Day number one and we got along fabulously

It's official, I think my still-nameless iPod and I will become best friends.

Today was the first chance I really got to use it since I spent most of the weekend loading music onto it.

During work? I had the headphones in my ears and spent the afternoon listening to the soundtracks from the three Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Glorious. Although, I did have a bit of a problem at first. The volume? It was way too loud. And since my new friend didn't bother to come with an instruction manual, I spent a bit of time online looking at the manual. And honestly, "adjust the volume using the click wheel" was not the most helpful piece of instructional advice. At least not for someone who had never held an iPod in her hands before.

But don't worry. I figured it out.

And then my new friend got its big test. The YMCA.

Once again, it was magic. The volume was right. And it didn't die. The worst thing about it, which really wasn't so bad, was that my play list I had been using on the treadmill, the one that got me through a half marathon in September, was chopped to pieces since I haven't loaded all the songs yet. But that's not the iPod's fault. It's mine.

It got me through my 2.4 mile run and 20 minutes on the bike. And I wish it lasted longer. But I was hungry. And I thought getting some food in my body was a better choice than keeling over due to hunger at the YMCA.

But the iPod? It was a very good purchase. Now just give me a few more days I might even figure out an appropriate name.

I gave my other MP3 player a lot of chances

I've been coveting it for a long time now.

It started when I would go to the YMCA, get ready for a run and discover that for some strange reason, my MP3 player decided to magically eat all of my music. Leaving me with no tunes to get me through a 3-mile run.

That, my friends, sucks.

And if it would have happened just once. I would have been OK with it. Called it fluke. But it happened multiple times. And reloading your music onto your MP3 player? Not so much fun. And it's time consuming.

As the number of incidents of eaten music increase, my desires for the iPod grew. But its price tag scared me. I still wanted one though. It looked so pretty and everyone I knew that had one didn't seem to have to deal with eaten music.

It was just a matter of time before the iPod was mine.

It happened today. I caved and used a combination of Christmas, birthday and tax return money and now I have a pretty little 80 gigabyte black, iPod Classic in my hands. And it's mine.

Now it's just a matter of installing iTunes and waiting for it to convert a bunch of music files before I plug in the iPod, go through all the setup stuff and load it full of music. Because the next time I hit the treadmill at the YMCA? I'm bringing along the iPod. And it will be good.

Goodbye Brett. Thanks for the memories

We heard the news Tuesday, but today it became official. He retired. And he's not coming back.

Brett Favre retired. He held his press conference explaining his decision. And I was mesmerized by it. I held on to every word that Mississippi-born man said during those 60 plus minutes. And if you want, you can read them too, but I bet it won't be as emotional as hearing the words come out of his mouth.

And when the NFL season starts in the fall and I sit down to watch the first Green Bay game without Brett Favre leading the offense? Yes, it will be weird. And hard. Because Favre donned that green and gold jersey with the number 4 on it for 16 years. That's a long time. Long enough for me to only remember one other quarterback in Packers history.

So Brett's meant a lot. And I've appreciated the chance I've had the last 16 years. To watch him grow. As a player and as a person.

Thanks for the memories Brett and good luck in the future. You will be missed.

There was no light when I woke up today

It was still pretty pitch black when my alarm went off this morning at 4:50 a.m.

Yes, you read that right. 4:50. In the morning. And I'm not a morning person, so hearing that constant buzz? Not so fun. Still half asleep, I fumbled around in the dark and found the snooze button, giving me an extra 10 minutes of sleep.

But when the buzzing started again? I knew I had to get up. Because I had to shower and get dressed and be seated at my desk ready to work at 6 a.m. Needless to say, not my normal shift since I normally wander in about 8:30.

But I did it. And granted I felt like I needed a nap around 6:45, which didn't look like a good sign. However, as the day rolled on, I felt myself waking up. I did have another little lull after lunch, but when the clock struck 3 p.m. and I was free to go? That felt wonderful.

Even though I was a bit tired, I headed over to the YMCA. Logged a 2.4 mile run and some time on the bike. And afterwards? I actually felt more energized. With my new found energy, I ran a few quick errands before coming home to shower. And now I sit and wait for The Coach, who's coming over for dinner.

I tell you, it felt nice getting out of the office at 3 this afternoon. The sun was still shining and I felt like I had all this extra time on my hands. Granted I don't think I'd want to do it everyday though, because 5 a.m.? That alarm comes really early.

But it didn't stop me. Because the boss? He just called and wanted me to do it again tomorrow. And I said yes. Hopefully it goes as smoothly tomorrow.

Hopefully I can keep this up

Day One of project "Repair My Relationship with the Scale" is done. And I have to admit, it went OK.

I behaved myself at my work potluck lunch. A little pasta salad, some taco salad and a brownie. Washed down with a Diet Coke. The rest of the day? Some Wheat Thins and water.

And I made it to the YMCA tonight after work. I logged an hour of cardio time, with a 2.5 mile run (my longest since being sick) and 7 miles on the stationary bike. I could have pushed it on the bike for a bit longer, but by this time it had been quite a long time since lunch and I was getting hungry. So I went home.

Now I'm ready for a quick shower before I start winding down for the night. Since I have to be up before the crack of dawn tomorrow and at work by 6 a.m. Why'd I'd volunteer for that shift again?

That isn't a pretty number

I will be the first to admit, the scale and I? We haven't always gotten along.

But for the past two years? It's been a decent relationship. It's one we've formed through sweat and tears. Namely, the year I spent in the gym and watching what I ate. And it paid off for me. As I dropped 50 pounds.

It was hard work and there were times I was frustrated. But I kept on working. And after a year, I was proud of myself. I was at a weight I felt comfortable at and I managed to maintain it. Yes, the number on the scale would vary by a pound or two. But I was always right at that magic number. And yes, there were days when I just wanted to lose those last five pounds. But I was OK if they didn't disappear. I felt good about myself.

Like I said, the scale and I? We were getting along.

Note the key word: Were.

The scale and I haven't been as friendly the last month. It's beginning to be a relationship that's a bit strained. As in, the number? It's been creeping up. And I'm not happy.

The worst part about it? It doesn't have to do with my eating habits. Rather I think it's due to a combination of the medicine I'm taking, the fact that winter is never ending and the difficulties I've had re-establishing the willpower to get back to the gym after being really, really sick.

For starters, the steroid I'm taking? What's one of the side effects? Weight gain. But I also admit, it's been hard for me to get back into the habit of going to the gym multiple times a week, especially after I was so sick in December, the month I barely remember. And everybody knows it's inevitable that you put on an extra pound or two during the winter.

So it's like I'm dealing with a triple whammy. Not fun. And that's why the scale and I aren't on the best of terms at the moment.

People say it doesn't really look like I've gained any weight. But there's a part of me that feels like I have. And while it isn't a lot, it still doesn't make me feel good about myself. I mean, I worked so hard to shed it before and I don't want to see all that effort wasted just because of a medication I'm on that's supposed to be fixing my head.

So this morning, after I had my daily dose of disappointment from the scale, I made a decision. Starting tomorrow I will get back to the YMCA at least three times a week. And I'm going to start making a good effort to watch what I eat again. Because these extra seven or eight pounds that I've put on? They've got to go.

I can run. I can bike. Swim? Yup.

I picked this up from the library.

Because in my mind? I'm toying with doing this in July. Or if I want to stay closer to home, this one in August.

But I'm still deciding. Heck, you can say I've been deciding for the past three or four years. It's been something I've wanted to do in the past, but haven't gotten around to it. But I think this summer might be the year I tackle it.

Any suggestions? Or better yet, anyone want to join me?

I kept on reading in February

I've flipped the calendar. February's no longer glaring at me and I've welcomed March with open arms, especially if it means Ole Man Winter and Mother Nature get their act together and finish up this whole winter thing.

Because I'm sick of it.

But this post is about reading. Not winter. Although I have to admit, the winter weather February featured? It gave me plenty of opportunities to turn the pages.

During February I read five books, for a total of 2,063 pages. That brings my total for the year to nine books and 3,488 pages. Not too shabby.

Here's what I read while the snowflakes were falling and the temperatures were hovering below zero in February:
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Don't Bet Against Me! by Deanna Favre