Flashlights & Yoga

Andrew went to Durham, NC for his 25 year Duke reunion. I spoke to him last night – he was having a great time with some wonderful friends.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…. Yesterday, the boys played in the dark garage with flashlights – for hours. They were making shadows, hiding, and generally being creative. And they had a ball. So why do I feel the need to write about it? Because it’s the kind of fun I remember having. Not plugged in. No commercial toys. Just playing. And being together and being silly. That’s fun. There is a difference between playing together and playing something that is engaging in itself together. Take Gamecube. They focus on the game. Maybe they comment on each other’s skill or moves, but they are playing with the game. Not with each other. But this flashlight game – now that’s interactive gaming!

Now we’re packing up to go to my niece’s 8th birthday party. Four hours away. It’s a yoga party and promises to be fun! Some think driving 8 hours on a Sunday for a child’s birthday party is a bit much. Maybe. But I think having a relationship with first cousins that my guys really love is worth the drive.

Road Side Math

Summer is coming. Tired of playing license plate bingo? Geography? Try Road Side Math — a game only a total geek can love! I can’ t wait to play! (thanks for the pointer to Researchbuzz!)

Pump it up

Change is good. (how many times have you heard that?) Every day (well, every week day and an occasional weekend day) I work out. Several days a week, I do strength training with Cyrus. He works me hard. I love it. And I have some toned muscles to show for it. The other days, I do core work and cardio. I’ve been on this schedule since last November. And while I definitely look more fit and feel stronger, the biggest benefit is in my head. My stress level is down (no, not ALL the time for those of you who have tried to talk to me this week!) and I’m sleeping better most nights (I’ve suffered from terrible bouts of insomnia since college – but what bouts of insomnia aren’t terrible?) .

So this morning, I walked into the gym and the woman at the desk asked me if I was there for Body Pump. No, but is there a space? Yes. So I took it. No thought, I just said yes. Change is good, right? Well, yes and no. The class made me tired, yes. But did I get the same degree of workout I have come to expect? I don’t think so. But the 20 women (and 2 men who looked a bit out of place, I must say) looked really good doing it.

Being a researcher, I came home and looked up reviews of the program. I found this: Body Pump: Is it really the fastest way in the universe to get in shape? and the article answers with a resounding “no.” I’m glad I took the class. Glad I took a chance and made a change. But I’m changing back. While looking really groovy with some lovely ladies in cute workout clothes sounds appealing (or not), I’m in it for the workout. Besides, I’ve never been much of a group exercise kind of girl.

And this sealed the deal.

Toilet Cleaning Marketing Getting Dirty

Just when I thought I couldn’t laugh any harder, I read this. My toilet brush is better than your toilet brush. TOILET BRUSH MARKETING BATTLE BUBBLES OVER. (I have to get to work now – but first, perhaps I’ll clean the toilets! I admit, I use a regular old-fashioned brush and cleaner. Now what is it about a disposable brush that is less gross? You put it in the toilet, for goodness sakes!)

Test Drive

I know it’s not politically correct to laugh at this. But I did. Elderly woman hits husband, salesman, car, tree, wall

Is Topps at a Bottom?

Is Topps at a Bottom? from Fool.com “Topps has now posted its third year (out of the past four) of declining revenues, which are roughly split between confectionaries and sports and entertainment cards.”

How sad. Clearly, I’ve been thinking a lot about baseball lately. Do you remember how awful that gum is? The gum in the trading cards? Yuck! But think about how many hours and days and weeks of enjoyment kids got from the cards. I’d love to see that be a big thing again. Sure beats Pokemon.

Minor League Baseball & Marketing

I loved this article about minor league baseball.

How I Did It: Mike Veeck from Inc. Magazine
“Midgets? Nuns who give massages? Disco Demolition Night? Free vasectomies on Father’s Day? If there’s one thing Mike Veeck learned from his father and from building a profitable empire of minor league baseball teams, it’s this: Fun is good.”

Camaraderie in Stepford-land

Back in February, I wrote about my poker game. Having a set date to see people and have fun is, unfortunately, the only way to guarantee it. I work hard at being a good researcher during the day. I work hard at being a good mother in the early morning, afternoon and evening. And I work hard at being a good partner after that. It’s not just me. All the women in Stepford-land are living parallel lives. Most of my friends work. The ones who don’t spend as much time volunteering as many of us spend working. All my friends run. Run here. Run there. Work out. Yikes.

What I never realized until I became deeply immersed in this life is how lonely it is. Yes, you can talk on the cell phone on the way to baseball practice, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not the same as human contact. The only contact I have outside of work (and most of that contact is online or on the phone) is the moms who are schlepping to the same places I am. (So it’s no wonder I find myself chatting with the check-out girl at Safeway!)

I recently was asked to join a Bunko game. I became a substitute, not willing to commit to a monthly night out on top of poker. If you’ve never played Bunko, it’s a game of dice. It takes a nanosecond to learn and it’s very silly. Just luck. But it’s a social thing. There are more Bunko games around here than you’d believe. Particularly if you’ve ever played.

And yesterday, I was invited into a Mah Jongg game. It’s perhaps the 10th game I’ve been invited into (oh, I’m so popular - and I’ve never said yes. (Mom, forgive what I’m writing next, please!) When I think of Mah Jongg, I think of those women from the bus. Yes, the women who wear too much makeup and all the jewelry they own, talk a little too loudly, try to look a little too young – and then, to make matters worse, I can hear the clicking of those tiles in my head! (My mother is not like any of those things – except I do think she clicks the tiles!)

But really my point is this – we all feel isolated in some way. In our work. In our lives. Finding ways to connect with others is critical. Whether it’s bunko or poker or movie night or book group or golf or racquetball, we need each other for diversion, support and to be more well-rounded people. Or at the very least, to commiserate. I’m not in this alone. It just feels like it sometimes.

Baseball, Family and commitments

Two of my boys – the 6 year old and the 7 year old – asked to play Spring Baseball – what we used to call Little League. And that’s opposed to Fall Baseball, which one did last Fall. So, believing as we do that being a part of a team a young age is a good learning experience and believing that baseball is as wholesome a sport as we can hope for (Hey, they didn’t ask to play football! Those kids get hurt!), we signed them up. Many months ago. (I wrote about choosing camps 6 months ahead and these leagues are no different. We signed up in November 2004.)

Two weeks ago, I got the emails from the respective coaches with the practice schedules. Monday and Wednesday for Max (with Fridays for makeup practices) and Tuesday and Thursday for Reed. As you can see, this has now taken over our lives. Years back, I judged the moms who fed McDonald’s in the car between activities. My mom always told me never to look at someone else and say “I never…” and here is the perfect example. My kids aren’t overprogramed. They have 1 program. But it’s a commitment and it takes time and it messes up dinner and schedules and what is the alternative? No sports? No learning to be part of a team? The alternative is dinner on the run. But I don’t have to drive through & no one can make me. I’m bringing real food for the ride.

Cleaning the Office

I remember in college – after I’d get off work in the bar at about 3:00 am and go for breakfast with my friends (so now it’s about 4:00 am) it would be time to get that paper done for the 10:00 class. Surely, with a good breakfast in my belly I can write a good paper, right? Nevermind no sleep – I was young! Problem was, I could never start it if my apartment wasn’t clean. So I’d start cleaning. By around 6:00, I was good to go.

We have a huge project in. Data is collected. Thinking is in progress. What’s next? Clean the office. Yes, now is the perfect time to clean the monitor screens, dust the computer, reorganize the bookshelves and go through the files in the pile. And vacuum. Then, I can start working on the analysis. There must be something about dust bunnies that prevent me from doing my most creative thinking.

Speaking of dust bunnies, I have had a Swiffer Duster for a while now. And I recently bought the one with the longer extension. Have you seen that TV commercial? Where the woman dances through the house with her Swiffer Duster totally enjoying the dusting experience? Seems really silly to watch, I know. But, it really makes you do that. Really! I recommend using it with an ipod…