One Girl Revolution

There's all this stuff I should be doing, so how am I starting off? By writing a LiveJournal entry. Class.

I am making a certain sort of progress, though. I slept in today, having had a rough couple of nights on account of my legs. It started on New Year's Day, when I decided to walk to the nearest box store to buy some provisions. We had a heavy snow the night before, and in keeping with a New Years Resolution (more on that in a sec), I decided to walk rather than drive. After all, walking through deep snow is good exercise, right? You bet your ass it is, and by the time I got back, mine was damn sore, along with the rest of my legs. I was wiped out, but the next day I felt good, if a little sore. So I thought it would be perfectly fine for me to start on the beginner level of this video, which my mom and her friends rave about. It relies on a lot of leg work, but that's ok, right? After all, my legs are big and chunky for a reason - muscle!

I cannot accurately describe the pain I felt the morning after, which continued and actually worsened yesterday. I felt like I'd been bludgeoned by midgets. I sincerely thought that I'd somehow managed to rip apart muscles to the point that my legs would be covered with bruises (they weren't). It hurt to stand up, hurt worse to walk, and sitting down? Well, that was just utter agony. I did some upper body stuff on Thursday, but last night I just crashed. Seems like that's just what I needed, though - the legs are still sore, but feeling much better today. I think after I'm done here, I'm gonna wash yesterday's make-up off my face, brush my teeth and head down to the fitness center. I'm hoping it'll be a little less crowded during the day.

I'm trying my best to start anew with the exercising and nutrition because of a resolution - to lose at least 40 pounds or go down at least two sizes, whatever comes first. Make no mistake, I'm happy with the progress I've made over the past few years. I've gone from a size [I'M NOT SAYING] in college to a more acceptable size today, but I want to keep the momentum going. It the very least, I want to tone up; I look in the mirror and know that I can do better. Besides, I'm really enjoying feeling stronger and more energetic - guys, just imagine if I was, like, twice as peppy by December 2008. There'd be no stopping me!

To that end, I've joined fortylbs, a community founded by maggiesox. It's invite only, I believe, but if anyone is interested, I can let the mods know. It's pretty awesome, as support groups go - we're all irreverent and snarky, and I think I've become the comm's unofficial DJ when it comes to workout music. You should see the list I put together Thursday - it's just the tip of the iceberg, too. It reminded me of the time I made a list of roller derby music for jumpinjessflash, if that gives you any idea. I bring the rock! Or something.

I'm also planning to start a Bookcrossing Zone at my office, if I can get a good collection of books together. It should be fun to see if people contribute - we're an office of music, film and video game geeks, so things should get nice and crazy. I'm looking forward to having my mind expanded. I'm putting together a list of books I'd like to read which will eventually go into the Zone at work; I'll post it here and in the forum of the Bookcrossing site. Of course, I'll need to scrounge up some books to trade, since most of mine were shuffled off to Goodwill during the move. If any of you want to get the employees of the Best Damn Office on the Planet reading, let me know. I'll give you my address and you can send 'em my way. I'm thinking that I may periodically take some of the copies that have been sitting in the Zone unread (or have made the rounds at AMG) and cross them over at my favorite Ann Arbor store, Wazoo Records. The people in there are fantastic and knowledgeable, it's a store with some actual damn atmosphere, and leaving books there can only increase the amount of people who stop in, as it talks about On the Bookcrossing Zone page. It seems to be holding its own, but I've seen too many cool stores back in Ohio close down when the corporate juggernauts roll in. Consequently, I'm very protective of the place and want to do all I can to make sure it thrives.

I mean, come on - I met the Rollins there. Right there. How could I NOT want to see it do well?

I guess I should probably wrap it up here. The day isn't getting any younger, after all, and I've workin' out to do! Here's hoping the legs keep up.

Here - watch this while I'm away:

It looks like the winds are finally going to die down tomorrow - currently they're blowing at 20 to 30 mph, which means wind chill. I took off my glove so I could get my mail (big thick gloves don't work well with tiny keys), and by the time I got back to my door, the uncovered hand starting to hurt. I'd say that I was out there for a total of maybe five minutes. Calmer days would be very, very welcome.

I am thrilled to report that isilrandir has volunteered to knit something for the sick/homeless veterans drive our office is hosting. I wasn't expecting such a quick response, so this really made my day. I'm also grateful for this tip from braidedmane, who reminds me that it's not about skills, but creativity:

Suggestion for great scarves: go to a fabric store and browse their remnant bin for pieces of fleece. Fleece comes 60" wide (5 feet), plenty long enough for a scarf, and they usually put pieces less than half a yard in remnants. A quarter yard will make a fantastic, warm scarf--you can fringe the ends with scissors if you want to make them a little fancier. No sewing, fairly cheap, keeps folks warm.

I will have to go to the local Jo-Ann Fabrics and test this theory. Hopefully I can find the remnant pile and get some deals.

Want to know what the hell I'm talking about? Check out this post over at itslittlethings, or better yet, join the community to get breaking news about this and other ways you can make the world a little better and brighter. The instructions are there, but I'd like to remind you that I'll need this stuff on or before December 18, with before being the better option. Send whatever you can from wherever you can - if you're the president of an Australian knitting club, you can still play the Random Acts of Kindness Game.

That's it. Just think of it as one big International Random Acts of Kindness Game. Everyone loves those!

( Paid to geek... )

There I am - top of the blog, at least for the moment. You can read the AMG blog here; I've been cranking out the stories, so check back frequently.

See why I love my job?

HOLY GODS, IT'S REGION FREE.

Man, when that second paycheck comes around...mine. Totally. First paycheck is going toward another 10-pack of buttons so Ann Arbor can know the glory that is theycallmeboy's shop, but after that...oh yes. Niall O'Flaherty and his band of merry Cork pranksters, bringing insanity to my living room's TV screen.

You're only laughing because you're jealous.

Goodness, so much to write about tonight. cammila_radio and I swapped LJ and MySpace addresses, so now we're all friended up and such. I also found another co-worker's LJ, though I won't mention him just yet, in case he wants to play mysterious. I have friended him, so here's hoping he won't come to my cube, demanding to know how I found his corner of the blogoverse.

Work continues to go well, and I keep meeting cool people. It's all sorts of fantastic, and I feel very accepted and appreciated. I fit in and belong! Well, except when it comes to clothes. I'm still a fashion disaster, especially when compared to a lot of the girls. I. HAVE. NO. FASHION. SENSE. I don't know why it vexes me so, as it's not like I lost it or got fat and now don't know how to dress. Hell, I lost weight and still can't find anything that looks good. Oh well. It's just clothes, right? Right?

What is wrong here? When have I ever been concerned about clothes, guys?

Never mind about that - still groovin' on the job. I hope that I can help out with their already stellar coverage; I think this may be where my weird musical tastes might come in handy. I'm eyeing my Winamp playlist as I type, and all I can say is: who else would listen to The Sultans of Ping FC, Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Gogol Bordello, Guns N' Roses, Iggy Pop (with and without Stooges), Jeff Buckley, John Lennon, The Pogues, Led Zeppelin, and Placebo in the same sitting?

I should just make a sign for my desk that says, "Don't tell me what genre it is. Just tell me one thing: Does it ROCK?" Because in some way, all of those artists do. I think that's the only requirement necessary for me to give something a go.

***
I think they may have closed the pool at my apartment's club house, which bums me out - I was really enjoying swimming. I can understand why they did it, as there's a tiny bit of the indoor pool that extends outside and would therefore make the water all sorts of cold, but it still bums me. I'm hoping that I'm wrong, but we'll see about that. I did some stuff on treadmills and weight machines instead, so hopefully that counts for something. I need to search around and see if I can find a good Pilates DVD; that can be my indoor exercise in addition to the equipment in the club house fitness room. I feel weird, being out of my work-out routine for so long. Help!

***
trytobegood, I got your book and lovely note. teaandbitchery, I got your wonderful card. Thanks so much, guys. That really means a lot, getting stuff like that in the mail. You're fantastic friends.

Speaking of mail, I need to find a post office I can get to this weekend. I need to mail that package to theycallmeboy.

***
My dad got a new job, guys! I'm so, so, SO happy for him - like me, he's a creative person, and like me, his whole "lack of a good job" was a real bummer for him. He's going to do excellent work, but more importantly, he's going to be very happy. I'm happy for him - good job, Dad! I love you!

Man, all that needs to happen now is for Boy to get his visa and come over here. That would make my...life, really.

God, I miss him.

***
I just sent out a crap-load of pitches to my editor at Scene, so the only thing left to do now is clean my increasingly horrifying room. You know that line from "Protect Me From What I Want," the one that goes, "We open the latch on the gate/Of the hole we call our home"? Well, my room is steadily becoming that hole that Brian was talking about. And, well, that's ridiculous. I'm all sorts of adult now, according to government-issued documents, so I need to act and behave like one to some degree. The room is a big part of that.

Besides, once I make some progress there, I can continue on with the zine! I'm all sorts of eager to get started on that. Almost makes the not-so-fantastic weather we're supposed to have this weekend worth it.

***
Right. This has gone on long enough. Time to e-mail Ireland and get to bed.

But before I do, here's a PSA: You will never be cooler than this woman.

The More You Know. Cue star and rainbow.

Well, it turns out that people at work have LiveJournals, too!

cammila_radio has been added, so say hello if she comments 'round these parts. She way cool in person, too - far cooler than me, but then, that's the order of things.

She'll have to hang out with us when you guys come up. You know who you are.

I'm slowly but steadily decorating my cube, but I think the best thing I have here is the card that theycallmeboy sent me for Valentine's Day earlier this year. It's by my mousepad, so I can read it over and over again. And for some reason, this little card seems to bring the whole cube together. It's very grounding, in a good way - just like my Boy.

It's funny how such seemingly small things can hold so much meaning and symbolize so much love.

The first few days of this week, I dressed in the whole, "business professional" style, including nicer dress shoes. This didn't deter me from walking to work, as I'm so close that it's kind of, well, stupid to drive there. But there is one small problem.

I've rubbed my right heel raw.

There's an area that is very sore, very tender, and very red. It looks like there will be blood if it has to suffer much more abuse. But guess who walked to work today anyway*? And guess who is sadly bereft of plasters?

Yep.

I'll pick some up tonight, after I walk back to my apartment and get my car.

Ow.


*And before anyone asks, I walked to work because I'm reducing my carbon footprint and saving the earth!

Ow.

It feels like it's been forever and a day since I've written anything in here, but I wanted to let people know what was up.

As you know, I have a new job and have relocated. So far, everything is fantastic. I love my apartment, even if it is on the pricey side. It's in a good neighborhood, has nice amenities (onside indoor swimming pool, anyone?), and is ridiculously conveniently located. I can walk to work. I can walk to the both a conventional and an Asian grocery store. I can probably walk to the Best Buy near the grocery store, if I want to. And if I want to explore downtown (which I haven't done just yet, but plan to), I can take a bus and not have to worry about traffic or parking spaces. It's all rather glorious.

I've decided that English is an antiquated language, as it has not yet produced a word that can adequately describe the awesomeness that is my job. It's basically the closest I'll ever get to Heaven on earth - a big cubicle that I can decorate any way I want, co-workers who get me because they, too, are members of The Art Geek Contingent (AMG covers music, movies and video games), and the ability to basically cover whoever I want to. I gave my editors a big list of artists and styles I like, expecting to get lucky and get one or two. I got...quite a bit more, including a whole slew of Japanese artists, which rocks. I also think I might get a chance at covering some other really, really cool groups. There will be linkage when the time comes, trust me.

The highlights of the week came today, when I got comments back on my first review. With the exception of a few style things (like writing in more of a daily newspaper style as opposed to a database/encyclopedia style), the "big" editor really liked it. I found out about that right after meeting with my immediate boss, who told me that, after three days on the job, everyone was impressed with my energy and positive attitude, not to mention how quickly I was learning. He also appreciated my willingness to get right to work and offer suggestions for artists to cover. Then he said what's probably one of the nicest comments I've ever received from a superior.

"We're all very impressed, and we're really glad that we hired you. Not that there was ever any doubt!"

To top it off, everyone who knows about theycallmeboy now wants to meet him, and a few have even expressed an interest in helping him get a job stateside. There are no guarantees, of course, but the fact that people would be so willing to reach out to a new co-worker and her boyfriend within days of knowing her speaks volume for their character and decency. I've been there for three days, but already people are welcoming me with open arms. They take care of each other there, and that means a lot. I've never worked at a place where it seems one of the company's core goals is to have happy employees. theycallmeboy has applied for the Diversity Green Card Lottery; if he gets one, I'm hoping that he can somehow secure a position at my company. It would be good for him.

Now all I have to worry about is getting some sort of costume together for the upcoming company Halloween party. From what I hear, there's a contest, not to mention some incredibly elaborate get-ups. I'd try to go as a glam rocker, but I don't know if I could pull it off. You have to be some degree of addict thin if you want to be a halfway convincing glam rocker. If any of you fantastically fashion/costume-inclined types want to offer me any pointers (or show up one weekend, if I know you in person), I'd be eternally grateful. You all know I'm a disaster when it comes to these things.

You know what? Life, for the moment, is good.