Trying to Lose It!

I think the most popular New Year's resolution is to lose weight, especially since we all overeat during the holidays.  But for those, like myself, who keep procrastinating starting a diet, it can give a nudge for us to begin.  Now I admit that it isn't easy to get started, keep at it, and then maintain any loss you achieve.  That's been my problem over the several diets I've been on in my lifetime.  But, lately, I decided that dieting is not really the answer for people who need to lose. Healthy eating and exercising is more important.

Since I'm a librarian, I am aware of all the weight loss books out there, and any new diets that appear in print. Before Christmas, I read the Mayo Clinic diet and thought it might be good to try because it focused on healthy eating and exercising. I bought myself a copy for Christmas. I still hadn't started dieting until a few days ago because I had to find the right time to start. The ironic thing is that, just before I was ready to begin, I read a Facebook post about a website called "Lose It" where you can calculate your calories and exercises over the internet and also on your iphone. Since it was free, I thought I'd take a look at it.

Screen from iphone app

I was surprised to find that Lose It, for a free online program with an accompanying app, is so well designed.  I hardly needed to access help to use it.  Another good feature is the forums and friends option so that people using it can support one another.  The weekly reports, goals, and motivators are also nice to use, and the numerous reward badges are fun and inspiring. There is a book that actually was written after the program launched, and I have it on reserve at my library but only out of curiousity, as the program itself is self explanatory.  It can be used with any diet, although it is based on calorie counting.  Although the Mayo Clinic diet doesn't require calorie counting but habit changes, the two of them work well together, at least for the three days I've been on it.  I'm not sure if I've lost anything, but I've been keeping to it and will know on Sunday. 

What I like most about Lose It (and I'm not a rep), is that, for people like me who spend a lot of time on the computer (most of who are overweight btw), it is a convenient way of keeping track of what you are eating which is a very important part of dieting. And, when you are away from the computer, you can track things on your iphone, both sync perfectly.  Of course, the price itself makes it worth it to try.  Trying to Lose It with Lose It makes a hard undertaking a little bit easier.

Snowbound Makes for SL Decorating Fun



 Well, the East got hit again with another snowstorm, and I'm off from work today.  I had some time to play around with my SL house (yes, I know I should've spent that time cleaning my rl house, but this is way more fun).  In any case, I decided to decorate for Valentine's Day, and one thing led to another.  As you can see, I added a beautiful silk-upholstered red couch, chair, and love seat to my living room with gold accent pillows and a heart rug.  The whole set came from ETC., including the vases of roses, candles and endtables.  Actually, there was much more to this set, but I didn't want to use too many prims (although most items in it are quite reasonable).

What you may not notice in my photo is the grouping of Valentine cards on my fireplace mantle shelf.  A low-prim fireplace also comes with this deal, but I decided to keep my own.  If you want to add some pretty boxes of gift-wrapped presents, those are in the set, as well. 

Although this furniture is intended for Valentine's Day, it can be used at other times of the year, too.  I'll probably do something lighter for the spring, but the cost was very reasonable, and so many of the pieces can be interchaged. 

There are some other decorations I added independent from this set, and I haven't included the Valentine gazebo I put on my property either, but let's just say I'm set for February 14.  Decorating in SL can be time consuming, but it's a lot of  fun.  I wish I could buy a living room set like that for $1.13 including delivery.

Winter Wonderings

Snow, Snow, go away. Lately, that's been my refrain. We've had a bad winter so far in the NorthEast, as have other parts of the country. Our first big storm, only a day after Christmas, brought 20 inches to our area. We got about 8 more inches last week, and they are predicting more this weekend, although the last few days have seen rain with warmer temps. I can stand the winter when it's sunny and at least 40 degrees outside, but, otherwise, I can do without it. I know I complain when it's too hot and humid in the summer, but I really love wearing less clothes and enjoying longer days.

So, I wonder, if I'm not a fan of winter in real life, why do I enjoy it so much in Second Life? Why do I find the beauty of our new snow-laden sim so breathtaking? Why have I made friends with penguins and polar bears? Why did I even buy a winter igloo and snowy gazebo for my property? Am I crazy? Well, in SL, you really can't feel the cold. But tell that to all the clothes designers who are selling sweaters and winter coats for the season. The new layer options are really helpful, too. I have to admit I'm dressing warmer in SL myself. In real life, I don't often go ice skating, but I have an ice skating rink right outside my door in Second Life. I also recently found a really fun sled that seats up to 4 people. It can get a little hairy going over mountains at top speed, but it is rather fun. I still have to master SL snowball throwing, but my boots are keeping my feet dry as I walk through prim snow.

When I am sick of outdoor winter activities in SL, I can cozy up in my snow-covered cabin by my fireplace with my kitty cat and drink some hot cocoa that is one of the choices from my bar dispenser. Or, if I am daring, I can teleport to a tropical beach and soak in the sun.

When not in SL, I don't participate in too many winter activities, and I can't take a Florida vacation to escape the cold either. So I spend most of my indoor time when I'm not at work playing board games and, yes, computer games with my daughter, reading; and, when I get especially bored, even cleaning and housework. Recently, I've also started some writing again, not novels or short stories, but blog articles. I joined a blog of two good friends, Verde and Pie, and am now writing for "Eye on the Grind" as well as "Rainbow Notes." It's another way to spend the cold months but something I can do year round, too.

Making Plans, not Resolutions

I'm not really one for going out on New Year's Eve or for making resolutions that are too easily broken, but this year I thought about some things I'd really like to do and a few things I really need to do next year. On the "Like to Do" list for 2011 is taking my daughter to Disney World, reading a few good novels and maybe writing one (if I can get my energy back into that), and generally just having more fun whether it be in real life, Second Life, or both.

On my 20ll's "Need to Do" list are lose weight and exercise, organize my stuff better (both in rl and SL. I can't tell which is in poorer shape my SL inventory or my rl closets), and find time to relax more and stress less (which maybe should be the first one on this list because it's such a big one for me).

I don't know how my list compares to others, but it really doesn't matter. My goals are flexible, and I may not achieve them this year, but they are something to aim at. Taking my daughter to Disney will take some planning, not to mention a lot of money, but it will be worth it, something she will remember for years to come. The same is true of my other "wants" and "needs." There will be time and effort involved to do or get them, but it will be worth it. By dieting and exercising, I'll feel a lot better. If I organize my stuff better, it will also ease my stress because it will make things easier to find (and isn't that a skill I should have as a librarian?). If I learn to relax and have fun and stress less, it will be a big plus for my health.

So those are my two lists for 2011, not resolutions but more like wishes, or maybe plans would be a better term for them. Happy New Year and good luck with your own plans in 2011.

Tis the Season to be Busy

I'm writing this on December 1. Although I started my holiday shopping over a month ago when I was doing my daughter's birthday shopping, too, I am still getting a bit panicky. I've ordered most of my gifts online through Amazon, Ebay, or other online sellers. What's getting me nervous is the thought of wrapping all those gifts that I did not realize were as many as I had originally planned to buy. The thought of my credit card bill in January is daunting, too.


But my major concern is finding the time to do everything and have some seasonal fun, too, both in rl and SL. As most Second Life residents know, it is a tough act to balance both real life and Second Life activities. When a very good friend decided to have her wedding in mid-December and asked me to be her bridesmaid, I was very happy and looking forward to the occasion. Now, after planning an engagement and two holiday parties in SL, as well as preparing for my rl holidays, I'm getting a little jittery. That's not to say I won't enjoy it. I will immensely. It's just that time goes so fast when you're older and, when you're a kid, you don't have to worry about buying and wrapping gifts, writing out Christmas cards, and fitting everything in between work and your regular daily activities. Add Second Life into that equation and things get even more hectic, even though they are lots of fun.

The winter season is actually one of the most enjoyable in SL, and you don't even have to worry about getting cold, although some of the ice and snow on winter sims can give you a little chill. Just turn your heat or fire up while you log on, and you're all set. Lots of holiday cheer abound throughout SL if you have the time to check them out or hold your own party. I guess the hectic pace is just part of the fun. No time to chill until the New Year.

Celebrations, Real and Virtual

I just realized I didn't post my usual monthly blog. Part of the reason for that is I had a very busy October. Besides planning three birthday parties for my daughter who just turned 6, one of which was on Halloween, I have also been busy in my Second Life helping to plan an upcoming engagement party for my friend who is getting married in December. A few of the wedding party members, friends, and neighbors got together the end of October and visited each other's islands to look at the decorations that were put up. Some were spooky; others funny, but all were creative. They ranged from halloween/fall rides such as a haywagon and haunted carousel, to piles of virtual leaves on which to jump or recline; a haunted house and graveyard where blood rained; and a cute pumpkin house complete with comfy living room and seasonal decor.

Celebrating in SL is fun and, while not as much work as in real life because the cleanup is so easy, it can still be time consuming. What sometimes takes the longest is shopping for items or trying to locate them in your inventory. And, of course, the big challenge is finding the room and prims to fit everything and coping with the lag once you do. But, even if you choose not to decorate your own place or are currently homeless, no matter what time zone you are in or what holidays or events you celebrate, it isn't difficult to find places that are selling decorations, holding dances or other events, or just looking festive. A quick check of the Destination Guide usually includes special seasonal sims to visit.

So when you trick or treat, eat your turkey, wrap gifts, go to a birthday party or wedding, remember that you can do all these things virtually, too. Friends will add to the fun. One of the most popular activities in Second Life beyond shopping is partying. Have fun. Immerse yourself. Celebrate!

The Best Laid Plans

I'm a planner, even though I'm a bit disorganized. This trait has carried over to my Second Life and, while it has its good points, it also has some bad ones. Usually everything turns out okay, but not always exactly as I've planned. And, like real life, Second Life, has its own unique challenges which can get in the way of best laid plans.

Take for instance two recent SL experiences of mine. The first was when I was working on an article for the Simseeing section of the fall issue of RezLibris Magazine. My collaborator and I had discussed covering a certain story but, as certain real life circumstances prevented us from working on it sooner, when we were close to deadline, we learned that the person we needed to interview would be unavailable. As time was very short for the deadline, we had to find another place to cover and completely revised our theme. I then could not get in touch with the owner of the sim for an interview, so my collaborator came up with the idea of my writing a poem to illustrate the machinima he would be shooting. The result was "Alirium: a Sim for All Seasons."

The second example of when my plans didn't turn out the way I had envisioned but still worked out well was when I recently threw a party that included a treasure hunt. The hunt was pirate-themed and included several keys and a treasure chest. I followed the directions on the notecard, hid all the keys, and added the prize to the treasure chest. The object was for each player to search for a key and then find the treasure chest. The person who did both first would open the chest and find the prize. Each time a key was found and a person took it, a copy would go into that person's inventory. That was how it was supposed to work, but it didn't. My treasure hunters found the keys, but the keys were not copied into their inventories. To make it even more difficult, the group chat that I had hoped to use during the game to keep in touch with the players who were all part of a group I'd created, wasn't working. Despite these problems, and my dashed expectations, all worked out well when someone found the treasure chest, told me where she'd found a key, and I simply transferred the prize to her. It wasn't exactly what I had planned, but it worked, and everyone enjoyed the hunt and party even though it wasn't perfect which just goes to show that you should never plan anything in too much detail in real life and especially Second Life.

I know I will still continue to plan, but I will also now be aware that those plans are just tentative, subject to last minute changes and improvisations. Isn't that what life is all about, after all?