Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'

During my son's usual flips, jumps and turns around the living room last week, I heard a loud thump. I waited patiently for the cry, but only whimpers followed.

I yell: "Honey, what did you hurt?"

Him: "The wall."

He then walks into the kitchen rubbing his clearly injured elbow.


The moral of this story? Just as we feel like life is beating the crap out of us, maybe we're secretly kicking life right back. Sometimes it takes a 3-year-old to put that in perspective.

My hiatus? I've been working 30 hour shifts essentially every other day. There's just not that much energy in the world. But, it's over now... and I'm much like Timex.


Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com

What I've had my nose in lately

Set a goal or else time escapes you.

In order to keep myself accountable to my reading goals for the year, I'm sharing them with you guys.

Prior to fall 2006 (when GAL was born), I only read nonfiction (political, psychological philosophical-type books) and textbooks until my GAL pal Nakia disapprovingly eyed my bookshelf, declared that I was boring (gasp), and prescribed more fiction for my ailment.

I started with The Heiress of Water and I've been hooked ever since. I used to read a ton of fiction as a kid, but somewhere I think I became too "serious" for that. Truly, letting yourself get taken away to some far away world is so relaxing.

So -- Stop making excuses! Even if you read ONE page, it's one page closer to finishing, and one additional page of fun.

2008 TALLY

READ SO FAR:
The Alchemist
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban
Being In Love by Osho


To be read before September 30:
Jesus Land: A Memoir
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire


To read by the end of the year:

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
On Writing by Stephen King
Just Too Good to Be True by E. Lynn Harris (comes out July 15th... pre-ordered a copy months ago)


Now that's I've posted this here, you all have to hold me to it. Feel free to share your reading tally for '08. For my GALs who spend a lot of time in the car...

How do you feel about fiction on audio CD?

I also noticed that when I consciously turn off my laptop, it's so much easier for me to read for leisure. Being on the computer zaps so much of my time! Try it tonight. Decide that you'll cut it off 2 hours earlier than usual. Let me know what happens.

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
Haven't read "The Get A Life Campaign?" get your copy!

I'm Hot...

Not J. Lo sexy, hot. Or hot like those new Prada shoes on sale. Not hot, like an old lady's stolen purse. I'm not hot on anyone's trail (not yet). Nor would the spice of a jalapeño describe my present demeanor.

I'm literally hot, as in --

hot adj
1. Having or giving off heat; capable of burning.

2. Being at a high temperature.

Why, do you ask, am I so HOT? Well, picture 90-degree summer weather, coupled with an air conditioning unit that can't be turned on because it floods the basement. Enter a landlady who doesn't call me back, and screens that are still in her possession awaiting replacement (i.e., not in the windows).

That equals a) an actual, real-life sweat box, unable to get a lick of fresh air; or b) fresh air at the cost of living in co-habitation with 45 different species of bugs, vying to get inside my nice cozy abode.

This month, I am working in the surgical intensive care unit with 80-hour workweeks, caring for patients 30 straight hours at a time -- with only one day off in every seven -- plus picking up, dropping off, and caring for my toddler. So, the fact that I also have to schedule thrice daily phone calls trying to track her down with NO response is just too much for me to handle right now.

Which then led me to be:

hot adj

1. Marked by intensity of emotion; ardent or fiery: a hot temper.

I feel as though a back-link to a post from last summer is appropriate right now: When Mean People Make It Hard To Smile.

As Zen-like as us GALs try to be - nice, calm, positive energy-bringing, it never fails that we are PUSHED, KICKED or BEATEN to the limit. Ugh. Pass the ice.

In an effort to cheer my-sweaty-self up, I couldn't resist playing a couple o' beats:

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com