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Aug 10, 2011

I Still Haven’t Recovered From BlogHer ’11

August 10, 2011 By

Alternate title: I left my spirit in San Diego.

I’ve been home for over two days now and while I’ve settled back into my home routine again, everything still feels a little off.

Part of the problem is that summer camp ended last Friday for Cordy and Mira. Why the summer programs in our city choose to end two and a half weeks before the start of school is unknown to me, but it’s intensely frustrating when you work and have to find childcare coverage for that short period of time.

Mira is attending another camp for just this week, at a premium cost of course. Which leaves Cordy at home with me during the day, while I try to get enough sleep to function at work that night. Cordy has learned how to operate the remote control to choose cartoons to watch on Netflix, and so our routine involves me napping on the couch while she reads books and watches TV and wakes me up for lunch. Not perfect, but it works. Next week will be a different story.

I’m still processing so much from my trip to BlogHer. New connections were made. Old friendships were reaffirmed. I spent time in a city where the weather is always perfect and the air is light and humidity-free. I danced until my feet ached and laughed until my sides hurt. And I cried when I had to leave all of these wonderful people so that we could return to our different parts of the world.

Regular Folks
Can’t miss me – I’m the very white one

Now I’m home, still too tired and too busy to unpack, and feeling lost in the mundane activities of my life.

More to come when the jet lag wears off from my soul.

Filed Under: BlogHer11, love, memories


Aug 2, 2011

Making Time For Family Time

August 2, 2011 By

Life has been a blur lately. I work third shift, Aaron works first shift, the kids are both in summer camp…it often feels like we’re all just passing by each other in the evening.

Weekends are full of to-do’s. I’m leaving this week for BlogHer. Aaron just got back from a week long trip to San Diego Comic Con. (I would have told you all, but I didn’t feel like announcing to the entire Internet that my husband was away from home for a week.)

To sum up: we’re disconnected.

Which is why when I was given the opportunity to take a close to home vacation with my family, I jumped at the chance. We spent last weekend at Cedar Point and Lake Erie, a family vacation that we’ve always wanted and never thought we had the time to take.

And you know what? We reconnected. We enjoyed spending time together, laughing together, playing together, and making memories together.

And we didn’t even have to go that far to do it.

Please go read the full recap of our day at Cedar Point, and our day seeing the sights around Lake Erie. It was far too many memories to include in just one blog post.

(Bonus: there’s video of a live bison with it’s head in our car window. Seriously. Click the links and find out for yourself.)

Filed Under: family time, love, memories, reviews


Aug 1, 2011

Double Agent

August 1, 2011 By

As I prepare for BlogHer this week, I’ve been bubbling over with excitement about seeing old friends and immersing myself in 5 days of IRL blogging heaven. This has occasionally resulted in my having to explain my excitement to those around me, followed by not taking their strange looks personally.

It’s hard to be a blogger, yo.

I often feel like I’m living two lives. One life is a nurse, working a steady full-time job, going to the grocery, picking my kids up from summer camp, sitting through business meetings at work, doing laundry, keeping strong opinions to myself, occasionally meeting up with friends, and watching TV with my husband in the evenings.

But then there’s my other life. In that life I write about my inner thoughts on the internet, converse with friends I know in person and those I’ve never met across the globe, share openly my struggles with ADD and my daughter’s autism, attend conferences of like-minded geeky people who like to talk with each other on the internet, leverage my virtual soapbox to give my opinion on products and services and provide feedback directly to big companies that otherwise wouldn’t notice me, occasionally discuss money, politics, religion or some other topic we’re not supposed to discuss in polite company, and freely dance my way across social media platforms, interacting with those who cross my path.

My other life sure seems like a lot more fun sometimes.

I often look at my two separate-but-not-equal lives and wonder which one is the real me? Or are they both different parts of me, like the Freudian id and ego?

My daily life requires me to constantly censor myself to fit in, molding every action and word to fit in with what is expected of me. Some of it is the real me, but parts are an act, an elaborate character I play when the need arises. Stick to the superficial when interacting with others in public, bury deep your true feelings so as not to offend anyone, try to blend with the crowd. And for goodness sakes, don’t talk about your blog or anything geeky, lest you be branded a complete weirdo!

In college, I was praised by my sorority (wha? yes, I was in a sorority – stop laughing) for being great at the small-talk required during rush. But small talk was easy; scripted conversation starters with a mental list of how to respond to various answers made it a game. Ask me to have more in-depth conversations, though, and the conversations quickly deteriorated as I lost my ability to be chatty and instead panicked.

Online I still must censor myself, but in a different way. Here I hide specifics of the superficial details: my daily schedule, where my children attend school, details about my job, etc. Yet here my inner soul is on display, and writing serves as an outlet for that part of me that is kept bottled up every day. My interactions here are with people who I share something in common with on a more personal level, instead of the superficial level of proximity. On my blog, I don’t feel the need to hold back on my opinions – anyone who reads them is here in my space and free to leave if they disagree.

So which is the real me? Blogging conferences always put this to the test. My online self is on display in person, interacting real-time with those I enjoy talking to online. Only without the luxury of taking the time to craft a thought-provoking or witty response. (There’s no backspace key in real life.) I always worry I’m going to disappoint people who know my online persona once they meet the physical person. Depending on what point of the day you meet me, I could be shy or very outgoing – it all depends on how overwhelmed I am at the moment.

But thankfully, most people attending BlogHer will be feeling the same way. From past experience, I know that once the initial nervous jitters pass, I find it very freeing to let my two halves loose at the same time. BlogHer makes it possible to be yourself – whichever blend of “you” is the one you feel most comfortable with.

Hopefully I’ll be seeing some of you there this week. If we haven’t met yet, I hope we’ll find the chance to say hello at some point.

Filed Under: BlogHer11, me me me Tagged With:


Jul 28, 2011

My 6 Rules For Guilt-Free Fast Food Meals

July 28, 2011 By

I can say without hesitation that fast food helped me get fat.

That statement, however, is not me casting blame on the fast food industry for my problem. Although their food is laced with crack to keep you coming back for more (well, if crack = salt, sugar and fat), I can’t hold them accountable for my actions. Ronald McDonald and Wendy didn’t sit on me and force feed me burgers and Frosties until I was obese – I made that choice for myself.

Now, I will take them to task for creating a mass-appeal product that is simply too much for the average human diet. No one needs a value meal that contains nearly a day’s worth of calories in one meal. I mean, “calorie dense” is an understatement when it comes to fast food; laws of physics are bent to jam that many calories into something so small.

But the truth is, fast food is all around us. It’s convenient, it’s quick, and it’s tasty. Even if you’re not addicted to the stuff, many of us still have to rely on it for an on-the-go meal now and then. And while I would love to tell everyone to boycott fast food until the restaurant chains vow to make their items less junk and more food, I know that fast food is a hard habit to break.

If you’re a slave to the Burger King, it’s still possible to enjoy your burger without damaging all the hard work you’ve put into getting healthier. I believe it’s all in moderation.

Want to know how I still eat fast food and keep losing weight? I’ll share with you my own personal rules on visiting the drive-thru:

1. Double-anything is too much. (And “super-size” makes more than your meal larger.)
If something starts with the word “double” then chances are it’s too much food. Double cheeseburger. Double whopper. (Or TRIPLE whopper!) You get the idea. Twice the burger for just a little more money might sound like a deal, but twice the calories won’t do you any favors.

Same goes for super sizing your meal – do you really need a popcorn bucket size serving of fries and a 32 ounce drink? Get the single size sandwich and go with the smallest combo for all the taste with less impact to your waistline.

2. Fries are a side, not a second entree.
If your fry box is as big as or bigger than your sandwich (and that sandwich isn’t a double, right?), then it’s too big. Think of it this way: if you order a cheeseburger and large fries, you’re getting more calories from the fries.

3. A milkshake is not a drink. It’s a second meal.
I love milkshakes. Especially when the shamrock shake is in season. But at McDonald’s, the smallest shake (without whipped cream) will still add 420 calories to your meal, and a large could be over 1,000 calories! Do you really want to go through a day’s worth of calories in one meal?

If you really have to have something sweet, go for a kiddie ice cream cone at the end of the meal for only 45 calories.

4. Fast food restaurants can find a way to make a salad bad for you.
So you vow to eat better and decide you’ll stick with the salads when going out to eat. Smart move, right? Well, maybe. You still have to be careful with which salads you choose. For example, Wendy’s Baja salad (with dressing and tortilla strips) will cost you 730 calories. Sure, the vegetables are healthy for you, but you could get fewer calories with a junior hamburger and value fries.

My advice? Read nutritional information carefully and go for a large salad if you’re really craving a salad. Or split your interests and go for a junior hamburger and side garden salad with low-cal dressing.

5. Kid size portions are often just right for an adult.
I’ve heard a lot of people complain that kids’ meals are too high in calories for a child. Coming in around 550 calories or so, these critics may be right. But a kid meal can be just the right portion size for an adult. A 4-piece box of chicken nuggets and small fries with a water is just enough to feel full without overdoing it. Switch out the fries for apple slices for an even better choice. Bonus: some of the toys can be cute!

6. All rules were made to be broken on occasion.
Look, fast food is sometimes hard to resist. I know this. And breaking that addiction can be hard, too. There will be days when you really want that milkshake. Or when you must have those large fries.

To that, I tell you: it’s OK.

Really. As long as that craving isn’t hitting you every day, and as long as you adjust your eating for the remainder of the day (or even the next few days) to counteract the caloric damage, I say it’s fine to indulge now and then. Holding yourself back from everything you love will only make you miserable and more likely to fail.

If you eat well 90% of the time, what’s wrong with a little indulgence for that other 10%? It’s how I lost 80 pounds (so far!) and while I still eat fast food, I’ve been slowly weaning myself away from the addiction by following these rules.

Filed Under: food Tagged With:


Jul 27, 2011

A Car Story, Part Two: The Ford Fusion Hybrid

July 27, 2011 By

I was a little misty-eyed when I had to give the keys to the Ford Focus back to the Ford representative after five days of fun. But my sadness quickly dissipated when he handed me the keys to the Ford Fusion hybrid waiting in my driveway.

Shiny!
I’ve only had the chance to drive a hybrid once before, and that was for about 5 minutes back in 2006. Hybrid vehicles have come a long way since then, and the Fusion is nothing like the ultra-small original hybrid cars.

My first impression of the car was that it felt so…grown up. I don’t mean it looks old by any means, but it presents an image of professionalism, success and distinguished style. It reminded me a lot of the Ford Taurus with a fresh twist on the trustworthy mid-size family sedan.

Inside the car was certainly nothing old or predictable. Sitting in the driver’s seat, I was immediately impressed by the enormous amount of space. Lots of leg room, lots of head room, and plenty of width, too. My husband and I could sit in the front seats without bumping elbows, and the girls had plenty of room for each of their booster seats in the backseat, far enough apart that they couldn’t easily annoy each other. If needed, there was enough room in the backseat to squeeze an average sized adult between the two booster seats.

In the center of the dash was the Ford SYNC touch screen computer, with many of the same features as the Ford Focus. The menus were designed to look a little more subdued than the same menus on the Focus, but were still just as easy to navigate. The steering wheel also contained the same controls for music selection, volume, and the voice-activated command system.

But the real test was driving the Fusion. Would a hybrid be able to deliver as much power as a traditional gas engine? I turned the key…and heard nothing. My first thought was that the car had somehow died in my driveway, and panic set in as I wondered how I was going to get them to come fix it. Sure, the radio came on and everything on the console had come to life, but there was no sound from the engine.

Then I noticed the air conditioning was working. Hmmm, I thought, the air conditioning usually doesn’t work unless the engine is on. So I slowly placed the car into reverse and attempted to back out of the driveway. And there was power! I did not expect that the Fusion would make NO NOISE AT ALL when I started it. Amazing!

(Side note: parents, don’t buy hybrids for your teens. You’ll never hear them sneaking out of the driveway in the car.)

After recovering from the shock of the whisper-quiet start, I then noticed the rear-view camera display on the touch screen. It gave me a clear view of everything behind the car when it’s in reverse, and even beeps if it thinks I’m getting too close to anything. This could be a very useful feature for parents of small children, or anyone who lives anywhere near small children and animals. When I shifted back into drive, the camera display vanished again.

But how does it drive, you ask? Well, it drives just like any other car. I didn’t notice any lack of power and I didn’t really notice when the car was using the battery versus the gas engine power. In fact, the Fusion hybrid has an impressive acceleration. There are displays on the dash that show you when you’re using battery power and when you’re recycling braking energy back into power for the battery. It was difficult to not watch the little meter going up and down at first – watching where I was driving was more important!

On the right side of the display is a fun little graphic of a vine with leaves. The more responsible you drive (driving in such a way as to use the battery more than the gas engine and be eco-friendly) the more leaves appear on the vine. It’s like a game to see how many leaves you can get on that vine, and you find yourself competing against…well…yourself, trying to get more leaves with each trip.

Lots of leaves – I win!

What I really like:
– the display told me I had 580 miles to go until empty when I first got the car…580 MILES on one tank of gas! And by driving the car responsibly, I kept that number fairly high.
– the amount of room in the Fusion is incredible, making it very comfortable to drive
– the hybrid’s battery usage display is fun to monitor, challenging you to drive better to preserve gas
– such a smooth, easy car to drive with no noticeable shifting from battery to gas and plenty of power

What I don’t like so much:
– this hybrid is not for you if you make a lot of stops close together. Stopping and starting means you rely less on the battery and more on the gas. If you run lots of short errands, a traditional Fusion might be a better choice for you.
– the backup camera can be distracting at first. Backing out of a parking space or my driveway, it always caught my eye, but I still felt like I needed to look behind me as well. If you’re as easy to distract as me, that camera could do more harm than good.

Overall, the Ford Fusion hybrid was a gorgeous car that I enjoyed driving. I received a few compliments on it from strangers at the grocery store and the mall, and I felt rather proud of driving such a stylish and eco-friendly vehicle.

If I had to choose from the Fusion or the Focus, which would I pick? Tough call. I think at this point in my life I’d probably pick the Focus. It has a slightly younger, zippy feel to it, and while it is smaller I actually like the cozy feel for a sedan, especially since we also have an SUV if we need a larger vehicle.

But at the same time, I can see myself preferring the Fusion when my daughters are a little older, have more stuff to carry around, and need even more space apart from each other.

(Full disclosure: Ford let me borrow these two cars for five days each. No other compensation was provided, and I still had to buy my own gas.)

Filed Under: daily life, reviews