Urban Granola

ESPN's body issue -- um, more Adrian Peterson, please.

2010-09-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

I openly admit I love the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Yes, I fight my husband to the curb to grab the first glimpse of the issue. Honestly, I don't think my husband really cares at all about the issue. So, why do I like it? While the scantly clad models are nice (I am referring to those who don't look like they may have skipped a few meals), I find the athletes or the everyday sort of people featured to be the best part of the issue. Each year SI features athletes or athletes' spouses. Past favorites include Serena Williams, Mark McGuire's wife before finding out about the hormones she was injecting, and US Soccer player Clint Dempsey's wife, Bethany.

Now even better than the SI issue, ESPN has put together their body issue, or bodies we want. For a glimpse of what is to come, you can check out this page.

Check out the triathlete, Sarah Reinertsen. She's my new hero.

Back on the Blog Again.....

2010-09-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or has it been forever since I have updated the blog? Nope, not just me. I checked and it has been a whole 6 months.

So let's do the recap thing like they do on Glee. Since the last entry so much has changed, or has it? I decided to re-read the resolution bucket list that I made at the beginning of 2010. Let's see....
#1 was to sleep less. Check.
#2 was to blog more. Oops.
#3 was to read more. I believe that I may be three months behind on my magazine subscriptions and my kindle seems to be collecting dust. Double oops.
#4 was watch more TV. Considering I didn't turn the tube on once from Thursday through Sunday this week, I believe this is an oops. Thing is, I don't feel guilty about this one at all. This should be a success because I watched the entire season of Entourage and True Blood and am super psyched for the debut of Boardwalk Empire (don't tell me, it's recorded). Really, HBO has ruined me for television.
#5 was to not sweat the small stuff. I am not sure how to measure this one so let me check with my family and get back on this one.

So what else is new? Training for the real deal this time -- the Marathon. The whole 26.2! Also, teaching a ton of fitness classes and will offer Les Mills Body Pump in October. Wait, real work calls. Lunch break is over. Apparently Bingaman just introduced a RES bill....big deal. Catch up soon.

Scout's Honor?

2010-02-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

I love the Girl Scounts organizaiton. Their orgnization is known for helping young women develop life skills such as teamwork, leadership, money management, etc. These skills are best illustrated through the annual cookie sales. So since my niece is a scout and since I adore their cookies, I have purchased my weight in them. However, when I purchased some boxes today, I was surprised to find third on the ingredient list (partially hydrogenated palm, soybean and cottonseed oil) trans fat on the label. Actually they claim to be trans fat free -- thanks to a silly USDA labeling rule, which allows them to claim to be trans fat free.

Since the Girl Scouts empahsize healthy lifestyles and living, don't you think that they would require their cookie manufacturers to elimate trans fats?

The claim for keeping the fat in their scrumptious cookies is that taking it out would affect quality. (See reasons below taken from the manufacturers website.) Perhaps if they took the fat out, I wouldn't eat as many. Is that a bad thing?

What do you think?

From www.littlebrowniebakers.com
"Question:
How can the food label state zero grams of trans fat, yet list hydrogenated oils in the ingredients statement?

Answer:
We are aware of the health concerns regarding trans fats and we have invested significant resources in research and development to find suitable ingredient replacements to reduce or remove trans fats from our cookies. As of January 2007, all of our cookies were reformulated to contain zero grams trans fat per serving.

These changes are not as simple as substituting polyunsaturated oils. This would contribute unwanted changes in the food product itself, such as loss of crispy texture, change of appearance, and off-flavor.

We follow the Food & Drug Administrations (FDA) labeling laws. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues the regulations for all of the labeling information that appears on food packaging, including that for trans fat. Under the FDA regulations, trans fat is listed on the Nutrition Facts panel as zero (0 grams) if the amount of trans fat in a serving is 0.50 grams or less. As a result, these cookies list "0 grams" of trans fat in the Nutrition Facts panel, while the ingredient list includes "hydrogenated vegetable oil" or "shortening." The presence of these ingredients simply means the food contains a negligible of trans fat, or less than one half gram per serving. This amount is less than 1/20th of a teaspoon of fat."

A Little Fishy?

2010-01-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

I have a new love affair. This one comes in the form of a capsule that can be taken daily and has been said to reverse the signs of aging. So why am I so excited about fish oil? Check out the recent video from ABC news.

I admit that at first I was skeptical. I was not the supplement type of gal. I am a whole food believer, or one who believes you can get all your vitamins and minerals from eating a balanced diet of non-processed food.

So when I got my blood work back for the doctor I thought that I should be jumping for joy. My total cholesterol was so low. Yay! But when you break it down and divide the good(HDL) and the bad (LDL), my good cholesterol was just plain ugly. It was too low. A health coach suggested that I start taking a supplement of fish oil a day. I thought, "can't I just eat more fish and get the good fat my body so badly needs?" Then, being the good coach that he is, he started sending me information on fish oil. The more I read, the more I was convinced. If you don't want to dig through the research conducted at the NIH,etc., there is a great little article in Men's Health.

To convince myself, I decided to think of fish oil the way I explain climate change to non believers. Does it matter if human activity is causing the planet to warm? If you can make some small changes in your life that may lessen or alter the effects of warming, wouldn't you do that? So, if I can improve my heart health, possibly reduce joint pain and inflammation and improve my memory, why wouldn't I try this little pill? (Actually the pills are not so little, but you get my point).

So that is what I have done. I am convinced. I am giving it a try. If the only downside is a little fish breath once in a while, I am OK with that.

Speaking of research -- I notice that most research has been done with men only. If anyone knows of any studies conducted with women, would you let me know?

An oxymoron for sure

2010-01-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

Taco Bell and Diet. Do those two go together? Or Drive Thru and diet. Sorry, I don't get it so I did a little investigating. I decided to explore the new Fresco menu at the Bell. No, I have yet to actually sample something because the last time I may have eaten the food from the bell was in college, over ten years ago. Remember the 2 a.m. cravings? And I wondered how I gained the freshman 15. Bingo.

So my investigation revealed that the fresco menu is not really all that healthy. Sure it may be "balanced" and what I would say lower calorie compared to traditional options. But it is only healthier if you limit your intake by eating only one taco or burrito. I cannot remember a time when I just ate one taco.

Taco Bell, do us a favor. Just keep doing what you do and don't jump on the diet bandwagon. So you want to offer lower calorie portions, that is great. Just don't call it a diet.

If you want to try the fresco taco, you can grab a free coupon from their site

Who is your Hero?

2010-01-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

Willie Nelson's heroes have always been cowboys, but for me, my heroes have been people who have touched my life in ways that they may never know. My first hero was my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Dale Beltzner who helped me develop self confidence and also taught me not to be so afraid of science and math. He is the man responsible for teaching me what it means to be a leader and I think about him often.

As I was pumping my gas this morning at our neighborhood 7-11, I ran into another of my heroes, but I many not be alone in my fondness of this individual because he is a former Olympian and a local celebrity.

This encounter made me think about heroes. So many people look to celebrities to be role models or heroes and I wondered what others thought about this. A couple of months back, I overheard someone in the supermarket complaining about what a terrible role model Brittany Spears is and how we should not buy her music or the Star magazine, which this woman was coveting (and did purchase). I just laughed to myself thinking, why do people think we should idolize celebrities? For me, I will buy Brittany's albums along with Usher and many others who may not have a pristine social life. Why? Because these artists are good at their art (or at least they have great producers who help them be good at it),and I do not look to celebrities to be role models?

Or do I? Tiger Woods was a role model to me and we all know how that one turned out. At least he is a great athlete and I can appreciate that.

My new hero though, while a celebrity, may not count as "celebrity role model" because I can talk to him, our boys are just a year apart in age and take the same gymnastics class sometimes, and we live in the same neighborhood.

So why do I find Bart Conner heroic? Here's why. He greets everyone with a smile, always. He's active in his son's life. I always see him and his wife at the park with their son or at the gym, or out and about in our community. He's also active in our community. He has worked in the area to help develop the Olympic training facility on the Oklahoma River. He's a great model of health. He doesn't look any different than he did when he was in college. He also makes me feel blessed to live in our community and he genuinely cares for other people.

Bart's wife, Nadia has always been a role model of mine for achieving the perfect 10, but as far as people go, Bart gets a perfect 10 in my book.

Anyone out there care to share their heroes with me?

Q…Q…Qdoba

2010-01-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

You have to love a restaurant whose name starts with a Q and is not followed by a U. Too bad it’s a proper name and no able to be used in scrabble.

What I really love about this place now is that they have made some great changes to their menu. I have always like the build-your-own burrito type of joints, but really wasn’t all that in love with Qdoba’s style. I prefer the old Atomic Burrito style (boo hoo – they went out of business), which is closely familiar with Freebird (the best of all build-your-owns currently), where you get to choose your own toppings and build a burrito by looking at all the condiments and items behind the glass. It’s like Subway for burritos.

So what was my beef with Qdoba (pun intended)? First off their beef is nowhere near as good as the fresh, spicy, grilled chicken and the verde pork. But what I hated the most was you didn’t get to choose your burrito size. Since I cannot control portions on my own, I would rather someone do this for me and that is what I was looking for. I know, I know, I should just save half for later, but since they taste so good, that never works for me.

What they have always offered is the “naked” burrito, which is simply everything you want in a bowl and the tortilla on the side. This does help a bit with portion control. What I didn’t love is that they made you follow their given formula. For example, let’s say you want a chicken burrito with black beans, no rice, and you don’t want the queso, but you want the grilled veggies, etc., they didn’t offer this. While technically, they can make it that way for you (although you pay for lots of extras), they want you to follow their predetermined formula from queso burrito to poblano pesto burrito to grilled veggie burrito.

So, now not only have they given you the options to truly build-your-own, but they have a pick two option. So you can pick a naked burrito to be paired with a quesadilla or a cup of soup, etc. You should check out their menu to explore all the combinations.

What is probably more enticing is that they have added options to the kids menu to include a choice of milk or juice rather than only a soft drink and you can have black beans, applesauce or chips for the side.

For these reasons alone and their scrumptious homemade chips, I will be making more trips here. Thankfully the service at the location by our house has improved; otherwise I would have never gone back and seen such wonderful new changes.

BTT -- pleading the 5th

2010-01-06T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today I devoured some Big Truck Tacos and I strayed from my usual order. Venturing out a bit, I chose the 5th, which is the surprise taco of the day.

Amazing -- I think that I may have had salmon steak or perhaps it was tuna or trout. It was definitely some pinkish fish and it was yummy, but coupled with the spices and the cheese and rice, I can't quite put my finger on it. I literally inhaled the food, the smells were of cilantro, chilies and onion. They I quickly gobbled it up way too quickly.

If you have yet to try BTT and you live in the OKC area, I highly recommend it and then you can add them as a fan on your facebook to find out the 5th from the previous day.

Go venture out and trust me, nothing there is bad. Off for a siesta now.

Buenos dias.

Dear Cooks Illustrated

2010-01-05T04:30:00.000-08:00

I know with the abundance of food magazines on store shelves, each has their niche. For my favorite magazine, Cooks Illustrated, their niche is preparing recipes multiple ways in the test kitchen to develop the best tasting food possible.

Perhaps I like it because there is science to this art, or perhaps I love it because their recipes seem to be fool proof, I am not sure. They do a wonderful job at explaining each step of a recipe in detail. Also, what some consider a downfall of the magazine with a lack of photographs, I find to be liberating. If you see a picture of the four layer lemon cake with meringue, you might not be motivated to take on that task. (I did see the photo of this cake and thought that I would tackle it. Thankfully, it was broken down well and the cake was spectacular, but it did take forever to make). They have cute drawings that show you some of the steps rather than one enormous photo of a yule log that looks impossible to emulate.

So all this love for one magazine? Yes, I do love it, but I have one request of Mr. Kimball. Would it be possible to test the nutritional value of your recipes? I know most of your recipes don't include the lowest fat or lowest calorie option because the goal is to achieve the most flavorful dish possible; however, in this day and age people count calories or have special dietary concerns (low fat, low sodium, cholesterol, etc.). These people are looking to cook meals that they can eat, enjoy and measure the nutritional value. Sure two sticks of butter in a pan of dinner rolls is not that bad in moderation, but it makes me think twice before adding extra butter to the warm roll once it is baked.

It's just a thought. I know it might not be possible for all recipes, and I do appreciate that in the healthy cookbook recently released, the nutrition information is included, but what about the Gilman staples like the stuffed baked chicken?

If not the magazine, perhaps the Daily Plate could test some of these and apply to their database. Just a thought.

It's a new year, finally.

2010-01-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

"They (whoever they are)" tell you when you get older, time seems to fly by and I tend to agree, but having a child in the house somehow makes time stand still and fly by all at the same time. I am sure many of my friends with toddlers would agree.

So 2009 wasn't exactly the best of years for our family and I am really looking forward to a fresh start. What's this year's resolution? Here is my short list.

1. Sleep less -- yes, you read that right. I would like to be able to do more on little sleep. In order to accomplish all that I want, the only way I will be able to cram it all in is going to be giving up sleep. My nightly sleep goal will be to get 6-7 hours and not sleep more than 7.

2. Many have asked for me to blog more. Well, if I cut the sleep out I should be able to find time to write. I am surprised you guys really care what I have to say. Strange to me, but you asked for it so I will try and deliver.

3. Keep up with reading and not just my magazines, which I am about two months behind on. I really want to dive back into fiction that doesn't include Blueberries for Sal or Where the Sidewalk Ends. Let me tackle the rest of the Twilight series and then I can move on from there.

4. Along with reading more, I need to start watching TV (other than the occasional HBO series) and go to movies so I can keep up with pop culture. I have considered a subscription to Entertainment Weekly, but the thought of another magazine to add to the list is a bit daunting. Would I make you guys crack up if I started reading smut like People magazine or US Weekly? It's pretty bad when your in-laws, who are not the most pop culture savvy people in the world, know more than you do. When they start quoting The Hangover, you should be worried.

5. Lastly, I am going to try and not sweat the small stuff. I realized something had to be up when I started freaking out because the playdoh colors were all mixed into one mess. There are some battles that I should try and let go.

That's the list. How did I fare from last year's list? Number 1 on the list was the half marathon and I did complete it. Check that one off. Second on last year's list looks similar to this year's list to read more. Oh well, I will get back into it. Wonder if a kindle would help? Third on the list was organization. I have to say that I did improve in this area, but I can always improve in this area. I guess compared to others, I would be considered "organized." However, if you saw my Costanza wallet, you might disagree.

That's the list for now. Who knows? I may sneak in training for an actual marathon. I have sort of wavered on this idea and my body will let me know if I can do this. Please send me back your posts and tell me what your resolutions are. Cheers and Happy New Year.

Real Models from Title Nine

2009-08-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

I came across a great catalog today which sales outdoor/athletic clothing for women called Title Nine (just now got the reference to women's collegiate sports). Of course I loved the merchandise in their catalog, but what I loved more were the models that they featured. They are all real women and the catalog features each one by identifying their name and a few fun facts.

What I also loved was the Founder's note on the inside front cover. I felt that this statement really defined me well Obviously, I am their target audience. Here is what it says:

"An athlete is...
A Mom squeezing in her workout before the kids wake up.
Candace Parker squeezing in one more rep as she prepares her post-partum body for another season of pro hoops.
A woman who juggles work commitments but never forgets her commitments to herself.
That woman on the elliptical breaking bad habits as she builds a better body.
Dana Torres (who by the way is my hero) breaking barriers even if she's not breaking records.
A girl discovering the competent machine that is her body.
A woman discovering the same thing.
What is an athlete? An athlete is you." -- Missy Park, Founder

If you have an opportunity, check out their site which also features these "real" models

Share the Road

2009-08-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

By the time I have almost completed my morning five mile run, most people in town are just staring to wake up and grab the morning paper. As some jump in their cars to head to the local convenience store or to work, I am reminded that they may not have had their morning cup of joe and are not completely awake. This must have been the case this morning during my pre-dawn run as I had to leap up to the curb in order to avoid an oncoming car. Actually at the time it was pretty light outside so I am still not quite sure why that black mustang did not see me.

I bring this up because every morning I pass runners, cyclists and dog walkers on the street. When I am in the driver’s seat of a vehicle, I make sure to give these folks plenty of space in their lane. If the inside lane of traffic is open, I get over. However, I don’t believe that this is the case for most inhabitants of my community.

Case in point: this morning as me and two girlfriends were running (I was in front and the other two were side-by-side maybe 10 feet behind me), two cars honked their horns at us. This was not a friendly “hey, you runner chicks are hot,” kind of honk. It was more like a “get the h-e-double hockey sticks out of the street” sort of honk. Now that is just not nice and it is especially rude to the people who live nearby and may be awakened by these rude honkers.

This also happens frequently when we are out cycling. In fact on Saturday the same group plus a few others were out and the exact thing happened – a big nasty honk and there may have been some choice words yelled. Thankfully there was plenty of wind to battle, so sounds were sort of muffled. Crazy thing is that when the person honked, they happened to honk right in front of a caution sign that reads, “share the road,” and has a photo of a bicycle. The irony.

What I like to tell these drivers out there is that we (runners and cyclists) also share the road. Cyclists are not expected to ride on uneven sidewalks at speeds that can range from 15-20 mph. Sidewalks also do not always exist on stretches of road for runners to use. So the next time you go out in your car and you see runners and cyclists, please do us a favor and share the road. If you choose to honk, just know that I may shoot you the bird.

Can women really have it all?

2009-08-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

As I write this post, I am being as productive as one possibly can on one's lunch hour. While I am eating at my desk (a lunch that I prepared myself), I often take small breaks to type this post while chewing and while also attempting to read a certification manual.

I mention this because this a real example of how working moms and even non work outside of the home moms operate. I believe that women, not just moms, are truly gifted in the art of multi-tasking and that our kids, families and lives would suffer if God had not bestowed this gift upon us. Does anyone find it strange that gift somehow is a rare find in those of the opposite sex? Sorry, guys -- that is just how it is.

But the real question is, did nature just make us this way or did we simply evolve after women's lib? While my gut tells me this may have something to do with nature, I cannot escape the thought that it may be our own mothers and grandmothers who paved the road for their daughters to have this "liberation" or what they consider "freedom."

Tell me again, what is so free about working full-time to help provide food and shelter for your family, all the while juggling many different roles as employee, wife, mother, and friend?

Did these ladies get it wrong when they asked to have it all --you know, equal rights with men? Are we really equal? I guarantee that most women work as hard, if not twice as hard as their male counterparts and are still not paid an equal wage. We work harder because some work is simply non considered a "man's job." Are these gender roles fair?

So I pose this final question to you: If one could reverse women's lib and take back women's traditional role as homemakers, would you choose that option?

Not sure I would. What I do know is that we as women need to do a better job of trying to blur these traditional gender roles. Ladies complaining about our husbands gets us know where. We have to act and it is time to hand over the apron.

Cooking Girl

2009-07-16T11:17:00.001-07:00

For those of you in the Oklahoma City area, I have a real treat for you. Looking for a reason to gather up your gal pals a veg or want to learn how to whip up a causal dinner party? If you answered yes, then I would recommend you check out the Cooking Girl

I had the gal pals over for a casual dinner and beer pairing party last month and we hired the Cooking Girl to provide the food and demonstration. Here's a little breakdown of the menu and my thoughts on each course.

Beet Salad paired with Hoegaarden White

Not a fan of beets would be putting it mildly in my case. Rather, beets can never fully escape that dirt flavor in which the root is earthed in my opinion. But being the "go with" person that I am, I decided to give it a shot. The fact that goat cheese was involved sweetened the deal enough for me to try. I will say that roasting the beets gave them a much milder flavor than I remember, so it wasn't that bad. I really picked up the citrus (without eating the fruit), which I have found out came from orange juice and orange zest used in the dressing. The salad was also dressed with candied pecans, which offered a nice sweet compliment to the tartness of the citrus and the earthy flavor of the beets.

This course was paired with the Hoegaarden, which is a wheat (unfiltered) beer. While this may sound especially heavy, it was actually fairly light. Of all the beers paired, this was by far my favorite. I am not too much of a beer drinker, so don't take my word for it.

The next course was the best of the evening in my opinion. Cooking Girl's Shrimp Coctel Pilsner was too die for. In fact, rather than having his as an appetizer, I would prefer to eat this as its own meal with the salad as a start. Similar to ceviche, although the shrimp is actually cooked rather than cured, this dish, served in pilsner, reminded me of being on the beach in Mexico. I guess it was all the fruit mixed in such as pineapple, papaya, watermelon along with cilantro and other wonderful ingredients which made me feel so tropical. I enjoyed this dish so much that I completely forgot about the beer. Sorry guys, I cannot remember what was paired with this one.

Course 3 was Cochinita Pork Sandwich with Pineapple Coleslaw and Baked Beans. If I wasn't so full from scarfing down the last course, then I would have enjoyed this part of the meal much more. This is why I could not be a food critic -- I don't have the willpower to take small samples if it is something that I love.

The best part of the especially tender pork sandwich was the slaw which offered a bit of Asian flare to a very Mexican style pork. The cuisines complimented each other nicely and I would have never tried putting these two types of things together on my own until Cooking Girl came along. I chose not to eat the bun because my stomach was at the point of explosion; however, that did not stop me from enjoying the cheese course which followed. The cheeses offered were paired with beer as was the main course and I cannot remember anything about these beers or even what they were named. I do remember that there were many cheddars on the plate and that all I really wanted at this point was a siesta and maybe a bit more of that shrimp coctel pilsner.

Dessert was a Chocolate Cakethat the Cooking Girl said was a standard cake. I think that she may have found the recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa can. However, chocolate is its own food group in my mind and regardless of its standardness, it was delish. I do remember that whatever beer was paired with this course that it complimented the chocolate well and almost tasted like chocolate. I remember liking it, but not to the point of remembering the name.

Overall the food was delicious, a bit filling, which most people in these parts prefer and moderately priced. If you need info on booking the Cooking Girl for your next gathering, let me know. I have linked her website above and be sure to check her out on facebook.

Best Ads on TV

2009-07-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

So I was having a really bad day so I went to watch these amazing ads from Carl's Jr. Enjoy your b-holes.

Video of HJ's final ISR lesson

2009-07-04T05:12:00.000-07:00

Infant Swimming Resource

2009-05-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

I am sure that many of you have seen the Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) videos on the web or you have seen the e-mails. Yes, it is quite amazing.

Last week, I enrolled my almost 2 year old son in lessons and he is doing remarkably well. We are in week two and I started seeing improvement on the third day.

It is amazing to watch these babies use their natural instincts coupled with lessons which teach them to swim and/or float as a rescue mechanism. If you have not seen the videos, I encourage you to check out the ISR site. Also, CNN And Fox have posted stories to their sites today.

I recommend these lessons to everyone with an infant/toddler. I attempted to get a group together so the lessons could be offered in my home town, but being that it is quite a commitment of time and money, I don't think that it was feasible for most people so I make an hour and a half commute to pick up my son and take him to lessons. Honestly though, it is worth the time and every penny. Let's just hope that my son never encounters an opportunity where he will use these skills unsupervised. (I heard today that a toddler drowned over the weekend in a neighboring community after slipping into a pool. If only the child had the same training, he could have been saved).

Half Marathon Update

2009-04-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

To those of you who have had to endure all my running stories the last couple of months, I apologize. And I am going to apologize to you once again because after my experience this weekend, I am ready for the next challenge.

So, how did it go and how did I do?

According to my husband Andrew and marathoner friend Adam, I finished in the top 4% of my age group and 3.6% overall, which is not too bad. I achieved my goals of 1. finishing and 2. trying to finish in under 2 hours.

Detailed description of every turn (you can stop reading here and skip over if totally bored)

Of course, I couldn't sleep all night because I was anticipating (maybe even slightly dreading) the race. I was excited, but super nervous since my longest run was around 10 miles and I would be forced to complete 13.1. While everyone says that you can do 13.1 if you have had a long run of 10, I still had my doubts.

We arrived at cock-a-doodle dark at the starting point adjacent to the memorial. There were so many familiar faces and people there that I have not seen in years. In fact, a few were running there first marathon so that put me at ease a bit. Everyone observed 168 seconds of silence and then there was the singing of the national anthem. When the horns went off to signal the start the OU Pep Band (or what sounded like a recording) played Boomer Sooner! I found that strangely amusing considering I was flanked by many donning OSU garb. I felt like I was the drum major out of the field -- that was fun.

Miles 1-3

I am not really sure what went on. The first two miles were so packed in, I spent more time worrying that I might trip over someone. I was so focused on zig-zagging through people that I was at the Captiol complex in no time. There were so many people cheering along the first couple of miles that I didn't see some of my friends, but I did hear my name shouted once, which helped me pick up the pace. About this time I ran into a couple of friends and struck up a conversation which really kept my mind off of the humidity and the first couple of hills.

Miles 4-7
Happened to be my favorite part of the course and run. As you leave the OKC Capitol complex, you head on to 23rd street and pass the Sonic -- I wanted to shoot daggers at the two gentleman leisurely sipping coffee and eating breakfast burritos, but I just kept thinking that if I finish this thing I will be rewarded with Starbucks and a massage, which is way better than Sonic burritos and coffee. So the best part of 4-6 is running through the neighborhoods. You round 23th into historic Jefferson Park and then through many other neighborhoods where people line their driveways with all sorts of fun goodies like bacon, chocolate truffles, suckers and Krispy Kreme donuts. The houses in this area are beautiful (a bit run down in areas, but have potential) and the trees provide perfect cover from the sun which was just coming up at the time.

However, the best part about this area was the man dressed up like Will Ferrell from SNL, clad in brown half shirt, afro style wig and clanging a cow bell to the beat of Don't Fear the Reaper. Out of nowhere a male runner sort of cuts in front of me and goes over to cow bell dude and starts reciting the dialog from the "more cow bell" sketch. You know, "I got a fever and the only prescription for it is more cow bell," number. It was hilarious, but what was more funny is that this same guy kept moving from location to location in sort of a "where's waldo" fashion, which made the rest of route something to look forward to.

As you round out of the Crown Heights neighborhood, you run down an open Western Avenue. It was here that I spotted Amy Palimero-Winters and I picked up my pace. Since I had read a few stories on her in the newspaper earlier that week, I wanted to get the opportunity to say hello and tell her what an inspiration she was to me. I caught up with Amy, who not only was running the full marathon on a prosthetic leg , but she was pushing a girl in a wheelchair.We chatted a bit. I asked her about running on her stiletto prosthesis. She told me that she actually did run on it once and she was reprimanded from her doc for doing so. Anyway, this was about the time that the marathoners break from the half and if my friend Jennifer were not there yelling at me to make the turn, I would have run on all the way to the lake and back. Thanks, Jen for saving me from my own demise!

Miles 8-11 "Tornado Alley"
At this point, I started feeling tired so I tried to eat my luna moons and was annoyed by all the chewing while trying to run (it's like try to rub your stomach and pat your head at the same time -- you can do it, but it takes concentration). Up to this point, I really had not thought about my energy and the fatigue was setting in. So I snacked on two Luna moon and then the package fell out of the ipod pocket. I didn't feel like attempting the cliff shot, so I just suffered through the fatigue.

Fatigue, fine. I can survive. Gale force winds on Classen, not fine. I am going to die. I did not want to walk at all so I decided to deal with the 30 mph south winds (while running directly South) by keeping my head down, which now I realize may have been a mistake. I put my head down and tried to lean into the wind, which if I was walking may have blown me over. About this time, I spot my friend and trainer Stephanie who looks exactly like me with her head down. I catch up to her and we commiserate about our IT band issues and the wind. She tells me that she was slowing down a bit and I decided to hurry up and get out of the wind as soon as possible.

So while this part of the race seems so unbearable, I feel pretty good. Tight IT bands are to be expected, but I don't have significant pain to warrant walking at this point. I did, for the first time since my first race, grab water at three water stops though. The Devon folks decked out as Aliens looked too fun to pass up, so I grabbed water and sipped while lightly jogging. The next two stops, I decided to walk a bit so I could actually drink my water. Oh yeah, I did do that cool runner thing and grab water and pour over my head.

Miles 12-13.1

Once I rounded the turn off of Classen into Mesta Park, I felt tons better. It could also be that I saw a poor woman on a lawn chair getting an IV of fluids at the medic stop that urged me on, but honestly I think that the change in direction, which limited the wind and the improvement of scenery helped out more. What I was anticipating at this point was the "massive hill" my friend Sarah was telling me about. I knew thought that once I crested the hill, I would be a little over a mile from the finish. So, I took the hill and it was not bad. I told myself I would walk it, but I ended up running it and then walking for about thirty seconds to recover. I should have never started walking because as soon as I did, my quads got really tight and I knew that my muscles were depleted of glycogen. I should have ate that stupid cliff shot. So, I grabbed an orange and then Stephanie caught up with me and I started running again. Frank Berry was pumping me back up with his music and Stephanie kicked it in on the next turn to pass me.

As I was heading to the corner on Broadway, I saw my college friend Sean, who was a race marshal and said hello. That helped me make it past the corner where I could read the sign that said FINISH in bold type. Only half a mile to go and along the way I got a shout out from my friend Sasha, who was going to run, but got injured a week before the race and then my husband and son were there. When I yelled at HJ, he smiled and that pumped me up to get done.

I crossed the finish line. I did it. I completed a half marathon. I was hungry. Hungry for food and hungry for more. As I found my friends, the reality of the past four months' journey sunk in. I was almost sad. I was going to miss my weekly long runs with our group. I was going to miss getting Starbucks after our runs and I was going to miss chasing a common goal.

That's why I am teaming up with my super athletic teammate, Kristy to train for an adventure race next month. Got to have another goal to chase, right? Who knows? After all this, I may actually attempt a marathon some day.

Thanks to everyone for all their support and encouragement through this process. My husband deserves extra kudos for letting me take so much time to train. Love you!

Welcome Patriots

2009-04-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

So besides the folks in New England, is there anyone out there who celebrates Patriots' Day? I was thinking that everyone in the United States should declare the day a national holiday and stay home from work and school. Really, I was hoping to stay home from work and watch Kara Goucher clinch the marathon for the Americans, but I guess that I will have to wait another year for an American to get close -- only 9 seconds from the win. Actually the women's race was quite competitive and if you saw the finish, would be totally bummed if you were a fan of the defending champ, Dire Tune. The Kenyan, Kosgei closed in at the very end to beat Tune by one crazy second.

At the least the Red Sox won, right? Good luck next year Kara. Either way, you made me proud and have inspired me to keep running.

I must go now and observe the day and be thankful for democracy and independence.

What a creative way to save on groceries

2009-03-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

My husband let me in on a little coupon action the other night that I thought needed to be shared. He was watching the evening news and came across a story on a company which has basically borrowed an idea from Gas Buddy which lets you put in your location and it finds the cheapest gasoline in your area. However, the company/website, Grocio lets you put in your shopping list for groceries and they can tell you if your total will be cheaper at your neighborhood Wal-Mart, Target, Homeland, etc. They also go the extra mile and have a feature that takes your list and allows you to print off coupons from your home computer to take with you to the store. You should go check out their site and sign up. Be sure to let them know I sent you and use this code (ICT2) when you sign up. The site which is live will do a product launch where you can create your lists soon. They are seeking out people in concentrated areas to launch the product. If you live in the Norman/Oklahoma City area, please sign up so we can all benefit.

First run this week

2009-03-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

After resting the IT band for one week, I tried to really run for the first time today. The weather was perfect (60 degrees and minimal wind) so the only thing that would have kept me from trying would have been serious pain. I wouldn't call the pain that I encountered serious so I thought that I should give it a shot and enjoy the great outdoors. In fact when I woke up this morning, my hip hurt more than my knee. Throughout my run, I felt great. It was actually my good knee that gave me a few fits.

So, how far did I get? I followed the advice of my knowledgeable physical trainer and kept it to 2 miles and I think this was the perfect distance (Thanks, Sean). I am sure I could have gone farther, but I didn't want to risk another injury. I also ran at a slower pace (around 10 minutes a mile) and was completely aware of my posture the entire time.

Stay tuned though because I may be feeling the effects of this little experiment tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement this last week. I know that I may have been difficult to deal with at times.

I don't think that there is anything more depressing now than missing a day of running or at least some serious cardio. Am I sick or what?

Have you seen her?

2009-03-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that I let over a month pass by without a post to my blog. It is not that I have not had my fair share of thoughts that I hope to share with the world, it is just so much has happened and the blog priority fell to the bottom of the heap.

What's been going on? Well over the past month, my dear husband has started a new career, I have been busy working on all this new work associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on top of my other duties, and somewhere during work and chasing around a very spirited toddler, I have injured myself and have committed my Internet time to finding the best and quickest cure for ITBS. (I have a team race next week, so if anyone knows of a way to recover quickly, please let me know. I checked and the race doesn't disqualify runners for doping, so if anyone has a good hook up for a steroid injection, let me know).

Really I want to know what's been going on with you guys? Any mommies out there catch last night's premiere of In the Motherhood? I had a friend DVR the episode, so don't give anything away just yet. After we view, I will let you know what I think. Is it worth my time?

Hope you all are living well. Cheers to you!

My emotional stuggle with conventionalism

2009-02-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

I never expected that my RSVP comments would get such feedback. I didn't realize at the time of this post that I actually had a few e-vites out there. Trust me, my intention was not to guilt you guys into responding, but I am glad that you did because I am still short a few people for our girls night out.

So all you ladies and gentleman out there in cyberland, can you help me out a bit? I need your opinion. Am I being totally emotional and blowing this anger/frustration way out of proportion? Read story below:

Being somewhat of an exercise fanatic, I thought that it would be fun to get a group of friends together to take one of these pole dancing classes offered at a local gym. No, I am not preparing for my next career. Rather I thought it would be good for a laugh, some exercise and a night out without the kids. What I didn't expect was all the negativity that this event would conjure up in people. Some people were a little hesitant to do this at first, but chilled out a bit when I told them that a) you would be fully clothed and b) you would be among friends who will not laugh at you because they will be too busy laughing at themselves. So with a bit of arm twisting, a few rigidly conventional ladies gave in. (I was actually really proud of them for doing something that would take them out of their comfort zone).

Anyway, the big deal for me is that I am the organizer and I have several hundred dollars charged to my credit card as a deposit based on the women who told me that they would participate. Now these rigidly conventional ladies are backing out. I don't know if I am more upset about having to eat their portion of the deposit or upset because I didn't realize how uptight some of my friends could be. Honestly, I think that it is the latter.

Is that too harsh a judgement? I feel like a terrible person for being angry with someone for their conventionalism. Should I just suck it up or surround myself with more non-conformist friends?

To RSVP or not, chain letters, etc.

2009-02-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

I know that I have been guilty of throwing away an invitation and forgetting to call and respond whether I plan to attend such function or not; however, are there really any excuses for not responding to an e-vite these days? C'mon people, the host can see who has viewed the invitation and honestly, if you have time to view the invite, you have time to respond. Ok, so it so happens you might have a conflict. How hard is it to mark the maybe box or even e-mail the host and explain your situation?

Let's say you just don't want to go to this function. A simple mark the no I will not attend box works and you can move on with your life. As a hostess, I would much rather have a no in the box than wonder if you might or might not show up (especially when I am a) planning a meal and b) need to make seating assignments.

Speaking of the e-world. Does this same thing apply to chain letters? I am not sure what Miss Manners would say, but I cannot stomach chain letters and especially the ones that end up on my door. Where is the chain letter resurgence coming from and why did I get three requests last month? No, my son does not need to join a sticker club, I don't need any more dish towels or any used books. Thanks for thinking of me, but I refuse to send this on to someone who feels guilted into participating. By the way, I also chose not to let you know I was not forwarding them on. I am sure that I am not the only one.

Did I catch the funk?

2009-02-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

As is the case on most mornings, I was running behind this morning on my way to work and was thrilled to get a great parking spot relatively close to the elevator. I thought to myself this is going to be a good day, but that sort of changed as I descended in the elevator. Not only did I hit every floor on the way down to my building, but everyone who entered the elevator looked so angry. I decided to play a little game and smile and say hello to everyone. I passed 6 people on my way in and not one person acknowledged my smile or hello. So what's up folks?

I was talking with a colleague about this because she mentioned something similar in her office. She thought that the economy might have everyone in a funk. Who knows? I can tell you that because of this economy, I am having to do more with my job because we cannot afford to hire an executive director or assistant. Therefore I am overwhelmed with the amount of work that I have to do with no extra pay. I love my job and actually enjoy the work, but I am stressed out -- stressed out the point that when I got to my car this evening, I finally broke down a cried.

Please tell me I am not alone. Also, I am curious to find out if you see areas of your life which have changed due to the state of our economy? What are you cutting back on? How has it affected you?

I would love to know that I am not alone, so please share your story if you have time.

You put that in your mouth?

2009-01-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

I read food labels and some would say that I tend to obsess over things. My latest obsession has been to try and eliminate as many processed foods from my diet as possible. So about two years ago, I became a member of a local food co-op and in the spring and summers we purchase most of our produce from farmers markets. I started off pretty good, but then fell off the wagon. Meat cost more and it came frozen, which required extra steps to prepare meals. (I am a fly by the seat of your pants kind of cook).

Also I realized that there are some things you simply cannot avoid. Flour for one big staple. I know you don't have to buy processed flour, but who do you know that actually grinds there own? I know of one.

I eat out a lot due to my job (always attending breakfasts, lunches or dinners out for meetings), which means processed food is completely unavoidable and the biggest contributing factor to why I don't go cold turkey is this -- doesn't processed food taste that much better?

So, I give up. However, if you have any suggestions for great unprocessed meals that you are willing to share, let me know.

The best cupcake mix on the market

2009-01-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

For my birthday I received a gift card to one of my favorite stores, Williams-Sonoma. With my pledge to be more fiscally responsible, I couldn't justify buying a new Capresso thermal coffee pot, which I really wanted or a new set of Wustof knives, which I really do need. Therefore, I settled for more practical purchases like: a) tablecloth that was so marked down, they were practically giving it away, b) potlach seasoning mix which is scrumptious on fish and smoked meats and c) two Sprinkles cupcake mixes which one of my friends was raving about.

Since my precious 19 month old son likes to proclaim, "cook" I decided that we would cook some cupcakes as an after dinner treat to celebrate President Obama's inauguration. I thought that the mix might speed up the process and allow him to participate more (I only really let him pour items into the kitchenaid stand mixer and stir occasionally so don't call DHS on me and tell them I let him play with knives).

We decided to whip up the vanilla cupcakes (I bought the dark chocolate and will let you know how those turn out). While purchasing the mix, I read the list of ingredients and was pleasantly surprised to find no HFCS or High Fructose Corn Syrup or any partially hydrogenated anything a.k.a. trans fat.

As we set out the mixer and followed the directions, it dawned on me that there were quite a few steps in the process for preparing something that comes out of a box. When it was all said and done, you actually make your own frosting, which really was to die for good, but takes more time. Also, you use quite a few ingredients of your own unlike most mixes which require two at the most. For example, you have to add the butter, milk and eggs (egg whites and one whole egg).

So would I go to all the trouble again for something out of a box? The answer is yes, but it is a pricey yes. At $14 a box plus all your own ingredients, I may try and emulate the recipe myself. I don't really need that signature dot on as a topper and since I am going to all the trouble to do dishes, mix other things, etc, I should just make them from scratch.

While I might make cupcakes myself, I will still buy this product as a gift and perhaps when I feel like splurging, I will pick up a box for myself. Who knows, the lemon or the dark chocolate varieties may cut out lots of other ingredients and work that makes the box variety more appealing.

What an emotional day -- hope ensues

2009-01-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning full of hope and fear for our new President. As I was getting in my car to drive to work I tuned into pre-inauguration coverage and was overwhelmed with emotion.

Yesterday I observed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and listened once again to the I have a dream speech. However, this year's observance of the holiday was different considering the historical nature of what was to come. Before MLK could get through the entire speech I was sitting there in tears and as I drove to work listening to the interviews with inaugural attendees, I once again found myself in tears. I guess I did not realize how emotional this event would be for me. First black President. Tears. Change for our country. Tears. Democracy. Tears. Hope. Tears. You name it, these days I am reduced to crying. Who knew that happiness and hope could make you so emotional?

I raise my glass to you Mr. President. May you have a successful first term and may you and your family be safe and continue to inspire us all to be better Americans.

Need to go now, I need a tissue.

Saving Energy?

2009-01-14T09:33:00.001-08:00

My good friend and colleague, Sarah drives a 2000 Honda Insight and she raves about the fuel economy. I have carpooled with her and the ride is nice, but the only drawback for me is that this vehicle really only seats two. While there is ample trunk space since it’s a hatchback, I don’t think that my toddler would appreciate sitting in the trunk.

My other colleague or former boss just purchased a Toyota Prius and it's really a bourgeois hybrid vehicle that could seat a toddler comfortably in the back seat unlike the Honda; however, the price for the Prius with all the bourgeois features costs quite a bit more. What’s an energy conscience mom to do? Well, I decided to wait to buy a car because a) we recently purchased another Honda for my husband and b) my car is an Acura, which is really a fancy Honda and has a decent fuel economy. So while I have been waiting, Honda has been working on enhancing its Insight. A new version will be released next year, which can seat five and will cost less than the Civic hybrid.

I am still trying to figure out if I should wait around for the plug in version of the hybrid to be released or just bite the bullet soon and get the hybrid. Either way, for those of you contemplating a change in vehicle in the future, the good news is that more fuel efficient models should be on the way.

A daily rant

2009-01-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

Today's rant -- I know that I should prepare for this time of year and be patient with all those spirited souls at the gym who are seeking to lose a little weight or get in shape as part of a new year's resolution. But really, do you have to take over all the damn machines? I guess I need to calm down and look forward to next month when all those diet/get in shape for the new year folks will fizzle out of the gym and go back to their old habits.

Last Friday's rant -- I got a message from a local photographer as part of a distribution list through Constant Contact. I was on her list because I had ordered photographs from her in the past. So what hacked me off about this? The e-mail solicitation that was sent to me had nothing to do with photography, rather, it was for her other business selling Arbonne products. Is it just me, or is this really unprofessional?

By the way, Arbonne is annoying. I can think of 50 people in my city who sale the stuff. If I want some products, I will call. Please leave me alone.

Yesterday's rant -- Um, Officer who gave me a ticket yesterday for an expired licence plate while I was on my way to renew, could you have been a little less understanding? Hey, I know you are doing your job and all, but you could of sympathized with me a little. I know your job must suck on the city salary you are drawing, but show a bit of compassion please. Be happy you have a job in this economy.

OK, feel a little better now. Thanks -- back to dreaming of Mexico.

Where in the World? Ah, Cancun Mexico.

2009-01-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

So I went a little MIA this last month, but once you find out exactly where I was, you might be a bit jealous. I am still stunned that I actually unplugged for almost two weeks and the irony is that I didn't even have to officially unplug because my blackberry worked and we had free access to the business center at our hotel should I want to blog or read an e-mail that doesn't require me to continue scrolling.

Ok, so I was in Cancun. Yes, the same Cancun which I envisioned to be an open set for Girls Gone Wild. The last time my husband and I went to Playa del Carmen, we spent a day in Cancun for a tour and the folk we encountered would have jumped at the chance to be seen topless in Carlos and Charlies. However, after encountering a civilized Cancun, I am trying to figure out just how quickly we can plan another trip back.

What qualifies as the best r & r vacation ever? The tag line for the all inclusive where we stayed is "as close to perfect as humanly possible," and I couldn't have said it better. I honestly do not know how I have managed to survive all these years without my own personal butler.

As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with cold towels which were scented with a fresh, orange mint fragrance. The ladies were given lilies and all of us received cold champagne flutes of coconut milk. Then we were escorted to our rooms by our personal butler who assisted in tasks from drawing baths (seriously, we had a four person sized jacuzzi in our room) to fetching items from your room should you feel too weak to go fetch something yourself. The whole time when we were getting this treatment, I kept thinking that this must be what it like to be Oprah or any other celebrity for that matter.

While I love the r & r and especially enjoyed my time in the spa, the highlights for the trip for me were 1. all inclusive access to personal trainers (so I did workout every day buy one on my trip)

2. all inclusive room service anytime and 3. free international calls to the US and Canada. The last was a nice perk since my rowdy 18 month old was spending more than a week with grandma.

I could go on forever -- the bath products, the food, the wine and liquor, etc. Pretty much this sums up the trip -- one day I had two naps before lunch. Ah, I want to get back. So if you want to check out the Le Blanc, let me know when you will be booking your vaca. I'll see you there.

Coffee addict or good deal addict?

2008-12-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

I HAVE to have a cup of coffee every morning when I get up. Then I usually take a cup with me to work and since the days have been so bitterly cold, I have found myself drinking coffee throughout the day. Therefore I totally convinced myself that I was justified in buying the Starbucks Gold. The deal is you pay $25 to be a member of the club. You receive a free drink when you sign up, one on your birthday and then 10% off each purchase.

Since I drink either the pike place blend or if I am really crazy, I will get a tall americano with room for cream and I always bring my refill mug (also a discount), I save between $.10-.15 each time I grab a cup. I say that I average one trip to starbucks a week. At this rate, I will have paid for my gold card in a little under four years. Oh yeah, the $25 is an annual membership fee.

Can you say sucker?

There is only so much time

2008-12-15T18:43:00.001-08:00

It seems these days that I find myself with less and less time to enjoy those things that I used to love like cooking, scrapbooking and the occasional movie. I feel like my days are spent looking at my watch, going from one event to the other and the whole time worrying that I will be late for my next engagement. Is it just me or has the pace of society really reached a tipping point?

Therefore I should amend my last post to include taking time each day to really enjoy one thing. As an example, I am savouring a mug of hot apple cider right now and trying not to think about all the work that I need to get done. There is always tomorrow, right?

Perhaps if we all band together we can collectively take back our lives and truly enjoy those moments that make us happy. What would you savor today?

December Resolutions

2008-12-12T07:32:00.001-08:00

The overachiever in me has decided to end the year with a few resolutions rather than beginning the year. Last year I resolved that I was a) going to get in shape -- check, b) start reading more for fun -- check, and c) get my house better organized -- half check (I kind of do this and I hired a house keeper to keep me on track).

So what to do this year? I have decided to be more specific and I am getting started now.
Here's the list. If you have any suggestions for me and ways to keep me motivated let me know.

1. Train for a half marathon and I am going to start running and doing cardio in the mornings. I actually got up at 4:45 a.m. and started this morning. It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be either. **If someone has a good training program, would you mind sharing?

2. This year, I will join a book club to help encourage me to read more for fun and no more baby reading. I seemed to get sucked into every childcare book out there. It's time for a little fiction.

3. To get better organized, I am going to attempt to use less stuff. This goal will prove to be the hardest for me because I love shopping and I am a total kid when it comes to new gadgets. I think that I am simply going to adopt a new rule at home, which is: If you buy something new, it has to replace something old and then I will have to give away or throw out that something old.

Check back with me in a few months and hopefully I will be able to report positively on my progress.

Granola meets comestics -- the perfect holiday gifts

2008-12-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

I have fallen in love.

So I heard about this store, Lush from a fiend of mine over the summer. The concept sounded interesting, but I wasn't completely sold on it. It sounded like an earthy version of bath and body works so I was thinking the Body Shop. I was wrong.

After two friends bought me birthday gifts from this store ranging from bath fizzies, bubble bar slices and bath melts, I was smitten. The scents of their products are not only natural, but heavenly. I highly recommend a slice of the Bathos bubble bar.

If anyone has tried the body creams please share your favorites with me. I cannot wait to get to Dallas to explore the store in person. In the meantime, I will have to settle for for their website, which is easy to navigate and quite creative.

Gotta run. I am off to buying an emotibomb for the husband and getting other fun goodies for the rest of the fam. These are going to be the greatest little stocking stuffers.

Auto Bail Out

2008-12-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

So now it appears that an agreement might be reached for a bail out of the auto industry. After struggling for days to come up with a concrete reason why we, the taxpayers of the US, should bail out this failing industry, I have decided to stop fighting myself and say "No. We should NOT bail out the US auto manufacturers."

I think these days I would be hard pressed to find someone who disagrees with me. (If you do disagree and can convince me to reconsider my position, please send me a note).

This concept of a car czar might be a good thing. Finally there would be a bit of oversight --but wait. We are talking about a private industry and should we really regulate them the way we do public sector businesses? This also means more government bureaucracy.

So they (the US car manufacturers) made poor decisions and chose to make gas guzzling vehicles (SUVs) for the US market. They were doing great when fuel was plentiful, cheap and secure. Heck, I think that I am the only person who has never owned a SUV or an American car since the mid 90's. Now that gas prices and the environment have changed, despite this short stint of $40 barrel crude, the US market demands more fuel efficient vehicles. Detroit should have planned much earlier for this.

So a few pieces of advice to this new car czar would be this:

1. Make the manufacturers pay by requiring them to build vehicles that get better gas mileage and require that the CAFE standards be raised by the end of the next two years. If they don't meet these requirements, have guidelines that outline a penalty system.

2. Make them develop a plan to recycle gas guzzling, air polluting heaps of junk with newer, more fuel efficient vehicles. Perhaps the government should just buy out all jalopies and replace them with more efficient automobiles.

3. Make their CEO's government employees, who are not eligible for bonuses.

If you think the US government should bail em out, let me know why.

When the east meets the west

2008-12-09T19:05:00.001-08:00

When the civil war in Oklahoma breaks out, I will be a west sider. Growing up in the northeastern part of the state for the first eighteen years of my life, I had no idea what the heck was the BC Clark Christmas jingle. In fact when I came to college a friend of mine from this side of the state admitted to thinking that this song was actually a Christmas song and sung throughout the world. Oh, dear!

Therefore, in the event that one must show their allegiances to one side of the state or the other, simply ask them if they know the BC Clark jingle. If they do and can recite it from memory, there is no doubt that they are on the west team.

This jingle is a legend around these parts. For more info for all you outsiders, please visit the BC Clark website devoted to the jingle. The one question that I still have is: Does anyone know the actual date of their anniversary?

You know, it's not the first time that the state has been divided in half -- remember old Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory? Well, I used to be a part of IT and now I'm OT.

Another way to settle the debate on which side of the state you might team up with can be determined by defining the word "puredee." If you know what the heck this means, then you most likely grew up on the west side of the state, or at least anywhere other than northeastern Oklahoma.

Last week T. Boone Pickens told a story about his wife and this okieism. She asked him to define and spell puredee. As he was telling the story many in the audience started chuckling, while I sat there trying to figure out if he was trying to pronounce pretty with an Okie accent. Since I now know the meaning of puredee (despite my east side upbringing), I don't want to give it away in case I am asked to identify my allegiance. So if you don't know what it means, you're on the other side.

If there are an Okies out there that feel the need to add any other items which might identify you as an east sider or a west sider, feel free to share. I'm back to humming this silly tune that has warped my brain.

All kinds of potpourri from politics to mommyhood

2008-12-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

So many things and not enough time -- this is the mantra for my life these days. These days it takes too much energy to be super mom, super wife, super volunteer and super friend, so something has to give. Where should I carve out my time? These days I have totally neglected my dear husband. Last week, he even made me breakfast and did the laundry and dishes most of the week. Thank God for great men. Next I have neglected my volunteer work; however, this is the lowest hanging fruit and is the easiest place to cut back. Either way, I feel like crap when I do have to say no. Does anyone out in cyber land feel the same way?

This leads me to a thought that I had this morning as I was contemplating the job of this country's next President. How do they do it? How do they balance, work, family, and the world's problems like the economy, energy policy and foreign affairs? Well, it appears that the key to success in this area is to surround oneself with confident and capable leaders to assist in the job. And that is just was our President-elect is doing. He had named a few cabinet leaders and has set up his White House staff with people who are not completely agreeable and simply going to say, "Yes" to everything. Good for you President Obama.

So if I were to assemble my own cabinet and house staff advisers for my household, here is who I would pick:

Secretary of Interior: Could this be anyone other than Martha Stewart? She's tough, but she keeps a great house and yes, is a bit of a hero to me. Let her come keep the interior of my house groomed and welcoming.

Secretary of Commerce: If I was going to run my home as a business, I would want Warren Buffett on my speed dial. Honestly, I could also fit him in under Secretary of Treasury as well. He's a smart businessman and he's frugal as well.

Secretary of Agriculture: If my home had to put bread in America's basket, I would want the folks at my local food co-op to assist me. Therefore, I would name a local friend, Bob Waldrop as the Secretary of Agriculture. What Bob has done to create the OK food co-op is remarkable.

Secretary of Energy: This is easy, I would put my boss in this position, Secretary Fleischaker. He's a visionary and is always looking for ways to stabilize our energy resources while looking for alternatives. Perhaps he could get me a deal on some smart meters on my home and figure out how I could curb our house's demand during peaking times (all while helping reduce my carbon footprint)

Secretary of Environment: Two words that need no explanation -- Al Gore.

Secretary of Justice: To keep the peace in my household and restore justice I would want, Sandra Day O'Connor as Secretary. She has three boys of her own and I am sure knows exactly what to do to keep things as fair as possible.

Secretary of Defense: Arnold -- he scares everyone away. Seriously, does he really think that he is a Republican?

Secretary of Labor: To make sure that mom doesn't have to over-do-it and is provided with equal, if not better pay, I would appoint Gloria Steinem.

Secretary of State: The most diplomatic person I know with plenty of influence is Oprah. Oprah could negotiate any kind of deal from anti proliferation treaties to getting the US to join Kyoto. She'd take care of my home and my neighborhood in the most diplomatic of ways.

Secretary of Transportation: In order to manage my family's fleet of foreign cars and to improve the home infrastructure, I would appoint billionaire, T. Boone Pickens. While I may not agree with him about everything (I love my hometown Sooners) he is a man with a transportation plan. Whether that be for vehicles or electricity transmission, he's got an idea and is doing something about it.

Secretary of Treasury: Mark Cuban -- he's a self-made billionaire and seems to be wise with his finances. I believe that he could be trusted and if he wants to help made me billions, I would be ok with that.

Secretary of Homeland Security: SuperNanny can save our household from outside attacks -- I am sure of it!

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Bill and Melinda Gates. If they can buy vaccinations for the rest of the world, they can help me keep my family healthy.

Secretary of Education: Who would I want to oversee the education of my family? I would appoint the comedian, John Stewart. He's smart, witty and from what I can tell has a love of learning.

Bah Humbug

2008-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

What I meant to mention in my last post is that I should be thankful that Christmas comes only once a year. I hate to be all "bah humbug" about the holiday, but honestly it reminds me of weddings. Weddings seem to bring out the worst in people and so does this overly commercialized holiday. So here are a few of my complaints and issues with Christmas.

What says "Merry Christmas" like getting trampled by a stampede on Black Friday at WalMart?

Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like getting flashed the bird in the Target parking lot by someone who was mad that I was waiting on a parking spot. I would love to let this foul gestured man try and walk with a ton of stuff in his hands and have toddler in tow. I prefer to find spots near the cart corral and if that means waiting a precious 30 more seconds for that perfect spot, so be it.

Why can't people be thankful for the homemade gift (i.e. cookies, etc.).? Is the holiday as special when you get a list of very specific items which you are to buy your family members?Where did the surprise and fun of shopping to find that special gift go?

Better yet, why gifts? Isn't the presence of family and friends gift enough?

Not sure about you, but I am looking forward to December 26.

So much to be thankful for

2008-11-26T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not only it is a gathering surrounded by a meal, but it is an opportunity to reflect on those things that we are most thankful for without all the pressure of gift giving around Christmas and Hanukkah. Plus Thanksgiving is completely inclusive -- everyone is welcome and while it is a national holiday, people throughout the world can also celebrate their thanks.

So what am I thankful for? Here are a few of this year's items

1. I am most thankful for my health
2. I am thankful for my wealth of friends and family
3. I am thankful for abundant sunshine -- It is absolutely gorgeous today!
4. I am thankful that I have a job and and roof over my head
5. I am thankful for not only having a job, but having a job that I love and fun people to work with
6. I am thankful for wine
7. I am thankful that I was born in this country where people of any color, religion or sex have the same opportunities
8. I am thankful for pets, animals, etc. and especially for my precious dog Max
9. I am thankful that despite these tough economic times, I have money in my pocket and in the bank, and that the outlook for future is more optimistic
10. I am thankful that more people want to preserve this earth for future generations to share

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Here's the Skinny

2008-11-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

Post Baby and Pre Baby Pics -- not much of a difference to me

So when people tell you that you are too thin and start telling other people the same thing, are you a) too thin b) people just got used to you as your usual plump self, or c) are they are really just jealous with your weight loss and need a reason to make them feel better?

I am thinking that this friend and one other fall into the b and c category when passing judgement on me. You tell me. So post baby, I am five pounds less than my pre-baby weight, 140 at 135. I am 5'6" and wear a size 2/4 now. I have been naturally blessed with a long torso which makes me look thin, not to mention the flat chest that I too am so naturally blessed with. That usually makes one appear a bit smaller as well.

Another fit friend suggested perhaps we have become a society which embraces obesity and unhealthy eating habits. She said that some of her friends and colleagues snicker at her when she orders the "healthy" option at a restaurant for lunch. If you have seen me eat, you will know that no friends of mine are snickering -- especially after I chose the blue plate special at lunch today. While I love to indulge with the best of them, I just happen to limit those indulgences.

You know I think that there is a lot to be said for her theory on our cultural acceptance of obesity. Think about it. Do you call someone names or say something when an over weight person sits next to you on an airplane or at a football game? No, you refrain from being rude. So those of you who feel the urge to comment on my weight, calling me names like rail and tapeworm (yes, a guy at work actually calls me that to my face), I think that you need to lighten up literally because my "lighten up" attitude dealing with your comments is gone, fatso.

Where is the world are you?

2008-11-24T11:42:00.001-08:00

I did not fall off the face of the earth, but I did get lost and am in the process of digging my way out. After two conferences and one more to go the first week of December, a birthday, Thanksgiving and much, much more, I hope that I will recover and be back to blogging.

So somewhere in the past two weeks I did get a chance to do a little reading and if anyone is up for seeing Twilight, let me know. I finished it in one plane ride -- quick, simple read. It was ok, but in my opinion, it didn't live up to the hype.

Ciao

Taming of my mane

2008-11-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

Anyone tried a dry shampoo lately?

As the winter and windy, dry weather rolls in so does dry, brittle hair for me. To avoid the over processed look and to take a day off between shampoos, I decided to give this new dry shampoo a try.

In the past I used a bumble and bumble hair powder product to take care of my greasy roots, but since the rest of my hair is dry due to the amount of thinning this thick mane requires, this new product was suggested.

So far, so good. I like the smell and the way it makes my hair feel (soft to touch to control brittle ends); however, I think that I will have to continue to shampoo daily because it does little to cure greasy roots. I find this product more useful as a hair regenerator after a sweaty workout. At $25 a bottle, I may have to wait before I fully endorse this product; however, there is a cheaper version of a dry Shampoo by Samy for $6 available at Ulta, but rumor has it that Wal-Mart carries it too.

random

2008-11-10T18:10:00.001-08:00

Energy mom has had a lack of energy these days because she has been trying to do too much.

I ran a 4 mile race last weekend and had my own Curt Schilling moment . I finally figured out why my toe was hurting after the race. Um, somehow I got a cut on my fourth toe, but managed to finish in a decent time, 31:50. Considering I didn't run it full out because I woke up that morning with a terrible stomach bug in addition to the toe injury, I think that I finished strong.

Good news for my spirit - I went down another pant size so I am now officially smaller than I was when I came to college. I think this calls for a celebration so no working out the next couple of days for me.

Be warned: Besides the stomach virus I developed over the weekend, my work computer got some crazy virus and is over at the computer graveyard. The scary part is that I have a major project that I have been working on for almost six months and practically everything that I have worked on cannot be restored. If someone sends you a message telling you to check out your photo on this website, please don't fall for it. I did when I received three others from different friends and when I went to check it out, it sneezed on me and now my computer is being quarantined. Oh yeah, and the loner that I was issued also has a virus and I have not even hooked it into the network or any type of Internet. Ugh!

Well I am going to catch up on some Tivo and reading because my dear husband cooked dinner tonight and cleaned up so I am free to get a little r & r.

Our friends' father passed away over the weekend so that really put things into perspective for me and my family. Who cares if I don't have enough energy to get all this done? I know our time here is limited so I am going to go make the most of it.

Ciao

Makeup for this Granola Mom

2008-11-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

I was taught to wear makeup in a way that looks like you are not wearing any at all. Keeping that in mind, I have long held a passion tinted moisturizer.

Since my face took on a whole new look after giving birth to the little man I have been in search of a good foundation. I want something that covers that mask of pregnancy and freckles without looking cakey and it needs to have a hint of sunscreen and color.

Has anyone tried this new primer and do you think it would work without foundation or would I need the foundation for coverage? Also, since I am "Casper the Ghost" white, do you think this primer will make me look like I stepped out of one of those spray tanning places?

If anyone has tried, let me know.

Letting it all out

2008-11-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

Inspired. That is how I feel now that our country has elected the first African American President. Just the election alone has led to our country saving face in the international community. To hear the President of Kenya mark the day as a national holiday; to hear the praise from Gordon Blair and the words of encouragement from around the globe, including support some of our nation's enemies, I am filled with hope.

Now is the time to put partisan politics aside. The Democrats who have a majority in both houses and now the executive branch must learn from the mistakes over the last eight years. We cannot isolate ourselves. We HAVE to work together. Listen to one another. No more unilateral decisions need to be made.

Hope is alive for the United States......I wish that I could say the same for my state.

It is a very sad day for Oklahoma rate payers who lost a very progressive and hard-working corporation commissioner. I bet if you asked in exit polls what the Oklahoma Corporation Commission regulates, maybe one in 50 people could answer the question correctly -- perhaps that is even being a bit optimistic.

Energy policy, which is not really a partisan game was politicized yesterday. Republican cadidate, Dana Murphy beat out incumbent Jim Roth for his seat on the commission. She ran a very personal negative campaign, which forced Roth to go negative as well.

Thank you Jim for being an advocate for energy efficiency and for Oklahoma rate payers. Our state still needs your leadership so I hope you don't disappear after the new year.

I still do not understand why our corporation commissioner should be up for state-wide election? Shouldn't commissioners be represented from different districts? Just a thought.

Also can someone explain to me why our state was the first to declare a victory for McCain; why McCain won easily in all 77 counties in the state? Also does this correlation have anything to do with the fact that our state ranks among the highest per capita in teen pregnancy, obesity, child abuse, poverty.....do you see a trend?

Oh well, at least we have something for our country to look forward to and perhaps our state is right around the corner.

Let's keep hope alive!

Bow Heads

2008-11-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

So it must not just be me -- now the urban dictionary has even defined the term bowhead, which is a woman who wears a bow in her hair, who often has an annoyingly perky personality and may be overly interested in things like her sorority
i.e. Buffy is such a bow head that she gave up her scholarship to marry and join the junior league.

OK folks, you will not find this overly enthusiastic sorority alum, junior leaguer putting this ridiculous piece of flair in my luscious locks. No, those bows were meant for little girls and puppy dogs who return from the groomer.

Can someone please tell what is the deal with this new fashion craze? I know that fashion wise the latest styles and trends reflect the 80's, but in the 80's I was a kid and was allowed to wear bows. I cannot remember my mom who was in her early 30's in 1980 sporting this do. Nor do I remember my older sisters who were 8 and 12 years older than me donning fabric in their hair. Wait a second, I do remember them (and me too) wearing rainbow shaped hair clips with ribbon on them. Do you remember those? I will try and find a pic and post to the site soon.

Let's just hope this crazy fad doesn't last nearly as long as those hideous Ugg boots, which in my opinion means ugly. And if you catch me mainstreaming in these areas, be sure to say, "I told you so."

Halloween Rules in the Burbs

2008-10-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

As a way to emulate one of my idols Bill Maher, I have developed some New Rules for Halloween in the Suburbs

New Rule: The amount you spend on Halloween decorations should not exceed the amount you spend on Christmas Gifts.

New Rule: In order to enjoy Halloween, one should not be required to have viewed multiple episodes of one or more of the following: CSI, Law and Order, Cold Case or any other true crime drama. Our holidays do not have to be played out as reality shows on our front lawns (please see pic of my neighbor's yard). Can I just have my mini snickers and get out here now?

New Rule: All those punk teenagers who refuse to dress up and come carrying the king sized pillow cases should be given candy -- hear me out: would you rather have your front yard forked and your house egged? However, one should keep a stash of something lame like the taffy with peanut butter, tootsie rolls, smarties or even toothbrushes to give them.

So there are a few new rules. If you have some of your own to share, let me know and I can post them.

Trick-or-Treat,

Cassie

Luna Tea Cakes are from the heavens

2008-10-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

The makers of Clif bar have developed a product for women, the Luna Bar. While targeted to women, my husband still really enjoys their products too, so who cares?

I became familiar with the Luna bar a little over a year ago when Carrie Underwood of American Idol fame (I only mention her because she is some type of celebrity around here -- I am not an Idol or country music fan) endorsed their product. I thought that I would check them out and enjoyed the nuts over chocolate bar, but I didn't really think it was anything different from other protein bars. It might have tasted better than a power bar, but it wasn't something that I was going to go out and buy a box of.

A few weeks ago, two friends suggested that I try the tea cakes if I wasn't jazzed about the protein bar. They raved about them so I thought that I would give them a try.

Living in the middle of nowhere, I had a hard time trying to locate their product. So, I ordered a box online and kept my fingers crossed that I might like these things, especially since with shipping a box cost me around $20.

The first bite was a little surprising. The cake is quite dense, but loaded with flavor. I prefer the berry pomegranate flavor, but then again I really cannot make this claim because I have yet to try other flavors. The texture is a bit gooey and is a cross between a gooey granola bar and a muffin. The best part, besides the flavor, is that the two piece cake is only 140 calories, making it a great afternoon pick-me-up snack or a quick breakfast with a banana on the run.

My thrifty friend who told me about this product let me in on her insider secret -- apparently, www.drugstore.com is having quite a sale on this product if you feel the need to order.

Crest Commercial

2008-10-27T13:28:00.001-07:00

Could someone out there inform the makers of Crest that my son is a HUGE fan? I guess this is fitting since his Pops is an orthodontist. He loves his toothbrush, but really for biting and sometimes brushing. However he does have a major addition to toothpaste. He doesn't really eat it, but likes to chew on the lid and unscrew the cap and then screw it back on. I guess next year we will have to dress him up like a dentist.

Speaking of costumes, I saw the cutest costume this weekend. Check out the UPS driver. I think that this could be in the works for next year.

2008-10-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I completed the Monster Dash, my first 5K race today and I am not only pleased that I reached my goals, which were:

1. Finish the race

2. Finish in the middle of the group

3. If possible, don't walk -- even if your jog is a slower pace than your walk

I am also pleased that I finished in less than 30 minutes. While I still would not label myself as a runner, I think that I am well on my way.

I am not sure if this was motivating or embarrassing, but I was totally lapped by a woman pushing a double jogging stroller with two kids (adding at least 60 pounds) and a woman dressed in a mouse costume. Nice!

Thank you and congrats to all my friends who helped answer all my questions and for all of your support. Got to run -- must train for my next race.

Food for Thought

2008-10-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

When I started my quest to lose the baby weight, I signed up and joined Self's Reach Your Goal program where you log your workouts and keep a food diary. They even give you sample workouts and menus to help you along. On their menu suggestions for eating out were several Subway sandwiches. Of course I grew up on Subway, being that my parents owned a couple of franchises and all, so I am familiar with the nutritional value of their products and was not surprised to see their endorsement by Self.

However, in logging my meals the other day, I went to my nutrition data website and then the Subway site to see the nutritional value of their soups. I was especially surprised to find the amount of sodium in their soups. Yikes! I then decided that I would file a comment online with the submarine franchise giant to see if they might consider a lower sodium option. I did not honestly expect to get a response from a real person. I imagined that they would send me a form letter thanking me for my request and letting me know that they will consider my opinion and that would be it. I am not kidding you, less than 10 hours later I had an e-mail from the owner of the store where I visit a couple of times a week. He responded by telling me that he would be meeting with his soup supplier later in the week and in fact, he was going to order the Rosemary Chicken Soup, which has less sodium and qualifies for the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy diet. Now that is customer service!

I guess that I am pleasantly surprised. As you can tell by my previous posts, I am sort of a food snob and really hate franchises for the most part. Typically food prepared for these types of restaurants is overly processed and at most large food chains customer service is non-existent. This was not the case with my Subway store and I have to admit, the McDonald's people in my home town are pretty good too. I guess it depends on each local store.

Well if you are need a quick and healthy meal option, I would suggest checking out your local Subway restaurant and give their soups a try. Guess I sort of have to try the Rosemary Chicken one soon.

Eat What?

2008-10-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

A friend recently shared with me this book that got me thinking about my diet. If you are not the diet type, Eat This, Not That may be for you. BUT really this book, in my opinion, only counts calories and sometimes fat, sodium, etc. so it not really a book for the diet serious. Basically the gist is: If you are going to eat out, here are the best options to consider. They also show you what to buy vs. what not to buy at the grocery store and they give you some helpful eating tips.

Now the Men's Health team has developed the same book, Eat This, Not That, targeted for kids food. I have yet to go out and purchase yet because I rarely eat at franchise restaurants (sorry, I am a food snob), but perhaps since I now have a child and franchises are probably in my future, I should go out and buy a copy.

If anyone has checked this out, let me know what you think.

To the Max

2008-10-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine shared her love of Max Factor's new lash perfection with me so I went and tried it out. I agree with her review. This mascara is absolutely fabulous, but what makes it so great is not really the product, but the applicator. The wand that one uses to apply the mascara is different and hard to explain. Anyway, you can view her review by going here http://http//www.sashasays.com/2008/09/max-factor-lash-perfection-volume.html

This weekend when I was looking through the Sunday paper, I found a coupon for a BOGO deal for any Max Factor product. I thought that I would gobble up another mascara, but was tempted by the vivid eyeshadow duo. Ok, I am no runway model and I have no use for blue eyeshadow, but for some strange reason I was oddly drawn to the bronze and sort of peach shadow duo. As you can tell if you visit their site, the colors are not really for the average mom, but they do have a few shades for the more conservative types. Like the mascara, the applicator pen makes it super simple to apply; however, I suggest smudging in with a brush or finger unless you prefer a perfect eye shadow pen line.

Go check out this find and let me know what you think. If anyone has any other great eyeshadow products (dying to try urban decay's eye shadow primer), feel free to pass along to me.

Join me for the Webcast of the Women's Conference

2008-10-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

From http://www.californiawomen.org/

Hosted by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver, The Women’s Conference is the nation’s premier forum for women where the world’s greatest hearts and minds gather every year to unite thousands of diverse woman with a shared conversation and a common purpose – to empower, inspire and educate women everywhere to be Architects of Change in their own lives, in their communities and around the world.
The Women’s Conference covers timely topics that matter to women today and the key concerns that matter to them every day – family and parenting, religion and spirituality, service and activism, business and entrepreneurship, money and finance, news and politics, environment and conversation, health and fitness, and style and beauty.
The theme of The Women’s Conference 2008 – Be Who You Are. Feel it. Live it. Pass it On… is a call to action that is meant to encourage all women to discover their unique and authentic purpose, passion and power to transform themselves and the world around them.
The call to action will be delivered by a world-class roster of more than 70 newsmakers, visionaries and opinion leaders who will engage in the “once-in-a-lifetime conversations” that will remind us that we are not alone in our quest to lead an authentic life and that the power to be an Architect of Change lies within each one of us.

This year’s line-up of speakers and participants will be led by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver and include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Christiane Amanpour, Bono, Warren Buffet, Sister Joan Chittister, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Matthews, Indra Nooyi and Gloria Steinem.

Sarah Silverman for President

2008-10-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Sarah Silverman gets it. This election could hinge on Florida yet again. So if you have a bubbe in Florida, go down there and convince her to vote for Obama. Surely, she wouldn't have the chutzpah to do otherwise. Quit kvetshing. Get off your tokhis and schlep on over and share your pro Obama speil.

Check out her video here http://www.thegreatschlep.com/

Golf widow, full-time working mom needs to vent

2008-10-19T12:04:00.001-07:00

If anyone has a great hobby that takes about four to five hours at a time and does not involve children or doing anything for your children or family, will you let me know? I need a new hobby that allows me to escape from it all for about ten hours every weekend. Like many of you ladies out there, I too am a golf widow/mom in great need of me time.

Don't know about you ladies, but when I have a spare couple of hours, why do I spend my time either A.) preparing meals to keep my family nourished, B.) shopping for the family including food, other necessities and clothing, and C.) reading books about raising families, etc.?

It's time we form a coup and overthrow our golf playing spouses. Any ladies up for card night where we can drink wine and have a great time away from the fam? That was one suggestion. If anyone has any others, I would love to hear from you.

Oh, while I am at it....question: why do non-working moms, whose kids are in school full-time, not have time to prepare meals for potlucks? I noticed this weekend at our tailgate party that all the homemade items were brought by full time working moms, while the other ladies who look so damn cute in their designer jeans and matching accessories (because they have time to exercise daily and get facials) always bring something from the store. What is even more annoying about this is that they have the nerve to keep their dish in the store bought container. Oh what would Martha think?

Thanks for letting me vent. I think that I may be feeling a little bit better.

Not your Average Cup of Joe

2008-10-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

If there is one thing that I require daily, it is my morning cup of java. I am still quite impressed with myself that throughout my pregnancy, I managed to only have a handful of leaded cups.

Sorry for the digression -- Anyway, to say that I have an obsession with coffee would be putting it lightly. Not only do I love coffee, but I have turned into a coffee snob. My palate can distinguish the mere subtleties in beans with ease and that is just what happened a couple of weeks ago when I discovered Coffee Slingers in Midtown OKC. http://www.coffeeslingers.com/

I have to admit, I was surprised to find out that they actually don't roast their own beans. I guess the flavor and the process of their coffee (french press only), is so good that my "sensitive" palate was not as sensitive as I thought. I highly recommend the Guatemalan and pick up a bag of beans to go because they get different beans every month. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will start their own roasting soon.

The atmosphere in their urban midtown location is also a bonus. Where else can you go in OKC and feel like you are once again back in college? Clad in suit and armed with blackberry, I was greeted by neighborhood spinsters and artists. What a nice change of pace from the rat race. If you need a break, go check it out for yourself. I hope you enjoy the flavor explosion as much as I did. Gotta run, I am off for another cup.

Cheers!

Bully Bites Back

2008-10-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

My little biter has now become the victim of another bully. I got that dreaded phone call from school today and to my surprise they were not calling to tell me that my son was the aggressor. Instead he was cast in the role of victim. When I was told the news I chuckled and said, "Serves 'em right. Perhaps now he will know how it feels and quit biting the other kids."

I guess most parents don't quite respond in this manner because the teachers kept apologizing and thanking me for understanding.

Can you tell me who these parents are that get bent out of shape over a child getting bitten? I will steer clear of them.

Enjoy the little man's 16 month pic from Grandma Kiki.

Pizza Party

2008-10-14T19:34:00.001-07:00

Our city recently acquired a new restaurant chain where you can prepare a pizza to take home and bake. You too can check it out http://www.papamurphys.com/

We purchased the family size because I really wanted to build my own (chicken, artichoke and green peppers). I learned quickly that the family that these folks were referring to were the families shown on the Biggest Loser -- I have never seen a pizza that big! Besides the enormity of it all, the pizza was actually pretty good. The sauce was sweet and they were quite generous with the cheese. After my $3 off coupon, the pizza was under $12 and fed four adults and two kids.

I plan on going back and will most likely try a lower calorie option. I have a coupon for the chicken Mediterranean and that is next on the list. I will let you know if that one is worth it.

If you live in the Norman area and want to check them out, they are located in the old Tullios location in the Robinson Crossing shopping center.

Mangi!

Fantasy Football

2008-10-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

So I need 16 points to be scored by Jamal Lewis tonight in order to win this week's fantasy football match up and I am probably the only person playing fantasy football who has no clue who Jamal Lewis is other than the fact he plays for the Browns and was acquitted of drug charges.

What's the big deal with this fantasy sport that makes it so much fun? I don't really know. Perhaps if there was more money at stake, I might care a little more. Really the only reason why I joined the league was to learn a bit more about the NFL and hopefully be able to hold a conversation with the guys in the office -- wait a second, the guys in my office don't really watch sports. I guess that I was hoping to have one more thing to discuss with my husband, although, we rarely talk about the NFL.

You know what my real fantasy is with this football game? It's wishing that my dear husband wins lots of money playing so I can go out and treat myself to a day of shopping.

No Whiners

2008-10-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Our friend the banker has decided to take on a new venture and call him crazy, but he thinks that he can make some money owning and operating a liquor store. Little does he know that being friends with me means discounted wine and spirits. And before I had my precious son, I was known to be able to put a few away. Knowing this information, the banker asked me to help him with his supply list of wines. So my plan is to choose many of my favorites in various price ranges.

Today's question is if you could pick your top three favorite mass produced wines (one cheaper $7-10, one moderately priced $10-20 and more expensive over $20) what would you choose?

My list of favorites include
1. Yellow Tail Shiraz or the Rosemont Shiraz ($7-10)
2. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (a little over $20)
3. Justin Cabernet around $30
** favorite wine, but probably a little too pricey for the store is Caymus Cab

Let me know your faves and I will send out a comprehensive list soon.

Red Sox Victory

2008-10-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Even though he was sleeping at the time, the little one was excited about another Red Sox post season victory on Monday.

The Great Debaters?

2008-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else find last night's debate as boring as I did? I lacked the desire to watch and the only reason why I tuned in was to get a friend to stop chastising me via text message.

Personally the only debate in our house last night was whether to watch True Blood first or Entourage. We chose the Vamp series and were left having more questions unanswered -- sort of like the presidential debates.

Really, who killed Gran? Was it the creepy Eric from Fangtasia in dog form? I hope next week gives us a glimpse of who this killer is.

Who is killing our economy? Is this crisis caused by eight years of failed leadership and oversight? Perhaps the next debate on the economy will offer some answers and possible solutions. Somehow I don't think that having the government sponsor failed mortgages in order to keep people in their homes is going to even make a dent in this crisis. Even if it does, it does so to the tune of another $350 billion dollars. Tell me Mr. McCain, are we the taxpayers going to foot this bill too?

I think the only exciting part of last night's event was when McCain referred to Obama as "that one." Was someone's bigotry surfacing here? Probably not, but you have to admit, it was a bit awkward.

Well, go ponder those questions and let me know your thoughts about the debates or about True Blood.

For me, I am looking forward to another new SNL this Saturday. I wonder if they can find that guy in the black and white Cosby sweater from last night's debate and get him to appear in the audience. This dude could rival Tilda Swinton for worst dressed. Yikes!

Such self serving nonsense

2007-08-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

If you asked me four years ago about starting my own blog, I would have laughed in your face and asked,” why in the world would someone care enough to read about me?" I really felt that blogs were these self serving, look-at-me websites for people who cared way too much about their existence. I would cringe each time one of my friends would send me blog update about her child. Did she honestly think that the world revolved around her family?

Ok. So I have become a parent and I have given in. This blog is my pitiful excuse to show you how perfect my little one is and it will be a place for me to let off some steam. So if you are reading this, either you are a good friend of mine or else you are some strange and very bored individual who needs to find a new hobby.