Fitness for couch potatoes

Something strange has happened. I've exercised the last five days in a row, and... and... I'm not sick of it! In fact, I'm looking forward to working out again tomorrow! How can this be, you ask? What could possibly have happened to make me abandon the couch and willingly sweat, indoors, in the middle of a brutal Texas summer heatwave? That's easy: I bought a Wii Fit.

Yes, yes, it's a little sad that it's taken a video game to get me past my couch-potato ways. But I've already made peace with the fact that my willpower is pathetically low, and something had to give. Now, I feel like getting into decent shape isn't such a distant possibility. The way the game works, you're forced to take it slowly and work your way up, and the variety of activities ensures that you don't get bored easily. It records your progress, both your weight/BMI and your individual activity scores, so you're encouraged every time you score a little higher or your weight's a little lower. The game even reminds you to rest and hydrate and gives you cute little affirmations when you hit certain milestones.

For someone like me who requires constant encouragement and gets bored quickly, Wii Fit is ideal. I know that if I work on an activity enough, I'll unlock a new difficulty (say, extra reps or an "advanced" setting), which satisfies my need for a challenge. And the more effort I put in, the more games I unlock in the four categories (Yoga, Strength Exercises, Aerobic Exercises, and Balance Games), which means I have options each time I work out -- essential for someone with the attention span of an over-caffeinated goldfish. The way Wii Fit is designed, you're guaranteed to find at least a few activities that continue to keep your interest after a few workouts.

I really can't recommend this game highly enough. I'm less than a week in, but I feel confident that I'll continue to find it useful and fun for months and years to come. It puts a lot of emphasis on balance and posture and focuses on strengthening your core, which is something I definitely need to work on. And it's just, well, cute. Without being cutesy. I'm still in awe that a game like this exists. I want to invite everyone I know over so they can try it out for themselves. Wii Fit party, perhaps?

Like the season

Autumn. A-U-T-U-M-N. That's my name. I happen to like it. I think it's unusual enough to be memorable.

So why do people consistently call me Amber? (or April, or August, or...take your pick, really)

This happens with alarming frequency. This morning, for instance, a woman I've known and worked with for the past four years called me Amber. On Friday, someone called me Auburn on my voicemail after he'd had the opportunity to hear my name spoken twice (on my boss's voicemail message and then mine). The week before, another person I've worked with for years called me April. Almost every day, someone gets my name wrong. At an all-day meeting a few weeks ago, one guy even called me Amber, April, AND August throughout the day. He finally asked me to spell my name to help him remember.

Seriously: this happens almost every single day. And I can't figure it out! WHY is it so difficult to remember a name like 'Autumn'? Anyone out there have a clue? Because it's driving me crazy.

Catch-up...and a Monday music recommendation!

Hey, I have a blog! Whaddya know?

Sorry for the lapse in posting. I've been buried under a deluge of work, personal obligations, and, well, Twitter. (I have to blame Twitter here, just a little bit. It's the only way I can stay connected to the world these days.)

Since I last posted, I've traveled to Florida to surprise my friend Carley at her bridal shower (she's getting married this Saturday!), bought a new Nikon D60 and taken it out on a couple of test runs, and...completely and utterly failed to keep up with my fitness regimen. Damn. I knew that wouldn't last. BUT! I'm going to get back on track. See, there are these wooded hiking trails! And there's a bike to ride! And the dog needs walking! I need these exclamation points to get me motivated!

Outside of work and spending time with family, I've pretty much been confined to the computer screen (see?) and the TV (sad, I know). It's not all bad, though. Extensive couch time means I've been able to keep up with some of the best shows on TV right now (I'm looking at you, Breaking Bad and In Treatment... not to mention Lost. And the nonstop hilarity of How I Met Your Mother and new show Party Down). And I keep discovering new music, thanks to Twitter. Gotta love those Blip.fm recommendations!

Speaking of music, I finally caught up to the rest of the world and figured out that Amanda Fucking Palmer is a mad genius. I don't know what took me this long, but I'm now completely obsessed. Besotted, even. She's amazing - so creative and talented and fearless and strong and balls-out awesome. See for yourself:

"Leeds United"


"Oasis" (possibly the cheeriest song about date rape and abortion that you'll ever hear)


"Astronaut"


"What's the Use of Won'drin'?" (the video for this is so great)


Quick info on AFP: Amanda is one half of the piano-drums duo The Dresden Dolls (self-described as "punk cabaret;" she's the piano half). Ben Folds produced her solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer? (a riff on Twin Peaks's "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" tagline, dontcha know!), and Neil Gaiman is writing stories to accompany photos in her forthcoming book, also titled Who Killed Amanda Palmer? God...what can I say about this woman that hasn't already been said? I mean, she performed a cover of "Creep" in the back of a London taxicab (part of the utterly brilliant Black Cab Sessions) with a ukulele and a cast on her foot! Here are some great shots taken by Mind On Fire at the secret LA show she played recently for her Twitter fans.

Okay, last Amanda video, I promise! Here's her (brilliant) plea to be dropped from her record label, with whom she's famously clashed a few times:


Before I go, I have one last treat for you. Remember Snakes on a Plane? Well, not like this! Oh, to be in the room when this line was conceived...


Seriously.

"I have had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane!"

Awesome.

Anodyne

Sometimes, when I'm feeling tired and discouraged, I read this poem and feel uplifted. It grounds me; makes me feel blessed to live in this body, as imperfect as it is.

I hope it brings you a little peace today.

"Anodyne"
Yusef Komunyakaa

I love how it swells
into a temple where it is
held prisoner, where the god
of blame resides. I love
slopes & peaks, the secret
paths that make me selfish.
I love my crooked feet
shaped by vanity & work
shoes made to outlast
belief. The hardness
coupling milk it can't
fashion. I love the lips,
salt & honeycomb on the tongue.
The hair holding off rain
& snow. The white moons
on my fingernails. I love
how everything begs
blood into song & prayer
inside an egg. A ghost
hums through my bones
like Pan's midnight flute
shaping internal laws
beside a troubled river.
I love this body
made to weather the storm
in the brain, raised
out of the deep smell
of fish & water hyacinth,
out of rapture & the first
regret. I love my big hands.
I love it clear down to the soft
quick motor of each breath,
the liver's ten kinds of desire
& the kidney's lust for sugar.
This skin, this sac of dung
& joy, this spleen floating
like a compass needle inside
nighttime, always divining
West Africa's dusty horizon.
I love the birthmark
posed like a fighting cock
on my right shoulder blade.
I love this body, this
solo & ragtime jubilee
behind the left nipple,
because I know I was born
to wear out at least
one hundred angels.

(Listen to Komunyakaa read his work here)

Seriously, where does the time go?

I meant to post on Sunday, but I seem to be too exhausted to think or write coherently these days. What little motivation I do have is going into friends, family, and the necessities of life. Which isn't so bad, really!

Anyway, here's a list of last week's highlights:

-Irish car bombs on St. Patrick's Day
-Drunken Skyping
-This hilarious product, which is now known as "ball chin"
-Tullamore Dew whiskey
-Tentative plans for a summer road trip with friends
-Caramelized onions
-Lemon-lime white chocolate
-Serenity at midnight
-A long walk with Callie in perfect dusklight
-The long-awaited Battlestar Galactica finale, which, despite certain quibbles, was gorgeous and moving and complete
-Lots and lots of laughter