Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Grumpetta- Day 8

Things to do in Richfield when your dead (oops, I mean when you can't watch TV)...

1. Take funny pics of my hubby sleeping with the cats















2. Watch funny videos of Maru the cat

http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/animals/Cat_In_A_Box_2/#241608


3. Try to create my own funny videos of Cleo the cat




4. Yell at my husband for eating all the avocados


5. netti-pot my nose AGAIN!


6. Blog

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The truth- Day 7

THE TRUTH IS I MISS MY TV!

I have such deep judgments towards myself in regards to this extracurricular activity. It is hard when you realize that one of the best ways you "spend" time with your loved ones (mostly Matt) is in front of the TV. My hubby told me on Sunday that he "misses his TV buddy". And while part of me is so sad that this is the way we relate with each other, another part of me misses the chance to "veg" out with him and snuggle my feet near his on the couch.

We watch TV together really well. Maybe better than we do anything else together. Tonight he said, "well we can't watch TV so we might as well go to sleep". Most of what he said is right, it was too late for a walk outside and we both have work tomorrow. But a part of me wonders where we could be if we didn't even have the option of TV.

How will I feel in 20 days? Will I drop everything to go back to my TV. Am I only in a withdrawl stage that will end? If it does end will I have the guts to cancel my cable? Right now the idea of no cable scares me, even though I can't watch it.

Also, my lack of TV watching has lent itself to more internet action. I am also reading but I wonder is trading the TV in for my computer any better? Is the internet more or less informational than TV?

Such questions will hopefully reap answers by the end of my experiment!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Miracles- Day 2

Starting over is hard. Not only did I have 8 days under my belt but I tend to see myself as a failure anytime I screw up. It is interesting though, this time I started over and thought, "more time without TV makes a better me".

The best way to learn and grow is through adversity. The tougher the time, generally the more you learn from it. This is the best and most positive way to view any situation we typically deem as a failure. Failure is only such because of our perspective. If we choose to see it as an eye opening experience that teaches us a better way of living it really becomes a success.

The challenge is holding a positive mental attitude in the midst of the whirlwind. Can you during the storm, breathe in and catch the lesson before it passes?

Today was a good opportunity for me to practice.

I leave stuff everywhere. I leave things at my house, at the gym, in my locker at yoga, at my parent's house when I visit, at Matt's parent's lake home when we visit. EVERYWHERE!

In the first few months after Matt and I were married I left my wedding ring at yoga on three different occasions. In a panic I would call back to the studio hours later, after finally realizing my finger was missing something. They always had it there. Gotta love karma at the yoga gyms!

So I devised a beautiful plan to never leave my ring again. One thing I always have is my keys, and my keys have a carabiner chain ( a clip used for mountain climbing). I started putting my ring on the carabiner and like clock work three hours later I would become aware that my finger was naked and know exactly where my ring was so I could put it on.

I have been using this method successfully for 5 months. Until last night. I went to the boxing gym in New Brighton and followed my usual ritual, getting ready, putting my ring in it's spot and then I worked out. I finished, went home, made dinner, got in bed, and woke up in the middle of the night realizing my ring was not there. I had a momentary panic and then remembered, "oh, of course, it is on my key ring".

First thing when I woke up I went to put it on, and there was no ring. NO RING on my carabiner. The last place I left it, and it wasn't there, which meant it could be ANYWHERE!

I had to go to work, and I was in tears. It was 5am and I had 4 hours of app ts. ahead of me knowing that my ring was AWOL. Here comes the power of the mind...the first place my head went was to criticism. "You can't keep track of anything". "You shouldn't be allowed to hold anything valuable, all you do is lose it".

I was a veritable Simon Cowell. (In a British accent), "You are undoubtedly the worst person ever!" The next three hours were a battle of my mind and soul. My mind telling me I was a worthless vagabond that deserved divorce (I mean really? I thought that? YES!) my soul telling me it was an honest mistake and my heart would find the ring. In one thought I would calm myself seeing the ring on my finger and in another I would be crying because it was lost due to my irreverence.

I fought myself and continued to push the positive with every chance I could get it in, letting the negative rattle through like I knew it would without latching on to it.

The gym where I had last seen it wouldn't open until 1pm but I had a break in my day at 11am and decided to drive down there and look in the parking lot. As soon as I arrived at the strip mall I became overwhelmed. Cars were parked everywhere and I imagined some vehicle's wheels sitting on top of my precious ring.

DEEP BREATH!!! I decided to retrace my steps from the gym door out to where my car had been parked no matter how hopeless it seemed. I started at the door and turned left and there, in the MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK....my ring was shining.

At 11am in the day, from 7pm the night before there it sat. No one had stumbled upon it, picked it up, taken it. My ring was right where it had dropped waiting for my sweet soul to find it, as if to say, "you are a darling, no mistake you make is worth beating on yourself, it is OK, it will always be OK."

No matter how many mistakes I make, even losing my ring never to be found again, even watching TV during my fast, even eating something I think I shouldn't, even not getting to yoga class, no mistake I make actually makes ME a mistake.

I am not a mistake, I am a perfect miracle that has plenty of opportunities to learn and grow and receive the love that is around me. I can only receive it if I am willing to see that it is there.

Today when I found my ring waiting for me on the sidewalk, I saw it, I received it, and I am so grateful for these miracles to remind me how much of a miracle I am!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Loving myself where I am at- Day 1

That's right, day 1 again. I succumbed to the powers that be (primarily that I couldn't take another nap and my head was so congested the idea of reading hurt it) and watched 3 hours of TV yesterday. Never mind that I was sick and feeling sorry for myself, I do know better and it's an excuse.

So I am humbly beginning again! The good news is that I got to see the Biggest Loser. Sad though, the finale is in two weeks and I will definitely have to miss that, or start over again.

So here's to starting over, and loving yourself where your at, TV addiction and all!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Sick- Day 9

Not feeling well today....what I've done so far instead of watching TV....Slept, slept more, made crockpot dinner, slept again...

Today would be a great day to curl up on the couch with my precious TV.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Some minor concerns- Day 8

My concerns are not that I won't get any quality time with my husband who is currently in the living room watching previously TIVOed programming and gloating about it while I sit in the office e-mailing.

My concerns are more or less that on Day 4 I spent my entire lunch hour (with a turkey sandwich, I made from ingredients from ALDI) on DSW.com moving boots (I really need a new pair) in and out of my shopping cart. In with pair 1 and in with pair 2, out with pair 2 and in with pair 3, out with pair 1&3 and in with pair 4.....so anyway you get the picture. This "lunch hour" was really more like 90 minutes and I finally and fabulously declined spending any money on boots because they didn't have my fav pair in my size. Thank you lessons learned during spending freeze! Even if it does feel a bit like walking through the grocery store, filling up your cart, emptying it, filling it up, emptying again, and then leaving the store.(WOW that sounds like fun, think I'll try it out tomorrow at ALDI)

However, tonight I recklessly shopped online again and bought 2 Tracy Anderson DVD workout videos in the "name of research" but mostly because they promised me a slimmer tush and I want to know what she is teaching people that I don't already know!! That's research right?

Anyway, all tax deductions aside I don't want the wonderful effects of the spending freeze to dissapate so I am putting a further hold on ALL online shopping until TV watching is a green light and I can start buying off infomercials again.

Seriously, I am finding it interesting and slightly difficult to entertain myself. Here is what I am going to do tomorrow instead of watching TV!

Go to yoga
Take a run or bike
Make a crockpot dinner
work on my website

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

I feel like the biggest loser- Day 2

I can barely stand it, I am sitting in the living room eating my dinner (salmon, zucchini, and brown rice, all from Aldi) and watching the TIVO screen as it clicks off time. 1:48, 1:49, 1:50....I know what this means. The biggest loser's 2 hour fanfare is almost through and my screen is black. TIVO is diligently recording my season pass. This week is, THE MAKEOVER EPISODE, and I will never see it. The makeover episode has always been my favorite episode in seasons past, and due to my own bright idea I am sitting here in the dark with my dinner.

It's funny how habitual turning on the TV is for me. I find myself walking into the living room after I've made my lunch, I reach for the remote as soon as I turn on my computer, and I miss the background noise while I cook. I feel so bored because I can't watch it, what am I supposed to do?

I did say this would be hard for me but oh my, this 30 day experiment will be a life turner for sure, I am either going to die of boredom or get a real life!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

A reformed grocery snob- Day 30

Wow, it could be that I need to do a 30 days of blogging experiment. I have been horribly absent this month and here I am at the end of my spending fast. This experiment was extremely eye opening and very friendly to my checking account. Unbelievably so I found shopping at Aldi exhilarating. I easily shopped for weekly groceries with $40 and got everything I needed. Lunds and Aldi stand side by side only one block from the house and I had never shopped there. I am so hooked. My spending fast saved me $600 from the previous month and that is absolutely worth it. I did miss my hot chocolates and lunches out but I can scale back to once a week and look forward to those treats instead of indulging whenever I want.

We'll get on with it. There is no time to waste I have many more things to try and I'm on a roll so I am taking on my greatest challenge: no TV for 30 days. Because I want to be succesful, I have made a small addendum to this one. Matt and I suscribe to netflix and I decided that I will still watch the netflix movies but no TV shows, no TV movies, no TV shows on my computer.

It doesn't feel like the perfect time but it never does when your an addict. The office hasn't rapped, 30 Rock has more laughs to offer, The biggest losers still have pounds to lose, I Love money hasn't given out the $250,000 grand prize yet, and what about Oprah and Ellen they have all kinds of relevant topics happening....really need I say more? I watch too much TV!

As a matter of fact I am watching TV right now... multi tasking. 30 days starts tomorrow, maybe I will find more time to blog this month!