Always so much to do in Santa Barbara!

It’s been a busy week and weekend! Work has been crazy busy, which is awesome and shows signs of a recovering economy! Sometimes it’s difficult balancing work and fun – and often they’re combined. As a professional woman in this small town, I find myself getting more conservative than I even want to be for fear of damaging my reputation in business. Life sure gets complicated as you get older. I keep trying to tell myself to just get over it and have some fun!

I went to a self-improvement seminar yesterday put on by Sean Mason, an attorney in town. I’m all about making a better me, even though I like me now. This was about identifying your core values and using a process Sean created with those core values to help improve any challenging areas in your life. One gal went up on stage and Sean went through the process with her on a challenge she had with her husband. It was fun to watch the lightbulb go off when she had an epiphany! We also broke into smaller groups and did the first few steps in the process. What I realized that was interesting was that, while we have very specific core values that we apply to others, we often don’t treat ourselves with those same core values such as generousity, respect, authenticity or honor.

Isn’t it funny how when you least expect it, you have the most fun! Thursday night last minute, I met a girlfriend for a drink at Blue  Agave. Didn’t spend much time getting ready and definitely wasn’t looking my best. We ran into a couple people we knew, but it was pretty quiet there. The bartender took great care of us, chatting and recommending cocktails. It’s always helpful when the bartender is hot! I particularly like watching the guys at Cadiz! The voyeur in me at it again!

My GF had to head out and I wasn’t in the mood to go home yet, so I went to Joe’s where they make possibly the stiffest drink in town (competing only with the Tee Off in my opinion.) Ended up chatting with a way cute guy that sat next to me. When I was ready to leave, he convinced me to stay just a little longer, then walked me home. That was hugely chivalrous and very much appreciated. And he was a perfect gentleman! Not that I really wanted him to be.

I was going to send him a thank you note, but then I ran into him again at a party on Saturday and he walked me home again! Funny thing, he never asked for my number, although it would be easy to get. It will be interesting to see whether I hear from him. I hope I do! It was quite fun bantering with him!

There are so many fun options for things to do here, you have to pick and choose! Birthday party pub crawl on Friday or Earth Day Festival? I went with the party. Party bus to Cold Springs Tavern to see Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan perform or work…I chose work!  I heard Area 51 was playing at Soho last night. Too many options!

I need to get to Santa Ynez to pick up my wine shipment from Brander Vineyards. It’s only about 45 minutes away, but seems to require a full day. I’m going to shoot for next Saturday for that. I’m sure there are some fun things going on there next weekend, so I’ll check into it before I go and make a day of it.

I wish the weather would warm up. I finally put my new spring dress on thinking the fog would clear out, but it’s 3:30 already and the fog hasn’t even started to lift. I would say it’s cold, but it’s not cold compared to the NorthEast. I’m just a Calfornia girl not used to inclement weather!

Trying to get refocused on my health. It seems I go in spurts. I’ll work out 3-4 times a week for a few weeks, then fall off – never completely, but enough to feel it. And my eating habits are just as sporadic. Didn’t help that hot guy last night wanted to share a burger. It was really good though!

I love working out. I love the energy it gives me. I love the way my clothes fit. I love how I feel. And I love the positive impact it has on my life. I also seem to like hitting the snooze button over and over and over, until I don’t have time to go to the gym. Sometimes my bed just feels so good, I don’t want to get up.

And although I work for myself, I try to be in the office or have my first meeting by 8:00 or earlier. Once my day is going, it is difficult to fit the gym in. For a woman, it’s not just a matter of popping into the gym and a quick shower. For us, it’s the workout – I usually spend 1.5 hours between stretching, yoga, abs, lunges, deep knee bends, rowing machine (which is a great upper body workout) and 1/2 hour of cardio plus some weights – then the shower and shampoo, hair dry, style and makeup. That’s like 3 hours total and who can take that much time in the middle of the day. By the end of the day, I’m tired, the gym is packed or it is too late and I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I worked out that late. Lame excuses, I know.

I try to make up for it by walking every where I can. I walk downtown about every other day. It works out to 1 -3 miles each trip. I’m just not walking fast enough to get a good cardio workout. OK, I’m committing to all of you (there aren’t any of you yet, but there will be), I will work out 4 times this week.

And I try to eat healthy – as much fruit and vegetables as possible, lower fat meats, limited carbs – but I LOVE junk food. I try not to buy it because I will eat it if it’s here. Or I try to buy a semi-healthy alternative – like chocolate covered banana slices. I figure if I eat 3 slices, or even 5, I ahead of the game compared to a bowl of ice cream or a handful of cookies.  There for a while I was on a blow-pop kick. Only 60 calories and it would last me an hour or so with the gum. I should buy another bag!

OK, it’s Sunday at 4:15. I have a 4:30 client appointment and another at 6:30. Wish me well with a closed sale or two! Make it a great week!