Balancing in Stilettos

writing class quickie: Use the word "time" in a short fictional

2009-01-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

a short piece written in 20 min so be kind to the over dramatic and non-concluded.

I rush home from work in the hopes of at least beginning my dog’s walk in the sunlight. Perhaps adding a five or a ten here and there to the speed limit signs isn’t the wisest thing to do. But I enjoy the feeling of pushing the peddle harder, and the reassuring engine’s gusto. I walk in the door, kicking off high heels and pulling off my jacket as John comes to greet me. He has already started dinner, and I really only have 45 minutes to jog. Our baby Akiva, otherwise known as dog princess of the house, paces in the doorway as I change and lace up my shoes. In less then five minutes of my arrival, I am out the door again bundled up against the fall chill.
Akiva and I head towards her favorite park, and our most usual path. Together we move without verbal commands. We both have this route memorized. Our pace picks up as we leave our neighborhood and take our first crunch steps onto the gravel path. I pretend to enjoy the calm around me, but instead my mind whirls. John and I have been bickering a lot lately. An unusual rut for us to be in, very rarely do we argue. Even now we don’t argue. We are more civilized than that. Well, more civilized once I had my moment and was through breaking a glass or five in the kitchen. I was controlled enough at least to wait till he had left, and then I aimed them at nothing in particular. On coming home and finding me cleaning the mess, I had to “explain” that I had tripped while unloading the dish washer. I swept our kitchen floor with care to make sure Akiva wouldn’t get shards in her paws.
We aren’t disagreeing about any one topic. I feel lonely and he feels smothered. Isn’t that how the complaint usually goes? Either way I knew we were due for an hour long show down, and then everything would be wonderful again. A hour of yelling and then a month or two of peace. All I had to do, was apologize at the appropriate time and he had to show concern for my stress.
My thoughts snap to the trail as Akiva starts after a rabbit. I pull her back in with a nasty quick tug to the leash. She is too big to be subtle with. We walk and begin to turn around as I start to get dizzy. Each step rings in my ears competing with the sound of my heart pumping. I pick up our pace as I start panting. I pull off my cap and scarf but am roasting despite the cold wind picking up in the trees. All of a sudden I see black.
I wake up face first in woodchips and gravel. Their earthy musty smell is sharp and mixed with decaying yellow leaves. I roll over to see Akiva a yard or two away laying in a wallow of muck. I feel slightly refreshed, as one might feel after a cat nap. I have the hint of a headache, but I can no longer remember what I had been thinking about. I call Akiva and we head home. Her at my side despite the fact that I haven’t bothered to pick up the purple nylon leash trailing from her neck.
“How was your walk?” John asks as we open the door. I start to answer then realize he is on his knees talking to Akiva. “Did the gorgeous girl have a good walk? Does she want a kiss?”
“Mommy does!’ I say kicking off my shoes. He looks up and frowns then comes over and lands a peck on my cheek. We sit down to dinner, then read sharing the coach until bed.
I forget all about passing out. I definitely don’t tell John. He would find it weird if I said that I liked it. A week later I start getting calls from my sister. Her marriage isn’t working. They are getting a divorce. I knew they were fighting a lot, but I figured that was their passion. But now suddenly I am taking her calls at work, at the bar, before bed. We talk, though I can barely understand what she says because each time she calls she is sobbing. Suddenly my world and my time seems all spoken for. I have to help her through this, because who else will. I start getting nervous myself about John and I. We still haven’t duked it out. In fact he hovers on the sidelines while I cry myself to sleep from exhaustion. That’s when I start experimenting.
If I cut out water in the afternoon sometimes I pass out when I go for my jogs. Sometimes if I just get by all day on little handfuls of food, when I hit the trail I black out. I start getting up early in the mornings supposedly to make my evenings easier… but really to force my body to run barely awake and eight hours hungry. I get good at learning the other neighborhood exerciser’s routines. I know to avoid certain paths with benches that they use to stretch and do push ups. In those few moments when my body must be landing with a dead weight thud on the mulch I am calm. I have all the time in the world and no need to search for inner peace. It just finds me. Who knew that your body had the ability to snatch you up and carry you away. Only to deposit you back with the peace of a week long retreat after only a few seconds gone.
Work gets harder, taking my sisters phone calls gets harder, because now all I want to do is run. Push myself to the point where I literally cannot go on. But I had to get smart. John would be upset if Akiva got away in those few moments unattended. So I started knotting the leash around my wrist. He has also started watching me to make sure that I am eating breakfast and taking stock of the fridge to make sure that food items are being taken for lunch. I never try to skip dinner, though I volunteer more to clear plates and do the dishes. I then am able to whisk my half full plate away before he can see. I feel slightly guilty that I have this secret. He might if he knew. I did have to explain coming home with leaves in my hair and grass stains on my self once or twice. But in time it doesn’t matter. No matter how little I eat or how hard I run, I can’t get my body to black out. I bang my fists on trees by the path in protest. I fast until my head aches and I can barely stay awake at work. But to no affect. For some reason I am no longer allowed to time travel. So instead I made an appointment and got myself some pills. Now I just live in a box. I don’t fall and escape time anymore. Time just runs more slowly to me at least. The pills delay and dull my reactions. Now when I walk the dog. It is just up and down the block, back and forth once or twice. Now I don’t bother answering my phone, and problems at work or with John? They can be solved tomorrow. There is plenty of time tomorrow.

CHEATING

2008-11-19T11:29:00.001-08:00

I am being horrible. I haven't updated this in forever! I haven't even updated my book list! I wonder how many books read I have not reported. Here are the titles of a couple most recent (I'll add authors later):
The Corrections, The Almond Picker, Falling into Manholes, Understanding Marijuana, Vienna Blood, I Don't- a Contraian History of Marriage, and thats all I can rememeber. Pity!

Funny

2008-10-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny. A life lesson I guess, that the minute I get one aspect of my life okay another one slips out of my grasp. It seems to work out okay in the end-with me diving and catching at the last minute. What's a scraped up nose, or more literally a scratched eye?
In the tiniest instants everything can go from amazing to devastating. A birthday celebration to a funeral for a marriage. That proclivity of life towards change scares me. The potential of each day can be overwhelming. If you let it. I would love to explore that idea. But in a more simplified sense. What can be seemingly normal but can overwhelm a person to the point where their only wish is to escape? What would that subversive tipping point be? Something less dramatic, something that one would expect that they would get over. Th un-grand gesture.

New additions to the List of No Nos

2008-08-27T11:45:00.001-07:00

So temporarily I have new additions to my list of foods that I can't eat.
-no sugar, natural or added. Good bye fruit!
-no fermented drinks. Good bye beer!

So my diet is looking more and more like the South Beach diet first two weeks.
Looks like I am on Veggies, Meat, and dairy only.
On the upside, I discovered I loved Greek Yogurt. I am getting more creative from my cooking. I still get mashed potatoes! I also will waste away to a size 2 in a month or two. Ha.

Surprised

2008-08-25T14:22:00.001-07:00

Suprised at how fast time can fly.
I can't believe how lovely this summer has been! I always associate August with the beginning of school and there fore the end of summer. So in my head this past weekend was a perfect ending to a lovely summer. This is despite the fact that I am not back in school.
This past weekend I learned to kayak, and I must say I am now scheming to get one of my own! It was much faster and more agile then the canoe my group also had. The trip had its downs, but those were more related to the exterior group that we went with. Away from them on the river, I had a lovely time with Liam and the Banker.
After such lovely scenery and a fun time in the kayak, the Banker had me almost convinced to pack up and move to the country. Although I am not sure how much good my stiletto collection will do me out there!

The Sun Rise Continued...

2008-07-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

The rest of my first week waking up with the roosters and "morning" people.
Morning Two:
5:00- Warning "snooze" alarm goes off. To which the banker swears I yell "No! Longer!"
5:30- Alarm goes off. I bounce out of bed and straight into a jarring ice cold shower to wake up. Thunder rattles and and rain pours down.
5:50-Downstairs, and even have time to make a healthy and yummy breakfast smoothie.
6:00-Starting to feel drowsy. Ride down, I chatter nonsensically to stay awake.
6:16- Seek shelter at Starbucks, avoid chatter from over friendly guy in suit. Mentioning the banker stops the conversation very effectively.

Morning Three:
5:30- Stick leg out and keep it hovering over the bed. The banker disappears downstairs.
5:45- Wake back up to the sounds of NPR. Proceed to literally roll out of bed and get ready.
6:00- The banker comments that I am being particularly grumpy on the ride down. Even mentions that I don't have to wake up and carpool. I keep my mouth shut.
6:16- Get downtown and sleep for an hour locked in the banker's truck.

Morning Four:
Pretty similar to morning one, but I wake up late and have to forgo making breakfast at home. I sit at my favorite diner, Ernie's eating eggs and reading. I realize just how much more time I have to read and write, now that I am up early. I sit outside on a bench for my remaining wait, and realize just how wonderful it is to start a day of work as such.

Morning Five:
Waking up seems easier today, though it is raining again. Once downtown I jump over the river of rainwater that has grown on the sidewalk and hustle inside Starbucks to enjoy a morning smoothie, Emerson, and a cranberry orange scone. Talkative suit guy comes in but orders his coffee to go, thankfully.

I Now Know What A Sun Rise Looks Like

2008-07-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I exaggerate. I have seen sunrises before. Granted it's usually grumpily, and reluctantly. But with the new job, I now have to drive to work. But excitingly the banker and I work within five minutes of each other. So to save gas we carpool. Which sounds like a great idea, but I am a night person and he is a morning person. He likes to get up and go to the gym. My inner Scrooge gets the better of me and as much as I love sleep, I love saving even more.
The first morning:
5:30- NPR clicks on with the morning news. The Banker promptly gets up and begins getting ready. I roll on my stomach, slide a foot tentatively down to the ground.
5:33- The banker goes downstairs, leaving the damn radio on. I cover head with pillow and poke toes of other foot out from under the covers.
5:35- NPR Jingle blars, alarm clock is too far away from the bed for me to slam off. I slide lower half of my body out of the bed and kneel. This allows my upper half to remain snugly under covers.
5:37- The banker is back upstairs, and in an effort to show I am a good sport, I jump up and bound into a nice shower.
I have to admit, I was at a loss as to what to do downtown while he was at his gym. But walked around and scored a just pulled out of the fryer toffee donut from Bleu for $0.89!

Moving on and Moving in

2008-07-27T14:59:00.001-07:00

So this past month and a half has been filled with a lot of changes. Funnily enough, I wrote down in my journal back in the spring that I knew that something big would be happening. Turns out, that was going from full time to part time at my marketing job. Then events took a turn for the worse when my company downsized me. Luckily I was able to find another job exactly a week later.
I have to say that I am endlessly thankful, even though I went on a emotional and perceived financial roller coaster. The position I had, did have some advantages...but ultimately it wasn't worth the stress. The poor banker had to deal with me coming home practically in tears for months because I was so frustrated. The lack of training and type of communication were very difficult for me. Besides, being stuck in an office basically by myself was horrible! I interacted with others on the phone and email, but I didn't SEE anyone. I hated that. Especially when I couldn't even send a personal email during the work day. I was not made to be locked in a house all day, even if it wasn't mine.
Now I have a job that is taking the time to make sure I thoroughly understand how to do my job. It also helps that it has also been defined, with clear expectations and a plan for growth. I now work in an office full of outgoing, consistent people. I am sure that there will be personality clashes, but everyone works hard and with a great attitude. Plus, the product I sell fits perfectly with my best OCD cleaning dreams. The benefits package alone makes the change worthwhile. Besides I got a raise. The banker was right when he told me that everything would work out, I just had to work at it. He also said that he likes seeing me happy again. I am no longer paranoid, frustrated, and depressed. -which is good, considering I have offically moved in. I was basically paying expensive storage before, might as well contribute to the household that I actually stay in.

Airing My Dirty Laundry in Public

2008-07-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

So lately in an effort to cut costs, we have been getting pretty creative. We have only turned on the air conditioner once this summer so far. We have even gone so far as to make a makeshift laundry line using some rope. It cuts our energy costs to avoid the dryer. It also helps cut down on the amount of heat we create in the house. While cooking, I try to use other methods of cooking other than the oven. This again helps us keep the created heat down.
To be honest, I wouldn't survive without the attic fan and the ceiling fan though! This year, the weather has also been pretty mild. I don't think we have hit triple digits pre-humidity yet.
We still are looking for further ways to penny pinch, and cut corners.

Working on something new...

2008-07-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a short scene:

She needs to pick up a few things at the grocery. Just a few things, no need to write a list. "Eggs and wine." Who buys just eggs and wine, or wine and eggs? She picks up her step as she rounds around a big suburban whose driver only at last minute decided yield on the cross walk. She adverts eye contact immediately as the man rolls down his window and calls out a "hello beautiful." The blast of cold air created an obvious transition between the muggy heat of the day to the artificially lit air conditioned store. Of course she entered on the wrong side of the store, thereby guaranteeing that she would have to walk the entire width to get her eggs and wine. She considers grabbing a few other items to change appearances. But then she wonders who she is keeping up appearances for. Its just the two of them, and she knows the teenagers at the check out really cares. She doubts anyone could suspect her of making meals of hard boiled eggs and a glass of vino in the morning.
When walking through the fresh produce, the smell of the nectarines on display grab her attention. Immediately she begins craving that first bite of the flowery and juicy yellow flesh. Summer reminders of reading in the garden and licking the nectarine juice as it runs down her arms. When walking towards the display, a man in chinos and a tie falls in step beside her. They reach the crates of fruit together, and he works to catch her eye. He keeps asking advice on how to detect the best picks. Again she quickly turns, grabbing a two nectarines and shrugging. Before she can get the bag tied closed, she is already an aisle away. She is careful to avoid overly smiling men.
Beer and eggs, or was it eggs and orange juice. No, wine and eggs. She nods her head in time to her new mantra: wine and eggs. She delicately places a dozen eggs in her basket. Carefully she makes her way through aisles filled with family. Her mantra is interrupted each time she stops to smile and wave at children clutching mother's legs, squealing in carts, throwing a tantrum, or grabbing sugar packed cereal and placing it in the cart while their mothers consult boxes of organic vegan rolled oats.
Wine and eggs, that is her life. She has time to create elaborate dinners involving exotic ingredients. She also has the time to spend an hour online researching the perfect wine to go with her two hour to prepare meal. She should be happy, and she is. Her thoughts are stopped there as she passes a display of pasta. The wine would make a great sauce, and she would only drink a glass of it tonight. He won't drink any. In fact the bottle will probably sit in the fridge for a week. She is so careful to control her drinking this year. After placing a box of rigatoni in the basket, she instantly regrets it. She should have brought a list because now her mind can't recall what she came for. She passes the liquor section on her way to the check out. Wine! She turns quickly, much to the surprise of the woman behind her. She walks the aisles past the reds, and the chardonnays. As she strolls the aisle, a man joins her. She stands in front of a shelf and is about to grab the last bottle of a moderately priced bottle when with a quick "excuse me" the man reaches around her and grabs it. Astounded, she grabs another bottle and quickly goes through the check out aisle.

Not Done Yet.

Falling off the Wagon

2008-06-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

So I admit, it has been awhile since I have written. Maybe I was just drumming up some suspense until I could think of something worthy to write about? That's it, exactly.
But luckily today, I do have some exciting news. I have paid off all my old University bills, which means my transcripts are no longer being held hostage. Now I can again assume the role of student...That is good news, Right? I have to keep telling myself that it is. Now I can again move forward with all those lovely and idealistic plans that I made when I was still in my knee highs.

So as the Summer Solstice draw"s closer, the changes keep rolling on in. As the ink to my admissions forms and transcripts requests dries, the pens are marking on a different set of forms. It seems that not only do I have "child of a single mom" and "my biological father is a deadbeat" feathers in my cap...I can now add "child of divorce". Unfortunately my parents are separating, but it seems to actually really be for the best.
In much more exciting news, my old guy roommate is the new father of a very handsome baby boy!
I will keep you better informed with more consistent writing, as well as posting creative pieces as well. I just need to quit being a perfectionist.

The above picture, was my childhood home. I am just glad to hear that it is going to stay in the family! It makes all this change just a little bit more reassuring.

Exciting times...I think

2008-05-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

So at the moment really is a rollercoaster. I wake each day completely unprepared to even guess what might happen. The good news is that I seem able to balance and juggle my way almost through it. There are minor casualties, but I just recover and keep going.

The only thing is lately an old habit has reserfaced. I thought I had diagnosed and irradicated the problem. Well recently a similar situation arose. I did not act how I should have, and I am left wondering. Wondering what the hell is wrong with me and my will power. Either way I keep treading a fine line, and if I am not careful, I could crash and burn. I could end up messing up a lot of what I happily built.

So heres hoping that my new toys: a camera and laptop will keep me so occupied that I won't be tempted to stray from the path that deep down I want to follow. Damn being young!

Annoyed

2008-04-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

I was asked to comment on the question: What do you feel is the most misunderstood about your generation in the workforce?
First of all, I feel this whole topic has been blown out of proportion. Each generation always has a adjustment period where old and new a like are overly critical of the other. But here was my response:

I don't feel there is much that is misunderstood about the Generation Y. Generally they are appreciated as: Tech savvy, highly motivated, highly informed, and intelligent.

The generation as a whole is one of the most educated yet.-meaning less of a resistance to learning and adapting new skills. With this education it also means also a highly inbred competitive nature, and a sense of self worth. It is a generation used to a high saturation of stimuli, and as a whole can juggle appropriately.

There are a few adjustment areas yet to be ironed out, as this group moves into the workplace:

Many Gen Y adults do expect fast results in the workplace. They are used to instant information/feedback at their finger tips, and workplace norms such as having only a yearly review and chance for advancement can be frustrating.

Gen Y also prefers problem solving communication on the digital arena as opposed to a phone call or face to face meeting. More traditional employees may find this intimidating or reeking of lack of respect.

Due to their ease with technology, and a great sense of selves: as a group they are not afraid to look elsewhere for a job if they feel our needs aren't met. Many consider self employment a highly attractive option.

Many also change careers often. This means companies have to woo their applicants with enticing packages and casual atmospheres. Older generations used to investing in one company and climbing the in house “ladder” may find this a sign of self entitlement.

But really Gen Y is not afraid to work hard and long hours. They would just rather do so on their terms with flexibility and perhaps in jeans. It is not a sense of self entitlement, but rather an attitude of if I am going to be 24 hour accessible by cell/email/internet, then shouldn’t I be allowed to be comfortable? Also due to growing up largely as latchkey/divorced parents/single parent children, a greater appreciation for family and time away from work has been instilled. There is a big demand for work from home flexibility, especially as technology provides the capabilities to do so.

Studies done by major companies and research firms have shown such trends. (ex: NAS Recruitment Communications). Also as a Gen Y member myself, I have observed much the same.

I got what 'ch need!

2008-04-15T12:16:00.001-07:00

What happens when the things you thought were so horrible, that they were impossible; happen?

What do you do when every aspect of your life becomes affected by a series of shattering changes?

You listen. You absorb them… And hopefully you grow.

What I have learned as of late:

- It can be devastating when others choose to end what you thought was a good thing.

- It can be equally hard to be the one to end something that your heart just isn't in anymore.

- Just because someone gets sick, doesn't mean they can't work to challenge their body to excruciating limits and create a different and better physical self.

- Nothing is ever what it seems when you deal with humans.

- Accidents can happen. You have to trust that a person didn't know what they did to you, no matter how life changing the consequences.

- You can be self sustainable, but then you get to have very long heart to hearts with everyone, and I mean everyone, telling you how you have "walls".

- A good bar is hard to find, especially when: they put up with you drinking one beer and five waters one night… and humor you when you try your darndest to help them empty all their tequila bottles during a day from hell the next.

- When you find yourself on your hands and knees in your new suit cleaning up crap from someone else's dog, instead of waiting for the owner to come home and take care of it…and you do it without trying to calculate your Karma brownie points. You realize you might be a worthwhile person after all.

- Chatting with a five year old each day keeps me enlightened and very amused...and strangely emboldened and recharged.

- Learning how to take a deep breath can actually drive a person up the damn wall. Especially when everyone else seems to do it naturally.

- Nothing is so sacred that you can't make jokes about it…even divorce (ask me about paint ball guns), crying, etc.

El amor es tortura… No hay nada en mi vida que arrepiento, porque sin todo ello no seria la persona quien soy.

(Love is torture… There is nothing I regret in my life, because I wouldn't be the person that I am today without all of it.)

– A handy little thing a character in a story I wrote said once. Maybe I was projecting just a bit when I wrote it.

Boring but very useful.

2008-03-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

I walked to work today in an effort to save gas, and a little Carbon emission. Though due to the walk and rainy weather, my boring old sneakers took place of my preferable footwear.
I must note that the distance is only walkable when I stay with my Banker*, and slowly but surely I have begun to "move" myself into his home. -out of convenience of course!

The Banker and I have been dating for almost nine months now. We have settled into cozy routines that might raise even my cynical eyebrow if I thought about it. It is so much easier to cook for two, than one. So we have just gotten in the habit of making dinner at his place. -It is closer, a shorter drive from work for me, and he doesn't have roommates like I do. By the end of dinner, we settle in for reading or a little t.v. By the time bed time rolls around, it is just assumed I will stay.
To be honest I find it easier to sleep with him, than without. A first, considering I am a notorious non-bed-sharer! I couldn't be convinced that cuddling was ever something that wasn't used to suffocate one another. This sudden change has resulted in me not sleeping in the new bed I have at my place. The one that was put in almost a month ago!
I used to carry back and forth an overnight bag, but that bag has evolved into a twice monthly trip to my place to change out the clothes that I keep in his dresser and closet. I suspect that half my shoe collection has also migrated over as well!
I have even been gifted my own bathroom. Sometimes I wonder if the banker has noticed just how much we have melded together. One might debate as to the wisdom of being so close so soon. The whole he won't buy the milk if he is getting it for free. Well, considering he is in his early thirties, I doubt any such games would work on him anyways. I assume he will commit to whom he loves, when he is ready. I am just lucky to have an intelligent person who is patient, fun, and quite handy to have around!
Besides, engagement and marriage is the last thing on my mind. If I were to try and get married, my sneakers would come in handy for me. Because on that day, I'd be running down the aisle and out the door! Okay, I kid. I want to get married. Just not before 24, unlike a lot of my peers. They seem to be following each other in poufy white dresses! Congratulations to them! Its just not for me, at the moment!
Besides the fact that my brain is literally not done forming its adult characteristics. Sometimes I wonder how the Banker can have so much in common with me. But hey I am not going to question it, as long as it is working!
One day when other goals have been achieved, a husband and children will be lovely.

It was quite my coincidence that on my bi-weekly visit to the library this weekend, I picked up Margaret Atwood's The Edible Women. I did so, only because it was one of hers I hadn't read...Now 200 pages in, I have to wonder if it wasn't a subconscious rebellion to my friend's Saturday wedding.

One last note: Sneakers and an ugly Parka seem to be good choices, as this afternoon has turned into a thundering wet mess!

*For privacy I can't call the man I am dating by his name. I don't want to call him My Boyfriend- it sounds possessive! So I call him by his occupation. Though honestly such a title does nothing to really illuminate who the man actually is. Any suggestions are welcome...Maybe initials?

A Little older, A Lot Wiser. I think at least.

2008-03-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today I needed to show a little confidence...

Starting your first blog is a big step.
I guess you are supposed to start with a little about yourself.
Recently I had my birthday, and while in my early twenties, I think I am able to say that I have grown considerably in street smarts.I might even go so far as to say I am on a faster learning curve then some of my peers... I don't know many my age with a crazy awesome full time job at a Marketing agency, and supporting themselves successfully completely on their own. : )
This birthday was especially eventful because I was diagnosed with a virus and handed some pretty hard core lifestyle changes.For instance, I can no longer consume:
-Any Gluten Grain like flour.
-Nuts
-Caffeine
-Chocolate
The list is longer than my arm. The above are just the ones I am most traumatized about.
I have worked hard to build my health, because in the last eight months I almost landed in the hospital twice.I have been on bed rest and I have gone to the doctor more times than I care to count. To top it off, I get my own cocktail of eight pills a day to exist.
Daily exercise has become a must. Along with healthy eating. - I will admit to bending the above food guidelines for a beer here and there. But mainly its wine or hard cider for me now. Shame, I miss vodka.
Goals at the moment:
I am continuing to work hard at building my position within the marketing agency I work at. As well as fighting to get back to school. I am also toying with starting dance again. I used to do Ballroom, and I miss the latin styles quite a lot. This might be a good way to build my health again.
I enjoy a good book, and have begun being a insatiable reader again. Interestingly my recent choices have been middle east centered autobiographies. Non fiction seems more interesting at the moment.
Although City of Oranges by Adam LeBor has proven to be a thick read for me...That or I just haven't been giving it the time it needs.
My interests are broad, and this blog will be varied. I expect it will be a mash of personal entries, book commentary, a venue to try out some writing, marketing tid bits I learn, and much more.

Either way, good day or bad, my four inch stilettos will continue to chip away at the road blocks in my life's path.

all shoes shown are owned by me, unless otherwise noted. : )