So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

Last Friday was my last day of work. I was going to write a witty recount of my time there and talk about my feelings about leaving, but I don't think I quite have it in me yet. My brain is on half mast; I have DNFed three audiobooks this month and have not read any eBooks. All I can do is listen to podcasts and sometimes not even that, so I have reverted back to listening to music in the car. 

This month so far, I am batting 250 on books, and my one hit was only a single. I read Lisa Jewell's Watching You and it was just okay. I don't know if that is my mindset or if the book is not that good, so take my review with a grain of salt. I then DNFed Everywhere an Oink Oink (annoying Hollywood producer) and I Didn't Know I Needed This (annoying Twitter influencer) and started Murder in The Family twice and just could not get into it, so I realized that it's not you, it's me, and decided to just give it a rest. I think I may be ready to give it a shot again, but I need something light and funny and fun. Does anyone have a suggestion of a quick and easy read? No Emily Henry please. 

Speaking of music, I found an old SanDisk music player among my things and it still works! It cost maybe $15 and it holds about 3G of music, and it was about half full. It was so fun to turn it on and see what I was listening to when I last used it, which was probably at least ten years ago! I also added more songs on it so I will have something that doesn't drain my phone battery that I can listen to when I am on the road. The playlist includes a variety of songs like Shaggy's It Wasn't Me, So What by Pink, Jesus Walks by Kanye, Believe Me Natalie by the Killers and Sex Is On Fire by Kings of Leon. I also have a playlist on my phone as a backup that I have dubbed Pick Me Up, and will be used when I am feeling discouraged or tired and need to be pumped up. 

Testing out the SanDisk

It still works!

Speaking of that, if you are interested, I would love to get one song recommendation to add to the pick me up playlist from each of you. FYI, I listen to all genres, and would be just as happy with Pantera or Snoop Dogg as I would with Taylor Swift or James Taylor. So lay it on me folks! If you are one of my shy lurkers (you know who you are Berreaux!) you can text me or email me your suggestion. 

As I said, I have also been listening to more podcasts. If you love hearing a short story made long, I have one about this too. I used to use Stitcher as my podcast player. It was great, I had all of the settings down and everything was copesetic. Maybe six or ten months ago, they closed up shop and told everyone to migrate their playlists, and suggested Google Podcasts. I am an Android user and a fan of the Google suite, so I did what they said and have been very happy with the transition so far. However, about a month ago, Google Podcasts announced that they would no longer be around and that we would need to migrate our playlist again. Sigh. I don't mind learning new things but that is kind of annoying. So I moved everything to YouTube Music, which is where I listen to and get my music from. However, I don't love this platform for various reasons. So I am going to try out Podcast Guru, unless one of you has a suggestion for a great podcast app? Like I said, I am an Android user and I don't want to pay for the app. Any suggestions? And if so, why do you like the one you are using? 

Speaking of podcasts, one of my go tos lately has been All the Hacks and I just listened to a great one about FOMO and FOBO. I had never heard of FOBO but it is the Fear of Better Options, meaning that you do not make a decision right away because you think something better may come along after you do. It really hit home with me, as I don't really have too much FOMO, but I definitely have a case of FOBO from time to time. It is not unusual for me to turn on Netflix and spend half an hour trying to decide what to watch before finally giving up and turning the TV off. It is not unusual for me to put an alert on a flight price rather than buying one right away, in the hopes that the price will go down later or that the flight will be at a better time. I try not to be, but often am guilty of analysis paralysis. 

In the podcast, they talk about being an optimizer or a maximizer, both who want to get the best that they can out of the choices they make and it is fascinating to see how much I can relate to much of this. The opposite is a satisficer, who will pick something that is "good enough" just to satisfy. Supposedly, maximizers will take longer to make the decision, but it will often be a better decision due to the research put in, versus satisficers, who will choose quickly, but be happier in the long run. I take a long time to make decisions and often have to ask many questions to be sure I know exactly what I am getting myself into before I make the plunge. I know this is annoying to many of my satisficer friends, but to loop this back to work for the grand finale, has served me well in my industry over the last ten years! 

What fun book should I be reading now? What is your one pick me up song? What podcast app would you suggest I use? Are you a maximizer or a satisficer? 

Listen to This

I thought I would start off with a song that I am loving lately! If you haven't already heard it, enjoy! If you have already heard it, then enjoy again!

I almost always listen to music when I run. However, I haven't bought a pair of headphones in years. I use the ones that came with my iPod. The little padding part came off and one side doesn't always work, but I usually just make do with what I have.

I recently got a chance to try a new earphone, Yurbuds. They are bright pink and they have a twist lock feature where you stick them in and then twist and they stay in your ears really well!

The first time I used them I took them for a test drive because you know the old saying, "don't ever try something new on race day". They worked great. They did not fall out at all and the sound quality is really good. Also, both sides work! Score. The only thing I don't like is that my other headphones have a microphone. I don't use it very often but it is nice to be able to answer the phone when I need to without having to get it out and use it without headphones.

Then on race day, I wore them the whole time. I had absolutely no problems. In fact, they stayed in so good that I almost needed them to come out a little faster when I saw my parents on the side of the road. I was scrambling to get my ear bud out and wave and get my gloves to my grandma all at the same time, but that is my own fault. I need to be quicker on my toes!

All in all, I would recommend these as a new earphone for you to try. Plus they come in a lot of fun colors and different types, like this one, which DOES have a microphone! Now I just need to update my playlist and I will be all set for some serious running!

Here are a few of the tunes I had to keep me company during the race:

Sunshine
Some Nights (this is a pretty cool remix of the song)
1901

What are your favorite headphones for running? What is your song that you use when you need to get pumped up? Have you tried Yurbuds?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary entry into the Nike Women's Marathon and a pair of Yurbud headphones in return for an honest review.

Rock On

I am going to admit something kind of embarrassing. My first concert ever was...

Bryan Adams.

If you are my age, you may remember the Robin Hood Prince of Thieves era and the Everything I Do, I Do it For You phase. Remember going to school dances? Where the boys were on one side and the girls were on the other, both of them too shy to ask the other to dance? But you were AT the dance, so obviously you WANTED to dance. Thank you Bryan Adams. Thanks for giving me the courage to grab the guy next to me and dance with him without touching anything but his shoulders.

My Dad took me and my friend to the concert. It was great. We got up to the front of the crowd, closed our eyes and sang along with "Summer of 69". It was some good times, let me tell you.

The other day, my brother and I went to see the Kaiser Chiefs, and it made me remember how much I love going to concerts. Growing up, we lived pretty far from the nearest amphitheater (about 2 hours) but we still managed to see a few shows and through the years I have made it a point to see a concert now and then. There is just something about live music that is magical. Do you know what I mean?

Here are a few of the concerts I've been to since "The Summer of 69":

- Aerosmith
- The Scorpions
- Rage Against the Machine (w/roots)
- Steve Miller Band
- Metallica (w/Korn)
- Sevendust
- Page and Plant
- 311
- The Deftones
- Rage Against The Machine (w/ Mix Master Mike)
- The Rolling Stones (w/ Pearl Jam)
- The Beastie Boys
- Chris Isaac
- Phil Lesh and Friends
- Cheap Trick
- The Trans Siberian Orchestra 
- Medeski Martin & Wood
- Slow Gherkin
- Dave Matthews
- The Crystal Method
- Underworld
- Bumbershoot (Kings of Leon etc)
- Jazzfest (Joss Stone, Paul Simon, Lionel Ritchie, Ellis Marsalis, etc)
- Kings of Leon
- Arctic Monkeys
- Rebirth Brass Band
- Blues Traveler
- Kermit Ruffins
- Galactic
- Teresa Andersson
- Professor Longhair
- Enanitos Verdes
- She Wants Revenge
- Kaiser Chiefs 

My favorite? Its a 4 way tie between Rage / Rebirth / The Kings of Leon at the House of Blues in New Orleans / Page and Plant; they are legends. The most interesting? Phil Lesh and Friends. If you are looking for hippies, go see Phil. The coolest? Enanitos Verdes. I saw them in Cochabamba, Bolivia. It was so much fun! 

As you can see, I was into the hair bands for a while. I guess I also pick rock concerts over anything else (although I have been to the Symphony quite a few times and I love Musicals!)  I also really loved being in New Orleans, where you can watch a band at a smaller venue, and oftentimes you may even catch an impromptu show!

Okay, feel free to make fun of me now. I know. You've been waiting patiently.

What was your first concert? What is your most embarrassing concert to admit to? What was your favorite concert?

Lose Yourself in The Music

'Cause sometimes you just feel tired,
Feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
And just pull that S*#^ out of you and get that motivation to not give up
And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.'

-Eminem (Til I Collapse)

This song came on Sunday as I was beginning mile 15, my last mile before the end of my run. It was hot, hotter than it had been all week. Someone was messing with me, making it hotter on the one day that I had planned on running in the middle of the day. For the last five miles I had been fighting against throwing up. The heat, the Gu I took around mile 10, too much or not enough water...it was all collaborating against me,  trying to make me "fall flat on my face and collapse". And believe me, I wanted to. I wanted to just give in and let it all win.

And then the song above came on. I take a lot of motivation from my playlist. Whether it's the beat, the words or a memory that I associate with the particular song (Pearl Jam, anyone?), they all inspire me to keep running, to keep going after my energy leaves me. Today this song came on right at the perfect moment. I did not plan it that way. I put my playlist on random most days. But Mr. iPod knew exactly what I needed. And a white rapper who's opinions I usually don't agree with helped me finish my run.

It's funny how that works. Who would have ever thought that Eminem would be inspiring? He talks down about everyone. He does drugs and is proud of it. He swears way too much. He's angry at the entire world. Yet, somehow he IS inspiring. And the beat of his music is almost exactly the same timing to my footfalls. Or what they should be!

In "Lose Yourself" he says:

"Success is my only $%^& option, failure's not
So here I go it's my shot.
Feet fail me not, this may be the only opportunity that I got

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go"

I do lose myself in the music. And I am learning to own the moment. Thanks, M.

Don't forget to join up with Jill for Fitness Friday for more inspiration! 

Who inspires you when you exercise? Which artist inspires you when you are not exercising?  Do you find yourself listening to different music when you exercise vs other times? 

Getting Over The Hump

Everybody likes new music, right? And everybody likes FREE STUFF! No? Huh, well I do. If you like alternative music, I just found out that Urban Outfitters gives away 5 free songs every Monday (you can still download last Monday's songs) and a full album every couple of months.

HERE is the latest album (25 songs). I already downloaded it to make sure it was legit before suggesting it to anyone else. It is! HERE is the previous album (25 songs). This is a great way to test out new bands!! And I like this music! All you need is iTunes.

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I have a post over at Women Rockin the Road today about 10 Beautiful Places in The World. Above is a sneak peek. You want to go over there and take a look. They are Beautiful. Some you may know, and some may be new to you. You may have a recommendation for me! You can tell me "where to go" either in the comments here or on WRTR!

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Do you have any travel stories? Do you want to write a guest post? Email me if you do! We are looking for writers! 

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Speaking of email, it helps me to respond to your comments if you have yours enabled. I am lazy today so in lieu of doing a tutorial, I will direct you to Kim's site, where she shows you step by step how to do this.

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Next up this week: 

Thursday - Week 3 of 12 Weeks To Better Photos - White Balance

Friday - Fitness Friday - Race Recap and Tips on Carb Loading, Carnival Style

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Now, I have a tiny rant. I am not much of a ranter, so this couldn't be a whole post. If I were Jess or Kim, I would be able to Rock this rant, but I am not. I would be better at making a list about rants, than actually making a rant. Is that what you do to a rant, you make it?

Do you guys comment on people's blogs (a lot sometimes) and never, ever have them respond? Am I the only one who does this? I was just wondering. Because there are a couple blogs where I liked the premise of the blog and I commented a few times a week for a while, and these people never comment on my blog, which I can handle. If you don't like it, I am cool with that. But these people also never even respond with a thanks or a how-do-you-do, not via comments, not via discus, not via email. NADA. And all of a sudden the other day, I thought, wait, WHY am I wasting my time when there are other bloggers and blogs (not to mention IRL folks) who I like better? 

Am I being unreasonable? Do you normally comment multiple times and never, ever, EVER get anything back? If so, do you keep on keeping on or do you drop the person already?

This actually happened to me in real life. I used to send out a bunch (I mean A BUNCH) of handmade Christmas cards every year. They would take me FOREVER to make. And I would write a note on the inside of each one and I would HAND address the envelope (and I do believe, lick the stamp!) And then I wouldn't hear back from people at all. Not a phone call, not an email, not a text, not a letter. NADA. Even the next time they saw me, there was no, "hey, thanks for the card" or "hey thanks for thinking of me". NOTHING. So lately I have been keeping track (yes, I am anal) of who says thank you, who gives something (even just an acknowledgement) back! Screw this giveth and not recieveth. I can only giveth so much to people who are "too busy" for a simple "thank you". Especially when I am busy too and I took time out of my busy day to think of them, to do something for them, to interact with them!

I know I don't always respond to every one, and I don't always respond right away, but I try to respond as much as possible, which I hope means that I am not missing someone completely!

What do you guys think? I know everyone is busy. Should I chalk it up to that? Or are these people just plain rude?

(whoa, okay, not such a "tiny" rant after all)

**whew, I do feel better though**

You Can Do it, Put Your Back Into It

I think I've mentioned THIS SONG before. It really gets me going. There are several songs that really get me going. And lately I have been getting going more than ever! I contribute this to my new play list.

Running is hard. There are many things to contend with. You have to work late; you are tired; it is getting dark earlier; it is too hot outside; It is too early; It is too late; You just ate; you are hungry; Your friends are going out for happy hour. THERE ARE TOO MANY BUGS! The excuses not to sometimes come at you like bombs. Getting out there is hard, but once you do it, you feel better for it.

Even if I beat all the excuses and go out and do it, I am lucky if I can run a 10 minute mile. However, the last couple of days I have been running faster. And I think I partially have Jay Z and Ice Cube to thank for it. My original play list was a mix of genres, but lately it has been more of the rap variety, and I do declare it makes my feet move a little quicker.

Here are a couple of other things that may be helping my running speeds.

Liquids: I know that everyone says this. “Drink lots of liquids. blah, blah, blah.” We have heard it all before. However, as much as you have heard it, I am going to say it again. I have been drinking coffee in the morning and then tea and water throughout the work day and I am ending my runs cooler and not as worn out. On the downside, I have to pee at least once an hour ALL DAY, but it is helping me later in the evening.

Food: This one is a hard one for me. I get hungry so I eat. Then it ends up being too soon before the run and I end up remembering what I ate for the entire run (ick). However, lately I have been having an early (non-spicy) dinner and then running about 2 or 2.5 hours later and my stomach HAS been happier for it. And my energy levels are higher.

Intervals: Oh, how I dislike intervals. They have always been on my marathon training schedule and I have ALWAYS ignored them. Well this time I decided not to. Once a week, whether I like it or not, I am doing intervals. What is this, you ask? For me, it is a 1 mile warm up, then a quarter of a mile where you run as fast as you can (or at your 5k pace), then a one minute break where you can walk or jog. You repeat the .25 mile/1 minute “interval” 5+ times (as many as you want). Then when you are done you do a 1 mile cool down. It doesn’t sound very fun, right? Well, it definitely kicks my you know what! However, I went from 10 minute + miles last week to 9 minute miles this week, so something must be working!

Time: You can’t discount the results you get over time. Just from running 3-4 times a week, getting used to the pace and the heat and everything, I think that this alone would make me a little faster.

Heat: This one is hard, as it is still 90 degrees out at 8:30 at night, but I have been trying to time my run right before it gets dark, so I can maximize any coolness there may be. Even a few degrees helps! 

What tips do you have for me? How do you deal with the heat? What music is on YOUR running play list?  

Sidenote: Also, I finally joined Twitter. Yes, now I have one more internet thing to waste my time on occupy my time! Here I am: @travelspot06. If you have an account, let me know what it is and I will come over and follow you. Oh and since we are talking about wasting time, I also have a WWF account: kywils. Come see if you can beat me (you probably can.)

This post is part of Fitness Friday at Life as I See It. 

Picasa and Pandora

A blogger buddy was talking about Pandora the other day. Basically she said that some people don't know what Pandora is. It made me think of a couple things.

(1) It's amazing how I can use something every day and LOVE it and other people don't even know what it is OR use it.

(2) What are THEY using that I don't know about?

So, firstly, as Kim said, you should use Pandora. If you have the internet and you like music AT ALL, this is the thing for you. It is free. What you do is you pick a band you like, you enter it in as a "radio station", then it plays that band AND other bands that are similar. There is a little icon for "thumbs up" and "thumbs down". If you like the song, give it a thumbs up and if you don't, give it a thumbs down. Then Pandora knows what you want...and they give it to you. You can't get much better than that. Really.

The only drawback: I am traveling, and they won't let me use it abroad. Booo. 

The second thing I use a lot is Picasa. If you like to take photos and need a simple editing tool that is also FREE, you should download this. Also, it can upload photos right to your blog or your internet photo album or send them as an email, also for free.

I love the "star" function, which allows you to select favorites and then sort them that way later. You can also tag, geo-tag and see the EXIF data. Oh and don't forget about the face recognition software! Now you can see just how many photos of you really were taken on your last vacation!

Below are a few examples of what Picasa can do. The mix itself is a collage; the separate photos are examples of editing tools. As you can see, you can also add lettering, borders and more. It's a great tool!

What do you use for photo editing? What do you use to listen to music? Do you have any other free software tips? What are YOU using that I don't know about?


April is over, but A-Z is not dead. P is for Picasa.

Music! Makes the People! Come Together!

Yeah. It is that time of the year again. Jazzfest.

This is a 6 day event (starting this Friday) that we attend in order to see hundreds of bands that we could normally see for free at any time of the year. We also go to eat hundreds of different local foods that are double in price as any normal time of year. Oh - and to spend more money on one beer than we normally would on four.

Having said that, I am still mysteriously drawn to it. There are 8 or 9 different stages and usually the two or three bands I really want to see are all playing at the same time on three different stages that are the farthest amount apart. Again, and I don't know why, but I am mysteriously drawn...

So...I will go. For two days probably. I will pay 50 bucks to run back and forth between stages, eat 18 different kinds of food and drink way too much beer, causing me to fall asleep around 7:30 (music ends at 7). GOOD TIMES!

THE LINEUP:
Friday, 27: Van Morrison, Subdudes, Bonerama, Kermit Ruffins, Astral Project
Saturday, 28: Rod Stewart, Norah Jones, Ludacris, Rebirth, Groove Academy
Sunday, 29: Brad Paisley, Bonnie Raitt, Jill Scott, Jerry Lee Lewis, Theresa Andersson
Friday, 4: ZZ Top, Counting Crows, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ellis Marsalis, Better Than Ezra
Saturday, 5: Galactic, Cowboy Mouth, John Mayer, John Legend, Allman Brothers, The IguanasSunday, 6: Allen Toussaint, Steely Dan, Papa Grows Funk, Anders Osborne, Joss Stone, The Radiators, New Edition, Taj Mahal