Time spent this month: 67 hours, 8 minutes
Dollars spent this month: $669.31
Most inspiring suggestion: “Remember, it’s not just about money. It’s about what you can do for somebody else. Rally your friends, your family, neighbors, and pull off your own Big Give. Be creative.” I’m excited and a little daunted by this call to action.
Poll results from LivingOprah.com: Have you ever followed health advice seen on Oprah’s show, website, or magazine?
Yes (53%)
No, but I’ve passed info along to someone else (5%)
No (41%)
ONE MONTH down.
Weekends have become quite a relief for me. Although I am unwavering when it comes to following my project rules, I’ve given myself Saturday and Sunday off from blogging. Who knew that writing daily could be more draining than my Best Life Challenge exercise? The issue is not the consistency of writing the blog, but that I’m not yet entirely at ease exposing my feelings online. I want Living Oprah to be completely transparent this year, but I twitch whenever I divulge financial fear or other insecurities to the strangers who read my website. Still, it’s becoming less difficult and the anonymity definitely helps. So does my job. Going to teach at the yoga studio is a relief from being constantly “on.” After all, in order to avoid being kicked in the head when assisting students into handstand, I must focus on the present moment (and flying feet), not the Oprah project. The hours I spend teaching allow me to take my attention off myself and be useful to other people. Oprah is right — doing things for others makes me feel great and gets me out of my own head. It’s the one time during the day that I’m not wondering if I’m measuring up or if people think my outfit is unflattering. Also (and I’m really ashamed to tell you this), since watching the show daily and reading the magazines, I’ve been judging whether other women are dressing to Oprah’s specifications. It’s not as if before the project I walked around without comparing myself to other gals — I’m no saint — but now my eyes constantly dart around a room to see if anyone else is floundering as miserably as I am at this.
Last night while channel surfing, Jim pointed at the TV and said, “That shirt is totally cutting that lady in half. It’s a really bad length for her body type.”
“Excuse me?” Worried that my husband’s fashion commentary might be a sign of an impending apocalypse, I froze for a moment. Then I calmly asked where he learned to say such a thing and he looked sheepish. “Oprah?” I asked.
He nodded and flipped the channel to a masculine-looking show about crime-scene detectives. Clearly this project hasn’t only changed me, it’s adjusted the very cells in Jim’s brain. I’m a little nervous that maybe he’s judging me every time we leave the house together. He used to be the lowest-maintenance man I’d ever met when it came to clothing. As long as it fit and had no visible stains or tears, he’d wear it. I am not even sure he would have noticed if I wore a ball gown or a garbage bag out to dinner in the past. Now I’ve given him a bite of the apple from the tree of style knowledge and created a weapon that could be used against me at any moment. Next time I ask him if my outfit makes my butt look fat, he might actually say yes. Eek.
Whether the topic is style or spirituality, I find myself wavering between being thrilled by each new assignment and having a sort of knee-jerk, stubborn response. My hackles rise if Oprah touches on an area I am more sensitive about, like my home or my outward appearance. On the flip side of the coin, I get a little jolt of excitement when she offers suggestions that apply to physical and emotional well-being.
Being a health junkie, I am excited to learn that in early February, Dr. Mehmet Oz is is going to lay out his antiaging plan for us. While I am happy to hear that the good doctor is visiting the show, I struggle with the term “antiaging.” Why is the natural process of growing older considered a disease that we’re all trying to eradicate? What a waste of time and energy and money to fight the inevitable. Of course, you should know that even as I wave my PROUD AT ANY AGE banner, I’m a big, fat hypocrite. I wish that getting older in this country wasn’t seen as a fate worse than death, but I totally buckle under the pressure. I’ve been dyeing my hair since I was about 14 or so, when premature grays began to sprout faster than I could pluck them. So while fighting visible signs that I am a human being seems utterly ridiculous, I’m not immune. Neither, it seems, are the folks at O magazine. Copious advertisements for turn-back-time products are sandwiched between articles.
I have this totally idealistic dream that one day we’ll all accept how we look as we age and stop spending money for every serum under the sun. And I truly am willing to let go of all my fear and the time I spend looking at the skin on the back of my hands. But I’ll only do it if you do it first. I don’t want to be the only haggard-looking one out here. Maybe if we all count to three and drop our antiaging regimens at the same time, we can create a new normal for women and allow the weight of self-criticism to be lifted from our shoulders. Until then, while I still need to keep up with all you smooth-skinned gals, I’m slathering on the eye cream. Call me if you want to start a revolution.
I wish I could once and for all separate the goal of a youthful appearance from the value of a healthy body. The aspect of the antiaging war I truly appreciate is when it addresses living, dare I say it, our “best lives” as long and as healthily as we can. I’ve applied my share of sunscreen in my time, but I’ve done a lot of harm, too. I was overweight and had a destructive lifestyle from college through my mid-20s and now, a decade later, I’m no Dara Torres, but I’m in the best shape of my life. And I want to keep getting better.
When The Oprah Winfrey Show runs promos about Dr. Oz, I have a Pavlovian response (sans drooling). Even if I weren’t Living Oprah this year, I’d tune in to any episode she aired promising a sip from the Fountain of Youth. I know I am in good company. Some of my blog readers discuss getting and staying healthy for their families, or because it gives them confidence, and still others coyly admit to a bit of vanity. I think it’s a combination of all of these for me, and although I don’t have kids who beg to get bounced on my knee, I still want to stop my joints from creaking. And most important to me, my constant battle against the progression of double major scoliosis fuels my fire to stay healthy.
I have what you might know as an S curve made up of two 60ish-degree angles in my spine. Remember that kid who was always made fun of in junior high because of her back brace? Well, that wasn’t me but it probably should have been. I avoided nasty nicknames because I didn’t wear a brace as a child. I simply bounded about the playground with a diagnosed but untreated condition. That was all well and good for a sprightly and otherwise healthy kid, but it led to chronic pain as an adult.
My scoliosis is idiopathic, which is the medical community’s way of saying “We have no idea why you have what you have or why it’s getting worse.” Basically, I have two options. I could have my spine fused and rods inserted in my back so the curvature doesn’t worsen. If I do this, I won’t be able to bend or twist — not the most exciting prospect for a yoga teacher. Or I can keep myself as strong and healthy as possible, biding my time until I hear about wild advancements in noninvasive spinal procedures. While the chronic pain sometimes makes me want to give up and schedule surgery, I prefer to keep myself off the operating table. I’m not trying to garner even the tiniest bit of sympathy here, but I do want to draw a clear picture of why I am so rapt whenever a doctor or alternative medical practitioner appears on the TV screen. I have a secret hope that someone will have information I’ve never heard. And even though I have a pretty strong suspicion that I’ll never learn anything new when I tune in, I still watch without fail.
One of the reasons I was drawn to Oprah as a subject for this project was my continual search for new ways to manage my pain, keep my self-esteem from faltering, and ease the stress and fear associated with scoliosis. I’ve investigated various therapies and modalities, some physical, some spiritual and emotional, to help me cope with this lifelong journey. Through my research, I observed that several healing methodologies boasted some connection to Winfrey. “As Seen on Oprah!” was boldly posted on health-related websites and advertisements. Even before I conceived of Living Oprah, all roads were leading to her. Back then, I was dubious that I might find true aid and solace in front of the television. But now, fully invested in this project, I have an excuse to drop my apprehension and open myself to the possibility that Oprah’s favored health-care professionals can help me improve my quality of life.
As Dr. Oz steps onto Winfrey’s stage, I allow myself to wish today, with wild abandon, that I might acquire surprising knowledge to stop the effect of time and gravity on my body. I am disappointed that the info I hear on Dr. Oz’s antiaging episode is data I’ve read, watched, or heard before. But Oprah and her staff have a magical way of presenting material so it feels new. Many folks in her audience look completely amazed by the advice they are receiving, as if they’d never before heard the word “antioxidant” or knew they were supposed to exercise. And who knew — fiber is good for you!
And speaking of fiber, we’ve all been urged on the Oprah show to strive toward S-shaped fecal matter. Not only do I stare at myself in every reflection I pass to make certain I am acceptably dressed, but now I need to study the toilet bowl to make sure I’m a proper pooper. Clearly, there is no aspect of my life that can remain untouched by Oprah’s guidance. So much for my promise to Jim that I could compartmentalize this project without allowing it to affect my life in a meaningful way. If I’m to do this successfully, I’ve got to surrender more self-control and self-direction than I thought.
I watch Oprah’s studio audience like a hawk. Their reactions seem so over the top at times, especially when she gives them a present. I think they’d have the same scream-until-glass-shatters response whether Oprah gave them a new car, the secret to marital bliss, or a pack of gum. Plus I’m always blown away when I hear the roar of the crowd when Oprah walks onstage.
I wonder what it must do to a person’s psyche to be applauded just for coming to work. I think it would make us all feel more worthwhile at our jobs if there was an eruption of cheers every time we entered the boardroom, the stockroom, the classroom. I have to imagine that if people consistently tell you that you are important, you start to feel important. Highly valued. I am curious how that changes the way you walk through life.
Although I haven’t been overly interested in attending a live taping of her show recently, I think this is the perfect year to get my butt back into a seat in Winfrey’s studio. I’ve been there a couple times in the past, early in my Chicago tenure. Like visiting the top of the Sears Tower, strolling around the Lincoln Park Zoo, and eating a piece of deep-dish pizza, I felt that seeing a taping of Oprah was a Chicago institution that was not to be missed. The first time was around 1995 or so. It’s a hazy memory, but I recall the guest panel was made up of people who were considered outsiders in their respective communities. I do remember that back then the show was more interactive, and we were invited to step up to a microphone to ask our burning questions.
The other taping was around 2001. I also barely remember this one, but I know I wore an atrocious orange-plaid blazer and was made fun of by my friends for months. Oh — and there was a male guest on the show who wanted to have sex so many times each day that his wife barely had enough time to put on a pair of pants.
It’s my understanding that it’s nearly impossible to get tickets to the show now. There are online tales of people who swear they’ve been applying for tickets for years without luck. When I mention my desire to see the show on my blog, one of my regular readers, Little Merry Sunshine, sends me a personal account about how a friend of hers got tickets to the show. Armed with her good advice, I visit Oprah.com.
I live less than eight miles from the television studio and can be there at a moment’s notice, so things are a bit easier for me than for most people. As LMS advised, I find a list of soon-to-be-taped shows that are in need of audience members. One stands out in particular as they are looking for fans of the original Star Trek series as well as Boston Legal. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, then surely Oprah is going to be hosting William Shatner on her show! I haven’t seen an episode of Boston Legal, but I’ve seen every single Star Trek, mainly watching them with my dad on Sunday afternoons during my adolescence. We’d sit on the couch, each of us with a big bowl of Chunky Beef Soup and Minute Rice in our laps, ready to witness the age-old battle between humans and the rest of the universe. It was like dinner theater. Ah, I loved those papier-mâché sets, laughable aliens, and the lavender eye shadow (worn by both the women and the men on the show). I share this story on the ticket request page of Oprah’s website and also mention that my love of sci-fi endeared me to my husband when we were dating.
I am surprised by a speedy response. O’s people find my admission of sci-fi dorkitude charming, and they call me up because they might have seat availability. However, they need me to e-mail a photo before they can tell me if there is a ticket. I send one immediately. Why the photo? In my excitement, I neglect to ask. Maybe they are concerned I am a nut who will show up at the studio in head-to-toe Klingon makeup and weaponry. Please. If I were to go in costume, I would totally dress as Uhura.
I might not be going in Star Trek attire, but I will be dressing in my best Oprah Winfrey Show audience member costume. Also, to fit in with the rest of the crowd and look pretty for the camera, I decide to wear makeup to attend the taping. This yoga teacher’s cheeks very rarely feel the touch of a powder brush, but I purchase cosmetics recommended on Oprah.com and spend quite a bit of time applying the layers of paint according to instructions on the website. I feel a little clowny, but my husband thinks it is all in my head. Still, the weight of it on my face makes me feel as if I am wearing a disguise.
And Jim? He wants to go with me to the show, and the audience wrangler sounds as if she’d prefer me to bring someone along. Unfortunately, our cat is scheduled to be neutered at the exact same time as the taping. My husband and I think about postponing the surgery, but we are warned by the vet not to wait, so Jim agrees to take one for the team. I become nervous about the prospect of going all by myself and know the fun factor won’t be as high without my partner in crime. Sadly, there isn’t any time to arrange for another companion. I am going stag.
On a cold and gray Chicago morning, I head down to the television studio. There is a small group of us invited specifically for the Shatner taping. After we check in, we’re taken upstairs to the audience waiting area. This room appears to hold several hundred people, but there are just a handful of us here now. We’re treated very nicely and offered beverages and snacks. We all carry the Star Trek memorabilia we were instructed to bring to the show. With our phasers, starship Enterprise models, and alien figurines, we certainly aren’t going to be mistaken for guests on an Oprah episode about hip trendsetters. We look more like we’d be lining up for a taping of “I Was Beaten Up in High School.”
Most of the staff who greet us upstairs are friendly and welcoming. They chat with us about Star Trek and refer to a couple of the notes we sent to request tickets for today’s taping. They are super high energy. The women I meet on the production staff are all dressed quite similarly, as if the stylists from O magazine chose their outfits this morning. It is probably the norm for most large companies to have a shared corporate culture. I’ve only seen a tiny cross-section of Oprah’s employees so far, but this society of women seems to be defined physically by neatly tailored clothes (trendy but conservative), splashy accessories, and perfectly groomed eyebrows (in opposition to the Bert look I’ve perfected).
Their body types, ages, and skin colors may vary, but their style doesn’t veer too far from center. I make a quick trip to the restroom before the show starts, and as I wash my hands I check myself out in the mirror. I giggle a bit when I realize I’m dressed in the exact same manner as everyone else upstairs. I feel a bit awkward here at the show, but at least externally, I fit right in. I wonder if it’s wrong to be comforted by this.
I head back up to my seat in the holding area. We are informed that Oprah is doing multiple shows today and are invited to watch her live interview with Valerie Bertinelli in the waiting room. As we turn our eyes to a flat-screen TV, we see Oprah ask the former child star about her weight loss secrets. She seems especially interested in the weighted vest Bertinelli wore while walking to lose 40 pounds. Winfrey tells her audience, “Let’s go get that thing.” I give a little yelp and then cover it with a cough. Just what every girl with curvature of the spine wants: to accessorize with weighted clothing.
When we are ushered into the actual studio, Oprah is heading in the opposite direction to change clothes. The Bertinelli and Shatner pieces will air on two separate days, and Winfrey must dress accordingly. On her way out, she walks past our group, says hello, and mentions something about her shoes. And I don’t know how to say this in any way that doesn’t make me sound like a creepy stalker, but she smells really nice. I avert my eyes as if somehow she’ll be able to take one look at me and I’ll pour out my life story to her, beginning with my conception and ending with Living Oprah. I am less scared about what Winfrey’s response would be if she found out about my project than I am frightened by the prospect of being jumped by her adoring fans who can’t take their eyes off her as she disappears from view.
My little group is seated two by two. A small area has been cleared for fans of the Shat (please don’t blame this nickname on me, I didn’t invent it), and we are placed in certain seats according to… what, exactly? I try to figure out how the staff decides who will be sent to the back of the house and who is placed closest to the stage. Does it have anything to do with the pictures we were asked to send or how we are dressed today? I feel as if I’m auditioning for a role, but I’m not sure what the director wants from me. I try to appear as eager, nonthreatening, and camera-friendly as possible. Clutched in my hand is a tiny alien figurine — a telepathic Talosian from the two-part episode “The Menagerie.” I rub its oversized cranium for luck. One of Oprah’s staffers taps me on the shoulder and points me toward my seat, right in the center of the second row. Victory!
I want to throw my head back and laugh. I am buzzing with energy and wish I could hear every conversation around me at once. I feel like I have infiltrated a clandestine organization: I am part anthropologist, part spy, part crazily excited to see Captain Kirk. I wait with a smile plastered across my face so large that I think my jaw might fall off. I feel important. Yes, at Security I was stripped of my iPod, my cell phone, and all the paper and pens in my purse, but it still feels good to be one of a special group in the Oprah Winfrey Show studio. The atmosphere is electric.
An employee of the show steps onstage and asks us questions about our love of all things Trek and gets us hopping with excitement to see Oprah again. I wonder if the room is being pumped full of oxygen, like they do in Vegas, to keep us bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I’m only half serious. The thrill in the crowd is all about O, not O2. Winfrey walks onstage and we all begin to clap. We are instructed to react as if we hadn’t seen her before, since this is supposed to look like a different day of taping. We all jump to our feet. The applause and cheering get louder and louder. A woman near me yells, “Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Jesus!” I’m not even Christian, but it feels blasphemous.
Some people around me are going a little too far and I get uncomfortable and choked up. I feel foolish for becoming upset, but my adrenaline is rushing and I’m on an emotional high. That’s putting it mildly. In truth, I am totally freaking out in this mob of screeching strangers. I wish my husband was here to make this a little less surreal for me. I’m wondering why everyone is falling over themselves to be seen by Oprah, and why a woman is actually thanking her Savior for this moment. And I’m wondering why I’m not brave enough to sit back down in my seat rather than reacting as if Mother Teresa, all four Beatles, Abraham Lincoln, and Gandhi have been beamed onto the stage. Instead, I take the easier route and allow myself to be swept up by the crowd.
Oprah looks as if she can’t understand why we are losing our collective mind. She repeats to us, “Get over yourselves. Get over yourselves.” I just clap and smile even bigger and hope she’ll make eye contact. What is happening to me? Why do I care? In the midst of our applause, we’re all also looking at one another, smiling, sharing our joy and amazement with each other. I’m brought back to every pep rally and homecoming I attended in high school. We are all hoping to be acknowledged by the most popular girl in school. It’s fun right now, but we’d scratch each other’s eyes out to be able to hang out with her after the big game.
Once Oprah gets us settled down and introduces William Shatner (no shouts to Jesus this time), I am surprised that during the interview she’s not always looking at him, but instead at blue cards filled with facts. We never see this part when we’re watching TV; it usually appears as if she’s deeply engrossed in conversation with her guests. Sometimes when he’s answering her questions, she’s reading and not making eye contact. Shatner doesn’t seem the least bit distracted by this, so I imagine this is the way things are done in their world. I’m eating this up. I can’t wait to see the show back in the comfort of my own living room. I love seeing the reality behind the artifice. I guess, in the world of sci-fi geekdom, you could say I’d choose the red pill.
At the end of the show I get to experience a gift giveaway live and in person! We are given a DVD set of the digitally remastered first season of the original Star Trek series. Woohoo! Set your phasers to FUN! The crowd goes crazy, even the people who were not brought in specifically for this segment. Even the people who did not raise their hands when we were asked by Oprah’s staff if we watched Star Trek. I think people are excited simply because Oprah is giving us a present. I try to gauge who will enjoy this gift and who will be auctioning it off on eBay.
Oprah leaves quickly after shooting a promo for A New Earth and her online class. I realize it’s brilliant that she makes her exit before we’re dismissed from our seats. She’d be swamped otherwise. We are told by one of the producers with gracefully arched brows that we’ll get our DVDs when we pick up our coats and personal belongings on our way out. She also urges us to visit The Oprah Store once we exit the building. We’re instructed about the boutique’s exact location, kitty-corner from the studio, lest we miss it.
The mob shuffles from the studio, most of us looking over our shoulders for one last glance at the stage, which is already being adjusted to shoot the next episode. If I could read the mind of the woman dragging her feet in front of me, I think she’d be begging, “Please don’t make me go. I want to stay forever.”
It’s a claustrophobic madhouse on the way out. We pass by a new audience, waiting to claim the seats we’ve warmed. There’s a rumor within the sea of folks leaving the Shatner show that the newbies are here to see past winners from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. A woman giggles and says, “I hope Oprah dances! Maybe she’ll do the rhuuuuuuumba.” We all laugh.
The new crowd is peppy and fun-loving, while my coviewers from the last taping have a panicky edge. Everyone really wants their free gift, and there’s no lobby for us to refill our purses with our belongings or to put on our coats, hats, and scarves before facing the frigid Chicago wind. It’s similar to the feeling of going through airport security on a busy travel day, with people behind you nudging you forward before you’ve retrieved your purse from the X-ray machine or had a moment to slip on your shoes. Strangers are talking to one another about how long it’s taken them to get tickets to the show (highest claim I overheard: nine years). Lots of women discuss their sightseeing plans for the day (there are almost a dozen mentions of the American Girl Store). Everyone is excited to shop at The Oprah Store, and I hear the word “cashmere” tossed around more than once.
The morning has run much later than I thought it would, and I have to go to a lecture at school. I decide that I’ll visit the store on my own at a later date when I can be more relaxed about time. Plus I really want to get away from the crowd. It’s exhausting to be surrounded by so many bodies, charged up to their eyeballs with frenetic energy. I imagine Oprah must have scads of people around her for much of the day. I think I’d find this energizing and draining all at the same time. I step out into the cold. The sky is brighter now, and I’ve got a skip in my step as I walk toward school. I can’t wait to show everyone my bright yellow Star Trek DVD set. I covertly turn back toward the television studio and give it the Vulcan salute as a show of respect. Live long and prosper, Oprah. Although I think you’ve got the prosper thing down pretty well already.
As an artist, writer, and performer, my main goal is to have impact on those who view or read my work. If I inspire a single conversation as a result of my writing or performance, I’ll be thrilled and honored. I can’t even fathom having the amount of impact Oprah has on her audience. In all honesty, I think it would terrify me to have such power, and I wouldn’t want to be in her Louboutins for a million bucks. I don’t have enough confidence in myself to lead a flock of women in every aspect of their lives. I could teach them yoga, some basic knitting skills, and how to drive a stick shift, but that’s about it. But Oprah has confidence to spare. She might not be an expert at everything, but she collects authorities who fit cleanly into her world. I’ve witnessed her influence grow in intensity and scope over the years but have never seen her use her power in such a history-making way as she has this year in her support of Barack Obama for Democratic candidate for president of the United States of America.
Before I discuss the presidential primaries, I feel a disclaimer is in order: I do not take my right to vote lightly. I imagine that some folks might think this of me because I placed my vote for the candidate Oprah urged us toward. I was, incidentally, waffling between two candidates before the start of this project. While Obama was one of them, Hillary Clinton was the other. When Living Oprah began, I joked that this project made my decision at the ballot box easier, but inside, I felt quite torn. I knew this would be a true test of my mission in this project: to be an extreme display of what happens when we give our power away to the media, to peer pressure, to outside sources of influence. Dressing in a certain manner, styling my home, cooking my meals, and reading books according to Oprah is one thing, but voting according to her guidance is another creature altogether. Although I felt the point of my project to be vitally important, I was scared and uncomfortable to make it.
I try to ease my inner turmoil by telling myself it’s just one vote. It won’t really count. But this is a load of S-shaped poo and I know it. I also frequently remind myself I’d probably vote for Barack Obama anyhow. I know him well as a politician as I paid close attention to his work in Chicago, and have gained great respect for him as my Illinois senator. But there is this gnawing question in the back of my brain: What would I have done if Oprah backed a candidate whom I didn’t morally or ethically believe in? Would I have been able to continue this experiment or would I have had to pull the plug? In all honesty, I got incredibly lucky on this one. I was able to fulfill an Oprah suggestion without going against what I believe in. I was able to go to my polling place and vote for the candidate I had the most faith in, while still fulfilling the rules of the project. But I’ll always wonder, what if…
I am curious how much the Oprah brand helped Barack Obama win the Democratic candidacy for president. There is always a frenzy created when Winfrey advises her audience to read a book or buy a product. Did she have the same effect on the vote on Super Tuesday? One study by economists from the University of Maryland says Oprah earned Obama more than a million votes. She also earned herself more power. The fact that people are even speculating that she swayed the election has strengthened the mythology behind her influence. She’s a self-perpetuating marketing force. What an amazing phenomenon.
It’s no secret: Oprah’s influence is deeply effective and widespread. Hers is a household name, and there is no branch of the media in which she does not demand attention and respect. And while she has a crack marketing team, I also believe that we help sustain and build her power the more we talk about it, the more university professors do studies of it, the more comedians joke about it, the more artsy-fartsy types like me do projects about it. We are a vital part of her PR machine. She sustains us with her presence, we sustain her, and the wheel keeps turning.
Photo © Jim Stevens
Enlightenment, watch out, here I come.
Photo © Jim Stevens
I whipped up Dr. Oz’s green drink in order to look and feel like a whippersnapper. It might look poisonous, but it was yummy. I finally received my white jeans. I’m immediately scared I’ll spill something on them.
Photo © Jim Stevens
My husband always says he likes my curves… lucky him… I have a few more than most other women.
February 2008 Accounting
| Date | Assignment | Cost | Time | Notes |
| 2/1 | Read O from cover to cover. (LO) | 3h 0m | Lots of yummy-looking cupcakes, but I’ve already signed my Best Life Challenge contract. Decent articles, not like many other women’s magazines I’ve read where articles are more like blurbs, with more bells and whistles than text. | |
| 2/1 | “I’m urging you to do something just for yourself….” Complete “master class” in writing from Wally Lamb. (MAG) | 0h 10m | This was sort of Writing 101. I will consider his advice as I write my blog, as it is the most public version of my private story I can tell at the moment. | |
| 2/1 | “Go with your girlfriends and then go have margaritas.” (movie 27 Dresses) (SHOW) | 30.00 | 3h 30m | We went on Februrary 15. We all felt the movie kicked feminism back 4 or 5 decades. ($10.50 movie/$19.50 at Agave Bar and Grill) |
| 2/1 | Purchase makeup (WEB) | 42.97 | 0h 20m | I haven’t worn makeup in ages. Trying to follow some how-to’s at Oprah.com. |
| 2/5 | Vote for Barack Obama. Oprah said “seize the opportunity” and vote for him. “We need Barack Obama.” (POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT) | 0h 15m | I’ve seen this replayed on TV a handful of times this year (originally from 12/07 speech in SC). | |
| 2/5 | Know what to have in the fridge and medicine cabinet if I want to stay young. (Dr Oz’s antiaging checklist) (SHOW) | 64.72 | 1h 0m | I bought what I didn’t already have in the house; lots more supplements than I normally take. |
| 2/6 | Scallops in Green Curry Sauce for dinner. (WEB) | 39.57 | 0h 45m | Prep was way labor intensive but food was way yummy. It’s approximately $25 more than we’d usually pay for the groceries to make dinner. I bought scallops on sale. That’s bad, right? |
| 2/8 | Sign up for Suze Orman’s MyFico program. (WEB/SHOW) | 49.95 | 0h 10m | Yeah! I have decent credit! I always assume the worst when I don’t have all the info about my finances. I am still scared of my own money. |
| 2/13 | Download free copy of Women and Money by Suze Orman. (SHOW) | 5h 5m | Empowering. Sort of like finances made simple for the uneducated in money. That’s me, all right. (5 minutes to download, approx. 300 minutes to read) | |
| 2/14 | “Does Your Underwear Need an Overhaul?” Use advice in article to revamp my underwear drawer. (MAG) | 58.39 | 0h 30m | I just ordered new stuff online at a discount site. I had some awful old, ginormous, stretched-out undies. Soon I will I have some that fit. Sweet! |
| 2/18 | Go to see Horton Hears a Who. (SHOW) | 8.50 | 1h 28m | Um. Blah. Even the 4-year-old daughter of my friend Dara was unimpressed. |
| 2/19 | Stop drinking diet soda. (SHOW) | 0h 0m | Not really a big deal for me anymore, although I used to live on the stuff. | |
| 2/19 | I sat in the audience of the Oprah taping featuring guest William Shatner (the Shat). (WEB) | 2h 0m | After the taping, we were told to go to The Oprah Store. I will do this on another day as I had to go to a school event. | |
| 2/20 | 10 things every woman needs to have in her closet. (SHOW) | 354.53 | 10h 55m | Breakdown: $45.96 trench; $19.00 white T-neck; $19.00 black T-neck; $59.50 white jeans ($13.95 S/H for T-necks and jeans); $33.51 tunics; $7.00 leopard-print flats; $66.65 white denim jacket (inc. SH); $49.99 dark-wash jeans (Michael Kors at Marshalls; Oprah loves MK pants); $9.99 black skirt; $9.99 oversized bag (best bargain item I found!); $19.99 black dress |
| 2/21 | Intentional Dialogue Exercise. (WEB) | 0h 20m | Had an argument with husband, so searched for solution on Oprah.com with search term “communication.” We thought this was pretty goofy, but laughing about it chilled us out. | |
| 2/21 | Read A New Earth. (SHOW/BC) | 0h 55m | No surprises here. I do like Tolle’s tone, though. | |
| 2/22 | Watch Raisin in the Sun with my family and a bowl of popcorn. (SHOW) | 0.25 | 3h 0m | I’m biased. I preferred the original – who can top S. Poitier? Popcorn was delicious, though. (25¢ for popcorn) |
| 2/25 | Get a Walkvest (weighted vest). (SHOW) | 0h 0m | This was on show with Valerie Bertinelli, who used the vest to lose weight. A student read this post and gave me his weighted vest so I don’t have to buy one! Awesome! | |
| 2/27 | “I do want you to start thinking about, as I have started thinking about, how much you consume. I mean, like every time you throw away a paper towel. Every time you are, you know, wasteful with food in your house… just think about how much you really need.” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | If anything, this is helping me save money. I’ve been much better about wasting paper towels and napkins. Also, taking shorter showers. Trying not to waste food. (O) | |
| 2/28 | “Get a lift when you come in the front door.” (MAG) | 0h 0m | I think of something to be grateful for every time I come in the front door. Plus I’ve placed photos in our entryway that always make me smile. I also get to see my happy cat when I enter, which makes me happy. (O) | |
| 2/28 | “I want you to savor every meal.” (MAG) | 0h 0m | This is great ! I am usually a vacuum cleaner of an eater. I have begun eating much more mindfully. Sometimes I have to remind myself midmeal, but I really enjoy this. Addendum: Sometimes I want to rush and feel resentful I have to savor my food. How embarrassing! (O) | |
| 2/28 | “I want you to pay attention to how happy women get that way.” (MAG) | 0h 0m | I’ve been observing women so much since this project began anyhow. This has been really interesting. (O) | |
| 2/28 | Take A Course in Miracles. (SHOW/WEB) | 0h 0m | This is a daily lesson provided on Oprah.com. Will start formally on 3/1/08. (O) | |
| 2/29 | Watch Oprah’s Big Give (with my family) and make it a party, including homemade pizzas, salad, and a special give-a-tini (virgin!) created by celeb chef Jamie Oliver. (SHOW) | 20.43 | 2h 0m | Wasn’t wild about the reality show. I’m rooting for Brandi — she has scoliosis like me! Oprah told us to watch every episode. Will do. ($20.43 for groceries I didn’t have in the house) |
| 2/29 | “Remember, it’s not just about money. It’s about what you can do for somebody else. Rally your friends, your family, neighbors, and pull off your own big give. Be creative.” (SHOW) | 5h 25m | I’m organizing a book drive. I’ve decided on the organization I’ll be donating to. I’m excited! I love books. (250 minutes organization and drop-off, 60 minutes research, 15 minutes letter writing) |
| Date | Assignment | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throughout Month | Watch every episode of Oprah. (LO) | 21h 0m | 21 episodes | |
| Throughout Month | Do Best Life Challenge exercise. (BLC) | 5h 20m | I go above and beyond the required BLC minutes but use it to stay consistent. (80 minutes a week for 4 weeks) | |
| MONTHLY TOTAL | 669.31 | 67h 8m | ||
| YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL | 1,376.32 | 165h 54m | ||
ONGOING PROJECTS
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| Accounting Abbreviations: LO = Living Oprah Project Task, SHOW = The Oprah Winfrey Show, WEB = Oprah.com, MAG = O, The Oprah Magazine, BC = Oprah’s Book Club, BLC = Best Life Challenge, (O) = ongoing project | ||||
Photo © Jim Stevens
I finally received my white jeans. I’m immediately scared I’ll spill something on them.
Blog: This is the blog (containing photos) of some of the “ten things every woman should have in her closet” in March chapter: http://www.livingoprah.com/2008/03/at-long-last.html