Ban TV's In Restaurants!

No. No, no, no. TV has invaded my cute little hometown coffeehouse. I packed up my laptop this morning, eager to warm myself with a cup of coffee and hot buttered scone while I spent some time novel writing. The coffeehouse has a slow but steady trickle of regulars in the AM and I enjoy half-listening to conversations about the weather, local gossip, and debates over national politics as I do my work. 

Instead, I walked in today to find a huge flatscreen TV set up on a sideboard and the three customers in the store staring, hypnotized, at the screen. Fox news anchors brayed headline news and commercials screeched in the background as I half-heartedly ordered my coffee and slunk to a table in the far corner of the room, as far away from the shouting box as possible. 

Do we really need to never be more than 50 yards from a TV? They're in Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut, the local Mexican restaurant we love, and now in my beloved coffeehouse. I don't want to hear, listen to, or watch TV when I'm out. We can all stay home and do that. When TV's are in your face, as they are this morning, it's almost impossible not to pay intermediate attention to them. And the chattering and laughter of locals? Sadly missing this morning as I type these words. 

The thing is that I don't think anyone here really wanted TV. People seemed happy to come in and chat or just sit in companionable silence. I think merchants think they're adding a service when they provide TV. They are mistaken. Stores and restaurants have personalities and quirks all their own that customers are delighted to discover.

IF there's no TV to distract them. 

Here's Hoping Jog Bras Come Into Vogue

So that's it. I give up. I cave in completely to the fact that from now until eternity I will spend the majority of my waking hours in workout clothes. Which is fine with me. I'm not a dress-up kind of gal. I turn a bit hostile anytime I'm forced to wear heels or restrictive clothing. But in doing 4 loads of laundry the other day I realized that a good 80% of it was workout gear. In addition to my 4-5 days a week of running, I'm doing 2-3 days of yoga and I just added a Tuesday night session with a trainer. I may be wearing torn, ugly, slightly foul-smelling clothes but the ideal is that I'll look buff in them.

Quick update on the trainer: my friend Kay sent an e-mail around about a month ago asking if anyone wanted to go in with her for a 10-week session with a trainer. I was the only taker. Last night was our first visit and about halfway through the session I had to laugh at myself for paying someone to shout at me, "Dena, get that booty down there girl. C'mon now." 

I think this training will be great though. I am not one to push myself when it comes to resistance work. I'd rather run a mile than do a sit-up. And apparently the only way I'll ever lift something heavy is when I pay someone to stand by my side with a stopwatch and shout, "Keep breathing! Thirty more seconds! Don't you dare drop it."

I am seeing a LOT of wicking fabric and jog bra's in my immediate future. Sexy...

Dena

Packing Tips

In lieu of a regular class, last Thursday night our Egypt group met at Sharon Luggage. The woman who gave the talk was a teacher by day and Sharon Luggage employee by night. She started off saying she enjoyed doing these presentations because it was the only time during the day anyone paid attention to her. I liked her instantly.

The deal with Egypt is we're gone 10 days and allowed only a 22" suitcase plus carryon. For those new to this blog, let me share my initial reaction to this news: "Oh. My. God." Followed closely by, "Forget it. I'm not going." I am a horrible packer. Always have been.

But I picked up some good tips, which I thought I would share here. In no particuclar order, here's a mini-version of HOW TO PACK:

• If using a garment bag, hang clothes facing each other and cover them in plastic.
• Limit yourself to three pairs of shoes, plus ones you're wearing on plane. Wear chunkiest shoes on plane. And bring comfortable tennis shoes. Everyone knows you're American anyway.
• STUFF your shoes. If taking one pair of fancy shoes, stuff them w/jewlery, hose, slip so you can take the shoes out and have everything there for your outfit in hand.
• Shoes go in bottom of suitcase first - put in shoe bags or plastic bags.
• Always take extra underwear and socks. It's what you'll always run out of first.
• Wear travel pouch around your neck and under your shirt. Leave wallet at home. Men - do NOT think carrying your wallet in your front pocket will save you from pickpockets.
• Need a high voltage convertor AND a converter outlet plug for hair dryers, etc. Can only use 10 minutes at a time or they'll literally melt down (styling wands)
• Put dryer sheets in dirty clothes bag. Store dirty clothes in one of those vented bags that you roll and air-packs the clothes.
• Pants - stop rolling at the zipper. Create a shelft with 2 pairs of rolled pants to store shirts in between.
• Turn clothes inside out to dry faster.
• Bring pillows and blanket for plane.
• Always carry simple change of clothes in carryon - T-shirt and pants in case spill food on you during flight.
• Rolling and folding can work equally well, depending on what you're bringing.
• Get a travel debit card.
• Evening wear or sparkles - turn inside out and fold with tissue paper inside.
• Movement causes wrinkles. Zip and button everything and pack your suitcase FULL so nothing moves. 
• Remember 3-1-1. 3 oz bottles in a 1 quart ziplock bag, 1 per person.

Dog Transport

Dino the Dalmation. Click to enlarge.I had a busy weekend, to say the least. It started with a dog transport on Saturday. No, wait. That's a lie. It started by my being so worried about how the dog transport would go that I made myself physically sick enough on Saturday morning that I had to leave my yoga class early, come home, throw up, and sleep two hours in order to stagger out of bed and deal with the transport.

Which was pointless, as the transport was flawless. I participated in a a transport chain that moved 4 dogs from Anderson, SC to Roanoke, VA. One dog was going to his Forever Home. The other dogs were being transferred to new shelters. I didn't ask why. Could be they were going to no-kill shelters, could be the shelter specializes in their breed, could be they have a better chance of being adopted at the new kennel. What matters is that every weekend volunteers across the nation take part in these moving chains in the hopes of bringing new hope into the lives of animals.

So I borrow 3 carriers from a friend, Blair put down a plastic tarp in the back of the Explorer, and off I went. The handoffs were flawless. Met the prior transport at a pre-arranged location, watered the dogs, encouraged them to pee (only 2 out of 4 did, which concerned me), then loaded them into my car and off we went.

Misty and Linus. Click to enlarge.The dogs were angels. Not a peep. A few whines from Dino the Dalmatian when we came to a stop because his cage was on a bit of a slant and he kept sliding backward. But misty, the Cavalier mix, was tethered in the front seat and let me pet her the entire way, looking up at me with warm brown eyes that just melted my heart. SO SWEET.

I just look at these dogs and think, "How is it possible no one wants you?" They're so eager to give love and affection. So ready to be your best friend, no questions asked. I just love them. I think I'm going to double up on my allergy shots, fence our yard, and invite all the shelter dogs to move in.

Sigh. Someday...