I've Moved!

I just realized this blog is still live... I moved my blog to lifewithwoodford.wordpress.com.

Please visit me there! :)

PC #1: Boo to the Moo (sort of)

Hi!

So this weekend at a family birthday party, we were discussing the book "Crazy Sexy Diet," which my aunt and I are both reading. Well... that topic digressed to eating habits and my aunt shared with us that she could totally give up meat and be a vegetarian. So that got me thinking... what do I eat that I could give up? So I'm giving myself a personal change. One a time, pick certain foods, and try to stop eating them for two weeks. IF, after two weeks, I don't really notice that I haven't eaten that product and I'm not like CRAVING it, I'll probably give it up for good. Anyway, there's some background.

So... anyway, if you can't tell, the first challenge (and maybe the only one, truthfully... ) is milk. Now, let me clarify. I can't give up dairy products completely and I'll explain why in a minute. Straight up milk? Don't drink it. I never crave a big glass of cold milk. Mainly I am trying to give up cheese. I can't give up all dairy because I *have* to have coffee creamer in my coffee every morning. What is the alternative? Cane sugar and... ? soy milk? what? And just for the record, I actually bought a carton of almond milk a few weeks ago. But it made my coffee taste yucky. And I had to throw it out. FAIL. So going to Starbucks now is going to be interesting... I know they offer non-dairy drinks, I'm just not sure what those are.

Also, I'm trying to be more aware of what's in the products I buy and what I buy. I went to K-Roger last night and spent more time than I normally would because I was reading ingredients. I'm trying to stop buying things that have a lot of ingredients I can't pronounce! It's hard! But whenever I'm trying to decide between two brands of something, I look at the nutritional labels on both and make my decision that way. It's probably more expensive, but I spend money on worse things so... really... is it THAT bad? No.

Sorry for the lack of pictures! I'll try to post more pictures next time :)

The Rules

So recently I stumbled upon a fabulous website called "The Rules," which is basically one girl's guide for Southern Ladies and how to act appropriately. Needless to say, I fell in love immediately! Added to Google Reader! Followed on Twitter! Bookmarked the website! I thought it would be fun to list a few of my favorite rules from her site on my blog (I hope that's ok! I'm giving you full credit!) You can read the entire list here: http://rulesforthesouthernlady.tumblr.com but in the mean time, here are some of my favs:

#7. If you can make someone laugh, you will instantly make a new friend. Laughter really is the best medicine.

#17. Be thankful. Be sure to thank those who impact your life.

#21. Saturdays in the South are sacred. We know how to do a few things better than anyone else. Football is near the top of that list.

#38. Hard work will pay off down the road. If you put in the effort now, the rewards will be so much better when you finally get them.

#73. There are certain movies that you have no excuse to not understand references to. Among these are Gone with the Wind, Steel Magnolias, O Brother Where Art Thou, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. There are many others and you should be familiar with all of them.

#93. Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, be gracious if it kills you.

#145. If you do not hear what someone says to you, by no means respond with, "Huh?" or "What?" At the very least you should say, "Pardon?" though it would be "Pardon me?" You will instantly notice a difference in the manner with which you speak on a regular basis.

Ok, so that's a few of my favorites, although I love them all and am trying to implement some of them into my daily life, including #145. I've never noticed how rude "Huh" sounds until I started trying to say "Pardon?" instead. It really does make a difference.

In other news, I'm on the road again this week for work. This is the second to last trip of busy season, but then I found out I'll be traveling in October and December for work... so really... does it slow down? Yes. At some point. I'll try to post something more personal tomorrow night maybe. You never know... oh and I'm toying with the idea of going public with my blog. Right now only a select few people know about it... but I'm tempted to make it public. But then that would also mean my private thoughts become public. I dunno... we'll see... I'm undecided right now.

Pet Peeves

I was struggling with a topic for my next blog post... but this morning, it occurred to me that I could blog about pet peeves. We all have them, right? And maybe some of mine are some of yours? Obviously I'm not going to list all of them... not that I have that many... right.

1. This is a new-ish pet peeve. It only developed when I started working in the building I currently work in and I have to walk from the parking deck, often down at least one flight of stairs, through a sky bridge, down an escalator, through a lobby and then ride an elevator 33 stories up everyday. People who walk in my blind sight. It's just like driving - you know there's that one spot behind that you can't exa2. ctly see. WHY DO PEOPLE WALK THAT CLOSE?!?! I make it a point to walk as close to the right side of the area as I can so that the fast walkers can get past me without getting caught up behind the slow girl. You have AMPLE space! WHY are you walking right behind me? Do you think they don't realize they're doing it? I have no idea, but it's SUPER annoying. I've started doing this semi-backwards glance/glare thing when people do it now. I know, real mature, Susanne.

2. Toppers. Does this really need a lengthy description? No. We all know them, maybe we've even been one at one time or another. Toppers. I'm telling you a story and you either a) wait until I'm finished OR b) interrupt me to tell me your own bigger better story that often times doesn't even relate to my story. Sometimes I humor these toppers. Other times I get this annoyed look on my face and walk away. Quickly. I'm going to give you time to talk, can you please just let me have my 3 1/2 minutes of attention without taking it away?

3. This is a very shallow pet peeve. And I hesitate to even share it... but oh well. I'm just being honest here... it's a pet peeve of mine when my iphone takes a long time to load a webpage. There. I said it. I know, typical white girl problem. I guess I thought the iphone was the greatest invention since grey new balances and I had these really high expectations for what it was capable of. Well apparently it's a phone and I don't need to have unrealistic expectations for it. Because yeah, sometimes it's going to take more than 7 seconds to load a page. And that's okay.

4. Do I have a #4? Not sure. I had all these great ideas earlier for what I was going to include in my blog post and now they escape me. Maybe I need to start taking notes like I did during college classes when I had brilliant ideas for what I was going to blog about later when I got back to my dorm room. Sorry, this really isn't a #4 at all. But I like numbered lists so I'm keeping it.

Oh and I think I'm going to explore Tumblr. No commitment or anything, I'm just curious about it. I'll keep you posted.

Also, the namesake of this blog, my beloved Woodford celebrated his 1st birthday last week. It was an emotional day for Mom here. But we made it through and I think he enjoyed having all the attention on him for an evening, complete with a birthday cake made by my cousin that was actually not bad. I think it was banana peanut butter flavored. It tasted like human food to me! Just a little unsweet for my tastes. All in all we had a good time. OH and I made hot dogs and we had a hot dog bar in honor of the dog. So fun!

Ok that's all I've got for now.

Life or Something Lately

**Side note: I secretly wanted that to be the title of my blog... but it was either taken or I decided it was too long (yet, now I have Life with Woodford? idk)**

Anyway... since I'm sitting here in my hotel room in California I thought now would be a good time to update the ole blog.

...
What have I been reading lately?

I finished this book last week. Ohmygoodness. Amazing. If you haven't read it, you HAVE to. It's very well-written and I found it extremely hard to put it down. I can't wait for the movie to come out!
I started this one awhile ago... like back in the Spring. (I know.) And it's a really good book if you want to learn about how our bodies process food and what kinds of food make us feel the best and what's best to eat, etc. But at the same time, it mad me feel horrible about my eating choices. And that's not cool. So I put it aside for the time being. I'm going to go back to it, because I want to finish it. But for right now, it's shelved away and I don't feel guilty about my Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches or Pizza Rolls. So yeah.

I'm currently reading THIS book. It's a really good book, because it inspires me/motivates me to make changes in my daily life in the pursuit of happiness. And she gives good advice/examples of things to do that will make you happier. However, I don't feel unhappy. And I found myself having to put it down during certain times of my flights this past weekend. I guess I would say it's exhausting? I don't know, that has a bad connotation. So I would switch to my Southern Living magazine (don't judge me - just because I'm not an 80-year-old living in Petal, Mississippi I can still like SL!) I haven't actually started this one. I bought it on a whim at Target (haven't we all?) And it appealed to me because it has a dog on the front. Yes, I'm THAT girl. I buy books based on their covers.

So that's what I've been up to lately. I've had some busy weeks at work, with no end in sight. But since this is "busy season," I can't really say anything. Or avoid it. Basically I don't have time to surf the internet, email my friends and leave early right now. But that's ok. It will be over soon.

Another development in my life: I started running again. (And when I say "started running," I mean I ran a 5K, wanted to die, swore off running, then decided I wanted to run again this weekend.) You know what I mean? Anyway, the running part sucked, but the feeling after and knowing I completed a 5k in a decent time (by my standards) was very enjoyable. So I'm going to keep at it. And one of my friend's friends who was at the race said he can help me with my breathing so I don't feel like my lungs are going to collapse whenever I start running really fast. So that's promising!

I guess that's all I've got for tonight. Look forward to a post next week maybe. No promises, but I'm going to try!

First Half of 2011

**Disclaimer: This post is going to lack pictures. I'm feeling reflective and I think this is a more wordy post than picture. Sorry for the disappointment**

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but today ends the first half of 2011. 6 months down, 6 months to go. Then we start over (if you're into that sort of thing).

I came into 2011 feeling broken, unsure of everything and worried about what this year was going to bring. Because 2010 was... well, that's a whole blog post on it's own. I guess I can sum of the first half of 2011 with the following words:

Revitalized - I felt exhausted at the end of 2010. During the earlier months of this year, I realized I had to stop being stagnant. I had to move forward. Life goes on. Things happen, some good, some bad. I have to enjoy everyday, no matter what yesterday was like and no matter what I think tomorrow will bring.

Enlightening - Woodford joined my life on September 17, 2010. There was so much going on around that time, I have to admit, I was a little unsure of having him around. Initially, I thought raising him was going to be a team effort (I realize I sound like I'm talking about a child, it's my blog, I can do that). Annnnnd then it was just me. Which freaked me out. "I don't have time to take care of a dog." "I won't have life anymore because I can never leave the house." "This is too much." All of those thoughts ran through my mind. Multiple times. Guess what? I made time. I have a life. It's not too much. I can't imagine my life without him. He brings me SO much enjoyment, companionship, unconditional love. I just really can't imagine not having him at this point. Which is so funny to me, because I was never an "animal person" before. I mean, my parents have a dog and he's ok... but I wasn't really attached to him.

Recognition - I've realized some things about myself this year that I've never noticed/admitted before. Some good, some bad. Regardless, I've recognized them and now I can make changes that I need to, to certain things. It's very refreshing to find ways to improve yourself. I think a lot of times we just assume that we are perfect (we're not). And that there's nothing we could possibly improve upon. Not true. It's never too late to make changes.

Broadening - I couldn't figure out what word I wanted to use here, so the word I picked probably doesn't apply at all. Sorry, cut me some slack! Ok... this goes along with friendships. I made a couple hard decisions earlier this year. I stopped putting time and energy into a few friendships I wasn't getting anything out of. There's a quote that says something to the effect of: Surround yourself with people who bring you up, who are positive. Not negative people or people who bring you down. SO. TRUE. I wish I would have figured this out earlier. I've always felt like I HAD to keep every single person I was ever friends with around as a friend. I guess in fear of never making new friends or filling the holes those people leaving would create? I don't stress about certain friendships anymore, because I stopped letting myself be so involved. I made the effort and when I saw no reciprocation, I had my answer. Obviously our friendship wasn't important enough to that person, so why should it be to me? I know that sounds harsh, but it's true. On the other side of the coin, I've made a few new friendships this year with people I absolutely adore. I'm always timid when it comes to getting to know new people because I don't want to come across as "too much, too soon." But I haven't had that problem with these people and it's really cool. One person in particular, I prematurely judged. I decided I didn't like this person and had nothing in common with them, so it wasn't worth the effort. Geez was I wrong. We joke about being the same person. Because we have so. much. in. common. It's really funny at times. And nice. I look forward to growing these new friendships. Just because you haven't known someone 5+ years doesn't mean they can't become one of your close friends in a short period of time.

Ok wow, that was actually longer than I intended it to be. But that should tie the -2 people who read my blog over... until next time. Maybe next week? I'll be traveling and will have time to blog in my hotel room at night. So cross your fingers for that!

Greetings From...

Yes, I'm in Mississippi this week for work. And I figured it would be an opportune time to update the dusty ole blog. Since it's been a few days...

As much as I hate leaving Woodford for another trip, I was actually looking forward to my trip over here. I came here last year and the place I stay is really growing with like restaurants and shops and I'm staying in a new hotel, which is fabulous. I usually never sleep the first night in a new hotel, but I slept like a rock last night. So that was awesome.

Other than that, I don't really have much to update. I've been studying A LOT lately for my CPA exam that's coming up oh next week. And that doesn't leave much time for else.

<---- This is me. FML.

Sorry this post isn't very interesting. I really don't have much going on. I need to upload the pictures from a few weeks ago from my camera so I can show off my sister's Prom experience. She looked fabulous. Ok, that's all I've got for now.