Monday, February 21, 2011

Hello Rahm

First things first, in honor of Black History month, some Ol' Man River.


As for working out, I just keep rolling along.  Today I made it to the gym for a lunchtime cardio session.   Whenever I squeeze in a lunchtime workout, my day inevitably gets better.  For example, after I worked out today, I ran into Rahm Emanuel.   I know it had nothing to do with working out, especially since I didn't see him until my post-work commute home, but I want to say the workout somehow set that up for me.  The only word exchanged was "hello!".   I said it the same way one would say it to an old friend they hadn't seen in years.   True, this was my second encounter with the Rahmanator.  My first was in 2005 while I was doing a news reporting and production internship with CBS Radio.  But that doesn't quite add up to the "hey ole buddy,  How you been?" chemistry.

Rahm Emanuel greeting CTA riders.  From Chicago Now's Going Public RedEye Blog

Here's what my one-hour lunchtime workout looks like:
-10 min commute  CTA/walk
-30 min workout   Cardio
-8ish min shower
-10 min commute CTA/walk

It's a tight squeeze but it works and I feel fabulous.  And I still get to eat lunch, at my desk while I work.  Always gotta remember to pack a towel and shower shoes.  The midday workout is reminiscent of college days because it creates the illusion that I have "free time".

Monday, February 14, 2011

It's gonna be me


I got to watching N Sync music videos today on YouTube/Vevo and couldn't believe it's been 10 years since they were da bomb. Not sure if people even use that term anymore but I vividly remember my sisters learning the It's Gonna Be Me dance  from a VHS tape my younger sister taped off the Disney Channel.  The video was sandwiched between a Destiny's Child video, Aaron Carter video and Britney Live in Hawaii concert.   Because I wasn't as coordinated I didn't participate in the dance re-enactment. I'm still trying to figure out what "Dirty Pop" is.

It's funny how time flies.

It's also funny how time flies whenever I take a "break" from working out.  A day turns into days, then weeks.

Two weeks ago Blizzilla hit Chicago and I was stuck inside for three days straight.  Talk about cabin fever.   I was super inactive and went completely insane with my diet and exercise.  My three days of solitude consisted of checking e-mail from my couch (when I had electricity), sleeping, looking out the window at people digging cars out of snow, finding items to sell on eBay and salvaging whatever junk food was around my crib.  Walgreens was closed.  The grocery store was closed.  My gym was closed.  My work was closed. The only thing open was Dunkin Donuts.

I did squeeze in one Slim in Six workout and hula hooped with my weighted hula hoop.  But mostly I watched countless hours of early 2000 Fox/WB teen dramas online (holla at the O.C.).
Working towards my beach body with Slim in 6.


My personal fitness DVD collection 
To make matters worse, the following week was bitterly cold outside which for me equaled more ridiculous amounts of inactivity.   Really I had no excuse for not getting a Biggest Loser-style full-day work out on...except for when I had no electricity.  I own an assortment of fitness DVDS, a yoga mat and have online access to a gazillion workouts via YouTube and Netflix.    Why not get hardcore?

I was lazy and more concerned with Ryan and Marissa's rocky relationship. I swear that girl lacks common sense.  First she falls for crazy Oliver, then unstable Johnny.  Girl needs to get it together, as do I.

It was super snowy outside.

Getting back on track little by little, day by day.   It's gonna be me.

:)

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

TV News vs. Law School

Since childhood, I've been passionate about all things media, particularly tv and radio.  I made my own radio show at age 10 - CNE: The Best Music Radio (available now on cassette tapes), and I've had my fair share of internships and reporting gigs at both radio and tv stations. At one point I even created a tv resume reel of my best reporting and anchoring clips - which I would not dare show to any news director, ever.

Around the time I graduated from college, I decided the tv news reporter route was not right for me, since, at the time, I didn't want to fight for an entry-level $18,000/year tv reporting gig in some middle-of-nowhere town.  The whole 'Pay your dues' in tv news mantra wasn't clicking.  So with my broadcast journalism degree in hand, my solution was law school. I knew legal training would give me the necessary tools to become a successful leader in the entertainment/media industry.  Ironically, after I finished law school, my first gig was working at a talent agency which specialized in news anchor and reporter clients - where I made way less than that $18k/yr at which I once snubbed my nose. Hooray for the economy!

During law school, I also inherited my fair share of debt owed to Sallie Mae or the Department of Education -- I'm really not sure at this point who I owe, as both Sallie Mae and the Dept. of Ed keep playing hot potato with my student loan repayments.  One minute Sallie Mae says they'll collect.  Then they say they've sold a portion of my debt owed to the Dept of Ed.  Then the Dept of Ed gives it back to Sallie Mae.  I pray it gets lost in the shuffle or that my Upromise  account rises exponentially.

Sometimes I wonder where I would be today if I pursued tv news reporting.  Who knows?  Besides, I'm pretty content where I am now in my career (I work in site licensing/publishing) and I live vicariously through my former classmates who are successful tv reporters/producers/writers.   Plus, after viewing the following news report featuring former Good Day NY Anchor Jim Ryan, I feel like my resume reel was pretty golden, even with the clip of me as a weather girl incorrectly pointing westward to California and saying "...And yesterday, on the east coast, New York set a record high for snowfall ".

 I had the green screen to blame (sorta) -- what excuse did these guys have?