Ten on Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! Here is another set of questions from Chelsea!

1. Where are you from? Have you lived there your whole life?
I grew up in a tiny town called Wyndmere, ND. I lived there until I graduated from high school. I could never live there again. Way too small for my liking. But I definitely had a safe childhood so I can't complain too much...

2. How would you classify your clothing style?
Classy/preppy

3. What kind of car do you drive?
2003 Silver Honda Accord

4. What would your dream home look like if you could have it (or already do!)?
I don't really have a specific vision, but I would like something with an open floor plan and a big kitchen. I'd also like a nice back yard and a deck.

5. Do you have kids, and if so, how many and how old were you when you had them?
Nope, no kids. But I have 4 nephews that I love like they are my own.

6. What is your favorite hobby?
It's a toss up between reading and knitting

7. Are you going to have any New Year’s resolutions for 2011?
I don't really do resolutions, so no!

8. What is something, if anything, that you’d want to change about yourself?
I would like to have great skin. My complexion is just awful right now. :( I went to the dermatologist a couple of weeks ago and am not-so-patiently waiting for my skin to improve....

9. What is something that you love about yourself?
I'm very determined/hard-working.

10. Pick one of the following: Someone to cook for you, someone to do your laundry, or someone to do your dishes.
I wish someone to clean my house for me was an option! Out of those 3, I'd say someone to cook for me. I do enjoy cooking but it's not something I make time to do every day so I end up eating really boring meals (like baked potatoes in the microwave). I'd love to come home to a home cooked meal every night like I did when I lived with my parents.

Motivation Monday - Week 4

Oh boy. I might need to change this weekly post to Unmotivated Monday. Motivated probably isn't the best way to describe me these days in regards to working out! I had the best intentions to run with my sister when I was home this weekend... but dear God, it was so dang cold out.

The combo of the weather turning colder + experiencing a little marathon training burn out + and starting a new relationship = unmotivated Lisa.

I need to nip this in a bud before I lose the level of fitness that I worked so hard to achieve this summer/fall. So next week when I check in, my goal is to be able to say that I worked out 3-4 times this week...

The weekend wasn't a complete loss, though. I didn't do any 'formal' work outs, but here are a couple of things that helped me burn some calories:

• The Barrister and I walked to an ice skating rink by his house and went skating! I have not skated since I was very young so I am proud to say that I did not fall! It's free to skate at this rink so I think we'll be doing quite a bit of skating this winter. It was such a fun date!!
• I bought a new Christmas Tree at Target yesterday. I then turned down the Target employee's offer to put it in my car for me. Instead I lugged that heavy, awkwardly shaped box into my car... and then down the very long hall way in my condo building. That was a work out, my friends. As was lugging the bins of Christmas decoration from my storage unit to my condo.
• In addition to the Tree, I bought a whole lot of other random things at Target, which I carried up the 2 flights of stairs to my condo. I will practically kill myself trying to get everything up to my condo in one trip v. taking multiple trips. Anyone else do that?

So not my most impressive week/weekend, workout-wise, but not a total failure!

****************

Hi: Ice skating! I definitely used different muscles trying to keep myself upright!

Lo: I didn't run at all this week...

Ten Days of Thanksgiving: Day 10

I am thankful that my entire family will be together this Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow, I will gather with my parents, my 4 siblings, their spouses, and my 4 nephews at my parents' home. We are separated by geography and busy schedules, so it's such a blessing when we can all be together in one place. Our family has holidays sort of down to a science - everyone is home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. This is the year that everyone is home for Thanksgiving.

I can't wait to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by mom - with the help of others. She is definitely the mastermind behind the feast.

I can't wait to play Apples to Apples - most of the people in my family have a sarcastic sense of humor so playing this game with them crack me up.

I can't wait to play with my nephews and watch them interact. I'm hoping to play some Candy Land and Hi Ho Cherrio!

I can't wait to go for a run with my sister.

I can't wait to play Bananagrams with my mom, sister, and sister-in-law (and whoever else we can talk into playing!).

I can't wait to look around the room and see every person in my immediate family!

I am crossing my fingers and praying that everyone makes it home safely! The weatherman is forecasting freezing rain in Minneapolis and snow near my parents so I am leaving this morning in the hopes of beating the bad weather! I hope my siblings all travel safely as well!

For all my American readers, have a safe and fabulous Thanksgiving weekend! For those not celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, I hope the rest of week flies by for you!

I've enjoyed sharing 10 things for which I am thankful! I'm sure I'll be back next week with a recap of my holiday weekend!

Ten Days of Thanksgiving: Day 9

Today I am thankful that I am back with my former employer.

For those of you who have read my blog for awhile, you know that I changed jobs this spring. This post has been brewing in my head for quite awhile, so I should warn you - it's a lengthy one.
Last October, I started what I thought would be my dream job at a company that I now refer to as "The Psych Experiment." I got the job offer through my MBA programs recruitment process and was on cloud 9 when I started. I was excited to work for this company and having met with multiple people within the organization, I thought it was going to be the perfect fit.

I couldn't have been more wrong... For reasons I won't go into, the position was not a great fit. Add in the fact that my manager and I did not see eye to eye on things, and, well, it was the makings of the perfect storm.

But I put on a happy face and kept telling myself it would get better. I told myself - just get through this first 18 month rotation and then you can look for something different. I am many things, but a quitter is not one of them.

By the time my birthday rolled around, though, I was crumbling. My dad called to wish me a happy birthday and innocently asked, "How's work?"

I started sobbing. I let down my guard and told him how awful work was. I told him how each day I would drive home and say to myself, "I used to be smart, right? I used to be capable and confident and successful, right? Where is that girl?"

I think my dad was in shock. My parents knew I was stressed and probably not all that happy, but I don't think they realized just how unhappy I was. And I don't think I realized it either until I put those feelings into words.

In March, I made the decision to leave this organization, a short 5 months after I started. I contacted my former employer and they re-hired me. I should also note that I am so thankful that I did not burn bridges.

I would be lying if I said the transition back to my former employer has been an easy one, because it hasn't. I still feel a sense of shame over everything that happened. I feel like I should have been able to make it work at The Psych Experiment. I feel sadness and disappointment.

But I am also slowly but surely healing from this experience. And while it's been a difficult year for me, I am so thankful to be back with my former employer. Am I in the perfect position? No, I'm not. But I am surrounded by fun co-workers. I have a boss that supports me, encourages me, and gives me positive feedback. I work for a company where I thrive in their culture. And I am making steps to work towards securing a position that will be a better fit and will utilize my math major and my MBA.

I'm excited to see what the year to come holds.

And I am ready to put all that happened in early 2010 in the past.

Ten Days of Thanksgiving: Day 8

Today I am thankful for the healthy kids in my life.




I am so thankful for my 4 healthy nephews! Over the last few years, I have learned that you can not take the healthy birth and development for a child for granted!

Late next spring, I will be an aunt again as my older sister is expecting - I am praying for another healthy niece or nephew!!

Ten Days of Thanksgiving: Day 7

Today I am thankful for Black Berry Messenger.

I would be lying if I said I don't have iPhone envy - I totally do. But until Apple releases an iPhone for Verizon, I will be sticking with my Black Berry.

While my Black Berry is not perfect, one thing I do love about it is Black Berry messenger. I would be lost without it! I am so thankful that Nora introduced me to it last fall when I bought my first Black Berry!

I use Black Berry messenger to keep in touch with my sister in Tucson. I used it to keep in touch with Amber while training for the marathon (and we of course still bbm on a daily basis!) I taught my parents how to use it and also use it to keep in touch with them. A week after we started dating, I showed the Barrister how to use it and now it's our primary source of contact during the work day.

I know that I will eventually get a new phone and bbm will be a thing of the past, but until then, it's a huge part of every day of my life!

Book Review: Wishin' and Hopin'

** I"m taking a day off from 10 Days of Thanksgiving to review a book. **

Last weekend I finished "Wishin' and Hopin'" by Wally Lamb, a book I am reviewing for TLC Book Tours. As you can tell from the cover, the book has a bit of a holiday theme - but not too much of an emphasis so it didn't feel too soon to be reading it. Plus, it snowed last weekend, so it felt pretty appropriate to read a holiday-themed book! This is actually the first book that I have read by Lamb. I have wanted to read his other books, but just haven't gotten around to it. Truth be told, I attempted to read "She's Come Undone" when I was in high school but I got distracted by school and extracurriculars, and gave up on it. I own it and it's on my shelf of books I own that I have not read.... err, it's on one of the shelves. Yes, I own THAT many books that I have not read...

Now back to the task at hand - my review of "Wishin' and Hopin'." This book, we meet Felix Funicello, distant cousin of Annette Funicello. Felix is a bright but very innocent 5th grader attending a Catholic elementary school. The sister that was their teacher has a nervous breakdown early in the year so the school brings in a replacement - who happens to be be obsessed with all things French! Madame Marguerite Frechette assumes her role and makes some changes to the curriculum. Soon the kids are learning French and preparing for a unique Christmas play.

This was a very quick, easy read. There were some funny parts that made me smile - and brought back memories of being in elementary school. I definitely do not miss that phase of my life, but it was fun to read about Felix's experiences.

I was actually wishing that the book had a bit more of a Holiday theme than it did. I love a good Holiday book! But it was still enjoyable!

Have you read this book or any other books by Wally Lamb?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".