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The Latest GAL Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:25:00 +0000

Check out the latest GAL endeavors at:

http://roadto5kand30.blogspot.com

Dr. Ty
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Humbled by the Bosu

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:43:00 +0000

I'm typing this post from under the covers... a little nervous about performing any strenuous motions (like sitting or walking).

I got introduced to the Bosu yesterday.

The Bosu is a half-ball structure you can use like a step. Apparently, it ups the intensity of any cardio workout. I did not come close to the gracefulness of that woman in the photograph, let me tell you. The Bosu and I had a rough first meeting. I went full force like I normally do, and about 30 minutes in, I thought I was going to faint (literally). By the end of the hour, I was just doing the motions on the floor. I decided to let the Bosu win.

I only went to this cardio class because I had to work during the kickboxing slot. It was a good workout, but I really didn't have fun. I know myself, and if I'm gonna keep up with a workout, it has to be more fun than pain. I like to notice the pain after I stop... or the next day. Not during.

Thank goodness I can make next Monday's kickboxing class.

Dr. Ty
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America's favorite past time? (Humpday Wednesday post)

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:04:00 +0000

While the Dow Jones drops hundreds of points, unemployment rates double, and businesses everywhere go into the red, there's one business that is actually on the rise during the recession: Rick's Cabaret.

I watched an Inside Edition feature story Monday night on a former corporate employee who now dances at said club. Apparently, she makes more money at Rick's than she did as an exec.

At first I was dumbfounded. If people can't afford their mortgages, light bills and food, how can they afford lap dances and T&A shows? Then, I started paying more attention to television commercials (instead of muting them like I usually do): Extamax, Maxoderm and Enzyte, over and over, amidst regular television shows. No longer dedicated to the late-night circuit, I actually saw more of these during daytime TV than any other time!

Hello! Kids are watching people.

Let's not forget the persistent and frequent radio spots that claim to make men "thicker" and "wider." What would we do without those? And isn't thicker and wider the same thing? Anyway...

So, I suppose the recession has increased Americans' fascination with sexual activity, and as a result, male enhancement. But, why now? Is it because it's cheaper than most entertainment? Because people want something to bring them out of the recession-funk? Because egos are torn among the downtrodden, and men want to give themselves a little "boost?" Or do folks just have more time to care about it? Really, what's up?

Pick Me Up Tuesday: Free Samples

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:45:00 +0000

After my workout yesterday, I came home to a beautiful brown package with pink and white lettering on the steps: my free Bare Escentuals sample!

A co-worker wore Bare Escentuals foundation one day and it was natural-looking on her. So, I check it out and found their free 10-day sample offer. Many of you know I hate to shop in stores, so I used the shade finder to pick my shade.

Excited to play in new makeup, I tried the Medium Tan foundation with the cute little brush that comes with. I'm sad to say, I didn't like it. It looked so good on the co-worker, but either I had the wrong shade, or I'm truly just a liquid foundation kinda gal. My skin looks a little on the ash side.

There is always a silver lining: the free RareMinerals moisturizer sample they sent as a bonus is wonderful. My skin is soft and moisturized without the greasy feel.

Guess you can't win them all. Don't forget to try yours... let me know what you think.

Dr. Ty
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Knocking out my stress today...

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:08:00 +0000

When given the opportunity to leave work early today, I jumped at the chance to shake off my winter funk in a kickboxing gym class. An hour later, I'm a little stiff, a little achy and walking up the stairs requires a range of motion that my hips won't allow all of a sudden.

I'm happy I went though. It was so much fun. Whenever I'd start to kick a little lower and lower, she would vary the routine such that I was more focused on keeping up (kick, then punch, then jab, jab, uppercut, kick!) rather than the burning pain in my hips and thighs.

Ya know... I like to think my stair-walking helped me hang in there after not going to the gym for a few months. It has nothing on this class' intensity, but it held me at bay.

I'm sure the endorphins from the workout will help me feel a lot less stressed tomorrow... but imagining I was karate kicking a few people who get under my skin made me smile tonight.

Warning: Don't cross me this week -- I got my jab-jab, cross, uppercut, knee, side kick down pat!

Dr. Ty
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What's In Your (Weight Loss) Snack Bag?

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:50:00 +0000

It's been about 4 months since I lost my 20lbs of fall/winter weight and kept it off... so I think it's safe to finally talk about it without fear of jinxing the results.

Unlike previous weight loss efforts like I talk about in "The Get A Life Campaign," (losing 70lbs of baby weight, especially the 55 I still had at 9 months post-partum)... I didn't have the schedule or energy to commit to twice a week workouts nor completely swear off carbs.

I had to figure out a sustainable way to drop pounds and keep them off in the midst of my overbooked life.

Here are the mantras that I attribute to my (prolonged) success:

Only eat carbs when they count. Wheat bread for a sandwich is okay, but chocolate cake with frosting, NOT okay
Use Splenda whenever possible. No carbs, no calories, curbs the sweet tooth, and doesn't make me feel like I'm missing out on goodies.
If I do indulge in sweets, add an extra activity. ONE white macadamia nut cookie = walking back up the stairs to the 7th floor on the way up from lunch or making sure I do push ups at home.
Don't tempt myself. The house is only stocked with healthy or low-carb snacks. Yes, I still ravage the house for a misplaced bag of Skittles now and then, but hey -- I'm human.
Snack much but don't deprive myself. I always have a bunch of low-carb, low-sugar snacks on hand so I can snack as much as I want without feeling like I'm "dieting" or feeling ravenous.
Bring food from home. Even if it's not home-cooked food, it still saves money and is usually healthier than the snacks I grab on the go.

What's in my snack bag?

- Splenda... Splenda... Splenda
- South Beach Living Cereal bars (cinnamon raisin and peanut butter chocolate chip are my favorites)
- No sugar added fruit cups
- String cheese
- Atkins vanilla shakes
- Crystal Light on the go packets to add to my water
- Diet Pepsi or Pepsi Max
- Popcorn
- Sugar free candies (Twizzler, Reese's Peanut Butter cups)
- Low-carb or light bread (5-7grams net carbs per slice, which is 1/4th of regular bread slices)
- Whipped cream (okay maybe this doesn't go to work with me in the lunch bag, but it's a great diet tool... My new fave is diet root beer with whipped cream -- no sugar, no carbs. You can add it to anything, strawberries, etc. to make a plain snack taste scrumptious).
- Water-Water-Water (helps my energy level, decreases my needs for caffeine, and fills me up)

In truth, anyone can crash diet and lose a bunch of weight. I'm happy I can finally maintain without feeling guilty over every sweet or guilty about not living in the gym.

What's in your healthy snack bag? Oh yea... And don't forget your quickies!

Dr. Ty
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Memories of Travel Woes...

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:02:00 +0000

As much as I love to travel, I always come back with travel stories. The recent "weekend" to Chicago was no exception. And while planning for my next trip in a few weeks, I'm forced to remember all the joys of our trip... including being delayed to O'Hare on Friday, canceled on the way back on Sunday, rerouting through Newark, having THAT flight delayed, only to hitch a ride back to CT, pick up my car from Hartford airport and finally get home 5 hours before my ER shift. Ah, the memories...

THUMBS DOWN to leaving freakishly warm CT weather (60 degrees) and arriving to Chicago's chilling 20.

THUMBS UP to Kammy for turning 30 fabulously and inviting us to my favorite city in the continental United States.

THUMBS DOWN for opening the paper to see how many murders Chicago has had since January 1, complete with a map.

THUMBS UP to my big cousin who took care of our hotel, our airport to hotel transportation and made it possible for me to never have to deal with the hotel staff or customer service (as if I need more bad customer service stories).

THUMBS DOWN to the Einstein Bros. cashier for telling me they no longer sell iced green tea, when a huge jug of it sat in eyesight in the corner.

THUMBS UP to Einstein Bros., however, for selling only turkey products (chili, sausage). Great for us non-beef, non-pork eaters.

THUMBS UP to that Thai restaurant downtown for having the equivalent of a "dollar menu" made especially in honor of our failing economy.

THUMBS DOWN to United Airlines for canceling the 5:30pm and 7:30pm flights from O'Hare to Hartford. And rebooking us for the next night.

THUMBS UP to United agent Gustav who rebooked our flights to Newark so we could get back on Sunday - not late Monday night. For free.

THUMBS DOWN to United Airlines for letting the Newark flight take off 3 hours late.

THUMBS DOWN to the grey-haired lady in O'Hare who ran over my calf with her rollie and when I asked her to say excuse me, proceeded to tell me how she was in line first (HUH?), and topped it off with an exasperated "Just go," allowing me to walk in front of her. Hey lady: Even if I did cut you in line (which I didn't), does that really give you the right to injure me, without an apology? Goodness.

THUMBS UP to O'Hare's Wolfgang Puck to Go for hooking UP my chicken caesar salad with extra dressing and a smile. Good service finally!

THUMBS DOWN to United for making me check my carry-on duffel bag for $15... all to keep from tossing my huge $30 body scrub ("considered a gel") from H2O that I've been dreaming about since that gift basket in '07.

THUMBS DOWN to the United counter rep who decided to go on break as soon as we reached the front of the line. Love ya!

THUMBS DOWN to boarding almost 2 hours before takeoff and sitting in a hot metal tube with crying babies and obnoxious passengers until wheels up.

THUMBS UP to United for breaking out their emergency box and handing out a "crunchy bar" and water to each passenger after an hour of waiting on the jetway. I'm not kidding. I think the exact words over the loudspeaker were: "It's now time for us to break out our emergency kit."

THUMBS DOWN to the very considerate passenger directly behind me who slammed her tray so hard it shook my seat while yelling, "Oh great! And there's a BABY on our plane." She was definitely much more of an issue for me than the baby. Trust me.

THUMBS UP to brand new earplugs and a good book that made sitting inside that tube feel like a sunny day on Miami Beach.

THUMBS UP to the TSA Agents for doing such a thorough job:

Example 1 - To Chicago, the agent moved my juice-filled fruit cup out of the way to get to the Pepsi can I mistakenly left in the bag... but put the fruit cup back inside. Right in front of me. I mean really... shouldn't I get my Pepsi back? Isn't that like when your meal is free because the cashier fails to give you a receipt? Seriously.

Example 2 - From Chicago, my 700+ page Harry Potter book set off some sense of worry and they had to rescan my bag and do a hand search. Madam TSA Agent wouldn't look me in the eye afterward when I asked her what they saw. She just shooed me on. Geez. Yes, ladies and gents... publishers still make books that big. And people read them on va-ca. It's not a kilo. Or a... (dare I type the b-word?) Keep up the great work, though. Meanwhile, 3 unsuspecting grannies just snuck by with weapons up their skirts.

Hmmm. I think I might just stay local on this vacation.

Dr. Ty
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Fish Pedicures?

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Hmmm... I am usually intrigued by the beauty fad du jour, but this just grossed me out. The idea of tiny fish eating my dead cuticles away... there is nothing dainty, relaxing or blissful about that.

And like the article says, how do you sanitize between clients? Do I bring a fishbowl each time with my very own flesh-eating fish?

What's going on with the pedicure industry? First, it's illegal to use the scraper blades, now they can't even touch our feet?

I've been staring at this photograph for a good 20 minutes and as disgusted as I am, I can't look away. I wonder if you can feel the teeth...

Dr. Ty
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Pick Me Up Tuesday: Spa day recession-style

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:08:00 +0000

In my "I just worked 70 hours since Thursday" exhaustion, instead of curling up in the bedroom while forcefully squinting my eyes against the 8am sun, I treated myself to an affordable pick-me-up.

My first stop? The day spa... only for my eyebrows (there are just some things you don't skimp on, and for God's sakes, they're on my FACE!).

I left the day spa and walked 4 doors down to the regular neighborhood nail shop for my mani-pedi combo (Yes I did, and I didn't even have to move my car. Don't laugh, there's a recession going on!).

The bonus? This particular shop has a massage chair that can actually work my kinks out. It doesn't just vibrate amuck like the cheaper lookalikes that give you shaken baby syndrome by the last coat.

As an aside: I feel compelled to share a deep, dark secret... my favorite Jersey nail shop has a chair that massages things that shouldn't be massaged (well, not in public). I wonder how many other GALs have tried to hide their surprise about the chair's um... routine... and kept it a secret, too. Shame on us. Yea... no emails about said location, by the way!

Since the smell and atmosphere of the day spa left me craving a facial, I stopped at the pharmacy in search of a minty facial wash or a clay masque. I'm talking about those old school green masques people wore on television while donning their bathrobes and rollers. The last masque I had (and loved), I bought from my Mary Kay lady in college (Yes, Mary Kay... and yes, college. Speaking of old school...). Just my luck, Queen Helene makes a Mint Julep Masque that was on sale as BUY ONE GET ONE FREE! I snagged the last two.

I also grabbed bubble bath for future soaks ($1 each) and it was off to soak and masque affordably. Maybe a little less sleep was worth it.

What's your recession-style routine?

Dr. Ty
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Quickies

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:53:00 +0000

The gym and I have only seen each other twice so far this year - once in Cancun and once during the week I returned. My schedule is mostly to blame, but my usual winter funk didn't help matters. But, in an effort to not lose momentum (and gain the weight back), I have started doing quickies at home.

While yes, there are many types of quickies that can raise the heart rate and burn calories, my workout quickies have effectively kept the pounds at bay until I can get back onto my routine.

Here's my latest 15-minute quickie:

* 50 crunches
* 20 oblique crunches (side to side)
* 5 boy pushups, 20 girl pushups
* Stairs (up and down 12 stairs) x 10 times, lifting the knees while jogging down also

I know it seems wimpy to not break a dripping sweat, to not spend 90 minutes sitting on various gym equipment, or to not limp after a workout. But, even something as simple as 15 minutes CAN make a difference. Don't fall into the all or nothing mantra ("If I can't spend a whole hour, I might as well stay home"). Do something, anything! You'll feel better for it.

The quickies are also good for those of us who don't want to go to the gym completely out of shape. Give yourself a head start at home before you commit to your gym schedule, or join a running group.

Other daily things (you've heard me say these before):
* Take the stairs rather than the elevator
* Jog from the parking garage to your building (or between buildings)

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
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Sick day # 3

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Today is the first day I didn't wake up with a temperature above 101 despite around the clock Motrin. I guess that signals improvement.

Yesterday, I did, however, clear from my feverish delirium enough to finish Emily Giffin's second book, Something Blue.

I read her first book in Cancun, and I highly recommend reading them in order.

SUCH a quick read, such vivid characters. It made me forget for a few hours that I was contemplating whether I had contracted the plague.

To all my GALs out there battling those annoying viruses (flu, flu-like, cold, etc.)... drink lots and lots of fluids, treat the symptoms, and get lots of rest. If you must do SOMEthing, curl up with a good book.

Dr. Ty
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Is it simpler to stay or go?

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:05:00 +0000

Given my 2009 motto, and yesterday's post... which is more conducive to simplicity?

Stay in this duplex and continue to get pissed off, being ignored by the landlady, while major appliances remain broken, and being spoken to like a crazy lady because I'm irate about _____________ (fill in the blank... freezing my tootsies off... going outside for my veggies... broken promises), praying that nothing else breaks so I never have to call them, and basically having to stalk her three times a day just to get her to answer the phone, when I barely have time in my day to eat or call my own family... all for the sake of convenience and a manageable price tag;

OR, take the first vacation week I've had since last May, and instead of relaxing, pack up a 3-story house, find a mover and a new apartment (in the price range which is tough), including the extra costs associated with moving, disconnecting utilities, etc... running the risk that this landlord is equally as difficult, possible jerkface neighbors, less space, or the most common barrier -- not being able to bring the brand-new washer and dryer?

I just want to come home from a tough day and just BE. I'm tired of fighting, and something always being wrong!

My simplicity theory is already being tested. I need you guys' thoughts...

From the GAL Blog
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My outdoor freezer and other apartment horrors

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:19:00 +0000

In my effort to be oh-nine classy, I upgraded to the newest, latest, fanciest freezer equipment...

You like??

I know you're jealous. See? You can't even hide it.

Which of Santa's elves is responsible for my Frigidaire remix? My friendly, responsive, competent landlady. Do you remember her? The one I told you all about in "I'm Hot!"... the one who has worked her way up to numero uno on my "I hate you" list?

I renewed my lease last summer because I was working way too much (80 hours a week) to pack up a 3-story duplex. And find a new spot. And find the time to move. Besides, after calling on average 7 times per problem and waiting an average of 2 months for each response... landlady finally apologized for being a spaz, and offered the option of calling her more "responsible" husband instead. That lasted about as long as it took for me to sign the lease.

Let's recap shall we? (June 2007-present):

1. A week prior to move-in day, "I will fix the towel rack before you move in." Yea... we fixed it, a month later.

2. The bathtub repeatedly leaked into the downstairs kitchen cabinets. Took 2 months to respond.

3. No heat for 3 months, with temps dropping below 30 in a poorly insulated house with a 2-year-old. Countless excuses, "we need a new part," "the repairmen won't call me back," "oh, it's starting to warm up anyway!" (my personal fave).

3. No A/C in the summer. It leaked despite being "fixed" twice, flooded the basement each time, including our boxes and photos. Finally needed to be replaced. Took about 1 month for the first repair. About 2 months before it worked properly. And, don't forget she had taken my window screens, "to fix," back in April... Hence my sweltering. My favorite landlady quote from the A/C era: "Well it's not really broken is it? It just leaks. Why don't you run it until we can get it fixed?"

(Oh by the way... the A/C leaked directly onto the brand new furnace. Let's see how far into this winter we get)

4. Landlady dropped off 2 screens when she came to check out the dishwasher that repeated melted my tupperware, an UNbreakable plastic cup, and my favorite coffee mug... the dishwasher that would stay stuck in one part of the cycle (usually the drying cycle) until I woke up to the smell of melted plastic. Anyway, she left me this note:

Translation: If you don't run the dishwasher in an effort to wash your dishes, then it won't melt your stuff!
(I guess I'm the idiot)

We called her back, demanded they fix it, and Mr. Repairman said a totally new dishwasher was warranted.

5. Nearly $300 of gas heat per month escaped out my front door last winter, so I asked landlady in December 2007 to please install a new door or insulate it better. Well, the new door was installed (in September 2008), albeit a lil' crooked. Us: "It's crooked." Repairman: "It'll swell and fill that space."

Almost two months later... I call them about the water bill. I remember the door and call her back.

Me: "I watch the sunrise around my door every morning. Do you think you can fix it?"
Her: We've been calling the guy and he won't come."
Me: "Okay when will it be fixed? Because I am going to call my own person."
Her: "By Tuesday."
Me: "What's plan B if that person doesn't come?"
Her: "They will."
Me: "Put it in writing."

An hour later? Landlady and hubby are letting themselves into my apartment (while I'm in there asleep after a 30-hour shift nonetheless) to fix the what? That's right. The door. Ridiculous.

8. So this Sunday night, I call about the water bill again, as well as the fact that the freezer doesn't work. She hung up on me during that conversation. But, her & Mr. Repairman came the next day (gasp). The verdict?

"The repairman said you need a new refrid. & I will order you one this week! -Denise"

You can't make this ish up. I'm convinced they duct taped everything in this house just so it would pass the walk-through.

So now, I'm rocking my 1950's ice box. And still waiting for my new "refrid." No, seriously... Those really are my veggies and meats out on the back porch.

Don't you dare come and steal them.

Dr. Ty
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What's your '09 motto? Mine is simple as can be.

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:40:00 +0000

Between facebook, twitter, and various blogs, I can't help but see resolution after resolution for 2009. I do have a few of my own, and much like everyone else, it's hit or miss whether I will still remember those vows come December 31.

But, this year, I am trying something different. I'm creating a motto for myself -- a theme, a niche, a style, so to speak.

My motto for 2009 is SIMPLICITY.

Those who followed the GAL blog last year know that I recently fell head first into a rut. It was partially my own fault, but it was such an eye opener. For once, I felt like someone turned the stage lights on, and all the "stuff" I plowed through and busied myself with suddenly seemed insignificant.

I pledged to turn down the volume (and pace)... to peel away all unnecessary things in life that drained me... and to reclaim my time and my sanity.

So far, I:

Figured out the life I want (in all aspects, not just work) and decided to only do things that get me there.
Saying "no" or "absolutely not" to anything that doesn't meet the criteria in the first bullet.
Realized the person I have to say "no" to most often is myself.
Reassessed what I wanted out of work, and where work falls on my list of priorities.
Got over the fear of addressing my work desires.
Got over the fear of leaving work if staying meant putting work above family and my life.
Simplified many of my relationships across the board, and ignited those that actually uplift, humor, educate, inspire, or encourage.
Scratched many, many things off the to do list and said to h&!! with those things.
Became physically active again, ultimately dropping 12 pounds over 2 months.
Stopped moving at lightening speed and learned to enjoy the feeling of sitting still for longer than 0.5 seconds (which meant, at times, not blogging).

For once in a long time I feel at peace. I feel more at peace than when I first wrote, "The Get A Life Campaign." I had allowed the book promotion to eat up all the free time I'd created. Then, I went back to work in medicine. And so goes the story. But, enough about me...

What is YOUR motto for 2009?

No more items added to your to do list, more rules you know you'll break, more crap to stress over. Where's your head this year? What's your theme (or theme music) for the Oh-nine? I want to know...

While you think, enjoy this song, entitled "A Song of Simplicity" by piano artist, Elijah Bossenbroek:

Dr. Ty
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Are we still GAL pals?

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:30:00 +0000

I feel like the long-lost friend whom you haven't seen or heard from in years, but now I'm sitting across the table from you at some nondescript restaurant sipping my Lipton nervously, searching for something interesting to say, wondering if we have still have that "thing" in common, hoping I can say something genius that sparks a conversation lasting through dessert and makes that hug goodbye a little less awkward.

GALs, it's been too long. I don't know what else to say.

I do have stories to tell and I hope you'll stick with me this year as we continue making the most of our lives.

Welcome back to the GAL Blog, the 2009 version! See you soon...

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
Follow me on Twitter: @doctorty

The GAL blog is taking some "me time"....

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:04:00 +0000

The GAL Blog will return January 2009! See you gals then...

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

Living for today?

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:13:00 +0000

I woke up from my rut-induced coma today to realize I haven't blogged since August 28th.

As each day passed, I knew I wasn't blogging, but I didn't notice how fast the days were moving. I've missed writing, and felt guilty about it, but I've just been so exhausted.

Between my work schedule, home stress, financial stress and life stress, I have felt not just tired -- but pretty claustrophobic... The point you reach when you want to walk away from it all, just to have a second to breathe and exist... to be. Be you.

I'm the worst at living for the future. Medicine does that to you. Put your time in now, for a reward at the end of the rainbow, some 7... 8... 9 years down the line. Just remember that salary... the car you can buy... the loans you can pay off... oh the places we will go!

You're tired today? Oh, don't worry, it'll be over in a few years. You miss your family? That's okay, you can buy them loads of stuff later.

The thought occurred to me... as I watched all of my interpersonal relationships suffer at the hand of working 80 hours a week, plus all the outside work...

What if none of these people are here at the end of the journey? Then, is all of this really worth it?

What will be left of me, constantly ignoring my daily needs for some promise that could conceivably never happen? We see tragedy every day -- the kid who doesn't make it to graduation because of some freak accident. The father who dies right before his kid is born. It happens. Being unhappy today is not worth some random point in the future that I can't smell, taste or touch right now. Or is it??

Out of complete emotional exhaustion, I've found myself peeling away anything unnecessary. Unnecessary conversation (no drama, please!), unnecessary battles (oh, she said that about me? oh well), unnecessary responsibility (another pet project? no thank you). My theme this month is conservation of energy. It's the only way I've made it to write to you guys right now. Leaving the unnecessary behind.

The rut spares no one. As I've written before, there is no cure, and you always have to be ready to fight it off. The truth is, that sometimes the small nuggets of time you get after working 13-hour shifts for 15 straight days just isn't enough. It isn't enough to feel whole. Isn't enough time to sleep and do something to pamper yourself. Sometimes, it's barely enough to survive.

And at that point, you need to take your life back.

Right now -- I'm doing my best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was looking for the perfect, sentimental quote about living for today, but I couldn't resist sharing this:

If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today. ~Author Unknown

Just perfect.

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

Sometimes you have to laugh

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:05:00 +0000

When life is no joke, and you haven't cracked a smile in a while, sometimes you can become your own punch line...

I worked the night shift (7pm to 7am) all last week, which means sleeping during the day. So, one particular day, I set my alarm and fell asleep around 9am, while watching Charmed (save the comments, I still love that show). I wake up later on, before my alarm clock, and I look at clock: 9:39am.

I felt surprisingly rested... I had to have slept more than 39 minutes. I look at the TV: Charmed is still on. I am now utterly confused. I look at the window: the sun is still out. Is this what a power nap feels like??

Absolutely not.

The source of my temporary insanity? I had reset the time on the clock when I meant to set the alarm. And Charmed? Well, it runs at 8am, 9am, 4pm and 5pm on weekdays.

It was definitely jokes on me.

... it's a good thing I woke up when I did, or I would have overslept! It was really 5:48pm.

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

Otherwise Known As Ty The Great

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:16:00 +0000

I took my (3rd favorite) shortcut from New Jersey to Connecticut earlier this week to avoid the George-Washington-Bridge-Sunday-night-northbound-nightmare. My detour took me up Palisades Parkway and onto I-287 East, which passes by a town called Tarrytown.

Yes, I've taken this extended route at least 11 times since I first left for college in Boston over a decade ago. But, this night, the only person awake in the car, I really noticed the sign for Tarrytown, and it forced me to remember the first time I had ever heard of such a town...

JUDY BLUME'S "OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT"

What a great book. My heart skipped a beat remembering how fun her books were. I had never been to Tarrytown (still haven't). I had hardly left the state of New Jersey back then.

As a pre-teen, I vividly dreamed of all the towns described in Blume's books, in the Babysitter's Club series, and Nancy Drew novels. I lived vicariously through these characters. I vowed that when I was older that I would visit all of these really cool places. Clearly, it was the beginning of my insane addiction to traveling (not to mention that The Babysitter's Club was to the pre-teen me what SATC is to me now).

But, Judy Blume's book was the first. I remember thinking, wow, Tarrytown is just in New York, it's SO close to me, yet it sounds like a totally different reality. Maybe one of these trips, I'll have to carve out time to stop and see if it lives up to my 9-year-old expectations.

What books are imprinted in your memories? Which books did you read during the pre-teen years that made you want to be something extraordinary (or weird), visit a certain place, fuel your love of reading, or have characters who you still remember?

Just a shout for Blume's other books I can still remember plots of: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Freckle Juice. And one NON-Blume book: Freaky Friday, which made a comeback in 2003 with Jamie Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. I still think the idea was SO clever!

Ahh... to read like a kid again...

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
Please leave comments here.

From narcoleptic to insomniac

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0000

For the 4th night in a row, I can't fall asleep before 2am.

I'm used to being an insomniac... I can remember laying in bed as early as grammar school, watching the sun rise without so much as a wink of sleep all night.

But, my surgical ICU schedule last month made it very easy to fall asleep. Working 30 hours virtually every other day, with half days of work in between... not to mention picking up the munchkin by 6pm during the other two days. No sleep issues then.

Once the adrenaline of that schedule wore off, I crashed even harder. I finished my bid 2 days before my birthday. Purposely avoiding anything requiring major planning, a quiet weekend in some random town in New Hampshire sounded wonderful. Too bad my weekend is a blur of naps, food poisoning, and more naps.

The nice gazebo overlooking the inn's garden? Admired it through the backs of my eyelids. The boat cruise along Portsmouth Harbor and the Isles of Shoales? Snoozed. Any beautiful, quiet, relaxing moment? NAP time! I couldn't fight those heavy lids to save my life. Hours of my life gone, with only periodic awakenings filled with guilt about sleeping my birthday weekend away.

Oh well. It was relaxing.

So, I must have used up all of my sleep hours for the rest of the year. Because, now I'm struggling.

Maybe I need a little more narcoleptic New Hampshire in my life.

My favorite pic from the weekend...
found on the side of a random back road with no humans in site:

In case you can't see, it says: "Lettuce $1.00"

I definitely need more New Hampshire in my life.

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

More things I don't have time for...

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:48:00 +0000

Why is it that when you have a "day off," you spend it with timesuckers (like various customer service agents just to fix one simple issue_?

My initial issue: My Sprint Treo 700p wouldn't charge without hanging the phone upside down or suspending the cord at just the right angle (aka "jimmying it").

The solution: Call Sprint. Not only have I paid monthly for that Sprint phone insurance for the last 10 years... the phone is within warranty.

What I did: Instead of calling the insurance as usual, I used the Sprint Self-service ONLINE replacement form (advertised as "save time").

What happened: The Treo 700p was out of stock, so a Palm Centro arrived. With no battery or charger.

What I did: Called Sprint to ask them if this was some sort of sick joke (nicely, of course).

What happened: A nice, clueless representative had no idea that this self-service option existed, and didn't know who sent me the phone. So she couldn't get them to get me a battery. She went away for some time, did some research and promised that she'd call me back after she ordered my new battery. She never called.

What came in the mail: Not one, not two, but THREE Sprint boxes!

What was inside said boxes: Yes, more phones WITHOUT batteries!

To make a long story short... after 7 hours of one-on-one quality time with various Sprint representatives, being transferred to literally every department within Sprint, coupled with many expressions of "I'm not sure how this happened," or "I don't know how to get you a battery," "I still can't figure out who sent you all these phones," or, "Of course ma'am, please hold..." followed by a click, hold music, and a new, unsuspecting person... I found two helpful people. Just two. Out of at least 25 people. Seriously.

The first conferenced me with accessory sales to purchase the battery and charger and immediately credited my account for it. HOWEVER, the order that arrived included:

TWO chargers, and ZERO batteries!
(See earlier comment about sick joke)

In case I lost you, here's the tally at this point: Nine days later... FOUR replacement phones, TWO chargers, ONE cover to fit the extended battery... wait... what battery? That's right: STILL, no battery.

More hours of wasted time later, after being deliberately hung up on by a very friendly associate, after having my pleads for a supervisor repeatedly ignored because EVERY associate thinks she or he can handle this (for some reason) complicated situation.... again, I find someone who has a brain inside his skull and figures out a way to send me the product I ordered. Thanks M.J.!

So today, for the first time since the order was first placed on July 22nd, I have a functional cell phone.

(For brevity, I left out that M.J. sent the new order to the wrong address, but in his defense, he had UPS redirect it to the right one 5 minutes after I called him. It arrived on Monday. But, Sprint was upgrading their system all day Monday, so I had to wait until Tuesday to activate it).

I'm convinced it's me. It has to be. This is the story of my life.

I am a walking customer service nightmare.

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

Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:15:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:37:00 +0000

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

What to do with your old cell phones

noreply@blogger.com (#1 GAL, Dr. Ty!) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:07:00 +0000

Unless you're like me -- someone who breaks most electronics and rides things out until they fray at the edges -- I found a great place to send your used cell phones after you upgrade.

www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com

The Cell Phones for Soldiers program was started in April 2004 by 13-year-old Brittany Bergquist and her 12-year-old brother Robbie of Norwell, Massachusetts.

Robbie and Brittany's goal is to help our soldiers serving overseas call home. They hope to provide as many soldiers as possible with prepaid calling cards. Through generous donations and the recycling of used cell phones, Robbie and Brittany have already distributed thousands of calling cards to soldiers around the globe.

Check it out! You can print a pre-stamped mailing label right from the website -- quick and easy.

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