Monday Thoughts

Dis-Orientation I worked all weekend for an event we put on at work. I got home at 5:30 PM yesterday and planned to at least make it through the Super Bowl halftime show. I guess I fell asleep putting the kids down, because the next thing I know a ringing phone wakes me up, I run into the kitchen, look at the clock and see that it's 9:00. CRAP! I think, I overslept! The kids are late for school! I stumble into our room where David's calmly reading and he says, "The game's not over, but the Colts will probably win. You missed Prince." Huh? What? What time is it? Where am I and who am I? Who are you? Ahh, sleep, glorious, sleep. I crawl back into bed for 9 more hours of sleep and totally whacked out dreams. Was Prince good? And what was the best commerical?

Public Speaking Public speaking usually ranks right up there on the list of people's greatest fears. I'm chipping away at the fear, event by event. My first job out of college was as a VISTA volunteer where I was part of a training team that put on structured workshops on how to teach adults how to read. It was pretty frightening at first, especially as my very first workshop was in a white-collar federal prison to an audience full of highly-educated men. I was being trained myself and had to present a segment at that workshop. It was scary. After lunch, I popped in a piece of gum. After my segment, this man came up and told me that it's not a good idea to chew gum and speak in public. Whatever. I told him it wasn't a good idea to embezzle company funds, either.

My dad, a retired college professor, gave me the best advice so far about public speaking: internalize the subject matter about which you are speaking. It's so true. If I have any doubts about what I'm saying, it comes out halt.ing.ly and the word retrieval part of my brain shuts down. But if I'm speaking about something I know inside and out, like the births of my two kids, how to throw a killer bachelorette party or how to entertain my kids for hours using only a piece of string, a paper clip and a gummy bear, I feel like I could speak to a stadium full of listeners.

The Closest Thing I Have to a Mother is yoga class. It sounds kind of weird but it's what I think every time I leave a yoga class. Even when the yogi is a gray-haired man. Because the overlying tones are about challenging yourself to the point that feels good to you, acceptance in the face of flaws, and when things just get too intense, there's always the child's pose.

This Year's Marathon We started to get excited about the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in San Diego in June, but I've decided to postpone any serious training until summer/fall due to an injured groin muscle. Ouch.

Suzanne Somers has it all figured out: I've just finished reading her book, Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidential Hormones, and the secret to regaining the youthfulness, balance and vitality we all felt in our prime can be found through Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Oh, that and the Thigh Master.