Friday, September 26, 2014

Friday Five.....Follow Up!


Two weeks ago, I mentioned five things going on in my life. Nothing very interesting, mind you, but five things nonetheless. I thought it might be even more (or, possibly, less) interesting to follow up and let you know how things turned out.

1. The job search still goes on. I've sent in a few applications....one, believe it or not, for a weekly food critic column and the other for a county clerk assistant. Again, I'm still very thankful that I'm in a position to be able to be choosy on this front. I haven't heard anything back from either (and not really expecting to), so the quest continues.

2. It's been over a month since I've had any red meat and I'm not craving it in the slightest. The lack of dairy hasn't been missed, either.....besides my cream cheese dip. The non-dairy version just doesn't cut it. I guess because we never really tried much of it, I'm really enjoying sticking with fish for the moment. Salmon, cod, grouper, talapia....all very yummy stuff. I've also lost about nine pounds, which is always a plus. Or a "minus", depending on literally you look at it.

3. Scrutinizing our eating habits has led to more exercise. More walking as well as working on the Total Body machine has me feeling more energized that I've felt in months. I picked up a Fitbit to monitor my walking so, if you're using one too, add me there if you want. The Fitbit links up nicely with MyFitnessPal, so you can find me there, as well, if you're looking for more friends. I also went out and bought some kettlebells. Trust me, the exercises with them have been a lot harder than they look. I only did the three shown below and am so sore, it's not even funny.  Wow...




4. The visit from my mom was great and, even better, I didn't wind up getting picked for jury duty (whooo hooo!). I had to go down for one day and it was interesting sitting in on the process, though. Two drug related cases and one stalking/cyber stalking case. The first guy was accused of growing and selling weed. I don't think he even spoke English because he had headphones on while a translator (I'm assuming) spoke quietly into a mic as everyone else talked. The second case was the stalking one and, I hate to even say this, but the guy looked creepy as hell. Even dressed in the nice suit, he still looked like a stalker type. I know you shouldn't judge people by how they look, but I just couldn't help it in this case. The third case was a guy accused of selling cocaine. There was a lot of questioning of us, the prospective jurors, as to any prejudices or preconceived notions we might have concerning each case and the accused. Luckily, I was boring enough to fly under their radar, so I wasn't chosen for any case. Before I went, my brother in law had said I should have gone in with a rolled up newspaper and waved it around while shouting "Pick me! Pick me!". He said that's how he got out of it and, knowing him as I do, I totally believe that. 

5. Not much has changed on the writing front, which is good in a way. Still plugging away, still taking down notes, and still prepping for NaNoWriMo in November. At this point, I have a pretty good jump on things and anticipate a check in the "win column" this year. Oh, and I'm also still reading King's On Writing. Good stuff abounds. 

Hang in there and have a great Friday.




11 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Glad you had a good time with your mother and didn't get picked for jury duty.
Nine pounds is great. I almost never eat red meat and don't miss it either.

Robin said...

Pick me. Pick me. Pick me. I laughed so hard when I read that bit. If I were braver, I would try that:)

Annalisa Crawford said...

Your job applications are diverse, to say the least!

I've never tried kettlebells, but they always look like fun... Not that I want to have fun while I train, I want to feel pain ;-)

Sorry I haven't been around for a while - I've lost all semblance of a regular schedule because I'm taking a work-related course which is taking up a lot more time than I anticipated.

Suzanne said...

Love the 'pick me' idea! I have visions of Donkey in Shrek jumping wildly lol!
Thanks for the reminder about NaNo, I completely bummed out in June so really would like to do better in Nov - actually even writing so much as one word would be an improvement!
x

Mark Means said...

@Alex: It's really been a lot easier than I thought...so far!

@Robin: Haha, yes I really considered doing it, but even I'm not that bold. My b-i-l, though, is. He's nuts :)

@Annalisa: Hey, you can have 'fun pain', right? :D No worries at all, I totally know what you mean and I'd be the last person to judge. I don't get around near as much as I'd like. Hope your course is going well.

@Suzanne: LOL...I know what you mean. I'd like to "win" this year. I haven't done so since 2011.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Mark - good for you for cutting out meat and the dairy elements - no wonder you feel healthier and weigh less - an inspiring post for me to get going ...

I'm glad you had a happy time with your mother - it's always good to have these times ... and your jury service - interesting to go through the process though .. cheers Hilary

Lisa said...

I've never heard of FitBit or the myfitness ap,but will look into them. Do you have them on your phone? Might be fun to have a "buddy" in my fitness regime. Sounds like you're feeling good about life in general! Keep it up, and get those fingers moving while you have the chance, before accepting a new job, I mean!

jaybird said...

I've found that when it comes to stalkers, it doesn't matter what they look like or what they are wearing, you can still pick up on their creeper vibes, no matter what. When I was eighteen, I got picked to sit on a jury trial that took two months to complete!! It almost killed me. I haven't been called since. I hope I don't ever get called again....

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Food critic would be fun. Although if you didn't like someone's food, you wouldn't be very popular.

I've been vegetarian/vegan for over 25 years now and it makes a big difference in how one feels.

Mark Means said...

@Hilary:Thank you! I'm not saying it's for everyone, but it sure has made me feel better.

@Lisa: Yes, I have both on my phone and I think they both work on iPhones and Androids. Link up with me, if you decide to take the plunge :)

@jaybird: Wow! Two months? That's insane. I think they keep our 'tours' short here, because they only have to wait a year before they can call us back. (We're in a small county)

@Diane: Any favorite recipes? I'd be interested in hearing more about your journey and it gives me hope that we can stick with it :)

Elise Fallson said...

A Fishmongers opened real close to where we live so we've been eating and enjoying a lot more fresh fish and seafood lately. Definitely a healthier way to go. And I too want to do NaNo this year. I've never done it but have always toyed with the idea. This year however, I want to take a serious stab at the challenge, but to do that I want to be prepared and have a complete outline before I dive in. I still have a month left, but then again.... I only have a month left!? :/

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