The prodigal returns (again)...

Today was the last day of a very much-needed vacation. It was a very lazy day for me. I probably should have been less lazy and more productive, though, based on the lack of headway I have made in preparing for Christmas. But what is life for me without a little last-minute errand-running? I don't think I am cut out for advanced shopping and preplanning when it comes to presents. I will be the first to spill the beans on a gift I have for you if I have it for over a day or two prior to giving it. It's like the telltale heart for me. I MUST get it out of the floorboards!

So I didn't shop. I didn't really DO much of anything, truthfully. But while indulging in a lot of nothing, I actually indulged in a lot of thinking. This is medicine for me. And today had me thinking about my need for a creative outlet. I have as much as abandoned that in recent months. Although circumstances made for things to become a bit consuming at work, I know I am as much a creator of my circumstances as I am affected by them.

So...I gave up on the blog project. And the blogging in general. And approximately 20 something other activities and outlets I have had in my life to balance my work me with my personal me. I definitely failed to observe boundaries- (I'm beginning to despise the word).

But let's not dwell on that, shall we? I prefer not to concentrate on the failure. In fact, my newest favorite quotation is this:

"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down. " -Mary Pickford ...and with that, I say, bring on the new! I'm standing up! So my new project is not to blog daily. Or to blog with any predictable degree of regularity. And really I'd rather not call it a project at all. Rather, it is to carve time for me. To devote time to the things that feed me outside of work and daily "stuff." This means writing. And photography. And reading. And music. Oh, I can feel the joy bubbling up as I type! And with any success, I'll be writing a little more than once every year and a half. (No guarantees. I know my track record.)

Edit

I have been called out

I am so ashamed. My failure to post daily is not just minor. It's massive. Epic, even. I have not posted in over two months. Some might say that, per the definition of my blog, the implication here is that I have not learned anything in over two months. I beg to differ. I have learned. In fact, maybe I have been SO BUSY learning for the past two months that I didn't even have time to write about it. Believable?
yeah, ok. The bottom line is that I have failed. And after I failed, I procrastinated because I was so embarrassed about my failure. And after procrastinating, I decided to let it go because nobody had said anything to me about it. It was then, of course, that I was called out (thanks, Bozung). So here I am, declaring amnesty for myself and my 60+ days without blogging the things I learned.
I am not going to try to catch you up on what I learned, but I will give you an update on the high points of my life in the past two months:
-I testified in court regarding a case I investigated at work. It was a little intimidating, but a cool experience. Yet another reason I truly love my job.
-Had my very first experience in being stood up. Oddly enough, it wasn't all it's cracked up to be. But it might make for some humorous blog fodder someday.
-Went for my first hike of the season a few weeks ago. Let me just reiterate the utter superiority of this state. I am so happy to be out in the sun again!
-I am looking for a house! That's right, I am hoping to be a homeowner by no later than August 1, 2009. It is exciting and intimidating and tiring all at once. And my realtor happens to be the best actor in Colorado Springs. No, seriously. How's that for multitasking?

There are probably more things I could share, but I feel like it will be hard to follow the whole buying-a-house thing, so that's all for now. So let me leave you with what I learned today:

Apparently my tv is not ready for the DTV conversion. I do have the converter box. But as I was watching tv tonight (the Bachelorette, what else?), a crawler came across the screen saying "If you can see this message, your TV is not ready for the DTV conversion."
So, I'm thinking I'll join the senior citizens of Colorado Springs at one of the digital conversion workshops. I can't wait. After that, we'll probably have a nice 4pm dinner at Country Buffet.

One Liners: Vol. 2

Ok, let me get through as many of these as possible:
Thursday, March 5:
Several coworkers and I attended an event with a speaker who was born with no limbs but who has become a swimmer, hunter, bowler, and several other activities a typical person would think impossible without limbs.
Friday, March 6:
I read the affadavit written by the detective in the Chris Brown case and learned that the exchange between Chris Brown and Rhianna the night before the Grammys was incredibly disturbing.
Saturday, March 7:
I learned that on Purim, the custom is that a person is supposed to drink until you can't tell the difference between "blessed is Mordecai" and "Cursed is Haman."
Sunday, March 8:
I learned about (and purchased) a book written by Tosca Lee (I have blogged about another book of hers), called "Havah," about Eve and the Fall.
Monday and Tuesday, March 9 & 10:
It is possible to be so busy at work that I could not think of a single thing I learned that was not work-related and therefore completely boring to all people outside my office.
Wednesday, March 11:
Read about the originator of the term "Ponzi scheme," Mr. Charles Ponzi- one of the greatest swindlers in American history.
Thursday, March 12:
After a day where all levels of supervision above myself were absent and an emergency situation arose, I learned sometimes the best cure for a stressful day includes wine, Taco Bell, a good friend, and trashy TV.
Friday, March 13:
Approximately 5 days in a row of 5 hours or less of sleep will definitely result in a cold.
Saturday, March 14:
I learned a shortcut recipe for a Jewish cookie called Hamentashen.
Sunday, March 15:
I learned the hard way that "Beauty Shop" is not a movie worth watching.
Monday, March 16:
Sierra Leone is about the same size as South Carolina
Tuesday, March 17:
It is truly amazing that an entire culture can mobilize to do the same ordinary thing on the same day- such as put on clothing in a certain color- just for the sake of a holiday that doesn't mean much of anything to the majority of people.
Wednesday, March 18:
Rumbi has a BBQ salad that is truly delicious.
Thursday, March 19:
It is worthwhile and important to have friends who will challenge me to do the right thing, even if it makes me uncomfortable.
Friday, March 20:
I learned how to play a visual card game called SET.
Saturday, March 21:
Worst pickup line ever: "I'll drive you to your car in the morning."
Sunday, March 22:
I learned how to highlight hair using the foiling technique like they do in salons (and learned what not to do when trying the foiling technique as well).
Monday, March 23:
I learned I will be able to have one additional member of my team at work, which is a much-needed blessing!
Tuesday, March 24:
I learned what it feels like to receive a subpoena as a witness to a court case.
Wednesday, March 25:
I will finally pull the "can't remember" card and say I don't have a clue what I learned that day. :(
Thursday, March 26:
When a blizzard is moving in, the office becomes a ghost town, and when you live a mile away from the office on a flat road and you drive a Jeep (and your boss knows) you unfortunately have no excuse to leave early.
Friday, March 27:
I learned that hanging out with new friends does not always turn out the way you expected.
Saturday, March 28:
"Cheesy t-shirt" means many different things to different people.
Sunday, March 29:
Great friends can spark great theological discussion, cooking is therapeutic for me, candles make me happy and warm inside, and Cribbage has several variations on rules of play.
Monday, March 30:
I learned that a comedy show is a fantastic way to spend a few bucks with good friends.
Tuesday March 31:
I learned it is not always bitter to live vicariously through the lives of others- sometimes it is entertaining!

One-Liners: New York Edition

I don't know what happened. I can't explain where I've been, but it obviously wasn't here. And now I have to pay the price. And you do, too, if you choose to read my blog. But I am going to try to catch up without torturing you. So here's the goal: condense a month of lessons learned into one-liners. This is going to be very hard for a long-winded chick like myself, but I'll take the challenge. I can't promise the sentences will be short. And I'll break it into a couple of posts so it's not too painful.
The first installment is my week in New York. This is tough because I did so much out there and had a ridiculous amount of new experiences (Thank you, Laura & Rick!!), but here I go:

Wednesday, February 25:
In New York, if you live in an apartment without laundry facilities nearby, you can hire a laundry service to come pick up your laundry, wash it, and deliver it back to your apartment for a dollar per pound.

Thursday, February 26:
At the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan, there is a piano bar called Bemelman's Bar, which was named after the author & illustrator of the 'Madeline' children's books because he hung out there and painted murals on the wall.

Friday, February 27:
I discovered H&M- a store we don't have in Colorado, but is absolutely my new favorite place to shop.

Saturday, February 28:
St. Paul's Chapel is a church located across from the WTC site (which is still basically a large hole), and it is the oldest public building in continuous use, and dates back to colonial times.

Sunday, March 01:
There is a restaurant in SoHo named Public that serves a brunch dish called Turkish Eggs (Greek style yogurt with poached eggs, butter, and spices on top, and toast for dipping), a must-eat if you ever go there.

Monday, March 02:
New York City has the rudest Starbucks baristas I have ever encountered.

Tuesday, March 03:
Touristy attractions that are worth the time and/or money include: Lady Liberty (she has man hands), Ellis Island Museum (history nerds, unite!) and Wicked on Broadway (campy and delicious).

Wednesday, March 04:
I love coming home, no matter how great my vacation was.

I'm alive, and I've been learning!

Did you think I left you? I didn't. I just failed a baby-size fail in my goal of updating at least weekly. I'm sure my extremely large fan club was in total devastation. But I have a good excuse- I went on vacation! I was very busy the week prior to leaving and I went to New York City for my vacation, so I spent my time trying to make the most of the city instead of blogging. I'm sure you'll forgive me. But I did learn, and I did make little notes so I would remember. So I will give you this in a two-part series.
Here we go, beginning with the week prior to my trip:

Tuesday, Feb 17:
I went out to lunch with my dear friend (and coworker) Rochelle. Ro introduced me to a great little Japanese restaurant downtown called Yoo Mae's. I'm not a connoisseur of Japanese food, but I thought it was great. I ordered a Bento box, which is basically a box lunch of an assortment of things. It was delish, and pretty cheap, too. So I now have another place I love for lunch.

Wednesday, Feb 18:
I learned a new word!
Quorum: the number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority (from Dictionary.com).

Thursday, Feb 19:
The 2009 Colorado State Budget passed out of the Senate today on third reading. It then went to the House for Consideration. As it left the Senate, it included amendments made by our very own Senator John Morse, who, regardless of your politics, is undeniably one of the state's biggest champions of services for people with developmental disabilities (DD). If you don't know, I work for a company that serves people with DD. We contract with the state and are bound by State rules and regulations, as well as State funding, such as it is. Colorado has a budget crisis right now that is pretty serious, which has caused a lot of cuts across all areas of funding in order to try to recoup the projected losses before the end of the fiscal year. Human Services of any kind generally get the short end of the stick in terms of government funding, and it is certainly true in the DD world. Morse's amendments restore DD funding that was cut recently in response to the current budget crisis. I could wax on for a long time about the needs in the DD world, but this is very intentionally not a soapbox blog, so if you ever want to hear more about what I do and what the 'services' really mean, please ask me. I'd love to talk about it. But for today, I'm hoping the budget will pass through the House with Morse's amendments intact.

Friday, Feb 20:
I learned that my car is in working order. This seems anticlimactic, I know. But I got my oil changed last weekend and was told there was a residue on the oil cap that could indicate that there is a crack or break in a gasket, which could have cost me around 1000.00 to repair, mostly due to labor. I mildly freaked out, because (reference my lesson from yesterday) I work in human services, and do not have an extra 1000.00 lying around at any given time. And I was getting ready to go on vacation. Yikes! So I took the car in, they checked it out, and there is no leak. I'm told that driving short distances like I do causes condensation to form in the oil cap because the car engine doesn't have a chance to warm up all the way before it is turned off. Apparently the condensation is the residue. So, I breathed much easier today. And learned a little bit about cars (which I assure you, I'll forget quickly).

Saturday, Feb 21:
Today I watched my sister's first dance competition of the season. I love watching these things. It's so fun to see how she has grown in her skill, and to watch the talents of other studios and dancers. I learned something I hope I will never have to use, but here it is:
If you have a tutu, you have to hang it upside down when you put it on a hanger. This ensures that when it is time to put it in, the material is as fluffy as possible. This is critical, you know.

I mean, really, flat tutus? How utterly common.

Sunday, Feb 22:
Tonight some of my girlfriends and I got together to watch the Oscars. We got dressed up, in real live dresses (I haven't worn a dress since September), and we went out for martinis. Since we live in such a fast-paced and metropolitan city, our first two choices for martinis were closed, it being a Sunday at 7pm. But we wound up at one of Colorado Springs' best restaurants- The Famous. I had never been there before, but the martinis were lovely. And while I can't testify to their steaks, I can tell you their crab cakes are wonderful.

Monday, Feb 23:
Another lesson involving food (I really like food)! I went to Outback tonight with some friends. I ordered the salmon, which is my favorite thing on their menu. One of the things I like so much about it is the sauce they give you (rémoulade). But apparently they no longer serve rémoulade at Outback.
So I no longer consider the salmon my favorite thing on their menu. Take that, Outback!

Tuesday, Feb 24:
A re-learn: I am still a horrible procrastinator when it comes to packing. No matter how early I promise myself I will do it, I will not. I will start 'packing' around 8pm or later (tonight it started at 10). It will only loosely resemble packing, as it will include beginning a load of the laundry I want to take...and messing around on facebook...and finding things to clean in my room...and searching the internet for things to do on my trip...and occasionally getting up and putting things in a pile next to my suitcase. Slowly it will begin to look more like packing until sometime after midnight I am ready to go to sleep. There will be a long list on my nightstand of all the things I have to remember to put in my bag in the morning, and then I will sleep fitfully, waking every hour or so, because I am so afraid that I might sleep through my alarm clock since I went to bed too late. This is self-sabotage at its finest.

I am no longer apologizing for the lateness of my posts.

I've just accepted it. I will not be a daily post kind of girl. So here's your taste of the last week of my life:

Tuesday, Feb 10:
You know the phrase, "under the bus?" As in, "He just threw you under the bus?" Well, I learned that the origin of the phrase is, in part, attributed to my very own hometown newspaper! There are a few ideas of where the phrase came from- ranging from Cyndi Lauper in 1984 to Minor League baseball slang. But there is mention that one of the first citations for the phrase in text is from a 1991 article in the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph (currently The Gazette). Who knew? To read more on the origin of the phrase, click here.

Wednesday, Feb 11:
I had some girl-time with my friend Rochelle. We had popcorn and watched The O.C. on DVD (yep, I'm serious. We are unapologetic about the quality of television we enjoy). I leanred that Ro has a horrifying habit. She eats unpopped popcorn kernels. She has no explanation for why. I don't even know what else to say, but if you've been wondering what to do with the kernels in the bottom of the bowl, just invite Ro over. They'll mysteriously disappear before you realize what has happened, because of course, you'd never believe a human would eat them. But it's true. And I saw it. And heard it.

Thursday, Feb 12:
I went to court today. I attended a hearing. It was actually incredibly interesting. I learned that some lawyers will use "objection" very liberally in the hopes that the judge will let something slide. I learned that we have at least one magistrate in Colorado Springs who is not all that dissimilar to Judge Judy. And I like her for it. I also learned that if a particular residence has a large number of police/911 calls, the police will assign an officer to check on the residence and try to figure out why the pattern exists.

Friday, Feb 13:
I learned that Anne Boleyn made a joke about having a small neck on the day of her death. For those of you not as obsessed with Tudor England as I am, Anne Boleyn was an English Queen who was executed. She was the second wife of King Henry VIII, and he had her tried for treason and sentenced to death by beheading. On the day of her death, it is said that she joked about her own impending death, saying, "I heard say the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck." She then reportedly put her hands around her neck and "laughed heartily."

Saturday, Feb 14:
I learned something I may never have to use in my entire life. On the original Mario Brothers Nintendo game, there is a place where it is (theoretically) possible to earn 99 lives. If you already know this, you are a bigger nerd than I thought (and you join the ranks of some of my best friends). Anyway, this marvelous opportunity is in level 3-2. At the very end, when you are hopping up the pyramid to get to the flag, there are two turtles walking down the pyramid toward you. You have to jump on one of them, knocking him into just a shell, and then jump up on him again, knocking him against the stairs, and then keep jumping up right as he is bouncing off the stair wall and toward you. If you do this with just the right timing, you keep knocking him against the stair wall every time you jump, which earns you points. If you do it repeatedly in rapid succession, your point values increase by doubles until you are earning 1ups every time he hits the wall. Apparently you can do this 99 times (if you have cat-like reflexes and the patience of a snail). And truly, I suppose you could do it more, but since the original Mario game was pre-Y2K, it didn't foresee such things as triple-digit life counts, therefore, Mario or Luigi can only have up to 99 lives before the game would not track it.
Use this knowledge wisely, folks. With great power comes great responsibility.

Sunday Feb 15:
I learned once again that the logic of children is neither sound nor complicated. My little cousin, Isaiah, is three. I got to see him on Sunday. We were at my friend's photography show (which was awesome, by the way), and there were fruit trays all around. I helped him get some snacks, offering him grapes and melons. He wanted grapes. About halfway through a nice-sized bunch of grapes, the following exchange took place:
Isaiah (holding a grape in his hand after taking a bite of it): "I throw up grapes."
Me: "What?"
Isaiah: "I throw up when I eat grapes." (He pops the other half of the grape in his mouth.)
Me: "Then why are you eating them?"
Isaiah: "I like grapes."
Me (turning to his mom): "Does Isaiah throw up when he eats grapes?"
Isaiah's mom (looking at his plate with more grapes on it): "Yeah."

Awesome.

Monday, Feb 16:
This lesson was learned somewhere between Sunday and Monday, I can't be sure. Some friends and I went to Cripple Creek on Sunday afternoon. We spent time in the casinos Sunday night and into Monday morning. I can sum up the Cripple Creek gambling experience with the following:
-People under age 40 do not fit in.
-People who can breathe without the aid of medical equipment may or may not fit in, depending on which casino you are in and what time of day it is.
-'Restaurant' is a term used very loosely in Cripple Creek.
-And finally, be careful to look closely at the denomination of your money when tipping cocktail waitresses.

I've got to improve on updating...

Tuesday, Feb 3:
Tuesday I learned what people mean when they say something tastes 'gamey.' I tasted venison for the first time, thanks to the Badrys' fridge. Yum. (ish.)

Wednesday, Feb 4:
Wednesday the Stick Horses had their weekly practice at my house. It's the benefit of living with someone in the troupe- I get to see a free show in my own house! So I tried to follow a game they played. It was called Wizards, Goblins, and Dragons. Or something like that. And all I can say is that they stood in a circle and stared at each other for a while. Then everyone struck a pose or did a little dance at the same time. Then they all celebrated to varying degrees, although it was unclear from my perspective what poses or dances or outcomes were cause for celebration. They repeated this several times. It looked like a strange full-body version of Rock Paper Scissors, but I can't be sure. All I know for sure is that Lacey did the best Goblin dance.

Thursday, Feb 5:
I re-learned today's lesson. I remembered the value of taking an evening to slow down. I generally keep my days full. It's not necessarily that I want to be busy all the time, but I don't say no very often, because I am blessed to have fabulous friends who are always thinking of interesting things to do. And most days, I'm enjoying my busy life. But sometimes I have to remind myself to step back and be by myself. I am a true introvert. As much as I enjoy the people in my life, it is not energizing to me to spend time with people. I get energy by taking time to myself. I need that time to recharge. I need that time to watch horrible primetime dramas without ridicule (tonight it was night one of the Grey's/Private Practice crossover EVENT). Basically, I just need 'me' time.
*As a sidenote, is it just me, or does anyone else think it's ridiculous when a TV show is referred to as an Event?

Friday, Feb 5:
I thought I learned that Yaks' milk is pink. My sister told me this. I'm always skeptical of the things that I 'learn' from teenagers, so I asked where she heard it and she said she read it in a Science magazine she had to read for school. Then I googled it and I found some places that said it is pink and others that said it is not pink. So who knows? I guess the real lesson is that the color of Yaks' milk is disputed. First one to get a Yak and solve the mystery is the winner.

Saturday, Feb 6:
I learned that Paris Hilton has a whole line of hair extensions. You can purchase these at your local Sally Beauty Supply store. I'm speechless, as you are, I'm sure.

Sunday, Feb 7:
One of my oldest and dearest friends is named Aba. She is incredibly driven, intelligent, and talented. She is currently in LA working as an actress. I learned on Sunday that she is starting up a production company! It's called The Ohemaa Project. The project is based on her faith and her vision to use entertainment as a means of empowerment. You can read up on her company here. I am so excited for you, Aba!

Monday, Feb 8:
Another priceless lesson in dating from The Bachelor:

If your mother is freaky, it's best not to introduce her to the guy you're hoping to win as a "potential future husband." She might make him hula-hoop. Or bury an animal she killed with her car. Or talk about reincarnation.
And none of these things adds points to your game.