Know where I haven’t been in a while?
THE ZOO!
I think it’s time. Today. Right now.
My camera is begging for it.
And it’s time to visit Dottie.
YAY!!!!!!!!
The Zoo
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life
A Sense of Urgency
Have you ever felt like the second you do something you enjoy, that you have to rush and do as much as you can because you KNOW it’s going to be cut short? Usually, there is some obligation or responsiblity scheduled to take away the joy of the moment, at least for me.
It’s like “I’m relaxed and having fun but in five minutes I’m going to have to do [insert responsible boring considerate whatever obligation here] so I’d better RUSH and do as much as I can (usually this is when I am on the internet and then the website I’m working on slows to a CRAWL–damned MySpace), or I’m getting to the good part in a book before I have to leave the happy place and go please other people. Or try to sleep. Or answer the phone. Or SOMETHING. Or before I’m interrupted AGAIN (usually by Aidan) for one reason or another.
Sidenote: I’d like to whine about Aidan for a moment. WHY is it that he asks the same question over and over, and even after he gets the same answer from me over and over, he rephrases it? It drives me INSANE. Example:
Aidan: Is that a tower?
Me: Yes, it’s a tower.
Aidan: Is that a tower?
Me: Mmm-hmm.
Aidan: Is it?
Me (getting annoying): Yes, Aidan, it’s a tower.
Aidan: It’s a tower?
Me: Yes.
Aidan: No it’s not.
Me: HUH?
Aidan: It’s not a tower!
Me: Why did you ask me what it was if you knew that it wasn’t a tower (for the record, it IS a tower)
Aidan: What is it?
Me (finally): Aidan, I’m not going to tell you again. You know what it is.
Silence for a while, until he thinks of something else to ask me over and over.
HELP!!
In unrelated news, I really want to read SMALL TOWN GIRL by LaVyrle Spencer again. It’s been years since I’ve read it and I’m kind of wanting to revisit that book. It’s such a good one. But I have a stack of library books to read (including the infamous HOW OPAL MEHTA GOT KISSED, GOT WILD, AND GOT A LIFE), Lauren’s REALITY CHICK, and a bigger stack of books that I picked up from Barnes & Noble that have been patiently waiting for months for me to get to them! Ack!
Well, I guess it was related because I feel so CONFLICTED with time! Like, work days tend to go VERY SLOWLY. I’ve been doing product check-ins for about a week now. The past few days, it’s been Physical Science with Earth. Book after book of Physical Science with Earth. I have to make sure the pages are in order, that the corrections were made, that the books don’t have stupid stuff in them like the editor’s note I found in one of the workbooks, or the ones with the outdated Periodic Table of Elements splashed everywhere. That gets tedious after a while, and by 2:30 I’m ready to poke a pen in my eye (okay, take a nap actually), but I push through because they need to be done, and it’s important to me that the books are correct.
The evenings are what speed by, unless I’m doing something I HAVE to do, like an OBLIGATION. Then it creeps. But once I’m doing something I enjoy, it speeds!! And there seems to be all the time in the world for the stuff I HAVE to do, but no time for the stuff I want to do. Hence my book queue. The unopened DVDs and Playstation 2 games from 2004…things of that nature. I think I have to resign myself to picking ONE fun activity a night (or week) to focus on, because there is simply no time for more than that. There is too much fun stuff I want to do: read my books, WRITE, take pictures, shop, watch DVDs, play DDR…but something else usually needs to be done. Or I get so distracted and flustered that I don’t really focus truly on one thing and I feel totally ADD or totally like saying “Screw it all. I’m going to sleep.” But then, I’m so anxious for certain days to get here, it seems they will never get here even as I’m feeling time slip away.
What a paradox.
ETA: I KNOW MY PROBLEM. I HAVE BAD TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS.
And that my friends, is all. For real.
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So Freaking Productive!
So, I cleaned out my drawers today, and managed to free up two of them. I reorganized, and now I have an official sock drawer. Two drawers for pajamas (one for sets, one for separates and long-sleeved winter stuff), a drawer for tank tops, and a drawer for tee-shirts.
I packed away a LOT of stuff. Things I don’t wear anymore, or things that are worn out, or things that are simply not in season. Let me tell you how awesome it was to get rid of the 38D bras I wore when I was pregnant! And the big granny panties, ugh. Good riddance to those. And yes, I know I was pregnant like 3.5 years ago. I’m sometimes slow when it comes to getting rid of things!!!!
Laundry is still being done, so there is room left in the drawers for the stuff that’s being cleaned right now. How exciting!
I hung up clothes, I cleaned my room… I even thoroughly vaccummed (and when I say thoroughly, I mean used the attachments and everything). I even went to Meijer and Target and bought things to put all those clothes in!
So now I must reward myself… hmmm…. with food, preferably. 🙂
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“THAT’S Why They Call It ‘Good’ Friday!” (Pictures)
Hi hi! Long time, no update, huh? Believe it or not, I’ve been at my computer everyday, but kind of in hiding because I’ve been busy writing or gobbling up new books or just taking small breaks from the social online world.
I’m feeling pretty happy despite the fact that there is a thunderstorm going on. However, the storm is moving away, so yes, I guess that will make me happy. 🙂 No news on the ONLY YOURS front, but I’ve been writing my butt off on my new project. My goal for April is 40,000 words, and I am already above 38,000. On April 28, I am going to a writer’s conference and I am so excited. Being steeped in the writing world…it’s going to be amazing.
So today was a good day. One of those unexpected good ones. I got to work, chatted a bit with some folks, did a little bit, then headed to the eye doctor. I was disappointed to learn that my eyes have worsened. I’m at a -2.50 instead of a -2.00. I am trying out Acuvue Advance lenses. If I like them, I will go ahead and order loads of boxes of them. Maybe someday I’ll get the guts to actually do the laser eye surgery.
When I got back to work, it was lunchtime. I had a salad which was very yummy. I felt proud of myself for having eaten so healthily. Well, relatively, anyway. But when I went back upstairs, there was ICE CREAM! Graeter’s Ice Cream to be specific. I ate about one bowl. We were also let out of work early due to the holiday. So I gained two hours that I wasn’t expecting. I came home and read and took a nap.
Chris called and regaled some happy news. He got a new job! This means no more late Monday nights with Aidan, and normal hours, so he can make dinner for us and stuff. Yay. He’s very excited. We went out and had dinner at a new seafood restaurant, where the host initially said “Okay, we have a four and a half hour wait…just kidding.” Hahaha. The food was very good, as was the service.
I’ve been fairly relaxed the past couple of weeks. Friday, we went to On The Border to celebrate Christy’s birthday. Afterwards, I hung out with Libby so long that I ended up sleeping over. That was awesome! 🙂 Then Saturday, we took Aidan to my mom’s for the week, and came back for Christy’s birthday party. (The Jackson birthdays are like Hanakah. They just keep going and going and going…). Sunday was [the grove], the last one for a while. Monday, I went to Gentle Wind for another massage. I ended up buying the most heavenly incense. Mmmm.
I’ve been downloading music like WHOA. Writing. Spending time with friends. Reading a lot. I just finished Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (writergrl) and Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty. I keep spending way too much money in Barnes & Noble. I “took over” the prayer request duties (which means I was given a super cute notebook!) for our life group. I lost the five pounds that I’d gained, but I am still not a solid 110 yet. I keep fluctuating. I have a minor crush on Trent Ford, the guy who plays Macon in How to Deal. He’s also been in a few other things–some episodes of Law & Order, stuff like that. He’s a model, was born in Ohio but grew up in Britian, and is illegally handsome. Google his name. You won’t be sorry. Regardless of what Ben says.
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Happy! (Pictures)
It’s Friday! 🙂 It’s Payday! I’m smiling! YAY! ♥
I had my year-end review yesterday. You know how I freak out over those, but it went really well. There were some “needs developments” but they were because I was/am new, not because I was/am BAD. Which is great because I love my job, I love what I do, I love the people I work with. She told me to keep doing what I’m doing. But I want to be even better.
So, I mentioned that the aquatic dwellers in my house have a new home. I waited for all the dust to settle before I took pictures, and this morning, the tank was crystal clear. Here it is:
I’m very happy with it. I just need to clean the dang house (we had to rearrange some furniture to accommodate the tank and stand), and I’ll be even happier!
Yes, the house is once again a fall-down mess. Chris said he’ll help clean this weekend, but he’s sick (has what Aidan had), and I know it takes about four days to cycle through the system. I’m going to get Aidan to pick up his stuff because seriously, it’s everywhere. He needs to learn to pick up everything before he goes to bed.
Parenting is HARD. The biggest challenge is trying to maintain consistency. Some nights, I’m just too tired to follow through, although that is easier than trying to establish routines. So yeah. I don’t want Aidan to grow up a spoiled hoodlum, so I do my best. I just worry that my best isn’t always good enough.
It’s raining outside now. Warm, but rainy. Welcome to Spring in Ohio.
Randomly, here is a pic of my beautiful friend Libby and me. 😀
Aren’t we cute?
I am hungry, and I think I’m going to buy a grilled ham and cheese sammich for lunch. 😡 Hey, I’ll have to go off them soon enough, so I might as well enjoy it now, huh? *sigh* That’s going to be hard, but maybe not so much. If I take my lunch every day, it will be less tempting to buy. In theory anyway.
Things to do:
· schedule an eye appointment
· refill meds
· get ahold of the Smashing Pumpkins song that talkes about being in a rage and being a rat in a cage
· set April writing goals
· pay bills
· attempt to reduce the volume of emails in my AOL inbox (I haven’t even checked my other accounts lately!)
Time to eat lunch!!! 😀
‘Til next time….
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