I think I'm seeing things.Words from a man of pictures.Filed under: List"Mr. John Nelson... That's got a nice ring to it."Disclosure: I stole that title quote from Andrew Bernard on The Office - which happens to be my favorite television show. Well, here I am. A married man. Yeah, I know, right? Woah. I could do like every newlywed blogger does, and tell you about how amazing it feels to be married, or about how the wedding day went or about my new apartment. These are all very valid and interesting blog posts, but I honestly haven't processed everything that has happened to me in the past week. I want to have a clear head and organize my thoughts before I tell you about the most important day of my life. But let's be honest - you don't want nor need to read 1,000,000 words of mushy, narcissistic love talk, so I'll boil it down quickly before I move on: Our wedding day was awesome, I feel awesome and living with Stacy is awesome. Marriage is awesome. Love is awesome. Wearing a wedding ring is awesome. I'm not being sarcastic. It all really is awesome. Ecuse my brevity, but my brain is just a bit tired right now, and I really have some other thoughts to share in this post. Five of them: 1. I'm really, really glad that Stacy and I are waiting to honeymoon later this fall (another, near-future post). If I were in Hawaii right now, I'd be sleeping. Not watching volcanoes, eating mahi mahi nor snorkeling. Sleeping and stressing over moving to Sioux Falls. Waste. 2. Cleaning ovens might be my least favorite part of being alive. 3. I'm really, really happy that my friend Jeremy made it home safely from Yemen this past week. 4. I'm really, really proud to have friends like Jeremy - who advocated journalism for three months in Yemen. And Heather - who is currently diving into a two-year service for the Peace Corps in Niger, Africa. 5. I'm completely attached to Stacy. I hope she isn't getting sick of me yet. We're having a great start to our new lives together. I'm a very lucky man to be with such an amazing woman. Sorry for that last bit of mushyness.
Staying in CheckWith only 11 days until my wedding, I'm taking inventory and getting stuff done. I'm checking things off of my list and also keeping myself in-check to avoid stress-induced mental cloudiness. To do: - Pick out some music to be played during the meal/social hour before the band starts playing at the reception (about 3 hours) - Design and print the ceremony programs - Pack up my little things (smaller than the back seat of my car) in Brookings and bring them to Sioux Falls. - Exercise whenever possible to fend off anxiety attacks - Edit my clients' photos in between all of the above (they're aware of my situation) - Spend time with my family who will soon be visiting from far-away places - Blog stuff between/after all of the above Not to do: - Play Super Mario Brothers on my Wii as if it were my only purpose in life - Engorge myself on every meal until August 14 - Manufacture a future stress bomb by procrastinating my to-do list - Watch Entourage during every waking moment of my life (it happens) Thank you for sticking with my blog as I get all this stuff done. I plan to start cranking out awesomer posts after the wedding. There's always plenty of subject matter to write about (and/or photograph). Eleven days to go!
Five simple things that always make me feel goodThis summer, another string of events, appointments, holidays and to-dos has pushed me to the limits of my wits. Don’t get me wrong – I love being busy. Work has resulted in more work, and now I’m preparing for my own wedding and subsequent transition to living with my beautiful bride. Things are crazy. Thus, I’ve recently found refuge in simple things which often go unappreciated. Some of these might seem obvious, but I thought I’d give my own perspective on these methods: 1. Water: Especially in summer, one needs to remain hydrated. Duh, right? Well, after suffering many throbbing headaches and subsequent spells of grumpiness, I realized what was going on. The caffeine in my daily gallon (actually ~20 oz.) of coffee was taking a toll on my hydration. My health-minded coworker said that the average humanoid needs 64 oz. of H2O every day. That’s half a gallon. So, I dug out my 32 oz. orange Nalgene (neatly customized with a white Apple logo) and started filling it at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day. I felt better on the first day.
2. Words: Yes, it’s an obtuse and slightly cliché thought, but I believe words help me cope with life. Whether its perusing my blog subscriptions on Google Reader, writing marketing materials at my day job, taking a quick adventure into the New Testament, talking with Stacy on the phone or listening to my iPod – words make me feel better. Communication is always good.
3. Sweating: I’m a large person, and I don’t eat as well as I should. (By the way, I’ve come to the conclusion that anything is bad for you in some way.) Thus, I’ve been taking daily 15-minute jogs through my neighborhood. It doesn’t take much for me to work up a sweat, and it makes me feel like I’m getting the “bad stuff” out of myself. After two weeks, I’ve lost about 5 lbs. It might not seem like an amazing feat, but it’s a great way to break up a day of computer jockeying. If I’m feeling a lack of motivation to get my butt outside, I go on Facebook and click through pictures which feature my ever-present double chin and man boobs. These are my enemies. The urge to conquer them never fails to get me out the door.
4. Family: Just like any good self-respecting South Dakotan, I take pride in and respect family traditions. My family is every bit as imperfect as yours, but even with thousands of miles between us, we never hesitate at the opportunity to spend time with one another. Even if it’s just a simple phone call or a “Hey, what’s up?” on Facebook chat – I always feel better after spending a few minutes with a relative. This year, Stacy and I will graft a new branch to the Nelson family tree. I’m pretty sure it’ll be the best feeling in the world.
5. Bananas: If I can give one piece of advice to anybody who wants to feel better a.s.a.p., I’d tell them to put down the nachos (and the accompanying Mt. Dew) and reach for a good ‘ole banana. They’re cheap, they’re portable, they're sugary (in a good way) and they’re just plain good for you. I keep a bunch conveniently-placed on my kitchen counter so I can grab one on the way to work. They’re full of potassium (which helps you with # 1 and #3), they’re scientifically proven to reduce stress and they’re an easy way to suppress a stomach’s mid-morning/afternoon growl.
Next time you’re feeling like crap in your cubicle, try one of the above. I’m sure it’ll get your mental, emotional and physical health back on the right track.
Do you have a special feel-good tip? Please, please, please share it in the comments below. Thanks! |
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