Feeling funky...

Woke up this morning to one-tenth of an inch of ice outside. Like I told my brother, I just need to move to Fiji and be done with it. I don’t like cold weather and want to move south, but a big move will not happen for awhile. Charlie and I discussed it and he rather double-up on the mortgage and pay off the house in eight years, then think about moving. It does make sense, but I’m ready to go now! We’ll start taking weekend trips to check out some areas to determine where we want to go. Although, the whole country has been hit by this crazy weather the past week! Dom said yesterday in Austin it was 80 degrees and the next two days are going to be in the 30s with a serious wind chill! Ugh!!

I have been in such a funk the past several weeks. I finally admitted to my doctor that I’m not doing alright and I need help. I can’t concentrate, I feel lethargic, I have no motivation, and I’ve been crying more than ever before. I really felt like I might be losing my mind. It’s a combination of several things: I don’t feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be professionally; I miss mom, dad, and Aunt Marian every day; I have no time for myself; and my mood swings wildly from feeling hopeful and peaceful to angry, bitter, and hateful the next. Charlie feels the brunt of my emotions and I’m tired of taking it out on him. I want to be happy. I had some blood work completed a couple of weeks ago and she indicated I was anemic, which was a shock. I eat very well (i.e. foods rich in iron are what I eat constantly), so she wants me to go see a GI doctor to make sure everything inside is O.K. She wants to rule out ulcers and, God-forbid, colon cancer. For the time being she put me back on anti-depressants and I have to take an iron supplement. She wants me to focus just on myself and make goals for only the coming week and not more than a month in advance. She suggested I look at work right now as a means for paying for my hobbies and since I told her I wanted to get back into art, she thought it was perfect. For some reason my interest in writing is waning, but I think it’s because of this funk. I’m also going to rearrange my schedule so I truly have the weekends for myself – every last stupid chore will have to happen during the week. I made a list of the things that bog me down on the weekends and it was quite extensive. I also need to reclaim my office space because since I started decorating for Christmas it looks like a Category 4 hurricane touched down in here. I’m a very organized person, so this alone is driving me CRAZY – I can’t even think in here.

Hopefully with all this I can get back to finishing the revisions to my memoir, which I have put on the backburner for now. As far as any other writing is concerned, we’ll see what the new year brings.

My brother and his wife are in from Texas for the weekend, so I’ve been getting ready for the visit (i.e. cleaning). I’ve been in a mild funk here lately and I’ve also been spending the time trying to figure out my next steps. While I want to write, I don’t believe that alone is going to fulfill the creative void I feel right now. There is a little art studio that recently opened not far from here and I think after the new year I’m going to start taking some art lessons. I was in advanced placement art in high school and loved spending time doing “artsy” things, but I let go after graduation for some reason or another. I want to take a few lessons to brush up on techniques since I’m a little rusty. The writing will happen but first and foremost the memoir has to be completed. I really don’t want anything taking away time from that. Revisions are moving along and I hope to wrap them up in the next week or two.

I’m also geared up for planning our summer vacation! I’m still not sure about a location yet, but I’ve also been eyeing up Barbados as well. I’ve gotten a little more Christmas spirit in me this year than I have for the past nine years. I actually put a tree up this year (the first in nine years) and Charlie and I can actually have a Christmas this year, which is wonderful. So many of the past years we have been broke from buying for everyone else, but this year we said we come first. And, I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it.

Telecommuting on Hold & Summer Vacation!

The whole idea of finding a new position that offers telecommuting is quickly losing steam. I would like to stay within the government for now, so in order to get a position that offers telecommuting as a benefit, I would have to initially hike all the way down to D.C. for an eligible position. Because I live in northeast Maryland, this commute is nearly impossible. It would be a nearly two-hour commute by train – I’m not even considering driving. So, back to the drawing board! I may continue to search for positions that may be offered in Baltimore, but I’ve settled on the notion that I’m not going to stress myself out over finding something. Sometimes, if you keep your ears and eyes open, these things sometimes appear that you normally wouldn’t find by looking too hard.

As the countdown to Christmas begins, so does my countdown to planning my next summer vacation! I always like to have something booked by the end of January – I like things taken care of as far in advance as possible. Based on some new news I’ve received regarding a family trip with my husband’s side of the family, I may actually be able to plan a trip to the Out Islands of the Bahamas! I’m very excited about that possibility, so I hope to have more details in the next week or so. It’s not that I don’t love the mega-resorts in the Riviera Maya, Cozumel, or Punta Cana, but a secluded hideaway on a nearly deserted island is what I need and want right now! Stay tuned!

Rediscovering creativity

I’m in the process of reading a book called “The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People” by Carol Eikleberry, PhD to help me sort out my next steps in finding my true calling. I believe writing is only part of what I want to do, but I guess I’ve been so ingrained with the business world’s non-creative positions I’m a little afraid of making the full-time leap to a creative field. I have so many interests to apply my creative abilities to that I almost feel like I’m unable to make any decisions as to what I really want to do!

What I have realized is I have to be patient with myself, which is no easy feat. I am normally very impatient, getting easily frustrated when things don’t go the way I planned in the timeframe I worked out. I believe in myself and my capabilities and that I will someday be very successful at what I love; I just have to realize it won’t happen by tomorrow. If anyone has any success stories to share, please do so! I’m always inspired by those who had a dream and watched it come to fruition.

The Story of Stuff

Getting off the treadmill in life has various meanings for me. Primarily it is about pursuing your dreams and stop getting caught up in the nonsense of the status quo. However, it can also mean stopping the cycle of stress on yourself and the environment by opting out of excessive consumerism. This idea hit home for me after watching the following video from The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard: http://www.storyofstuff.com/.

It was an eye-opener for me and hopefully it will be for you as well. This nation is buckling under the weight of debt its citizens carry and it needs to stop NOW. Let me know what you think about the Story of Stuff…

Take a Hike!

I returned yesterday from a fabulous weekend of hiking at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Charlie and I decided to take advantage of a long weekend, and the need to unplug, by planning a mini-vacation somewhere close. Since Shenandoah National Park is about 50 miles west of Washington D.C., it made for an easy commute. We stayed in Front Royal, a small town situated at the north entrance of the park. We spent two nights at the Super 8 Motel for a bargain price of only $138.76. The Four Seasons it was not, but it was a comfortable room to spend the night. When we arrived around noon on Friday, we grabbed lunch across the street at Spelunker’s Frozen Custard and Cavern Burgers. If you are a health conscious individual, this is not the place for you. Charlie chowed on a cavern burger AND a chili cheese dog (which he later regretted) and I decided just to indulge in a vanilla custard cone. Wherever you decided to eat while in Front Royal, save room for a Spelunker’s frozen custard – it was decadent!

While the Super 8 advertises a free continental breakfast, it was rather sparse consisting of donuts, two selections of cold cereal, milk, orange juice, and coffee. For more substantial early morning fuel, try Wynn’s Restaurant located at 219 E Main Street. Here you’ll find good food at a bargain price (our bill came to $10.00). For an inexpensive lunch or evening meal try Main Street Mill located at 500 E Main Street. For dinner on Friday night our total bill came to $40.00 which included two beers, an appetizer, two entrees, and dessert. The food was good (I had the southwestern chicken breast while Charlie chose the half rack of baby back ribs) and what I found to be most surprising – the portions were realistic (unlike the gargantuan servings dished out at chain restaurants).

The real highlight of the trip were the amazing views and hiking found within Shenandoah National Park. This was my first trip down Skyline Drive and I was not disappointed by the clear views of rural towns and fiery orange and yellow trees surrounding the park. However, I was really geared for an aggressive workout of hiking and the Park more than delivered. On Friday Charlie and I only had a few hours of daylight to use and we chose to trek the Overall Run Falls trail as our goal for the afternoon. This trail is located within the Matthews Arm and Elkwallow Area of the park, situated around mile marker 22 (see map: http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/mathews_arm_area.pdf). This trail leads to the 93’ foot Overall Falls and is moderately difficult; roundtrip is approximately 6.5 miles. It provided a good aerobic workout while taxing our butt and legs which Charlie and I felt this immediately upon returning to the Jeep. I would recommend this trail for intermediate and advanced fitness levels. Be sure to pack water and a light snack. If you do not invest in hiking/walking poles, be sure to find a sturdy tree branch to assist you in your hikes (please find a branch already on the ground!). I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a walking stick (or two) for any uphill hikes. They not only reduce your fatigue (trust me, you will still feel fatigued even when using the poles) and increase your speed, but hiking/walking poles assist in stabilizing your footing which is essential, especially on the descents. We only passed one other couple on the trail which we attributed to it being a weekday afternoon, so we felt as if we had the place to ourselves.

While we didn’t encounter any wildlife on the trail, on our drive out we came to a screeching halt when I spotted a black bear at the top of a tree about 75 feet away to our right (fortunately there was no one behind us)! We jumped out and marveled how this magnificent creature could precariously balance himself on spindly branches at the very top of the tree and swiftly maneuver his way down! So much for my notion of climbing a tree if I ever encountered a bear in the woods!

On Saturday we traveled further down Skyline Drive to the Skyland area of the park. Our first hike was the Whiteoak Canyon Trail located at mile marker 43 (see map: http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/whiteoak_canyon_area.pdf). This trail brings you to the Upper and Lower Whiteoak Falls, both spectacular to see; roundtrip is approximately seven miles. Another butt-kicking trail, we found our speed decreased some due to more people being on the trail – a lot more people. If you really want solitude for your hikes, I suggest planning hikes for weekdays versus the weekend. Since this hike involves an 1100 foot elevation change, I felt muscles in my legs, butt, and hips I never knew existed! It was quite a challenge, so I recommend this also for those at an intermediate and advanced fitness level.

Once we finished the Whiteoak Canyon Trail we traveled a little further down Skyline Drive to the Big Meadows area. We parked across from the Big Meadows Lodge, a little past mile marker 51, and hiked the Lewis Falls Trail; round trip is approximately five miles (see map: http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/big_meadows_area.pdf). We packed our own lunch, however, Big Meadows offers a restaurant if you are interested in a sit-down meal. The Big Meadows Lodge, Skyland, and Lewis Cabins (further down Skyline Drive) offer lodging, but when Charlie and I inquired about lodging within Skyland we noticed a sign posted that reservations for 2010 would be taken starting January 3, 2009. Obviously the lodging at the Park is very popular so you will need to plan a couple of years in advance.

The Lewis Falls Trail is a must-see! The Lewis Falls are a splendid sight to see and well worth the precarious hike to get there. The trail map indicates it is a moderate hike, but Charlie and I agree it should be upgraded to a strenuous level as it was a challenge for both of us (speaking mainly of the hike back up the mountain). However, the views from the trail itself are breathtaking making it well worth the muscle soreness and fatigue! We returned via the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail runs throughout the Park so you have the option of picking it up at various locations or hiking it exclusively.

We returned home on Sunday still sore from the hikes, but well-rested nonetheless from a mini-vacation in the great outdoors that soothed our harried minds. For more information on Shenandoah National Park, please visit the National Park website: http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/.

Looking for the dream job

In keeping with my personal philosophy, “If you are not happy, move on”, I decided this week that if telework is so important to me, I need to start looking for it now. My hope
was my current office would consider adopting it, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen. In my years of working I have always sacrificed some personal beliefs and/or desires believing that doing so is a normal way of life. However, I can no longer deny these beliefs because doing so is making me one miserable individual! I also fight the tendency to ruminate over how I should have done this years ago. I know I’m not the only one who is in the same predicament so here is my personal list of steps to take to make your dream job a reality:

1. Do not deny your personal beliefs and desires! In order to be happy, you must hold these sacred and search for the right company/institution that honors your beliefs and desires. In a quick search online, I found over the course of this weekend that these types of companies do exist! Start your search at: http://http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2008. From here you can plug in “perks” you are looking for in a company and it delivers the specific companies to match those perks you find important.

2. Realize that the perfect company to work for may be you! This is something I am seriously considering and right now I’m in the process of developing exactly what I would like to do. This includes market research and developing a business plan. If you are serious about starting your own business, I suggest one of your first steps should be to meet with your local Small Business Development Office representative (http://http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbdc/index.html).

3. Searching for a new career is like holding down a part-time job. Allow yourself the time to conduct you research, to amp up your resume, and to then apply for jobs.

4. Be open to relocating, if needed. If you own your own home, I know the real estate market right now does not lend itself to moving, but realize you may have to move in order to acquire your dream job. This has been my hang up for years now. I live in northeastern Maryland and have limited myself to just the immediate commute area for job opportunities. Do not fall into this trap! Open yourself up to relocating and the world is yours for the taking! My husband wants to wait another 18 months before we move, but I no longer think I can wait that long. However, since I am searching for telework opportunities, I should be looking for companies that would allow me to remain where I am for now with the possibility to move in the future.

5. Block out the naysayers! This is critical to realizing your dream job. Many, many negative individuals are out there waiting to hold you back because they do not have the courage nor desire to actualize their dreams. Stay true to yourself and believe in yourself whether you want to be a world-renowned chef or open up a local pet-sitting business. For me, I sometimes keep the bulk of my plans to myself, only sharing them with a few trusted individuals (i.e., positive and inspiring individuals). This mitigates hearing a bunch of negative garbage that I can do without.

Today for me will be sorting out whether I can be satisfied changing career fields in order to achieve the benefits I want: telework, fun and casual work environment, room to advance, generous paid time off. I also need to sort out whether I would be willing to accept a pay cut to achieve these benefits. My gut reaction is yes, but I need to discuss that with hubby first. He has been very open to me taking a pay cut, as long as I can wait for him to finish college (the 18 months discussed above) and for him to get a higher paying position.

Go forward with your dream – today is the best day to start.

I'm still here!!

Yes, I’m actually still alive. This week has been a blur. My brother is in town for the Ravens/Raiders game today, so things have been hectic. Although no writing happened this weekend, I actually enjoyed doing nothing and didn’t get bent out of shape because I didn’t write. I watched some movies – Iron Man, There Will Be Blood, and Sex in the City. All were great! I enjoy watching movies by myself sometimes and I watched There Will Be Blood last night while Charlie did homework (by brother went over a friend’s house) and I watched Sex in the City this morning at 7:30 (Charlie and Dom had already left for the game – tailgating!). It felt great not to be rushing around trying to get a million things accomplished. I keep reminding myself that I’m not off track and the writing will start up again come next weekend. I find it virtually impossible, given my current job, to do any writing during the week. I’m not one to skimp on sleep, so it’s not like I can stay up late to write and I already get up at 4 am, so forget about getting up early. I can actually get a good deal accomplished on the weekends when I’m focused.

That’s all for the moment. My brain is still on “relax” mode, so I’m going to take advantage of it while I can!

Time alone please!

I was off from my “regular” job today – yee haw! I’m starting to love being away from that job, and eventually I will be for good. In the meantime, I was able to complete some work for the writer I’m working with part-time. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work for him as it will open doors that I could never do on my own. Plus, he is a genuinely great guy! His wife is great too! I’m very excited working with him – I only wish his work was my full time job. Oh, that’s right, no whining and no wishing! Only doing! My greatest personality flaw is that I have very little patience. I have made some strides in improving my patience, but other times I let it get the better of me. I’ve come to see that it can have a negative impact on my emotions, which is something I don’t need.

One other great struggle for me is claiming time away from my “regular” job for my writing. I’ve already touched on that previously, but I’m finding others are creating a time drain for me and I need to implement a way to stop that. My husband can be from time to time – God love him. I think because I’m not currently pulling in a whole lot of money by writing he doesn’t see the necessity of me spending so much time on it. Don’t get me wrong, he vocalizes his support constantly, but when it comes time for me to sit down and do something, he wants to spend time together. Today he decided to call in sick and although I was good for some of the morning, the rest of the day was shot.

How do you tell the ones you love you love them, but please don’t bother me for the next eight hours? Maybe just say it as is!!

Komen Race for the Cure

I ran the Baltimore Komen Race for the Cure this morning. My time was 26.15 - my best time yet. If only it was 70 degrees versus 35! I hate running in the cold. For me, it's very comfortable and takes me about a mile to warm up. But with so many people running around you (there was about 32,000 registrants!), you get caught up in the adrenaline and just go! My husband also ran and my sister Sharon (in the picture with me) and niece Ellen also came along. This was the first time they attended and they said they would be back, which is great.

Not much to write because I'm so stinkin' tired! I was up at 4 am (it's about an hour drive to get to the race), so now I'm ready for bed!

Time to take care of the breasts!

Where does the time go? I did manage to work on my memoir some this morning, but the rest of the day filled up with running, workout, getting my hair cut, doing laundry, making dinner, and now here it is almost six o’clock! It would be great to have a maid do all this work! Enough whining for now…

Thursday was my mammogram and first ever breast MRI. I’ve been receiving mammograms since I was 30 as a precautionary measure (due to my family history), but this year I switched my OB/GYN down to Johns Hopkins since my old doctor didn’t think MRIs were necessary for me. Although I don’t have a medical degree, I’m intelligent enough to read and decipher medical news and research. I’ve known for awhile that MRIs and/or ultrasounds should be used in addition to regular mammograms for women who have dense breasts (and mine are VERY dense), so I got pretty annoyed when my old doctor wouldn’t go for it. Once I transferred to Johns Hopkins they asked, “Why wouldn’t you get an MRI?” I knew I had made the right decision in coming to them.

Both technicians I saw that day commented that my breasts were extremely dense. While it’s wonderful have firm, youthful breasts, it makes reading mammograms and MRIs a bitch (i.e. it’s difficult to make out cancer because it all blends together). The MRI was only suppose to last 30 minutes but ended up taking an hour because the technician had such a hard time getting a decent picture. The digital mammogram was cool because I could see the results right there on the computer screen. I discovered I have a calcification deposit in my left breast and based on what I have researched, it is a macrocalcification deposit (not linked to breast cancer development). The films for both the mammogram and MRI had to be sent to the main office for diagnosis and I should receive results in about a week. Tomorrow is the Komen Race for the Cure here in Baltimore and this year my sister Sharon and my niece Ellen will be going with me and Charlie. We’ll be there bright and early at 6 am!

After my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 13, I made a pact with myself to always stay on top of my health and to take all precautionary measures possible when it comes to breast health. I received genetic testing this summer (for the BRCA 1 and 2 genes) and the results came back negative. It’s good news for me, but doesn’t pull me out of the weeds completely. Since my mom and aunt were never tested for the genes (it wasn’t even heard of when both were alive), my results can either mean that neither of them carried the gene, or they may have carried the gene I just didn’t inherit it. Neither of my sisters wants to get tested because they rather not know. I personally think that is crazy, but to each her own. I’d rather know and take all measures possible to prevent it than to discover it one day and have limited options.

Here’s to a good run tomorrow!!

Moving forward

As I sit contemplating how much I no longer want to work where I am currently employed, I actively engage in positive thought processing. That is, I am mapping how I will make the transition from working outside the home for an outside employer to working for myself full-time. I can wish all I want for the life I desire or actually do something about it, which is something that sets successful people apart from those who never achieve much in life. It’s a matter of always moving forward and taking risks. Successful individuals are not afraid of the unknown because they know that taking risks is a part of achieving a dream. Successful individuals may make mistakes, but they learn from those mistakes and keep moving on.

I am grateful I found a mentor in a local writer who is very successful in his freelance career. I started working for him part-time a couple of months ago. I only wish it was full time! Aack! No wishing here – just doing! J He has taught me a lot so far and I look forward to him showing me more of “the ropes” in having a successful freelance career. I have also started researching potential markets for me to break into (low-paying, but good for gaining experience) and compiled some article ideas. Next I have to create some query letters to send out and to line up experts to interview for my articles. I am also moving ahead with my memoir, more aggressively than ever, so I can get that to an agent. I indicated previously I wanted this accomplished before year-end, but as long as my schedule doesn’t derail, it should be by the end of November.

Stay positive, stay focused!!

Followers widget now listed!

I’ve added the “Followers” widget to my blog so please become a follower! Join me in getting off the treadmill and spread the word!

Many thanks,Jen

Get back to writing!

I’ve been MIA too long – I let life interfere with writing here. Saturday was my first ever yard sale! I did fairly well and I carted everything that didn’t sell to Goodwill yesterday. Cleaning out the attic precipitated the sale. I’m in the process of completing my memoir and there was a letter my father had written to me years ago that I couldn’t find anywhere in the house, so up in the attic I went to sort through at least 15 boxes of memories. My one-minute story: my mother passed away when I was 14; my father remarried; my aunt, who had become like a mother to me, passed away in 1999; and my father, who was my last anchor in life, passed away in 2005. There is much more to fill in the gaps, but that’s where the memoir comes in! Anyway, this letter he wrote was right before I moved to South Carolina and it was something I would never had expected from him. Upon finding the letter, I feel I can now finish the book and move on to the next step – finding an agent.

October has been and will continue to be a hectic month for me, but I found myself yesterday repeating a line I swore I would never say again: “I need to find the time to write.” No sooner was it coming out of my mouth that I realized I was making an excuse and allowing other non-important events to dictate my time. I had always used the excuse that I didn’t have the time to write because I was too busy with my outside job, cleaning the house, washing dishes, doing laundry – you name it. I finally realized the writing needs to come first or it will never come at all. If I want to eventually make a living as a freelance writer, all other things will have to take a backseat to writing. Period! It is part of “getting off the treadmill” – realizing what it is that’s keeping you from moving forward and having the courage to change it. I’m off work today, so I made it a priority to sit down and write first thing this morning. I’m diving back into the memoir to add some more to it. I bumped up my deadline to get it to an agent to the end of the year and I mean it this time. While I had an editor review it who suggested some changes, I need to move forward with I believe is right.

Wanted: energy to clean the house!

This week I decided to let my cleaning lady go because 1) she & her partner were not doing such a great job and 2) for $65 every two weeks, I could do a much better job. I was off yesterday and was supposed to take care of the cleaning then but for some reason it didn’t happen (i.e. I didn’t feel like doing it). Here I am Saturday morning trying to muster up the energy to do it and I’m not finding it. I need to find another cleaning lady! The whole point of hiring one was to free up time for me to concentrate on my writing and other projects at hand, so I have to stop myself right now from justifying the savings with me doing it myself. Even if it only takes two hours a week, with working full-time outside of the house right now, two hours is very precious time.

This week I’ve been riding a small roller coaster of emotions which I’ve been attempting to contain by meditating on a regular basis. The meditation seems to be working! When I find myself getting annoyed with work and wanting to quit ASAP, I reel myself back in knowing that I’m not there forever, my goals are on track, and I will be a success in achieving those goals, but it will not happen overnight. Deep breathing is critical at this point! My current job pays well, but the work is a drag and I get fed up with the office politics (one of the many reasons why I want to work from home). Even when I make it a point to remain disconnected from the politics, it’s still all around me and the negative energy tries its best to suck me in. The office where I’m at now does not have a telecommuting policy in place and they are really dragging their feet in implementing one. Several other government agencies have a policy in place, but nearly all are offices located in D.C. (a nearly two hour train ride – driving with traffic would be nearly as long – one way), so I hope to fight to get telecommuting in my agency. Realistically, I hope to be on my own in the next year and a half, so the point of implementing a telecommuting policy at the office is moot.

I also finally cleaned out my attic last week and found a letter my father had written me years ago. More on this later, along with the details of the first ever yard sale I will be having! Take care…

Welcome to the Treadmill Tribune!

No, the Treadmill Tribune is not about purchasing treadmills or using them for indoor running. It serves as a metaphor for me. I often feel like life is like a treadmill – you’re running in a forward projection, doing something good for yourself, seeming to make progress in improving yourself, but you get off and realize you really haven’t gotten anywhere! For years I have been dreaming of working independently, not having to be tied down to a schedule inflicted upon me by my employer. The work I have been doing, while profitable, has been and still is, completely unfulfilling to me. Upon reading Sully Erna’s The Paths We Choose, I realized I had been settling in life. His story is one of perseverance, believing in yourself that you can make your dreams come true by working hard and ignoring the naysayers. He never gave up on himself, and although it took awhile, his dream became a reality and he is now quite a success. I realized after reading his book that there are people out there making a living doing things they love and are passionate about. Why wasn’t I? I wasn’t because I allowed myself to flow with the status quo, believing that grown-ups don’t dream – reality is working 9-5 and paying the bills and trying to do something enjoyable on the weekends. NO MORE! I cannot go on spending the majority of my life commuting 45 minutes one way, each day, to a 8X8 cell (sorry, cubicle), chained to a chair for nine hours a day, plugging away on a computer with work that does not inspire me, does not interest me, nor that I even believe in. Change is happening and it is happening NOW!

The Treadmill Tribune is a forum for adults to unload their frustrations with life and share their dreams of their future and what they are doing to make their dreams a reality. I will be sharing my life and dream plans along the way. Likewise, I want to her from people who are living their dream and how they accomplished it. I originally planned on narrowing the blog to just other women who do not have children and feel the way I do, but I realized we could learn a lot more by including everyone. With that said, this blog is for adults only. No, there will be nothing pornographic about it. But those with children – mentally find a babysitter and come here for you only. Even though you have kids and the thought process is to put them first, here I say no, put yourself first. Realize your dreams and inspire your children to do the same. We will also discuss ways to make your life better in terms of fitness, nutrition, spirituality, and the like.

Life is too short to shrug off dreams. Get off the treadmill!