squared T

old as shit?

2011-08-30T16:06:00.000-05:00

I'm 30 today.

This is what I got via text from my brother (age 33).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Now you're old as shit like the rest of us...

So kind.

99 problems

2011-08-29T15:58:00.000-05:00

Hi. I'm not dead. This past six months have been a whirlwind to say the least and I kind of forgot that I occasionally write on a blog. At times it has felt as though nothing was going the way it should, that I was the punchline of some sick cosmic joke. I will not go into details, because I'm just plain sick of all of this. I am tired of being exhausted, overwhelmed, and anxious about what is coming next. I'll simply say that things have been difficult both personally and professionally for me and the man. I am getting through it. He is getting through it. We are getting through it. Together. Which is where I'm glad to be. I would like for things to be easier for us (in terms of health, wealth, and familial obligation), but being together is something.

I am thankful for my friends, family, all of the voluntary members of my support system. You are fabulous. I appreciate those who have reached out to me, wondering once again why I have dropped off the grid. I'll be responding as soon as I feel like I have my head far enough above water to carry on a complete conversation without spewing anger at my situation. Anger, I've found, is an even uglier bitch than revenge. And she's pretty fucking ugly.

There are so many things I can look at and think "I'm so lucky." Work is very stressful, but I'm doing quite well here (despite the common problems one faces at work). My family is healthy. The man and I are in love. But there are also a lot of unknowns right now that, for lack of a better word, really suck.

I'm coping. I'm coping better this week than the last. I have new found perspective. Perhaps that is the wisdom that comes with age. The knowledge that being an adult is hard. The understanding that this too shall pass.

I turn 30 tomorrow. August 30. Golden birthday. With the price of gold these days, I wish there was some sort of "Cash for Gold-en birthdays" thing going on. There isn't. As you may have guessed, my "thirty before 30" list has not been a priority these past few months. I'm getting better at cutting myself some slack, so an arbitrary goal list like that is the least of my worries right now. I give myself a big pat on the back for coming to that realization and for not putting undue pressure on myself. Look at me, I'm growing despite my type A tendencies!

In fact, I don't really even care about turning 30, except that it means I've over-worked and over-stressed away the summer. I'm focusing on the positives. This is a new decade in my life. Things really aren't so bad. I'm going to live it up and try to be positive about the things to come. I'm sick of fear of the unknown. I'm tired of being lulled into inaction because the thought of more negative consequences is staggering. Things will get better.

While my "problems" are still overwhelming and I have yet to satiate whatever/whomever is in charge of this segment of my life, I have faith that karma will be equally unrelenting when the good that I've been trying to put out into the universe finally comes back around to shoot rainbows and sunshine and sparkle dust in my direction.

In the meantime, I've got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one.

This Hugo cover of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" has been in my head for two days and it is actually the impetus behind this post. Video isn't my fave, but the song is great. Maybe just listen and don't watch. You're welcome.

new pets, please?

2011-03-21T11:51:00.001-05:00

This was too awesome not to share - cheered me up on a crappy day. Which reminds me, I should probably share some of the shit that has gone on over the past months.

you're so damn hot

2011-03-11T10:17:00.002-06:00

Another band, another song, another video. This one is OK Go's "You're So Damn Hot."

werewolves

2011-03-10T08:18:00.003-06:00

As you probably have gleaned from previous posts, I love The Damnwells. They just came out with a new album No One Listens To The Band Anymore which is available to purchase here. It's wonderful.

Here's a video of Alex Dezen performing the song "Werewolves," which is also great. (The video is done in one run-through of the song, from 4 camera angles.)

SerialBox Presents: THE DAMNWELLS from The Serial Box on Vimeo.

i fail - but i think it is a good thing

2010-10-13T12:22:00.000-05:00

-5

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take the test!

someone is happy it’s friday

2010-10-08T12:06:00.003-05:00

As you can see, Jammer is very happy that the weekend is finally within reach. My parents are coming to visit – a working weekend, where I will use them to help me clean, paint, and move furniture. This means help for me and the man, and more love for the pets. And my parents get to see me, which makes them happy. Happy all around.

two more days

2010-09-28T07:27:00.003-05:00

The roommate is moving all of his crap furniture tomorrow. I'm assuming that means he will be done moving by Wednesday night (and that we may be lucky enough to not even see him on Thursday)...but that is an assumption and we all know that assumptions often bite us in the ass.

In the meantime, the satellite guy is coming from DirecTV on Friday to get us all hooked up with a new dish, etc. That is exciting, though we are going to have to manage without HBO for the foreseeable future, given our desire to spend less than we earn. That is a small trade-off, considering we are about to gain a ton of space and privacy.

On the health front, I still have walking pneumonia and an upper respiratory infection - though I am hoping they are on their way out. I plan to work all week, leaving early if I need to, since I still only feel about 50% better. We've got a lot to do this weekend, so I'm hoping that the good health gods smile upon me soon.

plans

2010-09-24T08:44:00.006-05:00

So, now that it is officially happening, the roommate is leaving, taking his awfully disgusting, tasteless, and fugly belongings along with him, the man and I will finally be able to put together the downstairs of our house like we want. The reason why the roommate had "design rights" for the main floor of the house is because he had furniture and the man didn't (I wasn't living in WI when the man moved into the house, so I had no say whatsoever). This is mainly because the man had had his home burn down a few years earlier and had lost most of his stuff. He then lived with roommates and didn't need to procure any other stuff. All of this amounts to us living in a house with random, ugly, bachelor-looking crap. (obviously we're in the midst of the exodus...we didn't allow him to keep the space looking this all-out nasty all of the time)

This is the huge beige monstrosity that dictates the layout of our main living space. It will be leaving:

Oh, and the roommate also had a gigantic tv that he recently pushed into the entryway alcove because he doesn't have any friends to help him move it out (and he won't ask us...apparently he gets the impression that we don't care).

Here is the ugly dining set that may be comfy, but is pretty much just over-sized and out of place:

I apologize for the blurry photo - trying to snap pics between coughing fits isn't that easy. (see previous post for explanation)

I cannot wait for this shit to be gone. Keep in mind that not all of our stuff is a whole lot better, considering that I like vintage pieces, and modern pieces, and have not much monies to spend on furniture. However, I am confident that I will be much happier and more comfortable in a space that I throw together.

A couple things in the space are ours, but these spaces will be changing drastically in the next few weeks, that is for sure.

And the countdown continues...

seven days...

2010-09-23T11:58:00.003-05:00

Fab news...it is officially one week (well, 7 days + a matter of hours) until we will be rid of our unwanted houseguests/roommate.

In other news...I am off to the doctor to see about the case of walking death I seem to have come down with. I've had a "cold" for a week and it doesn't seem to be letting up. I don't remember having been sick like this before and am hoping that the doctor can give me something to help me get over it.

More news and details to come.

Update: Walking pneumonia. I'm on antibiotics now, hope to be better soon. I'll need all the energy I have to clean up the roommate's spaces, paint, reorganize the kitchen, move furniture, etc., etc., etc. next weekend.

rabbit

2010-09-13T12:47:00.003-05:00

I'm in love with a new band. Lucky for me, I fall in love with music easily. Lucky for you, I share some of my musical affairs here. Note: this really isn't a music video, just a photo w/ music, but I love this song and wanted to share it.

Have a listen to more of their music here: http://www.myspace.com/saverabbit. Also available on iTunes and Amazon.

28 in 28: how did i do?

2010-09-03T10:04:00.003-05:00

paint the living/dining room – pending – paint has been purchased and is ready to go – will do after roommate's departure – see #27
throw a big party – COMPLETE – did this for Halloween
read 10 books of my own choosing – COMPLETE (half were about greyhounds, but I chose that topic)
bake an apple pie from scratch, including the crust – COMPLETE – thought it was a strawberry rhubarb pie instead of apple
plant that big ol' vegetable garden I keep pining for – COMPLETE – not as large as I’d wanted, but not too shabby either
finally hang the curtains in the living/dining room – pending – see #27
take a "family" photo in a snowstorm – FAIL
get another tattoo (or two) – FAIL
join a gym - COMPLETE – best decision ever
whole-heartedly commit to daily exercise (work out at least 4 days a week - no ifs, ands, or buts) – ONGOING – I'm really happy with this goal: feeling much better, not seeing visible results, but living with less pain
pay off my credit card debt - pending – setbacks and unexpected medical bills threw a wrench in this one, but am getting back on track
go to Ikea – COMPLETE – went twice, and actually bought stuff the second time
finish my thesis, get it conferred, shut the book on that damned project – PARTIALLY COMPLETE – all that is left is the defense
visit Kristen in Door County (before she finds a fabulous new job and leaves) – VOID – she already left for a new job...I have, however visited her in the places she has lived since
fix the ding in my windshield before it cracks – COMPLETE – actually had to do this twice
make at least one home-cooked meal each week, regardless of the roommate's whereabouts – COMPLETE – it happened, but not necessarily well
get new tires for the car – COMPLETE – it was pricey, but I did it before the first snowfall
visit my nephews and the new baby at least twice – COMPLETE – have seen them three times
go to some sort of professional development that I actually find useful – COMPLETE – have attended four useful conferences
cardio – even though I despise it, I will do cardio at least 3 days per week (my cardiologist and my physical therapist will finally be happy) – COMPLETE – reluctantly plugging away at this one, and am doing cardio each day I go to the gym
complete the landscaping around the perimeter of the house – COMPLETE – expansions will likely occur, but the perimeter is finished
make a calendar for our family members – it will be funny, the man and I have discussed it for a couple years – COMPLETED – and we've begun a calendar for 2011
take another college class – PENDING – I am, however, taking a couple community-based short-courses not at college level
send/give thank-you cards for each gift given – COMPLETED – not including birthday gifts I've just received
six-pack abs, or something close to that without being too manly – PENDING – not quite a six-pack yet, but definitely closer
write to my grandmother at least once per month – FAIL – didn't do it every month, but was well over 50%
make the transition away from having a roommate – FAIL – I’m glad that murderous rampage wasn't on my list, because I surely would have completed it. Roommate is draining my will to live, one day at a time – oh, and he had a mini-nervous breakdown and has guilted the man into not throwing him out just yet. We won’t get into that right now.
complete three NaBloPoMo month-long blog runs – FAIL – I find this to be nearly impossible, as I like to go weekends without turning on my computer

28 things I did in my 28th year

2010-09-03T09:55:00.003-05:00

This isn't my goal list from the past year, but it is a list of accomplishments, which is ultimately better in my opinion, because the word "FAIL" doesn't show up in this one.

I chopped off all my hair again.
I got new glasses.
I created a new ottoman.
I developed an affinity for New Glarus Totally Naked beer.
The man and I became official domestic partners (at least official in the eyes of my employer and health ins. company).
I got a new laptop.
I finished planting around the perimeter of the house.
We were "adopted" by a new cat. His name is Chuck Norris.
I thrifted (or bought at extremely discounted prices) nearly all the items we needed for our “new” house.
The man and I bought a car – together.
I had great evenings spent with wonderful friends.
I created a new coffee table.
I added a niece to my list of loved ones.
I said goodbye (for now) to my oldest friend.
I finally began to see my parents as people, not just parents...people who I would love whether they created me or not.
I went through a terrifying health scare with the man.
I made a homemade pie.
I finished my chair makeover.
I fell in love with the man all over again.
I had a no-spend month (moratorium on spending).
I joined a gym.
I started wearing heels again.
I pared down my closet and donated things to charity.
I threw a big birthday party for the man (he helped).
I paid off one of my student loans.
I embraced the fact that I cannot commit to blogging daily without going batshit crazy.
I learned my “personality type” according to Myers-Briggs.
I realized that I’m far too young to not be having more fun – hello, 29, we’re going to tear up the town.

birthday cupcake - and it's orange!

2010-09-02T14:45:00.003-05:00

I work with a wonderful group of people. One of them made me this for my birthday:

It was delicious AND it was the biggest cupcake I've ever seen. She was nice enough to pose it next to a normal-sized cupcake for comparison sake.

another awesome youtube vid

2010-08-26T13:24:00.002-05:00

If you haven't watched Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, then you are missing out. If you watch it here, then you will no longer be missing out:

another band i really like

2010-08-25T09:56:00.003-05:00

I've been listening to a lot of The Damnwells lately. They haven't become mainstream, but they are quite good. Their music is somewhat moody and it fits my frame of mind lately, which is likely why I have three of their albums on repeat as I write this.

This is their video for the song "Sleepsinging," which I believe is the only real music video they've done, though I could be wrong. I must admit that I'm not so much a fan of the video as of their music.

If you are interested in getting more from The Damnwells, you can find their music on iTunes, but it is actually (and unfortunately) cheaper to get their cds on Amazon (including shipping). Check them out if you like alt-rock/country type music.

who's that knocking? oh yeah, it's the end of my twenties.

2010-08-24T15:57:00.005-05:00

When you are happily unmarried, you don't want kids, and you live in the house you want to live in forever, what else is there to look forward to? Material things? Trips? Really, I want to know.

I'm career-minded, but not to the point that I'm going to put in 80 hour weeks to climb the corporate ladder - hell, there's a reason I work for a non-profit and it isn't money or power.

I look forward to purchasing a new couch, projects around the house, hanging out with the man for the next 50 or so years. I look forward to my niece and nephews growing up, but I'm in the periphery on that one.

A lot of the people I know have kids, are trying to have kids, want kids, etc. I think I'm struggling with the prospect that my endeavors seem small by comparison. I'm not trying to "make life," I'm trying to make my life into something. I'm nearly 29 and I'm still trying to figure out what that something is. 28 has given me perspective. Now I need direction.

words and beauty

2010-08-12T14:20:00.002-05:00

This is fabulous:

i bought stuff - in may, not recently

2010-07-13T13:03:00.012-05:00

I bought a bunch of stuff at Ikea in May. I had a pretty good list going in, and as the worthless, assbag of a roommate and his dirt-faced tumor (aka girlfriend - seriously, I've heard him call her "dirtface" himself) should be moving out in the next couple months, I may actually be able to use the stuff I bought.

You likely have no idea how much it sucks to have all of these new things stacked in the laundry room, waiting for the bane of my existence to finally pack up his shit and leave. Ahem, it has not happened yet, despite indirect and very direct insistence on my part. Unfortunately, when someone has pervaded nearly every area of your property and spewed random objects willy-nilly, it becomes more complicated to "kick" them out.

Anyway, back to my shiny new treasures (well, they aren't "new" anymore, but they are still unused). I know some people are snobs and say that Ikea is for divorcees and college students, neither of which I am, and at this point I will tell those people to just suck it. I like Ikea and I can afford Ikea, which makes it even better.

Anyway, here's what I purchased for the kitchen:

This is the Norbo wall table. This table will become our new "kitchen table." We have some space for a small dinette set in our kitchen. Currently, our hand-me-down dining table is occupying that space right, but when that gets relocated to the dining room, we'll have some space for the good ole Norbo. I like it because we can put it at counter height and use it as a breakfast bar (when it is just the two of us) and then when we host parties, it can be folded down and replaced with a larger table. Call me Ms. Smartypants. Along with a table, generally one finds chairs. In this case, two stools:

Enter the Anssi bar stool. These are stackable, which makes them absolutely perfect. Oh, and they are cheap, but still kind of look reasonably un-cheap.

This might not be as awesome to anyone else as it is to me. One wouldn't think it was so difficult to find a suitable knife block, but it is (if you are unwilling to spend $50+ on a block of wood in which to store cutlery). I've been looking for a knife block that would accomodate the carefully-selected collection of knives in my possession for quite some time (ahem, 4 months). I've been to a myriad of stores in the flesh and online, all to no avail. I finally stopped perusing Amazon and finer shopping establishments and looked at Ikea for a suitable option, and have purchsed this: Say hello to the Reträtt knife block. It's tall, but that is a good thing because I have some wasted space next to the stove where I need some height (the cabinet above is wider than the stove, and it looks a bit off).

I also picked up some other kitchen-y odds and ends, which I will not bore you with. Perhaps this has already bored you, but when you are in a position such as mine where retail therapy is on hiatus, talking about things you've previously purchased are as close as one gets to release.

I bought some other non-kitchen things, which will be share with you all when I do a major reveal of the house, post-roommate exodus. I'm planning to take a full week off from work (a first for me) to get the house in order, and am super-excited about it. Crossing my fingers that it will be before my birthday, but am not holding out that much hope.

life list: bask in the amazingness of my domesticity

2010-07-08T19:08:00.010-05:00

Goals, you'd better take cover. I'm on a fucking role. I'm knocking shit off my life list and my 28 goals for my 28th year left and right.

And this whole anti-spending kick...I'm kicking its ass and taking its name. I've been a goddess of domesticity and spend all of my time doing stuff around the house or going to the gym (more time at home than at the gym because I'm not psychotic, just poor).

My new computer has a memory card slot, so I'm finally able to share with you the fruits of my labor (let's just say that even though I've been cleaning, the connector for the camera is still missing). Anyway, there are a ton of pics I've been wanting to share with you, but have not been able...until now (like how the ellipses keep popping up? just wait, there's more).

Here is something ooey and gooey and delicious that I whipped up using fresh, homegrown rhubarb from my parents' place and farmers' market strawberries.

So now I can cross this off my life list. See that lattice crust? I did that...on my first ever pie from scratch. And it tasted delicious. I could hardly believe it. But then again, why wouldn't I believe it. I was wearing an apron...isn't that the prerequisite for superb baking?

Yes, it is retro...yes it is fabulous. No, I didn't color coordinate the tank top - God did. He was very excited about the pie, I guess.

There is more to come tomorrow.

my precious

2010-07-02T19:14:00.006-05:00

This is my first post from my new laptop, which arrived in the mail last night. It was a gift from my unbelievably giving parents, despite my authentic disagreement that they should spend the money on me. It is a Toshiba Satellite A500 something-or-other and it is very fast and very pretty.

Unfortunately, there was a "power glitch" which radiated a high-pitched, incessant beeping noise from the computer when I first powered it up. It took a very nice customer service rep 30 minutes to diagnose and help me fix, but now things are smooth-sailing and I'm really happy.

Funny thing is, Cat Named Jack loved the sound and proceeded to rub his face all over the edge of the laptop, getting very angry when I tried to pry him away (to the point where he bit my upper arm a couple times - not hard, but enough to prove a point). He seemed a bit confused, but not too unhappy when the sound went away.

This moratorium on spending isn't all that bad when you have a new toy to play with. I bought some groceries (necessities) for the man before I left for my parents', but other than that and gasoline, so far so good on the anti-spending month.

july 2010 goal: moratorium on spending

2010-07-01T08:20:00.003-05:00

I’m pretty frugal, all-in-all, but there have been a few things happening to our happy little twosome over the past few months which have thrown my frugality into a tailspin. We've had two major vehicle issues and I won’t bore you with the rest of our unplanned expenditures, but I’ll tell you that there were many and they sucked both my enthusiasm for shopping and my bank account dry.

As a result of the monetary shit-storm of the past few months, I've been looking at my personal budget once again and find it even more vital that I pay off my credit cards as soon as humanly possible. I am sick of paying for something that I don’t use and I don’t like having a revolving balance to remind me of the stupidity of my youth. I've decided to impose a moratorium on any and all unnecessary expenditures. Here is my plan.

I’m going to continue to pay my bills as I normally do, including:

Student/Consolidation loans
Rent
Cell phone/Internet
Credit card
Auto loan
Insurance

As for the rest of my monthly expenses, these all need to fit into a budget of $250 for the month of July:

Gasoline
Groceries
Dining out/Entertainment
Shopping (haircuts, home improvement, pet stuff, etc.)

This will help me to separate my “needs” from my “wants.” Of course, if some sort of emergency arises, I’ll have to pay for it, but $250 will easily cover the rest. I could really get by with only spending $150, but I need to be realistic and remember that I have already planned a trip to visit my family up north and that I'm required to go to a conference in Denver for work at the end of the month. Luckily, I'll be reimbursed for the conference trip expenses, but I am allowing myself some leeway since I've never been to Denver before and I might as well enjoy the only so-called vacation I'll be taking this year (I'm budgeting $50 for the trip to Denver, not including reimbursable expenses like food and cab fare).

I’ll keep you updated as to my progress throughout the month.

things i did on "vacation"

2010-06-18T16:28:00.004-05:00

weeded the garden
kept myself from buying more plants
ate a lot of nachos
went disc golfing
hung out with the man - a lot
watched a few movies
watched a couple Y&R episodes
researched new laptops
picked up the new Jack Johnson cd
cleaned the garage
worked from home, despite being on vacation
had (yet another) conversation with the roommate re: him moving out
picked up a new (used) pair of shoes
fixed the curtains in the den
ate a lot of cheese popcorn
went to the courthouse
walked around by the capital
reconfigured downstairs floor plan on floorplanner.com
attempted to find lost camera-to-computer cables
ate Chinese food
ate a lot of popsicles
played with the dog (numerous times)

favorite things: 1

2010-06-16T15:34:00.005-05:00

I like to snack. I snack mainly because I go through a couple days a week when I don't really have an appetite or feel like eating. (Perhaps that is because I snack.) Luckily, there is always a combination of food that I feel like eating. I must admit that there are two staples that must be in our house at all times. Fresca and Old Dutch cheese popcorn.

I go through at least one large bag per week. Luckily, the popcorn is air popped and a good source of fiber (and significantly healthier than potato chips).

I wash it down with Fresca. For some reason, I never get sick of it. Since I can't have caffeine, if I don't feel like drinking water, this is what I turn to.

Why am I posting this? Why do you care? Well, I'm going to be posting some of my favorite things in the next few weeks, and this is where I'm starting.

Now I'm going to head back outside to soak up some sunshine while we still have it.

vacation day 1 - definitely no picnic

2010-06-15T22:00:00.003-05:00

Today was far from relaxing. Multiple hours spent "working" from home off-the-clock. A few really sad moments due to the grieving process. Much rain and humidity causing an all-around sense of yuck. I am very optimistic that tomorrow will be better and have a goal of not checking work e-mail until Monday (unless I hear through the grapevine that shit is hitting the fan).

Also, I'm trying to persuade the man to go strawberry-picking with me (so far, no such luck). I want to go to the beach, weather permitting. I want to eat grilled chicken (that I don't cook myself). I want to listen to live music and drink cold beer. I want to go disc-golfing. I want to eat Babcock ice cream.

I'm pretty easy to please, so let's hope this week doesn't disappoint as much as the first day.

days off, yippee!

2010-06-14T19:35:00.003-05:00

Today was a 10+ hour day at work. I'm emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted after the events of the past couple days. But, good news: I have the rest of the week off from work! I'm very excited. The man has a couple days off as well, so I plan on putting him to work for part of the time (so many projects around the house) and perhaps going on a day trip later in the week.

I should have more time to post this week and hope to get some more photos up. Since I don't have much for you tonight, I will leave you with this wonderful video:

Enjoy!

sad day

2010-06-13T14:40:00.003-05:00

I just found out today that my dear, dear friend passed away in her sleep last night. Her name was Emily and she was the most amazing 90-something year-old women you could ever meet. She was my babysitter from birth through kindergarten and she was one of the most influential people in making me into a strong woman.

Emily's life began in Chicago (which she loved) and eventually led to her living in the northwoods of Wisconsin. It wasn't until her 50s that she was freed from her bad marriage and became the Emily that I knew. She taught me never to settle, to know who I want to be and to strive for my goals. She told me that I was important, and that I should never put myself behind a man. She taught me the importance of earning and deserving love, and of giving that love freely when it is also deserved. She taught me that I am independent, but that it isn't wrong to depend on others.

She was my neighbor, an additional grandmother, a confidant, and a friend to me and I am devastated that she is gone, but happy that she was able to spend her last months with her adoring daughters. I will miss her and love her forever.

the sofa has been chosen

2010-06-12T12:46:00.003-05:00

I have finally found our perfect sofa. We had the following criteria:

modern/contemporary
not overstuffed
not leather or microfiber
loose cushions
back must be high enough to rest head on
wide arms, but not rolled
grey-ish in color
removable cover (preferable)
and, of course, comfortable

After looking at seven different furniture stores, I faced the realization that what I wanted would cost over $1000. This was not at all feasible. Luckily, I had not yet physically looked at Ikea...I know what you are thinking, but not all Ikea furniture is for divorcees or college students. This KIVIK sofa fit all of our agreed-upon criteria.

It has memory foam in the cushions, so it is really comfy and the back cushions are high enough for the man (in my opinion). We just have to save up the rest of the money and then we'll go pick it up. I know that they deliver, but since the man hasn't actually sat on the sofa himself, he needs to do that before we spend the money.

I'm super-excited about it and knowing what we want makes it even harder to wait for the roommate's departure. It is, however, good to have things to look forward to.

must see: the fall

2010-06-11T21:45:00.003-05:00

I just watched a good movie, surprisingly good actually (Netflix sometimes steers me wrong): The Fall. It was fanciful and heartwarming and endearing, all wrapped into one. Beautiful scenery, fight scene choreography, cinematography, and storytelling:

...not to mention that I've loved Lee Pace since he was the weirdo, academic brother in Wonder Falls. See it and love it...and if you don't like it, then don't tell me (because I don't want to hear it).

grow your own

2010-06-10T08:33:00.004-05:00

With all of the negative effects of the oil spill, you may be feeling helpless. I find myself watching the news and listening to radio reports, wishing I could contribute more or fly down to help. I'm not in a position to send thousands of dollars to the effort, but I can help the environment in small ways by relying less on store-bought veggies/herbs and doing a better job of taking care of the the plot of earth that is in my stead. I'm going to grow some of my own vegetables and avoid using any chemicals on my gardens, supplementing what I can do by shopping locally. By doing so, I'm going to be able to spend less on gasoline. In addition, BP is no longer receiving my business.

If you are also wanting to help in small ways and make yourself healthier at the same time (planting your own vegetables, using a rain barrel for watering gardens, becoming independent of pesticides, etc.), check out this site (http://growindie.com/):

Whether you are a container gardener or have acres of veg growing on your property, this site will either help you get started or share some new ideas to add to your repertoire. Every small thing we do for our environment helps. It helps us and our Earth and everything that resides here. Tell your friends about what you plan to do; pass along the motivation and ideas to make a difference.

BP, you should be ashamed of yourselves

2010-06-09T14:17:00.006-05:00

I have avoided talking about BP and the oil spill in the Gulf until now. I think it is absolutely absurd that BP was so totally ill-prepared and that the government has not stepped in and fixed the problem and then handed BP the bill. It makes my blood pressure raise whenever anything about this issue comes up.

We are the United States. We can pull off some pretty awesome shit. For example, when there is a problem at a space station and lives are in danger, we rally and get some people up there to fix the problem/save the people lickety-split. Why the hell are we not doing that now? That question has yet to be addressed. I am also upset that Obama is looking for "whose asses to kick" instead of focusing on the major issue of stopping the irreparable damage that is taking place each minute we let the leak keep spewing oil.

This video is so, so sad and sheds light on how ignorant and apathetic BP (as a corporation) is being throughout this whole catastrophe:

How about we fix the problem first. We all know who to point fingers at. Accountability should come in to play after we find a solution.

damn you Josh Groban

2010-06-08T20:40:00.003-05:00

So...after hearing a few of my coworkers rave about Glee for what seems like ever, I flipped over to it about 10 minutes in tonight...and who was there? Who was the first person I saw? Who made some sort of crazed hyena-face at the camera? JOSH GROBAN.

Some of you may remember how I feel about Josh Groban (see here). Granted, that feeling was heightened considerably after the second time through the album, which an inconsiderate soul was playing outside my office one day a few years ago.

Needless to say, I flipped away from Glee and did not flip back.

tattoo, tat-two?

2010-06-07T19:03:00.004-05:00

I think I've found my next tattoo - or two. I am going to go with two swallows, facing each other on my ribs. This is the style I'm planning on going for:

Why a Swallow? Well, we have a few families of Swallows who share our property each year and they are pretty cool birds. Also, they're old-school tattoos that sailors used to get (I like that they have history). But more importantly, they are symbols of love and loyalty, as this snippet from Wikipedia explains, "The swallow also represents love, care, and affection toward family and friends, showing the loyalty of the person always returning to them." I think that is pretty cool and I've been having a bird fascination lately. I don't see these tattoos as things I'd get bored of, which is of supreme importance.

However, the tattoos are serving as an incentive for me to get some shit done. If I get the crapload of stuff done that I need to do in a specific timeline, then we will throw some money into the tattoos.

The man has a hankering for a new tattoo as well, not sure what he'll be going for. I'm trying to convince him to get my name tattooed on his chest, but he doesn't find it as amusing as I do.

the perfect shade of grey

2010-06-06T18:25:00.003-05:00

I found the color for our living room/dining room walls - finally. I've been going around-and-around with a few different colors, but today I stopped at the Benjamin Moore color center and came across this:

This is the Benjamin Moore color "Englewood Cliffs," and I have finally found the perfect grey-blue that will work with the woodwork and flooring.

Now, I just need to get the dickbag roommate and his on-again lazy girlfriend to move the hell out so I can get to work. With as well as that project is going, perhaps I should hold off on buying the paint for a couple weeks...

my color personality - take the quiz

2010-06-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

I just took a color personality quiz (http://www.testcolor.com/). These are my results, which I find quite interesting, yet not scientific. It's a fun way to waste a few minutes of your day.

My Profile :

You are 53 % extrovert and 47 % introvert.

Independently of any order of importance :

You are dynamic, your actions are only directed by your own will and you know how to lead people.

You are also intellectual and intelligent, you wonder and you inquire before taking any action.

Finally you are creative, you always have new ideas, and your inspiration comes from the inside.

another friend is gone

2010-06-04T07:27:00.005-05:00

Rue McClanahan passed away yesterday at the age of 76. As you may know, my own darling Rue-cat is partially named after Rue McClanahan (my Rue and Blanche share a common trait - a need and demand for attention and tendency to throw themselves at anyone willing to show them some love). I'm very saddened by her passing and want to share one of my favorite Blanche moments with you.

This is the way I remember Blanche: a quick-thinking, lust-loving, dramatic diva.

Thank you, Rue, for all of the laughter and education you've given me over the years. I was fascinated by your portrayal of Blanche before I knew what any of the double entendres even alluded to, and you've been making me laugh for as long as I can remember.

Good-bye, my dear friend.

random question thursday: it's back and about as good as it ever was

2010-06-03T09:51:00.001-05:00

My question for you to ponder today is this: Is there anything that you excel at in one aspect of your life, that you suck at in another aspect of your life? What can you do to bring your suckiness up to par? (ooooh, two questions, wow. I bet you didn't see that one coming.)

For example, I am pretty good about working on deadlines at work, however, I am sucking at meeting my goals in my personal life. At work, things seem to go rather smoothly (by smooth I mean there are a lot of fires to put out and I can wield my hose like a champ. no double entendre intended). At home, I get to things when I get to them. I take on too many things and often don't finish things I start very quickly unless there is a clear instantly gratifying result. At work I have to do it or I lose my job. At home, not so much.

One thing I'm doing to try to get my ass in gear is going on http://www.joesgoals.com/ and updating my success/failure on a daily basis. Joe's Goals is a goal monitoring site. I feel more accountable when I see a calendar with check marks on it for all the stuff I've accomplished. What can I say, I was the kid in class who really, really viewed that gold star sticker as a major incentive. Also, by putting my goals on this here blog, I feel somewhat more accountable as well. Accountability is the main issue. Also, procrastination...which is an ongoing battle. There are always so many things that I want to do more than the things I'm supposed to be doing. I need to get over that, but that is a topic for another day.

june 2010 goals - aka lay off the lays, work out the working out

2010-06-02T07:22:00.003-05:00

I have some pretty lofty goals this month, as I'm gearing up to the big 2-9 at the end of August. They are signficant to me, even though they may seem a bit quotidian to most people, but it is damn hard to avoid the chips and dip and drag my ass to the gym every morning at 4:30AM. And that is my first world, spoiled rant for the day. Here are my goals for June:

six-pack abs, or at least a little more tone - I'm hitting the gym at least 5x per week and am going to up the cardio a bit. The doc wants to make sure I'm getting enough protein, which brings us to goal #2
food re-do - I need to start eating more consciously again, which means I need to re-focus on protein. We're doing really well on eating local foods, but the junk food is still an issue
plant my vegetable garden - depending on finances, this may be more of a container vegetable garden, but we shall see
get a date on the roommate's departure - like I mentioned yesterday, seems he is "on a break" (really? what are you in high school? or an episode of Friends? who does that?) with his equally lazy-ass girlfriend, so I'm sure he'll start avoiding the moving out topic

That's it for June. Let's see how it goes.

may 2010 goals update

2010-06-01T18:31:00.002-05:00

I didn't do too badly on my May goals, right around 80%. Above average is alright for now.

order glass for console table - fail. this has been lowered on my priority list.
finish my library book before it is due - complete
complete ottoman upholstery project - complete
get car tire repaired - complete
get car checked out at repair shop (and pray that there is nothing really expensive wrong with it) - complete. this was done with the man's help. I also had to get a tire repaired and my oil changed. May was not a cheap month for the car.
secure a date that the roommate will move out - "summer" isn't very descriptive (addendum: do not throw roommate's shit out of the house and onto the lawn in a moment of unbridled disgust for his overall disposition, appearance, and slovenliness) -fail. roommate appears to have broken up with his girlfriend over the holiday weekend, also his birthday weekend, which I'm fearing he will use as a tactic to delay his departure. this makes me supremely unhappy and distressed.
complete expansion of flower bed to encompass new shrub that was planted (photos to come) - complete. done and done again. I actually expanded three flowerbeds and added another in the month of May.
find a chair for the living room and decide on a sofa to purchase (not to be purchased in May, but category should be narrowed to one or two options) - complete. I found two chairs (which will need a little refurbishing, to be shown in a later post and decided on the sofa we'll be buying after the roommate leaves.
mail all Mother's Day and birthday cards on time - complete
finish the piggy bank project for nephew - complete

memorial day weekend

2010-05-31T15:29:00.005-05:00

Happy Memorial Day and thank you to all of the veterans and serving members of the armed forces. Today is a day for us to give you the respect you deserve, and to remind us that we must be thankful for you and your service each and every day. Again, thank you!

As for me, it was a long weekend away from the stresses of work. I must admit, I was actually able to relax for a change this weekend. This is a rare occurrence for me. I was able to work in the yard, planting even more flowers, and added yet another flower bed. I'm insane with an unyielding desire to tear up more ground and plant MORE! always MORE plants! Due to that unrelenting motivation to wield a shovel, trowel, hoe, etc. the yard work budget has already been busted for June, even though it is still officially May. This means I'll have to work with what I've got as we move forward through the summer.

As for summer - oh my god, I love it. I broke out the short shorts and it was a marvelous weather weekend. I cannot explain how much I love summer. I want to tongue kiss it every time I wake up to the balmy, hot weather. The man appreciates the fact that I wear fewer clothes when the weather warms up, so it is a win-win on that front.

One of the highlights of the weekend is the amount of time the man and I were able to spend together. Not too much, but just enough. I spent a good deal of our time together here:

This is one of the holes at one of the local disc golf courses. The man bought me a couple of my own discs and we hit the course on Friday and today. My game is only slightly improving, but I love being outside so even though I suck at disc golf right now, it is still fun.

I'm making an effort to take more photos to share with you all, because I know that words alone are not very entertaining and for fuck sake, if you are going to click over to my site, you must be in desperate need of entertaining...I kid. Anyway, I've also hit up some garage sales, which yielded some exciting finds. I'll be sharing those and a few of my Craigslist purchases with you in the coming weeks.

dislocated, then relocated, but not like in witness protection

2010-05-24T16:02:00.004-05:00

This weekend was finally SUMMER! That deserves all caps. As with most weekends, I spent the majority of it outdoors, and while doing so I dislocated my middle finger on my left hand. Or rather, the dog dislocated my middle finger on my left hand.

The grainy cell phone pic shows my gangley, alien hands, so disregard all but the knuckle of the second finger up from the bottom. You ca kind of see that it is swollen, and this is after I had an icepack on it for a while. It isn't too bad, but it throbs, so that isn't very fun.

I honestly never realized how much I use my middle finger (not just for gesturing to get my "point" across in traffic). Here's a brief list of the the "oh shit, that hurts" moments I've had today:

buttoning clothing (tried this on one button and then completely changed wardrobe to buttonless)
prying lid off cat food container
using directional signals (car)
snapping - worst one yet
air quotes
typing

On that lasts note, yes, typing doesn't feel pleasant so I will leave you now.

make the whole world orange

2010-05-19T20:27:00.003-05:00

Best idea ever - this is so awesome because orange is my favorite color. Not a fan of AT&T, but this commercial is great.

best concert i've ever been to

2010-05-11T11:33:00.007-05:00

Seriously...best musical experience I've had.

This video doesn't give you the full effect and the sound quality is shit, but I'm posting it anyway because it was taken by a dude standing right next to me w/ his phone, just to let you see how close we were to the stage:

Unfortunately, dude taking video did not pan to the left to show the cute guitarist we talked to after the show (a very brief hand-shake moment which added to Kristen's sense of euphoria from the sheer delight of seeing the concert).

This is one of my favorite songs of the evening. I honestly hadn't listed to very much of his music before going to the concert, except for a scratched up copy Kristen burned for me. I'm going to have to get onto Amazon to buy some albums now though. Yes, I'm still one of the weird people stuck in the 20th century who likes to have an actual hard-copy of my music.

As for you, I suggest you download some of Butch Walker's music or at least check out some videos on Youtube...make it to a concert if you ever get the chance and you won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Kristen for "dragging" me along.

rumble in the jungle

2010-05-04T15:00:00.006-05:00

My nephews love the Wii. My brother and his wife also love the Wii because it keeps my nephews entertained and helps them to burn off some energy when the weather is nasty outside. Also, it tires them out before bed time.

This is why they are tired:

It is definitely better than them actually hitting one another and they do pretty well for a three-year-old (Brady on the right) and a nearly two-year-old (Max on the left). They also play tennis, though they can't really return a serve yet. I've seen them in action, and let me tell you, there is already a competitive nature bubbling to the surface of each of them.

Their parents will definitely have their hands full when the fight is over the car keys as opposed to which Wii game to play.

may goals and why i suck

2010-05-04T14:57:00.002-05:00

I suck at posting, obviously. Suck with a capital S. Now that we have determined that, here's my list of goals for May. You may also note that there was no April goal list, due to my sucking at posting.

order glass for console table
finish my library book before it is due
complete ottoman upholstery project
get car tire repaired - I already did this, but I did it in May, so it is now a completed goal
get car checked out at repair shop (and pray that there is nothing really expensive wrong with it)
secure a date that the roommate will move out - "summer" isn't very descriptive (addendum: do not throw roommate's shit out of the house and onto the lawn in a moment of unbridled disgust for his overall disposition, appearance, and slovenliness)
complete expansion of flower bed to encompass new shrub that was planted (photos to come)
find a chair for the living room and decide on a sofa to purchase (not to be purchased in May, but category should be narrowed to one or two options)
mail all Mother's Day and birthday cards on time
finish the piggy bank project for nephew

I think that is a good and do-able list for May. I also aim to post at least once per week. (And this makes post one for week one: so far, so good.)

music for action

2010-03-04T10:08:00.003-06:00

I've mentioned my commitment to sustainability on this blog earlier. I'm still committed to this issue and if you are as well, here is a very easy way to join the movement and get some great music. Go to http://www.musicforaction.org/ to take action on climate change (contact your legislators) and download the Best of Bonnaroo. Even if you don't share my taste in music, you're bound to find something you like on this album (includes artists like Jack Johnson, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Decemberists).

It's definitely worth a couple minutes of your time, and those minutes can make a difference for our planet.

march goals

2010-03-01T12:23:00.004-06:00

Here's my list of March goals:

Cardio and strength train 5 times per week - focus on getting toned for spring/summer
Complete March NaBloPoMo (national blog posting month) edited: this isn't going to happen this month, obviously, so it has been changed to 2. Complete necessary steps to get the man added to my health insurance benefits.
Finish current book and read at least one more
Finish laundry room cabinetry project - will post details soon
Make the roommate-less zone more livable (meaning, find a new furniture arrangement that makes the rooms feel less crowded) - will be posting about this as well

where have I been, where am I going?

2010-02-15T15:22:00.003-06:00

It has been a while...over a month, since I've posted. I just finished a six-month work project, which is uber-relieving and I'm now able to go to bed without dreaming of work after having spent 10+ waking hours physically being at work. This past weekend was spent getting some alone time in with the man (and not all of that is referring to sex), so hopefully he remembers now that his girlfriend isn't always a stressed out hag. My words, not his.

I'm going to be traveling to Michigan this weekend for my niece's baptism. I'm taking the train so I'll get to catch up on some non-work-related reading.

Here's a picture of my niece Kaitlyn. You can see that she must already know I'm coming for a visit, and appears to be too young to realize what awesome presents and treats come with me (either that or she needs to poo).

ringing in the new year with sugar and spite

2010-01-05T11:49:00.004-06:00

Well hello there, my few readers. I can happily admit that I've achieved all but a couple of my goals for 2009. I'm happy with this, very happy. I am also making some steady progress toward my goals for my 28th year and in lieu of adding more goals for 2010, I'll just stick with my birthday goals.

Here's my update (as I'm now 5 months into this goal listing):

paint the living/dining room - pending - will do after roommate's departure
throw a big party - COMPLETE - did this for Halloween
read 10 books of my own choosing - pending
bake an apple pie from scratch, including the crust - pending - halfway there
plant that big ol' vegetable garden I keep pining for - pending - waiting for spring
finally hang the curtains in the living/dining room - pending - will do after roommate's departure
take a "family" photo in a snowstorm - pending
get another tattoo (or two) - pending - already know what I want, this is a reward for thesis completion, so it is on hold for a bit
join a gym - COMPLETE - best decision ever
whole-heartedly commit to daily exercise (work out at least 4 days a week - no ifs, ands, or buts) - ONGOING - I'm really happy with this goal: feeling much better, not seeing visible results, but living with less pain
pay off my credit card debt - pending - working on this, am on target
go to Ikea - COMPLETE - didn't buy anything, but did a lot of looking and planning
finish my thesis, get it conferred, shut the book on that damned project - a big fat PENDING on this one
visit Kristen in Door County (before she finds a fabulous new job and leaves) - VOID - she already left for a fabulous new job...now I need to visit her in West Bend
fix the ding in my windshield before it cracks - COMPLETE - actually had to do this twice since August
make at least one home-cooked meal each week, regardless of the roommate's whereabouts - ONGOING - this is going well, though I haven't been too adventurous and we eat a lot of leftovers
get new tires for the car - COMPLETE - it was pricey, but I did it before the first snowfall
visit my nephews and the new baby at least twice - COMPLETE - have seen them twice already and will see them again in February
go to some sort of professional development that I actually find useful - COMPLETE - have attended two useful conferences
cardio - even though I despise it, I will do cardio at least 3 days per week (my cardiologist and my physical therapist will finally be happy) - ONGOING - reluctantly plugging away at this one, and am doing cardio each day I go to the gym
complete the landscaping around the perimeter of the house - PENDING - waiting for spring
make a calendar for our family members - it will be funny, the man and I have discussed it for a couple years - PENDING - we've begun a calendar for 2011
take another college class - PENDING - I am, however, taking a couple community-based short-courses not at college level
send/give thank-you cards for each gift given - ONGOING - I've been giving more phone calls than thank-you cards, but it is going alright
six-pack abs, or something close to that without being too manly - PENDING - not there yet, my resistance of holiday treats was futile
write to my grandmother at least once per month - ONGOING - this is going alright
make the transition away from having a roommate - PENDING - this should happen in the summer, though I'm trying to get him to lock down a date
complete three NaBloPoMo month-long blog runs - PENDING - first will begin in February or March, hopefully when more is happening to write about (it appears that I'm more boring than normal during the winter months)

I do have one resolution for 2010, I guess. I am striving to be more positive and to complain less, to make any self-fulfilling prophesies positive in nature instead of worrying so much that the end result is forced to be negative. It is going to take some time, but I am confident that a much happier and more positive Trish will be the result of 2010.

updates on what the hell has been keeping me so damned busy

2009-11-02T13:00:00.003-06:00

As we're already on the 2nd day of November, I thought it might be nice to update my goals for the year. Here's the status report:

Financial Goals:
Only keep a balance on one credit card
> this is going well, haven't had a balance on more than one card at all this year
Lower credit card balance to at least $x by January 1, 2010
> I'm on track to complete this goal and successfully pay off all credit card debt before July 2010
Pay off Student Loan 1 by January 1, 2010
> this loan was paid off in October 2009
Contribute monthly to savings account to cover non-monthly budgetary expenses
> I've been doing this, and have had to tap into it for some unforeseen repairs and other expenses
Cut expenses
> I need to up my vigilance on this one. Since my "promotion" at work I've been putting in more hours and haven't been as good about eating at home when picking up carry-out is oh so easy. However, I have been good about my coupon usage
Raise income
> Due to the amount of hours going in at work, this is no longer feasible

Professional Goals:
Continue taking advantage of all applicable training sessions
> not many trainings offered lately, but I have attended all opportunities
Build and maintain professional network
> not much has been done to further build my network, but I have continued to maintain what I already have
Apply myself to outperform in current role - be indispensable
> this is going well, and I contingue to take on more work, which is good for the employer, not so good for my social life and relationship. Now the key is to find some sort of balance
Complete thesis
> this is coming along in spurts.

Relationship Goals:
Do not interrupt, over-share, or compare experiences
> I remind myself of this goal on a daily basis, I'm not sure I'm completely reformed yet
Be supportive, but also share caution when necessary
> this still requires daily concentration, but I think the man and I are on the same page on a lot more issues now
Spend more time w/, or communicate more w/ family and friends
> Another area where work has been screwing my my time and or desire to spend time away from home. Need to work on this as holidays are fast approaching
Reach out to others more
> blood donation on a 6-week rotation is going pretty well and the man and I have been spendign more time helping out his grandma (who is recovering from surgery)

Personal Goals:
Keep a tidy house
> a constant battle, but I never feel like the house is "dirty." More work is being done on weekends than during the week, but that's okay
Make time for fun, don't schedule life to the minute
> Not doing well here
Make physical and mental health a priority
> This is fabulous - I joined a gym and have been making progress in regard to lessening some of my daily pain. Also, have been working on ways to lower daily mental stress, though I'm not entirely pleased with the way that is going right now
Minimize stress
> Still not going as well as it could/should be
Celebrate success
> eh...not sure I have a whole lot of energy for this one and I haven't felt like I've had many successes lately
Don't be over-critical or take myself too seriously
> Judging from my answer immediately above, this isn't going so well
Live in the present - don't fret about those things outside of my control
> somehow have bypassed the present and am more interested in living for the future right now
Train myself to sustain myself
> it seems harder to do things locally when I'm as busy as I've been, but I'm still making an effort in any way I can

Also, I've crossed a couple things off my goals for the age of 28:
Throw a big party
> I had a birthday party/Halloween party for the man (who just turned 39 on Friday)
Fix the ding in my windshield before it cracks
> done and done
Make at least one home-cooked meal per week...
> I've been doing this quite well and even more frequently than once per week
Commit to cardio 3 times each week
> I've bettered this and am doing 30 min. per day, a minimum of 5 days per week
Read at least 10 books...
> This is going well, though most of the books are about adopting retired racing greyhounds

All in all, I'm happy with my progress and now that winter is knocking on my door I know I need to buckle down and get some shit done!

something occupying my brain...often

2009-10-13T11:34:00.002-05:00

You may be wondering what I’ve been doing to pass the time lately. The first answer is work. The second answer is continued work on my thesis. The third answer is that I am officially obsessed.

I cannot say that I have ever really had a full-fledged obsession before, now that I actually think about it. I have really liked and or wanted things before, but never have I felt some sort of compulsion toward action that has been a daily consideration. Now, however, I have one (as you will see by what promises to be an extremely long post).

I am obsessed with the thought of adopting a retired greyhound. Not necessarily a widespread obsession, I realize. However, since visiting Dubuque with the man’s family and seeing the racetrack at the casino where we had lunch, I can’t seem to get the idea out of my mind.

It isn’t that I necessarily am disgusted by the concept of dog racing. I understand that it is a sport that doesn’t intend for dogs to be mistreated or harmed. These dogs are bred to run, built to run, love to run. However, they are sprinters and only run in very short bursts and then often spend the rest of their time in crates. After they’ve reached their retirement age or are no longer able to run up to the demands of their “profession,” they are either sent to an adoption center or sometimes euthanized.

The part of the racing industry that I despise is the treatment of these dogs as commodities. They are not “pets.” They are professional athletes, but without all the bling and casual sex. They are trained to race and not given attention that would interfere with that training. When they are washed up, they don’t retire and buy a few car dealerships or restaurant franchises like many professional athletes do, they are left homeless and without purpose. Agencies have been around for decades that seek to find these retired racers new homes where they can live out their retirement with a “family.” In my research of greyhounds and greyhound racing, I’ve been in contact with an area chapter of the GPA (Greyhound Pets of America) and have had the opportunity to speak with foster “parents” and “parents” of some of these dogs, and have even met a couple of these retired dogs (shout out to Pirate Pete and Queenie).

These interactions with the GPA and the dogs have further cemented in my mind that this type of dog would be good for us, and we would also be benefiting a cause and helping an animal that needs us. If you have read about our cats and how we came to “find” them (or how they came to find us, rather), you know that we are suckers for animals that need homes.

I don't just want another dog because of a desire to help animals. I have a feeling that something positive can come out of us adding to the family. Jammer is fully the man's dog. I have the cats, but they could ultimately take or leave us and let's face it, they're cats and can't be companions outside the house. I want a dog that is my dog, that will bond with me and that I'll be able to take on walks. (Note: Jammer hates going on walks where a leash is required, and thus our "walks" take place around the yard.) That is a selfish reason, but I don't care. Unselfishly, I do think that the addition of another dog to the household would be helpful in treating Jammer’s separation anxiety while we are at work (even though I have reservations about how she'll react).

We've talked about different breeds of dogs for a couple years and what type of dog we'd like. After mulling over options, we had decided to go with a rescue dog or a dog from the shelter. Personally, I’ve always had an affinity toward hounds. I grew up with a bluetick hound (Chance) and a redbone hound (Hondo) and have been in love with all types of hounds for years. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why a number of the hunting breeds would not work for me or my lifestyle. I thought the greyhound would be another breed of dog to add to that category until I conducted more research. The breed is not hyperactive and is often referred to as the 40 mile per hour couch potato. This means that while the dogs are super-fast, they prefer to lounge and can sleep up to 18 hours per day. They shed very little and can be left alone while their people are at work without problem. Many of them have no problem with cats and/or other dogs. They love to go on leashed walks (and have already been leash-trained during their racing days). All in all, this is a breed that would definitely work with our lifestyle.

The man hasn’t come with me to visit the dogs or to speak with the agency. This is not because he doesn’t support the idea of adoption, but rather he knows that he would fall in love with the idea and that we are not yet prepared to take the next step (applying for adoption). I, too, understand that we aren’t ready for this and that it may be quite some time before we can take that next step.

One of my major concerns (that no amount of research can put to rest) is that Jammer (our Australian Shepherd) would be the reason why we could not bring another dog into the family. She is going on 9 years old and is not a fan of us bringing other dogs into the house, even for a visit. She enjoys the company of other dogs outside of our home, but is quite territorial about dogs invading what she considers to be her space. With her aggressive behavior toward other dogs in those situations, I’m not sure a home visit (which is a required phase of the adoption process) would be successful. It may end up that we can help to mellow Jammer out via spaying, but if that doesn’t work we may have to wait until she’s no longer with us to adopt a greyhound. This could be between 3 and 8 years, given the life expectancy of Australian Shepherds. (It saddens me to even think about not having her around and even to type the words 'life expectancy.')

To make this long post even longer, I’m not sure that this is going to be a short-term goal, but I’m doing everything I can to make sure that it is a possibility.

The best-case scenario would play out as follows: I’ve become very solid in my belief that the roommate will be moving out next summer. If this were to occur, we would have more space in the house and could ultimately have enough room to have an additional dog. In addition, we wouldn’t have to worry about him being a dickbag about a new pet. Secondly, if Jammer calms down after we get her spayed, the concern about her reaction would be alleviated. Given the first two things happening according to plan, we would make a few modifications around the house (like the addition of a fenced in area of the yard) and then begin the adoption process.

I’ve not come into this obsession in a fly-by-night fashion. I’ve been reading books and doing research on the greyhound breed and have read about what to expect from adopting a retired racing greyhound. Two more books on this subject are on reserve at the library and I plan to read them over the weekend. I’ve spoken with other people who've adopted greyhounds about the good, bad, and ugly parts of adopting. I’ve mulled this over for over 4 months and have still come to the conclusion that this is a good step for us.

In what has seemed like a dismal and depressing few months in terms of my career and an overall feeling of fatigue in regard to my social life, this interest in greyhounds has kind of pulled me out of my funk and has given me something to look forward to. I am not holding my breath, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

what i'm listening to these days

2009-09-29T10:43:00.008-05:00

I've been listening to a lot of Neko Case lately. She has a really soulful voice and a alt-country vibe. Here's a live performance of one of my favorite songs, "Prison Girls."

Enjoy.

making headway as i settle into 28

2009-09-18T17:22:00.003-05:00

Things I've already done while 28 years old...granted, it has only been a few weeks.

join a gym - I've been a member since September 1, and I love it
whole-heartedly commit to daily exercise (work out at least 4 days a week - no ifs, ands, or buts) - this has been difficult, especially the getting up and going at 4:45 am, but I've done it a minimum of 5 times per week...and I even exercised while in Michigan visiting my brother and his family
go to Ikea - I did this while visiting family in Michigan, oh how I love the Swedes and their clean lines
visit my nephews and the new baby at least twice - I did this once already
go to some sort of professional development that I actually find useful - I've signed up for 2 professional development conferences, though I'm only confident that one will be useful
make a calendar for our family members - it will be funny, the man and I have discussed it for a couple years - the process has begun, I've already begun w/ the photos
send/give thank-you cards for each gift given - so far, so good
make the transition away from having a roommate - I have already broached the topic w/ dickbag roommate and looks like the one-year deadline will be manageable (keep in mind that dickbag roommate is a pathological liar and the laziest person I've ever encountered)

random question thursday

2009-09-03T07:44:00.005-05:00

After a long hiatus, here's another random question Thursday. What habit would you like to pick up? Not end.

For example, I would like to stop picking at my fingernails when I'm bored/nervous/etc. - that is not what I'm asking. I want to know what habit you want to start and keep going.

The habit I've picked up is exercise. I've been exercising with some semblance of regularity for the past 6 or so months. However, I am not an evening/night person and exercise after work just feels like more damned work to me. With the additional hours going in at my real job, looking at the weights and exercise videos/equipment after I get home and make us dinner is not really tempting at all. Then, I feel guilty for not having worked out. No more.

I've now gone to the gym 7 of the past 8 days and am well on my way to establishing this as a habitual action. Getting up at 4:45 AM is not at all pleasant, but it is a lot better than trying to sneak in a workout after I'm already exhausted. So far so good. I've committed to going to the gym for at least 45 minutes each day Monday through Friday. Weekends are optional. If I do decide to extend my one-month free trial into an actual full-blown membership, I'll be able to go to a closer gym on the weekends free of charge.

In addition to the trial period, I was also able to get a free session with a personal trainer. This was eye-opening for me and I wish I had done this all much sooner. I now have a weekly exercise plan and have come to the realization that I can do this and I can do it without a whole lot of pain.

I feel like my stress levels are more manageable and that I have more energy throughout the day. I'm going to admit that I'm sore, but not so much so that it is affecting my life any more than on an average day before I took on this habit.

so that was 27

2009-08-28T12:23:00.003-05:00

I turn 28 on Sunday. 28. 28 seems so old, yet so young at the same time. I don't know if I had hoped to have accomplished more by now, or different things, but somehow it seems like I need to pick up the pace. I don't know why or what I'm working toward. I think I must be vain. But, to be honest, I don't look much different than I did at 23, so I don't know why this has affected me so much.

Much of the issue is that I somehow completely forgot about my birthday until about two weeks ago. Even my 10-year high school reunion didn't seem to cement the thought in my head...other than, "wow, all of those poor people are at least 28 if not older, ha!" Well, less than a month later, I'm on the verge of joining them in their (gulp) late twenties.

If I could go back to my early twenties, there are definitely a handful of things I would do differently. I'd be more diligent. I wouldn't procrastinate. I would re-think that one guy and maybe a couple years of wasted time. However, those things got me to where I am now. Ultimately, despite the suck of my job from time-to-time (aka most of the time), I'm happy. I am head over heels (still) with my boyfriend, who feels the same way. We have three pets, even though I'd like to toss one of them out the window at least once each day, I love them and am lucky they have chosen to keep us company. I have a lazy-ass, worthless, dickbag piece-0f-shit roommate +1, but they give us something to gripe about, so that is something. I'm making progress in my career, even though I'm not sure I'm going the right direction. I have my health, for the most part, a new haircut, and a brighter outlook than I did when I was in my mid-twenties. Things are good. Yet, 28 is still 28.

So, in an effort to push clear my thoughts, to push out the uglies and to get down to the optimism, I've come up with a list of 28 things I will do while I'm 28. These are not things I want to do, these are things I will do between August 30, 2009 and August 30, 2010. I am going to double-up on some of my new year's goals and my life list, but hey, I am realistic and 28 things is a lot, I might as well multitask. I make the rules. That is very adult of me, don't you think?

Here goes (in no particular order):

paint the living/dining room
throw a big party
read 10 books of my own choosing
bake an apple pie from scratch, including the crust
plant that big ol' vegetable garden I keep pining for
finally hang the curtains in the living/dining room
take a "family" photo in a snowstorm
get another tattoo (or two)
join a gym
whole-heartedly commit to daily exercise (work out at least 4 days a week - no ifs, ands, or buts)
pay off my credit card debt
go to Ikea
finish my thesis, get it conferred, shut the book on that damned project
visit Kristen in Door County (before she finds a fabulous new job and leaves)
fix the ding in my windshield before it cracks
make at least one home-cooked meal each week, regardless of the roommate's whereabouts
get new tires for the car
visit my nephews and the new baby at least twice
go to some sort of professional development that I actually find useful
cardio - even though I despise it, I will do cardio at least 3 days per week (my cardiologist and my physical therapist will finally be happy)
complete the landscaping around the perimeter of the house
make a calendar for our family members - it will be funny, the man and I have discussed it for a couple years
take another college class
send/give thank-you cards for each gift given
six-pack abs, or something close to that without being too manly
write to my grandmother at least once per month
make the transition away from having a roommate
complete three NaBloPoMo month-long blog runs

Whew, looks like I'll be busy. Goals are fun!

what amounts to quite a good 4th of july

2009-07-04T20:36:00.004-05:00

The man didn't have to work yesterday, which was a wonderful surprise. Another surprise was that he had today off from work as well. This never happens, where we get to spend a couple full days together. It is times like these that remind me of why we are together - the time we spend together is effortless and relaxing, and all around wonderful.

To celebrate our togetherness after over two weeks of barely having time to nod in one another's direction, the man and I went out last night for the first time in a very long time. We went to a movie, hit up a couple local bars and didn't come home until bar time. All in all, we welcomed the 4th of July with a ton of merriment and then crashed, sleeping in until 10 am. And...another wonderful thing...no hangovers. I'd say the night was a success.

We've taken advantage of the new patio chairs I just purchased from St. Vincent de Paul's (6 for $33.00), two of which are on our balcony and already have new cushions. The other four still need cushions, which I'm adding to my to-do list for the week. I'd like to get them done before we have company over next weekend. Here's hoping that I won't have a bunch of late work nights this week so that I have time to prep the house for the "mother-in-law's" arrival mid-week.

Now, back to the balcony. Have a safe and happy Independence Day.

red rabbit

2009-07-03T09:45:00.001-05:00

This is a wonderful short animated film by Egmont Mayer. I know the screen shot looks a little dirty, but this is by no means racy. Definitely worth a few minutes of your time to watch:

Red Rabbit from Egmont Mayer on Vimeo.

random question thursday

2009-07-02T07:43:00.010-05:00

If you could live in any home on the big (movies) or small screen (TV), which home would it be and why?

I'd live in the house from The Incredibles, hands down. It is a mid-century modernist's dream. Yes, I know it is animated, but it is gorgeous. The furniture styling is authentic, and there was obviously an effort to make the home truly mid-century. Here are some photos:

I love the 60s architecture, the furniture, the paint colors, the accessories, the kitchen. It was hard to find good screen shots, because most of the house scenes are at night, and obviously most of them are just background shots for the actions of the characters. There are enough to note that every piece was intentional.

What about you? What is your cinematic dream home?

july 2009 goals

2009-07-01T07:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked the official end of my June National Blog Posting Month. I didn't quite make it, but I'm still pretty proud of getting 30 posts up in 30 days, whether they occurred one each day or not.

As promised, here's my list of goals for July 2009:

finish coffee table project (leftover from June)
reorganize paper files (leftover from June)
exercise (in some form) every single day in June - I want to be active on a daily basis, as I know work will be stressful with added responsibilities and home will be less homey with multiple visitors and the man working most weekends. I need an outlet to get rid of my negativity, and I am thinking amping up my exercise again will help.
reorganize closets/storage - I'm doing this in a continued effort to simplify my life.
go through the house and donate items to charity - clearing out the closets will make this easier.
read a few books on feng shui and institute some of the practices in my home - see, all the goals are coming together.
plan a weekend trip with the man - maybe camping, maybe a B&B somewhere, I'm not sure yet.
buy a wedding gift for my friend Pam
enjoy some sort of cultural outing (Concerts on the Square, a museum, a play, etc.)
redo my budget

And there you have it, my list of goals for July. Nothing too heavy, but enough to keep me busy. I'm sort of bummed out that the man has to work most of the weekends this month, but I keep reminding myself that I have plenty to do on my own. Here's hoping that all of the extra hours we've been putting in lately creates some good karma. I'm just throwing this out into the universe: we could definitely use a little more cash and one fewer roommate. Take that as a hint, universe.

june goals update

2009-06-30T20:32:00.003-05:00

Well, here's the update on my June 2009 goals:

get a library card - DONE
read at least one new book - DONE
finish my coffee table project - I made absolutely no progress on this due to the hot, humid weather. I couldn't stain the coffee table out of fear that it would not dry
prepare the guest bedroom for the "mother-in-law" - DONE
paint the kitchen - DONE
plant vegetables and finish my flower beds - DONE. I even went so far as to make new beds and mulch all of the existing beds
take all of my use-or-lose vacation time - DONE. I have a little time left, but I am not concerned about it
go to the farmer's market at least three times - DONE
reorganize my paper files - not even attempted
find/purchase a bridesmaid dress - DONE. I bought not one, but two dresses that could be worn to the wedding.

All in all, 80% isn't bad. It is above average, a passing grade. Still, there is room for improvemtn. I'll add the two remaining goals to my July list and we'll go from there. I'll be back tomorrow with my goals for July. Now, I'm off to watch The Cleaner and then it is bedtime. I'll have my 40 hours in by Thursday at 12:30 pm. This is proving to be a long and demanding week, despite the fact that I have Thursday afternoon (potentially) and Friday off due to the Fourth of July holiday.

one more day

2009-06-29T20:35:00.005-05:00

I've almost reached the end of my NaBloPoMo posting for June. I've come close, but haven't quite posted every day. I'm thinking that I won't attempt again until the winter time, when I have less to do and more time on my hands. But for now, I think I've done pretty well.

I'll post more tomorrow about my goals for July and how I've done in terms of accomplishing my June goals. Unless I can add another 50 hours to tomorrow, I won't be able to get everything done. Still, I'm pretty happy with what I've accomplished this month, given all of the stuff going on at work and at home.

I'm going to go to bed now. An 11-hour day at work today and two 12+ hour days tomorrow and Wednesday are already making me tired, irritable, and on edge. Not enough beauty sleep in the world to remedy that combination, I'm afraid.

quick question

2009-06-28T18:09:00.002-05:00

Why is it that no one seems to think it odd that Michael Jackson JUST died and images of him dressed up as a zombie dancing around are plastered all over the TV? The man is dead and we delight in watching him pretend to be the living dead. Not sure that sits well with me.

new from better than ezra

2009-06-27T16:24:00.004-05:00

I'm excited to finally be able to view YouTube videos from my home internet connection without having to wait 1/2 hour for them to buffer.

I am also excited to pick up Better Than Ezra's new album, now in stores. I have liked this band since high school and they haven't had a hit in a few years, but I still like them nonetheless.

Here's their latest video, for the song "Absolutely Still." I'm not too impressed with the production value, but the song is good. It fits their formula and isn't too much different than their other music. I find their music comforting and it always seems to fit my mood, whether I'm happy or sad. I guess the concept is, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. I'm sure they'd be happy with another hit though.

passings

2009-06-26T06:52:00.008-05:00

The world is a buzz of discussion and memories after the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett yesterday. It was no surprise that the former Charlie's Angel and The Burning Bed star was near the end of her life, but that was not the case for Michael Jackson. The King of Pop was slated to have a career renewal (or so was his hope, I suppose) by launching a number of tour dates. He was only 50 years old, too young for a heart attack.

I can't help but feel a twinge of pain for the death of a musical icon and one of the most entertaining performers of my lifetime. I feel pained for the loss of that part of Michael Jackson. I cannot help but think, though, that there are some people who find the death of this man to be a relief. Whether you think he was guilty of child molestation, or at least poor judgement, I believe that more than one individual feels victimized by this man and that they are feeling a sense of relief from his passing.

I'm not sure what events took place, but I do know that over a decade of Michael Jackson's life has been tainted by the stigma that he is an abuser of children. This might be because of actions, and it may be because of rumor. I hope that his children can live a normal life and free themselves of the negative rumblings that surrounded their father. I hope they can find peace and become well-adjusted, despite their seemingly odd upbringing. I hope that all the rumors were wrong and that Michael Jackson was a wonderful father to his children. I don't know if that is the case.

All I do know is that the world lost a talented musician and entertainer, and that is the part of him that I will be grieving today as I listen once again, to "Smooth Criminal."

random question thursday

2009-06-25T21:24:00.003-05:00

What is the one thing you would like to change most about yourself?

This doesn't need to be a physical trait, but could be one. It could also be an aspect of your personality or something else that makes you who you are. This isn't what your other, your parents, your workmates, or your friends would change about you: it is the thing about yourself that if you changed, you would be happier as a whole.

I know what mine would be right off the bat. It isn't looks-related, doesn't have to deal with money or relationships, and isn't even about work. It is about my debilitating fear of failure. If I could change one aspect of my Trishness, it would be to stop worrying and being so damned afraid of not living up to my potential all of the time.

My fear of failure sometimes keeps me from trying new things because I'm petrified of not doing well. This fear is what often leads to my procrastination. It is also tied to my fear of commitment. I'm afraid of committing to something and not having it work out.

I've been trying to push out of my comfort zone, and in many ways this new position at work is making me do that even more than I want to with all of the added responsibility. Of course, with that added responsibility leads to more fear and worry, worry about how it will affect my relationship with the man for example. I need to stop this cycle of worry.

Exercising more has helped stave off the worrying a bit. It allows me to turn off my brain for long enough to experience some semblance of much-needed calm.

Now that you know what I'd change, think about yourself...what would you change about yourself?

put the lime in the coconut

2009-06-24T18:48:00.003-05:00

It is hot...again...do you know what would be delicious right now? Pina coladas. That's what. If you are wanting one as badly as I am, here is a recipe:

1 1/2 oz light rum

2 oz Coco Lopez® cream of coconut

2 oz pineapple juice

1 cup crushed ice

Pour rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice into a blender with one cup of crushed ice. Blend until smooth, and pour into a collins glass. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry, and serve. Be sure to add a paper umbrella and possibly wear a lei...or get laid, I suppose.

too hot to think

2009-06-23T20:42:00.008-05:00

The heatwave spreading through the Midwest has been having various effects on the population. The concrete is exploding on the highways. People are sweaty and cranky and likely committing crimes. Tempers are flaring and it is difficult to focus. I'm one of the lucky ones who gets to work in an air conditioned building. For that I am grateful.

I'm also grateful that I am able to type this message and not worry about my internet connection disconnecting mid-post. As I write this I am sitting on my couch working quickly on the internet thanks to the aid of my lovely new provider. It is wonderful. Now that I can work on my computer without being tethered to my office I get to take in various views around the house. Right now I have the scenic view of the Cat Named Jack lying on his back, baring his no-longer-existent balls to the air conditioning being circulated by the ceiling fan directly above him.

What a wonderful way to spend a steamy June evening.

happily ever after?

2009-06-22T13:50:00.008-05:00

I'm at a point in my life where I have friends who are running the gamut of relationship milestones. I have friends who are dating (online and otherwise), friends who are happily coupled, friends who are getting married, friends who are newly married, friends who are unhappily coupled, and friends who are breaking up. All of these people are in different places in their relationships, but it is safe to say that they will each at some point (if they haven't already) experience disappointment. Some of the disappointments are small, others become deal breakers.

All in all, however, everyone is doomed to get to a point where some of the shine wears off newly-found love and we have to accept that most things don't end in "happily ever after" and that relationships take work. Sometimes the work isn't worth it, sometimes it is. I am one of the happily coupled people amongst my friend base, but I'm also a realist. The man and I have had our share of ups and downs, and we are in a pretty steady upward trend right now. All I know is that both he and I are happy with one another and are willing to do whatever we must to stay together. We have similar goals and we are realistic: we know that our relationship isn't always going to be all sunshine and rainbows.

I came across this article/photo project that features princesses from a number of Disney stories. The photos show what our favorite fairy tales look like when "The '...happily ever after' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues." I've decided to post my favorite:

Go here to check out the rest.

let's panic!

2009-06-22T13:44:00.004-05:00

This is a great new site called Let's Panic About Babies! It is an extremely snarky, not-at-all-informational, witty, and terribly funny website about pregnancy and babies in general. It is for people who have babies, people who don't want babies, people who hate babies, people who can't stand to look at babies, people who love babies, and people who tolerate babies. I think that everyone falls in at least one of those categories.

Go check it out, it is definitely good for a laugh.

awaiting the arrival of cricket - potential internet savior

2009-06-22T10:22:00.003-05:00

So, you may have noticed that I didn't post this past weekend. My shoddy internet connection via my phone can be thanked for that. Actually, my phone hasn't even been receiving calls with much success over the weekend so there is going to be some customer service dealings going on today after work. In the meantime, I feel the guilt of not posting for a couple days so I will post three times today to make up for it.

In optimistic news, my Cricket broadband modem etc. is supposed to arrive sometime today. The bad news is that a signature is required and I am doubtful that anyone will be home by the time it shows up. My hope is that the man will get home early to receive the package from FedEx, but if my morning was any indicator of my luck for the day, I would sooner expect the apocalypse than anything going my way.

Count this as post #1 of my guilt-induced triple play.

another anniversary

2009-06-19T07:06:00.005-05:00

The man surprised me with an anniversary gift last night. Both the gift and the anniversary were a surprise. We don't have an actual anniversary date, but whenever we feel the need or want to do something out-of-the-ordinary, we use our anniversary as the reason. This way we can have multiple, spontaneous anniversaries throughout the year and there is no real date to remember or forget.

Last night I came home from work (late, for the upteenth time in a row) to find this beauty waiting for me in my garage space:

It is a convertible garden cart that can be pulled with the handle like a wagon, or can be converted to be pulled behind the lawnmower. It is wonderful and glorious and one of the best (if not the best) anniversary gifts I've ever gotten. No, it isn't conventional, but we are not conventional people.

The man's friend went along with him to get a present for me. His friend asked where, and was more than a little surprised to hear "Farm and Fleet" as the response to the question. This friend went so far as to try to convince the man to buy something different, something that I might actually like. The man knows me well enough to know that at this point in our financial lives, a usable gift is much more appreciated than something unimportant (like jewelry, for example). I spend at least ten hours a weekend outside puttering around the yard, so this is a most thoughtful gift. This cart is going to be much more Trish-friendly than my current wheelbarrow.

The timing is sort of funny, because although we had talked about getting Cricket wireless internet a while back, it hasn't entered conversation in quite some time. I was planning on it being an anniversary surprise for the man, but he got me first.

I love my gift and I love my boyfriend. I can't wait for the next anniversary.

random question thursdays!

2009-06-18T12:17:00.005-05:00

The man is always exasperated with me because I ask a lot of random, out-of-the-blue, how-the-hell-did-I-even-think-of-that questions. A lot. Enough that he just looks at me a certain way while shaking his head and I know that there are probably only a handful of humans on earth who would know the answer to that question.

Anyway, in honor of this particular personality trait I am instituting "random question thursdays." When I post on a Thursday, the post title will be a question, to which...

I will research and attempt to provide an answer with the post,

I will ask hoping that someone will comment with an answer or link to an answer

my readers (hello to my few readers! holla!) will find the question interesting to ponder

the question will spark an interest in my readers to ask others.

Today's question fits into the second, third, or fourth category listed above. Feel free to comment - I won't bite!

If you could only take with you the amount of items that would fit in the trunk of a car, what would they be? (The rest would be gone forever.)

Here's my list (thank god my little Fifi is a hatchback):

the pets (Jack [cat], Jammer [dog], Rue [cat])

my grandmother's class ring

the little, thimble-sized doll my neighbor gave to me and asked me to keep forever

my laptop (a lot of stuff stored on there!)

my fire-proof box (includes backup drive with all of my photos, passport, other vital information)

a change or two of clothes

my favorite sandals in the world - which I believe have been discontinued

That's all I've got for now, pretty much everything else could be replaced and most of my stuff doesn't have any sentimental value.

do crickets chirp?

2009-06-17T07:56:00.002-05:00

I have written before about the awful state of Internet access at my house. We cannot get DSL because we are the only house on our road and it isn't worth it for AT&T to extend coverage for one household. Note: AT&T are bastards and have continuously screwed me over the years with their buyout of Cingular and so on and so forth. But enough about that.

I've been using my cell phone as a modem for the past few months and it is very slightly better than dial-up, but drops the connection a lot and doesn't allow me to use my phone while online. Also, it drains my phone battery quite quickly so the most I can hope for is 45 minutes of online use before my full battery is drained. 45 minutes isn't very long when you consider the amount of time it takes for a page to load. Working from home is next to impossible.

After reviewing my finances for the billionth time, I've decided to bite the bullet and upgrade to Cricket broadband, which boasts a stellar signal in my area. I made the purchase last night and hope to be reaping the benefits of the service by early next week. It should only cost me about $10 extra each month and I think I can move around some expenditures and trim enough that this is feasible. Plus, if things work out as hoped, the man has agreed to purchase a wireless router so that we can both utilize the Internet access at the same time (he's hoping he can use his Xbox 360 online with the router).

Oh, to be able to speedily do anything online from home. That would be a joyous event.

june 2009 - two weeks in

2009-06-16T09:42:00.003-05:00

It has been two weeks since I set out on my June 2009 goals. These are in various stages of completion:

read at least one book (pending)
finish my coffee table project (haven't really begun yet)
plant vegetables and finish my flower beds (pending)
prepare the guest bedroom for the "mother-in-law" (pending - it is pretty close)
go to the farmer's market at least three times (haven't gone at all yet)
reorganize my paper files (kind of scared to start this unless I have a few solid hours to complete it)

I still think I can get everything finished before the end of the month and undoubtedly will add additional projects along the way. I'm getting kind of interested in feng shui, but have not pursued that yet. I'll be picking up a book about it tonight at the library. It's safe to assume that this will spur additional projects.

i love it, but not enough that a restraining order is warranted

2009-06-15T15:16:00.004-05:00

I know that I have mentioned how much I love the FX show Burn Notice before. Well, this is one of the songs that is played in the advertisements for the show. I love it, but I kept forgetting to google it. Today it popped up on my Pandora station. (You can check out my work station by clicking on the link in the nav bar to the left of the posts.) Oh, Pandora, what had I done all of those years before you? I guess I had to remember things and make an effort. Thank God I don't have to do that anymore.

Go here for the video for "Hang Me Up To Dry" by the Cold War Kids. I can't embed the video because it is the "official" version and the folks at Universal are apparently bastards.

it was good while it lasted

2009-06-14T21:16:00.005-05:00

I have to go back to work tomorrow. It is only 9:30 PM, which is my general bedtime on weeknights, and I'm mourning the end of my vacation time for June. I have a few hours left to take before the end of the fiscal year (July 1), but I won't be taking any more full days off. Not to mention that I have a major project to finish up and have out of my hands before the end of the month. And that there is potential for a shitload more work to be heading my way once the new fiscal year hits. This is going to be one whirlwind of a summer.

Next weekend is my town's summer festival, which the man and I always attend (I'm looking forward to the pancake breakfast more than the beer tents, to be honest). My parents are visiting in two weeks, but only for a couple days maximum. Two weekends in July will be spent at weddings. The man's mother is visiting for three weeks in July. I am looking forward to seeing her, but the prospect of sharing our space with another person for three whole weeks is making my blood pressure raise every time I think about it. I'm sure it will be fine, and I'm trying not to add it to the stress bucket right now.

As for my time off, I was pretty productive. I can't say that I accomplished everything I had hoped over the past few days, but I did catch up with some friends and get a better grasp on a few things.

I'll post more about my project/goals status tomorrow. Right now I'm pretty exhausted after spending half the day enlarging (doubling) one of the flowerbeds next to the house and moving plants around. I'm off to get a good night's sleep [knock on wood] before facing work tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

eco brushes

2009-06-13T22:11:00.004-05:00

Here is yet another of my recent purchases to beautify myself while keeping the environment in mind.

These are EcoTools Earth-Friendly brushes. The handles are bamboo and the bristles are cruelty-free. The carrying case is made from hemp. Quite green, I'd say, and they are super-soft and work quite well. The $8.99 price tag at Target doesn't hurt.

This is my last cosmetics post for a while, I promise. I'm biding my time until I can share my bridesmaid dress with you all - if Pam ever tells me which one she'd like me to wear.

we fit

2009-06-12T23:25:00.003-05:00

I hung some sheets and towels and such on the clothesline today. It was the first day when it was warm and the wind wasn’t whipping past my house at hurricane strength, so it was time to save some energy and let some sheets absorb that fresh from the sun smell.

Folding fitted sheets has always sucked for me. I could never seem to get the folded product to look like anything but a mangled ball of wrinkles. This video has made my linen closet let out a huge sigh of relief.

thisclose

2009-06-12T23:18:00.003-05:00

I suck. I missed a day. The problem is, when I thought “oh shit, I have to post to my blog,” it was already 12:09 AM. I had just finished watching the new episode of Burn Notice and was about ready to go to bed when it struck me. But, alas, it was too late. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you. I'll post twice today. I promise.

I spent the day yesterday at the mall with my friend Pam, window shopping and making a half-assed attempt to find shoes for her wedding. It was a nice, laid back, do nothing kind of day. Today was once again much of the same. I spent the majority of the day with my friend Kristen, had lunch, spent most of the day outside with her dog, nothing serious or too intense. Tomorrow I plan on waking up early to hit a few garage sales with a couple of friends, then I hope to mow the lawn (if the man hasn’t already finished by the time I get back), and then cook up a couple steaks for dinner.

Thank God it is finally summer.

counting my pennies, and my hatred

2009-06-10T12:44:00.006-05:00

Well, well, well...I've been posting about a lot of products and objects and goals and such lately, and have given the bitching a bit of a rest for a while. The bitching is back, my friends, and it is back with a vengeance. At least for today.

I really don't like the roommate...at all. I think he is a worthless, over-sized carcass who takes up space and has been set on this earth to annoy the fuck out of me and my man. I have recently noticed that I don't even look at the roommate anymore. The sight of him annoys me and if I were to make eye contact, a conversation might ensue and I surely don't have the intestinal fortitude to deal with all the bullshit he would try to feed me. Also, it is difficult to make eye contact with someone whose gaze so rarely shifts from either his feed bag or the television.

Anyway, I don't like him and now he has a girlfriend. They've seemingly bonded over their shared abilities to not speak to one another and to be slovenly, couch-lounging, thick-bodied sloths. Okay, she's not terribly over-wide, but when you never get off the fucking couch it is difficult for me to distinguish between cushion and your ass. I've heard them speak to one another only a couple times, always about food, funny enough. Yes, they've been dating for just over a month and she is at the house ever single night without fail. And they only leave to feed themselves then it is back to the couch to watch yet another Deadliest Catch marathon or another Food network program. I have the sneaking suspicion that the girlfriend is annoyed by the dickbag roommate's proclivity to laziness and that she doesn't care to be a fatbody who lays around staring at the tv screen. She has recently taken to sitting next to him on these marathons but instead does crossword puzzles and doesn't stare blindly into Emeril's huge face like the roommate chooses to do.

Why do we still keep him around? Because we are still only thisclose to not needing his rent check. The man's answer to everything roommate related is, "tell him to move out if he doesn't like it." I hope that this means his finances are getting very close to the point that we would be able to live alone. Thus, I'm hoping and praying that the man will soon be the one telling Mr. Lazyballs to move the fuck out and to take his girlfriend and massive load of ugly-ass belongings with him. Personally, my goal is to be able to kick in his portion of the rent by the end of the year, and that we'll be okay to kick his ass to the curb shortly thereafter (this is all independent of what the man can pitch in). Until that time, I'll bide my time and continue to avoid looking in the roommate's general direction as not to be drawn into the vortex of yuck. The vortex has gotten even stronger now that his female counterpart has joined in the sucking worthlessness.

like being naked

2009-06-09T08:46:00.006-05:00

I have decided to share with you a new purchase which I love. I have started using a new brand of beautification products: Stript. I was turned on to this product line by my hairstylist, who always looks completely polished.

So far I've only switched over to the eyeliner (color: cocoa) and blush (color: lolita). Yes, there were multiple jokes made at my expense because the color of blush that best matches my fair complexion is Lolita. Even though it has the name Lolita, I don't look like a hooker or a drag queen when I wear it. I have never in my life used blush before, but I think I like it. It makes me look like I have actual cheekbones. Who knew? I like the eyeliner because it doesn't make me look like a raccoon halfway through the day by smearing and bleeding and melting all around my eye holes.

I had my doubts about a vegan product staying put all day and being as effective as my normal products, but I have been quite pleasantly surprised. The prices are a little higher than you'd pay at the nearest Walgreens for beauty products, but are definitely on par with the department store brands. I'm impressed by the company's socially responsible business practices: from eco-friendly packaging to generous contributions to various charities. For more information about Stript makeup and where you can buy their products, click here.

but enough about me...

2009-06-08T09:27:00.004-05:00

It was another nasty weather day today: cold, rainy, grey, and dismal. This is the perfect day to start my June book - the one I just borrowed from the local library. I was looking for a light, entertaining read and this one nearly bounced off the shelf and into my lap.

It sports a fun and flirty, girly cover. It has stars and glitter. It is non-fiction, but filled with celebrity gossip. It even has a glowing endorsement from none other than Dolly Parton. It must be good.

I didn't know anything about the book before I picked it up, but I just looked it up on Amazon and the reviews are strikingly positive. Here's a link if you'd like to learn more.

I'll keep you posted.

june 2009 - one week in

2009-06-07T21:39:00.004-05:00

Well, let's see what kind of progress I've made during the first week of June. I think I've done quite well in terms of goals and I've even managed to do some things that weren't on my list. Her is what I have accomplished:

get a library card
paint the kitchen
find/purchase a bridesmaid dress

I've done some other things that I've been meaning to do for a long time as well:

bundle my home and auto insurance, saving a buttload of money (I'm a lazy moron for not doing this sooner, particularly since I at one time held a property/casualty insurance licensure)
reconnect with some family/friends with whom I've lost touch (however, there is still more to do with this one)
continue exploring professional development and potential career enhancing moves
step outside of my comfort zone and attend gatherings I normally would avoid
upgrade more of my projects to natural and eco-friendly alternatives

Some of these are small things, others have more impact, but all of them are making me extremely happy to add to my list of accomplishments. I'm happy with all that I've done this summer and am looking forward to doing a lot more this upcoming week to get toward polishing off the rest of my June goals.

And, this is day seven of a successful NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Woo hoo.

No, I'm not all about self-enlightenment and improvement these days. There is a pent-up rant about the roommate about to boil over and you will reap all of the juicy benefits.

i love me some throwback curtains

2009-06-06T16:04:00.011-05:00

I mentioned yesterday that I purchased new pinch pleat curtains for the office and that they are magnificently wonderful. Here is a closeup of the fabulous pattern (I am fully aware that most of you will think this is atrocious):

The color isn't really showing true to form - I hope that the weather cooperates better soon so that I can get some better natural light in the office. The teal is close, but the background is really a lime color with a bit of a cold in the sheen. A better picture will follow. The flash on my moderately priced Canon is not painting a very good picture of my office as a whole today, so full shots will have to wait as well.

More to come.

bargain bandit

2009-06-05T19:58:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, after painting the kitchen, I realized that I was in desperate need of kitchenware and felt the need for some retail therapy while on my "vacation." I was uber-successful in my shopping endeavors and found a ton of things that I was not even looking for. This is where the "pretend it's a dress" theory comes in. As I wasn't looking for a dress (or for many of the other items listed below), I was able to find the perfect one. Here is a list of things I purchased today - totaling less than $100:

two, count them, TWO potential dresses for the wedding
fabric matching the kitchen paint color (to be made into pillows or cushions for the adjoining living room)
brocade pinch-pleat drapes for the office - the perfect score (posting pics tomorrow)
a new shower curtain and liner
two pairs of heels
a cute denim jacket
a yellow and orange, three-piece Pyrex mixing bowl set
two microfiber pillow shams
a matte white, faux bois pot

I believe there may have been a couple other little things thrown in the mix, but that's most of it. Yes, I was the bargain bandit. Can't believe what a steal the dresses were. I'll have to get pics after the man gets home so I can post them. Now I'm out for a night of merriment.

whew

2009-06-04T21:37:00.003-05:00

I've been busy today. I painted the kitchen, got my hair cut, went to a grand opening party, and had drinks at a couple different establishments. Oh, and I watched the Burn Notice marathon on USA network. I must say that I have a bit of a crush on the leading man. It did serve as good background dialogue for my taping, prepping, painting project. I'd say that's a pretty busy day and I'm still a bit tipsy after my drinking excursions.

I'll post more about my projects tomorrow, when I plan to complete another of my June goals - getting my library card. Oh yes, I'm one exciting chica.

say huh? to the dress

2009-06-03T11:58:00.003-05:00

I've been looking for a dress. I will be the witness for my best friend from high school's wedding. I've written about Pam before. It is a small civil ceremony including Pam, her betrothed, their parents, a judge, me and another witness. So, I suppose this role could be equated to maid of honor. This is a role I have never been put in before. Granted, the wedding is not very traditional, so the same rules do not apply, but I'm still feeling a bit o' the pressure.

Anyway, Pam has chosen a very nice J. Crew cotton dress to wear as her wedding gear. I'm now hunting for a cotton something-or-other dress that will be more casual than Pam's dress (which I have never physically seen with my own eyes). Preferably not too brightly colored, and preferably something reasonably priced that I will wear again. Yes, that is a lot of pressure, as dress shopping is a wretched, not fun event in my opinion.

Here are some reasons why dress shopping is not an acceptable form of entertainment and why I am very oft not successful in finding a dress:

my torso appears to be the inappropriate length for dresses - don't know if this is too long or too short
my boobs are not big enough to fill out dresses that require boobage to hold them up
I don't like to try things on
wearing appropriate undergarments for dress shopping is next to impossible
I am in the in-between stage - not a junior, not an old lady, not a hooker - very difficult to find a dress that isn't tethered to one of those categories
When I finally find something that I really like, then look at the price tag and realize I would have to get knocked up, deliver, then sell the baby to pay for the dress

Despite all of these factors working against me, I still need to have something appropriate to wear to the wedding/party. I just need to put on my big girl panties (as my friend Cheri would say) and rise to the challenge.

My friend Kristen has agreed to help me find said dress. She had a similar task when she stood up as her sister's maid of honor last month in Mexico. I'll be in Milwaukee, nowhere near as tropical, but less likely that I'll be getting murdered or come down with the next case of swine flu. Then again, it is Milwaukee, so I'd better limit it to "nowhere near as tropical," the other two are still possible.

I digress, the dress hunt commences next week Friday when I am taking another vacation day off from work. I am hoping that the dress finding adventure takes very little time so that we can also get a fast and friendly Culver's meal and maybe take in a movie as well. Of course I am also hoping that Pam blesses the dress and that I will not be mocked as the "what the fuck was she thinking wearing that to the wedding" attendee of the party. I'll post pics of said dress, when it has been procured, which will likely be accompanied by lovely tan lines, brought to you courtesy of Trish Taunts Skin Cancer.

goals for june 2009

2009-06-02T09:35:00.008-05:00

Here's my list of short-term goals for June. Nothing too extraordinary, but it's one of my efforts toward making time for fun. Yes, I suck at spontaneity. Most of the things on this list will be "fun" for me. No, I'm not normal. Yes, I'm a dork. The man will be working out of town during the week for about eight weeks this summer - this should leave me with a good amount of time to accomplish the projects that I would like to do.

get a library card
read at least one new book
finish my coffee table project
prepare the guest bedroom for the "mother-in-law"
paint the kitchen (not the cabinets, just the walls - yes, it is the same color as my office. the office was a trial run to see if I would like it in the kitchen)
plant vegetables and finish my flower beds
take all of my use-or-lose vacation time
go to the farmer's market at least three times
reorganize my paper files
find/purchase a bridesmaid dress

goals update - is this the sixth month already?

2009-06-01T08:17:00.008-05:00

Hello, long time no write. I've been quite busy as of late, and I need a bit of a kick in the ass to jumpstart my blog writing again. As you can see from the badge to the left, I'll be participating in NaBlogPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) again to try to get a post in each of the next 30 days.

Time to recap my goals for the year and to see how I've been doing:

Financial Goals:

Only keep a balance on one credit card
> this is going well, haven't had a balance on more than one card at all this year
Lower credit card balance to at least $x by January 1, 2010
> also going well - I'm on track to complete this goal and successfully pay off all credit card debt within the next 12 months
Pay off Student Loan 1 by January 1, 2010
> this loan will be paid off by October, 2009
Contribute monthly to savings account to cover non-monthly budgetary expenses
> I've been doing this, thankfully, as I had to use a good portion of it to pay for my laptop repairs
Cut expenses
> still going well, though there isn't much left to trim at this point. I have been waning a bit on my coupon usage, but I'm committed to picking that back up
Raise income
> I've taken on some side projects, but not a second job. There seems to be potential for an increase at work, but I'm not holding my breath. I need to seek out additional possibilities for this goal

Professional Goals:

Continue taking advantage of all applicable training sessions
> not many trainings offered lately, but I have attended all opportunities
Build and maintain professional network
> not much has been done to further build my network, but I have continued to maintain what I already have
Apply myself to outperform in current role - be indispensable
> this is going well, I suppose, as I have taken on additional responsibilities. I do, however, feel more confined than ever
Complete thesis
> now that my laptop is finally fixed, I should be able to make more headway. Any additional income will be put toward a higher-speed internet connection so that I can do more from home

Relationship Goals:

Do not interrupt, over-share, or compare experiences
> I remind myself of this goal on a daily basis, I hope that I've made progress in this area
Be supportive, but also share caution when necessary
> this also requires daily concentration, sometimes the man has some pretty out-there ideas that are hard to support though, but I've been doing my best to not gravitate toward the role of Devil's advocate all of the time
Spend more time w/, or communicate more w/ family and friends
> I think this has been successful. I just spent the Memorial Day weekend visiting my hometown and was able to see a lot of people while there. I've also been pretty good regarding my monthly correspondence
Reach out to others more
> not much has been done in terms of volunteer work, I have committed to donating blood on a six-week cycle though

Personal Goals:

Keep a tidy house
> not so hot on this one, I must admit that the more I am able to do toward reaching other goals leaves something to be desired in terms of household chores. The outdoor spaces (garden) is looking pretty good though
Make time for fun, don't schedule life to the minute
> I have done this, but it seems that I wait until I can't barely stand myself before it happens. I need to make a more conscious effort to get out there more
Make physical and mental health a priority
> I am happy to admit that I have stopped wearing the belt (most of the time). More on this to come later in the month
Minimize stress
> working out and eating better has helped this, all other factors are kicking this goal in the belly repeatedly though. in other words, this needs work
Celebrate success
> not a whole lot of success to celebrate, guess this needs more work too
Don't be over-critical or take myself too seriously
> I'd say this one is only so-so
Live in the present - don't fret about those things outside of my control
> my worry level is down, so that is a good thing
Train myself to sustain myself
> I've stopped using anything but reusable shopping bags and have continued trying to buy local. Cooking at home has suffered since I've started putting in a lot more hours at work - this needs to be revisited. I'll write more about growing vegetables and herbs later in the month

and by 'we,' you mean 'me,' right?

2009-05-06T08:50:00.002-05:00

Things at work have been uber-hectic lately. I try to keep my blog posting as separate from my work life as possible, but lately it is all one big pile of work-related feces. I am stressed about work, take that stress home, carry it around on my back for the rest of the evening, then strap it back on when I'm off to work again. It is all-consuming. And I'm not the only one affected by the goings on.

My coworkers are also stressed; you can see it on their faces. I'm worried that we are all just one misstep away from devolving into crazed lunatics. We've absorbed the work of yet another person who has left the office. The details of how and why the person left are unimportant. What is important is that we are once again having to pick up the slack.

I'm an honest person, and I don't believe in letting things fester. I speak to management about my concerns and don't try to pretend everything is okay. Now for the rhetorical questions. How do you walk the line between giving constructive criticism and giving a person a rude wake-up call? How do you do this when the person is above you in the hierarchy? When do you say enough is enough and just cut your losses and get the hell out? When does responsibility, integrity, and loyalty become plain-old stupidity? These are the things that run through my brain multiple times per day and keep me up at night.

All I want to do is have a job I enjoy doing something that will make a positive difference in the lives of others. I would hope that that job would allow me to live comfortably and to have enough extra money to do something fun every once in a while. I fear that this is simply too much to ask right now. In a time when the economy and job market have gone down the toilet, money is tight, and things are not looking to improve anytime soon, how much should a person take and how much imbalance can you withstand before your home life suffers at the hands of your work life?

lost another friend this week

2009-04-29T15:00:00.002-05:00

You may or may not have heard that Bea Arthur, best known as Dorothy of the Golden Girls has passed away after a fight against cancer. This comes in the same year that Estelle Getty also left us. I was going to write again about my feelings on the Golden Girls, as I did when Estelle Getty died, but I think you may have guessed that the sense of loss I feel for Bea Arthur strikes a similar chord. Even though I know that it was just a television show, I hope that Bea and Estelle are sharing a cheesecake up in heaven and that we can keep Rue and Betty here with us for a while longer.

I leave you with this little token of remembrance from two of the girls.

say hello to my little friend

2009-04-17T09:34:00.007-05:00

This 24-oz. bottle is BPA-free stainless steel. And it is orange. And it is going to remind me to drink more water and less toxins. Toxins that spill into the water via their plastic containers. And, I'm going to be able to stop using and reusing so many plastic bottles.

Want more? It also has an inspirational reminder to be optimistic. You can't really see it in the photo, but it reads "OPTIMISTIC My glass is always half full." Those of you who know me might see the humor in this, as I'm not going to be able to add eternal optimist to my resume any time soon.

Negativity has been pervasive in my work environment lately, and this little bottle is serving as a reminder for me to lighten the fuck up, take a step back, and realize that things can't really be as bad as they seem. If things really are as bad as they seem, then there must be a silver lining, even if that silver lining is buried under a pile of shit.

In other news, I'm reading a very interesting book: Green, Greener, Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part of Your Life by Lori Bongiorno. I found it while browsing the local library and it is exactly what I've been looking for, the perfect complement to springtime, and my hope is that it will help me to become even more environmentally conscious (something that is in my goals list for 2009).

This book offers three levels of "greening" up your life. If you want to put in minimal effort and expense, go with the green option. If you have time to step it up a bit and throw more time and money in, go with the greener option, and so on and so forth. It's worth a glance if you are wanting a quick read that can help save some green (in terms of money and the environment).

losing inches

2009-04-02T13:10:00.003-05:00

Hello again. I'm back from vacation in Chicago with my family (pictures have yet to be uploaded, but they are coming). My nephews are wonderful, but not enough to make me want to spew a kid out of my nethers anytime in the future. Anyway, back to the point, the vacation was fabulous and I have a bit of a crush on Chicago. I must admit that the vacation reinvigorated me to step up my workouts even more. It may have been the 19th floor fitness room at the hotel with the awesome city views.

So, despite all the e-mails I receive daily about wanting to add inches to a member, beast, or otherwise named male extension, I've been losing inches. I've cut two inches off my waist since I started this whole thing and an inch from thighs. Apparently my ass hasn't gotten the memo yet because there hasn't been any visible progress there, but I'm sure it'll happen eventually. I am happy because I'm operating under the assumption that the decrease in inches means that I'm firming and toning, making the stuff that was already there tighter and now more streamlined. Either that or my tape measure reading skills are lacking. My physical therapist is happy with my progress, but is also trying to pull on the reigns to keep me from going overboard. My core strength is improving, but my wonky pelvis is still unstable. At least it isn't my mental state.

I'll keep you posted and will throw some pictures from the trip up here this weekend.

what am i made of?

2009-03-24T11:46:00.001-05:00

My Personality


Neuroticism	12
Extraversion	58
Openness to Experience	38
Agreeableness	32
Conscientiousness	71

You are a calm person who is considered almost fearless by some, however you do not feel nervous in social situations, and have a good impression of what others think of you. You get overwhelmed by too much noise and commotion and do not like thrill-seeking activities. You prefer facts over fantasy and are more interested in what is happening in the real word. You do not enjoy confrontation, but you will stand up for yourself or push your point if you feel it is important, however you feel superior to those around you and sometimes tend to be seen as arrogant by other people. You take your time when making decisions and will deliberate on all the possible consequences and alternatives.

Free Poll

10 years (pending)

2009-03-23T17:11:00.004-05:00

My ten-year high school class reunion is fast approaching. It will take place this summer in my hometown. I come from a very small community and my graduating class consisted of 96 students, many of which were in my various "circles" of friends. I was a floater, a mingler, per se. I had friends in every cliche, had no specific tie to any particular group, and was a bit transient in general. As a result, perhaps, I have one close friend with whom I still communicate regularly. I cut loose all of the extraneous people from my life when I went away to college. Not because I didn't like them, but maybe because I hadn't forged real, sustainable connections with them.

It is these people whom I will be seeing this summer. I've run into old friends from time to time, but have never left those encounters with any promised contact. I hope to leave this reunion similarly unscathed, but possessing enough updated knowledge of my old friends to tide me over until the next reunion rolls around.

Why am I bringing this up? It has been on my mind lately. Am I who I wanted to be at the age of 27? Who did I want to be when I "grew up"? Did I meet those benchmarks? I don't know that I ever had set up a timeline of my life. Perhaps if I had, I would be disappointed now. I'd like to think that I'm on track and that I am right where I should be. That's how I feel, though I wouldn't mind tweaking a few aspects of my life. I prefer the "take it as it comes" guide to life - I strive for what I want, but what I want changes.

I guess I'm just looking at my life through a telescope. Trying to see the big picture. Trying to give the two-minute elevator conversation that explains who I am, how I got here, and who I want to become. I'd like to get a firm handle on that two minute "where am I now" so that I can leave people with a clear view of the real Trish. Except that in my mind, I can't really wrap my head around a reason to pinpoint my life like that.

I think I'm like one of those grab bags I used to love as a kid. You get a bag filled with surprises, some of them good, some of them you pass along to others. All in all, the grab bag of my life has been filled with a lot of great experiences who have made me into today's Trish. Tomorrow's Trish may be completely different. Who knows who I will have become by the time this summer's reunion comes around. Maybe I shouldn't write that elevator conversation down in pen, but rather just keep it in pencil. I guess I'm still that transient being I was in high school.

i scream, you scream, we all scream for fish oil

2009-03-20T10:35:00.006-05:00

I'm taking a new supplement. To supplement what? I'm not sure. I suppose my diet is lacking in things other than fat and cholesterol, which are not necessarily good things to have in abundance. This is why I've added fish oil to my list of daily pills to go down the hatch. They reek. I hate fish and haven't eaten seafood in over 25 years, but apparently their oil is beneficial for my heart and thus I'm taking one for the team (Team Trish, that is). Luckily I have not suffered any type of repercussion from downing the nasty fish oil pills. No gills. No horrid stench reaching up out of my belly to assault passers by. No desire to swim upstream to find a mate.

In other news, I've come to the realization that working out is the devil. It is the devil because when I work out, I want to do it all the time. Why would I want to work out so much, you ask? Doesn't working out pretty much suck because, as it is named, it is WORK? I'll tell you. I want to work out all the time because mine is a personality in need of immediate gratification and because the results...they do not happen fast enough. And logic dictates that to get something to happen quicker, you should do it more often. But this logic is wrong in this case. I am not supposed to work out every day, according to my health magazines and my physical therapist. At least not the way that I want to. There is a delicate balance of "do this, not that," which is going on in my weekly workout rotation. And I hate it. Back to my statement that working out is the devil. I have decided this because that is what the devil does, isn't it? Tempts you to do things you are not supposed to?

I guess that when I start something new, I'd prefer to be balls deep in it rather than just tiptoeing around. This is not the way to do things if I want to be healthy, says my physical therapist. This means that the fabulous workout I've come to love (I posted a video)...the one that makes my ass feel like it is on fire and that the fire is quickly spreading down my legs...I am not supposed to do that workout on consecutive days.

To make myself feel like I'm doing more for my body, despite being deprived of the "okay" to exercise how and when I would like, I've been taking more vitamins and supplements. I'll keep you apprised of any other changes.

add another artist to the bunch

2009-03-13T15:05:00.003-05:00

I've been listening to a lot of Imogen Heap's music lately. You may recognize her voice as she was in the band Frou Frou, which gained a bit of notoriety from one of my favorite movies, Garden State. She is a solo artist, and I really enjoy her sound:

I also have a few of her songs on my playlist if you'd care to take another listen.

yes drill sergeant

2009-03-13T14:47:00.007-05:00

There was a time when progress was measured by how much weight I lost - now, progress is measured by whether or not I need to brace myself to lower down onto the toilet and how much my abdominal muscles throb when I do so. Say hello to my latest workout.

This workout may not look like it, but it is super-intense. My abs are by no means washboard, but I've lost a 1/2 inch off my waist in the past couple weeks thanks to this workout + cardio + additional exercises from my physical therapist. That my muscles hurt as much as they do is probably a sign of progress, but it is also a sign that I still have a long way to go.

Every painful step I take is one step closer to saying goodbye to that stupid pelvic belt so I'm going to keep plugging away at the agonizing torture, brought to me courtesy of "the great one-month slimdown with Jillian Michaels" and Self magazine. Oh, how I am growing to hate you and love you all at the same time.

i heart progress

2009-02-20T14:58:00.002-06:00

What have I been doing? Not posting, obviously. AND I actually have a fabulous reason. Progress, people, I've been making progress.

I've (finally) painted the office. I chose this color: I am very happy with how the office turned out.

I am still trying to get things arranged the way I want, but it is already a space much more conducive to working. The man has agreed that this color would be a good for the walls in the kitchen. Now we just have to wait for the roommate to move out so that we can get started. Added bonus: there is enough leftover paint that we wouldn't have to buy more to finish the kitchen.

I've created and committed to an exercise/workout schedule. I've also purchased a physical therapist approved recumbent bike to aid in my therapy. Since starting in January, I've even upped my free weights from 3 lbs. to 5 lbs. In terms of tangible progress, I have lost two pounds since I began working out on January 18 and my clothes are beginning to fit better again. . I'm happy with this progress, since I'm not working out to lose weight, but rather to build muscle and strengthen my core (as a part of my physical therapy). In other words, I'm doing all of the working out, which I hate, because I hate this even more.

I've taken on a side project to earn extra income. Also, an opportunity has arisen within my current employment that may allow me to increase my income (fingers crossed). . I have finished the first leg of the side project and I just have to do a few more hours to have the full project completed. The nice thing about taking on this project, in addition to a few extra dollars coming in, is that it has also helped me to schedule weekly library time. I think this will be a good habit, as it will only aid me in completing both this side project and my thesis.

Back to the home progress. The man and I have created a much cozier space completely separate from the roommate's area. We've been able to confine the cats to this area and no longer have to worry about the roommate meddling in our conversations or in our space..
I helped a friend remove wallpaper from her very large bathroom. Wallpaper that was adhered directly to the drywall by the previous owners. Previous owners who were idiots..

I've completed and filed my taxes and am happy to report that I got a larger refund than last year. Two-thirds of the money has already gone into paying off my credit card debt, while the other third has been put into my emergency savings (already withdrew a portion of it to get a new tire).
It has been wonderful to see my credit card debt decrease over the past months. Now that I have rolled all of my credit card debt onto one low-interest card, the progress is much more visible each month. I'm happy to report that I'm right on schedule with this financial goal.

I've already cut back on the nagging and interrupting in my relationships. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

I've been more conscious of the attitude I have at work. Some things have made me consciously pissed off at work, but at least I knew I was being a grumple as a result of those issues and not just because I'm a pessimistic negative Nancy.

I've sorted through my belongings and have given quite a few things to friends, family, and charity, while tossing other things that are of no use to anyone anymore.

I've realized that lists do not have to come in multiples of 10.

I've developed a better system for managing mail and bills.

I've finished another major household project. The man and I built a wooden surround for the cat litter box. It will allow the cats to have more privacy while keeping the dog from trying to eat cat shit. Double bonus.

And that, my friends, is what I've been doing for the main part of January and February. I'm tired, but I'm committed to keeping up with these goals so that I can check a shitload of things of my 2009 project list. I'll keep you posted, perhaps I should add that as one of my goals.

i wish we could've played radiohead in high school

2009-02-10T09:27:00.002-06:00

I love how the marching band integrates with Radiohead during their Grammy performance. In case you missed it: