Resolutions... Errr A Challenge

I don’t do resolutions. The few times I’ve tried I break them. I make it a few weeks doing something crazy like eating only carrots or exercising three hours a day and then I crack and go on a chips and salsa/pizza binge and don’t see a treadmill for months. Not healthy. I’m not good at people telling me what to do. I can’t do crazy diets or exercise plans because I get bored, don’t see results or can’t see the point in limiting my dairy intake when it’s my most favorite thing in the world. (I could live on cheese and milk.)

This year, I’ve decided to try something new. A resolution of sorts – if you will. I’ve made it a competition with myself to see if I can get in amazing shape by the end of the year. (I’m almost 30 – it’s now or never.) I’ve even decided I want Jennifer Aniston’s body – toned but not crazy muscular or skinny. I used to want Britney Spears’ abs circa the MTV performance with the snake… but that’s unrealistic because a. I don’t have five hours a day to do abs workouts and b. I can’t eat just celery for the next 12 months. So Jennifer is a stretch but not completely out in left field. I could probably even pick someone more realistic like Mariah Carey when she’s skinny but let’s be honest – it should be a challenge not I can eat cake and wine all year and still look ok.

I’m good at competitions though. I turn into Monica on Friends. (A crazy psycho intent on winning.) Who I’m beating – I’m not exactly sure but in my mind all those other people at the gym are my competitors. So is the scale. Every half pound it moves down is a tiny victory. And every extra sit up is like a tiny award with a bunch of clapping. And the other day when my lungs burned and my legs ached on the treadmill, I thought to myself, shut that magazine and keep running. One more minute, then you can die…. Or at least walk and read a page of Glamour.

The one thing I’ve learned in the short week of gym visits at least once a day (I only missed 2 days since New Year’s – well technically 4 but I stayed longer the next 2 days to make it up so that does not even count…) is you have to do what works for you. I could never be that girl that runs mindlessly on the treadmill rocking out to a blasting iPod. I can’t run for hours on end. I’d die of utter boredom before my legs even gave out. I have to mix it up (and actually a friend who’s a bit of a fitness guru said interval training is the way to go). So I’ve been alternating between yoga, pilates, spin class, the bike, the treadmill and now I’m incorporating some weights. And it’s not get on the bike and pedal away like a 9 year old going around the block. I’m constantly changing my speed and incline (well incline on the treadmill). It makes it different and a little fun. Even better I let myself read during the cool down and warm up. Nothing better to motivate you than a magazine full of skinny models in fabulous clothes.

As for diet… well diet isn’t in my vocab. I can’t say no chocolate (well I could because I don’t really like chocolate) but you get the idea…. The second I say no, it’s like I have a bad case of OCD and all I can think about is eating whatever it is I’ve told myself I can’t have. So it’s everything in moderation and amping up fruits and veggies. And I’m going for more fresh. Now don’t get me wrong – I haven’t turned into one of those people that corner you and spout off about transfats and the joy of going all organic. Augh. I read the label but I’m not obsessing. And as for organic – great in theory but terrible for my wallet considering it costs twice as much as real food. I’ll just wash my vegetables and fruits and hope for the best and do organic when I can and it makes sense (Kashi is amazing). Take out and frozen/canned food is easy but not healthy. So I can have it once in awhile but no more binging on Ramen like a drunk (broke) college kid more than once a week. Maybe even once a month if I can really get motivated. I’m actually a little bit excited about all these fun recipes I can try. My friend Roe and I joke about writing a cookbook – so far I have the bread section but maybe I’ll add a healthy eating/low cal section…

So we’ll see how I do come June… or even March. But I’m excited and I think that’s key. I’ll try to keep you posted of the good, the bad and everything in between.

It's all turning grey...

This year has been a series of ups and downs. I think most years are like that. I can think of only a few where all good things happen. But mostly they are tinged with things like oh that was the year my dog died, or that my grandfather died... Even years that were good, like the year we got engaged is also marred with it being the year I got in an accident and totaled his car. So of all the good and the bad - most I'm not mentioning on here... One of the minor things was this is the year I got my first grey hair. This was made equally bad that a month or so later a twin grey hair popped up directly across from it's sibling. Not to mention, they both were smack dab in the middle of my head.

Now I take a certain pride in the fact that I don't color my hair. Everyone colors their hair and aside from a perm back in the 80's and two dye jobs (the 2nd to correct a late night bored college Wednesday) my hair is treatment free. I've never found a color (aside from C's auburn hue) that I like more than my dark brown. It's natural highlights of red and blond are prettier than anything that I've been able to achieve from a bottle. Besides do you know what kind of upkeep it takes to dye dark colored hair? I felt like roots were instantaneous.

The problem is grey hair threatens my dye free hair. And starts to beckon in a time where I'll spend hours and money trying to achieve the color I was born with and that is quickly slipping away. I guess it could be worse my whole head could be turning grey. But these two grey hairs bug me. I was drying my hair this morning and the one popped up (they are always short for some reason as if aside from being grey that can't grow in straight and long like the rest of my hair but instead have a slight curl to them and grow no more than 5 inches before stopping there like a tiny grey string). It seems to glisten in the mirror, waving slightly, like remember me? Did you forget I was still here? If I'm feeling particular angry about it or just sick of having to change up my part - I take a bottle of mascara - rub it between my fingers and attack the two strands until they are a nice shade of black (and plump too).

The thing with grey hair means I'm getting older. It's only a matter of time that I stop getting carded at bars or people start calling me ma'am in places other than the south where everyone over the age of five is a ma'am. Grey hair seemed to signify - remember you're not quite as young as you'd like to continue to believe you are. And I feel adulthood quickly sucking up any remainder of time I can call myself a young adult. So while I can't do much to ward off future grey hair (maybe keep my stress levels down - I don't know?) - I've decided to be more aggressive with my other anti-aging routines for the new year. Starting next week (because there's nothing better than procrastinating), I'm going to remember to slather my face and neck and hands twice a day (instead of once when I'm not too tired or too late) with all the anti-aging treatments I had to have last month. And the grey hairs - luckily I read something about metallic extensions being in - maybe instead of gold I'll say mine are silver? :)

It's Christmas Time...

The one upside of winter is Christmas. I'm not a cold weather girl but there's something about all the houses lit up that makes it a bit better. I'm not sure if I could get used to a warm weather Christmas - there's something a bit more magical about snow glistening as opposed to sun burnt skin glistening...

So it's Christmas Eve, there's a threat of snow (which sends everyone in an extreme panic here), the tree is up, Christmas songs are blasting, and the presents are wrapped. I'd like to say C (the puppy) is asleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in her head but she's pawing at my leg whining... I guess the concept of Santa and being good is lost on her.

This year, I've decided to host Christmas dinner. I figured there are only so many years of being a married "grown up" that you can get out of it. Besides, I've learned a surprising fact about myself - I actually don't mind cooking (it's the cleaning up I don't like... and those recipes with a thousand steps). Part of me is a bit excited. The other part of me is up here procrastinating.

So I drafted a menu on Monday. I had actually had the menu in my head for about a week - tweaking and editing before I wrote it down. I decided to go easy but fancy. No pre-made frozen things here. Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter are about the only times you can drag out all those fancy bad for you foods with tons of butter (the cake I'm making now has two sticks - yum). For all my fab food - I bought three cartons of eggs and two packs of stick butter - I felt like a mini-Paula Dean.

So my menu you ask? Ham or course. I'm not brave enough to take on a Turkey. Spinach and Rice Bake (because bake sounds better than casserole that makes my three year old self run for cover gagging), broccoli and cheese, baked pineapple, about three different kinds of dessert, humus dip (my nod to healthy), sweet potatoes (and if you think this is healthy wait til I drench it in marshmallows and cinnamon). I am cheating and bought brown and serve rolls and canned cranberry sauce (although this my next goal to conquer homemade).

My only worry (aside from any of the recipes messing up?) is that the snow will mess up the plans for everyone to come over and I'll be stuck eating side dishes for the next week and a half. Snow party anyone? You bring the wine - I'll supply the food. :)

Merry Christmas! Hope Santa is good to everyone.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Is it me or does Christmas get earlier and earlier each year? I feel like August is barely over and the stores are decking the halls with pine branches, huge red and silver balls, and lights. The promos I'm getting in the mail all scream holiday looks or holiday sale. It's only November. Not even Thanksgiving yet. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. I feel like a kid in a candy...err toy store at Christmas. I still look through the Toys R Us wish book and wish that I was five again because toys are way cooler now than anything I had. I write up Christmas wish lists and feverishly email them out to my mom hoping against hope this is the year the car with the bow will be in the driveway, or a new laptop is under the tree, or I finally get a pony... hey a girl can dream right? I love decorating, I was thinking today if it was too early to breakout the lights and start hanging garland but then remembered that pesky little Thanksgiving holiday (joking) and decided I should wait it out a week or so more. I love everything about Christmas and I think I love it most of all for all the traditions, the getting up early hoping Santa came, making orange cinnamon rolls and a huge breakfast, going to midnight Christmas Eve service, the carols, the parties, the lights... you get the picture.

But Christmas also wraps me up with anxiety. And it's because it can be so commercial. The I need to buy gifts for every person I've ever met and they better be good aspect. I'm not the type of person that can run in Macy's select five scarves of various color and call it a day. I agonize over gifts. I'll spend hours, days even, wondering if I made the right selection. Do you know how hard it is to find good gifts under $50, under $30, under $20? Pretty much impossible. And don't let those stupid magazines tell you that you're BFF wants some designer lipstick for $35. It looks impossibly cheap all wrapped up in a huge box with nothing else. I don't care if Dior is stamped all over it.

I want people to like the gifts. I want something meaningful not something that's thrown in the closet at the end of the holidays and never sees the light of day again.

This year, K is on a big kick to stop giving gifts to randoms; those people family/friends/acquaintances that fall into a category of people you hardly ever see but each year you still shell out a good amount of money for gifts for them, their kids, their dogs, their mailman... ok kidding. The thing is, if I agonize about what gifts to get, I'm even worse at telling people I don't want to give them a gift. Let's face it - it's awkward. And sometimes its not that I don't want to give you a gift, it's more budget right now doesn't allow for it. Any hints for making this conversation go over better? Because I can't think of anything and believe me I practice in my car all the time. Other drives probably think I'm one of those bonkers people talk to themselves. Thank God for Bluetooth - I could easily be talking to someone else for all they know.

And so, today is supposed to be my first day of Christmas shopping. My first stab at what to get people. And so far the only person I'm sure about is my dog C. She's so much easier to please, a few Greenies, a new toy and maybe a sweater and we're set. She'd be happy if I gave her a slice of cheese and called it a day. I'm debating spending the holidays shopping online - hello Amazon and Etsy. Maybe my next post will be all the fabulous things you could give someone for Christmas.... that's an idea.

So what's your take on all the gift giving? Are you the type that goes shopping Christmas Eve and hopes for the best or do you spend hours researching and planning and then stressing about what to get everyone? Good luck shopping!

Another Car Post...

This car buying thing is consuming my life right now so of course it's consuming the blog. I thought car buying might be fun - there's nothing like a new car smell, flashy accessories, and a shiny bright new car with you behind the steering wheel. The only hesitation I had was the sales people. Let's face it - car salesmen have the rep of being sleazy DBs. I'll be nice and say up front not all the ones I met were DBs but there were some in the mix.

My car buying strategy - don't bring your trade and straight up tell them you're just test driving the car but will come back if you like it. Don't talk money and leave after the test drive. You need time to think and research - don't be seduced by that new car smell and the threat that your dream car will be sold tomorrow. Cars are mass produced so even if your car sold tomorrow a new one would show up in a day or so.

But here's what I want to say to the bad car salesmen out there (all the stuff K and I have joked about):
1. Don't underestimate me. Ever see Pretty Woman? Know that scene where the saleslady won't help her because she looks like a total prostitute and then later she comes back all dressed up and looking gorgeous with a ton of shopping bags. And she says something to the effect of "big mistake, huge". I've always wanted to have one of those moments. Because let's face it we've all been mistreated by some loser out there.

I might be in a hoody and leggings looking like a broke college student but you never know what's actually in my wallet or my intentions. You might not think I know anything about how a car works, and you'd be right, but humor me and at least open the hood (out of all the dealers only one has lifted the hood). When you start to underestimate me - I think you a. don't want the sale because you're not working for it and b. you're questioning my intelligence, spending ability, and reasoning for being there. I'm not wasting my time driving to various dealers, I'm doing my research to find the best car for me, so you can at least act like you want the business.

2. Walk the line. Don't be too aggressive or too passive. This is a fine line. I want you to be professional and pushy enough but know when to back down and just listen. Don't call me 18 times for an update, or when I don't show up right at the designated time. You're not my mother and I don't owe you an explanation for my final decision. On the flip side, don't not try. If you don't try - I'm going to walk away and find someone who does want to play.

3. Know what you're talking about. Hello, I have Internet - don't tell me facts you pulled out your ass and expect me to believe you. You're trying to sell me your product. I'm going to go home and research everything you just told me and you better believe that I want to know more about your car than you do when I come back.

Funniest thing I've heard so far: "Most people pay full price for this car. There's just not a lot of room to negotiate and I don't know when we'll get more in... they are on a boat from Germany." - Stupid Salesperson.

Me - "That's funny, because your car is made in Mexico." (Simple Google search and the car's place of origin is listed on the window sticker).

So, don't quote facts that you can't back up, it's as simple as that.

4. Don't question my choices. If I'm considering two cars and tell you that, sell me on your car. What's so great about x. Don't tell me the negatives about your competition y. Why? Because I don't believe you. You're trying to sell your car. Instead tell me all the good stuff I may have missed on yours. Besides when you start spouting negatives two things happen in my head: a. I think you're questioning my decision making (bad move) and b. I start to defend your competition to defend my decision. If you make me defend the competition I'm naturally going to like it more.

That's all I have right now. I'm still in the same spot I was five days ago but am slowly coming to realize that maybe there isn't a perfect car. Maybe it's more about finding a car I can live with and hoping I can love it later.

Is it time to make a decision yet?

I’ve come to realize there’s a huge difference between how women buy cars and how men buy cars. (These are all broad generalizations which isn’t to say some men may buy cars like women and vice versa).

How a man buys a car:

1. Decides he needs a new car.

2. Goes online and researches cars he thinks he might be interested in, might read a Consumer’s Report or other similar magazine for reviews.

3. Picks number one car.

4. Figures out what he wants to pay for number one car.

5. Test drives number one car. If number one car meets expectations… buys number one car.

How a woman buys a car:

1. Flip flops between whether she really needs a new car or old car can be salvaged.

2. Looks at cars online. Builds cars on every website to get an idea of features and color options.

3. Reads online reviews and magazines.

4. Asks all her friends for an opinion on any car ever made.

5. Decides maybe she can salvage her old car. Stops researching – overwhelmed by all the options.

6. Decides it would be ok just to look. Test drives every car within a fifty mile radius.

7. Agonizes over which car is “the one”.

8. Builds more cars online.

9. Asks random strangers about their cars.

10. Decides everyone is pressuring her to buy a car. Decides old car is perfectly fine despite various problems that had made her previously decide to sell said car.

11. Test drives and/or builds more cars online. Hopes to find “the one”.

12. Finds emotional connection to new car. Agonizes over how to get best price.

13. Buys new car.

Now obviously that’s all supposed to be funny. But the thing is I do feel like it has some truth to it. My car buying process and my husband’s car buying process is completely different. I think he’s actually sick of me agonizing over the car. He’d probably bought a car five test drives ago. I on the other hand recognize I don’t want to buy for two reasons: 1. If I wait just a bit longer something better that I like more might come along and 2. I’m horrible at making decisions especially when there really is no right or wrong decision. Not to mention the fact a car is a big investment. We’re not talking $50 for a skirt that if I end up hating it I can just get rid of it. I’ll have this car for the next five to seven years at least. There’s no need to be hasty about it.

The other point we differ on is what’s important in a car. My husband wants something with decent pick-up and blabbers about motors and engines and taking whichever color car we can get the cheapest. I want one that’s reliable and safe but Sirius is a must have and the color is pretty important (white cars are horrible, I don’t want some silly color like lime green or baby blue, etc). I’m willing to pay $100 more for a better color.

So far, I’m pretty sure I’ve test drove, considered or looked at most cars in a 30 mile radius from my house. They were all ok and all had pluses and minuses. Remember the part about no right or wrong answer? The whole thing has me anxious and wanting to go back to step 5 (I can repair the minor things wrong with my car and hang on to it another month/year).

Here’s my thoughts so far (I won’t name the car’s names):

Ford – I was leery to look American. Let’s be honest American cars don’t have the best reps and with all the bailout issues, etc. But Ford through all of the bailout mess was in the best shape. And the cars look nice. I looked at an Escort back in 2000 my problem then and my problem with Ford now was the car drove rough. Drive a Honda/Toyota/Mazda/need I go on? and then drive the Ford. There’s a noticeable difference in how the car drives. The interior was nice. The cloth was the same as in the Mazda. I’m not sold either way on cloth or leather, so not a huge deal for me. It's interesting though that the cloth in Ford and Mazda isn’t as plush as the cloth in my 2000. The interior had a lot of buttons that scare me. Make it nice but easy. I don’t want eighteen controls to turn on the radio. Overall – it was just okay.

Mazda – The car drove like a dream. They truly have a niche in the four door drives like a sports car market. The cars are even built to look sportier. The inside compared to some of the others wasn’t as flashy, and some of the plastic fittings just look cheap (I’ve heard this before from other people so I don’t think it’s just me). Plus for the price, other cars come standard with more equipment than the Mazda.

Honda – Toyota and Honda’s have the same rep to me – we build sturdy reliable cars but they’re not the car you get excited about. The one I drove didn’t have Sirius and the only way to get it was to go to the next model. A bit of a deal breaker. Plus it had an electronic dash – sounds fancy but I had a car in late 90’s with electronic dash and it was nothing but trouble. I will say hopefully technology has improved over the last 10 years but still….

Toyota – same thoughts on overall impression. Drive is nice. The car is quiet. But to get all the bells and whistles the price increases pretty dramatically.

VW – I’ve heard a lot of negative as far as if the car breaks and needs serving or parts. But the people that have one love them. The gas version drove ok but the diesel had the responsiveness of the Mazda. Diesel scares me a bit though. It’s not like every gas station carries it and I’ve never owned diesel. The interior and standard features are an upgrade over some of the other cars in the same price range.

The thing is if you ask ten people what car they think you should look at you'll get ten different answers. At this point, I almost want to step back and think about it. No need for hasty decisions. although I will admit that probably part of my hang up on the new car is two things: 1. I had a Passat for a rental and loved it. VW has decided the US doesn't get any more Passats and they're making a new car for 2011 which isn't out. The only Passats I can find are white. Yuck. 2. I don't want to give up my car. It's not limping into the service station quite yet and part of me just isn't ready to let go.

I've asked K if we can check out a few more cars tonight. I'm thinking that he suggested I go alone didn't bode well for that. I just want the right car or one that stands out as the best... and I'm just not there.

What's your car buying experience been? Do you agree that men and women shop differently?

Driving Away

I've had two cars in my life and only one of those was really mine. It's ten years old and I still love it as much as the day I took it home, but I'm getting ready to say good bye.

Let's start at the beginning. My first car was a big white Oldsmobile the size of a small boat or island - just what a high school student wants. The thing is I did want it. That car was the first bit of freedom. Sure it was a bit large, and the electronic dash cut out at the most random times (I did get great at figuring out speed based on vibration), and it leaked antifreeze but I could go where I wanted (as long as my parents knew). I called her Samantha, Sammy for short. I name all my cars. I don't know why but it gives them personality. And Sammy was a no nonsense type of girl.

When I went to college, my sister got Sammy and I got nothing. My dad said Sammy just wasn't reliable for a two hour trip. After about the fifth time they picked me up they decided a car would be a better option. And so we went shopping. Of course my parents were paying but they at least pretended I had a say in what we got. We drove an Escort, an Echo, and finally my little Protege. We (my parents mainly) decided the Protege was the better deal but did say I could choose between a blue one or a green one. I picked green and named her Isabelle, Belle or Izzy for short (long before Twilight launched any similar names into popularity). Isabelle was a bit exotic sounding and a bit more flash.



Izzy - my always reliable Protege



Izzy and I have been through a lot. I was thinking that today as I drove to work. She's seen me through college, she's seen me through moving north, moving south, buying a house, getting married. If she'd been a friend I'd say we're BFF's. And now, I'm the one whose about to not return her phone calls. As exciting as the prospect of a new car is, it's a bit sad to say goodbye.

So, now I'm at the daunting task of picking a new car. It sounds like it would be fun but it's like walking into a lion pit and hoping to come out victorious. It's all about the game. And I don't really want to play. I want the car to be like buying a Michael Kors dress on 75% clearance at Macy's. I want the original price to be $25,000 with tons of options and the final price to be marked clear as day $17,500. Dream world? Yes. But so much easier than you give me a number before I tell you what I want to pay.

So far we spent much of Sunday driving around looking, test driving, talking, looking at cars. My lunch break today was spent scouting Mazda 3's up and down the east coast. I'm nothing if not loyal to Mazda (I've had pretty good luck with Izzy and the problems I have now are minor). And then my night so far, is no dinner, a quick walk for the dog and more research and adding back in a Jetta for consideration. I've wanted a Passat since I had one as a rental. It was nice. The best rental I can think of to-date (beats out the Mustang which was also a cool rental but horrible visibility and a gas guzzler). The Passat is just a bit big and out of my price range so the Jetta is like it's slightly smaller sister. I had kinda ruled them out - all day I was thinking it's a Mazda 3 but the Mazda dealers don't want to play the game or they're playing too well - offering a measly $1,000 off the sticker price and it's not even that loaded (now I sound like a snob).

The thing is if I'm paying a ton of money and planning to keep this car for a few years, I have to think about what's the biggest bang for my buck and let's just say Jetta's come pretty damn loaded. I'm not even that picky - I want a nice color (I don't like white and I'm not crazy about red or black), I want it to be safe and reliable (I don't need it to fold up in a slight fender bender or be in the shop every other month), and I want Sirius satellite radio. The rest - I don't care. Cloth or leather seats - a toss up. Tons of options - maybe but only if I'd use them (sunroof would be nice but not a deal breaker for me but K is pushing for it). So we'll see... what do you guys think? What car should I buy? Is there something I should consider but haven't?

On the what I've considered note - we've looked at Honda's (K wasn't impressed), Toyota's (they were ok but I wasn't excited about it - do people get excited about Camry's? They're nice cars but they're just a reliable Joe), we've talked about Nissan's (I've had hit or miss with their rentals), I ruled out pretty much all American cars because of the whole bail out nonsense (sorry but I want a dealer that's going to be around tomorrow and let's face it there just aren't that many cool American cars out there for the price and the Ford's I like (Taurus) are too expensive).