Board board board board board!

I was reading about self-soothing techniques yesterday  (see Shelfari on sidebar) and learned that many people say they eat out of boredom. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. One of my many intolerances is for people who are or become "bored."  I'd like to take a Cricket board to them much like Vyvyan does in the above clip. Bored is not an emotion, it is a state of mind. Look around us, how could anybody be bored, ever? People, be honest with yourself and figure out what you're really feeling! Bored is usually any easy word - an excuse even - masking other feelings.

Most people when they say they are "bored" really mean that they are experiencing some type of unbearable disatisfaction. Usually, there is something they'd rather do but they feel limited by some circumstance and therefore unable to do what they want. That involves some sadness, some frustration, and maybe some anger. Once you recognize the details of what you are feeling, you can deal with them, instead of just whining around that you're "bored" or stuffing your face for entertainment purposes.

Is this post boring? Really? Are you bored? Are you disappointed that I'm taking your word "bored" away from you? That's a bad word in our house. Find a better word. It's like saying somebody is "nice" when you mean they are friendly and welcoming, warm or funny. Be more specific! Ugh. Hand me that cricket bat, Vyv. Stop making excuses. Think about why you're letting yourself get frustrated and solve the problem. There is no "bored." There is only "not trying hard enough".

First day of school

Yesterday was the first day of fourth grade for my daughter at her new school. It's a tough age group. Kids are mean and my daughter has inherited a bit of my social anxiety. This morning, the 2nd day, she had a hard time getting out of bed and getting ready. When we were walking to the bus stop, she started crying. She misses her old school. She misses her friends. There's a mean girl at the new school and she is her locker partner. She's too tired to go to school. She got on the bus with tears still streaming down her face.

I have to choose my reaction carefully. Mama bear wanted to come out and eviscerate papa bear for making this problem even exist. Mama bear's teeth needed sharpenedd  . . .but, that wouldn't solve anything. Instead, I emailed the teacher to make her aware of the high emotional state and the nervousness about the locker partner. I asked the teacher to help kiddo find the other girl scouts in her class and find connections to other kids.

I wanted to take a nap and escape from the world for an hour or two. Luckily, my girlfriends keep calling me ensuring that won't happen. They tell me things will be ok, the world is full of jerks, and kiddo will become a stronger person for learning how to deal with them.

For a minute, I wanted to eat. Maybe only a half minute. I went and exercised instead. I'm going to go to that some more now so that I can be my calmest (sweatiest, stinkiest) mommy when she comes home. I fully expect that today was better than yesterday. It is, afterall, art day!

A little fun

Since Allan brought some traffic my way this morning, I will share some with him.  I feel almost famous today! Please check out his latest blog post here.

Here was my response to him which will probably be posted momentarily if he approves . . .

I knew you couldn't follow directions. You totally skipped the "not me" part. lol I totally expected that!







I criticized you on your own blog, actually, but you chose not to publish those posts. Just as you are likely not to post this or any other posts supporting me. I have a general policy not to say things behind people's backs that I wouldn't tell them to their face. Any criticism I have made of you wasn't about your diet but about the way you sometimes present yourself - or presented before the new nicer Al came along.






I'm human. I have good days and bad. I share them. I have been tempted not to post my setbacks mainly because I know you love to point out such things and twist it into somebody being a hypocrite because they're struggling.






As far as following diet "quacks", I read read read whatever I can get my hands on and analyze to determine what I can learn from the material. Richard Simmons, Geneen Roth, Thich Nhat Hanh, and others I read do not profess to be medical experts. They simply share what works for them in hopes that it will help others. The only difference between them and you is that they get paid for it. That doesn't make them quacks. A quack is somebody that professes to have medical knowledge when they don't.






Of COURSE you love me. I am quite lovable and capable and, as you will see, I am going to be healthier than ever. Maybe not as quickly as you are, but in my own way I will succeed.
 
 
Oh yeah, then I went back to post again that I have been born and raised in the USA. I have never even been to Canada even though it's less than 2 hours from me. I'm not sure how Allan figured I'm from Oz since I'm always saying that my life dream is to go there.  Ah well, he is obviously still getting to know me.