Josh is great at giving gifts. He always strikes the perfect balance between funny, sweet, and “I didn’t know I wanted this, but I DID and it’s PERFECT!”
Before we got married, he put together a little series of comics about our life together so far. I know. Seriously the best. He keeps telling me he can’t draw, but I’m kind of a comic book expert, and I know these are the best I’ve ever seen. (And no. I’m not biased. Doy.)
Last week, when he knew I could use a pick-me-up (and, ok, because I asked him to draw me a picture one day while I was at work), he gave me a new comic for our series…and it’s definitely my favorite one yet. So I got his permission to blog it!
Without further adieu, I present: ROCKY
I’m hard at work on my future today – Life is exciting and heartbreaking and, if nothing else, it’s persistent. It just keeps coming at you, you know? Last week I didn’t like anything it was throwing at me, but today my outlook is sunny and my hopes are high and I’ve decided that all I can do is make it happen for myself. Pursue my destiny. Save the island. PROTECT THE LIGHT. You know. The usual.
Ohhhh, you guys. This week has been a doozy. Like a compound stress – are you kidding me – don’t turn around – what now – give me a break – HAVE MERCY – kind of week. I realized just how sad I was feeling when I found myself googling phrases like “wildflower field” and “happy baby animals.” Have you ever hit that place? The one where it takes a LOT of happy baby animals to get you out of your funk? The one where maybe you should turn off the Buffy reruns because no one should cry THAT much when Angel goes away?
Yeah. That’s where I’ve been for the past few days.
I’m coming out of it ok. I have a great family, and a great family in law, and great friends – and it goes without saying that my husband and puppy are pretty much the best in the world. In a big-picture viewfinder, this week was small potatoes, but it’s the downest I’ve felt in a while. Sorry I’ve been a little absent from blogging and a total bummer on twitter – I’m coming back! I promise! Chipper and bright!
And on the happy side, look at the baby elephant! (I found him here.)
For a closer look at my “snap out of it” photo hunt (or my psyche), you can click here. Or here.
Please withhold your judgements on my woe-is-me remedy – we’ve all got our ways of healing, right? What are yours? Any suggestions for me to keep in mind for when I’m pulling myself out of my next crybaby week?
Some of our very dearest friends got married on Saturday, and we were lucky enough to be a part of the wedding party – what a fun honor!
While we were away, Rocky went to Virginia to hang out with my parents and their boxers, Bosko and Whiskey. Considering that he’s been asleep more or less since he hopped in my car to come home this morning, I’d say he had a good time. My mom sent me these pictures while he was gone:
My favorite is the one on the far right of Rocky up to his eyes in the lake. As it turns out, Rocky loves to swim – AND, he’s really good at it. Who knew?
As it also turns out, I hate it when Rocky goes away. Based on the way he freaked out when he saw me, I think it’s safe to say he missed me, too. We promised to never leave each other again.
I’m still waiting for all the wedding pictures to hit facebook – when they do, I’ll be sure to post a few of me and my handsome husband (sidenote: I LOVE that I’m getting to see him in a tux every few months. What a looker!).
Until then, I’m enjoying these days off by watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hanging out with Rocky, and SLEEPING. I know, it’s a tough life.
So, I’m realizing something. Quickly. And it’s worrying me.
The TRY IT diet is supposed to be a (somewhat) scientific experience. I thought, since I was starting with literally NO dietary restrictions, I would be a good candidate for a fair and unbiased look at each diet I tried.
But here’s the thing: I seriously don’t think I’ll be able to start eating meat again once I start. With each chapter I read in Eating Animals, I become more convinced that there is no way for me to eat meat and have a clean conscience. While I’m thrilled that I’m becoming so quickly informed, I sort of wish I had waited to read the book until I had finished all my diet experiments.
This project is NOT supposed to be a moral or ethical debate, and I don’t want to include any posts of that nature on the project’s blog (currently double-published on tumblr and wordpress). This is supposed to be an experiment in education and inclusion, NOT alienation. But don’t be surprised if you find that I’m taking to this blog a little more often in the next month to try and grapple with these issues.
In the name of being fair, I want to be as well informed as possible. There are two sides to every story, INCLUDING this one – I’m sure of it. Can you help me? Do you know of any pro-meat resources? A case for carnivores, if you will? Help keep me balanced.
I’d love it if you’d leave any recommendations or personal experiences in the comments – help me work this one out.
Have you heard about my latest crazy idea? If not, click over to http://corleymay.com/tryit and read all about it. I’ll also be blogging about it here in the “TRY IT diet” category.
Today, I spent my lunch break reading the first chapter of Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and feeling as though I was reading my own story.
“Mark Twain said that quitting smoking is among the easiest things one can do; he did it all the time. I would add vegetarianism to the list of easy things. In high school I became a vegetarian more times than I can now remember, most often as an effort to claim some identity in a world of people whose identities seemed to come effortlessly. (p7)”
Um, hello, SELF. This is absolutely me. I even went through a phase where I was a vegetarian except for Fridays, I kid you not. It was a catchphrase, not a lifestyle choice.
I felt equally called out on the next page, where, in reference to his wife’s “history with meat,” Foer writes:
“There were things she believed while lying in bed at night, and there were choices made at the breakfast table the next morning…Like me, she had intuitions that were very strong, but apparently not strong enough. (p8)”
Yes, hello, me again. I’ve sort of got the ominous feeling that, as I read further in this book, I’m never going to eat meat again. I do have plans to try out the Paleo Diet and the Blood Type Diet, both of which I’m assuming (admittedly without having researched either very thoroughly) will encourage meat-eating as a part of their framework. I guess that’s just a bridge I’ll have to cross when I come to it – after all, this is meant to be an experiment in finding my own healthiest lifestyle.
Anyway – as I was reading JSF’s food-related memories, I realized that there are some meals I’m really going to miss after I say goodbye to meat for the next few months, at least.
1. Twice baked potatoes topped with bacon crumbles.
2. Bacon in its every delicious form. There is no substitute. I’ve had tofu bacon, and I don’t think it should even be allowed to have “bacon” in its name. It has NOTHING in common with that crispy, delicious delicacy.
3. (Family Friend) Mildred’s Chicken ‘n Dumplings. Ooooooh, Mildred’s Chicken ‘n Dumplings. I think I may miss you most of all.
4. Baseball food. I’m doing myself no favors by abandoning meat during the prettiest days of baseball season. Hamburgers, hot dogs, while often imitated, are never really deliciously replicated.
I started to add pork fried rice to this list, but I realized that I won’t miss the actual PORK at all, and I can still have rice and vegetables – I had one of those lightbulb moments. I’m tying a lot of these foods to memories or feelings associated with the atmosphere I’ve eaten in and not the actual taste of the meat. I think a lot of us do that – do you? Is there one food that you remember SO FONDLY that you couldn’t consider living without it? Is it the actual food that resonates so deeply in your bones, or is it the feeling you get when you eat it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
T-minus two days until I’m a bachelorette-partying beach bum! I’m so ready. The girls are already there, having TONS OF FUN WITHOUT ME, I’m sure. I’m working at the store today, heading to a Green Building Council event on behalf of E.F. tonight, serving up chicken salad all day tomorrow and then HITTING THE ROAD to drive straight through to the Outer Banks.
As it’s an eight hour drive, I’m going to need an all-star playlist / audio book lineup. Won’t you please leave me your suggestions in the comments? Get-pumped-drive-all-night-keep-me-awake suggestions? I’m counting on you.
Lest you think I’m spending all this time at work languishing in a boredom-zone, I present exhibits A and B — VIDEO EVIDENCE that I’m being paid to do things I’d be doing for fun anyway.
(Sidenote: just in case that video drove you to help our team, you can always donate here. I’m just sayin’. It’s for a good cause!)
And second, an informational video regarding rain barrels, Earth Day, and YOU!
Now. Obviously I am not a professional videographer OR video editor OR photographer. But. Isn’t it nice that there’s a place for me to hone my skills and educate my community and support a good cause and eat great food?
Josh said to me the other day, “I can’t believe we’re already a quarter of the way through 2010.” I hadn’t even considered that until he mentioned it — three months, gone. A quarter of the year already past. Seriously?!
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and it’s true. We’ve been having a blast. And the year’s only looking up from here!
I’m really struggling lately with TIME. It’s like, if only I didn’t need to eat and sleep, then I could really get some work done. If only I didn’t have to go home after 40 hours, THEN I could really get some work done. I’ve actually wished I was salaried these past few days, just so that I could work more from home and — you guessed it — get some work done. I’ve been so caught up in the exhilaration of landing this job that it hadn’t occurred to me that I might want to let it go every once in a while.
Well. This afternoon, I think I finally let it go. Left my work behind me at the office. I haven’t company tweeted or company emailed or company facebooked or company photographed since I left. Do you know what I did instead?
I drafted my team for my husband’s fantasy baseball league. I did it from my porch, with a cold Izze Sparkling Blackberry soda and a chicken salad wrap, with a happy puppy at my feet and a baseball-crazed husband an open window away. After we drafted, we sat down together to watch the first game of the season. We kept saying things like, “This is fun!” and “Isn’t it nice to just hang out like this?” and “We should do this more often.” And we’re right. We should.
There are so many other “I shoulds” that remain. I should work out more. I should stop sleeping so late. I should walk Rocky more. I should get pedicures more often. The most important one is this: I should stop letting things I enjoy bog me down.
This weekend, I’m driving to the Outer Banks for my dear friend Natalie’s bachelorette party! (Or, as we’re calling it, the Natchelorette Nat-a-weekend. Because we’re cool like that.) I intend to come back exhausted, sunburned, and a little hungover — I can’t wait. I think, 8 hour drive and all, it’s going to be just what I need.
So, for now, I’ll leave you. Enjoy your time! Don’t get bogged down! Leave your work at work as often as you can! And enjoy this illustration from Christiane Engel. I wasn’t crazy about her calendar this month, but I continue to adore her illustrations. Check her out here, and check out “Hey, Diddle Diddle” below.
And enjoy your April! I’m better at twitter than I am at blogging, so if you’re interested in how I’m faring with the whole “Let It Go” thing, you can follow along here.
For now, good bye! Go Cubbies!
Love,
The Future FUNtasy Baseball Champ (That’s right, I said it. I SHOULD win this league. Add that one to the list.)
I thought it was cute! Probably not the most professional, but I’m not wearing it to work, I’m wearing it to watch Lost and play Wii Fit. So WHATEVER.
3. I won TWO free shirts (one for me and one for my honey) from The Love Tees thanks to a Valentine’s contest on The Schultzes blog (sidenote: The Schultzes were our wedding photographers and we LOVE THEM A lot.).
Check us out, being all cute and lovey:
In case you’re wondering why we’re holding our respective musical instruments, I’ll tell you. Cheyenne and Geoff’s contest involved describing your perfect Valentine’s day date in 140 characters or less. Here was my entry:
Grab his guitar, your ukelele. Write a love song. Hit the streets & play for change until you can afford dessert.
I know, right? It DOES sound fun!
Also: before you ask. No way that’s a Snuggie behind us in the picture. No way I wear it every night until I’m charged with static electricity and covered in Rocky fur. So don’t even think it.
I started my new job — I think you may have known that.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Huh! Looks like Corley landed herself a gig in the throes of culinary temptation.” Well, you’re RIGHT! Just kidding. I’m working in a healthy supermarket where we’ve banned things like high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, and other scary non-natural ingredients. We also don’t carry any meat that didn’t live a happy life – by that I mean that we don’t allow any inhumane practices on the farms that supply us with our meat products. We also have a company-wide goal to END childhood obesity, which is super exciting. (Exciting is my new favorite word lately.)
I’ve been learning SO MUCH about health, nutrition, marketing, launching, media…it’s been kind of a whirlwind, and I’m definitely exhausted, but I’m loving every minute of it. It’s a real joy to work for a company with a mission that I believe in so wholeheartedly — and to feel like I’m finally laying the foundation for a career.
I’ve also decided to start RUNNING. For many reasons, including that I want to look super-hot in my bathing suit this summer. Also pesky boring stuff like I want to be healthy and I want to take care of my heart and I want to survive if I’m ever chased down the street by a madman or madwoman. And because I’m a nerd who will probably blog until I’m on my deathbed, I made a blog about running, which you can read here.
Now that things are settling down, I’m trying to get back into the at-home swing of things. I finally emailed our album choices to Cheyenne and I will soon be putting up pics of my winnings from The Love Tees and goodietwosleeves.
