I got nothing

I've been wracking my brain for something to blog about, but sadly nothing's going on in my life besides diet and exercise galore. Not interesting blog material, if you ask me.

However, I did finally buy a new pair of black shoes today at the mall. (Insert applause here) They've been a long time coming considering I've had my current 'everyday' shoes for the last 3 years. The need for new kicks was made crystal clear a couple of days ago as I was crossing the rain-soaked parking lot in front of several cars waiting on me and came frighteningly close to slipping and falling on my butt - thanks to zero tread on my not-so-trusty shoes. So now I'll be safe, and dang it if my new shoes aren't just too cute! I love 'em!

The twitch

OK ... my right eye has been twitching for about a month now.

Nonstop.

It's driving me mad.

What to do?!?

Feelin' the burn

I've just finished my first real workout on my highly technical new exercise bike, and man, my legs are quite wobbly. But I feel surprisingly great.

Thanks to a bunch of different bells and whistles, I can literally watch as the calories burn away, carbs are dropped and my heart rate rises. The machine even tells me if I'm going too slow (thanks to an annoying series of beeps).

The calorie indicator is my new best friend - and mortal enemy. It's great to watch the number of calories I've burned go up, but it's also made me realize how much work it takes to get rid of that evil mid-afternoon snack or that extra serving of mac 'n cheese at dinner ... nevermind the huge bowl of ice cream I've grown accustomed to eating every night when I get home from work - just before I go to bed (eek!!).

I'm thinking this machine will work me in two ways - physically and mentally. Sure, I'll sweat bullets and drop calories working out, but I think it'll also make me think twice about what I'm eating from now on.

I'm excited to get this started. God knows it's been a long time coming, and I really hope to trim down before my Bahamas trip in February. I think it's doable. Woo!

Wonders of the walk-in

Jen over at For the Birds has tagged me, and so here I am telling you all about my closet. It's quite riveting, actually.

So, here it goes:

Three Random Facts About My Closet:
1) There really are too many clothes in there
2) My cat is infatuated with my closet
3) I've accidentally locked her in there several times

Three Items I've Never Worn But Still Haven't Tossed:
1) A sundress I bought for a vacation a few years ago ... I suddenly thought it looked old-ladyish
2) A red Old Navy shirt that when I got home and put it on made me look pregnant
3) A cute straw hat I bought for vacation that was a pain to wear

Three Items I'll Never Get Rid Of, No Matter How Ugly They Get:
I've only got one ... it was my favorite shirt in high school. Still super comfy and holding up quite nice after 10-plus years.

Three Items People Wouldn't Expect To Find In My Closet:
1) An artificial christmas tree
2) Pet taxi
3) Candles

Three items that made me go, "Oh Lord, what was I thinking?":
1) Tweed skirt that is just awful
2) The red Old Navy pregnant shirt
3) Blue jeans that are practically bell bottoms

Three things that I have a surprising number of:
1) Jeans (most of which I don't wear)
2) Tank tops (I wear 'em around the house, but not in public because my arms are getting really ugly!)
3) Pink shirts (I have no idea what's happened to me)

Three dominant colors in my wardrobe:
1) Black
2) PINK!!
3) Blue

Three items that never fail to put me in a good mood whenever I wear them:
1) Any pair of sandals
2) PJs
3) My light grey capris

Exciting stuff, I know. I think I'm supposed to tag someone at the end of this, but I'll leave it up to you if you want to tell the world about the contents of your closets! :) Oh, and if you haven't paid a visit to For the Birds, go there now. It's good stuff.

Blisters, sunburns and a great cause

I've got blisters on both my heels, a bright red sunburn and, well ... I feel great.

Today was the Susan G. Komen Foundation's Race for the Cure here in Chattanooga, and I was pretty much overwhelmed at the turnout and the spirit of so many people who were involved in this gathering to raise money for breast cancer research.

Nearly 7,000 people made their way through town in either the 5K race, 5K walk or the 1-mile "fun run."

It's just great to see so many people trying to raise money for a disease that isn't unbeatable if we just keep working at finding a cure.

I'm definitely going to sleep well tonight, and I know a few other people who worked their butts off to finish with rather impressive times in the run who will be crashing hard, too. (Way to go, by the way!)

treadmill vs. gym

I'm at the point of my continuously expanding body that I've got to make a decision on how to take back control. Right now I'm torn between joining a gym or buying a treadmill to use at home.

Here are my thoughts on both options:

Joining a gym
Pros:
* Lots of different workout options
* Trained professionals to tell me what I'm doing right/wrong
* Motivation of all the other people around me who are in better shape than I am

Cons:
* There are very few gyms in Chattanooga (shocking). So, not a lot of options.
* Monthy rates are so high for my tiny budget (isn't $70 a month a lot for your basic gym, including the YMCA?!?)
* My self-consciousness could get in the way of getting the best workout possible. (I know, I really need to get over myself)

Buying a treadmill
Pros:
* Working out at home would be so much better in so many different ways
* The machine would be mine
* In the long run, the cost is less than a gym membership
* I could work out any time of the day - whenever I feel like it without having to get in my car and drive across town
* Working out late at night when I get off work would be possible, whereas the gym would be closed

Cons:
* Only one machine instead of all the options the gym has

OK, so I know you all have opinions of your own. I want to hear them! What would you do if you were me (remember, I'm on a tight budget). Any advice?

I had NO idea

I know what I'm about to carry on about is going to sound a tad gushy and very worldly, but I simply can't contain myself - So I'm sorry ...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE IKEA!!! I swear to you all, it is THE BEST store I've ever, in all my 28 years of existence, had the pleasure of shopping in. And I would be thrilled to pieces to have just one room in my place put together by these folks.

I seriously had no idea how cool this store is. I mean, I'd been on the web site and yeah, it's neat stuff. Lots of stylish products at inexpensive prices ... but all I can say is that I just didn't understand.

I loved how you could go through their showroom, write product numbers down and then simply pick up whatever you like at the end of your shopping visit. And oh, the kitchen stuff! Wow! I also loved their bedroom stuff, bathroom stuff, livingroom stuff and ... well, I really did love it all.

I have to go back soon. We were there for several hours, but I seriously didn't feel like I'd seen everything. There's just so much to look over. And you really can't feel guilty about buying anything because it's all so affordable.

Love it. Love it. Love it!

Do you really have to ask?

Shopping is my specialty. If you know me, that's one of the first things you'll probably figure out. It's not that I pour the majority of my paycheck each week into retail stores. In fact, I can go shopping all day and come back with very few or no items at all. But it's fun for me nonetheless. Sure, I'd rather find the perfect outfit or the right accesory - but it's not at all a requirement for a good day of shopping.

This week I happen to be broke. But when Jim asked me the other day if I'd go to the new IKEA in Atlanta with him, it was a no-brainer. Of course I said yes - I've heard about this IKEA phenomenon for several years now. I've perused their online store and have found several handy things here and there. But there's nothing like standing in the middle of a gigantic store brimming with pretty things.

The possibilities are virtually endless ... I could find the solution to my storage issues, a new bathmat, some art to hang on my stark-white walls, etc. But I vow not to look at "stuff" (see entry below).

Of course if I do find anything I can't live without, I'll have to go back next week to buy it, but that's just a minor inconvenience. It's all about the thrill of the hunt for me.

Happy shopping!

Overflowing

I don't know if it's a girl thing, a societal thing or just a Stacey thing, but I've just got too much stuff. And it's got to go before I lose my mind looking at it every day.

Right now, as I sit at my desk I'm looking at notebook upon notebook, a framed picture, a little wooden box filled with more pictures, a stapler, tape dispenser, box of envelopes, bottle of water, three candles, a cup filled with pens and pencils, a desk calendar, blank CDs, white out, two books, a large stack of paper, a coaster, a granola bar wrapper and a CD burner. Oh wait, there's also a shelving unit filled with binders, more papers and my address book.

... All that on one fairly small desk. Oh, but it doesn't stop there ... If you look around there's my dresser where stuff abounds, a bookshelf overflowing with stuff and a nightstand with, you guessed it, even more stuff.

Most everything has its place and is neatly arranged - not simply strewn just anywhere. The problem is I'm so tired of looking at it all.

So that's my mission today. I've got to figure out what I can do without, pack it up and make a trip to Goodwill.

My sanity is on the line.

Rain, rain, don't go away!

Ahhh ... I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, and it was wonderful!

We haven't had rain in more than two weeks here - which has seemed like ages. Everything has been so dry, and allergies have been kicked into full-on stealth mode. And man, it's been sizzling.

Right now at 11 a.m., the temperature is hovering around 68 degrees. That's beautiful! Yesterday at this time, I'm sure it was near 90.

I think I'm really looking forward to fall this year - sweaters, leaves changing and cool weather are beginning to sound pretty good!

Paging Mr. Sandman

Q. How many times does a girl have to flop around in bed before she can finally get some sleep?
A. At least 246 times if that girl would be me.

Sleep once came easy to me. I remember settling in for a good night's rest surrounded by pillows and layer upon layer of blankets to bundle up with. My tired body effortlessly relaxed, and comfort would take over. My eyes crept shut as I went over the next day's plans. Within 5 minutes I was off to sleepland. All was right in my little world.

I think about those days a lot as I'm tossing and turning late at night. It's been about 3 years since I've had a good night's rest consistantly, and I can't figure it out. It's not like I'm wide awake when I go to bed. Usually, I'm super tired.

Sometimes just getting to sleep is half the battle. It can take me a few hours of flip-flopping before I'll finally nod off. Two hours of sleep later, and wham! I'm wide awake again.

I'm so tired of being a zombie in the morning - or sleeping so late that I don't get anything accomplished before I go to work in the afternoon. It just seems impossible for someone to be so tired during the day, but unable to sleep at night. Something really should be done, but I have no idea where to start.

New digs

OK, I got bored tonight, so things have changed a bit around here.

I'm not sure if I like it just yet, so there could be more design switches in store - or I may just go back to what I had. I'm wishy-washy that way.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Camera envy

You know that Natalie Merchant song, "Jealousy" ... Well, that could aptly be the theme song for my state of mind recently. I know, that's bad ... very bad. But I just can't help being full-out green with envy when it comes to my friends suddenly deciding at the same time to purchase super fine digital SLRs.

It all started several months ago when Jim arrived on my doorstep with a shiney new Pentax ist DS2. I was shocked that he didn't go with the Nikon D70, which he'd researched thoroughly and had nearly purchased online on several occasions. But soon after we'd pulled it out of its box, attached the lens and did a cursory flip through the owner's manual, we were snapping pictures left and right - and MAN did they look awesome!

I was in love. Soon, I was asking to go on drives just so we could stop and take pictures of pretty things here and there. We went to Lookout Mountain where I found a jungle of hidden treasures just waiting for me to photograph them. I was in heaven ... But alas, the camera was not mine and therefore at the end of the day it was gone. I've visted the camera several times and have actually been allowed to take a picture here and there when I go to Jim's house. But it's just not the same.

Next up was Scott, who called and left me a message on my voicemail several weeks ago that made me want to pull him through the phone, snatch his brand-new Canon Digital Rebel and run like the wind.

So, that's two friends who've made the move into awesome cameraland. ... A land that's filled with lovely scenery and vivid colors, tons of subjects and perfect lighting.

Then, today at work an absolutely beaming Megan tells me she and Barry became the proud owners of a D70 over the weekend. And they've got a perfect excuse for buying a great camera ... Go check out their pictures of Chattababy - they're be-aut!

So, now I think it's my turn to get my hands on one. I neeeeeed a nice camera. I would be sooooo happy. So, for Christmas, you all know what to get me.

I'll be waiting. ;-)

Q&A

Two people took me up on my offer of asking any three questions they wanted to know about me. Thank goodness it wasn't more, because answering these questions wasn't as easy as I first thought.

Here are the questions and answers:

From Absent.Canadian:
1. A hurricane is about to beat down on your house, and you can only carry one possession with you before the rest is swept away by a torrent of water and wind. What single item would you choose?
The obvious choice to this question would be my cat. I would never leave her behind, and can completely sympathize with those in New Orleans who have held out for almost two weeks just to make sure their pets are safe. Possessions such as my computer, TVs, clothing, etc. can be replaced - but there will never be another crazy cat quite like Anna. If we're not counting pets, though, I'd have to bring old photos with me. Those often are irreplaceable, too.

2. The person who took the life of your close friend or family member has been convicted of capital murder. Would you argue for or against the death penalty - knowing that your testamony will almost certainly be the "deciding vote"?
This is such a tough question, and one that I don't think a person can really answer with full certainty unless they're in the unfortunate situation. But, with that said, I honestly feel like I would be against the death penalty. There are a number of reasons why I've never been an advocate of capital punishment, including my personal belief that we should not be the ultimate decision makers on when a person should leave this world. I also think that existing in prison for the rest of one's life could be much worse than being put to death. Assuming the convicted murderer has even the slightest bit of conscience, living with what he or she has done for the rest of their life in a tiny cell with no hope of freedom, should be punishment enough.

3. What part of the male (or female, if you swing that way) anatomy do you find most attractive?
Whew! On to a more exciting topic! ... Honestly, as weird as it may sound, I look at a man's hands, which can either be a real turn-off (small, skinny hands, super hairy hands, dirty, bitten nails, etc.) or can be attractive to me. If a man has good hands, a good personality, nice smile and eyes, I'm happy.

From Pink Sun Drops:
1. If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Good one. I love Chattanooga - a lot, and can see myself living here for a long time. But I would be thrilled to live closer to the ocean - any ocean. I've always said I'd like to retire in the Florida Keys (I guess I should start playing the lottery now). So, someplace with laid back people, a beach and lots of good shopping.

2. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Mmmmm ... Lately it's been Ben & Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough. But if you put any flavor of ice cream in front of me, I'm likely to eat it. Well, besides mint chocolate chip. Ew.

3. What is your dream for your life (okay that one is deep, but in a nutshell)?
Wow ... OK. I am really looking forward to having a family of my own. I was an only child, so I don't have any nieces or nephews to spoil. I don't live very close to either of my parents, and I'm just ready to settle down with Mr. Right. ... Now, who Mr. Right is remains to be seen, and if I'll ever find him, I don't know. But I'm hoping that in the next few years he'll show up. I'm also throwing around the idea of going back to school for my master's degree - possibly in education. We'll see what happens with that.

Ask me anything ...

I've asked Kjersten 3 questions over at her blog, and in turn I'm supposed to open the floor to you, my loyal readers (har, har). So ask whatever you want.

Here are the "rules":

1. Ask me 3 questions. Any 3, no matter how personal, private or random.

2. I have to answer them honestly. I have to answer them all.

3. In turn, post this message on your blog and answer all questions asked of you.

Good radio ...

Is hard to find.

That's why I'm so excited about a couple stations I've discovered on iTunes radio. I've had iTunes forever, but really hadn't explored the radio selections much - Virgin Radio was basically it.

But now I've found Radio Margaritaville and 808 Live Reggae Cast.

You can't help but be in a good mood listening to these stations. I say go there and enjoy!

Just too tempting ...

I bought a new kitchen floor mat tonight after my cat managed to pull out the yarn piece by piece from my last one. Hook rugs and my cat just don't get along, apparently.

So this time I bought your traditional, simple kitchen mat thinking it wouldn't be so tempting to her.

I was wrong.

Within 2 minutes of laying it down in front of my kitchen sink, Anna had attacked it, rolling around on the floor - showing the rug who's boss, I presume.

As I write, all I can hear is a wrestling match between the floor mat and my silly cat. There's no point in making her stop ... it's just too tempting, and she'll be back.

I just don't get it.

You've got to be kidding

Sometimes people make me crazy ...

Landlord: Well, do you close the bathroom door when you shower?!?
Stacey: Yes
Landlord: You really shouldn't. You see, the steam gets trapped in the bathroom if you leave the door shut. That's the reason your wallpaper is coming down.
Stacey: I'm sorry, but I don't think I can get out of that habit.
Landlord: (heavy sigh) Well, it's too late now anyway.

All right, I've been living here for over two years and have never asked for anything, but when I mention that the wallpaper in my bathroom is beginning to break away from the wall at the seams, my landlord acts as though I'm irresponsible for shutting the door while showering?!?

Give me a break.

And can someone please explain what would possess someone to slap a printed design on their wall in strips of paper that can make it a living nightmare to remove once you get sick of the flowery madness?!?

I've always hated wallpaper. There's no design that I want to look at day-in and day-out until I get the notion to try to remove the stuff. And why rental companies put wallpaper in apartments is beyond me. It's a pain to put up, a pain to maintain and a pain to take down.

And heaven forbid a person shower with the door closed. That might just be the worst thing ever.

Vacation woes

I've got 6 or 7 vacation days left at work this year that I have to take or else I'll lose them.

As the title of my blog screams out, I seriously L♥VE vacations. More specifically, I love vacations that involve white sand, crystal clear waters, palm trees, boat drinks and wonderful people. Throw in beautiful weather, island music and no worries, and you've got Stacey's perfect holiday.

Next year I'll be lying on a Mexican beach soaking up the rays, but this year it's not going to happen. I'm saving for an all-out trip with my friend Allison in February, so there's no hope of a super vacation this year, and I'm so sad.

So, what to do with those days off I have coming? That's the problem. I'm no good at taking days off and not doing anything, so I'd almost rather not take the time. Almost ... But that just doesn't seem right.

I guess this is as good a time as any to become a tourist in my own city ... but it just won't be the same as, say, the Cayman Islands.

Thump, thump, thump ...

You gotta love apartment life. If you don't, you'll go crazy.

As I've mentioned before, the "quality" of new people moving into my apartment community in recent months has been on the decline. It used to be peaceful here, people were friendly and I loved it.

But things have changed ... take today, for instance. Since I woke up this morning I've heard a constant thump, thump, thump, boom, boom, boom of "music" coming from my new neighbor directly below me. It's so loud that my floor is vibrating beneath my feet and the books on my shelves are actually rattling. Call me old and tell me I just don't understand, but why would a person want to blare music so loud? I've never really understood the concept of turning it up so loud that your speakers boom - especially when you live around others who are subject to your poor taste in music (the roar sounds like death metal).

This is the same girl who knocked on my front door two weeks ago at 4:30 in the morning with her boyfriend. They were both obviously intoxicated or high on something, stumbling all over the place and barging their way into my livingroom to pet my cat. Why? I have no idea - I think they just wanted to introduce themselves, apparently failing to realize that most people are in bed at 4 a.m.

I really, really need a place of my own ... now.