You Spin Me Right Round, Baby Right Round

Music of the Moment:
Esthero -
Breath From Another

So it's the night before my first test in graphic communications and I'm feeling fairly confident. I've never been much for conventional studying (i.e. cracking the book) but I always attend class and try to be as attentive as possible during the lectures. Plus, the content is fairly enjoyable (computer design, creative planning, colors, hues, and type). I think that counts for a lot. Or at least we'll see.

Tomorrow shapes up to be one hectic day - after the test, I have a graphics lecture, followed by rhetorical analysis. After that, I have two job interviews (hooray for that because poverty sucks) for part-time work in Athens. Somewhere in between the interviews and class, I need to spend at least 45 minutes at the Spring Career Fair. Though over 250 employers will be in attendance, I'm only interested in working for 6 or 7 of them. That's not a great ratio, and to top that off, I really shouldn't be so picky, given this increasingly poor economy.

O/T (or new topic? hm): I was talking on the phone for a few minutes - and I'm supposed to be studying for a test, right? Yeah I'm focused - and we were dicussing cultural differences. She works as a cashier at Wal-Mart, and she said that in general, the whites who appear to be middle-upper class seldom buy anything in bulk, and they never buy ready-to-make canned or boxed dinners. They prefer fresh produce and ingredients. E.g. buying frozen chicken, rice, and vegetables instead of Chef Boyardee or Campbell's Soup.

In contrast, she said that most black people (upper-class in appearance or otherwise) usually stick to quickie meals and processed products such as hot dogs, frozen bags of fries (Good God those are so bad for you but they are so GOOD!!!), and other shortcuts to a heart attack. I definitely empathize. Growing up with two full-time working parents, I never missed a meal, but a great deal of those meals were not good for me. Quick stops to McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A or Burger King often took place in lieu of mom or dad (I say both parents because raising children to think critically about the foods they eat is everyone's job). It also didn't help that I was a latchkey kid growing up, and often times I ate whatever I could get my hands on, and at times that even included items as bad as cake frosting! Yeah, I know. It's weird how thinking of the old days makes me happy and sad at the same time. But I'm thankful for everything that's happened in life, because at least I get to live.

ANYWAY - damn I have a penchant for ranting - I went to the store last night and bought all kinds of healthy stuff like chicken, fish, brown rice, spinach, broccoli, strawberries, grapes, apples, bananas, etc. Pretty smart buying, right? However, there was one item that I did buy and I have no clue as to why I did so. Maybe because I wanted to satisfy the inner child who always fantasized about going to the grocery store and being able to buy whatever he wanted. Who knows? But I bought these:



Pancakes On a Stick, brought to you by the murderers fine people at Jimmy Dean. These things are so ridiculously bad for you...and yet they taste so good. My amazement at the power of junk food is only paralleled by my addiction to it.

I'm a junk food addict. This I know. A junk food addict who works out at least four times a week, and freed himself from overweight status more than 2 years ago. But what I need to face is that addiction is something that you deal with everyday, so I'd do better to avoid buying any more of these things in the future. That goes for cookies (love to bake them and eat them with ice cream), cake, and virtually any other sweet baked good.

Ahh that's enough self-disclosure for one night. Back to graphics.

The Pain of Planning

For some reason, I've been on a big Toni Braxton kick for the past week. I've always been a big fan of her sound - that rich, deep contralto voice and her unapologetic sexiness. Though she only released three GREAT albums (and two mediocre ones), she's a legend in R&B and mainstream music. Ever since Michelle Obama became our new First Lady, my respect for black women has been rejuvenated. Michelle sacrificed a lot in order to support her husband, while making time for her children. Black women are the backbone of America, and I remind anyone who disagrees to remember how hard female slaves had to work to please both their masters and their families. Although I do chuckle at thinking that I had to hunt for a few good minutes to find a photo of Toni in which she was reasonably clothed.

Anyway, January 29 marks 100 days before I become a college graduate. Right now my main priorities are completing my course load without any problems, looking for a (hopefully lucrative and exciting) full-time job, and keeping to a healthy eating and exercise plan. Somewhere along the line I picked up a few side projects, although I'm sure I am not lacking for things to do.

I agreed to help out with the public relations for an SGA (Student Government Association) campaign, and it looks as though I may have to help plan my own graduation party. Not that I intended to have nothing to do with the latter, but I was hoping to leave the majority of the planning duties with my mother and grandmother. But in order to prevent any unnecessary stress (get-togethers involving my family rarely go down without any incidents of high stress), it looks as though I will have to play a larger role in planning than I previously thought. *sigh*

I can't let this get in the way of my job hunt though. In truth, the interactions with my family, both negative and positive, play a pretty big part in whether I'll ultimately take a job in a different state or country. I don't think escapism is healthy, as whatever problem I'd be escaping would be waiting for me when I got back, but putting distance between me and my family could be a good thing. I have a lot of love for them, but I'm not sure if staying close to home after graduation would be the best thing for me. It could do me a world of good to truly live on my own for a year or two.

Saturday Night Stay-In

Albums Listened to Today:
Katy Perry - One of the Boys
Toni Braxton - Libra
Tim Kearney - Nothing Left to Lose

Funny - no matter how many Saturday nights I spend staying in, I never cease to feel as though I'm missing out on something. I think time alone is great - really, I do - but there's something about the best night of the week spent indoors that's a bit lame. Ahh well. I'm on a budget anyways.

Speaking of which - I've really gotten good at turning things down. A friend of mine is planning on attending concerts by Adele and Lady GaGa. While the latter merely intrigues me, I'd really like to see the former, as I've heard a few of her songs. Adele has a genuinely moving voice, almost haunting. I'm sure it would've been great to see her, but I'm sure she'll be around for years to come. Hopefully, in years to come, I'll have way more money...

I was browsing Britney Spears' blog when I got the idea to add blogs by Kanye West and Margaret Cho to my "Good Readin'" section. I think Britney's site is great, but the fact that the content is contributed by her staff and not Spears herself, it doesn't count as a blog so much as it does an official fansite.

There's a lot going on, isn't there? In addition to a plane landing on the Hudson river, a continually weakening economy (farewell Circuit City), and Israel's assault on Gaza, we have a presidential inauguration! That's always exciting. It's scheduled for this Tuesday, January 20th at 10AM EST, the day after the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. I plan on watching it, and I should probably participate in a US Day of Service event for goodwill's sake.

With so much going on, it can be hard to keep track of what's important. For me, priority numero uno is to have a good job awaiting me after graduation. That's why I've marked my university's spring career fair in my agenda. Although there will be upwards of 300 companies in attendance, only a dozen hold my interest. I know, I know, I probably shouldn't be picky, as a job is a job, but I think I can be selective enough to insist on working in the communications industry. I know there's a lot to learn, and I'm game for one hell of a lesson.

More Fitness, Yes Siree

Yeah yeah, so I'm a bit obsessed with getting back in shape, but with only three classes and no part-time job as of yet, I have a great deal of free time on my hands, so why not use it wisely?

Tonight after leaving the gym (third day in a row! I may take tomorrow off), I googled "cut muscles," just to see what would pop up. Naturally, a Yahoo! Answers forum popped up as one of the primary results.

I think these are pretty good tips, so I'm going to try and follow them as best as I can.

For Muscular Definition:

1.) Use heavier weight and fewer reps to bulk up - example: 10 pounds/3 sets/8 reps

2.) Use lighter weight and more reps to cut the muscle - example: 5 pounds/3 sets/20 reps

3.) You must fatigue the muscle to make gains. That means that the last few reps (the # of times you repeat the motion) of the last set (how many time you do a group of repetitions) should be difficult or impossible to do - so choose your weight according to that rule.

4.) To fatigue the muscle group more quickly, try super sets = a combination of two exercises for the same muscle group done consecutively (one right after the other). They work best with the larger muscles and should just be done once in a while, maybe every third workout. Example for chest is bench press and flyes.

5.) Use Compound sets to force muscle growth. This is similar to supersets except the exercises are for opposing muscles instead of the same muscle. Example is chest & back.

6.) Perform all exercises slowly for both concentric (shortening of the muscle) & eccentric (elongating the muscle) contraction. This will balance muscle strength and help you to achieve a sculpted, uniform appearance.

Note: even when cutting, your last set should be difficult and the last few reps near impossible to achieve without assistance. Just be sure you are using a lighter weight, eventually you will do enough reps to fatigue the muscle.

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I'll even go one bit further and write my food intake for the day. I don't count calories, but I may even have to start doing that too...

Breakfast:
1 Banana w/ Peanut Butter
Bowl of Granola Cereal

Mid-morning snack:
Fiber One Chocolate Granola Bar
Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bar

Afternoon snack:
Bagel chips w/ hummus

Late Lunch:
Salmon filet
Spinach
Wild rice

Dinner:
Turkey sandwich
1 Banana w/ Peanut Butter
Apple juice

Late Snack:
Bagel chips w/hummus
Slice of pineapple

I see now why people keep food journals - I am noticing a pattern here. I definitely should snack less, or turn my focus from carbs to fruit or protein. I have tried protein bars though - trust me, they suck.

Ah well, on continues the project...

Ay Yi Yi...

So classes have begun (luckily I only have three this semester), and I am optimistic about graduating on a high note. Though I won't be stepping into the best job market possible, I will have options, and that's always a relief.

Recently I joined the typical January fitness craze by diving back into the gym after spending four months of eating the most delicious food Europe has to offer: kebap sandwiches (almost always with fries), croissants, pain au chocolate, steak and roasted potatoes, and my worst habit...crepes. Although I am not exactly sure how much weight I gained while I was in Paris (probably about 10 pounds), I find myself getting better and better each day at getting back into the rhythm of things.

All this week, the fitness center on my campus is running a promotion where all of the group fitness classes are free. As you guessed, they've been packed to capacity, with students eager to shed as much weight as possible while being able to benefit from free training.

Yesterday I told myself I'd try as many of the free classes as possible, so today I went to "Boot Camp" after classes and it KICKED MY BUTT!!!! No joke. I've been jogging/running since high school, and I've never had any trouble completing 2-4 miles on a pace of 5.5-6.0 MPH on a treadmill, but weight training circuits are a whole 'nother kettle of fish. This was our workout (keep in mind we only had about a minute of rest in between each circuit:

- Push-ups
- Jump rope
- Bench Dips
- Stairs
- Squats
- Lunges
- Sit-ups
- Planks

By the time we cooled down with a few stretches, I was so out of breath that I felt nauseous. I Googled this, and it turns out that "exercise-induced nausea" is pretty normal, especially during high intensity regimes. No wonder I've always heard of guys throwing up during football or track practice.

So there you have it, your boy is in even worse shape than he thought. My advice to anyone reading this - get back and stay on the exercise horse ASAP. The longer in between workouts only keeps you rusty, and that never feels good.

Into the Athens Groove

Although I still don't have everything I need quite yet (pots and pans, hangers, etc.), I have successfully made the transfer back to Athens for my last semester of university. The first day of classes was yesterday. Luckily for me, I only had one, my advertising capstone. After we were introduced to the syllabus, our professor told us a bit about her background. Before coming to UGA to serve as an associate professor, she worked in the advertising field for the better part of a decade. For a few minutes, she opened the floor for us to talk about our dreams, goals, and ideal places to work.

Just as you may have guessed, I was the first to speak up. I shared my desire to work in a fascinating and lively city, and that I didn't care too much about the salary as long as I could live on it (and save a bit, mind you). I also said that I was intent on working in the communications field. I've seen far too many a student spend years studying Real Estate or Public Relations only to end up working as a waitress in a ski resort in Colorado or a four star hotel in New York City. I'm not knocking them - a job is a job - but it's important that I find a place where I will grow professionally. I'm really all about the growth these days. The money wouldn't hurt either, but I'm confident that will come.

Speaking of money - ouch. $100 on a bed, $25 on a desk (thanks Craig's List), plus $125 in groceries and $75 in truck rental fees (to move in) = me returning to broke undergraduate status. Funnily enough, I'm not TOO worried. We'll see where I end up in four months. I just hope wherever I end up tosses a few dollars my way.

Interesting link - I actually caught Oprah on TV yesterday, and guess who was the guest? None other than my favorite financial expert, Suze Orman. Turns out she is offering a free download of her latest book, Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, free at Oprah's website. Click the link to check it out!

Places to See Before I Die

Tonight I was watching The Bucket List on television. If you're unfamiliar with the premise, the film is about two ailing senior citizens(played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) who, because of their many regrets, make a list of exciting things to do before they "kick the bucket."
Activities on this list included a safari in Africa, a climb to the top of the Himalayas, and a trip to Egypt, among other things.

But the shots of Nice, France, caught my attention in particular.



Eze Village


Villefranche


Hopefully I can make it there before I'm in need of my own bucket list. Will I too have regrets at the end of my life? Food for thought...