What's on the tube?

I never understand when people say they don't watch much t.v.  I have been watching television, and I mean a lot of it, for as long as I can remember.  When I was 5 my parents taught me to make cereal for myself so I wouldn't wake them up at 4:30 a.m. or whatever crazy time I was waking then.  They awoke one Saturday morning to their 5 yr-old watching a Woody Allen movie.

(via techdigest.tv)

My taste in programming is pretty diverse.  I indulge in the Real Housewives drama (although NJ is by far better than all others in my book) along with many other reality t.v. shows (READ: Kell on Earth, Top Chef, etc.).  But I also love sarcastic/dry comedies too.  My favorite is of course THE OFFICE!  Good luck ever trying to talk about an episode in my presence without me talking over you and quoting it!  *Yeah, I'm that girl!*

(via tvmedia.ign.com)

I even like a good true crime show or documentary.*  All this to say, I don't see what the big deal is about Americans watching a lot of t.v.  True, a lot of people substitute television time for family time or exercise, but my husband and I love watching "our shows" together.  We only have one t.v. so we don't have much choice on the matter anyway.

And as far as exercise, the tube ain't what is keeping you from the gym.  You decided not to go there on you way home from work, or to sleep in this morning or to eat a long lunch instead of fitting in a quick workout.  Heck, I would love to workout in front of the t.v. if my husband would just get us a treadmill (hint hint!).

(via picturesofpeoplerunning.com [i.e. this is clearly NOT me; that lady is hotter, has bigger boobs, and I don't run with my hands taped up like I'm boxing??!?])

So let's all just sit back, relax and watch a little t.v. tonight without the guilt, shall we?


*If you aren't watching The Pacific on HBO you are missing out!

"Television: chewing gum for the eyes."  - Frank Lloyd Wright

Runnin' runnin' runnin'

Heyohhhhh!  What have I been up to lately??

Not much but runnin', runnin', runnin'.  I'm training for another marathon this fall.  I'd like for it to be sooner but I have a lot of miles to put in until I'm ready for 26.2 again.  Plus, living in the deep south, there aren't that many distance runs between early spring and late fall.  It will be like 99% humidity and 96 degrees here in no time (at least that's what I tell myself since it's supposedly spring but we're suffering through a cold front).

So the marathon I've tentatively picked in San Antonio in November.  I've never been there so we could make a vacation out of it kind of like we did with my San Francisco marathon last October.  I just hope I can produce better results than that one.  It was a dismal showing on my part.

On the career front, I talked to an admissions person at a local culinary school today. I know.  I'm all over the board on what-the-frick-to-do-with-my-life options.  I'm really intrigued by the idea of culinary school though.  It wouldn't take long (9-21 months depending on the program) and I wouldn't be stuck at a desk all day.  I mean, a lot of my favorite things revolve around food and I not just consuming it!  I will watch almost any cooking show.  I love to look at recipes and sites with beautiful pictures (ahem, Pioneer Woman)!

I guess the drawbacks would be 1) money.  I'll never make the kind of money being a chef that I would being an attorney unless I become a restauranteur (SCARY), but money can't buy happiness, right? 2) The hours can suck!  That's mainly if you're working in a kitchen at a restaurant, hotel, etc.  I realize there are other options like catering, which is more flexible albeit mostly on the weekends.

So who knows?  I just want to find my niche, be generally happy.  The things everyone else is looking for I guess.

"Welcome to the Church of the Holy Cabbage.  Lettuce Pray."  - Author Unknown

What if?

I haven't mentioned this yet, but I am a runner.  I completed (just barely) my first marathon last October and have done 3 half marathons in the last four years.  There have been some 5 and 10 Ks in between there too.  I've just signed up for another half in June.  Here's my problem though: as much as I love to run and love the feeling of accomplishment at finishing a big race I am a lazy runner.  Or maybe it would be better described as a lazy trainer.  You see, I have run almost every race with minimal training.  I'm not bragging here because I think it is a flaw of mine.  The first marathon I signed up for was during law school.  I had no idea the time the training for a full marathon would take and ended up just doing a half marathon and not training for that one fully because of exams, schedules, and just because I got lazy toward the end.  I think that sparked something in my procrastinating side.  Since then, every race I sign up for I have every intention to fully prepare.  I schedule out the runs on calendars and synch it with my phone so I'll always have it with me.  I get all the latest gadgets to plan my runs, keep up with my time and distance. I mark off the runs I've completed to write down how I modified my schedule. 

But eventually things come up.  A weekend trip gets planned that doesn't include running (not that it can't, it just doesn't end up happening) and I miss a long run.  No problem.  I'll catch up with the schedule next week.  Eventually all my plans go awry, but I still show up and run, certainly not the standard I would ultimately hope, but I've always finished (and with respectable times for the most part).

The point of all this drivel is that I started thinking about what would happen if I ran every day.  What if I made a goal for myself to run some distance every single day whether it fit with a specific schedule or not.  Surely I could do a mile on an off day even in this ridiculously wintery winter we're having in the South this year.  I mean, a mile doesn't even take 10 minutes.  I'm not saying I've committed to the idea yet completely, but I'm thinking about it.  Pros and cons, wondering if it wouldn't help me toward my goal of reaching a starting line fully prepared instead of wanting to "just finish" or "not walk."  Maybe I will do it.  I'll let you know...