Comic Con Recap

We've been going to various cons for the past few years, but this year was especially eventful. James entered almost every contest, and while we didn't win the $50 in gift certificates, he DID win a two-night stay at a downtown hotel. The room was nicer than I expected, and the bed was really comfy. The hotel wasn't super close to the convention center, but it made us feel like we were on vacation. And they gave us a bunch of Japanese candy for some reason. Yum!

James also won a photo op with Manu Bennett, who played Slade/Deadshot on the TV show Arrow as well as Azog the Defiler in the Hobbit movies (voice and motion capture).

I'm never one for dressing up, but I love watching James and Atticus have fun. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Atticus got to meet the original red Ranger and the second yellow Ranger (not pictured--they didn't come in costume)

When they opened the Ranger panel to audience questions, I looked at James and said, "These are the nerdiest nerds I've EVER seen." But then when one of them thanked the Red Ranger (Austin St. John) for his work with the Autism Foundation, it clicked that all of these people were likely on that spectrum. It made perfect sense, and we felt bad for mocking them. We later stopped by Austin's booth so Atticus could ask him how it felt to be a Power Ranger ("It was totally amazing") and get a high five. He was kind to talk to us and give Atticus full attention.

Group costumes are the most fun.

A meet-up of amateur Star Wars cosplayers. Atticus is in the front row, and James is the only Wookiee. We left before the Star Trek cosplayers came for a stand-off photo shoot. That Wookiee mask gets hot...

The big-ticket event this year was the panel with the actors who play Captain America and Falcon. There was rumor that Agent Carter would also show up. To avoid a stampede for seats, the organizers gave out tickets on a lottery system. It made a lot of people mad that they didn't give preference to people who bought VIP tickets, but it worked out well for us. We scored three tickets and got a good seat toward the front. James took this pic off of the jumbo screen (we didn't get this close).

This was my favorite event this year. Chris Evans (Captain America) wasn't as comfortable on stage as Anthony Mackie (Falcon), but they both seemed really genuine and happy to be there. Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter) didn't get to say anything, but she got a big cheer when she appeared on stage. She wasn't scheduled to do a panel for some reason.

Another favorite part was my friend Cindy's art booth. She does amazing papercuts. We'd already bought a print of the Utah-shaped one (quote from the end of Raising Arizona, which ends, "I don't know, maybe it was Utah"). I also bought a print of the Yoda to the left of Utah, which reads, "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." I loved the quote but didn't recognize it--

it's from The Empire Strikes Back. I would have loved to buy everything she had, but we have only so much wall space.

Other things I don't have pictures for:

• Falcon and the commentator had an impromptu push-up contest on stage, so when Atticus saw the commentator on the convention floor, he dropped to the ground and started doing one-armed push-ups to challenge him. The guy was gracious enough to take the challenge and do a few himself.
• We took a break on Saturday and had lunch at a nicer place down the block. It was fun to sit in a restaurant patio with Luke Skywalker and a half-wookiee (James took off the top half of the costume).
• I stayed late to see John Barrowman, who played Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who/Torchwood. He's an amazing performer, but I was disappointed by how crude he was. I felt even worse when I realized I'd missed the general women's meeting to be there. It was kind of a bummer to end the weekend that way.

Overall, the experience was a lot of fun. The great thing about Comic Con is how nice people are. Even at the most crowded times and places, I never saw anyone rude or mean. You can talk to strangers and ask to take pictures with them, and it's all good. You stand in a long line and make friends with the people around you. I wasn't all that excited about going again this year, but I'm really glad we did. 

This boy...

Atticus and I had a good day today. James had parent-teacher conferences yesterday and today, so we were on our own until bedtime. And it was nice. I don't think I want to be a single mom anytime soon, but one-on-one time with my boy makes me happy.

Here are a couple things from today that I want to remember:

1. This morning we got to school just after the first bell rang. Atticus was a little frantic about being late:

A: "No time for kisses today, Mom."
Me: Uh-unh. There's always time for kisses.
He gives me a brief brush-by kiss, gets out hurriedly, and slams the door. [Pause]
He opens the door again.
A: "That wasn't a long enough kiss."
Climbs back in the car to give me a real kiss, gets out hurriedly, and slams the door. We exchange vulcan greetings as I drive away.
I smiled the whole way to work.

2. When I got home from work I put on my favorite Spotify playlist, and we listened to it most of the afternoon and evening. After he got out of the shower, he asked me to replay this song:

"It makes me feel whole," he said. I know exactly how that feels. It's how I feel as I write this now. My heart can hardly contain how much I love this boy.

Two brown eggs!

Ruby and Becky are both laying now! We were getting only one brown egg a day, so it was hard to tell if they were alternating days or if one just wasn't laying, but for two days in a row we got two huge brown eggs! And a half-eaten green one. Don't know what happened there, but we got a whole green one today. And only one brown egg. 

Really, ladies, would it kill you to all lay on the same day?

It's not about the eggs.

Meet our lovely ladies, Lucille, Ruby, and Becky. James named them after women in Kenny Rogers songs. We inherited them from our neighbors, who were tired of cleaning up chicken poop. And after having them just a couple weeks, I can see what they mean. I had no idea how much chickens poop. And the neighbors let them out of their small enclosure a few times a week to run free all over the back yard, which meant poop was everywhere. So when we got them I made sure that their enclosure was big enough for them to scratch, dust bathe, and exercise so we wouldn't have to let them out of it. Ever. And I have dedicated one pair of shoes to be my "chicken shoes," and they don't go past the back door. 

I'd been wanting to get chickens for a while now, but the start-up costs and planning and decisions were a little prohibitive. Where would we raise chicks? Buy a coop or build one? What design? How much is this all going to cost? And in one fell swoop, all of those decisions were made. The neighbor wouldn't let us pay him for anything, including almost-full bags of bedding and food pellets, heat lamps, and a watering container we can plug in in the winter so it doesn't freeze. The coop is made of crumbling particle board and will need to be upgraded/replaced soon, but it works for now. 

We get two eggs a day, one greenish white (from Lucille) and one brown. I'm not sure if only one red hen is laying or if they're alternating. Becky has an injured foot, which made me think maybe she wasn't laying, but she seems healthy otherwise. Her comb and wattle are bright and firm, which the internet says is a sign of good health. They're all eating and scratching and getting around fine. 

And they love us. Ruby (I think she's the alpha) used to peck the neighbor's feet whenever he entered their enclosure, but we've never been pecked. Well, I did get pecked on the hand the first day we got them, but I guess that was enough to put me in my place. They get all excited when we go into the back yard, following our movements and clustering where they are in the photos. I don't think they got food scraps very often before, and they never got "scratch," or the mix of wheat and corn and millet that they love. They also needed some calcium supplementation (oyster shells) to improve their eggshells. I feel like we've improved their quality of care, and they seem to like being here. 

So now I'm trying to figure out why I love having them so much, what need they fill. Because like the title of this post says, it's not about the eggs. My friend's 9-year-old daughter gets all wistful when she talks about how we get "fresh eehggs," which always makes me think of this video, which still makes me laugh since the first time I saw it (thanks, Suz). The eggs are great, don't get me wrong. But I can get really good eggs at the store for not too much money. And honestly, I don't eat eggs that often (though I plan to eat more now). But it still makes me very, very happy to see them out in our yard. 

They're not pets, and I don't pet or touch them or try to feed them out of my hand. I love that I can feed them my yellow lettuce that would otherwise go in the trash, but it's more than a practical thing. I feel silly saying that it's more of a spiritual thing, because it's not like I'm learning life lessons or anything. 

But it's more like I feel more connected to life. More real somehow. When I was applying for the job I knew that the trade off if I got it was that I would have to keep things at home pretty simple. Surface cleaning. Surface meal planning. Surface gardening. All so I could be more than a surface wife and mother. Yes, James would take a larger role in all of those things, so it's not like they'd be neglected, but my participation would be surface-level. When I didn't get the job, I asked God, "now what?" And the impression I got was "deeper roots at home." 

I can't quite explain how, but the hens are part of those deeper roots. I'm working only three days a week so I can stretch those roots. Deeper cleaning. More cooking (still working on that, but I did make three kinds of fruit leather last week). Garden planning and preparation. Eventually I'll get to sewing and lotion making and family history and piano. 

But for now I have hens, and that's enough.

Starting Over

Ok. I had a few bad weeks with the diet, and I didn't get the job I really (really!) wanted. I got knocked down and thrown for a loop.

But I'm back up. I went to the gym today, and I signed up for a 6-week "boot camp" class. I'm doing the diet challenge again, starting by cutting out all drinks but water and unsweetened herbal tea.

At work, I still feel a twinge in my gut whenever I think of all the problems that made me want to leave, but it's time to stop whining and move forward. The project manager is advocating for me to take a bigger role, though exactly how is still to be defined. I also asked the writing manager to help me find a mentor for web and social media writing. That's my weak point, and it's the direction the field is heading, like it or not. And it will help me write for a more general audience, which is what got the other guy the job I wanted. 

This quote came to mind today:

"In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." --Eric Hoffer

It's time.

Temporary Detour?

My goodness, the last two weeks have felt like an epic fail. I want to turn it around, and I'm just not feeling motivated. Help!

My diet slipped and I didn't make it to the gym for a week, and when I got on the scale I was back to my starting weight. Worse, when I got on the machine at the gym, I was panting like I'd never worked out. I worked hard to achieve so little, and with one bad week I lost all the ground I'd gained.

I was so discouraged I spiraled into even worse habits this week. Because that makes so much sense, right?

My body feels terrible, and I'm grumpier and more irritable than before. Yes, I'm experiencing a higher-than-normal level of stress. I've applied for a new job, a process that started in January and finally reached the interview stage a week ago Wednesday. I'd been hoping to hear back within a few days, but the person in charge of hiring was traveling all last week, so I'm crossing my fingers for the upcoming week. It really is cruel and unusual treatment to stretch out the hiring process this long, but they're historians, so maybe they have a different concept of "a long time." And I really, really want this job, so I will wait as patiently as I have to.

But it's not like getting this job will completely change my eating and exercise habits, though they do have a rule of no food in the office (the office is in the same building as the library and archive, so food is a big no-no). Right now I'm surrounded by snacks and eat primarily at my desk, so that would certainly change. And my office would be on the 4th floor, so I could take the stairs more.

Anyway. I'm frustrated with myself. Why is it so hard to translate knowledge into action? What is the key to making it stick?

Week 5

Weigh in: down half a pound.

Last week was rough. I got sick, and I just felt drained and grumpy all week. I made it to the gym once, and I did a bare-bones workout at home one day. Plus James got a box of chocolate from Indonesia and a dozen Kinder Surprise eggs from Canada, so my "no sugar" goals didn't stick. But the strange thing is, the sugar didn't satisfy me. I even broke out my fancy dark chocolate bar, and it was disappointing. I still craved good desserts, but I didn't cave.

Successes: I tried a 30-minute "boot camp" class at the gym. It was tough, but it pushed me harder than I push myself. They're starting the 4-week session again next month, and I plan to join. I also exercised at home when I really just wanted to stay in bed.

Goals for this week: Limit carbs (no specific guidelines). No fast food. Increase exercise duration/intensity.

How do I plan to limit carbs and junk this week? What foods do I need to replace, and what will I replace them with?
The key word here is PLAN. Saturday I wrote out a menu and committed to actually cook and prepare meals. Last night we had lime-ginger mahi mahi, and it was delicious. Super easy. James and Atticus even liked it, and James doesn't generally like fish. I don't think I can add it to the weekly rotation, but maybe once a month. On the side we had sautéed baby bok choi and brown rice with cilantro.

My biggest concern is lunch. I normally take leftovers, but I knew we wouldn't have leftover fish, and some of the other meals I planned wouldn't have leftovers either. So after dinner I stayed in the kitchen and made a batch of chicken-and-veggie patties. Prep was super easy with the food processor. Cooking took the longest, but even with that I was done within an hour. I made about 13 larger patties instead of 30 minis. They were tasty. Kind of like an omelet, strangely, but in a good way. I froze half for the future. Oh, and I also baked some chicken thighs for a recipe I'm making later this week.

Tonight is chili dogs for convenience and to keep my boys happy. I'll cut up carrots and celery to go with them. After dinner I plan to make a batch of granola and shred cabbage and carrots for a peanutty slaw I'm making later this week. I greatly prefer to prep a couple days ahead, when the pressure is off. I can enjoy the process rather than worry about getting food on the table quickly. I need to remember this.

Look back over the past month. What positive changes have I made?
I'm exercising again, and I like it. I'm eating more vegetables and planning my meals better. I'm spending less time on the couch. I've stopped raiding the snack cabinet at work. I wore a knee-length skirt to church yesterday for the first time in forever. I'm spending more time outside. All great things.