Book Review

Yesterday I was asked some questions that have nothing to do with my job so I got on my soap box about why I am asked every question by every person. Sometimes it stinks to be the smart one ;). Of course, one of the girls I work with phrased it differently. She said it was because I am a know it all. After that comment I told her that I wouldn’t be answering any more of her questions.

So, here is why I get so aggrevated sometimes by the questions I am asked. First of all, my company has a HUGE IT department. There are probably 30 or 40 people who work on the computer systems alone. We even have a help desk with four people on it who answer problems. Yet, when something goes wrong with someone’s computer, I am usually the first person they want to look at it. I have been asked easy questions like how to put an out of office message on email to why won’t I print to how can I reformat this document.

Second, I am not the manager of my department. There is someone who is paid way more money than me (and doesn’t have my work load) to answer questions that may come up. Yet, it seems like daily someone from both my department and other departments will come to me with questions.

Yes, I know, it’s probably a good thing for me that I can answer most of these questions but it really gets frustrating when I have a huge workload and am continually being interrupted with questions (especially the ones that don’t relate to my job). I am actually tempted to keep a list of the questions I get asked for a couple of days just to see what percentage really does relate to my job 

On the other hand, I did just tell another co-worker earlier today that if I ran the world, things would go a lot more smoothly 🙂

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about my running routine and how I needed to get back into it. Today, I thought I’d be accountable and report my progress.

It has taken me a couple of weeks to get into it but I’m proud to say that so far this week I’m right on schedule with my running. I actually got up early both Monday and this morning and went out and ran two miles. Saturday will be the real challenge as I am adding another mile and I REALLY like to sleep in on Saturdays.

I’m hoping that since I am taking the next couple of days off of work (I opted to take some time off instead of losing some of my vacation time) I will be well rested and ready to get out there Saturday morning and run that three miles!! I have also officially registered for the half marathon on September 25 so there is no turning back now!!

For me, alone time is necessary. I have friends that I like to hang out and I have meetings a couple nights a week but I really value my “me” time by myself. I am not one of those people who always has to be surrounded by others. I don’t talk to my mom and dad every day on the phone (in fact, if we talk once a month, that’s pretty good). If I don’t get time by myself, I tend to get a little cranky and if a person becomes to clinging or is inserting themselves too much in my life, I tend to start getting frustrated with them.

I’m more than comfortable being alone and after eight or more hours a day, five days a week sitting in cubicles where I hear every conversation (often more than once), I need the quiet. I don’t have to have someone I know with me if I’m going to try out something new (a church, an exercise class or whatever it may be). Let me clarify here, I like going out with friends to these things sometimes but there are times when it’s nice not to know anyone else in the room (some of you are probably cringing at that statement!!).

So, here is my dilemma. I have a some people in my life right now that are a little too needy. I tend to be a person who wants to please everyone (this is one of my “idols” in my life, the idol of acceptance) and so I do not confront people. I am trying to learn that sometimes saying “no” is the best decision for me. It is ok to cancel plans or to just not make plans when I am needing that Me time.

So, it’s the first of June and the first of summer. It seems like a great opportunity to step back and look at all of the things I’ve tended to slack on since those New Year’s resolutions were made five months ago (mainly my diet and exercise).

After thinking about it a couple of weeks and mentally preparing, I am getting back on the serious weight loss track. As mentioned before, I have signed up for a half marathon in September. I have printed my training schedule and am hanging it up TONIGHT. In addition to that, I am also trying to adjust my sleep schedule a little bit so I have an easier time getting up in the morning.

I am back on the weight watchers program and am looking at signing up at a gym by my office. I have a few justifications for paying for a gym membership. First, I can go workout during my lunch hour or before or after work very easily. Second, it can take some great group classes. And finally (and probably most importantly), if I am paying for a gym membership, I would actually use it. I hate paying for something I’m not using so I will make sure I am using it. The gym I am looking at is less than half a mile from my office and has an indoor and outdoor pool and some great classes.

So, watch out world, I’m starting over. I’m going to make it real for everyone out there who reads my blog. My goal is to have lost fifty pounds by Christmas. My parents are coming to visit at Christmas and I think 50 pounds in seven months is very do-able.

I will try and keep every updated on how my journey is going. I know I can do this, I have done it before!!

I would say that over the past year I’ve been really bad about keeping up a regular running routine. Running is not my favorite activity but I have found that as far as exercise, it’s the activity that I get the best results from.

In order to try and motivate myself to get back into a regular running routine, I have signed up to do a half marathon in September. Now, I just need to get up an hour early and get out there and run.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? But, for some reason, it is one of the hardest things for me to do. I set my alarm to get up at 5:30 (which actually gives me plenty of time to run, get home, shower and head to work). But when 5:30 comes around, I hit that snooze button and go back to sleep. Maybe I need to move my alarm across the room (or across the house) so that I will actually have to get out of bed.

I would run in the evenings after work but it’s Nashville which means summer is full of heat and humidity and it is really uncomfortable to run. But, when I was training for my first marathon, my friends and I would meet after the sun went down and run for an hour so that may be an option too.

So, I’m making it public knowledge by posting this, I WILL get back into a regular running schedule and figure out what best works into my schedule 🙂