the cities if they want a whiter christmas they'll have to dream harder. It's bloody cold outside, and it's only going to get nippier. Something like -25 to -30F tonight w/ windchills. My car doesn't appreciate it. It can't snow when it's this cold, just no way. The the good kind of snow. The wet, fluffy, build a giant snowman that is so tall you have to engineer a way to get the balls on top of eachother, kind. (Katie, we are building a snowman in our yard this year!! Remember your Sorrels!) Problem is, it's so cold in GB now that my 8 inches of fluffy snow will be all icey crystals by the time I get there :(
I also think of skiing when I hear about this much snow. I have many friends I want to go skiing with, and to teach if they haven't before. I only was on my skies for a total of an hour last year. I did spend half an evening learning to snowboard. I will be spending more time learning that this year. It's a good workout. Anyone have any skate-style cross country skies they want to lend me (size 7.5 womens boot). I want to learn to do that too! Oh, and snowshoeing is fun.
I went to work out again on Monday with Katie. My poor stomache muscles. I'm going climbing tonight for the first time in like...2 months. I love how I take a bit of time off for doing the working out and then just start up again. No ramping up and down, nope. I love just jumping in. One of these days I'm going to jump in head first and find out the pool is made of ice. I may hurt my head, but when I recover, I'll go ice skating. :P
Monday, December 20, 2004
Ding-Dong, the Witch is Dead!
Last night I watched The Wizard of Oz on tv. I finished my christmas cards, well, most of them, and then played some Champions of Norath with Katie. It was really odd not having a million bits of homework to finish up, or any homework at all. Yes, school is gone. (But why is the school gone you ask? Because it is a vile thing that makes even the most intellegent people tired, grumpy, and sick in the last two weeks). I have been a very bad girl, not posting at all since Thanksgiving, and I can't really say that I had too much to do. Ok, I did have final papers and final projects and all that, but I could have found a minute here or there to post. Bad Self!
Anyway, an update. Jenny A. is back in town, so I have been chillin w/ her and Katie. Last weekend we went out to the new club in S. St. Paul called Valentino's. Had a good time, but I was SORE from all the dancing. This tells the self that the self is out of shape. Really, really out of shape. This weekend I did most of the rest of my x-mas shopping, and Jenny, Katie and I had a movie marathon. We watched El Mariachi, Desparado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. I have to say, I liked El Mariachi best. Still, it was good fun. I went running on Saturday at the St. Paul Gym, it felt really good to be out and about at the gym again. I am going to go again tonight. I am climbing (for the first time in about 2 months) on Wed. I think I'm going to start going to the "rollerdome" soon as well. This sitting around with no physical activity is going to stop. (Even though it wasn't exactly on purpose, with school and all).
I can't believe that this coming Saturday is the day of Christmas. It doesn't feel like winter yet. We've had a few cold days, but no real snow. Today we have ice. About 1/4 inch of it. It all ice rained and covered everything, and I'm sitting at home working today becuase I didn't want to be out in it. I may go to work in the afternoon, or I may continue to work from home. We'll see. I'm going to go to GB for the holidays leaving Thursday, and I will probably head back there for New Years. We'll see.
Ok, so this is also a lame post, but it's something. I probably don't have any readers left. I'm going to go work on (yet) another blog. Later
Last night I watched The Wizard of Oz on tv. I finished my christmas cards, well, most of them, and then played some Champions of Norath with Katie. It was really odd not having a million bits of homework to finish up, or any homework at all. Yes, school is gone. (But why is the school gone you ask? Because it is a vile thing that makes even the most intellegent people tired, grumpy, and sick in the last two weeks). I have been a very bad girl, not posting at all since Thanksgiving, and I can't really say that I had too much to do. Ok, I did have final papers and final projects and all that, but I could have found a minute here or there to post. Bad Self!
Anyway, an update. Jenny A. is back in town, so I have been chillin w/ her and Katie. Last weekend we went out to the new club in S. St. Paul called Valentino's. Had a good time, but I was SORE from all the dancing. This tells the self that the self is out of shape. Really, really out of shape. This weekend I did most of the rest of my x-mas shopping, and Jenny, Katie and I had a movie marathon. We watched El Mariachi, Desparado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. I have to say, I liked El Mariachi best. Still, it was good fun. I went running on Saturday at the St. Paul Gym, it felt really good to be out and about at the gym again. I am going to go again tonight. I am climbing (for the first time in about 2 months) on Wed. I think I'm going to start going to the "rollerdome" soon as well. This sitting around with no physical activity is going to stop. (Even though it wasn't exactly on purpose, with school and all).
I can't believe that this coming Saturday is the day of Christmas. It doesn't feel like winter yet. We've had a few cold days, but no real snow. Today we have ice. About 1/4 inch of it. It all ice rained and covered everything, and I'm sitting at home working today becuase I didn't want to be out in it. I may go to work in the afternoon, or I may continue to work from home. We'll see. I'm going to go to GB for the holidays leaving Thursday, and I will probably head back there for New Years. We'll see.
Ok, so this is also a lame post, but it's something. I probably don't have any readers left. I'm going to go work on (yet) another blog. Later
