Some Thoughts...

Things About Today


Never try to take a "faster" way home. There is no such thing. Chances are your "faster" way will take longer than your original route.

(Some of you maybe don't want to listen to this but since it's my blog I don't care. My blog, my rules!) I actually got sweaty at the gym today. Pat on the back for making an effort. It's hard to get back in the habit of exercising when you have lost 20 pounds without it! I use to go at least 4 times a week, and now I struggle with making it 2 times. It's officially off my radar- not good! I need to get to the gym because it's good for my body, not because I want to lose a few pounds. Obviously my body is all about "you are what you eat" when it comes to weight loss. So for now I'll just admire the buff girls in front of me and create new goals. Weight loss can no longer be one of those goals or I just won't go!

 Ya know that math test I thought I bombed? I got an 80%. Go me!

I'm officially into this season of the Bachelorette (Caitlin, are you watching??). I usually don't get into the Bachelorette, just the Bachelor. I didn't know what I had been missing! This is reality TV at it's finest. (It's even better DVR'd so I can fast forward through the boring parts....bring on the man drama!)

I need my hair cut and colored...professionally. "But Megan, you are a professional!" No, no I'm not. Not when it comes to color, and not when it comes to my own hair! The only problem? My fav. hair dresser is 5 hours away and I don't want to shell out full price. Ha! I'm a cheap-o...but only because I haven't paid for any kind of salon service at full price for at least 6 years. I just need to suck it up and do it.

Birthday Cereal

My dad turned 50 this week! We surprised him with a party at the park. It was the finest of parties, complete with cold cereal and chocolate milk (a family/dad favorite). It was pretty toasty at the party, and my camera's battery was dying so I didn't get tons of pics, but you get the idea!

Sell Yourself

Day 11,: Sell yourself in 10 words or less

For Sale: A girl who cries sometimes and laughs often.

Writing for New Media Mid-Term

I am currently in a Writing for New Media class and for my mid-term I was asked to answer this question in any "new media" format I choose. I chose my blog so I have PLENTY of space to talk.

1.     How does new media affect your work? How does your work influence your approach to new media?

New media is a HUGE part of my job! I am a morning producer for a lifestyle show and having an online presence is a priority. We have a pinterest page, a twitter account, facebook page and Instagram. My work influences my approach to new media because I have to be constantly thinking of ways to keep things fresh and interesting for our viewers. My approach has changed since taking this job because now it's a large part of my life. Before I was a producer, I didn't really care about how many likes I got or what was going on with my personal page. Now numbers matter! We recently passed the 10,000 likes goal and I couldn't help but feel proud. I love reading the comments and seeing what excites our viewers. New media is constantly on my mind. Deciding which topics to post where, and when to post certain photos can be overwhelming! I'm not an expert but I am applying the mantra of "fake it till you make it."

Not only does new media influence my approach, it also affects my work. As a news station we are always getting emails with links to stories around the internet, and figuring out the best way to maximize our online presence. We get a lot of our segment ideas through new media. Every morning we spend the first ten minutes of the show talking about the hottest new stories and topics on the internet. Thanks to social media sites, online magazines and other websites we are able to compile the most interesting topics from around the world. When it comes to revenue for the station new media is a huge part of the plan. Creating contests and giveaways for our online audience is essential if we want to get ahead of our competitors. 

Understanding the way new media works is an essential part of my career. Throughout the whole broadcasting spectrum, from TV to radio, new media has become our whole life. Without new media Newspapers, Radio stations and TV networks wouldn't be able to get their messages across to huge audiences and stay current with their content. Like it or not, new media is here to stay!

When the going gets tough, the tough call mom!

Isn't it great that each morning is a new day? That we can be better than we were yesterday? Thank goodness for that. Yesterday I had a day. ya know, THAT kind of day. Pulling double duty at work, trying to focus on my Math class and feeling exhausted. My day went from meh to grrrrrr in just a matter of hours.

The real downfall started around 7:30 p.m. as I'm looking for a space to park my car up at the University of Utah. I hate that place. They closed down the whole $%&#@&% parking lot I usually use. Of course the surrounding lots were full so I had to park across campus and get to class as quick as I could. Not only was I running late, I was running late on test day. Halfway through my trek to get to class they had the sidewalks closed as well. FML. I was so pissed! I thought about jumping the "do not enter. sidewalk closed" sign, thinking of all the smart-ass things I would say to any one who tried to stop me. (something along the lines of "Me and my 2K I gave you a month ago can walk wherever we damn well please). By the time I got to class the test had begun. I sat down with calculator and pencil in hand, pep talk going on in my mind. It was hard! It will be interesting to see what my grade will be. I hate not doing well in my classes, and I hate feeling not-smart when it comes to math.

So after my test I start the journey back to my car and at this point I'm super emotional. I'm fantasizing about all the candy I want to eat. Isn't that interesting? My mind goes immediately to food whenever I'm stressed (can I hear an amen??). I imagined going to the nearby convenience store and buying all the candy I wanted and just taking one bite from each thing. (I have tons of self control in my mind). Finally I call my mom because when the going gets tough, the tough call mom.

My mom has been my saving grace the past 11 weeks. She decided she was going to join me in this diet and we have been each other's cheerleaders. It's been an excellent idea! Not only have we grown closer in our relationship because we talk more often, we can relate to each other now more than ever. Last night I considered her my sponsor and I was the alcoholic about to step into a bar and have a cold one on the rocks. I sat in my car on the campus I hate crying about my life and how much I wanted some freakin' sugar. My mom said all the right things (as usual) and eventually I put the car in drive and headed home. Her final advice was just to have Bart hold me and fill that void that I needed filled with love, not sugar. (it worked).

I went to bed knowing I could start fresh in the morning. Today was a much better day. I'm still tired and a little stressed, but today I went running instead of dreaming of candy and I feel so much better.

Strong Wind = Strong Trees

Day 20, : Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.



When I think about my life, and where I'm struggling, I send a little prayer to the Man upstairs and say thank you. My problems and struggles are so small compared to others! I am truly blessed in my life and I believe all struggles make us stronger. A part of my very favorite poem says:

"Good timber does not grow at ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees"

So what is the wind in my life? What am I struggling with? Well I'll tell you...but only because the blogger challenge says so :)

I have blogged about these things before so I apologize if this seems like a repeat! My blog, my rules :)

When I hear "struggle" my mind automatically goes to my Hashimotos and the life changes I have had to implement. But my mind only goes there for a second. I don't live every day with a heavy heart "struggling" with my disease. Do I think about it every day? Yes. Has it changed my life? Yes. But am I learning to live with it? YES!! Some days are harder than others. Yesterday I really really really wanted a Dr. Pepper and Kit-Kat. Instead I drank my water and munched on almonds. It seems such a silly thing to struggle with and sometimes I feel like struggle is too strong of an adjective for my experience. In my mind struggling indicates an inner hardship and pain...something deeper than my carnal cravings for sugar and chocolate. I look at my diagnosis as such a blessing that I have a hard time calling it a struggle in the same breath. I do struggle to find a balance. I am supposed to weigh myself regularly but not become obsessed about weight. I'm supposed to start exercising, but not too hard. I can start branching out with foods, but not too far.

I can honestly say I understand what the term "life changing" means. I have never experienced anything life changing before.  Moving out was not life changing. Getting married was not life changing. Starting my career was not life changing. Not when I compare it to Hashimotos. Nothing has ever consumed so much of my time and thought process. I guess you could say I'm "struggling" to find a new normal for my life. Is cooking 3248 cups of brown rice every few days my new normal? Will I always get a little frustrated/teary eyed when ordering at restaurants? Will I spend time every morning and night taking supplements? The things that weren't in my life 11 weeks ago are now regulars...and that takes time to adjust.