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October 10, 2007

Developing Good Habits

Boy it's hard to break bad habits and replace them with good ones. This morning, for example, I dragged myself out of bed at 5 am and spent 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. I had to get up earlier than normal because with only one functioning shower, we have a tight schedule for everyone to get ready in the morning. (Isn't that bathroom remodel done yet, honey?)

Earlier this year, for five months in a row, I'd gotten into the great habit of working out at least four days a week. Then we went on vacation - and it was only for 6 days - but that's all it took for me to get out of the habit of getting up early and exercising. Even though exercising made me feel better and helped me to lose a few pounds, I had trouble motivating myself to get up and do it.

I suppose it comes down to self-discipline and conquering the "natural man". When we're snuggled into our comfortable beds (and mine is super comfortable), and we don't really have to get up yet, it doesn't take much to convince ourselves to sleep that extra thirty to forty-five minutes.

There are lots of good habits I need to develop - eating healthier, reading my scriptures daily, working on my latest novel.

It can be challenging when you get pulled in many different directions at once, difficult to choose the best over the good. I guess what it really comes down to is priorities. Making time for what's most important and discarding the things that waste our time.

What good habits are you trying to develop?

October 1, 2007

Be Careful What You Text

My 17-year-old son, Mike, was watching the BYU game with my husband on Saturday night (they won - yay!), when he received a text. He didn't recognize the phone number, but of course he read the message. It said, "i am pregnant . . . again".

Being the honest young man that he is, he was about to text the person and tell her that she had sent her message to the wrong number. But then my husband, being the mischievous person that he is, suggested Mike send something else instead. The conversation ensued thusly:

Mike: is your husband excited?

Woman: we both are, armani doesn't know what is going on.

Mike: when are you going to let him know?

Woman: he doesn't understand. we told him he just laughed

Mike: Give him some solid evidence then.

At this point, my son's honest nature took over and he sent the following:

Mike: I'm sorry, but guilt forces me to confess i do not know who you are and that you need to check the number you have been texting to.

Woman: is this not joselynn

Mike: No, I've had this number since January. I've gotten plenty of calls for her though.

The woman never replied to his last message and he had in fact gotten a number of calls for joselyn over the past seven months. I thought this whole exchange was hilarious, but the potential for personal information getting into the wrong hands is extremely high when you text someone without verifying who you are talking to.

Come to think of it, this is a great idea for a novel.