There comes a time when one must face facts. Although I have loved creating this blog, I obviously have no time to run TWO blogs. Feeling that my second blog has more potential, I'll be merging this more personal blog with my second food-focused blog, Brave New Kitchen.
Please join me there! You can also follow me on Twitter @BraveNewKitchen .
Having one blog where I can complain and develop my voice, and a second blog just to teach people about cooking, while updating neither, just doesn't make sense. I had hoped BNK would grow and become a popular resource for aspiring cooks. If that happens, great! But, really, I just want to blog for fun and be creative. So, I hope if you have landed here that you will pop on over to Brave New Kitchen!
Much fun will ensue.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
White Girl Problems
Lately I have found myself creatively stifled, but by my own lack of enthusiasm, I think. I want to warn you that I am about to launch into a string of complaints that I completely recognize as ‘not that bad.’ I am happy with the great opportunities I have had in my life so far and I’m pleased with where I’m at. However, I am nothing if not a complainer.
Ever heard of “White Girl Problems”? It’s a Twitter account that posts hilarious comments meant to be quotes from women complaining about something that is obviously NOT a big deal. You would think these girls are struggling to pay their rent or have run out of food for their children by the way they groan about their problems. For example: "I swear to God, if my maid doesn't stop calling paper towels 'towel papers,' I will just..." or "My Dad only pays for my car, phone, trainer, tattoos, psychic, and tattoo removal. Financial independence feels great."
With no further ado, here are my…
Hispanic-but-might-as-well-be-White Girl Problems!
Numero Uno!
By the time I get home just after 5, work out a bit, make dinner and have a shot to relax, I feel like I have no time to catch up on personal stuff. (I meant “have a chance” here, but decided to leave in “have a shot” since plenty of my friends will interpret that as me taking a swig of vodka and that would be the most appropriate way to relax.)
Numero Dos!
I miss painting. I want to paint more, but a fear of drawing stick figure cats keeps me from starting a new piece. Self-taught often equates to no-good-but-I-try.
Numero Tres!
I have been gaining weight, but eating the same amount of food. Reason? I sit in a cubicle all day! Turns out I need to work out about an hour a day to stop myself from gaining. Problem is, working out is the last thing you want to do when you get home from work. Also, I am not a morning person ... so working out at 5 am is out of the question. In fact, I am inhuman first thing in the morning. E (husband) can attest to that. I don’t speak, merely mumble and groan and make whiny noises when E tries to playfully (read: annoyingly) keep my towel from me after a shower. I start to resemble a person around 7:30. I have been pretty good this week, but not great. I do a 10-minute fat burning workout from the Biggest Loser (It’s on YouTube and awesome) when I get home, and I try to do 20 minutes of Wii exercise every couple of days. I need to bump it all up, obviously. Just want to be lazy when I get home.
Numero Quatro!
When I do have some time at home, I find myself staring at all the crap that needs to be cleaned up. Even if I put the effort into doing something at home, it would mostly be spent on cleaning/doing dishes. So many dishes …
Numero Cinco!
My car sucks. E’s car sucks. We need new cars. They run (barely). They are slowly, but surely falling apart. Mine is 16 years old now. It’s a freakin’ rebellious teenager! E’s is only about 10 years old, but the lady that had it before him did zero maintenance. It had oil burned to the inside of the motor from her never adding oil to the car! Good thing is, we are finally at a place in our lives where buying a used car is within reach. I’ll probably get one first since I have the older model. (Yay!)
Numero Seis!
I got a sewing machine for Christmas and have no clue how to use it. I want to play with it, but I would need a whole day to learn the inner workings of this thing, plus weeks of practice. It’s hard to start new projects when you only have 4 hours at home each day and no motivation. (This one is a SUPER white girl problem.)
Numero Siete!
I have been entirely ignoring the 2 blogs I run and it makes me feel terrible! I love writing, but that takes focus, concentration, time and a topic. Ideally, I would like to update my other blog once a week and this one at least once a month. I recognize that I put way too much pressure on myself, though. It’s a BLOG. It is CASUAL. It should be for FUNSIES. A lack of updates should not make me feel like a horrible person who abandons reader(s?) like little lost puppies in the street.
Numero Ocho!
This is a new development, but it turns out I have some kind of allergy. To what? I DON'T FREAKING KNOW. It randomly cropped up this week. Three evenings this week (not in a row and not after eating or drinking the same things) my face randomly turned bright red and grew hot. It stayed like that for about an hour. The only thing I had all three of those days was some type of alcohol. However, I've tested having alcohol since then with no adverse reactions! So I have no clue what fun and exciting new problem my body has decided to unleash upon me.
Now, to redeem myself. I am extremely blessed and I know it. Even with all these admittedly minor complaints, I am loving my new job as a professional writer (and pseudo event planner at the moment). I live in a great place, I am currently financially stable, my family loves me and visits frequently now that I’m not 6 hours away from them and my social life is halfway decent. I should love my life, and I do! Really, when I soak it all in, I realize that most of these complaints amount to the fact that my "to do" list has become a "things I have failed to do" list.
I’m going to need some anti-anxiety meds or something! I need a more relaxed outlook on the small things in life instead of letting everything snowball in my brain. I'll be working on that.
By the way ... if you were not entertained by my list, at the very least I taught you to count to eight in Spanish. You're welcome.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Where I Have Been
I know it has been a RIDICULOUSLY long time since I post here, so I thought I would check in and let everyone (okay, maybe the one person that may read this) know what I've been up to and why the long hiatus. I especially want to do this to keep myself from being a hypocrite. I used to complain about people who take awesome blog names and then don't post a thing. At least I'm not one of those, but I was getting dangerously close.
So, after the wedding, husband and I moved. I was a crazy, last minute sort of deal. He got a job and off we went! He started traveling to the new area to investigate places to live while I continued working. We had only one month before his new job started.
I'm going to diverge from my story here to discuss the move. Many people may think, why would you move and leave your job just because your husband got a job somewhere else? Well, we had several logic-based reasons. I didn't just feel the need to blindly follow my male counterpart. He was going to be making more than me. So, while I had been supporting us for the few months before he got a job, it made more sense to let him get the higher-paying job and support me if needed for the time being. In addition, I wasn't too happy at my job, but they were going to let me continue to work remotely. A perfect situation! (They ended up reneging on that and letting me go, but more about that later.)
Anywho, husband's job was in a pretty dead part of Florida, so we chose an apartment equidistant from his job and the downtown area of the nearby city (Orlando). The apartment complex was brand new, gorgeous, just a mile off the highway for easy access, and has extensive amenities (beach-style pool, BBQ area, gym, breakfast on weekends, hot tub, game room, etc.) Plus, the price was just a little more than what we paid at the old crap-hole in Gainesville. After the move, we took some time to settle in and I found out that my remote job was ending. They gave me a decent amount of advance notice, though. I started my new job search and, after only being unemployed for one month, found an amazing opportunity as a writer for a medical services and e-commerce company. I have been orienting myself to this new job for the past month and a half.
Basically: Surprise! I'm a writer.
These are the reasons why I dropped off the face of the earth for both of my blogs. I really need to get back into my other blog, www.bravenewkitchen.blogspot.com, but that one takes more effort. Hopefully, I will get the food writing bug back in me and I'll be able to come up with some good cooking advice to post at Brave New Kitchen. It has the potential to be great, I just have to put in the effort.
So, after the wedding, husband and I moved. I was a crazy, last minute sort of deal. He got a job and off we went! He started traveling to the new area to investigate places to live while I continued working. We had only one month before his new job started.
I'm going to diverge from my story here to discuss the move. Many people may think, why would you move and leave your job just because your husband got a job somewhere else? Well, we had several logic-based reasons. I didn't just feel the need to blindly follow my male counterpart. He was going to be making more than me. So, while I had been supporting us for the few months before he got a job, it made more sense to let him get the higher-paying job and support me if needed for the time being. In addition, I wasn't too happy at my job, but they were going to let me continue to work remotely. A perfect situation! (They ended up reneging on that and letting me go, but more about that later.)
Anywho, husband's job was in a pretty dead part of Florida, so we chose an apartment equidistant from his job and the downtown area of the nearby city (Orlando). The apartment complex was brand new, gorgeous, just a mile off the highway for easy access, and has extensive amenities (beach-style pool, BBQ area, gym, breakfast on weekends, hot tub, game room, etc.) Plus, the price was just a little more than what we paid at the old crap-hole in Gainesville. After the move, we took some time to settle in and I found out that my remote job was ending. They gave me a decent amount of advance notice, though. I started my new job search and, after only being unemployed for one month, found an amazing opportunity as a writer for a medical services and e-commerce company. I have been orienting myself to this new job for the past month and a half.
Basically: Surprise! I'm a writer.
These are the reasons why I dropped off the face of the earth for both of my blogs. I really need to get back into my other blog, www.bravenewkitchen.blogspot.com, but that one takes more effort. Hopefully, I will get the food writing bug back in me and I'll be able to come up with some good cooking advice to post at Brave New Kitchen. It has the potential to be great, I just have to put in the effort.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
SLEEP: Are You Getting Enough? Probably Not.
After a short hiatus from blogging, I am pleased to announce that I am now MARRIED! The wedding was beautiful, our friends and family had tons of fun, and I couldn't have asked for a better day! This experience has given me plenty to blog about, so listen up!
Most of us skate by on 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. We figure that's enough, right? Plenty of people get even less sleep! If you're one of those people, I'm glad you stumbled on this post. Our sleep patterns affect our lives in more ways than you think. Some of us are so used to minimal sleep that we accept it as the norm for our particular body. This doesn't just cause a higher need for coffee and a groggy morning. A lack of sleep, or even slightly less than a full 8 hours of sleep, can affect your decision-making skills, weaken your immune system, and even increase hunger (all the women scream, "Nooooo!").
If you are one of the many women coping with wedding season at the moment, you should especially heed this advice. A lack of sleep may make you choose the puffy-sleeved, two-toned, mermaid-skirted bridesmaid dresses! Sorry to use scare tactics, but this is a big deal, my friends.
Five Signs you Need More Sleep
1. Even simple decisions throw you for a loop. For example, you've been planning on getting a new laptop for months. You have saved enough money and go online to purchase it, but end up spending 20 minutes trying to decide what color you should get. Blue or black? You start to feel overwhelmed. Should I buy a protective case? Do I want the case that comes with handles? When you're tired, you are less able to distinguish between important and irrelevant information. The sleep-deprived are also riskier gamblers ("Maybe if I wait until the last minute to buy my plane ticket to that interview, the price will go down.")
2. You've been stuffing your face all day, but you still want more food. Studies show that chronic sleep loss can disrupt blood sugar levels and cause the body to produce less leptin, a hormone that curbs appetite, and more ghrelin, a hunger stimulator. On top of that, tired people tend to crave sugar, so you won't be munching tons of salad. You'll end up grabbing the box of donuts.
3. You spend more weeks sick than healthy each month. People who get inadequate sleep are more prone to infections. In one study, researchers injected healthy people with the common cold. Those who slept less than 7 hours per night were 3 times more likely to get sick than those who got at least 8 hours!
4. You've cried during every season finale this week. Less sleep = more emotional. In one study, sleepy volunteers had 60% more activity in their amygdala (fear and anxiety processing center). This part of the brain was also shown to communicate less with the part of the brain in charge of determining appropriate emotional responses. Have you had an argument escalate into a full-blown fight and have no clue how you got there? Look back and think how tired you were that week. In addition, tired brains store more negative memories than positive ones. Over time, this can cause depression-like symptoms. Scary!
5. You have become a klutz. This is pretty self-explanatory. Plenty of studies (and personal experience) show that people who are tired have slower reflexes and less precise motor skills. You can also have momentary (a second or two) blackouts when your body's urge to sleep gets too strong. Sleepiness can even throw off your balance.
Erasing Your Sleep Debt
"Sleep debt," or the cumulative hours of lost sleep, isn't something you can pay off in a night or two. It can take weeks of building up restorative, healing sleep patterns to get your body back where it needs to be. There is no magic formula. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. In the meantime, here are a few ways to suppress the effects of your sleep debt.
- Get some rays. Morning sunlight boosts energy by suppressing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. A morning walk can also help your body's internal clock sync up with the sun.
- Exercise! We all know exercise has an insane amount of benefits. Aerobic exercise in the early evening will energize you (even if you start while tired) for a couple of hours. Your body temperature naturally drops at night. The natural drop in body temperature that occurs about 2 hours after exercise will signal your body that it's time to go to sleep.
- Take a power nap. Twenty to 30 minutes of sleep midday will help ward off fatigue. Don't sleep more than that or your body will be groggy from reaching a deep sleep. If you want more than 30 minutes, you'll need to stretch your nap to at least an hour and a half to get past the deep sleep stage.
- Work on something interesting. Obviously, people pay more attention to things they find mentally stimulating. Don't give in to the temptation to do something mindless (if you can avoid it).
-Eat for stamina. Big meals and high levels of sugar will cause blood sugar spikes and dips. Instead, eat a small snack or small meals every few hours. Choose foods with complex carbs, some protein, and a small amount of healthy fat. Examples: a handful of nuts or reduced-fat cheese and crackers.
- Caffeine it up. Energy drinks will help, but they'll also cause your calorie count to skyrocket. Try adding honey to some caffeinated tea or adding sugar to your espresso (just order a Cafe Cubano). Instead of one big mug of coffee, drink smaller amounts throughout the day to keep you going.
These tips should help you stay afloat until your body can fully recover from that lack of sleep you always (or never) knew you had. You'd be surprised what just a couple of extra hours can do for your body.
Erasing Your Sleep Debt
"Sleep debt," or the cumulative hours of lost sleep, isn't something you can pay off in a night or two. It can take weeks of building up restorative, healing sleep patterns to get your body back where it needs to be. There is no magic formula. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. In the meantime, here are a few ways to suppress the effects of your sleep debt.
- Get some rays. Morning sunlight boosts energy by suppressing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. A morning walk can also help your body's internal clock sync up with the sun.
- Exercise! We all know exercise has an insane amount of benefits. Aerobic exercise in the early evening will energize you (even if you start while tired) for a couple of hours. Your body temperature naturally drops at night. The natural drop in body temperature that occurs about 2 hours after exercise will signal your body that it's time to go to sleep.
- Take a power nap. Twenty to 30 minutes of sleep midday will help ward off fatigue. Don't sleep more than that or your body will be groggy from reaching a deep sleep. If you want more than 30 minutes, you'll need to stretch your nap to at least an hour and a half to get past the deep sleep stage.
- Work on something interesting. Obviously, people pay more attention to things they find mentally stimulating. Don't give in to the temptation to do something mindless (if you can avoid it).
-Eat for stamina. Big meals and high levels of sugar will cause blood sugar spikes and dips. Instead, eat a small snack or small meals every few hours. Choose foods with complex carbs, some protein, and a small amount of healthy fat. Examples: a handful of nuts or reduced-fat cheese and crackers.
- Caffeine it up. Energy drinks will help, but they'll also cause your calorie count to skyrocket. Try adding honey to some caffeinated tea or adding sugar to your espresso (just order a Cafe Cubano). Instead of one big mug of coffee, drink smaller amounts throughout the day to keep you going.
These tips should help you stay afloat until your body can fully recover from that lack of sleep you always (or never) knew you had. You'd be surprised what just a couple of extra hours can do for your body.
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