It gives me pause.
One of the few environments that can entice me to stop moving and enjoy life.
Saturday, August 06, 2011
You can find me at FGHart.com
Rather than gardens with plants that need tending, my aspirations of writer-dom require me to focus on platform and presence and networks that need attention in order to bloom and grow. Damn. However, this blog will not necessarily die on the vine (as alluded to in this post), but, perhaps instead, this will be my secret garden. A respite for all of the thoughts and images that whirl and shake, eager to be released on the unsuspecting world.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Before and After: a room make over
After: The visitors will be here Friday. I'm reframing the circus pictures (shown leaning against the wall in the first "before" photo) but I'm holding out for Hobby Lobby's half-price sale of their frames. Somebody should tell me it's worth the $50 to finish the room by Friday. Until then, this is how it's looking:
New sheers ($62). New lamps (set of 3 = $70). New "used" bedside table ($25).
Art will definitely help. That and a mirror. And maybe a floor vase with some feather grass or some such.
Before and After: a room make over
The visitors will be here Friday. I'm reframing the circus pictures but I'm holding out for Hobby Lobby's half-price sale of their frames. Somebody should tell me it's worth the $50 to finish the room by Friday. Until then, this is how it's looking.
I'm going to put a bigger plant in front of the window (above).
Art will definitely help. That and a mirror. And maybe a floor vase with some feather grass or some such.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Practice, practice, practice...and the benefits of regular exercise
This year, my workout efforts are stumbling along in fits and starts; an hour here, 30 minutes there. As part of my 3 Words for 2011 and my goals defined for this year I decided that 4 hours per week should be sufficient to move me toward my fitness goals and to maintain some balance in my life. This week (the last week in January) is the first time I've met the 4-hour goal.
I know P90X is a great way to get in shape (such as the notable P90X devotee in congress that a friend highlighted for me). I know I was making fabulous progress toward my goals when I was exercising an hour to an hour and a half every day and strictly adhering to the P90X routine, but the trade-offs were high. I sacrificed the time available for reading & writing and that's not acceptable. But sitting around on an expanding tush isn't acceptable either.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Viva Las Vegas!
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Still working on finding balance
Thursday, December 02, 2010
In Pursuit of Balance and escape from the 10 pound yoyo
Friday, October 15, 2010
9 weeks of P90X + 3 weeks of inactivity = square one
Ni Hao, Taipei
The hotel gave me a breakfast pass and after much encouragement I finally went to the buffet but alas, my tummy was not of a mind to dine. I settled for some cream of mushroom soup, which was actually quite good. What I really needed was a nap. And a blessed shower and change of clothes.
Fast-forward a few hours and I’m in the office feeling fresh as a daisy. Wait…no. I did make it to the office but my stomach was gnarly and rebellious so I after about 30 minutes I went back to the hotel and slept almost solid (woke for a quick "phone home" on Oovoo) through til the next morning.
I’ve not found any magic formulas for survival but I do know that daily yogurt, plenty of sleep and exercise are keys to success. Unfortunately I’m not getting much exercise (see my last post) but I’m doing okay on the other fronts. The last two nights I’ve gotten about 6 hours of sleep versus the tossing and turning that had been going on. What a difference!
I’ve been a slacker on the photo-taking but I did snap one shot of the soup I had for dinner via room service Wednesday night. Beef noodle soup is a staple for me here. I wish I’d gotten a pic of the soup I had for dinner at the food court near my Taipei office on Thursday. It was black. The locals refer to it as “herbal” or “good health” soup. No one can tell me what’s in it. Well, other than the black chicken that is. Why is it black? What’s behind that dark, almost burnt taste? Are those two attributes related? This remains a mystery.
Last night I enjoyed a happy hour buffet celebration with the Program Management team. The food was awesome. Although there was no English to identify the food, there were enough choices that I was able to stick with things I recognized and they were all over-the-top delicious. And there was plenty of Taiwan beer for everyone. I also had my share of watermelon juice.
Which brings me to this morning. I had the opportunity to spend the day at the National Palace Museum but opted instead for a day of R&R, which includes some long overdue blog posts and a walk to the park where I’ll enjoy reading Camille DeAngelis’ Petty Magic. As soon as I finish here, I'm off to be there.
Zai Jian!