Free weekends…take some getting used to

Now that I’ve finished my yoga teacher training, I have plenty of free time on the weekends for leisure. It’s been pretty great, though by late Sunday I felt a little lazy for some reason. Guess it will take me a while to get back into weekend mode!

Saturday, I met my great friend Dena’s niece Carmela! She was the cutest little thing. Carmie (or Mela) was the first baby I’ve held in years. My discomfort with little squirmy people may be evident in this pic!

After visiting with the next generation, I went to watch my friend Steve brew some beer. I also got to taste some two-year-old mead. It was pretty tasty, but you have to be careful with the stuff–it’s pretty boozey.

In between processes, Steve and I checked out Twice Told Tales in downtown Crystal Lake. I was in search of a book for my boyfriend (can’t tell which in case he’s reading this…it’s a surprise). I was left disappointed because there was only one shelf of “classics.” However, there is no shortage of romance novels, if that is your genre. Half of the store is filled with romance titles.

The volume of these books amazed me. And, their titles made me laugh with astonishment. Here are some examples:
“Jessie’s Child”
“Back in the Bachelor’s Arms”
“At the Millionaire’s Request”
“The Baby Trail”
“Princess in Disguise”
“The Reluctant Cinderella”
“Having Her Boss’s Baby”
“The Secrets Between Them”
“Baby Blues and Wedding Bells”

This title topped them all and summarizes the overriding theme of these books:
I’ve never read one of these romance novels, and I’m not totally trashing them, but I think it is pretty interesting to read the titles, themes and see the huge amount of them in this store.

Sunday night (Oscar night!), my parents and I went to dinner at Chez Pierre Creperie in Crystal Lake for their George Washington’s Birthday dinner. The food was delish! I started with escargot and mushrooms in a garlic-herb sauce, then the house salad, the tilapia with yummy asparagus and finally a fruit tart. The small restaurant is cozy, charming and friendly. I would recommend stopping in for the wonderful crepes!

The Oscars were amazing, as usual! Of course, I fell asleep through the middle (but who really cares about the technical stuff, not me). I’m so happy for Kate and Sean. Both their performances were great. Slumdog was also very deserving of the top prize, and I hope to see more of that excellent cast!

Why I Facebook

I’ve noticed much media attention to facebook lately. There was this article from The Huffington Post, the 25 Things About Me debacle and now there are questions surrounding Facebook’s terms of service.

It’s all gotten me to think about my own Facebook habits. I check my Facebook more times than I would like to admit. I go there when I can’t think of anything better to do, when I have a lull in the day, when I get an email or phone alert, and sometimes, I find myself visiting without making a conscious effort to do so–creepy.

The Creepbook, as some call it, can get awkward. I find myself delving into the lives of people I have not set eyes on, let alone spoken to, in years. I sometimes wonder why I am so compelled to “spy” on my “friends.”

When I think of the interest I take in my Facebook friends’ lives, it makes me think of my celebrity news obsession…yes, I will call it a full-blown obsession. It’s all about the entertainment value. I get a kick out of seeing friends’ vacation photos, employment history, music interests, favorite movies and the self-promoting “about me” sections. It’s all in good fun!

In fact, I like to think that by updating my status and uploading my photos, I am providing a sort of entertainment for them. I am a celebrity to my Facebook friends…and, I don’t even have to deal with the stresses of paparazzi and drug addiction…HOORAY!

Facebook is a marvelous, state-of-the-art communicating tool. How else can I contact potentially hundreds of people at once?

Sometimes, though, I think there is a point of excess. I think that Facebook can contribute to a keeping-up-with-the-Jones’ mentality. It’s impossible not to compare yourself to your friends. Who is getting married? Who got fat? Who has the nice house? Am I more successful that s0-and-so?

This is also the point where I question my Facebook “friends.” It’s fun to see what people are doing, reconnect with people you grew up with and be entertained by your extended family and friends. However, at what point does it turn unhealthy?

I sometimes wonder if I would actually speak with each of my Facebook “friends” in real life. What would I have to say to some of the obscure people, the ones I didn’t even knew knew my name in high school, the ones I’ve met through mutual friends once or twice?

Time will tell where this web-based community takes us. We know the marketing companies are all over it like white on rice, but what about the consumers? How much are we going to put out there and how much time are we going to devote to poking around in each other’s lives?

Master Cleanse…See you later!

I’m a quitter! Last night, when I hadn’t eaten anything all day and could only get down a couple gulps of lemonade, I decided that this obviously isn’t the right cleanse or the right time for this cleanse for me. I quit. 

So, this morning, I started with some freshly juiced apple juice (I love having a juicer), and now I’m eating some rice cereal. I’m still feeling pretty weak and my stomach isn’t quite back to normal. I can always try again another time. Next time, I’ll know what to expect, too!

Master Cleanse Day 2 (Afternoon)

Ugh…that’s really all I can think to say right now. This morning’s salt water definitely did the trick. I was back -and-forth to the bathroom all morning. I drank almost a whole nalgene (32 ounces) of water after that, but felt too nauseous to drink my lemonade. 

I had to go home from work, and I threw up a bit. After puking another time, I took a nap…hoping to feel better when I woke up. I just woke up and I tried to drink some lemonade. The smell immediately brought on my gag reflex. I really don’t think I can get that stuff down!

Since it’s my only source of nutrients, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t see myself going on with this much longer and it being healthy. I’m not hungry, but I know that I have not eaten anything or drank my nutrients, so I’m worried.

I’m going to look into other fasting options because it may be that I have an extremely sensitive stomach and something in that drink is not working for me!

Master Cleanse Day Two (Morning)

Yesterday was interesting…to say the least. It may be because I practice yoga, but I was extremely aware of my abdominal and pelvic region all afternoon. For periods, I had pretty intense headaches and nausea. To cure this, I took a pretty substantial nap for most of the afternoon.

When I woke up, I decided to take my first cup of “Smooth Move,” laxative tea. The book says that discomfort is caused by not enough elimination. I could barely get the whole thing down; the nausea was almost unbearable, but I didn’t want to throw up because I knew there really wasn’t much in my stomach at this point. So, I went to bed early. I lay there for a while, listening to my tummy churn.

I woke up twice in the night. I was sweating profusely. Sometimes I think I sleep with too many blankets, but even when I took some off, I was still damp. Then, you know how it goes…you get cold cause of the sweat…not comfortable. I went to the bathroom, but I had no “smooth moves,” just urine.

It wasn’t until this morning that I had a movement, and it wasn’t very smooth. It took some time and dedication to drop those kiddies off at the pool!

Now, I’m finishing up the last of my liter of salt water, which should send me to the bathroom in the next hour or so. Hopefully, I will get the gunk out so I don’t feel nausea.

The most interesting thing about this cleanse, so far, is that I have not been hungry. The drink, which doesn’t taste bad to me, yet, is satisfactory. I did have some weird dreams last night…the kind that seem like real life till about 10 minutes after you wake up!

Master Cleanse: Day One

Today I’m starting the Master Cleanse. I’ve been noticing some irregularity in my digestion, so I figured a nice cleanse would do my body good. I’m also hoping that this cleanse will break me of some of the bad eating habits I have and give me some clarity!

It should be an interesting journey, and I hope you enjoy hearing about my experience. I will warn you, this may get personal. And, if you’re squeamish, some of these posts may contain information about bodily functions that you don’t want to know about.

I just finished my first glass of “lemonade.” It was pretty tasty. I had it warm, so it probably helps that I’m a big fan of herbal teas. Tonight, I will drink my first cup of laxative tea–yeah, I said it. Imagine how I felt asking for it at the health food store yesterday…good thing I don’t embarrass easily!