random question thursday

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

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

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?

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!

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

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

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!

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...

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


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


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


4. 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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?

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)

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

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

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

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

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

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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.


4. 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..


5. 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.


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


7. 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.


8. 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.


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


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


11. 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

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

today is the day

Article 2 (for BHO) from Andrew Sloat on Vimeo.

simplify, simplify, simplify

Things are still very sad around our house after the unexpected passing of the man's grandma. I must admit that losing her so suddenly has led me to further evaluate my life, as is often the case after experiencing a loss. If I would give my goals for 2009 a one-word mantra, it would definitely be 'simplify.' By simplify, I mean to pare down and eliminate the things I don't really need, know when enough is enough, be happy now rather than waiting for happiness to come and bite me on the ass, make changes now so that I can enjoy my life without all of the unnecessary trappings.

I've broken down my goals (note that they are not resolutions, but rather are manageable and achievable goals) into four main categories. I've already been working toward many of these goals and they require maintenance rather than initiation in most instances. They might seem like a lot, but that is only because they are so compartmentalized that the sheer volume seems unwieldy. In all actuality, this is a shrunken version of my overall list and doesn't include any of the ideas/tactics within the bullet points.

You may wonder why the hell I've shared all of these with you when you don't really give a damn. Well, it's because I'm selfish and I need a kick in the rear to jumpstart myself from time to time. I've put them up here to add more accountability. I can't hide from the list if it has been thrown into the world.

Here goes:

Financial Goals:
· Only keep a balance on one credit card (already accomplished, just need to maintain)
· Lower credit card balance to at least $x by January 1, 2010
· Pay off Student Loan 1 by January 1, 2010
· Contribute monthly to savings account to cover non-monthly budgetary expenses (auto maintenance, pet food, renter's insurance)
· Cut expenses (already do these things, but should do them even more religiously)
· Raise income

Professional Goals:
· Continue taking advantage of all applicable training sessions
· Build and maintain professional network
· Apply myself to outperform in current role - be indispensable
· Complete thesis

Relationship Goals:
· Do not interrupt, over-share, or compare experiences - this disrespects the person speaking
· Be supportive, but also share caution when necessary - do not play devil's advocate unless vital
· Spend more time w/, or communicate more w/ family and friends
· Reach out to others more - volunteer

Personal Goals:
· Keep a tidy house
· Make time for fun, don't schedule life to the minute
· Make physical and mental health a priority
· Minimize stress
· Celebrate success
· Don't be overly critical or take myself too seriously
· Live in the present - don't fret about those things outside of my control
· Train myself to sustain myself

where I've been

I'm sorry for not posting since the holidays. There was an unexpected death in the man's immediate family that caught us all completely off guard. Things are settling down a bit now and the man is dealing much better than last week. I'll post more and will share my New Year's resolutions with you sometime this week.

I hope you all had a happy holiday.

holiday spirit: post 9 - a bit grinchy

There have been a number of things creeping in, trying to steal my Christmas spirit lately. I must admit to feeling a bit grinchy, wrapped in a layer of bah humbug.

As many of you are experiencing, wherever you happen to be in the U.S., the weather outside is frightful to say the least. And, (now bordering on excess) baby, it's cold outside. The combination of the massive snowfalls plus the subzero temperatures has made me rethink my travel plans. This means I may experience my first ever Christmas away from my family. This is devastating to me, as Christmas is the one time of the year when all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, everyone congregates at my grandpa's two-bedroom house to celebrate the holiday. This amounts to over 50 family members, all of whom I'm dying to see. Unfortunately, I don't want to literally die in order to see them, so I may have to avoid travel until after the holiday.

Now for the boring weather statistics. I'm not meaning to start a pissing contest, but here are our stats from Southern Wisconsin, where we're knocking on the door to beat the December snowfall record. Not a record worth breaking, if you ask me. Anyway, we received over a foot of snow last Friday, 4-7 inches are falling today, and an additional 3-6 inches are expected for tomorrow (Christmas Eve). The day after Christmas is promising freezing rain, snow, and sleet. Yay. Pardon my math, but that amounts to a fuckload of snow.

The man loves the snow and has little sympathy for my situation, as his family lives across town and there is no danger of him missing his Christmas. The whole 45 minutes of it that he attends. I think he just wants me to stay in town, to be honest. Nevertheless, his attitude is making me less than jolly and I believe I even went so far as to tell him to stop pissing on my Christmas. Not sure what holiday spirit crept out of me with that comment, but I wish it would've taken the stick out of my ass when it made its debut. To say I'm uptight and stressed is an understatement.

Yet, the story of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas has a happy ending, with the Grinch being warmed by the spirit of the season, taking him from asshole to do-gooder in one fell swoop. I'm hoping that life imitates art and that this grinchy feeling washes away and everything works out in the end. That would be a Christmas miracle of mythic proportions. Kind of like that year in the 90s when my pretentious and disliked cousins came down with the flu and couldn't come to our other family celebration.

And now, your reward for listening to my quite silly woes, how about another holiday music selection, brought to us by the late, great Dr. Seuss:



Sidenote: You may not know this, but this song was sung by Thurl Ravenscroft, the voice of Tony the Tiger (from Kellogg's Frosted Flakes fame).

the man who couldn't cry

Artist Scotty Reifsnyder illustrated a book and created a short animation based on Johnny Cash's song "The Man Who Couldn't Cry." I love how he captured the lyrics, tone, and overall feel via artwork.

Click on the photo for a link to the artist's website and for an animated film of the book.

via Design Milk

holiday spirit: post 8

This is by far, in my humble opinion, the best Christmas song ever recorded. And now, for your listening and viewing pleasure, "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives.

holiday spirit: post 7 - we've been outnumbered

I've got some happy news. The man surprised me with an early Christmas present on Friday: a new kitten whom we've named Rue. She is a rescue kitty who was found in a tree and we figure she is about 10 weeks old. I'm glad that she was found when she was, since temperatures have been below zero lately.



We will be taking her to the vet in the next week to get her checked out, but she is a happy and feisty little thing.

The dog is in love with the kitten. I think her mothering instincts are kicking in. The funny thing is, the kitten is pretty indifferent toward her, which is a manifestation of karma, if you ask me. The dog was quite the bitch to Jack from the time he was a kitten, despite his best efforts to bond with her. Now, Jammer (the dog) is having to deal with the same sort of apathy from Rue. Interesting to see karma at work in the dog world.

Jack, our 15+ pound beast of a cat is quite a pansy. He initially was petrified of the kitten. This makes sense as we found him when he was barely a month old and he had likely not seen very many other cats before. He has been interested in Rue from the beginning, a sort of cautious fascination that often led him to run away like a wee baby whenever the kitten made a sudden movement. As of now, after having been given the opportunity to let it all sink in, he has begun to play with Rue and they are becoming fast friends, much to the chagrin of the dog.

And yes, the bipeds are now outnumbered in our little happy family. In the event of a inter-species wrestling match, we're down one person if we need to tag out so one of us will have to pull an extra shift. My vote is on the man.

coraline

I am very much looking forward to this movie:



For anyone who liked Nightmare Before Christmas, I think this will be in the same vein.

holiday spirit: post 6 - in memorium

Today marks the anniversary of John Lennon's death. As an avid Beatles fan in my teenage years, I drank in all of the Beatles and John Lennon music that I could. I find that this date still pops up in my head each December and I feel a sense of loss, despite not having been born when the event took place.

On this date each year I feel sorry for the many fans who were alive to experience the loss on that day and I feel sorry for those of us who came later and were never able to experience the thrill of a new album release or see a live interview with such an influential and talented individual.

And so, to mark this day, I'm posting one of my favorite holiday songs, sung by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. I like to think that by electing Barack Obama, we are this much closer to at least one war being over.

holiday spirit (kind of): post 5

Today has been an absolutely awful day. I have very little hope that my job will ever be satisfying, gratifying, or bearable. I'm lucky to have a job, so that is all I will say about it. Anyway, I'm in a kind of a funk as a result of a few work issues today and I was near tears as I sat at my desk and read yet another e-mail that made me want to rip my eyes out of their sockets, just so that I would be rendered blind and unable to read the bullshit.

It was at that very moment that my all-time favorite Christmas song came on. My old buddy Burl Ives came on and serenaded me with his Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer television special rendition of "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and as much as I would like to say that my faith in humanity and the upper management was renewed, it wasn't. I am, however, more willing to deal with it now. It is funny how a song can lift your spirits, even just a little.

Thanks go to you, Burl, you've kept the desk rage at bay.

holiday spirit: post 4

I've made a firm commitment to only using real money this holiday season: no credit cards. As I've said many times before, I am on a strict debt pay-down schedule and timeline. I may be spending less this year, but it is all money that I have and thus I won't be spending more in the long run. Also, the man and I are not exchanging gifts so that we can use that money on gifts for others.

I've also made a commitment to buying products from independent and local producers/sellers. I've had to step outside of this commitment for my nephews because I couldn't find a local independent seller of WALL-E DVDs. Other than making a conscious decision to buy local, I'm also making gifts again this year as much as I can. I've plugged this before, but buying homemade via sites like Etsy can yield high-quality goods and can help independent artisans/crafters and their families.

I know that this holiday season is going to be a tight one for many people and their families. I'm lucky that I don't have to worry about how I'll pay my bills and that I have the luxury of being able to make payments toward my debt.

Thinking about the holiday in terms of money doesn't usually make it into the "holiday spirit" category, but I think an economic downturn has the potential to bring Christmas back to its true meaning without the emphasis on gifting. It is amazing how much creativity can stem from times of misfortune and how clearly we can be compassionate to the plights of others more when we are ourselves experiencing hardship.

slumping

If you would like a visual representation of how our economy went into crisis mode (aka went down the toilet), I suggest this:

via Mint.

holiday spirit: post 3

Did I mention that I love Christmas music? I do, but I must admit that I'm more than partial to the classics...think Time Life Christmas with Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, all the greats. If you can stream music online, I highly suggest going to Iceberg Radio. Select "Seasonal" from the list and then "Old-Fashioned Christmas" from the expandable menu. It is what I've been listening to for the past couple weeks. All day. Every day. There is a pop-up player so you don't have to keep the main browser window open: quite handy. Also, the player has many other options if you prefer a different type of holiday music, but like I said, I stick with the classics.

Now, thanks to the standard stations that switch over to nonstop Christmas music during the holiday season, I'm able to listen on my way to work, at work from my computer, then on my way home again. Ah, you've got to love that.

NOTE: If you have sense enough to despise the David Bowie/Bing Crosby duet as much as I do, there is also an option to deselect 5 artists (in the pop-up player mode) so that their songs don't appear in your playlist. Whew, no more Ziggy Stardust or Chipmunks messing with my holiday cheer.