HAPPY FRIDAY! It's been a whirlwind week and I've probably averaged 5 hours of sleep over the last 8 nights. I suppose you could distinguish it as practicing, however, I think it's crazy. I've been SLAMMED, but in the midst of soccer practice, soccer games and catching up with friends, I heard some great news today, my roomie and I have an apartment!!! WOO HOO! I'm still trying to figure out housing at Darden. Most people live in Ivy Gardens or Huntington Village, both are within walking distance of grounds. It seems these are basically dorms for grad students in the form of apartments, sounds good to me. :) We plan on having lots of visitors. We received our first choice - 2 bedroom + den. Apparently the den is on a SECOND floor, which makes me wonder if this place is bigger than the model. Suppose we'll see.
The roomie wants to move in during July, which is fine as we have to pay 12 mos rent anyhow, but I wasn't planning to drive out until end of July. I've thought that it may be better driving out early and then flying home for a few weeks and essentially "visit" home, but I'm not sure how feasible that idea is. I still haven't booked my trip to Europe. My dad just returned yelping about how expensive it is. I know that shouldn't deter me, but perhaps I'd be better off bumming around the US or the islands. I'll worry about this some other time.
Have a good weekend! :D
Showing posts with label Sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sleep. Show all posts
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
How do you keep them straight?
HAPPY FRIDAY!! Oh I can't begin to explain how excited I am that the weekend is here, although the sleep for which I long will have to wait until Sunday evening after my soccer game. Argh. Busy is good, however busy is also, well, busy. I attended a Lifehouse concert at the Warfield on Wednesday, which is another converted playhouse, now awesome venue. It's quaint for a live show. I'd never been there before and I wish I would have frequented it sooner as we do get a number of great acts in the Bay Area, but life gets away sometimes.
Last night we had our first prospective membership event for Spinsters. This is when those 'who are you' questions flood the conversation. Luckily, we also strayed past the MBA to discussions on shoes and logistics of walking to work in heels versus flats. Highly thought provoking...kidding. :P Anyhow, there's 175 members in my philanthropic organization. A small percentage of them are easily recognizable as they are very involved in the leadership of the organization. Then there is the other type of member who is no longer a new member, thus not required to partake in anything and will simply show up when or if it's convenient. I actually ran into one of those members at the event last night, she joined my women's soccer team this season and in 2 years, I'd never seen her at a Spinsters event. Go figure we travel in similar circles.
Next, we have the potential new members, which last year consisted of 250 women competing for 60 or so spots. It's like business school, but we don't critique the essays, however each person does need to network like crazy. Meet the right people and meet them often. This is where I have difficulties, keeping everyone straight. Granted, I should try to remember a handful of people, make some notes and move on, but what happens when those people walk up to me at the next event, expecting me to know who they are. We'll repeat our initial conversation because even if I recognize them, I've probably forgotten all the basic answers. And the worst part, I'm on the membership selection committee this year and hence it's imperative that I remember who these people are. Anyone have tips and tricks for keeping people straight? I had the same problem with MBA events. I'd even recognize other applicants, but wouldn't be able to remember where I'd seen them or if I'd even talked with them. This is why I thoroughly enjoy networking sites, there's a lot of basic information at your fingertips for which you don't have to ask.
The good news is, it seems I've moved past my nostalgia for basic conversations and actually enjoyed myself last night. There are a lot of great women trying to join the group. On the Darden front, I should be meeting with an international student, who is in the Bay Area visiting his brother, tonight. It'll be nice to meet another classmate, but I'm hoping the night isn't late as I do have to go bridesmaid dress shopping tomorrow before my soccer game. See... busy. ;)
Last night we had our first prospective membership event for Spinsters. This is when those 'who are you' questions flood the conversation. Luckily, we also strayed past the MBA to discussions on shoes and logistics of walking to work in heels versus flats. Highly thought provoking...kidding. :P Anyhow, there's 175 members in my philanthropic organization. A small percentage of them are easily recognizable as they are very involved in the leadership of the organization. Then there is the other type of member who is no longer a new member, thus not required to partake in anything and will simply show up when or if it's convenient. I actually ran into one of those members at the event last night, she joined my women's soccer team this season and in 2 years, I'd never seen her at a Spinsters event. Go figure we travel in similar circles.
Next, we have the potential new members, which last year consisted of 250 women competing for 60 or so spots. It's like business school, but we don't critique the essays, however each person does need to network like crazy. Meet the right people and meet them often. This is where I have difficulties, keeping everyone straight. Granted, I should try to remember a handful of people, make some notes and move on, but what happens when those people walk up to me at the next event, expecting me to know who they are. We'll repeat our initial conversation because even if I recognize them, I've probably forgotten all the basic answers. And the worst part, I'm on the membership selection committee this year and hence it's imperative that I remember who these people are. Anyone have tips and tricks for keeping people straight? I had the same problem with MBA events. I'd even recognize other applicants, but wouldn't be able to remember where I'd seen them or if I'd even talked with them. This is why I thoroughly enjoy networking sites, there's a lot of basic information at your fingertips for which you don't have to ask.
The good news is, it seems I've moved past my nostalgia for basic conversations and actually enjoyed myself last night. There are a lot of great women trying to join the group. On the Darden front, I should be meeting with an international student, who is in the Bay Area visiting his brother, tonight. It'll be nice to meet another classmate, but I'm hoping the night isn't late as I do have to go bridesmaid dress shopping tomorrow before my soccer game. See... busy. ;)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Immune System Busters
Full list can be found here, but below are two that caught my eye:
3. Avoid Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation has a powerfully detrimental effect on your immune system. The perfect example is college students who get sick after pulling all-nighters cramming for exams.
If you're tired when you wake up in the morning, you're not getting enough sleep, or maybe not enough quality sleep. Either way, your immunity is probably compromised. Poor sleep is associated with lower immune system function and reduced numbers of killer cells that fight germs. Killer cells are also the part of the immune system that combats cells that divide too rapidly, as they do in cancer. Lower their numbers and you may be at greater risk for illness.
Studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation also contributes to heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and other medical illnesses. One study on the effects of sleep deprivation showed that a group of men restricted to 4 to 6 hours of sleep per night experienced changes in hormone function and carbohydrate metabolism that mimic aging changes; the lack of sleep was making them older faster.
10. Use Laughter to Beat Stress
Researchers have found that the positive emotions associated with laughter decrease stress hormones and increase certain immune cells while activating others. In one study conducted at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California, 10 healthy men who watched a funny video for an hour had significant increases in one particular hormone of the immune system that activates other components of the immune system.
So how can you add a little humor to your life? Simply find reasons to laugh. Rent a funny video; read a book of jokes. Have lunch with a friend known for her sense of humor. Lightening up can really light up your immune system.
Hope everyone stays healthy this holiday season!
3. Avoid Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation has a powerfully detrimental effect on your immune system. The perfect example is college students who get sick after pulling all-nighters cramming for exams.
If you're tired when you wake up in the morning, you're not getting enough sleep, or maybe not enough quality sleep. Either way, your immunity is probably compromised. Poor sleep is associated with lower immune system function and reduced numbers of killer cells that fight germs. Killer cells are also the part of the immune system that combats cells that divide too rapidly, as they do in cancer. Lower their numbers and you may be at greater risk for illness.
Studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation also contributes to heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and other medical illnesses. One study on the effects of sleep deprivation showed that a group of men restricted to 4 to 6 hours of sleep per night experienced changes in hormone function and carbohydrate metabolism that mimic aging changes; the lack of sleep was making them older faster.
10. Use Laughter to Beat Stress
Researchers have found that the positive emotions associated with laughter decrease stress hormones and increase certain immune cells while activating others. In one study conducted at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California, 10 healthy men who watched a funny video for an hour had significant increases in one particular hormone of the immune system that activates other components of the immune system.
So how can you add a little humor to your life? Simply find reasons to laugh. Rent a funny video; read a book of jokes. Have lunch with a friend known for her sense of humor. Lightening up can really light up your immune system.
Hope everyone stays healthy this holiday season!
Friday, November 30, 2007
OMFG... I'm done!
It is Friday November 30th and I have had 8 hours of sleep in the last three days, but I feel renewed excitement as I just clicked the "submit" button to what I'm hoping will be my final business school application. This long process started sometime this past February when I decided it was time to attempt the GMAT, a test which I had put off for a solid 11 months. Initially, I purchased a book from Borders with a gift card I received for Christmas last year. My boyfriend at the time was a full-time student finishing up at a university, which made studying together an easy and productive activity. Even though I took a Kaplan class in 2006, I knew I needed more materials if I was to succeed on the GMAT. Thus, I purchased 7 books off Craigslist for $100 and with these books came 10 minutes of the Brit's time - an invaluable 10 minutes it was.
I put myself on a self-study schedule and commencing in May 2007, I quit drinking for practically two months. However, I did not restrain myself from continuing to enjoy my life. Although I was disciplined, studying each day after work during the week and 5-6 hours each day on the weekend, I still went out every weekend and played soccer regularly throughout the week. Additionally, I focused on getting back into peak condition. Basically life was soccer, gym, studying and work.
July 16, 2007 was the date I set for the GMAT. This day was a Monday, two days before my 25th birthday. I had forgone researching schools because my original plan was to score a 600 and attend the University of San Francisco part time MBA program. Needless to say, I outdid myself and walked out of the testing center with a glowing smile. Consequently, I had thrust myself into a whole new ballgame with endless options.
I started basic research utilizing rankings, school websites, and other search engines. The first information session I attended was that of Wharton. Though very interesting and an inviting program, I chose not to apply because of the level of competition. In the end, it probably doesn’t matter. The most valuable resource I found was the San Francisco MBA Tour. A number of schools attended and presented 30 minute presentations about their programs. Furthermore, the fact that the MBA tour was early in year was an incredible benefit. There were approximately 8 different session times with about the same number of choices in schools for each session. The schools were cascaded so that you may attend 8 different schools for the day, or only see the schools to which you are interested. Subsequently, I chose to attend sessions for Michigan, USC, UCLA, Duke, Texas, and Georgetown. As my interest piqued, I continued in depth research of each school and viewed their list of Bay Area information sessions. For the majority of schools to which I applied, I had at least two instances of direct contact with officials, students or alumni of the school.
After four applications and a few more than a dozen essays, it is safe to say, I'm spent. I can no longer adequately pretend that I enjoy watching which words I type, which conjunctions I utilize, if I add a comma or not, if my transitions present sufficient flow, if I need to delete a word because I'm over limit, or whatever other minute details seem not to matter at this moment. Luckily, I should not have to resume this sort of analysis.
Now however, the waiting game begins. With my Kellogg and Georgetown interviews complete, I simply await answers. Conversely, I await answers from Virginia and Michigan, but hopefully in the form of interview invites.
Here's hoping, wishing, and all that jazz. Best of luck to other candidates of the hopeful MBA classes of 2010. Thus far, it's been an experience. On that note, I'm signing off for the weekend. My shoulder hurts from immeasurable hours on the computer and my body desires a long slumber.
I put myself on a self-study schedule and commencing in May 2007, I quit drinking for practically two months. However, I did not restrain myself from continuing to enjoy my life. Although I was disciplined, studying each day after work during the week and 5-6 hours each day on the weekend, I still went out every weekend and played soccer regularly throughout the week. Additionally, I focused on getting back into peak condition. Basically life was soccer, gym, studying and work.
July 16, 2007 was the date I set for the GMAT. This day was a Monday, two days before my 25th birthday. I had forgone researching schools because my original plan was to score a 600 and attend the University of San Francisco part time MBA program. Needless to say, I outdid myself and walked out of the testing center with a glowing smile. Consequently, I had thrust myself into a whole new ballgame with endless options.
I started basic research utilizing rankings, school websites, and other search engines. The first information session I attended was that of Wharton. Though very interesting and an inviting program, I chose not to apply because of the level of competition. In the end, it probably doesn’t matter. The most valuable resource I found was the San Francisco MBA Tour. A number of schools attended and presented 30 minute presentations about their programs. Furthermore, the fact that the MBA tour was early in year was an incredible benefit. There were approximately 8 different session times with about the same number of choices in schools for each session. The schools were cascaded so that you may attend 8 different schools for the day, or only see the schools to which you are interested. Subsequently, I chose to attend sessions for Michigan, USC, UCLA, Duke, Texas, and Georgetown. As my interest piqued, I continued in depth research of each school and viewed their list of Bay Area information sessions. For the majority of schools to which I applied, I had at least two instances of direct contact with officials, students or alumni of the school.
After four applications and a few more than a dozen essays, it is safe to say, I'm spent. I can no longer adequately pretend that I enjoy watching which words I type, which conjunctions I utilize, if I add a comma or not, if my transitions present sufficient flow, if I need to delete a word because I'm over limit, or whatever other minute details seem not to matter at this moment. Luckily, I should not have to resume this sort of analysis.
Now however, the waiting game begins. With my Kellogg and Georgetown interviews complete, I simply await answers. Conversely, I await answers from Virginia and Michigan, but hopefully in the form of interview invites.
Here's hoping, wishing, and all that jazz. Best of luck to other candidates of the hopeful MBA classes of 2010. Thus far, it's been an experience. On that note, I'm signing off for the weekend. My shoulder hurts from immeasurable hours on the computer and my body desires a long slumber.
The Last
It's only been 2.5 hours since my last post, which isn't bad considering the additional essay revamp Georgetown two just received. I think I'm finally confident about my essays. It's a great feeling seeing that I was highly confident with all my essays when I hit the submit button on my last two applications, 3 weeks ago. It's time to give the rough drafts to dad for last minute changes. Additionally, my reviewer received one more copy for comment. Subsequently, I think I may have to fly to Colorado and take him to dinner, you will never know the value of a good reviewer unless you go through this process. My gratitude seems unrepresentative of how he has helped me. Lastly, my boss needs to finish my recommendation. Talk about cutting it close. ;) Perhaps we truly do have something in common seeing I sent the recommendation to him in September. I will be amazed if this is all completed by tomorrow night - the due date. Phew, off to get my ... less than... 3 hours of sleep. OUCH!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Hours Left
As I lay in bed last night, I thought how instead of counting down days until my application is complete, I should count hours as there are not many left. Today, I am exhausted because I spent many of those hours fixing my Georgetown essay drafts and eventually, I hit the pillow a few minutes sub three in the morning. Any 'normal' person would probably drown themselves in coffee as it is 7 am and three hours of sleep doesn't remotely crest the sleep needed to function. However, even over three years in investment management hasn't made me a coffee junkie, so why start now.
By now, I'm sure you're thinking, enough of your rambling, yeah - I know, I apologize for being overly tired. You want the meat? Here it goes. On Monday, I was fortunate enough to find three victims to review my Georgetown essays. The most in-depth analysis came from a faithful friend in Colorado, who always seems to have an eloquent way to divulge all information. Let's just say, he "destroyed" what I wrote, but isn't that the point of a good review? Granted, a solidly demonstrated story or position does not need to be saturated in red ink, which leads me to assume, my paper was not such.
In the first of the three essays, I liked many of his suggestions, but I enforced what had already been written by adding numerical results to demonstrate my accomplishments. Next, I tackled essay three, which did not stray from the base story, but is now substantially cleaner than before. Finally, I resumed work on essay two, the outlier. After reading his comments, I felt even less confident about my choice of topic for Leadership because I feel I chose a topic that had the title, but did not necessarily display the leadership characteristics I wish to exhibit. Naturally, I did what any other applicant would do two days away from the due date, I scraped the entire essay but a paragraph and picked a new topic where I embodied the characteristics of a leader. I fear that this new essay will not be met with positive feedback, but here is hoping.
On a work note, I received a powerful email yesterday, which discussed "leaving your job". Most employees provide their employer the standard two weeks notice but as employees, we often forget that we may need our employer for a future reference or better yet, a general connection at some point in the future. Subsequently, as the days of your notice wind down, always remember to put your best foot forward and go out with a bang. You want to be remembered as a fantastic employee, who put in the effort until the end, instead of that employee that slacked off their last week.
By now, I'm sure you're thinking, enough of your rambling, yeah - I know, I apologize for being overly tired. You want the meat? Here it goes. On Monday, I was fortunate enough to find three victims to review my Georgetown essays. The most in-depth analysis came from a faithful friend in Colorado, who always seems to have an eloquent way to divulge all information. Let's just say, he "destroyed" what I wrote, but isn't that the point of a good review? Granted, a solidly demonstrated story or position does not need to be saturated in red ink, which leads me to assume, my paper was not such.
In the first of the three essays, I liked many of his suggestions, but I enforced what had already been written by adding numerical results to demonstrate my accomplishments. Next, I tackled essay three, which did not stray from the base story, but is now substantially cleaner than before. Finally, I resumed work on essay two, the outlier. After reading his comments, I felt even less confident about my choice of topic for Leadership because I feel I chose a topic that had the title, but did not necessarily display the leadership characteristics I wish to exhibit. Naturally, I did what any other applicant would do two days away from the due date, I scraped the entire essay but a paragraph and picked a new topic where I embodied the characteristics of a leader. I fear that this new essay will not be met with positive feedback, but here is hoping.
On a work note, I received a powerful email yesterday, which discussed "leaving your job". Most employees provide their employer the standard two weeks notice but as employees, we often forget that we may need our employer for a future reference or better yet, a general connection at some point in the future. Subsequently, as the days of your notice wind down, always remember to put your best foot forward and go out with a bang. You want to be remembered as a fantastic employee, who put in the effort until the end, instead of that employee that slacked off their last week.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Procrastination
I never thought that my Georgetown essays would be the most difficult and perhaps, they won't be, but to find out, I need to start them. I've been fussing on the computer and researching for the past few hours. I'm behind on sleep, as always, and I have my Kellogg interview set for brunch on Sunday morning. I'm a bit nervous. Need to relearn why I loved Kellogg so much. It seems that the differences in the schools blur as I write essays and complete applications. I definitely know the reason for applying best when I'm working on my applications.
Georgetown: The reason I am applying is their INTERNATIONAL emphasis. They may not be in Europe or Australia, but Georgetown is in the heart of a stateside international experience.
With revived determination, I'm ready to start writing.
Georgetown: The reason I am applying is their INTERNATIONAL emphasis. They may not be in Europe or Australia, but Georgetown is in the heart of a stateside international experience.
With revived determination, I'm ready to start writing.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Revamp...I lost count
Thursday night, 11 pm, I may actually get to bed at a "decent" hour tonight. It's amazing how your view on time and sleeping changes as you get less of it.
I just finished another revamp of most my Darden and Michigan essays. I have one more essay in the Darden set to review, however, I don't have the thought process or energy to do it tonight. Definitely tomorrow though. In some ways, I feel that I am close to finishing, but in other ways, I have no idea. It's hard because my reviewers at the moment are people that may be good at writing, but haven't interacted with the b-school adcom. I don't count their comments any differently, but it's been a different process. I send my essays to 5 people hoping at least one if not two returns some quality comments.
Tonight, I shot Stu an email to see if he'd be willing to get together before my soccer game on Saturday. It'd be nice to have a session and have him look over all my essays. I feel that he has a good handle on what is going on with these essays. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll see if Mary is willing to get together. I thought about asking her first, but because I have worked with Stu, I guess I am a bit more comfortable. In retrospect though, that's the exact reason I should have asked Mary. I don't know her well and on some levels, I guess I feel that she is one of "Nate's friends". I know that sounds absurd, but even through everything, I never want to step on toes. He means/meant far too much to me. I think I've written too much... (luckily few people read this but me)
It's strange how I can feel on top of my essays like everything works, but then I can feel so removed from it all. I wonder who this person I write about is and mainly, if she really is me. How can you convey a sense of who you are in 3 essays, with word limits of 500 and 300 words. You do have to cut the BS, but by doing that, are you just adding more? ... Getting too philosophical for me. G'night.
I just finished another revamp of most my Darden and Michigan essays. I have one more essay in the Darden set to review, however, I don't have the thought process or energy to do it tonight. Definitely tomorrow though. In some ways, I feel that I am close to finishing, but in other ways, I have no idea. It's hard because my reviewers at the moment are people that may be good at writing, but haven't interacted with the b-school adcom. I don't count their comments any differently, but it's been a different process. I send my essays to 5 people hoping at least one if not two returns some quality comments.
Tonight, I shot Stu an email to see if he'd be willing to get together before my soccer game on Saturday. It'd be nice to have a session and have him look over all my essays. I feel that he has a good handle on what is going on with these essays. If that doesn't work, maybe I'll see if Mary is willing to get together. I thought about asking her first, but because I have worked with Stu, I guess I am a bit more comfortable. In retrospect though, that's the exact reason I should have asked Mary. I don't know her well and on some levels, I guess I feel that she is one of "Nate's friends". I know that sounds absurd, but even through everything, I never want to step on toes. He means/meant far too much to me. I think I've written too much... (luckily few people read this but me)
It's strange how I can feel on top of my essays like everything works, but then I can feel so removed from it all. I wonder who this person I write about is and mainly, if she really is me. How can you convey a sense of who you are in 3 essays, with word limits of 500 and 300 words. You do have to cut the BS, but by doing that, are you just adding more? ... Getting too philosophical for me. G'night.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sleep is GOOOD!
I crawled into bed shortly before 8 pm last night. I was down for the count by 30 after and today I feel good. I don't quite have that I've slept forever and feel good feeling, but getting out of bed this morning was more pleasant than it was been in days. :D
Yesterday, I test drove two cars. It's hard to compare when I basically believe I have the best. Besides my "finicky" CD player, my X5 has been very good to me. When I posted here - 3 years ago, that I was getting a new car, many lashed out about what a spoiled brat I am. It's true on some level. I am spoiled, but by no means do I consider myself a brat. Lucky would be my word choice.
Anyhow, the Tribeca was nice and hugged the road. I think it still has some kinks and if Subaru keeps at it, they'll get it. On the other hand the RDX is definitely for the tech savvy. I'm addicted to gizmos and gadgets, which could be the reason I was enthralled with this car. The bluetooth is definitely a nice feature because lately, I feel that I lose my headpiece, but the car also has voice activation for EVERYTHING! You can tell it to play a CD and track number. You can instruct it to find the nearest Mexican restaurant. It is even programmed with Zagat reviews. Talk about nifty. So the downside, it's missing one of my FAVORITE things, parking sensors. I don't understand what is going on with these cars. You can get back up sensors and they install a rear camera, but they don't allow for front sensors. I guess people don't realize how efficient they are for parallel parking, especially in San Francisco.
Now what? The Acura was a nice drive, although definitely not as smooth as my BMW. The sales guy said that Acura drivers like to feel the road. I think they just don't know what it is like to not feel the road. (Personal opinion of course.) There's nothing wrong with feeling the road. I drove a Discovery for 6 years, which definitely drives like a truck. But after three years in luxury, I'm not sure I want to return to that. I have a week to decide and finish 7 essays. OUCH.
"Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence."
Yesterday, I test drove two cars. It's hard to compare when I basically believe I have the best. Besides my "finicky" CD player, my X5 has been very good to me. When I posted here - 3 years ago, that I was getting a new car, many lashed out about what a spoiled brat I am. It's true on some level. I am spoiled, but by no means do I consider myself a brat. Lucky would be my word choice.
Anyhow, the Tribeca was nice and hugged the road. I think it still has some kinks and if Subaru keeps at it, they'll get it. On the other hand the RDX is definitely for the tech savvy. I'm addicted to gizmos and gadgets, which could be the reason I was enthralled with this car. The bluetooth is definitely a nice feature because lately, I feel that I lose my headpiece, but the car also has voice activation for EVERYTHING! You can tell it to play a CD and track number. You can instruct it to find the nearest Mexican restaurant. It is even programmed with Zagat reviews. Talk about nifty. So the downside, it's missing one of my FAVORITE things, parking sensors. I don't understand what is going on with these cars. You can get back up sensors and they install a rear camera, but they don't allow for front sensors. I guess people don't realize how efficient they are for parallel parking, especially in San Francisco.
Now what? The Acura was a nice drive, although definitely not as smooth as my BMW. The sales guy said that Acura drivers like to feel the road. I think they just don't know what it is like to not feel the road. (Personal opinion of course.) There's nothing wrong with feeling the road. I drove a Discovery for 6 years, which definitely drives like a truck. But after three years in luxury, I'm not sure I want to return to that. I have a week to decide and finish 7 essays. OUCH.
"Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence."
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Days Blur
I'm not sure how it is possible that I immediately get out of bed when the alarm to start blaring. I quit hitting snooze months ago which means I not only get a solid 30 minutes of extra sleep, but I also don't have to hear the alarm twice. I'll admit, like with anything, some mornings are easier than others. Lately, I can't say the mornings are difficult, but I feel like I'm in a haze day in and out. I couldn't figure out if it was Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday this morning. Process of elimination says it couldn't be Monday because I do recall going to work yesterday. Unfortunately, it was going the day before that was tough to decipher. Eventually I concluded that it is indeed Wednesday and I desperately need rest. I contemplate blowing off essays tonight and crashing at 8 pm. It would probably be a good idea, but the essays need to get done.
After work I'm going to test drive a Subaru Tribeca. I'll admit that I don't know enough about the car, but I am hoping to learn more today. The feeling is strange, I absolutely LOVE my car, however I was not satisfied when I was told that my CD player isn't working because it is finicky. That answer is unacceptable! Not to mention, it just so happens that I am 3 weeks from the end of my lease, however, I don't exactly have the time to go searching for a new car. Consequently, I'm looking at a price point right now, which is a sticker price comparable to my buyout. As I've told my mom, at some point, I'd like not to have a car payment, but for some reason, I keep looking at leases. I think I may also glance at the Acrua RDX. It's substantially smaller than my BMW, but it doesn't hurt to look.
After work I'm going to test drive a Subaru Tribeca. I'll admit that I don't know enough about the car, but I am hoping to learn more today. The feeling is strange, I absolutely LOVE my car, however I was not satisfied when I was told that my CD player isn't working because it is finicky. That answer is unacceptable! Not to mention, it just so happens that I am 3 weeks from the end of my lease, however, I don't exactly have the time to go searching for a new car. Consequently, I'm looking at a price point right now, which is a sticker price comparable to my buyout. As I've told my mom, at some point, I'd like not to have a car payment, but for some reason, I keep looking at leases. I think I may also glance at the Acrua RDX. It's substantially smaller than my BMW, but it doesn't hurt to look.
So Tired
So tired and here I am starting a blog when I should be brushing my teeth and jumping into bed. It's a few minutes sub midnight - officially 2 hours after I was hoping to be in bed. I skipped practice tonight because of my essays. I finally got Michigan reworked and edited, but I'm not sure how I feel about them. I'm hoping my Darden essays come back more "excellent" comments. That'd be nice. My typing keeps getting worse, so I'm signing off. I know I won't be rested tomorrow, but I can at least hope I'm functioning. Maybe I'm just practicing for grad school with all this lack of sleep. ;)
Wed - 4 hours
Thurs - 4 hours
Fri - Decent sleep
Sat - 6 hours
Sun - 5 hours
Mon - ?? hours
Tues - (6 hours if I was sleeping this moment)
Wed - 4 hours
Thurs - 4 hours
Fri - Decent sleep
Sat - 6 hours
Sun - 5 hours
Mon - ?? hours
Tues - (6 hours if I was sleeping this moment)
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Busy Living
I looked at this today and realized it's been days since my last post and even then, the last post was nothing more than some quotes I like. Life has been busy. I finally feel rested. I hadn't been to bed before 11 pm in almost two weeks when I decided that yesterday was the night. The market was all over the place and thus provided a very stressful day at work. I went to the gym, but kept the work out to some strength training. Dinner offered by the fam was Chinese, so I opted to make spaghetti. I grew up on pasta, but don't eat it nearly as much as I did. I'll admit, it hit the spot. After dinner, I jumped into bed and watched the rest of FlightPlan, not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Finally I drifted off sometime after 8 pm. It was GREAT! I woke with a little bounce in my step. :D
That boring day does not top my Saturday soccer girls night out! We'd been planning a girls night out for a couple weeks. The first email sent was a save the date. The correspondence after that was discussion as to where we wanted to go and what we wanted to eat. Eva took the reigns on food and I added us to some guest lists. We decided to start at Roe. Now I've been to Roe many times, but it's never been quite as dead as it was on Saturday night. Even the hip hop floor was dead. Either way, we danced until 12 am there. It was a good warm up and nice to have LOTS of room. Le Coloniel followed Roe. We lost a few people on our way over and even more as the night progressed. 2 am struck and I was left with the troopers - Jenna and Shauna. They, like I, were not ready to escape yet, so we went to an after hours party. Turns out both Shauna and I knew people there. It's a rather small world. We danced there until 4 am. Returning to my house, we raided the pantry full of girl scout cookies. The girls opened 4 different boxes - just what we needed at 5 am. Everyone was in bed sub 5:30 am and up by 9:30 am. Jenna had 2 games starting at 10 am. My game started at 10:30 am and I ended up playing back to back games - totaling 160 minutes. Talk about dead, but the day wasn't over yet. I had to go to a housewarming party for my friend Crystal. Even after the lack of sleep and exhausting day, I still didn't make it to bed until 11 pm. OUCH!
I guess I've just been busy living! :D
That boring day does not top my Saturday soccer girls night out! We'd been planning a girls night out for a couple weeks. The first email sent was a save the date. The correspondence after that was discussion as to where we wanted to go and what we wanted to eat. Eva took the reigns on food and I added us to some guest lists. We decided to start at Roe. Now I've been to Roe many times, but it's never been quite as dead as it was on Saturday night. Even the hip hop floor was dead. Either way, we danced until 12 am there. It was a good warm up and nice to have LOTS of room. Le Coloniel followed Roe. We lost a few people on our way over and even more as the night progressed. 2 am struck and I was left with the troopers - Jenna and Shauna. They, like I, were not ready to escape yet, so we went to an after hours party. Turns out both Shauna and I knew people there. It's a rather small world. We danced there until 4 am. Returning to my house, we raided the pantry full of girl scout cookies. The girls opened 4 different boxes - just what we needed at 5 am. Everyone was in bed sub 5:30 am and up by 9:30 am. Jenna had 2 games starting at 10 am. My game started at 10:30 am and I ended up playing back to back games - totaling 160 minutes. Talk about dead, but the day wasn't over yet. I had to go to a housewarming party for my friend Crystal. Even after the lack of sleep and exhausting day, I still didn't make it to bed until 11 pm. OUCH!
I guess I've just been busy living! :D
Monday, March 14, 2005
Sleep?
Like clockwork, 5:30 am the alarm goes off signaling another work day is about to begin. And like every other day, I hit snooze for about 15 minutes praying that it be Saturday, Sunday, or whatever other day I have off. The Sleep Foundation says that the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep. I didn't get that last night and on most nights I get closer to the minimum than the max. On a good day, I will be in bed asleep by 10 pm. When I first started working these slightly awkward hours, I had a lot of good days, as time has passed, the good days are few and far between. I am lucky to be in bed by 11 pm, and more often than not, I am still awake at 12 am. This means if I sleep soundly through the night, I may get 5-7 hours of sleep.
Then there are the weekends. Every weekend I manage to mess my sleeping schedule up more than I did during the week. It is also recommended that you get up and go to bed at the same time, come Friday, I am going to sleep at the time I normally get up. How's that for regularity? Then I continue to sleep until one of my friends calls me enough times to convince me to get up.
We always say 24 hours in a day is not enough time, but if you think about it, what would we do with 36 hours? We wouldn't rest more, we wouldn't sleep more, we wouldn't have more time to enjoy ourselves, most likely we would work more, sleep less, and continue being tired. Of course you wonder how someone with a fulltime job has enough time for 8 hours of sleep, the recommended daily amount. We spend no less than 8 hours at work, an hour or two in commute time, a couple hours at the gym, an hour for eating (preparation and eating time), get ready time is about another hour if not longer. So overall you are left with 2 - 3 hours of "you" time if you get a solid 8 hours of sleep. That is enough time for one phone call and a movie.
There are many reasons that we don't sleep well through the night and I wish I could pinpoint one because it would make my life a lot easier. Every time I wake up, I have to look at the clock. If I don't, I worry about what time it is and if I am actually supposed to be getting up soon. I did that this morning, 5 minutes before the scheduled time of my alarm, I woke up, only to find that going back to sleep would be worthless. A tip on better sleep suggests that you should never look at the clock in the middle of the night because it causes anxiety. Of course, being that I work very early hours, it is always dark out when I get up, so there is no way of telling how close or far from waking up I am. I feel the utter need to know what time it is, but I guess everything is worth a try.
Maybe if I got on some sort of sleep schedule I would be more attentive during the day. Of course, being young and the word sleep schedule don't exactly go hand in hand. Hopefully I will sleep better tonight!
Then there are the weekends. Every weekend I manage to mess my sleeping schedule up more than I did during the week. It is also recommended that you get up and go to bed at the same time, come Friday, I am going to sleep at the time I normally get up. How's that for regularity? Then I continue to sleep until one of my friends calls me enough times to convince me to get up.
We always say 24 hours in a day is not enough time, but if you think about it, what would we do with 36 hours? We wouldn't rest more, we wouldn't sleep more, we wouldn't have more time to enjoy ourselves, most likely we would work more, sleep less, and continue being tired. Of course you wonder how someone with a fulltime job has enough time for 8 hours of sleep, the recommended daily amount. We spend no less than 8 hours at work, an hour or two in commute time, a couple hours at the gym, an hour for eating (preparation and eating time), get ready time is about another hour if not longer. So overall you are left with 2 - 3 hours of "you" time if you get a solid 8 hours of sleep. That is enough time for one phone call and a movie.
There are many reasons that we don't sleep well through the night and I wish I could pinpoint one because it would make my life a lot easier. Every time I wake up, I have to look at the clock. If I don't, I worry about what time it is and if I am actually supposed to be getting up soon. I did that this morning, 5 minutes before the scheduled time of my alarm, I woke up, only to find that going back to sleep would be worthless. A tip on better sleep suggests that you should never look at the clock in the middle of the night because it causes anxiety. Of course, being that I work very early hours, it is always dark out when I get up, so there is no way of telling how close or far from waking up I am. I feel the utter need to know what time it is, but I guess everything is worth a try.
Maybe if I got on some sort of sleep schedule I would be more attentive during the day. Of course, being young and the word sleep schedule don't exactly go hand in hand. Hopefully I will sleep better tonight!
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