If my coworkers are wondering why I'm walking kind of like a duck today (waddle, waddle), it's because I did a half marathon yesterday in Knoxville. The forecast called for rain at the start line, but I consider myself and the 2,000 or so participants lucky that the rain didn't start until I hit mile 12. It made for a very wet, cold and overall miserable final mile (and walk back to the car), but the race was fun and gave a beautiful view of a city I decided I need to visit more often.

The finish line was on the 50-yard line of Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennessee, which would be exciting for most Tennessee residents, but not for this Vanderbilt fan/alum. I proudly wore my Vanderbilt shirt and hat as I trotted into the end zone. (I think there's a joke somewhere in there about Vanderbilt football being really bad, but I love my school too much to make it.)

In all seriousness, I really enjoyed being a part of this wellness event that also included a Kids Fun Run. It was a reminder of why the work I do during the day with HealthTeacher is so important -- and rewarding.

After a few days at my parents' house in Louisville, Ky., I'll be back in Nashville and available if you need me starting Monday, Dec. 28.

If you need something, please email me at lanthony@hammock.com--I'll be checking my email every day.

I'll officially be back in the office bright and early Jan. 4!

Happy Holidays!

Today, I opened up a FedEx envelope labeled "Extremely Urgent" and out jumped a bag of chocolate-covered grasshoppers. Since I'm a pretty picky eater, I didn't even waste time pondering whether I would eat one. Instead, I walked down the hall and asked everyone I passed if they'd like to try one.

One by one, I got turned down—until I entered Bill Hudgins' office, who jumped at the chance. After we picked out a sufficiently chocolaty one for him, he popped it in his mouth, declared it tasty and started jumping towards me (like a grasshopper). John Lavey walked by and saw the commotion and I offered him one, too.

As John opened his grasshopper wrapper, he told the story of how he once ate six cicadas as a bet. The prospect of eating a grasshopper — especially one covered in chocolate — did not faze him, and he ate it as though he had just popped an after-dinner mint.

Counting only Bill and John among the brave but determined to find more, I went back to the art department to challenge Ben Stewart. A few minutes of peer pressure was all it took—he was digesting grasshopper in no time.

I have two left! Any takers?

Oh, and it's a commendable marketing campaign. The second I opened that FedEx envelope, Grasshopper (a phone service company for small businesses) had my attention.

This week, I cleaned off my desk, read all the mail I've gotten recently and started responding to all the query e-mails I've received from freelancers and publicists over the past six weeks. I'm not proud to say that these things don't happen on a regular basis, but that's the reality of my job.

It's so fast-paced sometimes around here that I can't seem to make time for the little things like this—and so when I do, it genuinely feels like a new beginning.

And I love new beginnings, so this is probably the way it's going to stay!

What do you reach for when you need an afternoon pick-me-up?
I always pack a Clif Z-Bar for the afternoon. The packaging says it's made for kids, but I'm pretty sure they meant kids and Lena. I'd seriously jump off a cliff if Clif stopped making them. Get it?

Do you doodle while on the phone or in meetings?
I don't doodle on the phone but I often find myself jazzing up the letters at the top of a meeting agenda. In a weird way, I think it keeps me focused.

What communications medium helps you the most during the day?
E-mail, e-mail, e-mail, did I mention e-mail? It also creates an organized paper trail for those times when I'm drawing a complete blank on something, which leads me to the next question...

How do you refocus if you're having trouble concentrating or getting the creativity flowing?
Knocking out a mindless task helps me refocus. So does refilling my water glass. Or telling Jamie a knock-knock joke. I've also figured out that some days just aren't meant for creativity, and that's OK. And then some days it's like, "Whoa, brain, where are these awesome headlines coming from?!"

What is the last thing you do before leaving the office each evening?
I don't have an end-of-day ritual, although I guess it should be "turn off my computer." I read somewhere that would save gobs of money and energy. It would probably also give my computer fan a rest.