tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34095729056653432912024-02-20T00:37:44.425-08:00My Name Is Jennifer & I'm a Couch Potato - (A 1 Year, TV-Free Experiment)Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-23717554199456086962013-03-11T17:53:00.001-07:002013-03-11T17:53:58.826-07:0010 Month Update - The End is Near or The End is Here?<span class="userContent">So...I hate to disappoint anyone who was very
interested in the TV-Free Experiment, but I think after 10 months of
TV-freeness, we're officially done. <br /> <br /> I was feeling sick and
worried after our car was broken into and our house key was stolen in Detroit on Friday, so we
turned on the TV to just zone out, feel "normal" (and keep an eye on the
front door) on Saturday. On Sunday, I watched some of the news and Celebrity Apprentice. Today I
watched the<span class="text_exposed_show"> Kwame Kilpatrick news coverage.<br /> <br /> The good news - I
don't think we'll ever go back to cable TV. We've discovered there's
so much else to do to entertain ourselves in more lasting and fulfilling
ways. But over the air TV, we'll still watch, especially the news which
we've really missed. <br /> <br /> This challenge has taught us alot, and
though I'm somewhat disappointed that I didn't reach the goal of a year,
it was really just a nice even number that I picked randomly. There was
no reason to pick a year. 10 months is just as good, and frankly, I've
learned there are GOOD things about TV...like being informed, and like
being less stressed, that I want again. I now understand why us humans
like our TV. It is definitely a way to decompress. As long as I keep it
under control and don't go back to my old ways, I think it can be a
good, informative thing.<br /> <br /> Looking forward to catching up on the
local news, and watching some cooking shows. Otherwise, I still have
plenty of non-TV activities to keep up with, including taking care of my
garden when spring finally hits - a project that I started with the TV
-free experiment and the one thing I believe will stay with me for many
years to come. <br /> <br /> Thanks to all who supported the idea. If any of
you watched as much TV as I did, I encourage you to try giving it up
for a while. Even if only for a few weeks. It does reset your
priorities. I realize now that missing a TV show isn't the end of the
world. I realize now that not knowing who got voted off whatever reality
show isn't a big deal. I realize now how much more I can get done
during a day without the "mandatory" TV time.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">I also realize that there were people who were vehemently against giving up TV. People who couldn't understand why I would do this. People who thought that I was somehow dissing them because I was choosing not to watch TV. Interesting feedback from about 90% of my friends and family, which I believe says more about them than it does about me or this experiment. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">A HUGE thank you to my husband for tolerating this experiment for 10 months. I suppose we could have stuck it out for another two months...but I also feel like I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. Truthfully, I probably realized there were so many other things to do about a month in. I'd learned my lesson halfway through. The last few months were really just to see if I could go a year. But lately, it seems like a contest that no one cares about but me and my husband. No one asked anymore. No one offered to have us over to watch the big game. Our social life didn't change much. Instead, we simply learned more about how little TV is necessary but how nice it is to have every once and a while. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Perhaps this is the little addict still talking inside of me, but just knowing now that I can turn the TV on if I want to makes me feel less stressed. Given that it doesn't cause me illness, doesn't hurt me physically or anyone else, and isn't a crime - I think a little bit of TV addiction in my life is okay. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">I'll check in after a few months and try to critically look at my life before and after. We'll see if we stick with 10 channels or if we completely revert back to old behavior. I don't think we will...but it will be interesting to go back and read my early blog posts and see how we're doing. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Thanks for reading and happy viewing.. </span></span>Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-3399432667261229902012-12-10T09:29:00.001-08:002012-12-10T09:29:09.349-08:00Day 198: My Winter To-Do List (Update)Happy Winter, Everyone!<br />
<br />
I'm very excited to say that I've almost hit a milestone. It's been 198 days since I started this challenge. 200 is almost upon us! It's been 200 days of gardening, home projects, learning to enjoy the sounds of my house, and trying new things. (Just last week, we went to a wine-tasting at a hotel with old and new friends...our first wine-tasting outside of a winery. A nice way to spend a Sunday, though I prefer wine-drinking to wine-tasting.) <br />
<br />
I've been looking forward to the challenge it presents and dreading it at the same time: Winter.<br />
<br />
Sure, it's easy to be TV-free during Summer when there's so much to do, but what to do in Winter? Well, we're finally there...what I see as the toughest part of this challenge. It's not even snowy yet here in Southeastern Michigan (although there's a freezing rain advisory right now), and it already feels like it's too cold to do anything outside for any length of time. I'm starting to dream of Spring and all the ambitious plans I have for my expanded garden. <br />
<br />
My Winter list of things to entertain myself is growing, but I've also accomplished a few things since my last post. Let's take a look at how my existing list is shaping up:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Paint Dining Room & Kitchen</li>
<ul>
<li>Um, no. Haven't even looked at paint samples.</li>
</ul>
<li>Finish afghan (I've already been working on it)</li>
<ul>
<li>Okay, I won a beautiful afghan in an auction in November. Since then, my half-done little afghan seems to pale in comparison to this masterpiece. I haven't done any work on it in a month, and I'm sure its self-esteem is plummeting even further! </li>
</ul>
<li>Make a snowman. (I haven't done this in YEARS)</li>
<ul>
<li>I absolutely will do this as soon as we have some snow. I hope to do something fun and unique that includes making three of them. And you know I'll document it with pictures. COME ON snow! </li>
</ul>
<li>Put a tree up/decoate (I haven't done much of this in the last few years. Just got plain lazy!) </li>
<ul>
<li>Yes! One I can cross of my list! We have a lovely real tree, fully decorated with lots of ornaments we received as gifts over the last few years that have been hung for the first time. We also have wreaths on both doors, and decoration in the kitchen nook and dining room. It might be the most festive we've ever been. If the TV-freeness expands to next year at this time, I might even try putting lights outside! </li>
</ul>
<li>Host Thanksgiving (I've taken the last few years off. Time to get back on the turkey train.)</li>
<ul>
<li>Yes, hubs and I hosted Thanksgiving this year. It could be that I work from home part-time now, or it could be that I wasn't wasting time watching TV when I should have been working on things, but this was the least stressful of any Thanksgiving dinners we've hosted. I even had enough energy to do the dishes the same night. ;) </li>
</ul>
<li>Host at least one Christmas get-together (even if it's just a game night with a fire in the fireplace)</li>
<ul>
<li>Not sure if this counts, but I made a nice lasagna and we had my parents over. Tree was lit and Christmas music was playing. If it doesn't count, I'll have to get to work on a slightly larger gathering. </li>
</ul>
<li>Resume Italian language lessons (You know I've been slacking,
otherwise, I'd be bragging in Italian that I've learned a new language.)</li>
<ul>
<li>Yeah, haven't gotten back to this. Been busy with other things... </li>
</ul>
<li>Finish writing my novel. (About 60 pages in)</li>
<ul>
<li>I've written some more, but I was focused on the last bullet point in the list lately. </li>
</ul>
<li>Crochet 7" squares for the Lions Club - they give them to a local
hospital (who collects them and puts them together to make blankets for
patients and needful families) </li>
<ul>
<li>I haven't done any crotcheting lately. SLACKER! </li>
</ul>
<li>Publish children's book by December. (I finally have a new illustrator, so this project is well underway.)</li>
<ul>
<li>DONE! In fact, it should be released for purchase this week. This accomplishment explains why I haven't been using mental energy on writing on the novel or doing language lessons. As soon as I update my website and get my shopping cart option flying, then I should have much more mental capacity for crafting something new. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
Okay, as you can see, I haven't knocked much off my list. And...it's growing. Here are some new things I'd like to accomplish this Winter:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Send out Christmas cards. I try to do this every year, but some years, I just don't get around to it. Why? Maybe I was too busy watching every reality TV show ever made. One year, I homemade the cards (stamped and embossed). Not sure I'm going to do that this year because my illustrator on the book has crafted some sassy cards for me with the main character, so I think I'll be sending those out.</li>
<li>Kickboxing - I scored a great Groupon for kickboxing lessons. Not an aerobics class, but actual sparring at a boxing gym. Looking forward to it, though I might save those for Spring to avoid driving in bad weather and do P90x at home instead. I've had the DVDs for quite some time and haven't used them. My 32 sessions of Zumba end next week. No, I haven't really lost any weight. Stunning, cause I'm pretty out of shape, and it's definitely a good workout.</li>
<li>Reorganize the kitchen. This is something that normal people probably don't have an issue with. But apparently, I was too busy watching commercials to keep my kitchen in order. My goals are twofold. One, to be able to retrieve a pot or pan without an avalanche of metal. Two, to create a space for the old coffee pot that is currently riding around in the trunk of my car. Long story short, I took our "backup" coffee pot somewhere and the space it occupied in the one of the cupboards was taken over. Now there's no where to put it! Don't EVEN get me started on the state of my spice cabinet. Lack of organization has resulted in overbuying spices I "think" I'm out of because I can't see them all...currently we have 3 oreganos and 5 cayennes. </li>
<li>Organize our board games. I've been saying I'm going to do this forever - we sit down for a game night with friends and for each game, we spend a good five minutes trying to remind ourselves of the basics. How many cards do we each get? Who goes first? How many points until it's over? I'd like to create a master list for our board games with the basics so that 1) we can easily locate a game for the number of players we have and 2) get started playing sooner. A project similar to one I completed years ago for our DVD collection. Yes, we have hundreds of movies on an alphabetized list that tells us exactly where in the cabinet to locate the movie. There is a corresponding list sorted by genre. I know. GEEK!</li>
<li>Help my mom organize her family photos. My mom has two huge boxes in her basement closet of family photos. We've talked about organizing them for ages. Well, I'm not busy! In fact, I have an extra 20 or so hours a week free. I'd much rather take a trip down memory lane than watch a Law & Order marathon, full of all the episodes I've already seen!</li>
<li>Tackle the basement. This is something I've already begun. Last week, I reorganized my bookshelves/books and also cleaned out the fireplace down there (removed the old gas fixtures that had already been cut off from the gas supply and raked out the old debris) so we could start having nice fires in our home office. However, the other side of the basement, the unfinished side/laundry room, could use some work. It's scary over there...it's where the spiders hide and cardboard boxes go to die. But we need more than a pathway and bad lighting. I want shelving, boxes, and more economical utilization of the space in general. </li>
</ul>
So, those are my plans for the Winter so far, in addition to the items I haven't finished from the earlier list. Plenty to do and no excuses not to do them. There is nothing on these lists that is hard to do. The TV is dark and the radio is playing Christmas music. The perfect conditions to cross of items on a list that I've made and checked twice.<br />
<br />
Happy Winter Season & Holidays! Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-90124735309662423592012-11-19T18:38:00.002-08:002012-12-10T09:30:06.613-08:00Halfway!The TV free experiment continues! For the sake of full disclosure, however, I'm going to report on the few times I've watched TV in the last 6 months that break <a href="http://tvfreeexperiment.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-tv-free-rules.html" target="_blank">the rules</a>, which I identified at the beginning of this challenge.<br />
<br />
Yep, I'm coming clean!<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>My husband and I watched the first presidential debate. We went to a local bar to watch it, but when we were finished eating, we decided to head home to be more comfortable. We picked up the rest of it on our own TV with antenna. My defense: I wanted to see it before I started hearing a bunch of stuff about who "won"...and the event wouldn't be available in its entirety until the next day online. Besides, knowing what's going on in the world isn't exactly mindless TV watching, right?</li>
<li>We also watched the election coverage on election night. It's just not the same trying to keep track online of who is winning. We tuned in on our own TV and watched the results come in. My defense: This is something on TV only every 4 years and it's also not mindless TV. I.e., watching the election results is a far cry from watching a Hoarders marathon. (At one time, I was really good at Hoarding episodes of Hoarders on our DVR.)</li>
<li>This is a big one... We watched some of this year's postseason baseball. My defense: Our Tigers don't make the world series that often, and we couldn't stand the thought that this might be THE YEAR, and of all years, we were doing the TV free thing. Also, if you've ever watched baseball on MLB.com, you know it kind of stinks. Sometimes the cameraman takes a nap...and you don't get to see replays either. So, it wasn't an extremely satisfying cheat. We watched the Yankees series on MLB.com, and then watched the world series on regular TV. We could have avoided breaking "The Rules" of this challenge by getting together with friends to make it a big social thing, or going to a bar and making a date out of it. However, it gets expensive sitting in a bar for the entire game ordering things so the waitress doesn't get annoyed...and as far as friends, for the record, I asked several times on Facebook if anyone wanted to get together to watch with us and I had NO takers. :(</li>
<li>I was sick for a day. Reading was making me feel worse. Being on my laptop was making me feel worse. I really didn't feel like concentrating on anything. I decided to apply the "I'm sick" clause. The I'm Sick clause allows me to turn on the TV and fall asleep to it. I put on Law and Order SVU and zoned out. My defense: I don't really have one. This is a straight up cheat. All I can say is, when you haven't been regularly watching TV, a cheat feels extra special good! And it's not like I would have been using that time to better myself, which is what this experiment is about. </li>
<li>Recently, there was a shooting at our local police station. The same station, in fact, where I've been attending my citizen academy classes. All I could find was one article about it online. So I watched the evening news from 5-6pm to get some details. I'm glad I did. My defense: Sometimes you can't get all your news from the Internet, particularly detailed local news. They don't always include videos on your local channel websites either. I wanted to see the interview with our police chief, who I had met the previous week. Notably, it was three days later that our local paper ran the story. It doesn't come daily.</li>
<li>For the sake of my marriage, Lions games are now permitted. My husband has been awesome and very supportive of this whole TV free thing, considering he didn't really have a problem wasting his life watching TV. However, I can see him getting increasingly bored with not seeing any TV, especially when Sunday rolls around and we've been busily doing stuff all weekend. When the games are on, I either crotchet my afghan, just listen, or, gasp, actually watch the game. Sue me. This is my personal challenge, and I can rationalize what I want to! My defense: The Lions suck. This hasn't exactly been the biggest reward for denying myself the things I actually do want to watch. I'd much rather be watching ANY reality TV show. Also, almost as a punishment, I haven't watched any University of Michigan football. Not even when we beat Michigan State, which I had to hear about later. (I'm a Michigan alumna. This is brutal.) So see, I'm balancing things out. :)</li>
</ol>
That's all I can think of right now. You might be thinking - okay, clearly she's not quite TV free anymore. Obviously the above indicates that she's been watching TV. I object! If you think that, go back and take a look at the first article I wrote in this blog series. Remember how much TV I was watching before. I'm not sitting and zoning out in front of the TV all evening, every evening anymore. Most of the above were one time situations. The exception, <i>some</i> sports (and Lions games are only on once a week.) When the game is over, the TV goes off - CLICK - and we're back to finding things to do in our spare time.<br />
<br />
A few positive notes that prove I'm no longer a card-carrying couch potato:<br />
<ul>
<li>Last week, I graduated from my Citizen Police academy class. Yay! I'm one step closer to fully researching one of my characters for the book. I've written another 2 chapters since my last update. (If that sounds like a slow pace, it is...but it's still progress.)</li>
<li>I'm continuing to take the Zumba classes twice a week. No weight loss detected, but I'm sure it's doing more good than not, so I continue to torture myself with it.</li>
<li>Hubs bought me a Kindle Paperwhite for our anniversary, and I've read 8 books now. I've only had the thing 3 weeks! I'm a reading fool!</li>
<li>Now that Farmer's Market and the police academy classes are over, I intend to resume my weekly yoga. My body has been feeling creaky, so it's definitely time!</li>
<li>I was recently a featured zombie in a short film. Being on set and meeting so many fun and creative people was a blast...and even though I'm not an actress (this was my first time ever doing anything like that), I got to act like one for a day.</li>
<li>I'm starting a new, paid writing project in December. I wish I could talk about it, but I can't until the pilot is shot. Whoops, gave too much information already. What I <i>can</i> say is that I'm looking forward to reuniting with some of the creative folks who worked on the short film I wrote (that is still in post-production). </li>
<li>This weekend, I threw my first annual slumber party. We ate, we drank, we conquered. We also watched Poltergeist and got ourselves freaked out, especially given the surround sound and the real fog outside that surrounded the house, making us feel like we were IN a movie! (Yes, movies are allowed in moderation...particularly when it's something social.)</li>
<li>No more garden. It's closed up for the year. We raked all our leaves this year before the snow fell on them - a personal record? - and also removed a 30 foot tree that had long since stopped bearing fruit but had increased bearing broken, dead branches. Lots of wood for fires this Winter season! </li>
</ul>
Tomorrow, I look forward to hosting a special lunch for my best friend's birthday. We'll be eating all the old school stuff we used to binge on as teenagers. Funyuns anyone? As an extension of that pigfest, later in the week hubs and I will also be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house for the family.<br />
<br />
Who has time for TV when you're busy making turkey, stuffing, and all the fixins! For the first time in many years, I feel stress-free heading into the holidays. The house is clean. The food is bought. A TV free lifestyle has a way of leaving minds free of all the distractions that often make us feel busier than we are. <br />
<br />
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday!Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-43376216666054208362012-09-17T20:55:00.000-07:002012-09-17T20:55:28.824-07:00Day 114 - A Gardening Tip & A Few Winter PlansFirst, a quick gardening tip. Or cooking tip, if you prefer. For those of you growing herbs in your garden this year...<br />
<br />
At the end of the season, don't let your basil et al go to waste. Just measure it out in typical portions for recipes (i.e., tbs or tsp portions.) Put each portion in an ice cube tray in its own cell and cover with water. Freeze. Next time you need a tbls of parsley, just pop out the ice cube you need and enjoy fresh herbs. If you have enough herbs, you can have a tray of each kind so it's easy to figure out which one you need a cube from for your recipe. ;)<br />
<br />
(Rosemary, thyme, lavender, and others with essential oils are better off dried and stored in jars.)<br />
<br />
Why have I never done this??? Oh, probably because I never <i>grew</i> anything before. Look at all the time I have to learn and do things when I'm not wasting time watching TV!<br />
<br />
By the way, we've been canoeing more than usual this summer - camping, enjoying nature, and generally trying to distract ourselves from the fact that the fall season of TV shows is starting. In case you're wondering about the garden, the melons are thriving and the cucumbers have finally run their course. After some genuinely monstrous cucumbers, we're now getting smaller yellow ones and the leaves are changing colors. On the bright side, I have two watermelons growing - and today I "picked" my first cantaloupe! "Picked" is in quotes because it's more like I found it off the vine today...and though I had intended to let this one go another week or two, nature (or rabbits) forced an early delivery.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf7MXm_vGtwlKIGz2DvCOIohve544XC651Ca0Wyj_O23rKI0mLctQo3QAqtez9vim5bZIsE36_ZlKMFCw9sp_P1Dpv-34eOLHukQXpVq400e8KW69iCcFBRKf3OpfqpwtL9e4aInbo4w/s1600/IMG_20120917_234620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf7MXm_vGtwlKIGz2DvCOIohve544XC651Ca0Wyj_O23rKI0mLctQo3QAqtez9vim5bZIsE36_ZlKMFCw9sp_P1Dpv-34eOLHukQXpVq400e8KW69iCcFBRKf3OpfqpwtL9e4aInbo4w/s400/IMG_20120917_234620.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first cantaloupe! Next to some very ripe bananas for scale.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I'll leave you with my list of things I plan to do this winter. I'm open to more suggestions:<br />
<ul>
<li>Paint Dining Room & Kitchen</li>
<li>Finish afghan (I've already been working on it)</li>
<li>Make a snowman. (I haven't done this in YEARS)</li>
<li>Put a tree up/decoate (I haven't done much of this in the last few years. Just got plain lazy!) </li>
<li>Host Thanksgiving (I've taken the last few years off. Time to get back on the turkey train.)</li>
<li>Host at least one Christmas get-together (even if it's just a game night with a fire in the fireplace)</li>
<li>Resume Italian language lessons (You know I've been slacking, otherwise, I'd be bragging in Italian that I've learned a new language.)</li>
<li>Finish writing my novel. (About 60 pages in)</li>
<li>Crochet 7" squares for the Lions Club - they give them to a local hospital (who collects them and puts them together to make blankets for patients and needful families) </li>
<li>Publish children's book by December. (I finally have a new illustrator, so this project is well underway.)</li>
</ul>
By the way, the drawback to spending more time outside:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVShmtGIiBz22tfyNmkuJIJlk5-lx9gWrNratatuEve4SmNZJZJvL9352djWHpsnzdjzh75tFtJi2ffzXH9_q9fY3bzp50fc3rcvK8P_qWCg1qxGpwDQUAKkEw1fQQVvf5SSvD3a8BLU/s1600/IMG_20120907_180254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVShmtGIiBz22tfyNmkuJIJlk5-lx9gWrNratatuEve4SmNZJZJvL9352djWHpsnzdjzh75tFtJi2ffzXH9_q9fY3bzp50fc3rcvK8P_qWCg1qxGpwDQUAKkEw1fQQVvf5SSvD3a8BLU/s400/IMG_20120907_180254.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE. Hanging off our breakfast nook. To understand how truly horrifying this is, please visit my blog entry <a href="http://jennoddo.blogspot.com/2010/04/vehicular-arachnophobia.html" target="_blank">Vehicular Arachnophobia</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-70146515416748139042012-08-27T11:01:00.000-07:002012-08-27T11:01:22.890-07:00Day 93 - Yes, I'm Still Alive! And Still TV Free (Sort of)The more activities I find to keep myself busy, the less time I have to blog about them! It's been awhile since my last post, and I'm way out of touch updating anyone who might be following my TV free self-challenge. I don't have much time today for a long post, so I'm just going to give you some bullet points on the finer aspects of TV-freedom!<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When you open yourself to the universe, the universe responds. Somehow, by eliminating TV and welcoming new opportunities, those opportunities seem to be finding us! We were invited to a neighborhood "happy hour" and met lots of people for the first time who we've lived near for years (and drank some awesome peach sangria); we attended a backyard BBQ of a former coworker and met some new friends; and we'll be playing euchre at a charity event (our first time accepting an invitation to this event that's been offered many times in the past). We want to stay busy and friends are helping us to do that!</li>
<li>As indicated in my early blog about THE RULES of this challenge, I planned to watch the summer Olympics. They only come every four years, and I love them. I don't think they rot my brain. I think they make me patriotic! As intended, I did watch some of the gymnastics at my mom's house - somehow they seemed extra special this year, maybe because all the commercials and everything were new to me, too! I may have slightly cheated a bit on my own rules, though. My husband hooked up the antenna to our own TV so we could watch more Olympic action. That wasn't really the cheating part - the cheating was that I watched events that I never watch,just cause I was enjoying the TV exposure so much. When you catch yourself watching badminton and water polo, you realize you're not watching for enjoyment - you're getting your TV fix.</li>
<li>My garden is doing great. Cucumbers are growing like crazy (and I'm researching new ways to prepare them!), lots of tomatoes, and my cantaloupes are starting to look like cantaloupes! All in all, I think my garden is a success. Also, for someone who could never keep ANYTHING alive, I'm quite proud to say that all the houseplants I planted in Week One are still thriving. </li>
<li>We just got back from a week long camping (yes, in a tent) and canoeing trip. As always, it was a great experience to get away, fully away, and commune a little with nature and family. (The first few days, just me and hubs. Later, joined by in-laws and then all the extended relatives.) This experience was even more noteworthy because it didn't occur to me to think about any TV shows I was missing.</li>
<li>I straight up cheated last night. When we got home from the trip, we were exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to throw the laundry in the washer and then veg out while it was in. I had no mental capacity for doing anything. The antenna is still hooked up from during the Olympics, so I flipped it on. We only get something like 6 stations. While hubs took a well-deserved nap (he did all the driving), I tortured myself with an episode of Ugly Betty, a show I've never seen before. I had no idea what was going on. This was a good move - because it didn't get me re-interested in watching TV or in watching a show I've always enjoyed. When it was over, I was rested and re-dedicated to my TV-freeness. Though I have to admit, winter is going to be a real challenge. I might cheat. But going without TV for so long makes even a few minutes of cheating special, so I feel like I'm still winning!</li>
<li>Continuing to volunteer at the farmer's market - and the week before last, we went to the volunteer event and enjoyed free food and a free concert as a reward for the effort. Something we never would have done before, but extra time now allows for trying new things! </li>
<li>Next week, the citizens academy classes begin. Have I blogged about that before? If not, sorry! I'll be in an 11 week program for citizens with our local police. I'll get to play with the K9 dogs, learn to sniff out drugs, and do ride-alongs. I have no idea what I get at the end of this program, other than a greater knowledge of my community and understanding of the trials and tribulations of its police. Maybe I get a badge and can run around doing citizen's arrests? Not sure - but I'm doing this because it will be research for my next book, and I'm pretty sure there will be cute cops in uniforms there. I'll be sure to blog about the experience. The only drawback - the classes take place on the nights I do yoga with my bff. So no yoga outings for me. On the upside, I'm trying to talk my hubs into letting me take a zumba class with his sister. "Letting me" because basically the class is expensive and I barely make enough money to cover my bills right now, and by "barely" I mean pretty much "do not". Such is the drawback of new business ownership and my own lack of personal "rainy day" savings.</li>
</ul>
As usual, I'll throw out a couple of garden pictures to prove that it's still alive...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-6e0G9E6X5sV6pJ72eJ_1aGNx5nkDs92b7pyGwmkqhhniiDDyMwZWoixekkgicLAHaxlorixM9JWLmbEyd-sRNUiY5qq3VbrcO6j5RhOAqwiIjwLSeyRBcYsZ465MPkOXOK_d7kh6hM/s1600/1cantaloupe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-6e0G9E6X5sV6pJ72eJ_1aGNx5nkDs92b7pyGwmkqhhniiDDyMwZWoixekkgicLAHaxlorixM9JWLmbEyd-sRNUiY5qq3VbrcO6j5RhOAqwiIjwLSeyRBcYsZ465MPkOXOK_d7kh6hM/s400/1cantaloupe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture is actually from two weeks ago. It's one of my cantaloupes, which is now even bigger and there are a half dozen more like this. I'm just crossing my fingers that they'll be big enough to harvest before the first frost. Grow melons grow!!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo6tl3kTMH1M7d1tXCk1DCOmEOz06dYIIrlF3zQPMs83fkNTUIkmL5rQggDTnbPIqiPqVbG_ADbgYtB7rX0AdW2tgHFgfmAK2sOR0irRLhqy4-p0cE64N9WkFM_hKXppMG2BxJQPPwCI/s1600/1crazygarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo6tl3kTMH1M7d1tXCk1DCOmEOz06dYIIrlF3zQPMs83fkNTUIkmL5rQggDTnbPIqiPqVbG_ADbgYtB7rX0AdW2tgHFgfmAK2sOR0irRLhqy4-p0cE64N9WkFM_hKXppMG2BxJQPPwCI/s400/1crazygarden.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a full shot of the garden from the usual perspective (left to right) to show you how much it's grown. Those are the watermelon plants in the foreground, which are now flowering but no little melons as yet. Might be too late in the season now? See that stuff on the fence? Who knew cucumbers took over like that? I didn't, but I do now! And so does my neighbor!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_FJrQVAVX5_g28sv6cl1RXLacRKYz2Ts3XttKqN484BvXHCgOOpmss7kCbp6YN84p4hWTRnTK8qhFHyDkqeWCH-1VlEZLR5PajEKFyx41ODjcdMWpYHqDg2kiHsaIZMt8JOoWI9-Ydo/s1600/1weirdcucumber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_FJrQVAVX5_g28sv6cl1RXLacRKYz2Ts3XttKqN484BvXHCgOOpmss7kCbp6YN84p4hWTRnTK8qhFHyDkqeWCH-1VlEZLR5PajEKFyx41ODjcdMWpYHqDg2kiHsaIZMt8JOoWI9-Ydo/s400/1weirdcucumber.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, first, I don't know why this picture won't rotate correctly. But whatever, you get the gist. That's one odd cucumber. I continue to be entertained by the strangely configured cucumbers I seem to have such a talent for producing. </td></tr>
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<ul>
</ul>
Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-42640118330701265822012-07-28T13:31:00.002-07:002012-07-28T13:31:33.522-07:00Day 63: A Cucumber a Day Keeps the Doctor AwayIt's day 63, and we're in the thick of summer. Most days, I've forgotten that I even used to watch TV. Given where I started from, I find this amazing. When people told me after a month I wouldn't miss TV at all, I thought they just didn't know me and how deeply rooted was my addiction. Now I understand the real meaning of out of sight, out of mind.<br />
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It helps that I've been so busy! My first book is being made into a short film (I wrote the screenplay, too), and I've been on set. It is unusual for the author/writer to be on set, however, this is a small picture, and I'm trying to wear a lot of hats to make myself useful, from doing PA duties when needed (like running errands and picking up lunch from the caterer) to helping with props. I even got a chance yesterday to be in the movie - controlling a few of the puppets, fulfilling a life long dream - remember, I love Fraggle Rock - and crossing off an item on my bucket list.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxBQM6uPkiT2ArvMRrvXDLZiFzIdoXoRNLXkBfP8iuWLS_Qe__ZONMfWP2jd9Tvsn2gdTqpgAyuOEQr1ZRTRp4csvsRHGAEycAcG7ePHXZeU_jVNnCBHQsCcQrJDDZSz0Bgt_a83KJ40/s1600/IMG_6694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxBQM6uPkiT2ArvMRrvXDLZiFzIdoXoRNLXkBfP8iuWLS_Qe__ZONMfWP2jd9Tvsn2gdTqpgAyuOEQr1ZRTRp4csvsRHGAEycAcG7ePHXZeU_jVNnCBHQsCcQrJDDZSz0Bgt_a83KJ40/s400/IMG_6694.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me (background) and Stephen from the Art Department (foreground) controlling the magical dragon puppet in front of the green screen. </td></tr>
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I'm also continuing to write my next novel. I'm about 30 pages in and the story is starting to write itself like I'm reading a book, always a good sign. I can't wait to see what happens next.<br />
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All week, I've been so immersed in the filming and the writing, I feel like I've been on another planet. I walked out into my backyard today to find the garden almost unrecognizable to me. It has been rainy off and on all week, so I haven't watered in a while. <br />
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My dream for some time has been to put on a flowery summer dress and floppy hat, float back to my garden with a wicker basket, and gently harvest all of my amazing vegetables. Instead, I threw on a t-shirt and jeans, a pair of hiking sandals, stomped back there with a mission, and plucked two cucumbers, raising them in my hands triumphantly like I'd just won a few Oscars. Funny, the last few days I've been feeling like I'm getting sick (scratchy throat, really tired, headache), but today when I snatched those veggies out of the dirt, I felt refreshed, like I hadn't had such a crazy whirlwind week. Maybe a romp in my garden a day will keep the doctor away. It did great things for my spirit to bite into a fresh cucumber that I grew on my own little piece of Earth. I think every child should have to grow something edible as a class assignment - it will certainly make me appreciate in the future all the work that goes into the food on my plate. Not just the value of a dollar, but the care and effort that goes into growing something that will nourish my body.<br />
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A few pics of my growing garden - and then I'm off to take a nap. Yes, I've finally mastered the art of the afternoon nap, now that I'm not sleep-watching the television set.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqS5NLTR8xuCTRnS67_MPQaKA9w2RuXJe35kqIpDDL4jaA8IttVQzQGY2K2H6cNUiIa5t-UlVBAoDInru6z4VSEtn9o9Rxry1biDcR-bWFFWF6-yLdKNKevaPxKfUTX8YiM8sjvCogrw/s1600/IMG_20120728_145350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqS5NLTR8xuCTRnS67_MPQaKA9w2RuXJe35kqIpDDL4jaA8IttVQzQGY2K2H6cNUiIa5t-UlVBAoDInru6z4VSEtn9o9Rxry1biDcR-bWFFWF6-yLdKNKevaPxKfUTX8YiM8sjvCogrw/s400/IMG_20120728_145350.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumber City. I had no idea the leaves would get so big or that they would climb the fence! I may have to offer my apologies to my neighbor by delivering a few fresh veggies to her doorstep.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfAqhf1Z6zSt7sLKDuY2-Te4ZoRjCu3xV2D8Rd7zdQq_PdzbD5myUY-IMhwYVHLbx3Q-VP5mmuZj21Lpvdv7Y9LQ2_S-W5QoLSvZnVHvsqYKa69vWcOPKxIH5R4gfuoiAei8L5dVO8Zc/s1600/IMG_20120728_145402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfAqhf1Z6zSt7sLKDuY2-Te4ZoRjCu3xV2D8Rd7zdQq_PdzbD5myUY-IMhwYVHLbx3Q-VP5mmuZj21Lpvdv7Y9LQ2_S-W5QoLSvZnVHvsqYKa69vWcOPKxIH5R4gfuoiAei8L5dVO8Zc/s400/IMG_20120728_145402.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a tomato plant. You might mistake it for a vigorous weed or even a small tree. It's ginormous, and it's beginning to overshadow the smaller tomato plant and the marigolds below it.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjc8ye-IZ2sfohNk3mAPZk5hO-VMV37e4pr8zvqJYi6m0n2bvVWa5VXrGQPSsWfBp0GKWcu9jyuGHU5r0lXN1ezCF3pRczTMZRsIUeG1nafXOWAVLj6AxIMMSpteWm3AL2Zujs1VodL8/s1600/IMG_20120728_145413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjc8ye-IZ2sfohNk3mAPZk5hO-VMV37e4pr8zvqJYi6m0n2bvVWa5VXrGQPSsWfBp0GKWcu9jyuGHU5r0lXN1ezCF3pRczTMZRsIUeG1nafXOWAVLj6AxIMMSpteWm3AL2Zujs1VodL8/s400/IMG_20120728_145413.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see us? We're going to be cherry tomatoes! Hopefully, we're high enough off the ground and buried deep enough within the plant to hide from the squirrels who ate our brothers off the small tomato plant.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9gFrc5DUaYOKtVwI0RMGkZsqFyKWLQgpNcOo2nCcawK-zh83CMDSKGnUbwRHQoVSN4lnPYCnh8PjjL4E9XSSvIIF8P0qnE9xHZDR8PG8UtkmWqodqLTkO60ZhmEq89UX3Sqt9VqmvDw/s1600/IMG_20120728_145501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9gFrc5DUaYOKtVwI0RMGkZsqFyKWLQgpNcOo2nCcawK-zh83CMDSKGnUbwRHQoVSN4lnPYCnh8PjjL4E9XSSvIIF8P0qnE9xHZDR8PG8UtkmWqodqLTkO60ZhmEq89UX3Sqt9VqmvDw/s400/IMG_20120728_145501.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pepper plant continues to grow, as observed in relation to the cage around it. However, I didn't expect peppers to take so long. The plant is flowering, but has been doing so for a while...and still no signs of peppers growing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyV4IWLOipce1DtkAHZ-tK0oUeFgjclgMN7RG6TBjafxtUn9xEtyyz0A6LP5x41LxXIrenGzRuIhyphenhyphen656D3TND0k5LvVlBoYtuVxCtVJ_QIbKhitcsrTeUM-P28CMadC1gikBxrGr9_nmM/s1600/IMG_20120728_145511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyV4IWLOipce1DtkAHZ-tK0oUeFgjclgMN7RG6TBjafxtUn9xEtyyz0A6LP5x41LxXIrenGzRuIhyphenhyphen656D3TND0k5LvVlBoYtuVxCtVJ_QIbKhitcsrTeUM-P28CMadC1gikBxrGr9_nmM/s400/IMG_20120728_145511.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cucumber! There are lots like this one - I picked two today.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm74SVrW0mj-3t5etZtJxulZxB8zKsfcMd3zDhfidSgFcgXFMFxEWHq_FguBAgks_s0-e_EphA7c2gQ8wybTImAI4bIfETwV7AgH8KpNc8SUVodxEk6bZ42X-eNAJSfxa4OWaKC5N_fg/s1600/IMG_20120728_145605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm74SVrW0mj-3t5etZtJxulZxB8zKsfcMd3zDhfidSgFcgXFMFxEWHq_FguBAgks_s0-e_EphA7c2gQ8wybTImAI4bIfETwV7AgH8KpNc8SUVodxEk6bZ42X-eNAJSfxa4OWaKC5N_fg/s400/IMG_20120728_145605.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cantaloupe plants are doing well and recently began to flower prettily. I'm hoping this is going to be my gardening success story - from what I hear, cantaloupes, with their tough outer skins, are pretty resistant to bunnies and other critters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfvvOVsz2hG51P5OidlAJzRb8_m2p7fU6df6LyR049x020ol6oB8Nlpsvb7F7Fv4zi33_O0I6mNwHmWqeJBGHnDHbpd8pWwtq96wtAJlxwtx0U4xj8HO1CIcKkLn-IkBlP-NaMJQ5ia4/s1600/IMG_20120728_145611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfvvOVsz2hG51P5OidlAJzRb8_m2p7fU6df6LyR049x020ol6oB8Nlpsvb7F7Fv4zi33_O0I6mNwHmWqeJBGHnDHbpd8pWwtq96wtAJlxwtx0U4xj8HO1CIcKkLn-IkBlP-NaMJQ5ia4/s400/IMG_20120728_145611.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a shot from the left of the most successful part of the garden - notice the marigolds are growing bigger? They may not do squat for chasing the bunnies and deer away, but at least they look good while doing nothing else of value. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vQAMyCL2BeUVSPDKyS-mvIydv6gk7Vm2nCIQiPHLCpRMBnRNirxPC_tZCYSlbBkbIWBxV-jdbJNMHoSqS9FwZYbuZI35vAnrGRpIi2wuMx_msf7_c_P4NBIdNHSKBDOMhFRxZGLEYdo/s1600/IMG_20120728_145621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vQAMyCL2BeUVSPDKyS-mvIydv6gk7Vm2nCIQiPHLCpRMBnRNirxPC_tZCYSlbBkbIWBxV-jdbJNMHoSqS9FwZYbuZI35vAnrGRpIi2wuMx_msf7_c_P4NBIdNHSKBDOMhFRxZGLEYdo/s400/IMG_20120728_145621.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two cucumbers...yes, they could have waited a little longer to harvest, but I have my reasons.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU4u-6QPwUczK7SfpIsX1Q6tLPRUR-pmNZNnP15W_QxN7s-Pfupd8euGU1tuKBRftXt6RwWfMi4GP8UNuPD2ifM5fD9h9cJK9A4-YbN5O2Z4PRHn53IiMcnr1p-dlQfQ2mEOwcTO_a1c/s1600/IMG_20120728_145719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU4u-6QPwUczK7SfpIsX1Q6tLPRUR-pmNZNnP15W_QxN7s-Pfupd8euGU1tuKBRftXt6RwWfMi4GP8UNuPD2ifM5fD9h9cJK9A4-YbN5O2Z4PRHn53IiMcnr1p-dlQfQ2mEOwcTO_a1c/s400/IMG_20120728_145719.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know it was probably a little premature to pick these today. However, after my beautiful tomatoes were eaten right off the vine and my green beans have been chewed to almost nothing, I really wanted to make sure I got a chance to pick and eat something, even if it wasn't quite ready. Also, there are lots of cucumbers out there, and I'd like to pick them in various stages to get an idea of when they are perfectly ready. We ate one of these today and it wasn't quite ripe, but still pretty darn tasty - crisp and warm, straight out of the sun and into our kitchen! </td></tr>
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<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-41416805425800275542012-07-12T18:37:00.002-07:002012-07-12T18:52:52.123-07:00Day 47: Look at my little garden grow & stuff with spidersI keep forgetting that I don't watch TV anymore. Isn't it strange that something that used to be such a big part of my life has gone away, and I hardly even notice? I keep telling myself that it will get harder when Winter comes and I'm confined to the house. And then I mentally shake myself with a reminder: I'm trying to live a more interesting life, and stepping out of the box to accomplish it. So who says I have to stay inside in the winter? Yes, the days will be shorter. And yes, I won't be sitting for long hours on my patio. But maybe being TV free will help me to discover something I would never have tried that will also get me out of the house. Maybe I'll learn to ski! Or, more likely, maybe I'll learn to walk in snow shoes! (Much safer for a klutz like me.) I live in Michigan. Perhaps it's time I find some Winter activities I enjoy, so I can do more outdoor living year round!<br />
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Until that day comes, I'm continuing to stay true to my TV free challenge. I've made some great strides in work lately (the book is fully edited with author's approval; my company blog is now up and running with some solid content; I'm three chapters into my own new novel). I've also continued working on my outdoor projects, and though most of the stuff in my garden survives, I must admit to feeling challenged with the bunnies, insects, and weird weather. In fact, the easiest thing to grow so far is the lasagna garden - and I mean that as a joke, because the lasagna garden doesn't grow. And even more of a joke, because even that isn't exactly easy. (As a reminder, "lasagna garden" is just a fancy way of saying horizontal composting.) Even that takes time and dedication. I have to save my kitchen scraps, veggies only - and find a place to store them until I add them to the green layer. Sounds easy, but I catch myself digging through the trash after banana peels and other greens, which I'm just not accustomed to saving. Then I juggle bags of juicy and decaying veggie carcasses between my fridge and freezer for a week or two until I can't take it anymore and dump them all out in the lasagna patch. <br />
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As part of the lasagna garden, you also have to build the brown layer. The brown layer consists of corrugated cardboard, newspaper, and junk mail. Sounds easy. However, today I spent the better part of an afternoon breaking up the empty boxes in our storage room. (Don't judge when you see the picture. Yes, we had a lot of boxes - in our defense, we do a lot of online shopping and selling.) The worst part wasn't breaking down big boxes, even the very large one from the new toilet, or removing all the packing tape and labels from them, which I didn't want polluting my future compost. The biggest difficulty was the mental obstacle: I hate spiders, and there are spiders in our basement.<br />
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Now they'll probably be upstairs too, because I shook things up in spider utopia today when I came in with my vacuum and intent to break up boxes. I sucked two LARGE spiders into the vacuum, smooshed one with my shoe instinctively cause he was making a run for it and the vacuum was out of reach, and discovered several dead ones curled up inside boxes - just as scary to me as live ones. If you still fail to comprehend what an exhausting, paranoid-filled day I had, I suggest you read a previous blog I wrote a while back about an incident with a spider: <a href="http://jennoddo.blogspot.com/2010/04/vehicular-arachnophobia.html" target="_blank">Vehicular Arachnophobia</a>. Reading it might help you to picture me today looking anxiously at the ceiling, the floor, every shadow, every cobweb, thoroughly vacuuming and inspecting each box before I would touch it to break it down. At one point, I was using all three of the vacuum wand attachments stacked one on top of the other to put the farthest distance between me and potential spiders, using it to wildly nudge boxes and shelves like a blind person in a fun house. My goal was to startle spiders out of their hiding places so that I didn't discover them later with my hands. Our vacuum sometimes spits out tiny pieces of things. A tiny grain of kitty litter spit out of the vacuum, pinged my leg, and sent me running out of the basement and up the stairs. I was a little edgy.<br />
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Anyway, long story short (too late), I spent the afternoon breaking up boxes for the lasagna garden, and it was a pain in the butt. I'll take a moment to share a couple pictures of my "chef's garden" and the lasagna garden:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGrO5kndhfCLm_6VNTO_Lbxse7CKdWN1uploJhuYD719yS7MMUAIpEVcIXOpJPRx7Ok0jrakkh2FQ5lujVSeJCmqePGJRkJVHV23pemm9tIUX-Ym2-sQ-ma0lSc8_kYfChhlmsiiFmAk/s1600/IMG_20120712_195538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGrO5kndhfCLm_6VNTO_Lbxse7CKdWN1uploJhuYD719yS7MMUAIpEVcIXOpJPRx7Ok0jrakkh2FQ5lujVSeJCmqePGJRkJVHV23pemm9tIUX-Ym2-sQ-ma0lSc8_kYfChhlmsiiFmAk/s320/IMG_20120712_195538.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cucumber plants. They are starting to get large and sprawly. In my gardening naivety, I didn't know they would actually start growing out. I was wondering how they would grow up vertically and not collapse under the weight of heavy cucumbers. Well, duh!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMfn3bWqGwkQh2yLnD0KCrM28hvs3WAvONGRvQhMtxPHUiKQdIaAIwojHdb7Dbcghbg1cbamksXEovk6ubTiLSI7uU4XqbOpzn-so8K8FdwPwRXE8IVSYY8ACH4jViIA_ir3vOh6LoGA/s1600/IMG_20120712_195550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMfn3bWqGwkQh2yLnD0KCrM28hvs3WAvONGRvQhMtxPHUiKQdIaAIwojHdb7Dbcghbg1cbamksXEovk6ubTiLSI7uU4XqbOpzn-so8K8FdwPwRXE8IVSYY8ACH4jViIA_ir3vOh6LoGA/s320/IMG_20120712_195550.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The smaller of my tomato plants, but the one that actually has tomatoes on it. Two of them! I feel the need to document this because the leaves are getting brown and crunchy despite persistent watering, and I fear the plant might still die. Or, it will thrive, I'll grow bunches of tomatoes, and they'll get pilfered by squirrels before they are ripe enough to harvest. Regardless, best to get photographic proof that I can, in fact, grow something!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYbl3FXB1OFfLxHYfyJLk1O_aMwpjfe42aqgaisLf41NC0hU_gzmJY5WtlwaxoGC_LMtMRSKX_ZhnxacHva4iAIPGGyBlQfxoidUChn1pzAMOTrbMy0Qn19FmxAsxX3vAmDBueYF-jyc/s1600/IMG_20120712_195606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYbl3FXB1OFfLxHYfyJLk1O_aMwpjfe42aqgaisLf41NC0hU_gzmJY5WtlwaxoGC_LMtMRSKX_ZhnxacHva4iAIPGGyBlQfxoidUChn1pzAMOTrbMy0Qn19FmxAsxX3vAmDBueYF-jyc/s320/IMG_20120712_195606.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how big my other tomato plan is! HUGE! Can you see the little piece of tape on one of the limbs? That's where I broke the nicest stem trying to put it inside the tomato cage. I'm so handy. I used masking tape to bind the wound. I'm hoping there's no hard feelings and the plant will continue to grow despite my best efforts to cripple it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3GXQeGuyA7nP7-i8QxlFRyDPNr4Wv_rw57AhUsPfiu5b4-DIBdOyj2VwKZBgfCYiMb84uv4FhQbFOYgjTRPTFdSVZu1WNG_DpWfexZMYEW1q6ouWiDk1CEJChj_uJQq20kcELLLs2Yk/s1600/IMG_20120712_195629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3GXQeGuyA7nP7-i8QxlFRyDPNr4Wv_rw57AhUsPfiu5b4-DIBdOyj2VwKZBgfCYiMb84uv4FhQbFOYgjTRPTFdSVZu1WNG_DpWfexZMYEW1q6ouWiDk1CEJChj_uJQq20kcELLLs2Yk/s320/IMG_20120712_195629.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at us! We're cantaloupe plants! We grew from a seed and will probably start growing fruit right around the time the first snow comes! Wee!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwwc0DmSNGxuFRz5PYQBFR9fM7SKeb6RMo0-Z9WfVJrG8FtV4GnYLpGbRAhyphenhyphenrJafJxN48BWKOV_NLu8gKteAROGHrxfdw2OtxD4uCVIYa8dkAwAv9P1WuUmTMbXa2_MwfUTCmasGaLVA/s1600/IMG_20120712_195647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwwc0DmSNGxuFRz5PYQBFR9fM7SKeb6RMo0-Z9WfVJrG8FtV4GnYLpGbRAhyphenhyphenrJafJxN48BWKOV_NLu8gKteAROGHrxfdw2OtxD4uCVIYa8dkAwAv9P1WuUmTMbXa2_MwfUTCmasGaLVA/s320/IMG_20120712_195647.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the lasagna garden. Though it's at the very back of our yard, it is visible from the street. I hope someone doesn't think we've started a garbage dump in our yard and calls the city. We're trying to do something good for the planet, and that's just what I'll say when they issue me a ticket. ;)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So there we are at Day 47. I'm still loyal to my TV-free challenge, loyal to my garden and still fighting those bunnies, doing my best to condition my lungs and body for running (still run-walking), and generally appreciating the summer. Best of all, lately it seems like we've been much more social. More people asking us to do things who we haven't seen in a while, or who we've never hung out with. Perhaps they are trying to help us stick to the challenge by offering us something fun to do? Or, maybe, we've just opened ourselves cosmically to new experiences and the universe is answering. To all those who are being so sweet and supportive and giving myself and my hubs fun alternatives to TV, thanks for the invitations. Keep them coming! You make it so much easier to be TV free! <br />
<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-30300687062921293442012-07-07T18:48:00.003-07:002012-07-07T18:48:52.991-07:00Day 42 - Sweet William & Other UpdatesWe're doing our best to stay cool here in Michigan. I hope everyone else is doing the same.<br />
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My dad called today to say that he and my mom are giving up TV for the weekend to support my efforts. A little humor there - they actually lost power and have been told it won't be back on until Monday. Hoping they find lots of interesting things to do to keep themselves occupied. I know how hard that is when it's 100 degrees outside. Not much to do but try find things to do inside. (A TV free Winter will be much easier for me, when I can sit by the fire and crochet, than a TV free summer where it's becoming hard to get outside and enjoy!)<br />
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A few updates from the week:<br />
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1) I worked the Farmer's Market on July 4th, and it was a scorcher. I sweated my buns off, just sitting at the booth doing nothing. The biting flies due to the rain the night before were a nice touch.<br />
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2) I sprayed another dose of organic repellent on my garden. A few more things seem to have been nibbled on, but I wasn't sure. I didn't dilute it down as much this time, and I could really smell that garlic as I misted it around my plants. My marigolds are loving this heat. I might not grow many veggies this year, but at least my garden is pretty.<br />
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3) I have two itty bitty teeny weeny green tomatoes started. I've been so busy trying to water and keep my plants alive, I keep forgetting that I may get to actually eat something, too. In the meantime, I'm spending too much money at the Farmer's market, indulging in fresh greens.<br />
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4) I remembered why I hate the French language. Too many things sound alike. I gave it a few weeks and then gave up. I've now switched to Italian. Less practical, but I majored in Classical Archaeology in college and took five semesters of Latin. I would love to go to Rome someday (my concentration was in the Romans, versus the Greeks, though I did take quite a few Greek courses too), and my husband is Sicilian, so it would be great to take a trip someday and use our Italian skills.<br />
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5) We've watched a few DVDs. It's damn hot. When you get inside, all you want to do is collapse. My brain doesn't want to work when it's hot. We've now watched 4 DVDs I think since the TV free effort began. Less than one per week on average. I still don't feel like it's cheating. We're within the rules. I just wish the heat wave would cool down so that we could spend more time outdoors.<br />
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6) I'm continuing with the couch potato to 5k. I've graduated to walking 5 minutes, then run/walking for 20 minutes, and then cooling down to walk another 5 minutes. During the run/walking, I'm now running 2 minutes and resting only one minute in-between sprints. My pace is about 4 miles per hour. Basically, I can run walk a 15 minute mile. Terrible I'm sure to real runners, but it's more than I was doing before, and less than what I'll be able to do later! When it's too hot out - like it has been for many days in a row now - I'm thankful that my parents have a treadmill in an air-conditioned house that I can borrow for free. (Sadly, I won't be using it until at least Monday now!)<br />
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7) I've started writing again. I finished the macro and line edit on the 2nd book that I'm publishing (for an Atlanta area author) and decided it was high time I write my next book. This one is a novel (i.e., for grownups), and it feels great to be back to writing for myself - not a paid blog, not web content for my website, not editing someone else's work - ALL ME. Maybe my Doc was right all those weeks ago. I'm filling my bucket with the right kinds of things now!<br />
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8) The Words With Friends continues. I'm starting to think I'm spending too much time on it. About 30 minutes in the morning with breakfast, sometimes during the day during lunch, and then more in the evening. I may be filling time with a fruitless endeavor. Therefore, I've started rejecting offers of new games. I'll get down to where I'm only playing a few games and keep it at that. Entertainment is good. Too much, and I'm simply replacing the TV for something else that prevents me from doing other more important things.<br />
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9) Last (and best) note -My hubby is very thoughtful. He found some 60 year generational Sweet William seeds on Craig's List - for free. He picked them up for me as a surprise on Friday, and even got the seeds out of the dead blooms (a little false advertising there) today. Looking forward to some beautiful Sweet William blooms - in two years. They are biennial. If you're not familiar with Sweet William flowers, they are annual in cooler temps and perennial in warmer temps. Below is a pic. They are just lovely, and I'm trying to decide whether to save the seeds for next year, or attempt to cultivate a few indoors and transfer to my yard in the late summer...<br />
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Stay cool!!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tXJYr5Z-TcDV3IIHcPYcRUa3D9nMw-ZEKsoPbHI5tH4VCp13PWbyDHEj7qjpK11GBbyaqY0FmRRkMd_hZbuvcSQXxEX7Hw8ZNTSBoxbQNkB51E82JCU6nvZATUobX4sweSFg8T4HPjM/s1600/sweet-william-280x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tXJYr5Z-TcDV3IIHcPYcRUa3D9nMw-ZEKsoPbHI5tH4VCp13PWbyDHEj7qjpK11GBbyaqY0FmRRkMd_hZbuvcSQXxEX7Hw8ZNTSBoxbQNkB51E82JCU6nvZATUobX4sweSFg8T4HPjM/s400/sweet-william-280x300.jpg" width="373" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found this pic online. Aren't Sweet William flowers pretty? They come in white, pink, red, and purple blooms. I don't know what these seeds will produce. A variety would be great. They are good for borders and flower boxes and like full sun, but can tolerate some shade. Their hallmark is the frilly edges. I've read that they smell nice too, and longer varieties are great for putting in vases. I think what we have will be the shorter variety, based on the dried blooms hubs brought home, though it's possible they were simply trimmed to fit in the bag. Either height, I think they will be a beautiful reminder of this summer spent making things around our home better. All by turning off the TV.</td></tr>
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<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-47876024931352624462012-06-29T15:02:00.003-07:002012-06-29T15:02:32.854-07:00Day 34: And the War BeginsWho needs TNT channel for DRAMA? I've got rabbits in my new garden. That's all the drama I need to keep myself occupied these days!<br />
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I've calmed down a little since my last post. Okay, I wasn't really<i> that</i> upset. I was just feeling a little disappointed and perhaps even a little helpless. I'd put a lot of work into my garden. I hated to see it being devoured before it had a chance to flourish, and I had no idea what to do to stop it. <br />
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Now I have a plan of action, and that's making me feel a little better about all of this. Armed with some research, I've put together a strategy for fending off the bunnies who are treating my budding garden like their personal 24-hour salad bar.<br />
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First - I bought and planted Marigolds today. There seems to be some differing opinion on whether or not this will actually deter the bunnies, but they're pretty, so I figured why the hell not. I bought up all the Marigolds Home Depot had left - 12 plants - and strategically planted them across the border of my garden, a few inches inside the edge so that we can still mow the curve of grass. I may also hit Lowe's later and buy more for planting along the back. <br />
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Second - I took some old plastic decorative border that I hadn't been using and placed it along the back of the garden, along the fence. There are spots in the fence where I've seen bunnies come through, and I'm hoping this extra fencing will at least slow them down so they have time to smell the marigolds. Otherwise, they might just come leaping in, eat their fill, and leap out without taking a breath - or a sniff.<br />
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Third - Tonight I'm making an organic spray that's supposed to be good against pests, including bunnies:<br />
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<b>Garlic/ Red Pepper Spray<br /><br /> 1 onion, sliced</b> <b><br /> 1 clove garlic, sliced<br /> 1 heaping Tbl. red pepper<br /> 3 pints water<br /><br />
Heat this mix in a saucepan on low heat for 20 minutes. Strain, and
keep in a glass jar in refrigerator for over a month. To use, add 1 Tbl.
solution to a pint of water plus a few drops of Ivory soap. Put mixture
in spray bottle, and use as needed.</b> <br />
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I know the soap is supposed to be in there to help make the spray stick. At least, that's what I've heard. However, it doesn't sound very organic to me. A friend recommended I buy a vegetable based soap, like Target's Seventh Generation soap. So I'll pick some of that up. I'll spray the perimeter and the pathways first. If I see any bunnies around, I'll try it on one section of plants and see if it hurts them before trying it all over.<br />
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Fourth - I replanted the green beans. Since my entire crop of green beans were de-leaved in one day, and I had leftover seeds, I decided to pop them in the ground. It might be too late in the season, but I'm going to water the bejeezus out of them and hope that I get a second wave. I really had my heart set on fresh green beans.<br />
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Having a plan makes me feel a little better. If these things don't work, I'll go with chicken wire, though I loathe the idea. It's hard to mow around, and I've read that it needs to be buried at least 24 inches in the ground so that the bunnies don't tunnel under it. That seems like an awful lot of work - if I can avoid it by using other methods, I will.<br />
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Today is Day 34 (I actually counted on the calendar to get myself back to accuracy on this blog), and as you can see, I've got more things on my mind than who is doing what on shows that I don't miss! I'll leave you with a few pictures of my newly flowered garden. (Also, my roses are doing good since I took the time to prune them - although they're slightly wilty since it was 102 degrees yesterday and 97 today. So I'm including a pic of them too.) Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-24772316008280883002012-06-28T10:18:00.002-07:002012-06-28T10:19:52.762-07:00Day 31? - Damn Those BunniesI'm too distraught for a long post. Today, my husband discovered that every single green bean plant in my lovely garden has been eaten by bunnies. Silly me for thinking that I could simply shoo them away with my hands and a loud voice whenever I saw them.<br />
<br />
Tonight, I'll be buying every damn Marigold flat I can find to surround my garden. Maybe I can save what's left by offending their little bunny noses.<br />
<br />
Too bad I don't watch TV anymore. I could get ideas from the rednecks on the Discovery Channel for how to catch rabbits. I'd threaten to have rabbit stew, since I won't be having fresh green beans from my garden, but that seems a bit too morbid a thought, even for me at this moment.Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-7069724514055287282012-06-24T19:56:00.000-07:002012-06-24T19:56:03.267-07:004 Weeks Down! Accomplishments & AnnoyancesFour Sundays ago, I began <a href="http://tvfreeexperiment.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-mid-life-crisis.html" target="_blank">the challenge</a> to get my buns off the couch and become a more interesting person. If you've read previous entries, you know I intend to continue for another 11 months!<br />
<br />
Let's celebrate and recap the top 10 (in no particular order) of what I've accomplished to date without TV:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Planted a garden</li>
<li>Started a lasagna garden</li>
<li>Cleared the backyard of weeds (more hubby than me, but I helped.) </li>
<li>Began taking Rosetta Stone French Courses</li>
<li>Started my training for Couch Potato to 5k (I'll be running my first 5k ever in September!)</li>
<li>Published a book & Edited half a book</li>
<li>Read 13 books & Reviewed most of them on Goodreads</li>
<li>Volunteered at the Arts Festival</li>
<li>Volunteered weekly at the Farmer's Market </li>
<li>Re-potted all my houseplants</li>
</ol>
<br />
This in addition to things I was doing before, like writing blogs for pay, doing yoga, visiting with friends/family, our annual garage sale, etc. <br />
<br />
Overall, I feel like I'm respecting and keeping to the goal. I don't know that I'm a more<i> interesting</i> person, but I'm opening myself up to more interesting experiences! <b>Case in point:</b><br />
<br />
I practice yoga with my friend Kate. We both have packages at a local studio, and we enjoy doing evening yoga once a week on Wednesdays together. Some weeks, we slack - especially lately because I've been devoting a lot of time to yard work and she's been doing a lot of running/training. When we do our yoga like good girls, we sometimes follow it with a drink or two at the nearby bar, catching up in loud voices over the sounds of bad karaoke. It's known to us as detox/retox. We don't always "retox", and admittedly, I don't usually like to stay out too late when we do. My routine used to be to come home and watch my DVR'd shows before bed because Wednesdays was "good TV night" - i.e., Survivor, Idol and Harry's Law nights. <br />
<br />
This past Wednesday was a little different. After yoga, as we packed up our things and slipped on our shoes, Kate asked if we were retoxing. I was tired and tempted to go home and veg. Then I remembered - there is no vegging anymore. Without a TV to run home to, there was really no hurry. And I could really stay out as late as I wanted and not think once, even for a second, about what I might be missing. As a side note, I've been trying to think of my TV Free challenge as a sort of "Yes Man" challenge. If you've seen the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey, the theme of the movie is that the main character has to say yes to every opportunity, which is problematic sometimes, but in general, leads to a series of hijinks that take him to a much more interesting, varied life. So, when I thought about retoxing that night, I thought about my goal to embrace life more. To stop being a couch potato and be more social. It would be against everything I'm trying to do to go home and read a book when I could enjoy the company of my best friend. In this situation, that would have been just as bad as going home and clicking on the TV. It went against the spirit of this adventure.<br />
<br />
As our yoga instructors were on their way out, I spontaneously asked if they wanted to join us for a drink. They told us they were in fact planning to get a drink at a different place than where we were intending to go, but were happy to enjoy together. We shrugged and said SURE, wherever they were going, we were game! <br />
<br />
We ended up at a brewery around the corner that we'd been to before but never knew had outdoor seating off the back alley. There was an outside grotto hidden from the general sports bar atmosphere, lit with white strings of lights and filled with little tables for couples and foursomes. Lucky for us, our instructors knew about the hidden seating and led us back there right away. It was 97 degrees that day, but now it was cooling off with the sun down, and it was a lovely evening for a drink outdoors. As an added bonus, when we got to the patio, there was a fun, blues/jazz band playing. Next thing we knew, we were grooving to great music at the front table, toasting with the band members, listening to the sax players, trumpeters and cello dudes shouting and encouraging each other in their solos, tipping back some beers with people we never hang out with...I even got a little serenade from the band's singer, and we enjoyed the music so much, we bought CDs. We didn't care that we were messy from yoga and the four of us were still in our yoga attire. Or that it was late on a weeknight. This was the place to be.<br />
<br />
It's possible I would have had the same experience, even if I hadn't given up TV. But somehow, it didn't feel like it at the time, nor does it now. It feels like I was where I was supposed to be at that moment, and it was a result of the decision to change my life. I pledge to myself and to whomever might be reading to continue to try new things. This experiment isn't just about not watching the television, it's about doing new things that I haven't tried because my spare time was going to that one activity.<br />
<br />
Included in the above benefits, the retox being one example, I notice that there are things I'm NOT missing at all about TV:<br />
<ul>
<li>Any commercials</li>
<li>Political Ads</li>
<li>Things that make me worry about my self-image (sexy ads, sexy people, etc)</li>
<li>Things that make me worry I'm not active enough (like Nike commercials)</li>
<li>Things that make me eat more (food commercials, TV shows about making food) </li>
</ul>
<br />
There are a few things I DO miss:<br />
<ul>
<li>The news. I feel out of the loop a bit, even with reading Internet and print news.</li>
<li>Crafty shows (on occasion, these shows actually inspired me to get up and do something)</li>
<li>Knowing what people are talking about in pop culture. Already, I'm starting to feel left out of a few conversations. Nightly shows like TMZ or Jimmy Fallon kept me up on the latest entertainment news!</li>
<li>Humor (listening to music/radio or reading a book doesn't tend to make me laugh out loud like a funny sitcom could do!)</li>
<li>The zone out factor - you can't zone out with many things like you can with TV. </li>
</ul>
<br />
A few final notes regarding reactions of friends and family. Though no one comments much on this blog here on blogspot, I usually post my entries on Facebook, and friends do tend to respond there. I have to say that I'm sometimes disappointed/annoyed at how some people sort of passively burst my bubble. I'll post an achievement, and they'll post something about how long it's been since <i>they've</i> watched TV or how rarely they watch TV. I know in reality that these people are my friends and they are trying to be supportive, like, "hey, I know what you're going through. I did it too." What it comes off as sometimes is what I'm doing isn't that big of a deal. The comment is usually accompanied by something like "I didn't miss it a bit." Perhaps it wasn't a big deal TO THEM. But I feel like they don't understand how critical it is to me. I'm fairly certain some of them haven't even read this blog, just seen my posts that I've stopped watching TV. Do they know where I started?<br />
<br />
If you met an alcoholic who said she was 30 days sober, would your first reply be "Oh I never drink" or "Oh, I haven't had a drink in YEARS" or "Oh, you were an alcoholic for 20 years and gave it up cold turkey? Nice! I gave it up for Lent once. So I know exactly how you feel!"<br />
<br />
One person in particular told me that they gave up TV for a period of time when
they were a kid and didn't have a TV and didn't miss it at all after a month. I think they said when they were 7 years old. My first
thought was<i> seriously</i>? At seven years old, how much of TV was a life-long, ingrained routine for you??
I'm sure it's much harder for an adult who's come to use it as an emotional crutch
for stress-relief! My second thought was <i>Hmm, how much time did I spend watching
TV when I was 7?</i> The answer that came was that I didn't watch a fraction of the TV I watched as an adult - I would have been outside playing until the streetlights came
on at seven years old. Maybe a little TV after dinner and after my bath and cartoons on Saturday mornings, but I didn't grow up in a home with the TV on 24/7. My third thought was <i>I could give up TV real easy too if my parents took it away. Much harder to exercise your own self control! </i>So basically, when I really thought about the comment, I was annoyed. I probably shouldn't have been. Folks are just posting a quick comment. Little do they know I'm sitting there analyzing it and taking it personally. <br />
<br />
The other thing I notice is that people haven't read my <a href="http://tvfreeexperiment.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-tv-free-rules.html" target="_blank">RULES</a> for this challenge, so without any information, they want to call me out on stuff. I posted that today my hubby and I celebrated 4 weeks TV-free with a trip to the movies. I received 5 inbox messages from friends calling me a cheater in one form or another. <i>Isn't that TV</i>, they ask? I know I can't expect everyone to be up to date on this challenge, but I'm very proud of the fact that I'm not cheating. I'm not bending the rules. I've made a huge change in my life (and my husband has by extension as well). I'm NOT eliminating every bit of entertainment in my life. I'm simply not watching the television set. I can only wonder why anyone feels compelled to try to "catch me" cheating. Give me a little credit to know the difference between a date night at the movies and watching 8 hours straight of Law & Order.<br />
<br />
I suppose the only way to avoid these little annoyances is to simply do the challenge and stop talking about it. But that seems unfair to me - as I should be able to celebrate the fun I'm having - and to anyone who is actually following this blog and is somehow inspired by it. So I will endeavor to see the positive and try to remember that if anyone is taking the time to respond at all, it is because he or she is making an effort to show interest. I should be happy anyone reads my damn posts at all!<br />
<br />
<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-26405089760404742392012-06-18T18:51:00.001-07:002012-06-18T19:53:00.443-07:00Day 22: My Lady Bits Are TinglyDon't get too excited. This isn't an x-rated blog, even if my title and your brain want it to be.<br />
<br />
Today, hubs and I started the little "<a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml" target="_blank">Couch Potato to 5k</a>" challenge. It's intended to be the healthy part of this no-TV adventure we're on. Here's the basic idea - you walk/run three times a week until you're a health nut. Or until your shins break. Whichever comes first. At the moment, I feel like I've achieved the shin-breaking part. The health nut part, I'm not so sure about. Though we did see a few of those odd abberations on our run/walk and I sort of envied/hated them. <br />
<br />
If you haven't clicked right on over to the Couch Potato to 5k website already, eager to see what this exciting idea is all about, I'll give you a little more detail. In Week One (which is where we are), you walk 5 minutes to warm up, and then you jog for 1 minute, then you walk for 1 1/2 minutes, then you jog for a minute...then walk, and so forth, until you've run/walked for 20 minutes. The goal is to do this 3 times this week. Week two, the running times will get longer. Eventually, the goal is to run the whole time, 3 times a week. They should have you ready for a 5k in 9 weeks. Sounds good on paper- to ease the lungs and the body parts into the idea of running...to prepare your joints...etc...<br />
<br />
But speaking of body parts, mine are still tingling. And when I say my lady bits, I mean all of them. I can feel my pulse everywhere - still - and we finished our exercise about a half hour ago. Not sure if this is normal or not, though my lungs feel fine and I haven't noticed any real pain. My breasts already hurt - it's the curse of the D-cup. D boobs aren't meant for running. They aren't really meant for any kind of exercise. Perhaps this is rooted in our primitive history - men with strong legs ran and hunted; women with weak legs and big boobs were waited on hand and foot. Sounds plausible. You don't have to hit me over the head with a club to know that sounds like a sweet deal.<br />
<br />
Anyway, boobs got a workout. Shins got a work out. My spine feels like it got crushed down a little. Other than that, I feel great! Is this what a runner's high is??<br />
<br />
Other than giving all my bits a jiggle, and feeling a little embarrassed as they did so, the past few days have been pretty busy. On Saturday, I volunteered at a local art/music/food festival. I sold tickets for beer, and waited impatiently for my shift to end so that I could drink some of it. Hubs joined me when my shift ended and we ate the food I'd been smelling and then drank the beer I'd been drooling over. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxf10hOwB-oMP3ap3zGfvThb-Rjbt880xWnoJh3dFi-yWcm2M62GYrHMNogeDNjGz_F3qpO2zsYB_jFoR7sfUvegROaOd0bSNXIwLEkDtqge34uVHsHN70qUJOAMm7V9aM_lOgf1sHag/s1600/470601_10150926903718305_634944742_o%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxf10hOwB-oMP3ap3zGfvThb-Rjbt880xWnoJh3dFi-yWcm2M62GYrHMNogeDNjGz_F3qpO2zsYB_jFoR7sfUvegROaOd0bSNXIwLEkDtqge34uVHsHN70qUJOAMm7V9aM_lOgf1sHag/s400/470601_10150926903718305_634944742_o%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegans & Vegetarians, close your eyes and put your earmuffs on. This was my view from the beer tent...I watched these guys rub down the ribs and pork with spices, spray 2 liters of Pepsi on them, and then slather them in BBQ sauce. We ate them like nobody's business!</td></tr>
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After eating, we walked around a little and then bought the caramel roasted almonds I'd been admiring the past 2 weeks (that are normally sold at the Farmer's market by the same vendor) for additional Father's Day gifts. <br />
<br />
For Father's Day, hubs and I went our separate ways to visit our dads. My folks had a cookout, and because it was rainy and hot, we spent time indoors playing pool and poker. The TV was on, but I didn't really feel compelled to watch it. Golf was on - and I'm not much of a golf watcher. (I like the game, but watching it is a different experience!) Aside from that, interestingly, every time I looked over, commercials were on. Talk about a turn off. <br />
<br />
Another thing I'd like to report in my continuing TV-free challenge is that I've lost 4 pounds! Yay! That's really exciting until I admit that I'm simply re-losing weight I'd already lost last summer. I was down 40, and then gained back about 15. So, my 4 pounds isn't much of an achievement in the overall scheme of things. But I can say that I'm attributing that to mostly being more active, to not sitting on the couch, as my food habits haven't changed much since I started my downward spiral. (Or, upward spiral, if we're talking about <em>gaining</em> pounds, which we are.)<br />
<br />
I'll end this post with a happy update on my garden. I've got sprouts! My cucumbers and green beans are popping up like mad, and today I noticed sprouts in my cantaloupe and watermelon, too. (The only thing that hasn't done a thing are the carrots.) My tomato plants are taller and my green pepper plant and cherry tomato plants have flowers. Somehow, I still doubted, after all my hard work, that a little seed could turn into a plant. I know this is how it happens, but I still kept expecting disappointment. So many years of killing houseplants has obviously damaged me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excuse the blurriness, but it was starting to get dark outside when I took my garden pics. Here are my three little rows of green beans.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here is 1 mound (of 3) of cucumbers. The sprouts seem to have gotten a little closer together than I remember spacing the seeds. I wonder if watering did that?</td></tr>
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Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-43318914676238101872012-06-13T21:33:00.001-07:002012-06-14T07:43:19.234-07:00Days 14 to 17: Am I Cheater & Other StoriesWe've been TV free for a little over two weeks now, and friends keep asking "Have you cheated?"<br />
<br />
The truth is...it depends on who you ask. If you ask me, and you consider <a href="http://tvfreeexperiment.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-tv-free-rules.html" target="_blank">the rules</a> I posted when I first started this experiment, the answer is no. I haven't broken any of my rules. However, if you ask an outsider, who simply sees me declaring myself TV-free, he might think so. <br />
<br />
How would an outsider think I've cheated? We've watched two DVDs in the last 17 days, and I also watched a 5 minute video online of America's Got Talent. Gasp! <br />
<br />
In my defense, hubs and I have been doing a lot of yard work. A LOT. We have weeds that could eat your children. And we discovered wild raspberries, while great in theory and we'll now plan to eat, are thorny as heck and poked the bejeezus out of our limbs. In fact, we've been working so hard de-weeding and de-raspberrying, everything hurts as we stumble into the house near dark. Not all evenings, but we've been pretty consistent in our home improvement efforts. At that point, when your body and brain really want to relax after some pretty physical work, it's no time to play a board game, read a book, or work on the computer. We simply can't concentrate on anything. So twice now, we've tapped into our DVD collection. Seven and The Matrix were our selections. Movies we had already seen were perfect for a good zone out. As an added bonus, it had been so long since we tapped into our DVD collection, we couldn't even remember what movies we had, so it was like a rediscovery mission too.<br />
<br />
With respect to the AGT video, I have a perfectly good excuse for this one. A friend of mine was on the show! They didn't only show a glimpse. He and his girlfriend got a whole 5-minute segment. I had to watch it. And I had to share it on Facebook (which is where I first learned of it), like any good friend. <br />
<br />
The only real cheat I see is that I have replaced TV with one activity that is probably not doing much for bettering me as a human being. I've discovered Words With Friends. It's terribly addictive, but perfect for playing when I'm eating my breakfast out on the deck - or before bed when I'm trying to unwind. I'm limiting myself to only a few games at a time. But I do feel a little guilty, because I didn't stop watching TV to do something like sit on my computer and move letters around. It's not out of hand yet, but it could get there easily. Although, at least I'm using my brain, right? I'm playing big words like "pig" and "boob". (Hey, pig was on a TW and DL. -That's geek speak for fellow WWF players.)<br />
<br />
Besides a yard work marathon, I've gotten quite a bit of work done lately, professionally speaking. I feel like a machine. It's amazing how much focus I have right now. Maybe TV was really rotting my brain. Or maybe I was depressed and didn't know it. Either way, I feel like I've woken up. Without the distractions of the TV, I get my work done faster, and in my opinion, it's better in all respects. It's almost scary how much I feel like I've accomplished in the last few weeks, because it reveals to me how much less I was getting done before. <br />
<br />
Aside from work, I enjoyed volunteering at the Farmer's Market today. This week, I was paired up with the mayor of our little city. We're now on a first name basis, and I feel like I could write a book about him. Such is the case when two people are stuck at a booth together for 2 hours with not much else to do but chat. Perhaps this week's experience was also better because I brought cash with me this time. <br />
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I purchased a new sweet red pepper plant for my garden, a flat of garlic spinguni bread, which when decorated with chicken, green pepper and portabella mushrooms at home became our dinner tonight, pieces of lemon cake and sweet potato pie, which obviously became dessert, and a couple organic hygiene products. I arrived with $20 and left with $2. Not a bad way to spend $18 and a few hours of my time, supporting fellow Michigan business owners with purchases and enjoying the smell of roasting cinnamon pecans in the breeze while doing it. (I would have bought those darn pecans but they were at the last vendor and I only had $2 left! Instead, I took a big whiff of them when I walked by and hoped that it would sustain me until next week.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ouy_kL-To1avZdhm6RTIg9eQvf1zkEMo4JMDiKSVAlZU9dCmzek2u9M5C8WKx5jAg3Do_MhYXHA4ba3RuPJYhFUFb3l28cAJlcRvQ95-RRGMUhObtz_Nf8_AqTb02lLxI0BwiI53Qq8/s1600/bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ouy_kL-To1avZdhm6RTIg9eQvf1zkEMo4JMDiKSVAlZU9dCmzek2u9M5C8WKx5jAg3Do_MhYXHA4ba3RuPJYhFUFb3l28cAJlcRvQ95-RRGMUhObtz_Nf8_AqTb02lLxI0BwiI53Qq8/s400/bread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's that yummy dinner I described. The bread was $5.50 and I already had the leftover chicken and veggies in the fridge.<br />
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I have a bid out on eBay right now for a bicycle basket. If I win, next week, I'll ride up to the market on my bike and fill that basket like nobody's business. I think I need herbs for my garden. The ones I was growing inside don't look too hot. They look slightly moldy on top. Who knew you could overwater plants? I sure didn't! I'm pretty sure that's a first time for me. Also, I think I'm growing weeds, not herbs. Any input on that is most welcome. See below.<br />
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Tomorrow, I look forward to seeing my oldest best friend for lunch. It's been way too long. At least 6 months since our last lunch. We joke that we'll have to hold signs up with our names so we recognize each other. Also, the art festival this weekend (I'm attending and volunteering) and Father's Day BBQ. Lots of fun stuff to look forward to that has absolutely nothing to do with television.<br />
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I'll leave you with a quote I found the other day:<br />
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<em>No one’s addicted to music and television and radio. We just need more of it, more channels, a larger screen, more volume. We can’t bear to be without it, but no, nobody’s addicted. We could turn it off anytime we wanted.</em></div>
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<em>- Lullaby, </em>Chuck Palahniuk</div>
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<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-28828569014478142192012-06-09T14:31:00.001-07:002012-06-09T14:45:37.465-07:00Days 9 - 13: The Chef's Garden & A Little LasagnaIt's been a few days since I've posted, but have no fear, I'm still TV free! Tomorrow will be 2 weeks. I'm happy to say, I really don't miss it as much as I had feared. The key is staying busy and having some goals. When the Winter comes, it will be much more difficult. There are only so many books one can read. (Did Miss Publisher actually just write that??)<br />
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So what have I been up to? Well, my garden is done! Whoopie! <br />
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Before I talk about my garden in detail, one notable item this week - I volunteered at the local farmer's market on Wednesday. One of the things I pledged to do more of with my free-time is do some work in our community. The goals being 1) to help support local events that keep our city interesting and 2) to meet some people our age with whom we can socialize. (We've been here 9 years and really only know our immediate neighbors.) <br />
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As far as the Farmer's Market goes, I think I'll only meet one goal, which is to support a local community event. And I admit, I won't mind doing this so long as I have cash on hand. There were many Michigan grown goodies at the market and if I'd had any cash with me, I would have bought everything in sight! As it was, I certainly sampled everything in sight. Flavored almonds, kettle corn, flavored and medicinal honey, jerky and hot sausages, and plenty of flowers and veggies. I definitely won't mind spending a few hours a week surrounded by all of that! <br />
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Unfortunately, the goal I won't accomplish is meeting people our age. I'm working the volunteer booth with two lovely ladies, who happened to have both turned 80 years old this year. They like to talk about when their husbands died 20 years ago and their various ailments. Very sweet ladies, but I doubt they'll be coming over to play Euchre and drink homebrews with me and the hubs.<br />
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So let's get to the gardening!<br />
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<strong>The Chef's Garden (& Start of the Lasagna Garden)</strong><br />
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I don't know why I'm calling it the chef's garden, other than to make it clear that the focus is vegetables rather than flowers and to differentiate it from the lasagna garden, which I address in the second set of bullet points below.<br />
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As a quick recap, here were the steps I took to get started (and blogged about previously):<br />
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<li>I identified the northeast corner of the yard as the best place for the garden as it has a good 6-8 hours of bright sunlight per day. Hubs and I spent several hours de-weeding this area in preparation. </li>
<li>Using the garden hose as a guide, I created a curving edge for the garden that parallels the flower bed on the other side of the property.</li>
<li>Sadly, I discovered my hand cultivator tool wasn't strong enough to battle the grass that needed to be removed from the area I had mapped out. I used a good old-fashioned shovel to dig up the area. (A rototiller would have been better but about $50 for 3 hours use. I'd rather spend the money on tools I can keep and more seeds.)</li>
<li>I left the grass chunks out in the sun for a day so that the dirt would dry out and crumble from the grass roots more easily.</li>
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I believe that's where I left off in my last blog, with a small area left to be shoveled and most of the grass chunks drying.<br />
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Since then, I've done a lot more work. (And I can say right now, if TV had been an option, I would have never started or finished this garden. The only thing that kept me going (in 80-90 degree heat the last few days) is knowing that I can't sit on the couch all day and stare at the TV. Whenever I was tired and felt like going in, I would think <em>What else am I going to do? Might as well work until dark.)</em><br />
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Here's what I've accomplished:<br />
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<li>Started the Lasagna Garden: Shook the dirt off the grass clumps and piled them on top of the weeds along the back of the property. Once I add a "brown layer" (i.e., newspaper or corrugated cardboard) on top of the grass chunks, I'll have a nice start to my lasagna garden. The goal of the lasagna garden is to layer the browns with greens (such as yard waste and vegetable scraps) throughout the year. Ideally, the brown layers being twice as deep as the green layers. By next spring, it should all be horizontally composted, and I can either transport some of that rich compost to my garden, or I can plant right in it. It will make a nice, fluffy soil. </li>
<li>Once the grass was removed, I had 2 yards of soil delivered. I selected a soil compost mix, because my soil needed some nourishment, and I found out from the ladies at the Farmer's Market that the city supply of compost is depleted. (Next year, I'll start early and take advantage of the free compost!) 2 yards turned out to be just enough - it's just enough to have a 3-4 inch layer over the entire area.</li>
<li>Before spreading the soil, I used my cultivator hand tool to churn the existing dirt. I also tested the pH of my existing dirt - it was a good 7.5 pH. The reason I tested before adding the new dirt was that the new dirt was a compost mix. The results of the pH test can be skewed by debris like twigs. I wanted a clear reading.</li>
<li>I spread the soil out evenly last night. (With some help from my hubs, who's a shoveling machine.)</li>
<li>Next I made a garden map. It wasn't perfectly to scale, but it was important to figure out what would go where. The tallest crops need to be placed so they don't cast a shadow on the shorter crops and there needs to be the correct amount of space between everything. (Map pictured below)</li>
<li>Hubs rescued some bricks from a collapsing hole at the back of our property. Not our fault - the bunnies dug a burrow and created a sink hole. It sucked in my little brick wall and humpty dumpty garden decor. Bastard bunnies. Anyway, hubs transported those to my garden area so I could use those today for my paths.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfqlEA61VuSzOM3pwb5swf3HtRjUacrWsh7cJlDCt7kttSfrtfaAE4Ve6Y8of28MuNuZdzbLnjdE7hTVuwpWL8-HFJIwclIRm7zDR-yGnan898bjlYhqQMxWn4RGlR97-WMJSNqXXJdE/s1600/garden5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfqlEA61VuSzOM3pwb5swf3HtRjUacrWsh7cJlDCt7kttSfrtfaAE4Ve6Y8of28MuNuZdzbLnjdE7hTVuwpWL8-HFJIwclIRm7zDR-yGnan898bjlYhqQMxWn4RGlR97-WMJSNqXXJdE/s400/garden5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Garden Map - I know it's hard to see, but I did it in pencil. The point is, if you're new to gardening like me, to have a good idea of how many seeds you have and how much room you'll need. I'm so glad I made this map. I would have been out there in the heat much longer today if I had not made a plan.</td></tr>
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Today, I planted flowers and veggies, inserted bricks for sectioning and walking, and tapped in stakes to identify everything!</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For flowers, I planted within borders along the edges of the garden, mostly in the shaded areas and the corner of the garden. I planted purple and white alyssum, white morning glory, deep purple forget-me-nots, Canterbury Bells, Sweet Pea and a Sweet Pea border mix. Both the morning glory and the sweet pea should climb and fill out on the fence. The Canterbury Bells (beautiful purples, pinks and white) should grow to several feet and fill out the corner nicely.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting at the right side of the garden, at the tail, I planted tomatoes (both regular and cherry) and red and green bell pepper. As you can see, I didn't do much volume. Two tomato plants and one pepper plant. This might be a mistake. Perhaps I'm supposed to plant in threes, like flowers or shrubs. But I wanted to get several things in the space, and I'm still testing it all out. Who knows, this might be a terrible spot for growing things. To the left of the tomatoes, I planted three mounds of cucumbers, the sweet, crunchy variety with small seeds.</td></tr>
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Looking to the left, you can see the layout of my chef's garden. After the cucumbers is a big section for green beans. I have great memories of picking green beans (and eating the entire bowl of raw green beans meant for the whole family) at my aunt's house when I was a little girl. Nothing better than fresh-off-the-vine green beans that are sweet and snap up great for dinner - or pre-dinner! ;)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to tell from this picture, but the entire garden is sloped. The highest point is the pole of the birdhouse (where the yellow square is). Near the pole, I made a trench and two long hills for my carrots. They need lots of deep soil to grow straight. I planted a kaleidoscope mix of carrots - Atomic Red, Bambino, Solar yellow, and Lunar White. In the foreground are the cantaloupes. If you can't tell by the pictures, these are buried 4-6 seeds 3 inches apart in small mounds. The mounds should be 4-5 feet apart, but I was limited on space. They are 3-4 feet. I hope this won't make a difference.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the way to the left are my watermelons. Again, I buried the seeds in small mounds. These mounds should have been 6 feet apart. I simply didn't have the space. So I did fewer mounds (didn't use all the seeds) and placed them about 4 feet apart in a circle. This area is the first to get shady - as you can see, it was almost fully shaded by about 4pm. But I'm hoping that there's enough sunshine before 4pm to do the job. <br />
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That's about it. Now it's just about watering and waiting. As mentioned previously, I have fantasies of walking in my garden, wearing a big brimmed hat, plucking veggies and putting them in a basket....Today, I did none of those things. But I did make rainbows. Lots of rainbows over my garden with the hose. And I watched the butterflies flitting around, checking everything out. </div>
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What's left to do? Soon, when my seedlings appear, I'll spread organic mulch along the pathways (so I can weed and harvest without getting muddy). I'll also need to figure out the best way to enclose the garden. We have bunnies and deer in the area. And I'll continue to layer on the lasagna garden. Next year, if I've had some measure of success with my garden, I'll grow onions, lettuce, kale, spinach and probably lots more tomatoes and peppers. My curving garden will probably grow twice as big, turning into a big rectangle, and I'll plant other yummy things where my lasagna used to be....possibly move my herbs from inside the house to that space. So, there are still lots of things to do - but for now - just wait and enjoy the knowledge that I did something productive with my TV-free time.</div>
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<strong>Garden Project</strong></div>
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<strong>Cost Estimate: $200</strong></div>
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<strong>Time Estimate: 25-30 hours</strong></div>
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</div>Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-91350238580943870892012-06-04T20:30:00.001-07:002012-06-04T20:41:09.966-07:00Day 8 - My Green Thumb HurtsJust a short post today. <strong>Everything hurts</strong>, right down to my green thumbs and fingertips! But I want to share a few pictures of my garden progress. It's slow going, but hopefully, it will be worth it when I can maybe eat some vegetables in a few months. Gosh, that doesn't sound very promising!<br />
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I'd like to quickly add that I hate grass and also Home Depot, who have made renting gas powered yard tools cost prohibitive. I'm not wasting my extra $150 this month on renting a damn rototiller. <br />
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Here we go:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just a small sample of weeds like those we spent all day Sunday pulling. We had to pull tons of weeds like this to make room for the new garden. Note: My husband pulled all the weeds at the back of the property last fall AND put down weed killer. And this is what we get in the Spring. Ridiculous! They are almost as tall as the fence. If our neighbors behind us didn't have just as much of a weed problem, I'm sure they'd hate us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4eRNJjl996HPz-0u4r0DzgpcYfO41iH6Ute84wzBSMBB6_LcMrRmT_ANW9VbTHry8oPtT3v5AEZHgKbcq36ROVmJhtLx3LlwhhcNyVozt2t-HAxY5qdaAvgXffRRPqiO_hR95Ig1otM/s1600/IMG_20120604_175314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG4eRNJjl996HPz-0u4r0DzgpcYfO41iH6Ute84wzBSMBB6_LcMrRmT_ANW9VbTHry8oPtT3v5AEZHgKbcq36ROVmJhtLx3LlwhhcNyVozt2t-HAxY5qdaAvgXffRRPqiO_hR95Ig1otM/s400/IMG_20120604_175314.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the left, you can see the weeds are still there. There's easily another 100 feet of weeds remaining, mocking my gardening efforts. They have every intention of eating any compost I put down for my vegetables. Once my garden is complete,<em> I have</em> every intention of pulling them all out by their necks.<br />
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Pictured here, you can see part of the space I have carved out (literally) for my garden. See all those chunks of sod? That's what I did all day today. Me and Mr. Shovel. It occurs to me that the person who ultimately decided the rototiller rental was too expensive is NOT the person doing the digging. I always knew he was smart.<br />
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Last note: Along the back, I have some old pieces of wood recovered from the sloppy garden that the previous owners "maintained" 10 years ago on the other side of the backyard. I'm using it to create a border. Between the beams and the fence, I'll be planting flowers to dress up my veggie garden! They will benefit from water running down from the mound in the middle, my "raised garden", where I'll plant deep rooting veggies like carrots.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3XT3x8ay-WIrYlOCxRBP3z0k_bwWAAh0TC4DuSMfZGxoCSqlW7WGlflYVe-iJOLX8RwSpL5NOqVccmTBYDx6En-tuvL3ZangBXDCuHJLdsCpDyctYJXm0HE3cqn-cmg7-qeIIg08dVc/s1600/IMG_20120604_175324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3XT3x8ay-WIrYlOCxRBP3z0k_bwWAAh0TC4DuSMfZGxoCSqlW7WGlflYVe-iJOLX8RwSpL5NOqVccmTBYDx6En-tuvL3ZangBXDCuHJLdsCpDyctYJXm0HE3cqn-cmg7-qeIIg08dVc/s400/IMG_20120604_175324.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panning to the right, you can see where I have continued the outline of my garden. Working on an angle like this will important for mowing purposes later. (Hubs and I hate to mow around sharp corners.) I found a little clever gardening tip online and used it today - I used my garden hose to layout the curving edge of my garden bed and then followed the line of it with my straight edger tool. Much easier than eyeballing it! <br />
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I picked this spot in the northeast corner of the property. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the best place for a garden. (I should stop visiting all the online gardening blogs. They just stress me out.)<br />
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What's important to note in this picture (besides the shadow of your faithful former couch potato in her baseball hat in the lower left) is how much I still have left to dig up. It may not seem like much - but on the other end of a long day of digging, this seems like a huge amount of work to do. Tomorrow, I'll finish digging this up. Hopefully, the other grass pieces will be dried out enough to shake and deposit in lawn bags for the yard pickup on Friday morning. Then I'll retest my soil PH...possibly add some lime....till in the compost (free from our city)...and finally start mapping out my planting strategy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just for kicks, I took a picture today of the self-mulching tree I blogged about last week. I spent some time here today, taking breaks from my digging. The birds seemed a little put out, but ventured over to the other side of the property to eat all the worms I was uncovering over there. In the upper right corner, you can see the delights that await me - my flower bed has run amuck. It's been a couple years since I pruned anything back. But one thing at a time. My tendency is to jump right out there and expect a big project to be done in a day. My garden will take a while before it's producing, and while my veggies are cooking in the soil, I'll have plenty of time to tackle everything else. Really wishing I'd spent a little less time watching TV and a little more keeping up with the yardwork. Homeownership is expensive and time consuming, isn't it?<br />
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Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-79055665488383238442012-06-03T20:09:00.001-07:002012-06-03T20:09:16.630-07:00Days 6 & 7: The Theory of Creative CapacityA doctor of psychology recently told me that there's a concept that people have a finite capacity for their creativity. Like a bucket they can fill with ideas. Artists, musicians, writers - let's say they get a big gallon bucket for their creativity. They can't do whatever they want to with the bucket. It's reserved just for their talent. To use it to its fullest potential, they must be in the right frame of mind, and they cannot use their bucket for anything else. <br />
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This theory came up in discussion because Doc is intrigued by my No TV idea. Given that I'm a writer and work in a creative field (editing/publishing), she's curious how it will affect my bucket and creative productivity. Was I previously attempting to use my bucket's capacity wrongly for other things, like writing while half-watching TV? If so, now that I'm not sharing my bucket with anything else, can I accomplish more? She says if I could get a book written while watching TV, maybe I could write two better books now without it on. The idea is simple - clear my bucket of chaos and use the hypothetical time it represents for what it's meant for and maybe I can get more out of every square inch of it. <br />
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I like this thought, that there might be more creativeness inside me, though it also adds a little pressure. Lately, I've been using my new found time to do practical things. I haven't exactly devoted it to creative time. In fact, other than for work, I haven't done any writing for pleasure. Now I feel like maybe I'm wasting an opportunity to achieve something here. <br />
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As I see it, though, the reason that I'm not writing more is that I don't really have 30 more hours a week than I had before, even if I was watching that much TV. It's an inflated figure.Yes, I was watching alot of TV, and I thought I would be able to do many more things with the extra 30 hours I estimated I was spending on that one activity. However, what I've learned in the last week is that I did a lot of other things while the TV was on in the background. Even during my precious, DVR'd programming, I would often work, eat, pay bills, read, fold laundry or whatever while the show was rolling. And I'm still doing all of these same activities now. The only <em>extra</em> time I have this week that I didn't have last week is that time that was devoted to watching TV exclusively. I'm now finding that very few shows actually earned my full attention. <br />
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What does all of this amount to? I still feel like there's not enough time in the day to do everything I need or want to do. And I still don't feel like I have any more time to be creative (i.e., work on my next book) now than I did a week ago. My only hope is that the doc is right. That my little bucket that was polluted with TV floaties on the top of the water is now clean. I should be able to peer down into it and see straight to the bottom. It hasn't grown. It has the same capacity it always had. But if I can focus on filling it just right, maybe I can keep the water inside clean and get everything done.<br />
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Aside from all this philosophical thought for which I seem to have more time to contemplate, here's a quick summary of non-TV related things that I enjoyed over the last few days. <br />
<ul>
<li>Thursday afternoon, I found a new way to zone out that doesn't require brain power. I've been desperate for a little down time! Better than the idea of a rocking chair on a porch is burning receipts in the fireplace. We had a whole box of them saved up, and we fed the fire. Staring into a fire is a great way to recharge your brain! I felt totally refreshed and smoky afterward.</li>
<li>Friday, lunch with mom and dad. Happy to hear that they are reading my blog! :) Not sure if my no-TV challenge is inspiring anyone else in my family to join me, but it gives us something new to talk about! Later that day, I continued to work on a new book for publication and completed Lesson 2 for French with Rosetta Stone. (It's getting harder.) </li>
<li>Saturday, the monumental moment - We took our 4 DVRs from AT&T to the UPS Store to send them back home. They are on their way for use as spare parts or for television watching in some other lucky family's home. I was okay with waving goodbye to them. Interestingly, Hubby (who didn't watch a ton of TV to begin with) made a little sad face when we were packing them up. </li>
<li>Saturday evening - Spent time with friends playing board games at their place. This is nothing new, we love our gaming. But we had some new games to share and it had been a few months since our last board game marathon, so it was an extra good time. There was an added level of fun when someone found a package of "Fun Pills" from 1994 in a spare drawer. Funny how four adults could get so excited about seeing a few little pills turn into animal-shaped foam in a glass of warm water. Alcohol may have been a factor.</li>
<li>Sunday - Weed weed and more weeds. Not the good kind. The kind that is 3 times taller in our yard than normal this time of year due to the mild winter and early warm up. Aside from pulling weeds, we took a trip to Home Depot. I have a feeling I know how the extra $150 a month is going to be spent during the summer! Becoming a "regular" there soon. Still working on carving out a space for my vegetable and flower garden and needed more supplies. Trying hard not to become overwhelmed by all the possibilities, though pretty sure I'm going to start a lasagna garden in the fall. No, a lasagna garden isn't for growing things to make a lasagna! If you don't know what that is, check out this<a href="http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm" target="_blank"> link</a>.</li>
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I made it through Week One! <br />
I feel exhausted and nothing at all like an interesting character in a book.<br />
But proud I made it through the first full week with little fuss.Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-45675878940142213212012-05-31T21:03:00.001-07:002012-06-01T07:44:20.999-07:00Days 4 & 5 - The Self-Mulching Tree & Un Garcon Boit.<strong>Day 4 - </strong><br />
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Remember when I wrote in my first blog that part of the reason I don't want to watch TV anymore is that I want to be a more interesting person? That I want to be like a character in a book? <br />
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Well, forget that. It's not possible. What I'm realizing is that no matter how much extra time I have in the day, I still need to do boring, every day things like mowing the lawn and feeding our cats. Maybe my favorite characters don't need to pee, but I do. <br />
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As you might have gathered, yesterday was mostly full of boring, necessary things. However, I'd like to point out that not watching TV actually made me get around to doing those "boring things" - things that I'd previously avoided by being "busy". Case in point, after mowing the backyard, I decided to FINALLY spread a bag of mulch under the back tree. To understand how monumental this was, let me give some back story. <br />
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Every year, I put pine bark mulch in all of our flower beds and around our many trees. Typically in the last few years, I've run out of mulch after spreading around the 20th bag, and at that point, I'm disinclined to making yet another trip to English Gardens for more. At 20 bags, I'm pretty much pooped, no matter how much soil remains uncovered. Because I tend to run out of mulch toward the end of the project, I usually start in the front yard, visible to my neighbors, and work my way around to the back. If I don't get to the very back of the yard, so be it. <br />
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Anyway, there's a tree in the back that always gets left out. It's the farthest tree from the house and has never gotten the mulch treatment. Several years ago, I promised myself it wouldn't get missed again. In fact, early on in the season, I dropped a big fat bag of mulch right at the base of the tree. And - it's been sitting there ever since. Through season after season of rain, snow and sleet. If it was the tin man, it would have long ago stopped whispering for an oil can.<br />
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So yesterday, I thought, this is the NEW me. I'm going to move this big, heavy iron loveseat and big, heavy matching end tables out from under the tree, pull all the weeds, carve out a nice ring, and put down this blasted mulch. At last! I moved all the furniture as planned and then attempted to remove the bag of mulch so I could pull the weeds under it. <br />
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Apparently it had been waiting a bit too long. It wouldn't budge. I soon realized that the tree had punched roots through the plastic and claimed the bag for its own.<span style="background-color: white;"> Three fat</span> roots grew into it. The tree had tried to mulch itself.<br />
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The plastic wouldn't tear, and I didn't really want to split it open until I'd pulled the weeds anyway, so I took a garden saw and hacked through the roots to free it. I can only imagine my neighbors next door, the Master Gardeners (who are on the Better Homes and Gardens tour), watching me wrestle a 20 lb bag of mulch away from a tree. The mulch, by the way, was nearly dried up. Only half of it was good. The rest had turned into a big, wispy nest. Oh - and it was completely filled with ants. <br />
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After finishing my mulching job, I recovered the stone bird fountain from a mass of weeds at the very back of the property and placed it under the tree. I filled it with fresh, cold water. Then I sat and watched birds swoop in to feast on the frantic bag ants and wash them down with the water. Someone thought opening that bag of mulch was a great idea!<br />
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<strong>Day 5 -</strong><br />
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I used my sore back as an excuse to stay inside today. That birdbath was heavy. In truth, I should have taken advantage of the cool day and worked on the back of the property. I've decided that the ideal place for my vegetable garden is way back there where the weeds and overgrown bushes need to be pulled and trimmed respectively before I can proceed. It's not fun work, but I find that <span style="background-color: white;">ultimatums like</span> "I can't start my garden until I clean up the entire backyard" are pretty motivational.<br />
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Instead I worked in my office all day. I'm editing a new book, and also promoting another that I just published. It's very exciting, and the more interest I hear in the published one, the more determined I am to release the other one before scheduled.<br />
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At some point, I decided I had to do <em>something</em> else, so I started and completed Lesson 1 of Rosetta Stone for French! <br />
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Bonjour! <br />
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I'm finding it's very intuitive, but also that I have no idea what I've learned yet. It's all related to pictures. So, <em>un garcon </em><em>boit</em> is, I think, "the boy drinks". And <em>Il boit</em> is "he drinks". But I'm not 100% positive, because Rosetta Stone doesn't actually tell you what anything is in English. It's all about immersion. You're supposed to catch on from the pictures and deduce what action is taking place. I'm a little slow at this, and I suspect I overthink it. For all I know, <em>un garcon boit</em> is "the boy smells his milk". But since all the pictures relating to "boit" have people holding up drinking glasses to their mouths, I'm assuming I'm on the right track with drinking. <br />
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Well, that's it for the last two days. So far, I can report that I'm not really missing TV at all. It was just a time filler. The only time I miss it is - well, right now actually. In the late evening. Because at the moment, I don't want to think anymore, but I'm not ready to sleep yet. TV filled that gap nicely. <br />
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What do you do to relax, without having to use your brain, besides listening to music? Putting together a puzzle, playing a game, or cleaning something requires too much effort. I just want to zone out. Maybe this is why old people, who know what it was like before TV was invented, like to sit on their porches and stare at stuff? I need to go stare at something.<br />
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Au revoir!Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-949428153924115412012-05-29T19:02:00.001-07:002012-05-30T08:02:46.251-07:00Day 3 - My Quietly Noisy House & the Jehovah's WitnessThis might be old hat for the typical non-TV watcher, but I've discovered today that my house is alive. Without the TV on, I'm suddenly aware of all the little sounds that were probably always a part of its rhythm, just unheard by me beneath the loud commercials that were a mainstay in our home until 3 days ago. <br />
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I truly can't remember the last time the TV was off for the entire day. This must be why today everything seemed so quiet, and yet so noisy! As I ate my breakfast, I noticed the sounds of the birds, the squirrels, the creaks and groans of an old home, and even the sound of my cat stretching over on the other side of the room. (Does his spine always crack like that?) The sound of the school bus coming down our street, a group of kids running, the neighbor's dog barking and my neighbor hushing her loudly. I'm sure these are all typical, every day sounds that were always there but were simply blended out by the constant hum of the TV. But today they seemed to take on a new meaning, highlighting something conspicuously absent, which made me feel, surprisingly, very alone in the house. <br />
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I'm alone often in the daytime and never seem to really notice it. Apparently I felt like I wasn't alone when there were voices coming from the TV. Without it, today was surprisingly lonely. Perhaps it's TV withdrawal or just an adjustment after a weekend filled with fun BBQ's and lots of people to talk to?<br />
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As a sign of my state of mind today, I actually answered the door to a Jehovah's Witness. Two of them actually. The JW and her friend were very pleasant as they introduced themselves and then dove right into it: <br />
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"Do you feel a time will come when there is justice in the world?" </blockquote>
This seemed like quite a heavy question to ponder before Noon. <br />
I said I wasn't interested.<br />
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They quickly offered some literature, and instead of politely rejecting it, as is my normal reaction if I accidentally answer the door or the JWs see me through the window on the couch, I actually took it. I guess I wanted to keep my options open. You know, in case I'm really bored in a few days and they come by again to see what I thought of it. Unless I get used to the silence soon, I might even invite them in for coffee. We can discuss better starter questions.<br />
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An interesting sidenote - I canceled our AT&T Uverse subscription today. When asked why we were canceling our service, I actually told the gentleman that we had decided to give up TV. (Another sign I must have been lonely. I usually can't <em>wait </em>to get off the phone with customer service people.) He said his name was Al from Ohio, but Al might have been from Ohio, India. He seemed very confused by my response. He asked me a series of questions in an attempt to decipher what I was saying. In the end, I think he manually keyed the explanation into his computer. There must not be a dropdown selection for "Giving Up TV" in the TV subscription world.Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-67287189416819296452012-05-28T17:52:00.000-07:002012-05-28T17:56:59.878-07:00It Has Begun! (Days One & Two)<strong>Day One - </strong><br />
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Yesterday was my birthday and the beginning of the TV-free experiment! Because I had so much planned for the day, I didn't even notice the lack of television. After all, who sits at home on their birthday and watches TV? Well....let's not go there. I'm pretty sure there have been at least a few birthdays when I might have watched a little bit of TV, especially in the evening when all the festivities have ended and all I want to do is zone out with my sugar crash.</div>
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This year's birthday was full of things to do and lots of food to eat. (I'm actually slightly worried that although I might be getting more exercise getting off the couch, I will counteract it by trying to elevate my mood with food instead of TV. I'll have to keep an eye on that.) As is our tradition, hubs took me to a movie and lunch. The movie - Men in Black 3. Good, but not the best in the MIB franchise. Lunch - Chili's. Chicken Fajitas. Yum. Free dessert cause I had a birthday club coupon. Yum. Half the waitstaff singing as they brought me the dessert. Ugh. This should be outlawed for patrons over 18. I never know what my expression should be. Certainly not the real one, which would be an embarassed look of horror that a group of strangers is singing at me as I realize that everyone in the restaurant is annoyed that I'm interupting their meal (but trying to look polite about it).</div>
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After movie and lunch, we scooted home to tidy up the house for family to come over to celebrate birthday/Memorial day ( a day early). Brats, chips, beans, watermelon, potato salad, pasta salad - oh my. And let's not forget cheesecake for dessert. I won't forget this meal for a while! Nor will my thighs. Gift opening reveled gift certificates as requested for Lowes and Home Depot. If I'm giving up the life of a couch potato, I'd like to fill it with home projects. I can think of nothing worse than if after a year without TV, my house still looks exactly the same. </div>
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<strong>Day Two - </strong></div>
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I usually eat breakfast while staring at the TV. This is dangerous because starting off the day watching TV means that I might be setting a precedent for the day. If I get lured into a marathon or weeding out the DVR, my day might be decided for me. Today, I made my coffee and grabbed breakfast and went outside on the deck. My husband was already out there. We clinged coffee mugs and celebrated that I was out of the house before Noon. I ate my banana to the sound of chirping birds and music from hubby's laptop, and that was just fine.</div>
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Though I'm not missing TV yet, today was slightly more challenging because it's 95 degrees outside. This makes getting out and enjoying life a little difficult - or at least staying out for an extended period difficult. My friend Julie is solar powered, and I thought of her today, probably LOVING the hot weather. Me, I just feel too hot and drained. All I want to do is soak up the air-conditioning. But I'm trying to get into the whole spirit of this new life thing, so I actually did emerge from the house today!</div>
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<u>Step 1</u> - Went to Lowe's and bought stuff to start a vegetable garden. I'm trying to picture myself waking up in the morning and strolling through my garden, filling a basket with my homegrown veggies and then watering my crop with the hose on mist setting, watching the rainbows in the sun. In this fantasy, I'm wearing a garden hat, smock, and my cucumbers look obscene. I'll settle for wandering out to my garden in my slippers, plucking a few edible veggies, and throwing the sprinkler on. But one can dream big. <br />
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<strong>Evidence of my gardening intentions above - a mini herb garden (to start indoors), seed packets and tomato plants. I'm contemplating all the ways to keep the local deer and bunny population fat this year! </strong></div>
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<u>Step Two</u> - Went to Home Depot and bought new pots, potting soil and house plants. I have to do this periodically to replace the plant graveyard I cultivate lovingly. While I'm watching TV, my plants are usually withering away in the windowsill. They get watered when I remember, which is not often. When I got home, I considered going outside to start potting. My husband built me a lovely potting stand last year that I hadn't used yet, and I was eager to break it in with all my new purchases. But it was damn hot outside, so I took a nap first. </div>
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<u>Step Three</u> - Take a nap. I have to say how wonderful this nap thing is. I have never been able to take naps during the day unless I'm sick. Even then, I'm more likely to lie in bed watching TV than I am to sleep. Today, I slept almost 2 hours. It's amazing what you can accomplish without the TV on! ;)</div>
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<u>Step Four</u> - Get off my butt. </div>
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When I was nice and rested, I went outside and worked on potting my plants. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The oak potting stand hubs made for me last season. It is on rollers, and there's a drawer under the slotted parts to collect loose soil. It slides out and then you can use it. Waste not, want not! Isn't he handy?</td></tr>
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The end result, a number of living plants that I hope will get more attention than those who have died before them. I'm sure I'll have plenty of time on my hands to water them, talk to them, feed them - whatever it is that you're supposed to do to keep them living. (I'd post pictures of the old plants, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal in some countries.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You might notice that to the right, one of the plants is aloe. In my fantasies, I'm a green thumb and I nurse family and friends back to health with secret organic remedies.</td></tr>
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After all my planting, I was pretty dirty and hot. So I enjoyed an extra long shower and grooming session. <em>What's the hurry?</em> I ask myself. The answer is, there isn't. My pace seems to be much more laid back than usual. Perhaps I'm not rushing to catch the latest show on TV - or perhaps I realize I need to fill up my day with things to do so I don't get bored and become tempted to quit the challenge, so I'm dragging the simplest tasks out. Maybe my brain is enjoying the fact that it's not completely over stimulated with flashing color images and noise. Whatever the reason, I'm relaxed and looking forward to curling up with a book tonight. Tomorrow, I have a book to edit during the day - but in the evening, I'm thinking I might start researching the best place to carve out a spot for my garden. Wednesday is supposed to be 70s and overcast, perfect for digging around in the dirt again!</div>Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-40075427908730533402012-05-19T20:13:00.003-07:002012-05-19T20:13:38.919-07:00Couch Potato to 5k - The Healthy Part of the TV-Free ChallengeGiving up TV isn't just about not watching TV, it's about getting me off the couch. <br />
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A friend told me about Couch Potato to 5K. In 2 months, they'll have a couch potato running 3 miles. Sounds like a great adventure to me! I envy all the runners out there, though it's always caused me terrible pain to run. Let's see how it works when I do it the right way - preparing my joints and conditioning my body for the rigors of running slowly, rather than jumping into it with both feet and regretting it like crazy the next day.<br />
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If you have any interest in joining me in the Couch Potato to 5k Initiative, here's the link! <br />
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<a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml">http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml</a>Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-2363027328116652682012-05-19T15:51:00.001-07:002012-05-19T15:51:31.467-07:00Why I'm Waiting Until May 27th!Friends keep asking me "So how's the no TV thing going?" <br />
My answer - "I haven't started yet." <br />
The response - "How come?"<br />
<br />
It's simple. I'm waiting for the season finales of my favorite shows. Were you expecting something higher level?<br />
<br />
It's quite straight-forward actually. I thought of this "no TV thing" almost 6 weeks ago. But by then, I was well into my favorite shows - namely, Survivor, The Celebrity Apprentice, Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. If I'm going to go cold turkey, I want to go cold turkey at the right time. I will be compromising my chances for success if I ditch the TV right when I'll be jonesing most for results shows and mirror ball trophies. Knowing this about myself 6 weeks or so ago, I looked up the TV schedules for all my shows and determined when everything was ending. If you want to get scientific about it, I pinpointed my optimum chance for success based on TV watching trends and the corresponding end dates for each. By avoiding any new shows that I'd be tempted to get into (I've resisted America's Got Talent, even though I've always loved Howard Stern, & Duets with Kelly Clarkson, though that looks tempting, too) and concluding old stand-bys, I figure it will be easier to adjust to the transition. <br />
<br />
Aside from all that, I also wanted to put some activities on the books in advance. My husband got me Rosetta Stone for French, I've arranged to volunteer at two different community organizations this summer, and I've been lining up projects to do, books to read, and crafts to craft. Quitting TV apparently takes a little advanced planning. Loading up on things to do is a big part of my grand scheme!<br />
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Last reason I picked May 27th - that's my 35th birthday. I'm looking at this 1-yr, TV-free adventure as a birthday gift to myself. One that will last a year, and perhaps a lifetime. It will also be an easy date to remember. It's been 3 days without TV. It's been 3 weeks without TV. Has it really been 3 months already?Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-29792921981535650702012-05-15T10:28:00.004-07:002012-05-15T10:28:51.910-07:00My TV-Free RulesThere's no one standing over my shoulder on this little experiment. This isn't Survivor. I'm pretty sure I won't get voted off the island if I don't do it right. So the rules may change as I go, depending on whether I'm meeting my primary goal, which is to introduce more variety to my life and fill up the time I normally spend on the couch watching the TV with other more fulfilling activities. My goal is not to eliminate entertainment from my life. <br />
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<strong>So here are my rules:</strong><br />
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No Cable TV in my home. I'm canceling service, so it won't be an option.<br />
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No Netflix (watch instantly). If I watch Netflix, I'll get into watching all the shows I've never watched before and not reach my primary goal. Further, it's a gateway drug. Pretty soon I'll crave my usual shows. The next thing you know, I'll be calling up our provider and buying the biggest TV package I can find. <br />
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Movies in Moderation- Going to the movies or watching DVDs are acceptable in moderation. It's important to note that my husband and I don't currently go to the movies very often, and rarely watch our DVDs. (Sometimes, I'm not even certain why we have a DVD collection. All the movies we own we've seen before.) But, as long as it's a social activity - like dinner and a movie - I think it's okay. I wasn't counting movie trips and DVDs as part of the 30 hours a week I waste watching the TV. However, if I begin to substitute all my TV watching time with DVD's and movie tickets, then I'll have to eliminate this option, too. I'm not nixing TV so that I can find a new obsession.<br />
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No Internet Videos - I don't watch anything online now, so I see no reason to start. (Although a few years back, I did spend an entire weekend on Hulu catching up on The Office, so I know how dangerous it can be!)<br />
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Youtube in Moderation - If friends send me clips, or I'm reading the internet news and they refer to a video, I'll watch it. I'm not trying to cut myself off from the world. But if I find myself watching hours of youtube, I'll have to reconsider. I'm trying to find new ways to use my free time, not a new medium to do the same exact thing.<br />
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<strong>Additional "Rules"</strong><br />
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I'm not going to get huffy if the TV is on at my parents' house or the homes of other family and friends. I won't be joining any Idol Watching parties - but if I'm visiting and they are watching TV, I'm not going to ask them to turn it off. Not only is that rude, but I'm not allergic to TV. I'm simply trying to eliminate all the time I spend at home in front of the TV. And I admit right now, I may go to my mom's house and watch some of the Summer Olympics with her. I'm not a robot.<br />
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Also, it's acceptable to go to a friend's house or a bar to watch a sports event. We don't do that often now, but again, if it's part of a social thing, it's acceptable. I'm not going to say no to a Superbowl watching party because I don't watch TV anymore. It's a special event and we see friends we don't often see during the year. If we start going to bars every night to fill the hole in our lives left by our DVR, I will have to refine this rule. Honestly, I'd rather take the money we're saving on cable and pay to GO to a sporting event. Or instead of watching the Tigers play baseball, find a softball league to play on myself!<br />
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As a final note on this topic, I want to interject that I don't think your TV watching is a bad thing. I don't view others as mindless couch potatoes. I just know what it does for me, which is prevent me from doing other things that might help me to grow as a person. I'm not in the business of judging - and one of my rules is not to mock others with this blog. You might be able to moderate your TV viewing. Simply put, I cannot.<br />
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<strong>My Next Blog -</strong> Why I'm waiting until May 27th.<br />
<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409572905665343291.post-312871327851638012012-05-14T16:02:00.000-07:002012-05-14T16:02:27.528-07:00My "Mid-life" CrisisHi, My Name is Jennifer, and I'm a Couch Potato. <br />
<br />
This might sound like an AA meeting intro - and it should. Because I'm a straight up addict. I'm addicted to TV. <br />
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Interestingly enough, TV addiction doesn't seem like an addiction that people get too worried about. It's not like I just admitted that I'm addicted to heroin, meth, or even shopping or sex. And yet, it affects me like a "mainstream" addiction. It began with experiencing pleasure, and later, as a way of coping with stress. I've engaged in using it more and more frequently until it has become a ritual, a significant part of my daily life. Negative consequences occur, and yet I continue to seek the pleasure of it over and over again.<br />
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Let's back up and I'll put my addiction into context. On my DVR (digital video recorder), I have 20 hours a week of scheduled recordings at any given time, depending on the season. And I manage to watch all of the content I record every single week. This does not even account for channel surfing, movies on the premium channels, and random shows I watch if I happen to catch them.<br />
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I regularly record and watch the following:<br />
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BlueBloods (1 hour per wk)<br />
Hell's Kitchen (1-2 hours per wk)<br />
Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares (1 hour per wk)<br />
Top Chef (1-2 hours per wk)<br />
Dancing With the Stars (2-4 hours per wk)<br />
Celebrity Apprentice (2 hours per wk)<br />
Survivor (1 hour per wk)<br />
American Idol (2-3 hours per wk)<br />
The X Factor (2-3 hours per wk)<br />
The Voice (1-2 hours per wk)<br />
Harry's Law (1 hour per wk)<br />
Real Time (1 hour per wk)<br />
Saturday Night Live (1 1/.2 hr per wk)<br />
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I also watch:<br />
The 5 or 6 o'Clock news<br />
Dateline NBC<br />
Anything on National Geographic Channel<br />
Deadliest Catch<br />
Mythbusters<br />
American Chopper<br />
American Pickers<br />
Law & Order (any version)<br />
Judge Judy/Divorce Court/Judge Alex (basically any court shows)<br />
The View<br />
Dr. Oz (and Oprah when it was on)<br />
TMZ<br />
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I estimate that I watch at least 30 hours of TV a week. With this kind of boob tube schedule, it must sound like I never get anything done, right? Nope - I've figured it all out. I've got a laptop. So, even when I'm not working in my home office (which has a TV), I can work from the couch. In fact, the TV goes on in the morning and is rarely turned off until it's time for bed. I may not be watching it the entire time - but I need the background noise. When I'm reading (I read 2-3 books a week), writing (I'm an author, freelance writer, and screenwriter), or editing/publishing (which I do for a living as a small business owner), the TV is on. Sometimes I think I can't think without it on. <br />
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We are a household of 2 adults. We have 4 televisions. The living room, workout room, home office and bedroom each feature a TV. Our furniture arrangements in each room are quite obviously TV-style feng shui.<br />
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Has it always been this way? Yep. I can associate any period of my life with what I watched on TV. As a little kid - Fraggle Rock, The Muppets, You Can't Do That on Television, The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, Family Ties, Three's Company. Later - anything on MTV, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place. In college, I even scheduled my classes so I could eat, catch a nap, and then watch my soaps (All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital). <br />
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So what's changed? Why, after all these years of steady and satisfying addiction, am I suddenly questioning how often I watch television? Well, I recently saw The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo at the movies. During the movie, I thought to myself, <em>Wow, this chick is badass. She's so self-reliant, so cool. She's mysterious and "international". Multi-faceted, complex. I need to write a character like her!</em> And then I came home and curled up on the couch in my usual spot. As I flipped through the stations mindlessly, I vaguely thought <em>Lisbeth probably never spends an entire Saturday sucked into an American Pickers marathon</em>. And that was my epiphany. <br />
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Maybe it's a mid-life crisis. I realize I'm not the person I want to be at this stage in my life. Isn't that what a midlife crisis is? Wanting to change while there's still time? When it comes down to it, I simply don't want to be a fat, mindless couch potato. I don't want to waste my life watching people living. I want to discover what I could do with the extra $150 a month that I currently shell out for HD TV and an extra 30 hours a week. Could I learn a new language? Could I volunteer more? Could I get more exercise? Could I learn to be alone with my own thoughts?<br />
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We'll find out. Because I'm canceling my cable TV. I hope to make it for a full year. I'm already starting to plan what I'll do to occupy my time, and I'm truly looking forward to discovering my own potential. <br />
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I hope you'll join me as I blog about this experience over the next year. Who knows? Maybe after a year, I'll swear off TV forever. Or maybe I'll cave after a single, boring week. Whatever happens, I'm excited to challenge myself and share it with you!<br />
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Sunday, May 27th (my 35th birthday) - The TV goes dark.<br />
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<strong>My Next Blog Topic: The Official TV-Free Experiment Rules</strong><br />
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<br />Jenn Ohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11288397218233894188noreply@blogger.com2