The Time is NOW

I just got back from yoga class. It was just myself, the instructor, and one other woman. Before we began, my yoga instructor looked at the other woman and said, "Karen, show Dena your watch."

Karen said, "This is the most accurate watch in the world." Then she held out her left wrist on which rested a small silver watch with the word NOW inserted where the face of the watch would usually be.

She said she saw a similar watch in a catalog and just copied the idea. I love it. Being the type of person whose mind is always racing 10 minutes to 2 hours ahead of where I currently am, the watch would be a great reminder to focus on the now and remain present in the moment.  I'm going to see if I can dig up an old watch and create my own "most accurate watch in the world."

I can't wait for someone to ask me the time.

Dena

Uncontrollable TV Crying

Does anyone else cry while watching reality TV? Last night I sat on the couch watching NBC's The Biggest Loser, bawling my eyes out. I hadn't seen the show in weeks, but I happened across it on the night of the makeovers. Everyone has lost 50-100 pounds at this point and they dressed them up and stood them in front of a mirror, behind which was hidden their spouse or loved one. After they'd admired themselves in the mirror, a door slid open and they were reunited with family they hadn't seen in 3 months.

How could you not cry?

This is a theme with me.  I will cry when Chef Ramsey finally makes friends with the horrible restaurant people who've been cursing him for 50 minutes of the show. I cry when one of the bratty girls is kicked off America's Next Top Model. I've even been known to sniffle at a particularly touching I Love Raymond or "very special episode" of Friends.

Crying isn't all bad. I am a FANTASTIC wedding guest. If you ever need a seat filler, I'm your girl. I will tear up and dab the corner of my eyes discreetly with a hanky at anyone's wedding, whether I'm acquainted with the bride and groom or not.

Oddly, beyond weddings, I'm not much of a real life crier. Maybe that's why I cry at bad TV.

The pain has to be released somewhere, people.

No E-Mail Gets The Job Done

I had a FANTASTIC morning. Why? No e-mail. I'm working on a book proposal and have been distracted for days, pulled this way and that by projects and always, always responding to incoming e-mail like a starved dog being thrown a steak.

So last night I made a vow: no e-mail until my work is done. I sat down at the dining room table and started work at 7:30 this morning and--aside from quick trips to the kitchen for coffee refills--didn't move until noon. And got a ton of work accomplished.

The complication of e-mail is that even if I don't respond immediately to an e-mail, just knowing it's out there can slow me down. In the back of my mind I'll be thinking about what I need to pull together for a response, how long it will take, by what time I need to make sure it goes out, etc.  It's like a constant chorus in the back of my head. But no checking... no chorus. Just the sweet sound of work being completed in a timely fashion.

I wonder if I could hold out every day until noon before I check e-mail? And should I be concerned that even the thought of such restraint sends shivers of dread down my spine?  Still... there's no arguing my productivity level skyrockets without it.

Let's give it a try! I hereby declare next week has "No e-mail checked before noon week." The one exception I will make is on Wednesday where my schedule is filled with meetings and the only slot I have free to check it is between 10-11. But other than that, nada. And you all must keep me honest. Check the times on the e-mails I send you and shoot me "Cheater, cheater, pumpkin-eater" e-mail if the time is before high noon.

However, I am still allowed to get up at 3 a.m. and check for messages. A girl can't be denied all her fun.

Cheers,

Dena

School Lockdown

Have you ever heard of a "lockdown" drill for a school? When I was young we practiced  fire and tornado drills. But now, apparently, today's youth preps for attack.

My yoga instructor teaches an art class at a middle school 2 days a week. When she arrived at the school last Thursday, she found the doors locked and a sign saying no one was allowed in or out of the building. There had been a break-in at a nearby home and guns had been stolen. They didn't know where the 2 guys were who did it, so the school was on lockdown.

My yoga teacher's comment was, "The kids did really well considering they hadn't practiced for it. My daughter's school would have been ready. They just did a lockdown drill last week."

Then a middle school music teacher chimed in that at her school they brought the SWAT team in to act the part of bad guys. At one point, the library teacher tried to lock the library door but wasn't fast enough so the "bad guys" grabbed her and dragged her off to another room. Meanwhile, the kids are instructed to pull the blinds and then stay as far away as possible from any windows. They're also to barricade the door and sit still and not make a sound to alert anyone to their presence.

Oh. My. God. Is this normal now in our nation? Not having kids, I suppose I'm out of the loop. But my jaw was just on the floor as I was brought up to date on today's school drills.  I see how it makes sense to practice but... how incredibly sad that a drill is needed for such a thing.

Is this news to anyone else, or just me?