Where'd You Go, Jessi?

Even though I've been publishing since 2012, I still don't have a great understanding of the disappearing act I put you through. 

Blog breaks are usually prefaced, planned, communicated. You're all polite enough to give warning ahead of time, allow proper goodbyes and give some type of indication why you're not going to be writing or reading for a specific range of time. 

My blog breaks are nothing like that. Mine are spontaneous, immediate and often unexplainable. Full of carbs, adventures, surprises and living. Those nights. That song. 

This act may seem like a sign of hiding, depression, loneliness, introversion or discouragement. Not the case at all. My breaks are a sign of having too much to share, too much to be excited about, too much to post, too much good.

There's actually no such thing as "too much good" but I'm trying to explain the side-eye-smirky feeling. 

Let me present the facts of life of the last twenty days.

:: Boarded 7 unique planes, only seated in the middle twice.

:: Been in six states.

:: Attended one wedding. 

:: Attended two sporting events (one with beer for sale, one with dogs to pet).

:: Drove my car only 8 days.

:: Kissed a boy. A few times. 

:: Also helped paint his toenails while he was asleep.

:: Read: The Opposite of Loneliness, Where'd You Go, Bernadette

:: Bought: This One is Mine

:: Listening: Bossypants

:: Ate clam chowder in Boston and drank mimosas "in the Mission".

:: Okay, a lot of mimosas in the mission with MacKensie.

:: Was driving a car solo when it broke down on me at 1am.

:: Took one shower in Oakland, CA and one shower in Warwick, RI. 

:: Baked chocolate chip cookies.

:: Learned San Francisco is cold and should not be shocked at the absence of palm trees. 

:: Was called up on stage to lead a song in my Pound! Workout class. 

Literally this stage -->

:: Taken only five workout classes and currently scheduling more aggressively.

:: Posted five instagram photos.

:: Put together three pieces of large furniture with only an allen wrench.

:: My nails have been painted all but a few hours (mostly Essie Fiji)

:: Discovered chia seeds.

:: Changed my job, manager and desk location.

:: Took 25,000 steps in a single day.

:: Slept through one book club.

:: Was picked up at the Portland Airport twice by my golden sisters.

This was actual life. Feels like I should go out and live it some more.

Confessing with Melissa today!

Shipping Up!

I'm currently in the forever-awkward-post-Mani/Pedi-can't-touch-anything position. It's awful. There are plenty times each day where I'm sedentary enough that my nails would dry perfectly without a single rub or smudge, but right after a manicure? Must touch everything! Right after a pedicure? Feet-so-cold, this blanket won't ruin that coat of polish that must have dried 20 minutes ago? Lies.

Whenever you're in doubt, always wait 20 more minutes for drying, just as a safety measure. 

These drying nails didn't help me get laundry done any quicker and didn't let me sweat and didn't help me pack, but they are done and unsmudged and I call that a victory.

Pack? 

Yes! I'm headed out of town to Upper-Right USA for a long weekend. Maybe see me around and maybe you won't. Instagram is your best bet!

There's a lot I'm looking forward to about this trip, but think these two new companions are high on the list. At least for those middle-seat plane rides I've become accustomed to! 

Have you read either of these? Have a great weekend!

The Reading Confession

I may have stirred up a bit of controversy yesterday with my comment about how "I don't read novels" and then how I'd never read any of the books Alyssa noted as must-reads. Also not knowing anything about Jodi Picoult or how to spell her name put some negative points in the Jessi-is-awesome column.

Nobody shamed me but they'd love for me to see the light in the stories that are out there that can change a life. I had a serious heart-to-heart with Alyssa, followed by Kristen's heart breaking over the facts. I felt like it was finally time to share...

I can't read.

Just kidding, haha. Somehow it's still in my head that confessions are synonymous with April Fools. I play.

But really, I can read despite the way I often misuse grammar/punctuation. It's not that I don't like reading. I really enjoy reading! It's a way to step out of the present and into the lives of the characters. It's a way to decompress. It's a cuddly way to spend cozy time in the winter. It's a peaceful way to spend sunny time in the summer. I understand all of the wonderful things about reading, I do.

It's just that I don't make time to read stories.

Like I said yesterday, my interests gravitate more toward self-help books, like any of the following titles I've purchased on Amazon in the last 4 months:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The SPEED of Trust

The Willpower Instinct

The Power of Habit

I do want to make time to read stories, the ones that will make me feel or think or understand. The ones that I can find myself within or the ones that are just as intriguing because I'm unable to find myself in them.

This is why I was so ecstatic and so public about joining Plucky's book club. It really is a huge accomplishment for me to read a ~300 page story in the course of a month. It takes dedication and willpower and wantpower!

The last story I read was Eleanor & Park in March with a few other lovely blogger ladies, and I really enjoyed it!

Before Eleanor & Park, it's unfortunate to say that the last novel I read was either The Hunger Games or - don't hate me, Melissa - Fifty Shades (#2, because I didn't finish #3), neither within the last year. Likely back in 2013 when I'd read a book while a former love interest of mine would play video games. 

You'd think that with all the cross-country flights I've been on - especially in the middle seat - that I'd have a bit more reading under my belt but somehow I've passed that time with internet browsing, napping or scrolling through the 2,000 photos on my camera roll. Productive? Never. Entertaining? Always. 

Next up for Plucky's book club is The Opposite of Loneliness, but I guess there are a few other books out there that will strike my fancy? 

Oh, remember that time I faked you out that I was getting a puppy? Sorry if you missed it but that was an epic April Fools prank! 

What are you confessing with Melissa today?

Will, Won't and Want Power

It's been 42 days since I shared my Lent sacrifice and lifestyle change to abstain from the cafeteria at work. 

No sausage breakfast, no cheeseburgers, no soup, no salad, no coffee, no second coffee, no third coffee (yes, those days have happened). 

I'm quite proud to announce that I was successful! 

I stayed true to my goals and not only didn't swipe the card at work for 40 days, but also re-formed my favorite routines:

:: Planned grocery shopping

:: Food prep

:: Meal prep 

:: Tupperware game so strong

:: Coffee grinding 

:: Consistency

You might say that it took a lot of willpower, but it also took a lot of won't-power and want-power too.

What's that? They're awesome tips from The Willpower Instinct. If you don't know, I don't often read novels, but rather self-help, psychology, documentary style books that help me learn a little more about the world around me. That's irrelevant to this post, but let me explain what I've learned. 

The actual concept in the book suggest that we use "will, won't and want" separately toward different goals, but I found the three used together working toward the same goal to be three times as effective. 

For me to be successful with lent, I not only had to give up something. I had to form a new habit and had to have a reason for why I wanted that. 

I had an "I won't", I had an "I will" and had an "I want."

"I won't buy any food or beverage from the cafeteria at work for 40 days"

"I will commit to preparing meals for work and brewing coffee at my desk"

"I want to a) be successful, b) form a new habit, c) save money, d) blog about it later"

There was a three-pronged attack on the goal I set out for myself, and by building this foundation I was able to get everything I wanted out of the 40 days. I felt more deeply invested in the commitment because it had layers. To let one ball drop was to let three drop. It made the investment and the cost of breaking the commitment that much stronger which I believe is what made me successful. 

While I'm not planning to be dramatic and never return to the cafeteria at work, I do plan to learn from the last 42 days and understand that willpower is best served with won't and want power as well. I'm also only 9 pages into the book and already achieved this much insight, so expect my understanding of willpower to grow even harder and for this topic to appear again someday. Lucky you! 

What about you, what's a goal of yours that you're going to get after with the "will, won't, want power" method? 

The Easter Bunny

Last Wednesday I thought a cruel April Fools joke was being pulled on me when the left side of my face swelled up. It even made me feel numb, dizzy, forgetful and incoherent. Maybe it was punishment for drinking a beer at work (which is totally okay by the way!), or maybe it was because I made you all think I was getting a brand new puppy. 

Either way, life and career knocked me out last week. So badly that I haven't sweat since last Monday and I'm on antibiotics (and eating a ton of yogurt #notpaleo). 

I was supposed to spend the weekend in Seattle with the family, but instead I laid in bed all day Saturday with heat packs on my even more swollen face. Then Sunday I headed home to hang out with mom and the sisters who also decided to stay back home from Seattle.

It feels like we all made the right decision because it was great to have a girl-Easter and a boy-Easter even if the family wasn't all together! 

20 treats is what it took to get Bailey to settle down for this photo, but some of the outtakes of her running away with the ears in her mouth are even better. She has a bizarre obsession with stealing anything that's wearable on the head and/or feet (hats, ears, glasses, shoes). That's just the kind of sister she is, but it made for a great Easter photo for the Instagram feed. 

This week already looks good with the long-awaited weekend trip to see my friend get married in Rhode Island. The wedding, getting back to sweating this week, days off of work and some Boston exploring have me off on the right foot! 

What did you guys do this weekend? 

Oh, Betty!

Okay guys, the joke is up.

It gives me all the sad feelings to admit that yesterday's "I'm getting a puppy" announcement was all an April Fools Joke! If you commented I let you in on my game, but if you didn't this is my way of saying thank you for being so excited for me! Throughout the day it made me sad that it was all just a joke because I can only imagine how sweet and silly miss Betty is.

The good news is that in the last 24 hours Betty has been adopted! I hope that she's headed to a nice loving home and environment like I wanted to give her but just can't right now.

While it's not the right timing for me to adopt, the Oregon Humane Society has many other puppies, kitties, small pets and horses looking for friendship and your warm loving home.

Thanks for being a part of my favorite holiday and the most successful prank I've played in a while! 

An Exciting Confession!

I can't believe how suddenly this came up or how flipping cool it happens to be on Confessions Day, but I have some crazy exciting news I'm bursting with joy to share with you!

Do you remember when I shared this article stating the 11 obvious reasons you need to get a puppy now? How they snuggle you and cuddle you and make you feel so much better? How they're your best friend and you are theirs? 

Well, this past weekend I got the chance to watch my silly golden sisters. They are so wonderful and they bring so much joy to my world. They're the best sisters I could have ever asked for and they made me feel all of those wonderful psychological benefits of being around happy puppies that show love and affection and fill your tank to the fullest.

After hanging out with them all weekend, it made me really impulsively want a puppy of my own to be best friends with. I wouldn't say I'm an impulsive person, but sometimes you just have to listen to what your soul is telling you. 

So, impulsive me wants to introduce you to sweet, playful, silly and shy Betty! 

This six-month-old chocolate lab lives at the Oregon Humane Society and she was looking for a nice home. I said "was" because Monday after Easter she's coming home with me! (heart eyed emoji for days and days and years!!)

Doesn't she look like such a sweetheart? We met Monday and she's already 55 lbs so I may have a large lady on my hands in about a year. Do you think her name should stay "Betty"? I actually like it! 

I can't wait to get her home and get used to all of the sights and smells of my house, then love her forever and ever like she deserves! Oh, and get her into some puppy training and obviously introduce her to my golden sisters! 

What are you guys confessing today?

Linking up with Melissa as always!

(April Fools!!! Somebody Adopt her, please!)