Expanding my horizons

Last night I attended a workshop at the Sacramento Press headquarters that specifically addressed writing about wine. For anyone who isn't aware, I have been guest writing a weekly relationship piece for the website for a few weeks now. I also posted a few pieces about the Sacramento Kings arena issue and my very FIRST article with them was about (drum roll please) my current obsession: Wine...more specifically, the Old Sugar Mill.

Anyway, all of that to say, I attended this workshop for two reasons: the first was to get certificated as a community contributor for the website. They have to meet you in person and check your ID before they will do that. Second, if I am going to write about wine, I want to do it in an intelligent manner...so I went. I really enjoyed the workshop. It was taught by former Sacramento Bee food and entertainment writer Rick Kushman, who is quite the little wine expert.

He talked about wine, his love for wine, his credentials to teach and write about wine and what we need to know to write an informative and readable wine piece. Notice I didn't say an "intelligent, educated or anything else that has to do with being a wine expert" piece. Rick addressed several of my concerns when writing about wine.

The first, and might I add largest concern was that I am not an expert. I only started drinking wine 4-5 years ago and only added red wine to my pallet a year or so ago. So who wants to hear what I have to say? Well, maybe people just like me. Maybe people who are me 2 years ago who want to get into wine but don't know where to start.

The second thing he addressed was that the "lingo" isn't what people want to hear. There is only a small population of people who even speak that language so trying to tailor your writing to them is a waste. Write to the masses.

The best piece of advice Rick gave us was to remember that writing about wine is fun. He said that everyone who currently covers wine is angry and boring. He doesn't know WHY, but they are. Wine is fun, it is relaxing and it is meant to be social and enjoyable. So write about it that way.

I can't wait to draft my first real story! Now I just need to go have an experience to write about!

Adventures in Aerobics

I didn't think I would ever USE the word "aerobics" until I was at least 45 because that word conjures up images of old women in spandex in front of a gym mirror jiggling around...

However, I think maybe I was stereotyping (nooooooo) and aerobics is just a word for contained exercises with a leader...what do you think?

Anyway, my point is, after reading my dear friend Lizzy Lou's blog entry about Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred video, I decided to order it and give it a go....I giggled after watching the first video because everything Liz said in her blog about hating Jillian was so true, although I myself work out in big baggy pants and a sports bra when at home (until I lose the muffin top, don't talk to me about "running pants") so I can't empathize with her there.

So goes my mornings; my alarm goes off at an un-godly 5:45am and I quickly turn it off before it wakes my grizzly husband, I tip-toe downstairs and try not to stir Cali, because then she'll be dying to join me (I made that mistake the first day and actually nailed her in the face while doing "butt-kickers") and I turn on Jillian.

I spend exactly 22 minutes with her...2 minute warm up, 18 minutes of work-out time (3 six minute circuits) and 2 minutes of cool down. By the time I am finished Derek has woken up, taken Cali out to pee and we are ready to start out day. Typically the coffee's automatic timer has just started to grind the beans and I am ready to pour a cup as soon as I get out of the shower.

On those rare occasions that Derek has sat down to watch me finish up my work-out, I find myself a bit embarrassed that I am standing in front of a TV, hand weights above my head, balancing on one foot and following after Jillian. He isn't snickering, but he might as well be for the way I am feeling. Then again, I look at Jillian and her two "best girls" on the screen and I say, if I can end up like THAT, I'll do this all day...

I am now nearly three weeks into my little routine and I am feeling great. Getting up in the morning still sucks, but I am more awake and feeling better about life when I get to work. Better yet, when I get home from work I feel better about concentrating on cooking dinner instead of trying to fit in a work-out and then heating up a frozen pizza. So really, Derek wins too.

This week I decided that I wanted a little more focus on my abs, so I decided that Tuesday and Thursday I would skip the video and just do abs. So Jillian gets me 3 days a week (and maybe once on the weekend) and I handle my abs alone (using some of her techniques) two days a week. I haven't seen a huge drop on the scale, but I am feeling leaner for sure, so I may just be toning and swapping fat for muscle...hopefully...

I still have yet to progress to level three in the video. I haven't fully embraced every aspect of level two withoutbreathing hard, so I don't think I am ready to see what Jillian has to throw at me in level three yet. I am thinking this is going to be a 60-Day Shred...

I guess aerobics isn't all that bad...

Weezypalooooza

This weekend we had what we affectionately called "Weezy-Palooooza"

In case you don't get it, and if you aren't specifically related to me on the Ruckle side I don't know why you would, my maternal grandmother's name is Lousie, we have always called her Weez and Sunday was her 80th birthday. She and my grandpa Ben live in San Diego and they hiked their senior tails up here with a few other family members for a full weekend of birthday celebrations so that my grandparents could be with each one of their three grown children.

My uncle came over from Hawaii, my aunt came up from Monterey and of course, my mommy lives here. The family partied for three straight days which included the traditional birthday breakfast complete with bubble wreath and family pictures at 7:30am at my parents house, BBQ lunch at our new place so everyone could view it and was capped off with the oh-so-traditional Leatherbys dinner on Sunday.

I have a few observations about family get-togethers.

1. They can be extremely stressful when several people that don't normally hang together spend copious amounts of time together in a short period of time.
2. Ignoring things that are annoying is probably better than making it awkward by saying something
3. We spend 1/3 of the time talking about the present and 2/3 of time reminiscing about times past
4. As my grandparents get up there and no one knows how much time we have left when them, these times are meant to be cherished. I only get to see them once or twice a year and every time might be my last. I need to treat it as my last every time, say everything I want to say to them, listen to everything they have to say to me and make sure I tell them how much I love them.
5. Nothing else matters

I love you G-rents

What do you want to do today?

Today I am sitting at my desk, on hold for the 32nd minute with AT&T and I am slightly frustrated so I thought, now is as good a time as any to blog! If they finally decide to put down their lunch and answer my call, I can always halt my blogging tirade and finish up my call, then get back to it...

Anyway...before I decided to actually make a blog entry I went back and read some of my old posts...most of them actually. As usual, I kicked myself for how far and few between my entries are. I freaking LOVE blogging...why do I let days go by between posts? I don't know. I wish I did. Sure, some days I am busy and frantic with life, but some days I am not. Every single one of those days I should have an entry up here.

Life is pretty good right now. I am loving married life, owning my own home, having a puppy, being gainfully employed...and exploring the options that this big world has laid out before me. Although I am fairly content with life, I want to live it to the fullest and not regret what I never did.

There are so many activities and experiences to have that if you never do them, you'll never care, but if you pursue them and succeed (or even if you fail), you'll never understand how you lived without them. I want to know the difference...

What do you want to do today?

Oh blog, how I have missed you

A mile a minute doesn't even begin to describe how fast I have been moving these last few months. Work, home, dog...where to begin?

Honestly, who really cares? All that matters is that I have found my way back to my little world of writing that I love so much. The beauty of that is, it means I am also breathing again...trying not to stress and trying not to be consumed with things that don't matter to me...like my job. I don't mean to imply that my job isn't important to me, because it is. It pays the bills...ok, not even some of them but it pays a few of them (like my cell phone bill and occasionally I can take myself out to lunch) but what I meant to say was that I don't want my job to rule my life.

I don't want to think about my job when I go home after work, or when I am laying in bed at night. I don't have that kind of job and more importantly I don't get paid enough for it to occupy my thoughts after hours. I do my job and I do it well. That is enough for me. When I go home, that is my time to chill, to see my husband, to play with my dog. Those are the things I love, the things that occupy my thoughts after hours...the things that matter to me.

I am remiss about all the writing opportunities I have missed the last few months. I think about stories in my head that I could have put to paper (or computer screen) or thoughts I could have shared that may have given you a laugh or helped you in some way. More importantly by not emptying my head of all those things I haven't created room to breathe new life into my thoughts, to create new stories...that is what I regret the most...the stories lost.

Getting back to it...

The holidays have a way of taking a bite out of me, chewing me up and spitting me back out. Now that I am finally on the New Year side of the latest spree of holiday bliss I can finally breathe!

The Haynes household was the hub of this years Christmas extravaganza. We hosted 3 Christmas parties in 3 days...what a whirl wind THAT was. I think all in all we had nearly 40 bodies in and out of our house in 72 hours. It took a whole lot of food to feed all of those people, but apparently not nearly as much food as we MADE, because I was left with piles and piles of food afterward...bad, naughty food...the kind you want to eat but know if you do, the scale will be mocking you for weeks to come.

For New Year's Eve thank GOD we ventured outside of our diggs to ring in 2011. We spent a robust evening with some friends throwing beans bags into a hole, playing beer pong and eating more of that "naughty food". Derek and I made it until about 12:24am and then we headed home amidst jeers. On New Year's Day I found myself again with a room full of boys watching the UFC Fights and stuffing pizza and cheesecake into my mouth.

So what does that mean for me today, the first day back into my routine of the new year? Is it diet time? Well, I won't go THAT extreme, I will just say that it is back to oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, light lunches and I need to MAKE dinners instead of buying them...at least Derek would appreciate that.

My first efforts will be tonight with some chicken thingy...we'll see how it goes...

More importantly, I am committed to blogging more consistently in 2011. I need to make my passion for writing a priority. I love to write and I need a creative release for the thoughts in my head. So far this is the outlet provided for me....until that changes, stay tuned!

Lunch with Friends

There is nothing that will clear the work-day fog from my brain quicker then having lunch with friends. Although sometimes expensive, meeting friends for lunch is one of my all-time favorite week-day things to do.

If I know that I have a lunch date planned with a friend(s) it starts my whole day off brighter and more positive. I come to work happier, I am more productive and I come back from lunch in a better mood than I typically do in the afternoons on a normal day.

There is also something to be said from an impromptu lunch date. What a terrific surprise to get a call or an email from a friend asking to have lunch together! "What are you doing for lunch?" "Nothing. You?" "Nothing...wanna meet in 30 at La Bou?" Ah...sheer bliss!

Perhaps in order to curb some of the cost, I should start have lunch picnics with friends...we both bring our lunch to work as we normally would and then find a neutral spot to meet and dine on our bag lunches...

The joy is in the company and the conversation, not the purchase of the food! Ok, I take that back...I think anyone who knows me knows how much I love food...

Anyway, the point is I want to have lunch with friends more often (but not break the bank) and keep the joy and productivity at an all time high in my life! Lets do lunch sometime...

Settling In

Wow, it has been a long time since I have posted! Then again, things have been a little busy for me. I mean, we finally closed escrow on our house, moved into our house, bought a puppy, had Thanksgiving, Derek was in trial and it goes on and on and on...I think things are finally settling down now.

So which of these changes has been the hardest? Hands down: Miss Cali Posey Haynes.

Which one of these changes has given us the most joy? Hands down: Miss Cali Posey Haynes...she is the best. She is so fun, so active, so full of love and joy....she brightens my day every single time I see her. She loves completely, unconditionally and is full of forgiveness! Don't get me wrong, she is a hand full. We have had our moments filled with frustration and anger, but as with every new family addition, they are worth it!

Moving into our own house has been such a surreal experience. I remember back, just 7ish short months ago when Derek and I got married and moved in together. Sending him off to work was as surreal experience. Now, waking up inside our very own house, with a bubbly puppy and sending him off to work is a surreal experience. It is amazing how life just creeps up on you and all of the sudden you are living it to the fullest and you don't even know how you got there!

Our house is amazing. Although we have had our struggles with it (invasion of the ants, power outlets that don't work, gaps in the fence etc) this house is more than I could have EVER imagined...cooking in my own kitchen, inviting my friends over and hosting in my own living room...it is enough to make a girl giddy. I don't get giddy very often.

Husband+House+Happy Puppy=Happy & Content Janna

They call me "The Examiner"

So remember a few blogs back when I wrote about Embarking on a New Adventure? Well, my adventure has begun.

Nearly three weeks ago I responded to a post on craigslist for a "Relationship Writer" on Examiner.com. The Examiner is an online news, entertainment, and advice source that is nation-wide. They have local entities that are powered by local writers like me in 240 cities across the country.

Once I went through the application process and submitted a writing sample I was approved to join their team as the Sacramento Conflict Resolution Examiner. I published my first article, "Learn the love language." the following Monday. Once my first article was approved and went "live" I now have the freedom to post whenever I want and can post content of my liking under the scope of "conflict resolution" and more importantly; relationships.

So....what does this all mean? It means I am trying to build up my writing portfolio, polish up my skills and expand my knowledge and network of this business called writing. It is going to be up to me to market my article at Examiner.com and increase my page views, article subscriptions and feedback. This could become a money-making venture for me if I put in the work. More importantly, I need to produce read-worthy articles to keep people coming back.

I welcome your feedback, suggestions and anything you know about marketing my article to the outside world. Also, I hope you'll read it...

Ultimately, I am not sure what the final destination is, but I am looking forward to the journey.

Giants fans UNITE!

As we sit 2 hours from the first pitch of the World Series I can't help but chuckle at the SF Giants FEVER that has hit this city. HECK, this half of our STATE. Northern California is starving for a champion, for a Cinderella story. It has been a few years since any of our major sports franchises have reached the big one. Both the Oakland Raiders and the Giants made it to their respective "big ones" in 2002, before that we had the glory years of the Sacramento Kings. I was just a kid when the 49ers were in their hayday. I hear rumors of the Oakland A's being good once, at least every time you get in an argument with an A's fan they say "championship" because that is all they have to say....maybe this year we'll have a little something to throw back at 'em!

Anyway, my point WAS, even those who wouldn't have considered themselves Giants fans, or even really baseball fans have jumped on the Giants winning the World Series bandwagon. Typically, I am not cool with fare whether fans partaking in the glory of a winning team that they have not lived and died with all season. HOWEVER, in this case, I am going to say "GIANTS FANS: UNITE!"

The Gigantes need all the juju they can get and you know what? It is freakin fun to see post after post on facebook on a game day. It is fun to see people with their colors on, people wearing hats and eye black and girls with cute little girl Giants shirts on. I know that I can barely concentrate at work today, hence this blog post...I can't wait to get home tonight and hopefully watch them take Game 1. If they don't, well...tomorrow will be even MORE important. This is our year, I can feel it. Can't you feel it?

I have a fever and the only cure is A WORLD SERIES RING!!