Flash Forward

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that I enjoy NCIS night, which is when my family gets together at mum's house (the two oldest girls have moved out) and enjoy snacks and watch NCIS together. We did it one week, and agreed to come back the next week, and it became a tradition.


Well, now we have swapped from NCIS night (Tuesday night) to Flash Forward night (Monday nights, channel 7, 8.30m) because we are loving this new show so much! Seriously, I never thought I'd blog about a TV show (lame, right?) but this show is amazing. And it's not too late to catch on, because Yahoo! and channel 7 are showing the first few episodes on their website.


It's based on a Sci-Fi novel, and has romance, action, comedy, drama, suspense and I love how it highlights little connections between people that sometimes primetime TV shows gloss over. Plus, it has the whole "Destiny" issue going - if we see our future can we change it? Sure, it commits some logical fallacies - if you see the future and remember it and act on it, you get stuck in a loop, and the universe should explode. Time travel can't exist because it hasn't always existed. Does that make sense? Well, anyway, suspend your disbelief and enjoy this fine TV show.

No S Diet Details

I missed a day of NaBloPoMo, so I'm not feeling pressured to write everyday, so I haven't updated in a while.
I found it through a forum for the C25K - Couch to 5K, a program that helps you run 5 Km in 9 weeks. It is sooo simple, it only has 14 words as the "rules". There are forums on there that are really helpful, and you can see everybody else posting to try and build their habit. Check it out! Link


I'm now on Day 7 and I can say that so far, I have been SUCCESSFUL!


If you fall off the NoS "horse", you just get right back on - you just need to remember to reset your Days, and start counting again.


No foods are banned, except sweets - dessert foods containing mostly sugar (you know, lollies/candy, chocolates, cake, cookies, icecream) as long as you eat it during a meal (anything eaten outside of meals is considered a snack) - one dinner plate, no seconds or stacking food into a pile. I had potato chips with lunch the first time around, so I didn't feel so deprived, and I always had a piece of fruit on my plate to finish the meal and appease my sweet tooth.


This second time around, I am being more balanced - sticking to the general 3 meals structure of N-Days rather than constantly snacking on weekends, and allowing a 100 calorie treat on family days (they used to be sweet and snack minefields!) So far, this has me feel more in control and less deprived, and my family has been less judgemental - I used to get one sibling constantly telling me I couldn't eat something (even on weekends) and another one telling me not to be stupid and just eat what I was given (especially on S-Days). So, now I can just say "yes, please" or "no thanks, I'm not hungry" and I haven't had as much opposition or aggressive 'assistance'.

Habits

So, I have officially succeeded on Day 1 out of 21 of the No S Diet (attempt 2).


Well, it's not really a 21 day diet - just the habit forming part of it. It's really simple:


No Snacks, No Sweets, No Seconds (Except, sometimes, on days beginning with 'S').


Even I can do that!


I did it once before, about three months ago, until I started working part-time and it messed up my body clock, trying to count S-Days and N-Days (Non-S - Normal - Days), without using the tools provided, because of my arrogance after completing 21 days. I had to remind myself that it's not magic, and I'm trying again.


I'll post a daily update along with my blog for the next 21 days.

Leet Skillz

I have been thinking a lot over the past few days about the skills required to be a girlfriend and to be a wife. I've been trying to figure out how much overlap there is, and how I can improve "Girlfriend skills" to be an attractive option to ask on dates. I've decided that many of these skills are transferable from Girlfriend to Wife: good sense of humour, taking care of yourself physically, being friendly and affectionate; but many of the Wife skills are not seen as a high priority in Girlfriends.


I may be wrong, but so far I have observed that skills such as running a household efficiently, the ability to compromise, childcare skills, and being responsible are not as high a priority for YSA guys as being fun and flirty. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that "wife" and "flirty" are mutually exclusive concepts, nor that they should be. I have noticed, however, that the girls that get dates are the girls with attractive bodies/faces and flirty mannerisms, rather than the girls with inquisitive minds and strong testimonies.


I wouldn't necessarily put myself at either of those extremes, but I have friends at both ends of the spectrum and I know which girls have to do more asking to go on the same number of dates. I know that the sort of guy I want to marry would not be intimidated to ask a girl out because she answered more questions in institute than him, but I'm not sure that that sort of guy exists in my area. (Or at all!)


So, on to plan B, make it easier for the guys to ask me out ... be more fun and flirty, and pay more attention to my physical appearance. It's still learning new skills, and even if it doesn't result in more dates, it will help to make me a better person. I just have to make sure I don't let that pendulum swing too far in the opposite direction, and I will find a happy medium between my current skills and those that are in higher demand during my dating career.

Plan the Work and Work the Plan

I love the website 43 things. I forgot that for a while, but I was recently in my favourite bookstore and cafe (a little boutique place, which reminds me of our art gallery shop) and picked up the book "Dream It. List It. Do It!" by the folks behind 43 things.


I immediately had to buy it, and finally picked up a journal cute enough (without costing a fortune) in which to list my goals. So far I have 28, and I am torn between thinking I'll have too many and not enough. I love lists!


The first thing I wrote on my list (not necessarily my number one priority) was to "Create a list of 100 things that make me happy" or alternatively "100 things I love". So, that could take a while. I'll update this later tonight with as much list as I have by around 9pm.


The Spaghetti Bolognese is calling!


UPDATE:

1. Making new friends
2. The smell right after rain
3. Hand clapping games
4. Looking at beautiful gardens
5. Playing The Sims
6. Curling up with a new book
7. Warming my hands by a fire
8. Reading my favourite blogs
9. Taking photos
10. Being outside when it's sunny
11. Seeing how landscapes look different, depending on the season and time of day
12. NCIS night
13. Snuggling
14. Hot water bottles and heat packs
15. Strawberries
16. Trying new recipes
17. Visiting the art gallery
18. Making plans
19. Being in charge
20. Wooden floors
21. Listening to Mozart
22. ... or The Presets, The Cat Empire, Art vs. Science, etc.
23. Looking outside through clear windows on a windy day

I Love Technology

It's now after 11.45 pm, and instead of writing my blog post this evening, I updated my computer to Snow Leopard, and then checked if the Sims 3 worked (after extensive testing, I can assure you that it did, although a little extra RAM would not go astray).


More tomorrow, when I'm less insane (well, hopefully).

Sundays

Random thought of the day: Must get that song "Out of Africa" that I heard last night on the radio.


We had a lovely Fast Sunday testimony meeting today. I love our ward so much. Of course we had the people that I affectionately call "crazies" (but only in my head of course) - you know the type, explaining about what happened every year of their life for the last 40 years. In our ward though, there is less cringing and more spiritual feasting.


There are a lot of different family situations in our ward. Single mothers, single fathers, parents who have their children only every second Sunday, couples are seeking divorce or trying to work out problems, and a couple of families whose children are "His, Hers and Ours". In short, it can get messy, and it seems that everyone remembers that there is no one perfect family - even though there are still a lot of traditionally "Mormon" families - parents and at least 4 children, everyone coming to church and doing their best.


It is so refreshing to hear a lesson about the importance of family without needing to excuse yourself to puke. At the same time, as a YSA, I am encouraged to find a husband that shares my values and with whom I can work towards having an eternal family. I am given great examples of women who still have faith, and still seek for an eternal companion even after seeing the worst of marriage. They don't only give me hope, they give me practical advice on what to look for in a date, so that even though they are at peace with where they are, I will not find myself in the same situation.


I love these women, and I love Relief Society, and I am looking forward to the General Relief Society Meeting Broadcast tonight.

Up, up and away!

I finally saw the latest Disney-Pixar collaboration (UP) today. I really enjoyed it, but couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed at the end. I wanted a little bit more of a wrap up, but thinking back I have decided that it was a very good ending: sweet but not too cliche.


We went to the beach after, and it was a beautiful day. I went with my little sister and one of her friends, who we were dropping home after the movie. We wrote our names in the sand, jumped off the low stone wall, and discovered the most amazing sandcastle ever. That would be a great date idea! This castle had a moat (of course), a portcullis made from some flat wood pieces and a sea star guard. Trapped inside was a dastardly (dead) crab, surrounded by little sticks creating a jail cell and small-ish rocks in formation under the direction of a pinecone.


It was so creative, and so many people enjoyed having a look, and even a play around (we added the starfish as a guard). What a great Saturday, truly refreshing and relaxed.

Skin-Deep?

Since I turned 16, I have hated my freckles. Earlier than that, I wasn't really aware of my looks beyond whether or not I brushed my hair. Now, I see them as a sign that I have not taken good enough care of my skin. I am a 'ranga (carrot top, red head), and I burn easily. I once got sunburn on my face and right arm when I went on a two hour drive on a sunny day. I hate my freckles.

I know we are taught to love our God-given bodies, but should I wear the signs of my failed stewardship forever? Or should I try a beauty product that I found on the shelves of Priceline, promising to help my freckles fade into obscurity? Well, I think I know the answer to that one. I bought the cream, and now I need to remember to put it on twice a day and reevaluate in 3 months. It wasn't an expensive cream, less than the price of a CD, so I don't necessarily have high hopes but I want to give it a shot. Along with sunscreen, I hope to bring my skin back to as close to natural as possible. And I hope I can learn to love my skin, whether or not freckles remain after the three months.

I know I've been a little flippant in this post, but it has really brought up some questions deeper than skincare. How much is my body supposed to be a trial and how much a blessing? I know it is part of my stewardship, but how much will taking care of my body count towards my final grade? Body, Spirit, Relationships are balanced in what way? 10%, 50%, 40%? Or 33%, 33%, 33%?

I haven't really seen my body as an important part of the plan of salvation until I regularly started reading Segullah, cJane and NieNie's blogs. They brought up issues such as fertility, long-term injuries and body image issues from a spiritual point of view. I have never really had a good self-image, and I have decided to start working on my body itself and my perception of it in a spiritual context. Heavenly Father created me and my body, and while my true desire is to become more spiritually beautiful I also feel that I need to recognise and build upon my physical beauty.

I am still early in my Young Single Adult career, and I hope to graduate early through good behaviour rather than long-service! I have recently read counsel from prophets urging me not to be too trendy or frumpy, not to wear too much makeup or too little, and to consider if we carry around a little more weight than most people find attractive. I just need to spin my plates a little better, I seem to have dropped the exercise plate, and my healthy eating plate is wobbling.

Spring Cleaning

I love spring. My birthday is in Spring. But this year, spring has been pretty cold. I remember trying to organise a cross between an afternoon tea and a barbecue for my 21st, and being very disappointed in the weather. Which is a roundabout way of saying that I guess Spring is usually much colder than I expect, after getting excited that Winter is coming to a close. I would have loved some nice weather for my week off next week.


I am taking a week off between jobs, as I have just been made redundant. I knew it was coming, most of our company shut down at the end of June, so I have been pretty fortunate. It does bring a period of reflection that I think is fitting for Spring. While giving my bedroom and car a thorough Spring clean, I will also try to clean out some of my bad attitudes and freshen up my motivation levels.


I was given a pretty tough project to handle, and I let myself get overwhelmed. In retrospect, I realise I should have simply tackled it one task at a time, re-organised the files in a way I found logical, and made myself more accountable. Having recently rediscovered 43 things, I plan on putting those realisations into action in my personal life to achieve goals that would have previously overwhelmed me.


For instance, I have decided to join NaBloPoMo to build a habit of writing every day. One of my goals is to participate in NaNoWriMo in November, so this will be a great practice event for me. I need to take each day at a time, and plan my posts in a way that makes sense to me. I have made myself accountable by being put on the NaBloPoMo blogroll, and I plan on keeping my motivaiton levels high by concentrating on the reward at the end of the month.


Best Wishes to all you other NaBlo writers out there!