Hey Politicians! Stop Cutting Down Trees

It's election time - this is NOT a political post by the way - and I'm wondering...what notes were these guys taking when Barack Obama (like him or not) demonstrated the incredibly effective (reach millions, seems like 1:1) and efficient (CHEAP and easy) use of social media to get out communications?

Everyday our mailbox is completely stuffed with full color, card stock grade direct mail pieces from dueling politicians. NONE of which are ever read in our household. *The picture above is only from 2-3 days.

Here's why:
1) I assume you're out of touch if you think direct mail or the phone is how to reach me.

2) We are green - and your full color brochure on heavy card stock is a display of irresponsible use of resources and money, not to mention very out of date.

And here's another picture with a full size one subject notebook to give you perspective on the LARGE size of these pieces.

And we get double the mailings and phone calls- one of us is a registered Republican, the other a Registered Democrat, so we're hit twice as hard.

Also, understand that this stuff actually impacts who people choose.

Social Media is the same as you handing me that banana by the train Alderman Moore, only less creepy. We can "have a conversation" only I don't feel ambushed, free breakfast or not, on my way to work. Now, politicians are ambushing our phone lines and our poor little mailbox - which is really only used for sending and receiving thoughtful cards and thank you notes.

I know you won't see this, but if you do, please, try some online campaigning. Save a tree!

And just FYI, here is a list of all of the politicians who sent this stuff and the number of pieces:
Worst Offender - Heather Stean(D) - State Senator Race(4 pieces - 2 of each) Largest format.
Bridget Gainer(?) - Commissioner Race (1) Large format.
Dan Hynes(D)- Governor Race (1)
Yehuda Lebovits(D) 9th Judicial Subcircuit Judge Race 1 - Heaviest card stock.
Mark Kirk(R) - Senate Race (1)
Mariyana T. Spyropoulos(?) Commissioner Race (1) IRONY AWARD, her mailer talks all about her dedication to providing clean water, conservation and FOREST PRESERVATION.
Todd Connor(D)Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (1) Another IRONY AWARD "He's protected our environment while protecting our country."
Stella Black(D)Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (1) Smallest format mailer received.

Michelle

Have YOU Laughed Today?

I have indeed. In fact I "laugh" everyday.

That's a reference to those (sort of) cute commercials for Lite Laughing Cow Cheese (so good and that little wedge goes much further than you'd think!)

As you may know from reading the blog I've lost some weight. I have been receiving really nice comments from friends and they all want to know what I'm doing. Well, it's not a pill, packaged food, motivational plan, cult, or pact with the devil. It's old-fashioned eat less, exercise more. A lot less and a lot more too.



I also get asked what I eat really often, so here is a typical day:

Breakfast:
Coffee (splash skim, 2 Splenda) x 2 or 3 depending on the day
2 pieces of "Very Thin" Pepperidge Farm bread (40 cal. each)
1 tbsp peanut butter (105 calories)


Lunch:
2 Rye Crisps (50)
1 Lite Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge (35)
1/2 slice thin ham, turkey or chicken (about the size of a post it) (about 50)
Lettuce (10)
Pepper Ring (10)
One cup soup (nothing over 100 calories, also low sodium)
Carrots (25)
Celery (10)
7 almonds (35)

Dinner:
3 oz. chicken, fish, beef, pork, portabello mushroom (depends)
cup of steamed vegetables (usually less than 50 cal. - no butter, maybe lemon juice)
1/4 cup rice (half or less of what a serving is) (cal. depends)

Dessert/Snack

Sometimes a cookie, or a piece of chocolate from the freezer. A lot of times nothing.

If it's not coffee, then it's water. ONLY. NO juice, no soft drinks, no alcohol (most days, but yeah, the occasional glass of wine here and there and I go out like a normal person.)

Exercise - EVERY SINGLE DAY.




Rotate between :30 - 2:00 hour elliptical sessions throughout a week with about 3 days being 2 hours and 3 days being 1 hour and 1 day being :30 minutes.

I also do Pilates occasionally (on a 1 hour or less elliptical day) and often walk to a train stop that is a little further to add more movement.

Do I cheat? Of course! But do I make up for it with a super tough work out? YES. And go much lighter on food the next day.

But the more I live this new lifestyle, the more I find I automatically make better choices, and actually don't feel well after eating "junk".

And I'm at a place where I'm seeing results. Clothes that haven't fit in years suddenly slip right on. Zip right up. Button right down. And that makes me laugh!

It's the End of the World...Where's Your Sterno?

Coming to you from Starbucks again. Big fat snowflakes falling outside. Productivity at a high today considering I'm completely and utterly sick and also have hurt my back. But - luckily it's the kind of back injury that only hurts when I sit or lay down, or cough, or laugh, or breathe too deeply - so you know, nothing to worry about!
The view of the snowfall outside and my list of things to do is helping me to not think about my back - and the hilariously goofy conversations happening behind me at the counter by the 22-year old worker and his wiser, more life-experienced manager, (23 1/2) are keeping me entertained.
I have a curious likeness for the younger one because his tangled coal black hair and modest size remind me of Dave Bielanko from Marah. He also is wearing his Starbucks hat askew on his head, but this may very well be because he's so small, and it simply doesn't fit him. Or he may be a douchebag, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt today.
Today seems light and serene compared to the restlessness and weird dreams of last night. Likely brought on by my insistence in watching a program called "Apocolype Man" on the History Channel. This ex-marine guy shows you all these survival tips for when it's the end of the world - like how to break into a hospital and generate power to charge the car battery you will surely find at an abandoned gas station and how to effortlessly swing from a tire iron and rope to cross a bridge into a city to find supplies.
Yikes. I'm not gonna make it in an apocolypse.
First, even with my workouts (2-5 pound weights!) I don't think I'd be able to carry a car battery around on my back for very long before chucking it for something more immediately useful...like my makeup bag. Second, I don't think I would be able to climb to the top of a building to find rainwater to drink (which I will sterilize using a can of Sterno I'll easily find in an abandoned house) because I'm really afraid of heights.
So as this guy is doing all these incredible things and talking about his experiences in POW training I resign myself to the fact that I will not make it under these conditions. Then the program ends and I'm not feeling too bad because I see a commercial for a program about Nostradamus and it says the world will probably end in 2060 and I do the math and realize I'll probably be too old to care and will go down like that old couple in Titanic. There's some dignity in that. But the new show coming on declares that the end of the world is actually Dec. 21st, 2012. Oh. That's coming up soon. I mentally start a list - tire iron, rope, book on how to tie knots, sterno, canned food, water, make friends with car thief to learn how to hotwire a car, up weights to 5-7 pounds, etc. What's really scary is how much of history is pointing to either of these dates actually being real days to worry about. I won't get into that here - I haven't really read about the subject - only watched some shows and did see 2012 (add "learn to fly plane" to list) but I just worry that there might actually be something to this...and I wonder how worth it would it be to try and survive. But then a couple of homeless people walk by me and my back stiffens. I covertly slide my purse under my foot, closing myself off and creating an aura of invisibility around myself and realize maybe I have just a little more fight than flight than I realized.

Ugh - So Hard to Come Up With Ideas Sometimes!

So I've helped myself out for the next several blogs to come (unless I have something fun to report!)

I'm always coaching my clients that if they don't think they have anything to say - just make up a top 10 list - they are easily consumed, don't require much time to put together and are perfect for sharing.

So I took my own advice today and prepared this:

10 Top Top 10 List Ideas:

10 Ways to Stay at Home and Not Spend Money
10 Surprising Pajama Options
10 Tips for Maneuvering Quietly with Back Pain
10 Things that Smell but Work Really Well (inspired by above)
10 Reasons Why Getting Older is Not Going to Win Me a Date with Rob Pattinson
10 Ways to Blow Your Diet After Midnight
10 Interesting Subjects to Bring Up with a Person Who is 8 Months Old, Cries a Lot and Lives Above You
10 Excuses For Why the Mailman Comes at a Different Time Every Day
10 Ways the UPS Man Stays on Schedule
10 Worst #1 Answers to a Top 10 List

Vote for the list you'd like to see first kids!

Michelle

Michelle - Down 2 sizes and 18 pounds

Wow. So I have been working very hard to drop all of this extra weight I've been carrying around the last couple of years and am very proud to say, even broadcast that I went from 172 to 154. I have a goal to get to around 145 and stay in that vicinity - so still about 10 pounds to go - but I can't tell you how much better I feel about myself and how big a difference it makes in feeling confident.

Here's how I did it (so far):

1) Eat WAY less. Typically I have 2 slices of toast (diet bread at 40 calories each) with 1 tbsp (that's 1/2 a serving) peanut butter with coffee for breakfast. For lunch, I usually have a cup of soup (I measure it - a can has 2 or more servings - don't eat the whole can) with rice crackers or rye crisps, a wedge of Lite Laughing Cow cheese and an apple. I also only eat low sodium versions of soup - writing down what I eat everyday and weighing everyday I have learned EXACTLY what makes me fat. For me it's salt and sugar. Dinner depends on my schedule as I may only have time for a Lean Cuisine (nothing over 325 calories). If I don't have a show, I'll eat very specific portions of fish or chicken (3 oz) with a full cup of steamed vegetables and something like brown rice or couscous. I also cut way back on alcohol - another food group that really sends the scale tipping.

2) I'm active EVERY. DAY. I either work out on the elliptical machine, do a pilates routine (sometimes both) or I am in a very physical sketch comedy show that includes dancing, running around and a scene where I have to hold my arms up the sides (straight out) for about 5 minutes (this has been a huge help!)

3) I am dilligent in making healthy choices at restaurants. Less a slip or two here or there I will order grilled vs. fried, fruit vs. fries, salad vs. sandwich, etc.

4) I didn't get carried away during Thanksgiving and worked out on Thanksgiving. No seconds (of anything).

5) I eat an apple a day. It's full of fiber and requires a lot of chewing which helps me to feel full and satisfied.

6) I eat my meals sitting down, and chew slowly.

7) I do not eat while I cook. I chew gum.

8) If I'm hungry I will drink a full glass of water - I believe I have minsinterpreted thirst for hunger my whole life.

9) I try not to ever eat late. (I've slipped here a couple of times because I couldn't eat before shows that I'm in, but for the most part I'm done eating by 6:00.)

10) I have publicized and shared my diet plans and progress with supportive friends and now here too. This accountability helps me to stay focused and the possible embarrassment of gaining the weight back would be that much worse.

Here's to celebrating the holidays not worrying about what I'll wear. I have a new red dress that is 2 sizes smaller than last years hanging within view of my exercise machine. It reminds me of what I've been working for and don't want to see slip away again. I had to ask the saleslady twice to bring a different size - what a happy day.

Working from Home - Perfect Except for Humiliating Run-Ins with UPS Man

Working from home is truly a joy, however there are a few disadvantages. I've come up with my Top 10 below. Oh none of these would ever outweigh the advantages - but in this world nothing is ever perfect.

Drum roll (if you're into that sort of thing):

1) Getting coffee doesn't actually get you the 10 minutes of "I need to step away from this problem, clear my head and return to it with a fresh idea". At least not in my small condo it doesn't. The short trek from my desk or favorite chair to the coffee pot is nothing more than crossing a room.

2) You will never look your best when the doorbell rings. Our UPS man has become accustomed to my crazy pajama/lounge wear/workout wear clothing choices, bad breath, glasses and tangled claw clip hairdos. Not to mention my lack of bra before 5 PM (unless I'm running errands!) Although he's used to it, I never fail to see his disappointment when I come traipsing to the door for work or early Christmas packages. It's like he thinks I'm going to get all gussied up just for him. He's semi-cute but has horrible road rage and I've reported him more than once for very bad driving. He threw a Gatorade bottle at our car once, denting the front hood. Oddly, he's very nice to dogs and children, basically everyone, unless he's behind the wheel of his truck.

3) The world goes on outside - and you're unaware. I typically leave the house everyday by around 5:30 for a rehearsal or show - or errands - but there is the occasional day when I have all my errands done and no rehearsal or show to get to and never (actually never) go outside. These are sad days, but what am I an old person - going out for a "walk"? I work out in our bedroom when my husband wakes up (so I'm not lazy - if that's what you were thinking!), I have every technical device invented to keep me in touch with work, friends, family. My mailbox is inside. My dog gets walked by my husband or neighbors. Occasionally it just doesn't happen. I know I'd miss going outside terribly if something happened and I couldn't anymore (global Armageddon, imprisonment), but aside from some guilt and a mild case of regret, I don't fret about this too much.

4) You get very sick of your furniture/decor/paint color/etc. Spending so much time at home makes home a very boring place to be. No longer your haven away from the office, home becomes boring resembling a familiar but worn out old shoe...suddenly you notice all of the things you don't like about your space. Lack of natural light, no elevator, no plant watering crew.

5) You can no longer escape messes at home at the office, or office messes at home. They are both there for you.

6) Thin walls/ceilings will challenge your affection for your neighbors and provide you with far too much information about their home life. Not to mention how much they can challenge your ability to concentrate. I am, however rather lucky in this department, since I really love my neighbors...just wish some of them were ready to go to school during the day. No matter how cute, loud is loud. (Especially if you're working on a rather detailed coding issue.) But, for the most part, this is not really a huge problem.

7) You get your social interaction virtually. This is both good and bad. No more sitting through boring meetings with people you'd rather not share air with, but also, no more fun meetings with funny and attractive co-workers either.

8) No more camaraderie that is found on crowded train cars when someone farts. (Upshot is obviously no farts...at least not of the stranger variety.)

9) Time moves faster...from home. Feels great to be done with your work day faster...but also feels like another day flew by and that life is slipping away.

10) No free lunches, birthday cake, office supplies, ergonomic desk chairs, downtown views, official-looking badges, fancy desk phones, endless paper, copier ink replacements, happy hour invites or gossip.

Well, that's all for today. I'm going to go get a shower and wait for the UPS man.

Michelle

Fashion Flashbacks - Welcome or Worse for the Wear?

I love the fall! Cooler temps mean I can return to the warm, safe cocoon of layers and coverage. Then I see any one of the what seem to be thousands of adorable 18 year old Loyola kids in my neighborhood skip past me on the sidewalk, cigarette in hand, ironic fedora on head, gigantic luggage sized purse on a frighteningly stick like arm and the teeny-tiniest skinny jeans tucked into the most fabulous boots.

I hate it, but it's just the strange cycle of fashion. The last time skinny jeans, leggings, jeggings (the combination of these two horrifically judgemental fashions), stirrups and off-the shoulder sweater tunics was "in", I weighed about 98 pounds, and had that same outfit in practically every color of the rainbow, plus in black with rhinestones on the huge fold-over shawl collar. HOT.

Comfortable? Yes. But this outfit makes everyone look like the weird Saturday morning guy that told us to eat apples and cheese. Oddly lumpy top supported by toothpicks on the bottom.


After thinking leggings would be the absolute worst thing to make a comeback, I hesitate, as I should, since I happen to be wearing a pair right now. Although I've paired mine with a more fitted tunic. Now I think the worst fashion flashback would be parachute pants. All that frickin' swishing. And the static electricity. And all those dumb pockets. Plus, they're freezing.

What I'd like to see comeback? Those adorable turtlenecks with little things on them that match sweaters?

I paired this with a pair of boys (they were cheaper than the "girl" pair at JC Penny's) parachute pants. I liked to mix genres at this age. My shoes were white snakeskin pumps, that I wore everywhere. Including riding my bike.