January 2007 - Posts
I'm a recovering caffeine addict. Well, I don't know that that's even an entirely fair statement. Can you be recovering if you still drink caffeine? I don't know. But, I do know that I used to drink a lot more caffeine than I do now. But, even after cutting back, I can't cut myself off cold turkey. I still need that cup of coffee in the morning. If I skip it, sometime around noon a nagging headache reminds me that I need a fix.
Still, I'm better than I was. Growing up my family was never big soda drinkers and my dad drank coffee so I always loved the smell but rarely indulged. Then in high school my friends and I started hanging out in coffee shops. That was how it began, a latte here and mocha there. On the west coast, where I grew up, there's a coffee shop or coffee "wagon" on every corner. When I came to school in Iowa coffee was harder to come by, so I traded it in for soda, Coke to be exact. And, not the diet kind either. My freshman year I drank the hard stuff, straight coca cola. When I switched to diet soda my consumption increased because I knew there weren't any calories to worry about. At my most addictive, I was drinking a couple 32 ounce cups of Diet Coke a day. Whether or not that's a lot by other people's standards, I don't know. But, I was often jittery from the caffeine.
So, I started cutting back. And now I'm down to a couple cups of coffee in the morning and on a bad day I'll have a soda with lunch. Who knows whether I've improved my health or not. I know my mom thinks I have. She likes to send me e-mails about how Diet Coke is eating away at my stomach. But, trading water for Diet Coke can't be a bad move and it's easier to type when my hands aren't jittery across the keyboard.
Even as I write this though, I have to admit that a 16 oz. sugar free vanilla skim latte is still a little piece of heaven for me. It's my splurge when I'm having a bad morning or a particularly dreary day. I don't think it's so much about the caffeine as it is about the comfort factor of my favorite drink.
I think a lot of people I talked to at Brewed Awakening's would agree. Some of the people hanging out at the coffee shop weren't even drinking coffee. Instead they were sipping tea or a smoothie. So much about coffee and coffee shops has nothing to do with the drink itself, it's the atmosphere, the comfy corners to chit chat, the whir of the grinder and the wonderful aromas.
Next week a new face will be joining us. Molly Rossiter is taking over for Nicole Riehl. Nicole got a new job at the University of Iowa. She's going to be covering the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for University News Services.
So, say hi to Molly if you see her at the candy store downtown asking people about the sweetest Valentine's Day gift they ever got.
Dr. Seuss was popular with people I interviewed today at the library. Classics like "Green Eggs and Ham" and "The Cat and the Hat" topped their list of favorite childhood books.
My favorite childhood book, on the other hand, is much more obscure: "Patchy Pumpkin Finds Himself a Home." It's rare enough that I only found one copy for sale on Amazon.com - a used copy priced at $299. Apparently it's in really high demand, or "Bilicansdad" has no intention of selling it.
My memory of this book is a little foggy, considering how long it's been since I last read it. From what I recall, Patchy the Pumpkin is sad because no one picks him to be a jack-o-lantern or to use for pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. As the cold winter rolls in, he sits in the patch, feeling lonesome and unloved. Fortunately, a family of field mice is in need of a home. They discover Patchy, hollow him out, and move in.
I'm not sure why I like the story so much. Maybe it's the happy ending, or the colorful illustrations. My favorite page was toward the end, when the mice decorate Patchy for Christmas. Or, maybe it's just fond memories of my parents reading the book to my brother and me before we drank our chocolate milk and headed for bed.
Now that I'm a mom-to-be, I'll have to dig it out of storage. Then again - maybe I should preserve it in a glass case if it's really worth 300 bucks. Nah. What good is it if we can't enjoy it?
Next week, Carly will hit a coffee shop to talk with people about caffeine consumption.
My take on young people's involvement in politics: improving, but could be better.
It's frustrating to always hear about how my generation is apathetic when it comes to politics. Sure, some young people would rather follow Britney Spears' antics than take time to research which candidate deserves their vote. But that's true with all generations. I know, we vote at a lower a rate than other age groups. There are reasons for that. Young people are new to the political process. For some, it takes time to learn how it works and feel comfortable participating. We're transient. When you're moving from city to city for educational or job opportunities, you're not always in tune with the local issues and candidates. And, some young people feel ignored by politicians. Sometimes, they write us off because, historically, we haven't had the best showing at the polls. If they don't address issues we care about, where's the motivation to vote?
Excuses? Maybe. But circumstances nonetheless.
The good news is that it looks like progress is being made. I've written about how young voter turnout is improving, and I think young adults deserve credit for taking a more active role.
After the 2004 election, a Gazette analysis of election results in four of Iowa's largest counties - Linn, Johnson, Polk and Dubuque - showed voter that turnout in the two youngest age groups rose from 56 percent in 2000 to 67 percent compared to the last presidential election.
Earlier this month, we ran a story about the improvement of young voter turnout from the 2002 top this past midterm election. In Johnson County, turnout of registered voters ages 18 to 24 rose from 26 percent to 29 percent. Turnout among voters ages 25 to 29 rose from 31 percent to 36 percent. In Linn County, turnout in the youngest age category jumped from 19 percent to 29 percent. In the next age category, turnout rose from 32 percent to 41 percent. Experts attributed the trend to the Iraq war, tight races and lasting enthusiasm from 2004 get-out-the-vote efforts.
The young adults I interviewed at Gov. Chet Culver's inaugural events Thursday in Iowa City had some great ideas for getting young people interested and involved in politics. If you haven't yet, check out Monday's Gazette to read them.
Tune in next week, when I'll hit story time at the library to talk with people about their favorite childhood books.
So I'm going to fess up. I didn't have much business asking people to wrack their brains for new year's resolutions at Kirkwood Comunity College's recreation center on Friday. For one, I don't really believe in resolutions. And, though the new year is only a week-old, I definitely haven't started off with a bang.
Most of the people I talked to wanted to eat better and exercise more.
Me too.
But, like I said before, I don't believe in new year's resolutions. I think they set us up for failure. It's too much pressure to think about all the things we need to improve all at once. Goals work better, for me at least, when they're gradual and attainable. Plus, I really need motivation. Saying I'm going to do it, is just not enough. I need to have a tangible reason.
For example, last year about this time my now husband and I had just joined a local gym. Our decision wasn't spurred by the new year. Instead it was our upcoming wedding that inspired us to hit the gym regularly and change our eating habits. We joined the gym Dec. 30 or so, just before the new year. So for the first few weeks of our membership we were among the throngs of new members fighting over treadmills and free weights. Then the crowds disappeared as people's resolves faded and we no longer had to hover behind treadmills waiting for one to free up. We stuck with it, though, and managed to lose the weight we'd wanted to.
Then came the wedding.
I haven't been back much since. I could give you plenty of excuses like back problems and being too busy. But, they're just that - excuses. Really, I just haven't had the motivation. I need something like a wedding dress to inspire me to hit the pavement and start running again.
But, even though I say I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, that doesn't mean I don't believe in resolutions at all. And it's about time I made one. Hopefully from now on, you'll see me at the gym more often.
Next week the state will ceremoniously turn over a new leaf as Governor-elect Chet Culver celebrates is inauguration with events in Iowa City on Thursday. Nicole will be at the Old Capitol Kick-Off Reception and Tour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, check out www.culverinaugural.com