cliopatra’s posterous

We’re still a few months from 2010, but if you click on this link right now, you can pro-order a 2010 wildlife calendar for FREE.  The link will only work until September 15th, and after that the calendar will be $10.

Image by eyesplash Mikul via Flickr

When I got up this morning I decided to do the body test on the Wii Fit – first time since Tuesday.  I’ve been avoiding it because it annoys me, but this morning it was fine.  Astronomical gain had turned into astronomical loss, and my balance has improved.

So does it work?

If I look at the numbers on the scale, I’d have to say “no”.  My weight, according to both my regular scale and the Fit is around where I started when I got the thing 17 days ago.  That’s been a little frustrating.

If I don’t look at that number, then my answer changes to “yes”.  I’ve been on the thing every day since Monday (including today already), and I’ve also worked out with friends two days this week.  So the 6 days working out this week is 3 more days than the prior week, and 6 more days than the weeks and months and years before that.

I used to not be a worker-outer.  I guess now I am.

My balance has improved.  My ability to work the games has improved.  I’m really enjoying the yoga poses.  I find myself doing the advanced step routine “just one more time” to see if I can improve my score (and one more time turns into two or three more times).

I’m running.

That’s probably the most interesting development for me.  I realize it’s just sort of jogging in place, but I did 2 minutes, and survived.  Then I did 4 minutes, and survived that, too.  Then I did the island lap, which is 12 minutes.  About halfway through I wondered why I had chosen to do the lap, but I survived it, too.

It’s working.

Another blog I read had a post about the 10 places he or she most wanted to visit.  I’d link to the blog but I read hundreds a day and I can’t remember which one it was.

It sounded like a fun exercise, so here are mine:

 10.  Greece - The cradle of civilization.  The birthplace of mythology.  How beautiful and romantic is this place?

Image via Wikipedia

9.  Mexico City - this is another place that I’ve visited, but would love to go to again.  D.F. is just such an interesting place, full of history and culture and so many interesting things to see and do.  On my next trip there I would like all of that without the side order of boyfriend drama.

Image via Wikipedia

8.  Paris - I’ve heard such wonderful things about this city, I’d love to spend a few days there and see them for myself. 

Image by Brooklyn Museum via Flickr

7.  London - doesn’t everyone want to go to London?

Image by Anirudh Koul via Flickr

6.  San Francisco – I’ve been here several times, and can honestly tell you I am in love with the Bay Area.  Everything from Half Moon Bay on up feels like the best place on earth.  I love Marin County, China Town, Berkeley, not to mention one of my most favorite people on earth (Nick) lives there.  This picture is of Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands:

Image by wetgraphite via Flickr

 5.  Los Angeles – One of the major cities I’ve never been to, and I hear there is a lot to see and do.

Image by █ Just A Slice █▀ ▀ ▀ via Flickr

4.  Spain – It seems like a warm, sunny place and I sort of speak the language.

Image via Wikipedia

3.  Valley of the Kings – Egypt is another place I have always found interesting.  I would love to sail on the Nile and check out the pyramids.

Image via Wikipedia

 2.  Moscow – I’ve been fascinated with this place since I was a child.  I even took Russian in high school (for one year) and had a Russian pen pal who I recently reconnected with.  This place seems magical to me.

Image via Wikipedia

1.  Ireland – I’ve never been and I would love to go.

Image via Wikipedia

 Tell me about the places you would like to visit!  Feel free to blog the comments section, or blog your own and comment with the link. 

Image by janusz l via Flickr

It’s been a long time since I posted here, which is probably the most obvious statement ever typed in a blog post.

Over the past several months I’ve been shifting my focus when it comes to writing.  You see, I always figured that to be a writer, you had to be writing a book.

Well, I’m writing a book.  Three, in fact.  Which, in case you are wondering, is about two too many for someone who can’t seem to finish anything that is longer than a magazine article.

I’ve also been involved with writers groups that mainly focused on writing books, not that there is anything wrong with that.  I’ve made some great friends and I’ve learned a lot.  The most important lesson I’ve learned is this:

Writing books doesn’t pay the bills unless you are Stephen King.  Or David Baldacci.  Or Danielle Steel.

I wrote for the school newspaper and the yearbook.  I started out as a journalism major in college.  I like writing short stories and articles.  These days, blog posts and other articles are where the money is.

Not that I am writing just for the money.  I do love to write, like I love to breathe.

I just spent two years working on a professional designation that gives me more credibility as a writer of articles in my chosen field, which is how I plan to get my foot in the door (thanks for the advice, Lisa!).  I’ve got the designation, and now it is going to be full speed ahead.

I’m also considering taking Angela Booth’s course Sell Your Writing Online NOW (SYWON).  If anyone has any information on this, I’d love to hear it.  I have yet to see a bad review and that makes me kind of suspicious!

If you’re still reading this blog, thanks for hanging in there.  More content soon!

Image via Wikipedia

I admit I’ve been avoiding the Wii Fit for the past several days for a variety of reasons – not the least of which is the roller coaster ride of daily weigh ins.  They have been, shall we say, inconsistent?

It has been frustrating, especially last night when I decided to get back on the horse and it showed an astronomical (impossibly astronomical) gain since the last time I was on it.  Of course, I usually weigh in the mornings and this was evening and and and and and…

That being said, I just decided to ignore it and go on with the workout, which is when I discovered you don’t HAVE to do the weigh in part to do the workout part.  Excellent.  Sure, I don’t get the cute little stamp on the calendar, but who cares?  I have a nice little September calendar printed out that I can put stickers on.

So last night I worked out on it and even did the island lap, which is 12 minutes of jogging in place.  I’ve always considered myself “not a runner” and sure, about halfway through I was questioning my sanity, but I did it!

With the knowledge that I didn’t need to weigh this morning, I got out of bed and logged in and this is one of the messages that greeted me:

Busted!

It’s been more than a week since he’s been on it, though last night after he got back from band practice he tried the boxing on Wii Sports and said it pretty much kicked his ass.

I worked out this morning, and my core muscles are feeling the burn.  Apparently I am pretty stiff in the morning because my yoga poses were pathetic.  I’m surprised my trainer didn’t say WTF?

In addition to the Wii I’m also working out 3 days a week with friends at their respective work out rooms in their housing complexes, and um, trying to eat better.  I wish they would just ban chocolate from the office.

I hope you are having a great week!

Cheryl

So it seems we have identified the spider.  She is an Argiope aurantia or Yellow Garden Spider.    You can read more about her here.

I was also intrigued by the very intricate design in the middle of the web.  It’s called the stabilimentum, and you can read more about it here.  Fascinating stuff.

Our lovely lady - picture taken by me 08/30/2009

100_1962
Originally uploaded by cherylrw

“Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly,
‘Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I’ve a many curious things to shew when you are there.”
Oh no, no,” said the little Fly, “to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.”

– The Spider and the Fly, Mary Howitt

We have an enclosed lanai, and earlier this summer a spider much like this one created a very impressive web on the outside northwest corner, stayed for a couple of weeks, and then disappeared. Irish tore down the web while mowing.

A few weeks later another of the same kind of spider created another web at the other end of the lanai. She got very large, and then disappeared. She’s been gone for a week or so.

Earlier this week this spider created a new web at the northwest corner of the lanai. She weaves and weaves, and then she sits and waits, which is what she was doing when I came out to take her picture.

The web is probably 4 feet wide and 6 feet long. She is perhaps 4 inches in diameter. I considered putting something up next to her so you could see the comparison, but it was hard enough getting up close enough with the macro lens to get her detailing.

She is stunning, isn’t she?

Image by jaymiek via Flickr

If you’re in the Naples area tonight, come on out to Beacon Bowl on the Trail (5400 Tamiami Trl N) at 7 p.m.

Irish’s band, D Blue C, will be performing at Open Mic Night there, and I’ll be holding court.  Come by and say hi!

There is beauty everywhere, you simply have to look for it.   Sometimes it is hiding in plain sight, but so small you may not even notice it.

Are you looking for the small moments of beauty, or complaining that their aren’t any big ones to find?

A lovely quote from Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann:

“Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.  With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

Image via Wikipedia

So excited are we by the return of football that we might watch almost anything.  Last night, though, the Chicago Bears were playing the New York Giants and if you know Irish, you know he is a Bears fan.

I’m somewhat of a Bears fan, though I prefer the Dallas Cowboys.  A lot of Sooners end up in Chicago.

During the game Irish noticed that Tommie Harris wasn’t on the field, so I went online to look up news on him, but as I was doing so, he came on the field to play.  I’d already pulled up his bio on nfl.com and this is what it looked like:

Tommie Harris | #91 | DT
Chicago Bears | Official Team Site
Height: 6-3 Weight: 295 Age: 26
Born: 4/29/1983 Killeen , TX
College: Oklahoma
Experience: 6th season
High School: C.E. Ellison HS [Killeen, TX]

Nothing really remarkable except that he’s got the same birthday as me.  Well, I’m a *few* years older, but it’s the same day!  I thought that was kind of neat.

Later on we were talking about what a good job Jay Cutler is doing as the Bears supposed starting QB.  I wanted to see where he had gone to college, so I pulled up his bio:
Jay Cutler | #6 | QB
Chicago Bears    | Official Team Site
Height: 6-3 Weight: 233 Age: 26
Born: 4/29/1983 Santa Claus , IN
College: Vanderbilt
Experience: 4th season
High School: Heritage HS [Lincoln City, IN]

Notice anything about it? I know, right? He’s got the same birthday as me and the exact same birthday as Tommie Harris!

I was started to get really freaked out that maybe the NFL website was screwed up or something, so I started querying random players, but they didn’t all have the same birthdate.

Weird, though, huh?