Ten on Tuesday

1. I burned 1,225 calories last night at the gym. I took hip-hop class and salsa/funk; both were fun. Not so coincidentally, John was in both classes with me. It was a great way to kick off the week.
2. I'm listening to Christmas music. I love the album "Christmas Offerings" by Third Day. It has some new twists on traditional carols; just beautiful. I know I'm early, but I really love the stuff. And I'd much rather to listen to mine than the local radio station that will play only holiday music from now-ish through Christmas, because I swear they only have 12 CDs that they just play on shuffle for about six weeks every year. At least on the iPod, there's variety. I've got everything from Bing to the Boss, Nat to the Nylons ... I may not repeat at all between now and December 25.
3. I am participating in National Novel Writing Month. We'll see how it goes; I'm supposed to write 50,000 words in November. Cute Brian encouraged me with a topic last weekend; it's based on a true story, but with a good deal of embellishment because it's fun. A lot of work, but I think I can do it.
4. Ever since we got back from our summer vacation in South Haven, the commercials for Michigan's travel and tourism board have been stalking me. I was so hopeful that they'd be done when the weather turned cold; not so. This morning, I woke up to a very well-spoken man telling me this: The temperatures cool down but the excitement and hospitality heat up. Experience the snow-covered landscape of a Michigan winter. When natural beauty, brilliant exhilaration and good times come together, the sensation is Pure Michigan. No, it wasn't a guy in my home, it was that damned announcer, making me miss my extended family all over again and wish we were all together again in a place that seemed magical until we realized that the magic wasn't Michigan; the magic was us.
5. Our office dress code policy was just re-done. They now allow corduroy. No other fabric was given special mention, so I have to assume velvet, cotton, linen and wool are not allowed. Better get myself some new corduroy!
6. With each week, I get closer to having a working budget. By the beginning of 2009, I hope to be able to say that I am not just following it, but it has become a habit. I look at it this way: If a former couch potato can transform into someone who loves the gym as much as I do, well, anything is possible!
7. There are only 11 get-ups until Thanksgiving. It's my very favorite holiday, and I am very excited to spend the day with the Bieritz clan. I have so many memories of Thanksgiving as a child ... going to Nana and Papa's for turkey and all the trimmings, sitting at the kids' table with the other kids, even when we were all teenagers, piling on Toots' bed and watching Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang. This was my first exposure to family being more than just who you're related to. For us, Thanksgiving was spent with the neighbors. Nana and Papa lived next door to us when we were growing up, and they were as much of a staple in our lives as our Grandma and Grandpa who lived a block away. Toots (Annette, from whom I got my middle name), Spike (Eugene), and Dave (who somehow never got a nickname) were their kids, and they were our people for as long as I can remember. Time has altered the group, with Nana, Papa and Toots now gone (and probably enjoying turkey with Mom,) but Thanksgiving will always be our holiday in my heart. This year, Kathie and Alex will be in Disney World, so it will just be Dad, Mike, Pat, Jenn, Bernie and me, and that's allright. More stuffing for me!
8. I could really use a massage. Years ago, my sister Jenn was studying to be a certified massage therapist, and my other sisters and I got to be her guinea pigs. I miss that. Massage is expensive, and I am poor. There is no middle ground.
9. Can a 42-year-old woman use the word "werd"? Can she also refer to friends 10+ years younger as "dude"? Or does that just make me the creepy old lady who maybe needs a couple more cats?
10. I started logging my calories and workouts on Spark again. If you have any interest in becoming more healthy and fit, I would highly recommend the site. It's free, thorough, free, helpful, free and motivational. Did I mention that it's free? I love it; it has helped me lose about 40 pounds so far, on the way to many more.