blog-blockers

i neglected to tell you a few things about me.

one, i don't floss enough and now have a foul build up of fill in the minuscule space between my bottom middle teeth.

two, that i have all the basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts down pat, except that i have to count on my fingers for 7+5, 7+4, 8+4, and 8+5.

three, and most central to this particular blog, i get wrapped up in something and throw all my focus into it.   often to the detriment of the proper amount of energy spent on other tasks.  i don't know good balance.  

but i do a really really good job with the one thing on which i focus my time and energy.   so i certainly feel vindicated.

being hyperfocused in time and energy is what i do best.  finding balance in my interests is what i have yet to accomplish.   it's like all or nothing with me.   well that is about to change.

when i first started 'the greta list' i could not concentrate on anything else.  hour to hour i checked the stats.   4 people read my blog in the last 15 minutes!  i would do a backflip.   i got one new follower!  i would start brainstorming a thank you gift to send.   i was spending upwards of one and one half to two hours writing each night and loving every second of it.    in my usual fashion, i immersed myself in my utter enjoyment of writing this blog.  kids, life, and work be damned.  i have readers!!

but then i started feeling fat.   and so it began.  

the blog-blockers.  

first was livestrong.  this is where i turned when i decided to shed the 30 pounds i've packed on since the glory days of high school.  i became active in the livestrong forums, bantering, asking questions, bragging about my shrinkage.   i painstakingly measured every morsel i put in my mouth and counted every single calorie.  seeing the scale move down was fabulous, but my favorite part was the data, the record keeping, the charting.   i get my kicks keeping track of things.  

 and by became active, i mean became obsessed.  i replaced my month-long addiction to the greta list with livestrong.  being an active member of an online community and charting weight loss and exercise takes a lot of time.  i was so engrossed, i couldn't find the time to blog.  but i was getting my writing fix on the forums, so my needs were being met.   i'm hoping to find some loyalty to you in this process, and maybe just maybe, have reader needs shift up a notch in my thinking.

i cut a few pounds with the ole calories in/calories out technique and i guess i started to get too comfortable with the whole record keeping aspect because BAM next came blog-blocker part two.  

running.   say whaaa??  that's what i say to myself every time i'm lacing up my sneakers.     yes running.   running for exercise wasn't enough to keep my mind occupied though.   not enough data collection so i upped the ante and decided i had to run a 5k.   planning training runs, picking running loops, having the proper attire and footwear, keeping a running log.   good gravy i hit the jackpot.  i like entering the run stats into my running log nearly as much as the feeling when i complete a run.   eh, more actually.   i have seven columns in my running log.   DAY DISTANCE TIME COURSE NOTES: Heart Rate, Weather, Temperature, Mood   CALORIES BURNED     MUSIC.   and i consider this a cursory running log.   and my running log made me discover google documents.  

and who can forget:  taxes.

the weather.  it warmed up and was sunny in March, dandelions have been spotted.  normally i'm all too happy to sit on my ass in front of my laptop on livestrong, google documents, and reality steve.   but unseasonably warm weather made me take it to the streets.

children.   they always need something.   like my attention.  hugs.  food.  discipline.  a listening ear.  a kick in the pants.   it's always something with kids.   why can't they just be little adults?

i am going to strive for some semblance of balance.  i'm going to make an attempt to put the proper amount of attention on our newest craze - gardening.  i cannot let it overtake my other obsessions.  there must be a way.     kids, veggie patch, running, cutting, vitamin d.   the cold front that's here will take care of wanting to be outside at the moment.  and the greta list.

i'm back.  i'm going to shoot for a couple blogs a week.  a couple bushels of veggies a week.  a couple runs a week.  a couple hours of fun data collection per week.  a pound lost per week.   my ear and heart to my kids every day.

i love you bloggy blog.   i will find space for you in my free time.  even if it means, just a couple a hours of sleep per night.