By way of explanation

So as I get into this blogging habit, I want to beef up, customize and make more personal my page and the information on it. I also want to be sure that it contains a good amount of interesting content on one of the more personal pet topics you will likely see much discourse on as I share my thoughts.

Thus, you will note that there are new blog addresses posted to my blog list containing personal accounts of the mental illness, schizophrenia. This is because this illness is in my family now, although not in my immediate family, blessedly. And...it is a subject matter now that I intend to follow closely and gather more knowledge on. I am actually excited to be volunteering soon for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Ottawa chapter to help them resurrect their defunct newsletter. Given the pervasiveness of mental illnesses and the misunderstanding and stigma attached to these diseases, I want to contribute to this meaningful dialogue.

So...I hope the links are interesting to you, and if you have any first-hand account, or even opinions on the topic, I welcome your thoughts!

Swooning with embarassment

Confessions of a readaholic...it all started with...um...well, I guess Disney books, but quickly graduated to The Bobbsey Twins and the Three Investigator series (did anyone read these? They were MUCH better than Nancy Drew and the B Twins), but then the rails fell off. I fell in love with romance novels. First it was the teen novels (I confess to keeping one or two of my personal faves, which I will still read every few years and laugh at how much I dreamt of the guys and the situations in them), and then it was the trashiest of the trash - all at the ages of 14-17 or so. Hell....I still love a good romance, but it is usually couched in the more 'acceptable' genre of Chick Lit. I love it. I also love bad romance reality shows like The Bachelor, which is what inspired this flip backwards through the pages. Such crap (and given that I worked in the film and television industry for about 5 or so years, I am WELL aware of the staging and often picture the crews and sound boom guys and equipment all around these people...mmmmmmm...romantic!) but y'know, after a long day at work, and a tough, tough workout, relaxing on the couch to mindless drivel is a great pastime, I think. What about you? What is your embarassing obsession? What mindless drivel do you most love watching on television to relax?

A long and healthy life

I gotta do it, right? To look hot, tighten up and keep healthy, I have to drag my ass to the gym. I know it. I do.... but do I have to?????

Why is it so damn hard for our minds to conjure up the good feelings you have AFTER workouts to motivate you before you go? Why can't we do this? Why? There must be a scientific explanation for all the selective memory.

All I know is that the program I subscribe to is NASTY hard, so sometimes you just don't have that go git 'em kinda feeling, you know? Especially on a damn Monday.

But I will go...you know I will.

I want to win the bet I have with my friend Kerry AND I love the idea of living longer and feeling healthy throughout my life. I guess it's worth it...sigh.

Varied lives

Do you ever think about what life is truly like for others? We all know our lives intimately, but we rarely, if ever, truly know the lives of others. We know parts of them, and maybe we participate in a great amount of certain individuals' lives, but as a course on 'emotional intelligence' pointed out to me, we generally see and know about 10% of an individual while 90% of that person remains hidden. Something to think about. It certainly helps when you focus on this as you try to sort out differences and work through differing points of view in a confrontation or negotiation. BUT...I find I am relatively incapable thus far and thinking about these things as I argue my own point!

Anyways. What brought on these thoughts? Why...the Golden Globe awards of course! What must life be like for some of these people? And just how many stars can get away with making cocaine references on television during prime time? Just wondering...