...2009. Unbelievable.
I've never been really into the whole New Year's Resolution thing. It always feels a little like a trend to me, and I wonder how effective resolutions can be if they are motivated simply by the change to a new calendar date. That said, I may be turning a corner with resolutions. I have been challenged to think of a 'To-Do' list for 2009. Some items on the list may be considered resolutions. Others are simply tasks or goals I want to check off my list before 12/31/2009.
I'd like to have a list of 10 items, but I don't have 10 yet. So, here are the 5 things I have on my list so far:
1. Run 10k.
The goal is not necessarily to run a 10k RACE, but simply to be able to run that distance. I like running for the solitude it provides, and for taking in the beauty of nature (I like running outside best), and for the satisfaction of being more fit. I don't find the idea of running alongside hundreds of other people to be a very solitary or peaceful thing, and certainly all those people would obstruct my view of nature.
Also, this goal happens to be a personal goal as well as a part of a deal I have made with a friend: if I run 10k he will read a favorite book of mine. Hopefully I can blog more on that deal later, after I check this one of my list!
2. Complete my new blog project
I'll blog more on this in a few days, but I have come up with a fun project for the coming year, inspired partly by my friend Allison and partly by my own inner nerd. I'm excited and I hope that I can keep up with it.
3. Ditch the Auto
No, not my car. I'm talking about the Auto setting on my new DSLR camera. I bought it about a month ago and so far have not had time to learn to play with it. I have used it a lot but I've stayed on Auto far more than I want to. I blame it on December and being too busy to take the time to play, but that will soon change...
4. Visit New York City
I've never been there and I am feeling the itch to travel somewhere new again, so this is my next destination. Plus, I'll get to see two great friends of mine while I am there!
5. Get back to my budget
If you know much about me, you know I have a thing for budgets. Well, ok, for money management, period. I'm pretty cheap, and I'm a total debt-phobe. But in the last few months I have had some large purchases I decided to make- furniture, my camera, etc. I didn't incur debt, but I just didn't save as much as I used to or as much as I wanted to. Or much at all, let's just be honest. While I am certainly not in danger financially (for which I am extremely grateful), I haven't made a budget in a few months, and I used to do it every month like clockwork. So I'm going to get back to my roots.
So, there's my 5 so far. I'll add more if I can think of some, but it's a good start for me so far.
What's on your 2009 To-Do list?
25 December 2008
06 December 2008
Quotable roommates
On a lazy Saturday morning, after Elisa gets back from morning errands:
Me (after seeing myself in the mirror): "Wow, I look like a trainwreck!"
Elisa: "Well, I look like butt cracks." (**Note: It is unclear why she used the plural form here.)
Me: "Well, at least you look like you've been in public and seen the light of day."
Elisa: "Yeah, but I scared people."
Me (after seeing myself in the mirror): "Wow, I look like a trainwreck!"
Elisa: "Well, I look like butt cracks." (**Note: It is unclear why she used the plural form here.)
Me: "Well, at least you look like you've been in public and seen the light of day."
Elisa: "Yeah, but I scared people."
30 September 2008
Editing can be Criminal
Earlier this year, a group was formed. They called themselves the Typo Eradication Advancement League (or TEAL, since every organization needs an acronym). Mr. Jeff Deck was the founder, and he and a few fellow grammar crusaders decided to go around the country this past spring repairing publicly-displayed grammatical errors wherever they could. They had a blog tracking their progress, which, sadly, I didn't get to read. Why? Because the great journey came to an abrupt and legally-embroiled end. Jeff and a friend were arrested for vandalism and defacement of Government property after one of their red-pen pit stops. They apparently corrected a sign in the Grand Canyon National Park- a sign that is classified as a National Historic Landmark. Now they've got thousands to pay in fines and they've been banned from national parks for a year. And their blog? If you visit today, all you will find is a (semi-) convincing soliloquy on the criminal implications of vandalizing signs in National Parks.
Maybe part of their punishment was to remove all evidence of their editing exploits.
If you know me at all, you know how much I love the English language, and therefore, how much I love to hate the horrific abuse of it that daily takes place. I can say there have been times I've actually grimaced at an error in a public place, but I don't think I would ever have the nerve to correct it myself. I think the very reason I am so affected (appalled? irrationally irritated?) by grammatical errors is the same thing that would keep me from vandalizing a sign in the name of correction: I am a rule-follower. I don't walk across lawns when sidewalks are right there. I don't use handicap-accessible doors because they were not made for me. And under no circumstances do I ever read the last page of a book first. Rules are a comfort to my first-born personality.
That said, there's a vigilante inside me who cheered at TEAL's attempts to defend our English language.
Maybe part of their punishment was to remove all evidence of their editing exploits.
If you know me at all, you know how much I love the English language, and therefore, how much I love to hate the horrific abuse of it that daily takes place. I can say there have been times I've actually grimaced at an error in a public place, but I don't think I would ever have the nerve to correct it myself. I think the very reason I am so affected (appalled? irrationally irritated?) by grammatical errors is the same thing that would keep me from vandalizing a sign in the name of correction: I am a rule-follower. I don't walk across lawns when sidewalks are right there. I don't use handicap-accessible doors because they were not made for me. And under no circumstances do I ever read the last page of a book first. Rules are a comfort to my first-born personality.
That said, there's a vigilante inside me who cheered at TEAL's attempts to defend our English language.
23 September 2008
Lessons from Camping
So, I went camping with some friends this past weekend. It was a good time. Great weather, great people, and beautiful scenery. And what's more, we all learned some very important life lessons during our time together. I'd like to take a moment to impart some of that valuable knowledge.
- Beware the ricochet when using a hatchet (Please ask Mr. Cole if you want details).
- Always carry an Army-issue tourniquet (this lesson comes in handy if you neglect to follow lesson # 1).
- Water- resistant is no match for water-proof (especially true of tents and sleeping bags).
- Rocks are not good bedfellows.
- Don't make fun of the over-prepared camper (he's probably the one who has the tourniquet when you need it most).
- Last but not least:
Rule #1: Never talk about Mickey bombs.
- Beware the ricochet when using a hatchet (Please ask Mr. Cole if you want details).
- Always carry an Army-issue tourniquet (this lesson comes in handy if you neglect to follow lesson # 1).
- Water- resistant is no match for water-proof (especially true of tents and sleeping bags).
- Rocks are not good bedfellows.
- Don't make fun of the over-prepared camper (he's probably the one who has the tourniquet when you need it most).
- Last but not least:
Rule #1: Never talk about Mickey bombs.
21 August 2008
Rethinking Baggage
I was talking with some friends the other night, and one of them said, “Everyone’s got baggage.” The comment made me step back and think. Generally, when we say someone has baggage, it is a negative thing. It speaks of problems or emotional issues that have marred in some way the ‘wholeness’ of a person. At the very least, it implies some additional, weighty issues that come along with a person wherever he or she goes. But if we all have baggage, why is the term always negative? Can a person have positive baggage? And what does our baggage truly say about us?
Webster defines baggage as:
1: suitcases, trunks, and personal belongings of travelers: luggage
While I know that some people are chronic over-packers, I think there is a global understanding that baggage is meant for the things we need on a trip. Those needs may change depending on our destination, but we pack our bags based on what we know of ourselves, what we have planned to do while away, and what we can reasonably expect might occur. We bring with us items that we already own- things we have used in our lives at home, but which will continue to be useful even in a new environment. If we all have baggage in our lives, doesn’t it just mean that we all bring along with us the things we think we need for wherever we are going? I think we carry in our emotional duffel bag the history of the hurts and joys we've experienced and the lessons we've taken from them.
Baggage can be positive or negative. We can choose to pack light, with only the necessary items, or we can be over-packers. If we have been in a blizzard without a jacket, we may be tempted to bring a down jacket to Florida in July, but it won’t be useful and it will take up valuable space for the things we really do need. In the same way, I am convinced that the emotional baggage we have can be functional or detrimental, but we can choose which. While I don’t think it’s possible to ever truly forget the painful things we’ve experienced, I think one of the greatest things about living life is the opportunity to see mistakes become lessons and pain become strength. Ours is a God who gives us beauty for ashes and joy for mourning, and we have the privilege to make use of His heart for renewal and repair.
I am usually a light packer, but it is an acquired skill. I start by throwing everything I think I might possibly want toward the general direction of my suitcase. Then I sort through the mountain of stuff and ask myself if I really NEED a second pair of high heels for a 5-day trip to the beach (I might). After a few rounds of arguing with myself, I whittle my things down to fit in one smallish suitcase. At the end of it all, I arrive at my destination well prepared for a pleasant trip, but it always takes time and effort on my part to get there. I think the same can be said of emotional baggage. I think we have to put conscious thought into what pieces of our past we keep with us. We have to give our hurts over to the One who can make them useful. We have to allow previous pain to age and become wisdom before we pack up and head for a new destination.
Otherwise, we might arrive with a too many suitcases and no toothbrush.
Webster defines baggage as:
1: suitcases, trunks, and personal belongings of travelers: luggage
While I know that some people are chronic over-packers, I think there is a global understanding that baggage is meant for the things we need on a trip. Those needs may change depending on our destination, but we pack our bags based on what we know of ourselves, what we have planned to do while away, and what we can reasonably expect might occur. We bring with us items that we already own- things we have used in our lives at home, but which will continue to be useful even in a new environment. If we all have baggage in our lives, doesn’t it just mean that we all bring along with us the things we think we need for wherever we are going? I think we carry in our emotional duffel bag the history of the hurts and joys we've experienced and the lessons we've taken from them.
Baggage can be positive or negative. We can choose to pack light, with only the necessary items, or we can be over-packers. If we have been in a blizzard without a jacket, we may be tempted to bring a down jacket to Florida in July, but it won’t be useful and it will take up valuable space for the things we really do need. In the same way, I am convinced that the emotional baggage we have can be functional or detrimental, but we can choose which. While I don’t think it’s possible to ever truly forget the painful things we’ve experienced, I think one of the greatest things about living life is the opportunity to see mistakes become lessons and pain become strength. Ours is a God who gives us beauty for ashes and joy for mourning, and we have the privilege to make use of His heart for renewal and repair.
I am usually a light packer, but it is an acquired skill. I start by throwing everything I think I might possibly want toward the general direction of my suitcase. Then I sort through the mountain of stuff and ask myself if I really NEED a second pair of high heels for a 5-day trip to the beach (I might). After a few rounds of arguing with myself, I whittle my things down to fit in one smallish suitcase. At the end of it all, I arrive at my destination well prepared for a pleasant trip, but it always takes time and effort on my part to get there. I think the same can be said of emotional baggage. I think we have to put conscious thought into what pieces of our past we keep with us. We have to give our hurts over to the One who can make them useful. We have to allow previous pain to age and become wisdom before we pack up and head for a new destination.
Otherwise, we might arrive with a too many suitcases and no toothbrush.
18 July 2008
Irrationality
So, I realize I have all but abandoned my blog. For the 2 people out there who might actually read it, I apologize.
So, to welcome you back to my world, I have a little story for you.
Today was my last day of work at my current job. Add to that the fact that I have been on vacation all this week until today, and you might be able to predict that it would be a busy day. Well, I'm notorious for having absolutely no concept of how long it might take me to do something, so I thought that the to-do list I made for my last day of work was actually realistic and attainable.
Not at all. We work half days on Fridays at my company, and I had planned on working later until about 2 or 3 to finish everything, but there I was at 8:15pm, still working. I went to the file room (to file things) and on my way back to my office, I look down the hall and I freeze.
There.
Is.
A.
MOUSE
outside my office door!
Now, I think mice are cute in theory, but I cannot stand to see one outside of a cage. I react the same way to spiders. All reason is lost and I am left contemplating whether or not a sudden move by me would cause the creature to jump on me, and if so, does it bite?
So I am standing there, frozen, and I don't know what to do. I mean, my first thought is to flee the scene, but I have to get my car keys to do that, and my keys are in the office, PAST the rodent-gauntlet. So I am thinking about sliding past the mouse into my office and I can't even think about it without having vivid hallucinations of it running over my feet or (gasp!) up my leg! I got goosebumps thinking about it. I tried to talk myself down by thinking about how small it is compared to me, or feeling sorry for it because it's more scared of me than I am of it (are you sure about that?), but none of that mattered. So I did what anyone would do: I started stomping my feet, and then I started yelling.
yep.
I yelled at a mouse today.
I think my exact words included, "Go away!"
...and maybe some other things.
And surprisingly enough, mice don't seem to be affected by yelling, or maybe our office mouse doesn't speak English.
He did not move a muscle. I took baby-stomping steps closer, and finally decided to slip past him as fast as possible into my office. In my mind, he was mere inches from my toes when I did this, but in reality, he was about 2-3 feet away from me. I decided that I didn't want to have to stomp anymore, so I turned on some music really loud and I made a lot of noise finishing the paperwork I was doing. I also scooted my desk chair to where I could look outside my door and see that thing to make sure it didn't come near my office. I was feeling trapped in my own office and trying to plan a grand escape maneuver when I looked at him and noticed he was doing a weird tiny mouse-shuffle movement. He was taking a step away from the door, but doing it in tiny halting movements, sort of like dancing the robot. Under a strobe light. I think he was trying to be sneaky, not realizing that, as a mouse, he doesn't have to try that hard. And also not realizing that I was watching every little jerky movement he made. It was very tedious to watch, and I yelled at him again, but this time I was telling him to just run and get it over with. He still didn't listen.
But finally, when he rounded the corner of the office shredder bin, I felt the rush of relief, for I had FREEDOM again. And then, the rush of self-disdain as I could think clearly again. I generally think of myself as a pretty composed and rational person, but do rational people yell at robot-dancing rodents?
Maybe getting an apartment by myself wasn't the best idea.
What if it has mice?
So, to welcome you back to my world, I have a little story for you.
Today was my last day of work at my current job. Add to that the fact that I have been on vacation all this week until today, and you might be able to predict that it would be a busy day. Well, I'm notorious for having absolutely no concept of how long it might take me to do something, so I thought that the to-do list I made for my last day of work was actually realistic and attainable.
Not at all. We work half days on Fridays at my company, and I had planned on working later until about 2 or 3 to finish everything, but there I was at 8:15pm, still working. I went to the file room (to file things) and on my way back to my office, I look down the hall and I freeze.
There.
Is.
A.
MOUSE
outside my office door!
Now, I think mice are cute in theory, but I cannot stand to see one outside of a cage. I react the same way to spiders. All reason is lost and I am left contemplating whether or not a sudden move by me would cause the creature to jump on me, and if so, does it bite?
So I am standing there, frozen, and I don't know what to do. I mean, my first thought is to flee the scene, but I have to get my car keys to do that, and my keys are in the office, PAST the rodent-gauntlet. So I am thinking about sliding past the mouse into my office and I can't even think about it without having vivid hallucinations of it running over my feet or (gasp!) up my leg! I got goosebumps thinking about it. I tried to talk myself down by thinking about how small it is compared to me, or feeling sorry for it because it's more scared of me than I am of it (are you sure about that?), but none of that mattered. So I did what anyone would do: I started stomping my feet, and then I started yelling.
yep.
I yelled at a mouse today.
I think my exact words included, "Go away!"
...and maybe some other things.
And surprisingly enough, mice don't seem to be affected by yelling, or maybe our office mouse doesn't speak English.
He did not move a muscle. I took baby-stomping steps closer, and finally decided to slip past him as fast as possible into my office. In my mind, he was mere inches from my toes when I did this, but in reality, he was about 2-3 feet away from me. I decided that I didn't want to have to stomp anymore, so I turned on some music really loud and I made a lot of noise finishing the paperwork I was doing. I also scooted my desk chair to where I could look outside my door and see that thing to make sure it didn't come near my office. I was feeling trapped in my own office and trying to plan a grand escape maneuver when I looked at him and noticed he was doing a weird tiny mouse-shuffle movement. He was taking a step away from the door, but doing it in tiny halting movements, sort of like dancing the robot. Under a strobe light. I think he was trying to be sneaky, not realizing that, as a mouse, he doesn't have to try that hard. And also not realizing that I was watching every little jerky movement he made. It was very tedious to watch, and I yelled at him again, but this time I was telling him to just run and get it over with. He still didn't listen.
But finally, when he rounded the corner of the office shredder bin, I felt the rush of relief, for I had FREEDOM again. And then, the rush of self-disdain as I could think clearly again. I generally think of myself as a pretty composed and rational person, but do rational people yell at robot-dancing rodents?
Maybe getting an apartment by myself wasn't the best idea.
What if it has mice?
06 January 2008
This is not what Secret Santa means
I read about this story a few days ago and was shocked, amused, and saddened all at once. A Dallas family lost their dog on Christmas Eve, and spent the next few days searching for him.
Then, on New year's Day, they got a letter from a woman explaining that she found their dog and gave it to her daughter as a Christmas present. She also included $20.00 in the envelope. Payment for the dog? Cost of pain and suffering? Money to buy a replacement?
You can read the full letter here.
All I'm saying is, if you can have a person's dog for a mere $20.00, I need to have a long overdue conversation with my neighbors. I've had my eye on their dog for a while now...
And if this is how to get Christmas presents cheaply, I've been doing it all wrong.
Then, on New year's Day, they got a letter from a woman explaining that she found their dog and gave it to her daughter as a Christmas present. She also included $20.00 in the envelope. Payment for the dog? Cost of pain and suffering? Money to buy a replacement?
You can read the full letter here.
All I'm saying is, if you can have a person's dog for a mere $20.00, I need to have a long overdue conversation with my neighbors. I've had my eye on their dog for a while now...
And if this is how to get Christmas presents cheaply, I've been doing it all wrong.
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