Name 10 things you do everyday.
1. Brush my teeth (more than once a day).
2. Have a cup of coffee.
3. Feed my cat.
4. Take a shower.
5. Get dressed.
6. Exercise.
7. Check my e-mail.
8. Make my bed.
9. Kiss my husband.
10. Drink lots of water.
My last assignment for my last class is a conference call with the entire group. It ended 10 minutes ago. It's kind of funny, when you take an online class your only interaction is through threaded online discussions and e-mails. And you only e-mail when you have to do a group project. So during these online discussions you get a sense for those in the class, just like the impressions you get when you meet someone in person. Only instead of getting a visual based on gender, looks, and mannerisms all you have to go on is they way they respond in the threads. So your impressions are based on typing ability, grammatical correctness, and ability to comment intelligently (or not so intelligently).
Because of this one final step, the conference call, I've altered my view of some of my classmates. Not all of them, some of my "online" impressions were actually confirmed. For instance, the first week during introductions, we could post photos. One woman (who started her response with "howdy y'all" and called the class "you guys" throughout the entire eight week course) post her pic in short-shorts and cowboy boots. Yes, she lives in Texas in case you were wondering. The instant label I had for her was Redneck. Her comments through the eight weeks pretty much confirmed my suspicions. And when it was time for the conference call, the combination of her southern drawl, her raspy smoker's voice, and her inability to say anything constructive or beneficial to the completion of this project bore me out.
On the other hand, there were some people who I didn't judge with such harshness. There were two people who didn't always use the correct grammar or spelling in their responses but they had foreign names, so I tended to cut them some slack due to the language barrier. The conference call proved the intelligence of these classmates, with their wonderfully poetic foreign accents. The real surprise came when one person I thought to be a man turned out to be a woman. I would have never guessed that the name Arvinder was female and at the same time, I don't know what ever made me think it was male. I guess that's my own stereotyping capabilities at work.
Most of the rest of the class came pretty close to my first impressions which gave me validation of my own good intuition. Sometimes I'm surprised at the lessons learned throughout this college process. Not everything comes from a textbook. Sometime you learn about patience, diversity, getting along with others, taking initiative, and developing relationships when you least expect it. All things you won't find in the syllabus.
Because of this one final step, the conference call, I've altered my view of some of my classmates. Not all of them, some of my "online" impressions were actually confirmed. For instance, the first week during introductions, we could post photos. One woman (who started her response with "howdy y'all" and called the class "you guys" throughout the entire eight week course) post her pic in short-shorts and cowboy boots. Yes, she lives in Texas in case you were wondering. The instant label I had for her was Redneck. Her comments through the eight weeks pretty much confirmed my suspicions. And when it was time for the conference call, the combination of her southern drawl, her raspy smoker's voice, and her inability to say anything constructive or beneficial to the completion of this project bore me out.
On the other hand, there were some people who I didn't judge with such harshness. There were two people who didn't always use the correct grammar or spelling in their responses but they had foreign names, so I tended to cut them some slack due to the language barrier. The conference call proved the intelligence of these classmates, with their wonderfully poetic foreign accents. The real surprise came when one person I thought to be a man turned out to be a woman. I would have never guessed that the name Arvinder was female and at the same time, I don't know what ever made me think it was male. I guess that's my own stereotyping capabilities at work.
Most of the rest of the class came pretty close to my first impressions which gave me validation of my own good intuition. Sometimes I'm surprised at the lessons learned throughout this college process. Not everything comes from a textbook. Sometime you learn about patience, diversity, getting along with others, taking initiative, and developing relationships when you least expect it. All things you won't find in the syllabus.
I called in sick today. I have a terrible headache that just won't go away. The constant pounding has kept me up half the night. So now that it's time to go to work, I am too damn tired. Plus my head is still pounding. I'm on my third round of pain killers to no avail.
Jeff thinks they are stress related. Between my final project due tomorrow, my mother's bypass surgery, and planning a trip to Menomonie, he thinks it's a bit much for me to handle. Maybe he is right, time will tell.
So for now, it's back to bed, to rest, to think of nothing. The sad thing is that I already feel like the day is going to be wasted and that isn't allowed. Geez, I guess he IS right. I have to learn how to relax!
Jeff thinks they are stress related. Between my final project due tomorrow, my mother's bypass surgery, and planning a trip to Menomonie, he thinks it's a bit much for me to handle. Maybe he is right, time will tell.
So for now, it's back to bed, to rest, to think of nothing. The sad thing is that I already feel like the day is going to be wasted and that isn't allowed. Geez, I guess he IS right. I have to learn how to relax!
I think there is something to that ying-yang thing. With the good there is always bad and with karma, what comes around goes around. But still, I was starting to feel lucky.
Although you love all your children the same, it is impossible to treat them the same because they are all very different people. And I think I am lucky to have them be so very different from each other. I take that as a sign that I helped them pave their own path to fulfilling their own dreams, no matter how much I would want something else for them.
I also think there is something to the middle child syndrome. Most people I know have the most trouble with their middle child and mine is no exception. My troubled child's problems are complicated by diabetes. No matter what I will always worry about her medical condition. In the past few years she's totaled two cars while driving with low blood sugar. Luckily for her, no one was hurt and she doesn't remember a thing. She hasn't had a car since she totaled the last one almost two years ago. Since her lousy job pays crap, she can't afford another one and we're done helping her out - or so I thought.
Then something good happened. My employer offers their fleet cars for sale when they start aging. We get an e-mail listing the cars available. They sell them at the price they would get if they traded them in which is very low compared to the blue book value. You put your name in and on a specific date, they draw a name from all those who want it and then you have seven days to come up with the cash and the cars are sold "as is." We got the e-mail and there was a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee on the list. The blue book value is almost $5K and the asking price $1500. I didn't even ask to look at it or whether there was anything wrong with it, I put my name in. I was pretty excited about the opportunity to get Bailee a good car cheap. And a big car that would protect her. And if there was anything really serious wrong with it, at the very least I should be able to sell it and get some profit out of it. The gas mileage didn't really matter because her work is less than a mile from home. But she would finally have some independence that would help her self-esteem.
My excitement waned when I found out there were 12 other people who wanted the car. Fat chance of drawing my name. As I whined to my coworkers about my chances, one of them discreetly said she would be happy to help me out and double my chances. So she put her name in for the car. Of course we told no one. A week later when the e-mail announcement came out and she won I just about flipped. I was so excited, it was hard to contain myself and our little secret. She wanted no one to know so I discreetly gave her the money, she paid for the car, signed over the title and handed me the keys. Wow, just like that. I am so grateful.
I brought the car home and Bailee jumped up and down for two days. We made a deal that she would have to get the insurance on her own and pay me $200 a month even after the car is paid off. I want her to build up a maintenance fund in case it needs new tires or service and at the same time she can learn the value of managing money. She's been giving me money on a regular basis so I can keep it in her "car fund" so I have $700 of her hard-earned cash. The crack-head ex-boyfriend has ruined her checking account by stealing all the money out of it so now she doesn't even have a bank account. I am her bank account. I told her we would do a maintenance overhaul and that money would be used to get the car in the best shape possible. It may need shock absorbers so I warned her about that. She keeps saying, "Good things come to those who wait!" I guess she was right.
So things are looking brighter for her for the first time in a long time. Since she dumped her loser crack-addicted boyfriend, she now has a new boyfriend who treats her nice and has a real future (see The Old Man post). When she called for insurance, she got decent rates, so the price isn't going to suck the life out of her measly paychecks. And she has the freedom to drive without begging to borrow a car. She is ecstatic.
So today my oldest daughter Jen calls me to say she was just in a car accident. She is OK but her car is in bad shape. And there is a problem with one of my mother's lungs. We still don't know when she will be going home from the hospital. And my classmates are arguing about our final project that is due tomorrow. And the pendulum keeps swinging....
Although you love all your children the same, it is impossible to treat them the same because they are all very different people. And I think I am lucky to have them be so very different from each other. I take that as a sign that I helped them pave their own path to fulfilling their own dreams, no matter how much I would want something else for them.
I also think there is something to the middle child syndrome. Most people I know have the most trouble with their middle child and mine is no exception. My troubled child's problems are complicated by diabetes. No matter what I will always worry about her medical condition. In the past few years she's totaled two cars while driving with low blood sugar. Luckily for her, no one was hurt and she doesn't remember a thing. She hasn't had a car since she totaled the last one almost two years ago. Since her lousy job pays crap, she can't afford another one and we're done helping her out - or so I thought.
Then something good happened. My employer offers their fleet cars for sale when they start aging. We get an e-mail listing the cars available. They sell them at the price they would get if they traded them in which is very low compared to the blue book value. You put your name in and on a specific date, they draw a name from all those who want it and then you have seven days to come up with the cash and the cars are sold "as is." We got the e-mail and there was a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee on the list. The blue book value is almost $5K and the asking price $1500. I didn't even ask to look at it or whether there was anything wrong with it, I put my name in. I was pretty excited about the opportunity to get Bailee a good car cheap. And a big car that would protect her. And if there was anything really serious wrong with it, at the very least I should be able to sell it and get some profit out of it. The gas mileage didn't really matter because her work is less than a mile from home. But she would finally have some independence that would help her self-esteem.
My excitement waned when I found out there were 12 other people who wanted the car. Fat chance of drawing my name. As I whined to my coworkers about my chances, one of them discreetly said she would be happy to help me out and double my chances. So she put her name in for the car. Of course we told no one. A week later when the e-mail announcement came out and she won I just about flipped. I was so excited, it was hard to contain myself and our little secret. She wanted no one to know so I discreetly gave her the money, she paid for the car, signed over the title and handed me the keys. Wow, just like that. I am so grateful.
I brought the car home and Bailee jumped up and down for two days. We made a deal that she would have to get the insurance on her own and pay me $200 a month even after the car is paid off. I want her to build up a maintenance fund in case it needs new tires or service and at the same time she can learn the value of managing money. She's been giving me money on a regular basis so I can keep it in her "car fund" so I have $700 of her hard-earned cash. The crack-head ex-boyfriend has ruined her checking account by stealing all the money out of it so now she doesn't even have a bank account. I am her bank account. I told her we would do a maintenance overhaul and that money would be used to get the car in the best shape possible. It may need shock absorbers so I warned her about that. She keeps saying, "Good things come to those who wait!" I guess she was right.
So things are looking brighter for her for the first time in a long time. Since she dumped her loser crack-addicted boyfriend, she now has a new boyfriend who treats her nice and has a real future (see The Old Man post). When she called for insurance, she got decent rates, so the price isn't going to suck the life out of her measly paychecks. And she has the freedom to drive without begging to borrow a car. She is ecstatic.
So today my oldest daughter Jen calls me to say she was just in a car accident. She is OK but her car is in bad shape. And there is a problem with one of my mother's lungs. We still don't know when she will be going home from the hospital. And my classmates are arguing about our final project that is due tomorrow. And the pendulum keeps swinging....
Are you more...
01) Lawyer or accountant?
Lawyer - I hate math and I work in a Corporate Accounting Department so they can vouch for my lack of accountantness.
02) Dentist or family doctor?
Doctor - I am totally into health.
03) Chiropractor or massage therapist?
Massage therapist - I have great hands.
04) Engineer or architect?
Architect - I couldn't tell you how something works but I certainly can decide what it should look like.
05) Sports announcer or news meteorologist?
News meteorologist - I can lie and make things up as well as the experts do.
06) Garbage collector or sewage system inspector?
Garbage collector - Nothing like working in the "fresh" air all day long.
07) Plumber or electrician?
Plumber - electricity scares me (see answer #4) And I have better butt cleavage.
08) Lead hand/foreman or supervisor/manager?
Supervisor/Manager - I love to boss people around.
09) Astronomer or astrologist?
Astronomer - I like the science of stars.
10) Advice column writer or editorial column writer?
Editorial - I don't care what anyone else thinks.
01) Lawyer or accountant?
Lawyer - I hate math and I work in a Corporate Accounting Department so they can vouch for my lack of accountantness.
02) Dentist or family doctor?
Doctor - I am totally into health.
03) Chiropractor or massage therapist?
Massage therapist - I have great hands.
04) Engineer or architect?
Architect - I couldn't tell you how something works but I certainly can decide what it should look like.
05) Sports announcer or news meteorologist?
News meteorologist - I can lie and make things up as well as the experts do.
06) Garbage collector or sewage system inspector?
Garbage collector - Nothing like working in the "fresh" air all day long.
07) Plumber or electrician?
Plumber - electricity scares me (see answer #4) And I have better butt cleavage.
08) Lead hand/foreman or supervisor/manager?
Supervisor/Manager - I love to boss people around.
09) Astronomer or astrologist?
Astronomer - I like the science of stars.
10) Advice column writer or editorial column writer?
Editorial - I don't care what anyone else thinks.
Spending the last few days with my family has been a trying experience. It's not that I don't love them dearly, the problem is that we don't always get along. It didn't help that my mother's recent bypass surgery stays on everybody's mind. She should be with us, but the obvious importance of the surgery couldn't be denied - no matter how much she wanted to get out of it.
We all took the day off of work on Friday, got up early and headed to the Mall of America. Bailee, Jeff, and I had a nice ride up, Jen called to say her flight to Minneapolis was good and that she would meet us at the mall as soon as she finished with her fabric shopping spree at SR Harris. Her girlfriend, Tara was with her and the two of them called constantly to update us on the status of their location within the mall.
Bailee was on a mission. She saved up $800 for her shopping spree. Unfortunately for me, I had to carry her cash which I found to be a large burden of responsibility. She had an agenda and didn't care about meeting up with her sister. We started at Victoria's Secret which was a very annoying. Since it was the middle of the afternoon, the mall wasn't all that busy. This meant a barrage of sales clerks were upon us like seagulls diving down to get the dirty french fries from the garbage cans. And these women were so stupid. They would forget they asked us if they can help us and ask again. When Bailee actually responded and explained what she wanted, they didn't listen anyway. Here is this 34D young girl trying to find a stinkin' bra that fits and all they want to do is sell her push-up bras. Like she needs to make her big boobs even bigger. Morons. In the end she got her bras with no help from the sales staff.
Her next mission was to find a fancy dress for a wedding. As we wandered from store to store, she put a few dresses on hold. We also stopped at the cool little stores in-between the dress hunt. We met up with Jen and Tara somewhere between Delia's and the Guess store. Both Jen and Tara have degrees from Stout's fashion design program so most of their conversations revolve around the clothing stores. Comments like overpriced, bad cut, cheap fabric, bad design are not uncommon - it's the nature of their business. Unfortunately, Bailee takes everything her sister says to heart. So she took the comments about the stores as an attack on the things she likes.
So let the war begin. Jabs, digs, and irritations become anger, bitching, and yelling. So we separate the two of them only to have to deal with the aftermath for the rest of the day. This day I've decided that I will never go anywhere with the two of them again. And it's too bad, I've always wanted us all to go to Cancun over the Christmas holiday as a family. It would be a waste of money.
The cool thing at the mall was that the Food Network had a contest to create the tallest sugar sculpture. Two teams competed. One made a replica of the Empire State Building and the other did the Hancock Building. They were about 27 feet tall - pretty cool. At least Jen, Tara, and I thought so, Bailee thought it was lame. Here we go again. Round two.
By the end of the day, things settled down, Jen and Tara left to head back to Tara's place, and we headed toward Hudson where we had a hotel reservation. I was disappointed because at the end of the day I hadn't really shopped for myself. We stopped to eat in a suburb called Woodbury and discovered the coolest area filled with shops. Ann Taylor, J Jill, and many others lined the newly paved streets. Too bad I was too tired to shop and all I could think of was getting something to eat and sitting a while. We ended up at a Champp's. Although the food is always good, part of the adventure is trying something new and this definitely wasn't anything new.
We checked into our hotel room just before 10, Bailee went right to bed, we headed to the pool to swim a few laps and unwind. I fell asleep with soaking wet hair and woke up looking like Alfalfa from the Little Rascals. After a morning swim, a decent breakfast, and a hot shower, we headed to Stillwater to hit the shops along Main Street. What a cute little town! We noticed it last year when we passed through on a motorcycle trip. Unfortunately, we were with a group that couldn't fit a stop in their schedule so we just passed the town by. Our first stop was at a winery. We tried samples and made our purchase. After a nice walk through town it was time to head to Menomonie.
By brother Mike lives in Menomonie. He was working until noon so we knew we had time before we had to make an appearance. We checked into our hotel in Menomonie then we stopped at Mike's house where we were greeted by his wife, Carmen. She let us in and we spent the afternoon playing with their children, Seth and Aubrey. Aubrey's baptism was scheduled for later that afternoon and we were also celebrating Seth's second birthday. His birthday is easy to remember - tax day, April 15th. I always need some sort of trick to remember important dates. I don't know why it's such a mental block for me.
Mike and Carmen have no sense of real commitment to time schedules. They told us the baptism was at 4 but at 4:30 we were drinking our second beer in their living room. We got on a roll during a discussion about my sister and her family. Their children are terrible due to the lack of discipline that they desperately need. They are also sickly from their steady diet of sugary sodas, coffee (yes, coffee and cappuccino too!), and anything else they want - all unhealthy.
Speaking of unhealthy, by 4:45 we headed to Legacy Chocolates to buy some of the best chocolate in the world. We eventually got to the hall where the baptism was held. We met the most fascinating people. The pastor and his lady were very interesting. He's 87 years old and his companion was most likely near that age too. So much history makes for interesting conversation. And this hall was a mini-museum so it had as much character and charm as those in attendance.
The commitment issue spills over into other areas of my brother's life. On our way over to the hall they asked Bailee to be the Godmother. She was shocked, honored, and annoyed at the lack of notice. But the baptism went on followed by a wonderful dinner. Mike is a health nut so dinner included a salad followed by chicken in puff pastry and steamed carrots. It was great to have something other than the usual banquet fare. After dinner, the evening ended with a chorus of Happy Birthday to Seth, the traditional cutting of the cake, and then the opening of the presents (both birthday and baptism).
We headed back to the hotel in Menomonie to unwind. Jen and Bailee were getting along, finally! Mike and Carmen came over after all their guests left. It was nice to visit with them one on one. We talked about mom's surgery and recovery and Mike's next visit to the Milwaukee area which will be in a few weeks. This was a surprise to his wife which was not really a surprise when you think about their decision making process, if you know what I mean.
Things broke up around 10:30 and we got to bed shortly after that. In the morning we packed up and got out of town as soon as we could. We were home by 2:30. Four and a half hours of driving is exhausting even when you're the passenger. We spent the rest of the day getting ready for the workweek, and I don't think I will recover or catch up until next weekend comes. It was a great time, considering a few bumps but I don't think I want to repeat the experience anytime soon. I think our next visit to Menomonie will be without the girls.
We all took the day off of work on Friday, got up early and headed to the Mall of America. Bailee, Jeff, and I had a nice ride up, Jen called to say her flight to Minneapolis was good and that she would meet us at the mall as soon as she finished with her fabric shopping spree at SR Harris. Her girlfriend, Tara was with her and the two of them called constantly to update us on the status of their location within the mall.
Bailee was on a mission. She saved up $800 for her shopping spree. Unfortunately for me, I had to carry her cash which I found to be a large burden of responsibility. She had an agenda and didn't care about meeting up with her sister. We started at Victoria's Secret which was a very annoying. Since it was the middle of the afternoon, the mall wasn't all that busy. This meant a barrage of sales clerks were upon us like seagulls diving down to get the dirty french fries from the garbage cans. And these women were so stupid. They would forget they asked us if they can help us and ask again. When Bailee actually responded and explained what she wanted, they didn't listen anyway. Here is this 34D young girl trying to find a stinkin' bra that fits and all they want to do is sell her push-up bras. Like she needs to make her big boobs even bigger. Morons. In the end she got her bras with no help from the sales staff.
Her next mission was to find a fancy dress for a wedding. As we wandered from store to store, she put a few dresses on hold. We also stopped at the cool little stores in-between the dress hunt. We met up with Jen and Tara somewhere between Delia's and the Guess store. Both Jen and Tara have degrees from Stout's fashion design program so most of their conversations revolve around the clothing stores. Comments like overpriced, bad cut, cheap fabric, bad design are not uncommon - it's the nature of their business. Unfortunately, Bailee takes everything her sister says to heart. So she took the comments about the stores as an attack on the things she likes.
So let the war begin. Jabs, digs, and irritations become anger, bitching, and yelling. So we separate the two of them only to have to deal with the aftermath for the rest of the day. This day I've decided that I will never go anywhere with the two of them again. And it's too bad, I've always wanted us all to go to Cancun over the Christmas holiday as a family. It would be a waste of money.
The cool thing at the mall was that the Food Network had a contest to create the tallest sugar sculpture. Two teams competed. One made a replica of the Empire State Building and the other did the Hancock Building. They were about 27 feet tall - pretty cool. At least Jen, Tara, and I thought so, Bailee thought it was lame. Here we go again. Round two.
By the end of the day, things settled down, Jen and Tara left to head back to Tara's place, and we headed toward Hudson where we had a hotel reservation. I was disappointed because at the end of the day I hadn't really shopped for myself. We stopped to eat in a suburb called Woodbury and discovered the coolest area filled with shops. Ann Taylor, J Jill, and many others lined the newly paved streets. Too bad I was too tired to shop and all I could think of was getting something to eat and sitting a while. We ended up at a Champp's. Although the food is always good, part of the adventure is trying something new and this definitely wasn't anything new.
We checked into our hotel room just before 10, Bailee went right to bed, we headed to the pool to swim a few laps and unwind. I fell asleep with soaking wet hair and woke up looking like Alfalfa from the Little Rascals. After a morning swim, a decent breakfast, and a hot shower, we headed to Stillwater to hit the shops along Main Street. What a cute little town! We noticed it last year when we passed through on a motorcycle trip. Unfortunately, we were with a group that couldn't fit a stop in their schedule so we just passed the town by. Our first stop was at a winery. We tried samples and made our purchase. After a nice walk through town it was time to head to Menomonie.
By brother Mike lives in Menomonie. He was working until noon so we knew we had time before we had to make an appearance. We checked into our hotel in Menomonie then we stopped at Mike's house where we were greeted by his wife, Carmen. She let us in and we spent the afternoon playing with their children, Seth and Aubrey. Aubrey's baptism was scheduled for later that afternoon and we were also celebrating Seth's second birthday. His birthday is easy to remember - tax day, April 15th. I always need some sort of trick to remember important dates. I don't know why it's such a mental block for me.
Mike and Carmen have no sense of real commitment to time schedules. They told us the baptism was at 4 but at 4:30 we were drinking our second beer in their living room. We got on a roll during a discussion about my sister and her family. Their children are terrible due to the lack of discipline that they desperately need. They are also sickly from their steady diet of sugary sodas, coffee (yes, coffee and cappuccino too!), and anything else they want - all unhealthy.
Speaking of unhealthy, by 4:45 we headed to Legacy Chocolates to buy some of the best chocolate in the world. We eventually got to the hall where the baptism was held. We met the most fascinating people. The pastor and his lady were very interesting. He's 87 years old and his companion was most likely near that age too. So much history makes for interesting conversation. And this hall was a mini-museum so it had as much character and charm as those in attendance.
The commitment issue spills over into other areas of my brother's life. On our way over to the hall they asked Bailee to be the Godmother. She was shocked, honored, and annoyed at the lack of notice. But the baptism went on followed by a wonderful dinner. Mike is a health nut so dinner included a salad followed by chicken in puff pastry and steamed carrots. It was great to have something other than the usual banquet fare. After dinner, the evening ended with a chorus of Happy Birthday to Seth, the traditional cutting of the cake, and then the opening of the presents (both birthday and baptism).
We headed back to the hotel in Menomonie to unwind. Jen and Bailee were getting along, finally! Mike and Carmen came over after all their guests left. It was nice to visit with them one on one. We talked about mom's surgery and recovery and Mike's next visit to the Milwaukee area which will be in a few weeks. This was a surprise to his wife which was not really a surprise when you think about their decision making process, if you know what I mean.
Things broke up around 10:30 and we got to bed shortly after that. In the morning we packed up and got out of town as soon as we could. We were home by 2:30. Four and a half hours of driving is exhausting even when you're the passenger. We spent the rest of the day getting ready for the workweek, and I don't think I will recover or catch up until next weekend comes. It was a great time, considering a few bumps but I don't think I want to repeat the experience anytime soon. I think our next visit to Menomonie will be without the girls.
My quirky, wacky office mate comes up with some really great one-liners all the time. Today he says, "You learn something new everyday. Whether you want to or not!" It made me think about the things I've learned and things I would like to pass on to others:
1) Honesty is the best policy
2) Spiders are even more scared of me than I am of them
3) Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey
4) Don't just complain, call your alderman
5) Paying $200 for a haircut is crazy, paying $200 for a pair of shoes is not
6) Duct tape can fix many things
7) Sinatra is cool
8) Family is important
9) If you really need it, buy it
10) Diamonds are a waste of money
11) Question everything
12) If you think you can't you won't
13) Never skip Happy Hour
14) Finish what you start
15) Work hard
16) Really listen to people
17) Even when I'm afraid I can still do it (and do it well)
18) There is good in everyone
19) Chocolate and Vodka go with everything
20) I should be proud of myself
1) Honesty is the best policy
2) Spiders are even more scared of me than I am of them
3) Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey
4) Don't just complain, call your alderman
5) Paying $200 for a haircut is crazy, paying $200 for a pair of shoes is not
6) Duct tape can fix many things
7) Sinatra is cool
8) Family is important
9) If you really need it, buy it
10) Diamonds are a waste of money
11) Question everything
12) If you think you can't you won't
13) Never skip Happy Hour
14) Finish what you start
15) Work hard
16) Really listen to people
17) Even when I'm afraid I can still do it (and do it well)
18) There is good in everyone
19) Chocolate and Vodka go with everything
20) I should be proud of myself
Mom had bypass surgery today. She came through it well. She is a feisty little woman so that's not surprising. I only hope she learns the lesson and gives up smoking. This is her second bypass. The first one was two months after Jeff's - August, 2001. She quit smoking for about a year but I think she took it up again when Uncle Dennis' health started to fade. I find that kind of ironic since he was dying from lung and throat cancer from smoking. You would think she would learn but what do I know, it's not something I was ever addicted to so I can't judge her.
During her first surgery they did four bypasses. She came through it quickly and efficiently, ready to walk out soon after the surgery. Her recovery was quick. She felt so much better with a great surge of energy post-surgery. Today she had three bypasses, two of the original grafts were 100% blocked and a new one had to be grafted. The problem this time was the amount of arterial material available in her body. The doctor had to do some vein mapping to make sure she had enough for him to use. Once she qualified, the surgery date was set for today. He said her heart was very strong for her age so she should come through this without too much difficulty.
After surgery, Dr. Bahlky came out to speak to me and my sister. He said she was doing well and explained the three bypasses he just completed. He kept using the term "stuck" to explain why this surgery took so much longer than the last one. He would say, "We had trouble with the scar tissue and everything was stuck." I finally asked him what that meant and he explained that when they do bypass they separate the chest wall from the rib cage and separate the rib cage from the heart. When the patient heals, scar tissue forms between these layers sticking them all together so they have to literally peel each layer off of each other and separate them. So now when I hear that surgery takes longer because they have to go through scar tissue I will understand why.
We got to see mom late in the afternoon. She went in to surgery at 7:00 am and we were talking with her at 4:20 pm. She was trying to open her eyes and I just whispered to her to stay sleeping so she can relax and heal. I doubt that she will remember and I hope she won't.
During her first surgery they did four bypasses. She came through it quickly and efficiently, ready to walk out soon after the surgery. Her recovery was quick. She felt so much better with a great surge of energy post-surgery. Today she had three bypasses, two of the original grafts were 100% blocked and a new one had to be grafted. The problem this time was the amount of arterial material available in her body. The doctor had to do some vein mapping to make sure she had enough for him to use. Once she qualified, the surgery date was set for today. He said her heart was very strong for her age so she should come through this without too much difficulty.
After surgery, Dr. Bahlky came out to speak to me and my sister. He said she was doing well and explained the three bypasses he just completed. He kept using the term "stuck" to explain why this surgery took so much longer than the last one. He would say, "We had trouble with the scar tissue and everything was stuck." I finally asked him what that meant and he explained that when they do bypass they separate the chest wall from the rib cage and separate the rib cage from the heart. When the patient heals, scar tissue forms between these layers sticking them all together so they have to literally peel each layer off of each other and separate them. So now when I hear that surgery takes longer because they have to go through scar tissue I will understand why.
We got to see mom late in the afternoon. She went in to surgery at 7:00 am and we were talking with her at 4:20 pm. She was trying to open her eyes and I just whispered to her to stay sleeping so she can relax and heal. I doubt that she will remember and I hope she won't.
After a long day's Easter celebration, it felt good to get home. The weather wasn't that great all day so it was a little chilly in the house. So I wrapped myself in a quilt and curled up in my favorite chair waiting for The Sopranos to start. Jeff came downstairs wearing a red Wisconsin sweat shirt, some baggy gym shorts, and he still has his black dress socks on, along with his slippers. I told him he needed to change into some plaid shorts so he got the complete look of a 75-year-old man. Honestly, it looked so silly. He said, "I know but my feet are cold and it's kind of dumb to just change my socks." OK, so he has a point.
So we settled in to watch The Sopranos when there was a knock on the door. Bailee comes bounding down the stairs, with her usual air of insanity/hyperactivity. In comes the new boyfriend she was dying for us to meet. She was hoping we would meet him the day before, he was coming to pick her up because they had a date where he was going to make her dinner.
She met him at work. Since she makes little money in her crappy job, I make the assumption that anyone she hangs out with from work means little hope for a decent future. So I wasn't all that thrilled. Then she tells me that he is a supervisor of another department, and that she has known him for quite a while even though they don't directly work together. I'm feeling my spirits lift a little.
1. No real ethics issue because he is not her boss so that's good.
2. He is a boss so he probably has some brains and makes more money.
Then she tells me how he is so nice to her and that she never had someone treat her like this. She is happy. This is getting a little more promising because her last boyfriend was a crackhead. That's not sarcasm, he was really a crackhead whose best quality was that he eventually stopped taking money from her. Not that she had much to give in the first place, so he was not helping her situation.
His qualities were pretty good so far, when she came home from her date she had a dozen roses with her. She said no one ever bought her flowers before. He asked her to go with him to his mother's wedding in May. Apparently she is marrying the owner of the company they both work for. This just keeps getting better and better! Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that material things can make you happy but this child needs some stability in her life and to start hanging around with people who take responsibility seriously. These are all positive role models for my daughter unlike the losers she usually chooses to hang around with. For some reason she always chooses to side with the underdog, it's noble to think you can be a hero and help those less fortunate than yourself, but she needs to start taking care of herself first and get her own life together. She has no car, no savings, and a low-paying job with no future. She needs good health insurance since she is diabetic so her own issues should be addressed before she starts taking in the crackheads of the world.
Back to the new boyfriend at the door...
Bailee brings in this new guy and introduces him to us. His name is Adam and he is carrying some pistachio torte that his mother made. He hands it to Jeff and says, "Bailee says pistachio is your favorite and my mother made this so I brought you some." Jeff thanks him and says that he will be happy to try it as soon as his Easter dinner settles. For a moment I was suspicious, I am not fond of suck-up or those with ulterior motives. But after a little conversation with this guy, he was just what Bailee said he was, a nice guy.
As soon as they leave, I found myself laughing as I point out to Jeff, "I wonder what he thinks of us with you standing there with your 75-year-old man look." Jeff says, "We're both wearing Badger sweatshirts so it was all good." It was worth a laugh and as the two of them drove off, Jeff is peeking out the window and he comments to me, "He's driving a red Porsche!"
So we settled in to watch The Sopranos when there was a knock on the door. Bailee comes bounding down the stairs, with her usual air of insanity/hyperactivity. In comes the new boyfriend she was dying for us to meet. She was hoping we would meet him the day before, he was coming to pick her up because they had a date where he was going to make her dinner.
She met him at work. Since she makes little money in her crappy job, I make the assumption that anyone she hangs out with from work means little hope for a decent future. So I wasn't all that thrilled. Then she tells me that he is a supervisor of another department, and that she has known him for quite a while even though they don't directly work together. I'm feeling my spirits lift a little.
1. No real ethics issue because he is not her boss so that's good.
2. He is a boss so he probably has some brains and makes more money.
Then she tells me how he is so nice to her and that she never had someone treat her like this. She is happy. This is getting a little more promising because her last boyfriend was a crackhead. That's not sarcasm, he was really a crackhead whose best quality was that he eventually stopped taking money from her. Not that she had much to give in the first place, so he was not helping her situation.
His qualities were pretty good so far, when she came home from her date she had a dozen roses with her. She said no one ever bought her flowers before. He asked her to go with him to his mother's wedding in May. Apparently she is marrying the owner of the company they both work for. This just keeps getting better and better! Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that material things can make you happy but this child needs some stability in her life and to start hanging around with people who take responsibility seriously. These are all positive role models for my daughter unlike the losers she usually chooses to hang around with. For some reason she always chooses to side with the underdog, it's noble to think you can be a hero and help those less fortunate than yourself, but she needs to start taking care of herself first and get her own life together. She has no car, no savings, and a low-paying job with no future. She needs good health insurance since she is diabetic so her own issues should be addressed before she starts taking in the crackheads of the world.
Back to the new boyfriend at the door...
Bailee brings in this new guy and introduces him to us. His name is Adam and he is carrying some pistachio torte that his mother made. He hands it to Jeff and says, "Bailee says pistachio is your favorite and my mother made this so I brought you some." Jeff thanks him and says that he will be happy to try it as soon as his Easter dinner settles. For a moment I was suspicious, I am not fond of suck-up or those with ulterior motives. But after a little conversation with this guy, he was just what Bailee said he was, a nice guy.
As soon as they leave, I found myself laughing as I point out to Jeff, "I wonder what he thinks of us with you standing there with your 75-year-old man look." Jeff says, "We're both wearing Badger sweatshirts so it was all good." It was worth a laugh and as the two of them drove off, Jeff is peeking out the window and he comments to me, "He's driving a red Porsche!"
1. When driving in my car, my radio station is usually tuned to HOT102 .
2. When I turn my television on, even if I'm not really paying close attention to it, it's usually on ESPN.
3. I own a Canon printer. I bought it because the photo printing quality is excellent .
4. You can find all kinds of books in my bookshelves, but mostly this type: quilting books.
5. I take about 100 pictures every month.
6. I blog about 25 times a month.
Another day with nothing much to say.
2. When I turn my television on, even if I'm not really paying close attention to it, it's usually on ESPN.
3. I own a Canon printer. I bought it because the photo printing quality is excellent .
4. You can find all kinds of books in my bookshelves, but mostly this type: quilting books.
5. I take about 100 pictures every month.
6. I blog about 25 times a month.
Another day with nothing much to say.
1. I am a Sunday's child.
2. My hair was as white as snow when I was a child. Now I have no idea what color it is.
3. My dad will always be my favorite person in the whole world. Always.
4. I only went to kindergarten for one semester then moved into the first grade because I knew how to read.
5. As a child I was a tomboy, actually I still am.
6. My first job was working the quarterly sales at Junior House.
7. My dad, my best friend's dad, and my brother's best friend's dad all died exactly 6 months apart.
8. I am a first-born.
9. My last name is spelled wrong on my birth certificate.
10. My first dog was a poodle.
11. I saw Elvis Presley in concert in 1974.
12. When I was a teen, a girl in my neighborhood was murdered by someone else from the neighborhood.
13. My first car was a 1973 Ford Pinto. My dad bought it from Bud Selig (yes, the commissioner of baseball).
14. I am allergic to mold so after it rains my eyes get all runny.
15. My middle and ring fingers are double-jointed so I can bend them in really weird directions.
16. I taught myself to sew when I was 12.
17. I have naturally curly hair.
18. I played the flute in grade school.
19. I like being alone. Probably because it almost never happens that I am alone.
20. I took German all 4 years in high school. Can't speak a word of it now.
21. I hate shopping.
22. I love shoes.
23. I shook hands with President Richard M. Nixon when he was in office.
24. I never tried smoking. Never ever. I hate everything about smoking.
25. I hate long, fake fingernails.
26. I am a registered Democrat.
27. I grew up Catholic but I am a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
28. I worked at the same company for 19 years and 11 months before they went out of business. Couldn't make the 20-year mark.
29. I graduated from high school when I was 15. I had to go back to finish driver's ed.
30. I don't care for ice cream.
31. I took an entire year off of work and I loved every single minute of it.
32. I recently learned how to can fruits and vegetables and I wish I would have learned it years ago.
33. I don't really have ear lobes.
34. The first time I went to the movies with a boy I was in 6th grade. The movie was The Love Bug.
35. My eyes are green.
36. I really like to write I just wish I could do it better.
37. I gag at the smell of orange soda. Yes, it does have a distinct smell.
38. I make lists for everything. As if you can't tell.
39. I love to make quilts.
40. I have my Webmaster certification from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
41. My favorite food is filet mignon, medium-rare.
42. I have a cat named Toby.
43. I have three children all over the age of 21.
44. I like bananas but I hate anything with bananas in it.
45. Because of the score I got on the Iowa Basic Skills IQ test I took in 4th grade, I skipped the 5th grade.
46. I've had glasses since I was 12 but it's only been the past 5 years that I've had to wear them all the time.
47. I went to school with Lawrencia Bembenek (Run, Bambi, Run!).
48. I have 4 tattoos that I designed myself.
49. All my bad dreams involve being in water.
50. I can tell the difference between Coke, Pepsi, and RC Cola. I love diet Coke, the rest suck.
51. I grew up with 2 brothers and 1 sister.
52. I must have coffee in the morning with real half-and-half. Must have.
53. I don't like loud noises.
54. I love hot weather.
55. My favorite place on the entire planet is my backyard in summer.
56. I can never get waited on in a bar, it's like I become invisible. Even eye contact doesn't work.
57. I only cook certain meals in the summer and certain ones in the winter.
58. I hate to drive. I would give up my license in a minute if someone would drive me around.
59. I own my own scroll saw, band saw, drill press, and sander. I like to make little wood-crafty things.
60. The farthest I've ever run was 18 miles.
61. I sleep with a teddy bear.
62. I love lilacs, tulips, daisies, and roses (in that order).
63. I could eat Mexican food every day.
64. I really like Cosmopolitan martinis. There's something about the pretty pink color splashing around in a martini glass. It's kind of sexy.
65. I am allergic to dogs.
66. I do not eat fast food.
67. I am extremely impatient.
68. I cannot walk at a casual pace no matter how hard I try. I gotta move fast.
69. My favorite beers are Corona Light and Rolling Rock Green Light.
70. I cannot start my day until my bed is made.
71. I hate mushrooms and mustard. Maybe I don't like foods that start with the letters 'm-u'. Coincidence? I think not.
72. I played the violin in junior high school.
73. Chain e-mails annoy me so much that if my friends send them to me I automatically put their e-mail address in my junk mail folder.
74. I am a morning person.
75. I am extremely competitive.
76. My idea of camping is ordering room service. I am a city girl and I am not ashamed to admit it.
77. I am ashamed of my shoe collection. I know I have too many, it's an obsession.
78. I love Peanuts and Mutts cartoons.
79. I rarely ever watch television.
80. I only like dark chocolate. Especially bittersweet.
81. I like to collect coffee mugs when I travel. I have one from every city I've ever been to.
82. I get most of my work clothes from Banana Republic, J Jill, Eddie Bauer, and Ann Taylor.
83. I am spiritual but not religious.
84. My favorite perfumes are Ralph, Cool Waters, and Lucky You.
85. I am proud of my organic garden, it is beautiful, healthy, and earth friendly.
86. My movie collection contains 20 DVD's. I am extremely selective.
87. I cannot stand country music.
88. My favorite jeans are Tommy Hilfigers.
89. I love to go running. It's solitude, therapy, and time to speak to God.
90. I am not a people person, that's why I prefer to work with computers.
91. I have a thing for purses and scarves.
92. I love books. Especially Sue Grafton's.
93. I am an animal lover.
94. I like red wines, not white wines but I collect both during my travels.
95. I prefer to live the less is more philosophy. I would rather give away things in my house than collect any more.
96. I am a pretty good bowler. I've been bowling since I was 12. My average is currently 165.
97. I plan things out very carefully. I'm pretty anal about things.
98. My college GPA was 3.86. It would have been higher if I didn't suck at math.
99. I am a neat freak but my family is not very cooperative.
100. I like to sell stuff on e-bay.
2. My hair was as white as snow when I was a child. Now I have no idea what color it is.
3. My dad will always be my favorite person in the whole world. Always.
4. I only went to kindergarten for one semester then moved into the first grade because I knew how to read.
5. As a child I was a tomboy, actually I still am.
6. My first job was working the quarterly sales at Junior House.
7. My dad, my best friend's dad, and my brother's best friend's dad all died exactly 6 months apart.
8. I am a first-born.
9. My last name is spelled wrong on my birth certificate.
10. My first dog was a poodle.
11. I saw Elvis Presley in concert in 1974.
12. When I was a teen, a girl in my neighborhood was murdered by someone else from the neighborhood.
13. My first car was a 1973 Ford Pinto. My dad bought it from Bud Selig (yes, the commissioner of baseball).
14. I am allergic to mold so after it rains my eyes get all runny.
15. My middle and ring fingers are double-jointed so I can bend them in really weird directions.
16. I taught myself to sew when I was 12.
17. I have naturally curly hair.
18. I played the flute in grade school.
19. I like being alone. Probably because it almost never happens that I am alone.
20. I took German all 4 years in high school. Can't speak a word of it now.
21. I hate shopping.
22. I love shoes.
23. I shook hands with President Richard M. Nixon when he was in office.
24. I never tried smoking. Never ever. I hate everything about smoking.
25. I hate long, fake fingernails.
26. I am a registered Democrat.
27. I grew up Catholic but I am a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
28. I worked at the same company for 19 years and 11 months before they went out of business. Couldn't make the 20-year mark.
29. I graduated from high school when I was 15. I had to go back to finish driver's ed.
30. I don't care for ice cream.
31. I took an entire year off of work and I loved every single minute of it.
32. I recently learned how to can fruits and vegetables and I wish I would have learned it years ago.
33. I don't really have ear lobes.
34. The first time I went to the movies with a boy I was in 6th grade. The movie was The Love Bug.
35. My eyes are green.
36. I really like to write I just wish I could do it better.
37. I gag at the smell of orange soda. Yes, it does have a distinct smell.
38. I make lists for everything. As if you can't tell.
39. I love to make quilts.
40. I have my Webmaster certification from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
41. My favorite food is filet mignon, medium-rare.
42. I have a cat named Toby.
43. I have three children all over the age of 21.
44. I like bananas but I hate anything with bananas in it.
45. Because of the score I got on the Iowa Basic Skills IQ test I took in 4th grade, I skipped the 5th grade.
46. I've had glasses since I was 12 but it's only been the past 5 years that I've had to wear them all the time.
47. I went to school with Lawrencia Bembenek (Run, Bambi, Run!).
48. I have 4 tattoos that I designed myself.
49. All my bad dreams involve being in water.
50. I can tell the difference between Coke, Pepsi, and RC Cola. I love diet Coke, the rest suck.
51. I grew up with 2 brothers and 1 sister.
52. I must have coffee in the morning with real half-and-half. Must have.
53. I don't like loud noises.
54. I love hot weather.
55. My favorite place on the entire planet is my backyard in summer.
56. I can never get waited on in a bar, it's like I become invisible. Even eye contact doesn't work.
57. I only cook certain meals in the summer and certain ones in the winter.
58. I hate to drive. I would give up my license in a minute if someone would drive me around.
59. I own my own scroll saw, band saw, drill press, and sander. I like to make little wood-crafty things.
60. The farthest I've ever run was 18 miles.
61. I sleep with a teddy bear.
62. I love lilacs, tulips, daisies, and roses (in that order).
63. I could eat Mexican food every day.
64. I really like Cosmopolitan martinis. There's something about the pretty pink color splashing around in a martini glass. It's kind of sexy.
65. I am allergic to dogs.
66. I do not eat fast food.
67. I am extremely impatient.
68. I cannot walk at a casual pace no matter how hard I try. I gotta move fast.
69. My favorite beers are Corona Light and Rolling Rock Green Light.
70. I cannot start my day until my bed is made.
71. I hate mushrooms and mustard. Maybe I don't like foods that start with the letters 'm-u'. Coincidence? I think not.
72. I played the violin in junior high school.
73. Chain e-mails annoy me so much that if my friends send them to me I automatically put their e-mail address in my junk mail folder.
74. I am a morning person.
75. I am extremely competitive.
76. My idea of camping is ordering room service. I am a city girl and I am not ashamed to admit it.
77. I am ashamed of my shoe collection. I know I have too many, it's an obsession.
78. I love Peanuts and Mutts cartoons.
79. I rarely ever watch television.
80. I only like dark chocolate. Especially bittersweet.
81. I like to collect coffee mugs when I travel. I have one from every city I've ever been to.
82. I get most of my work clothes from Banana Republic, J Jill, Eddie Bauer, and Ann Taylor.
83. I am spiritual but not religious.
84. My favorite perfumes are Ralph, Cool Waters, and Lucky You.
85. I am proud of my organic garden, it is beautiful, healthy, and earth friendly.
86. My movie collection contains 20 DVD's. I am extremely selective.
87. I cannot stand country music.
88. My favorite jeans are Tommy Hilfigers.
89. I love to go running. It's solitude, therapy, and time to speak to God.
90. I am not a people person, that's why I prefer to work with computers.
91. I have a thing for purses and scarves.
92. I love books. Especially Sue Grafton's.
93. I am an animal lover.
94. I like red wines, not white wines but I collect both during my travels.
95. I prefer to live the less is more philosophy. I would rather give away things in my house than collect any more.
96. I am a pretty good bowler. I've been bowling since I was 12. My average is currently 165.
97. I plan things out very carefully. I'm pretty anal about things.
98. My college GPA was 3.86. It would have been higher if I didn't suck at math.
99. I am a neat freak but my family is not very cooperative.
100. I like to sell stuff on e-bay.
I'm tired. Things don't seem to be going right lately. And I spend way too much time feeling sorry for myself. I wish I was still seeing the therapist. At least that would be someone who would listen to me without judging me. There is so much I have to complain about, to cry about, to worry about.
Everyone should have a friend they can talk to but mine seem to see this as a one way road. They expect me to listen to their problems and comfort them but when it's my turn they don't have the time. Not that I think they would understand.
And then there's the ones that want support and guidance. Like I should be the one to motivate and push them to reach their goals. Who's gonna do that for me? No one.
And what about support? I never get the support I think I need. Even when I ask for it. Can you let me finish my homework - not without interruption. Can I spend my free time going what I like- not without some urging to do something else.
Everyone should have a friend they can talk to but mine seem to see this as a one way road. They expect me to listen to their problems and comfort them but when it's my turn they don't have the time. Not that I think they would understand.
And then there's the ones that want support and guidance. Like I should be the one to motivate and push them to reach their goals. Who's gonna do that for me? No one.
And what about support? I never get the support I think I need. Even when I ask for it. Can you let me finish my homework - not without interruption. Can I spend my free time going what I like- not without some urging to do something else.
And there's the ones I should take care of. Who will take care of my needs? No one.
I'm just so tired.
The Mission:Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Can I do 101 in 1001? I bet I can.
1. Make a list of 1001 things. Done - April 9, 2006
2. Paint the powder room.
3. Run a half marathon.
4. Triathlon.
5. Paint my fence. Done - May 6, 2006
6. Lose 10 pounds.
7. Make a quilt. Done - April, 2006
8. Write a poem.
9. Make a new web site.
10. Learn CSS.
11. Feed the homeless. Done - Second Thursday of each month.
12. Join a political group.
13. Have a rummage sale.
14. Get some moles removed.
15. Finish The DaVinci Code.
16. Cut off my hair. Done - May, 2006.
17. Organize my photos.
18. Get rid of all my textbooks.
19. Visit Washington DC. Done-June, 2006
20. Learn to ride a motorcycle.
21. Get on a Board of Directors.
22. Run a marathon.
23. Organize my iTunes. Done-June, 2006
24. Make a teddy bear
25. Clean out my basement.
26. Take swimming lessons.
27. Read S is for Silence.
28. Wash all the curtains in the house.
29. Pay off my credit card.
30. Start Christmas shopping in September.
31. Travel by train.
32. Repaint my patio furniture.
33. Join a weekly bowling league.
34. Have my nails done for no apparent reason. Done - May 10, 2006.
35. Make Christmas decorations for the yard.
36. Take a wine class.
37. Play 18 holes of golf. Done-July, 2006
38. Clean out the garage.
39. Get my teeth whitened.
40. Learn some Spanish words.
41. Get a full-body massage.
42. Take a week's vacation and just stay home.
43. Refinance my student loans. Done-June, 2006
44. Trace my family tree.
45. Get rid of all the Christmas lights that don't work.
46. Ask Aunt Jackie if she needs help with the travel agency.
47. Finish making a quilted wall hanging I started 4 years ago.
48. Host a pool party.
49. Cook every meal at home for a whole month.
50. Join the Polar Bear Club (jump in Lake Michigan on New Years' Day).
51. Ride my bicycle to work (15 miles each way). Done - May 3, 2006.
52. Get a new cell phone plan. Done - May 14, 2006.
53. Take the Metra (Chicago).
54. Carry my lunch to work every day for a month.
55. Sell more stuff on e-Bay.
56. File away all my important papers.
57. Attend Jazz in the Park.
58. Start my own volleyball team.
59. Ride my bicycle so far away that I have to stay in a hotel overnight before riding back home.
60. Paint a picture on real canvas.
61. Get rid of all my old magazines.
62. Take a French cooking class with my mother.
63. Buy some art.
64. Do something nice for Jeff.
65. Go in-line skating on the lakefront.
66. Make scrapbook pages.
67. Visit a state that I haven't been in before. Done-May,2006
68. Learn to play black jack in a casino.
69. Buy stock.
70. Graduate. Done - April 30, 2006.
71. See a play.
72. Get my passport.
73. Make a quilt out of BJ's memorable t-shirts.
74. Get a physical.
75. See my old friends from my old job.
76. Wear my contact lenses every day for a whole month.
77. Upgrade the patio. Done-July, 2006
78. Finish my recipe file.
79. Take a photo a day for 30 days.
80. Go strawberry picking. Done-June, 2006
81. Learn to take photos in the dark.
82. Sell all my old jigsaw puzzles.
83. Take a home inventory and put it in the safe deposit box.
84. Enter a baking contest.
85. Go to the Madison farmer's market. Done-May, 2006
86. Get the grass out of the raspberry patch.
87. Make a new recipe once a month.
88. Get Toby a license.
89. Get rid of my old dishes.
90. Clean out my dresser.
91. Make some funky beaded ankle bracelets.
92. Attend an art show.
93. Try a new restaurant. Done, August, 2006
94. Go on a hike.
95. Get the carpets cleaned.
96. Make something out of wood.
97. Open, watch, and participate in the TaeBo videos that I bought 5 years ago.
98. Take a tennis lesson.
99. New kitchen counter top.
100. License my bicycle.
101. Get a fish tank and fill it with fish.
I have until Monday, January 5, 2009.
The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Can I do 101 in 1001? I bet I can.
1. Make a list of 1001 things. Done - April 9, 2006
2. Paint the powder room.
3. Run a half marathon.
4. Triathlon.
5. Paint my fence. Done - May 6, 2006
6. Lose 10 pounds.
7. Make a quilt. Done - April, 2006
8. Write a poem.
9. Make a new web site.
10. Learn CSS.
11. Feed the homeless. Done - Second Thursday of each month.
12. Join a political group.
13. Have a rummage sale.
14. Get some moles removed.
15. Finish The DaVinci Code.
16. Cut off my hair. Done - May, 2006.
17. Organize my photos.
18. Get rid of all my textbooks.
19. Visit Washington DC. Done-June, 2006
20. Learn to ride a motorcycle.
21. Get on a Board of Directors.
22. Run a marathon.
23. Organize my iTunes. Done-June, 2006
24. Make a teddy bear
25. Clean out my basement.
26. Take swimming lessons.
27. Read S is for Silence.
28. Wash all the curtains in the house.
29. Pay off my credit card.
30. Start Christmas shopping in September.
31. Travel by train.
32. Repaint my patio furniture.
33. Join a weekly bowling league.
34. Have my nails done for no apparent reason. Done - May 10, 2006.
35. Make Christmas decorations for the yard.
36. Take a wine class.
37. Play 18 holes of golf. Done-July, 2006
38. Clean out the garage.
39. Get my teeth whitened.
40. Learn some Spanish words.
41. Get a full-body massage.
42. Take a week's vacation and just stay home.
43. Refinance my student loans. Done-June, 2006
44. Trace my family tree.
45. Get rid of all the Christmas lights that don't work.
46. Ask Aunt Jackie if she needs help with the travel agency.
47. Finish making a quilted wall hanging I started 4 years ago.
48. Host a pool party.
49. Cook every meal at home for a whole month.
50. Join the Polar Bear Club (jump in Lake Michigan on New Years' Day).
51. Ride my bicycle to work (15 miles each way). Done - May 3, 2006.
52. Get a new cell phone plan. Done - May 14, 2006.
53. Take the Metra (Chicago).
54. Carry my lunch to work every day for a month.
55. Sell more stuff on e-Bay.
56. File away all my important papers.
57. Attend Jazz in the Park.
58. Start my own volleyball team.
59. Ride my bicycle so far away that I have to stay in a hotel overnight before riding back home.
60. Paint a picture on real canvas.
61. Get rid of all my old magazines.
62. Take a French cooking class with my mother.
63. Buy some art.
64. Do something nice for Jeff.
65. Go in-line skating on the lakefront.
66. Make scrapbook pages.
67. Visit a state that I haven't been in before. Done-May,2006
68. Learn to play black jack in a casino.
69. Buy stock.
70. Graduate. Done - April 30, 2006.
71. See a play.
72. Get my passport.
73. Make a quilt out of BJ's memorable t-shirts.
74. Get a physical.
75. See my old friends from my old job.
76. Wear my contact lenses every day for a whole month.
77. Upgrade the patio. Done-July, 2006
78. Finish my recipe file.
79. Take a photo a day for 30 days.
80. Go strawberry picking. Done-June, 2006
81. Learn to take photos in the dark.
82. Sell all my old jigsaw puzzles.
83. Take a home inventory and put it in the safe deposit box.
84. Enter a baking contest.
85. Go to the Madison farmer's market. Done-May, 2006
86. Get the grass out of the raspberry patch.
87. Make a new recipe once a month.
88. Get Toby a license.
89. Get rid of my old dishes.
90. Clean out my dresser.
91. Make some funky beaded ankle bracelets.
92. Attend an art show.
93. Try a new restaurant. Done, August, 2006
94. Go on a hike.
95. Get the carpets cleaned.
96. Make something out of wood.
97. Open, watch, and participate in the TaeBo videos that I bought 5 years ago.
98. Take a tennis lesson.
99. New kitchen counter top.
100. License my bicycle.
101. Get a fish tank and fill it with fish.
I have until Monday, January 5, 2009.
Jeff spent last weekend in the garage. It rained all day Saturday and Sunday so it was a perfect opportunity for him to put more chrome on his bike. He spent all day Saturday taking the front end apart so he could put chrome fork covers on, then Sunday he put it all back together again. When he was done the bike was still on the lift.
Today was a beautiful sunny day. But it was only 37 degrees. Way too cold to consider taking the bike out. Since it was still on the lift, it didn't matter anyway, it wasn't going anywhere until he could get it down and that was a two-person job. He asked me if I knew if there were any events going on at the House of Harley, I told him I didn't know and maybe he should check their website.
I knew he wouldn't check it so I was in the clear. I wouldn't have to help him get the bike off the lift. I hate helping him. Two years ago it fell on me when it came down and I wrenched my back. It's just too big of a bike for me to handle. Tomorrow I'm certain I won't be so lucky. Besides, I might as well get it over with.
Today was a beautiful sunny day. But it was only 37 degrees. Way too cold to consider taking the bike out. Since it was still on the lift, it didn't matter anyway, it wasn't going anywhere until he could get it down and that was a two-person job. He asked me if I knew if there were any events going on at the House of Harley, I told him I didn't know and maybe he should check their website.
I knew he wouldn't check it so I was in the clear. I wouldn't have to help him get the bike off the lift. I hate helping him. Two years ago it fell on me when it came down and I wrenched my back. It's just too big of a bike for me to handle. Tomorrow I'm certain I won't be so lucky. Besides, I might as well get it over with.
All I wanted to do in my last class way to lay low. It's a self-directed senior project class. Each student must be the leader for two out of the eight weeks. Because of class size, there are multiple leaders each week. During the first week, we were asked to list the weeks we would like to lead as first choice, second choice, etc. I chose week 1, week 2, week 3 as my first, second, and third choices thinking I would get this over with and be done so I can coast the rest of the way through. The professor had other ideas. I was chosen to lead during week 1 and 4. After a review of her choices the system she used became obvious, you were assigned either 1 and 4, 2 and 5, or 3 and 6. Although this is an eight week class I didn't give much thought to what happens in weeks 7 and 8.
The premise of the senior project is do analyze a fictitional company. Each week covers a specific topic like planning, marketing, ethics, etc. The assignments are determined by the leaders who design a set of deliverables specifically related to the week's topic and take a group of the students and assign them work to do on that deliverable. So the leaders divvied up the class int groups of 4 students who would each work on one deliverable from the set. Sounds simple enough. NOT! The leaders cannot even come to terms on what the deliverables should be not to mention choosing which students will work on which deliverable within the set. Mass chaos and confusion is common. We are now at the end of week 5 where tempers are short and inappropriate comments are surfacing beneath larger hostilities. I continue to lay low and stay out of any disagreements. I just want this class to be over.
This class is made up of a few people like me, intelligent, driven, and all-knowing. But I digress. Most are clueless, uninspiring, unmotivated, unable to think and will never become leaders in any field. I know it sounds harsh, but it's reality. We have to do peer reviews in this class. I am not always kind. I do not fudge my observations. I keep them on a professional level even if they are negative. On the other hand, I do not read what others write about me, I just don't care about anything they have to say. This is part of my plan to keep my apathetic attitude in tact and just get through by laying low. Yesterday the professor dropped a bomb that changed everything.
I wasn't going to check my e-mail. I was tired from a long day of work followed by some intense power shopping at the mall. At the last minute I detoured from my path to the bedroom and checked my e-mail. Hmmm, the professor, what could she want? I decided to take a half- interested peek and double-clicked the message which read: I have chosen you to be the team leader for the final project of this class. Wait....let me read that again. OK, now I'm more than half-interested. After less than 10 minutes of serious deliberation (also known as letting it all go directly to my big fat head) I accepted the position.
The premise of the senior project is do analyze a fictitional company. Each week covers a specific topic like planning, marketing, ethics, etc. The assignments are determined by the leaders who design a set of deliverables specifically related to the week's topic and take a group of the students and assign them work to do on that deliverable. So the leaders divvied up the class int groups of 4 students who would each work on one deliverable from the set. Sounds simple enough. NOT! The leaders cannot even come to terms on what the deliverables should be not to mention choosing which students will work on which deliverable within the set. Mass chaos and confusion is common. We are now at the end of week 5 where tempers are short and inappropriate comments are surfacing beneath larger hostilities. I continue to lay low and stay out of any disagreements. I just want this class to be over.
This class is made up of a few people like me, intelligent, driven, and all-knowing. But I digress. Most are clueless, uninspiring, unmotivated, unable to think and will never become leaders in any field. I know it sounds harsh, but it's reality. We have to do peer reviews in this class. I am not always kind. I do not fudge my observations. I keep them on a professional level even if they are negative. On the other hand, I do not read what others write about me, I just don't care about anything they have to say. This is part of my plan to keep my apathetic attitude in tact and just get through by laying low. Yesterday the professor dropped a bomb that changed everything.
I wasn't going to check my e-mail. I was tired from a long day of work followed by some intense power shopping at the mall. At the last minute I detoured from my path to the bedroom and checked my e-mail. Hmmm, the professor, what could she want? I decided to take a half- interested peek and double-clicked the message which read: I have chosen you to be the team leader for the final project of this class. Wait....let me read that again. OK, now I'm more than half-interested. After less than 10 minutes of serious deliberation (also known as letting it all go directly to my big fat head) I accepted the position.
It was 9:10 pm when I got to bed. It felt so good. I was exhausted. A glass of wine with dinner helped put me into a relaxed mood. The day was pretty busy. I was in the gym by 6 am, worked all day, got my hair cut right after work, went to vote, then went to get some Thai food for dinner. I love that hot and spicy stuff. By the time I got home all I could think of was bed, bed , bed.
I don't remember anything after my head hit the pillow, I was out instantly. That is, until 2:20 am. I found myself wide awake, the result of a nightmare. The nightmare was the same stuff that usually plagues my dreams. For some reason, the bad ones always involve water. This time I found myself running. And the running was good. I ran a dirt path, with bushes and trees along both sides. The green shades of the trees were as vivid as the brown dirt and gray pebbles that move in my wake. I could see a stone wall up ahead. The stone wall was adjacent to the path I was on. I could look both left and right and see that the wall went on well out of view in both directions. At that moment I realized I would need to find an opening to get by the wall but at the same time I had that thought, the path held the answer as just ahead there was an opening. Without any contemplation, I continued to run. Then it happened. The first steps on the other side of the wall meant no more steps. Just air. The drop off to the water was at least 200 feet. Having been on real cliffs that empty into a quarry, I knew what 75 feet and 100 feet cliffs looked like. This was at least double.
The moment I wake up is the exact moment before I hit the water. There is no splash, no feelings of hitting the water, nothing that involves feeling anything wet. The feelings I do have are panic from trying to catch my breath and the feeling I get when I'm on a roller coaster. That sort of belly doing a flip kind of thing. I found myself gasping for air, as I usually do with my water dreams/nightmares. In all of them I never actually feel the water, just that sense of needing to breath from holding my breath too long. It takes a while for me to settle back down, get my heart to stop racing, and start breathing normal again.
The first thought that popped into my head was this can't be. I can't lie awake. I have to get back to sleep. I did my usual trick since it usually works. It starts with slow breathing and thinking about tropical breezes. Then the waves come, lapping the sand gently, steadily. These sounds in my head usually lull me back to sleep. Unfortunately on this night, all I could think of was how they made me have to pee. So I got up and went to the bathroom.
Now the time on the alarm clock reads 3:04. Grrrrr. I can feel the stress building up, as I worry about losing sleep and how much closer morning is getting. As I lie there the ruminations start. Over and over like a whirlpool spinning and never stopping. They go along this path: Thoughts of money = I did my taxes Monday night = How should I spend my return = I need a vacation = I have to finish planning my Rolling Thunder trip = I'm glad school will be over by then = I got a tuition overpayment check from DeVry today = I gotta go to the bank = How will I ever pay back all my student loans = I think I'm worrying about everything because I ate spicy Thai food = I shouldn't have eaten so late I should have skipped it = I need to go to the gym and work this off = I'm never going to get to the gym if I don't get some sleep......(repeat, repeat, repeat)
At 5 am the alarm goes off. By then I was finally sound asleep. I instantly turned it off and went right back to sleep. I awoke at 6:05, got up, grabbed a cup of coffee and cuddled with the cat for half an hour. I sometimes wonder why all my dreams involve water. Good or bad, it's always water. Is it part of some cosmic event? Maybe it has to do with astrology. After all, I am a Pisces. Or maybe it's the Thai food.
I don't remember anything after my head hit the pillow, I was out instantly. That is, until 2:20 am. I found myself wide awake, the result of a nightmare. The nightmare was the same stuff that usually plagues my dreams. For some reason, the bad ones always involve water. This time I found myself running. And the running was good. I ran a dirt path, with bushes and trees along both sides. The green shades of the trees were as vivid as the brown dirt and gray pebbles that move in my wake. I could see a stone wall up ahead. The stone wall was adjacent to the path I was on. I could look both left and right and see that the wall went on well out of view in both directions. At that moment I realized I would need to find an opening to get by the wall but at the same time I had that thought, the path held the answer as just ahead there was an opening. Without any contemplation, I continued to run. Then it happened. The first steps on the other side of the wall meant no more steps. Just air. The drop off to the water was at least 200 feet. Having been on real cliffs that empty into a quarry, I knew what 75 feet and 100 feet cliffs looked like. This was at least double.
The moment I wake up is the exact moment before I hit the water. There is no splash, no feelings of hitting the water, nothing that involves feeling anything wet. The feelings I do have are panic from trying to catch my breath and the feeling I get when I'm on a roller coaster. That sort of belly doing a flip kind of thing. I found myself gasping for air, as I usually do with my water dreams/nightmares. In all of them I never actually feel the water, just that sense of needing to breath from holding my breath too long. It takes a while for me to settle back down, get my heart to stop racing, and start breathing normal again.
The first thought that popped into my head was this can't be. I can't lie awake. I have to get back to sleep. I did my usual trick since it usually works. It starts with slow breathing and thinking about tropical breezes. Then the waves come, lapping the sand gently, steadily. These sounds in my head usually lull me back to sleep. Unfortunately on this night, all I could think of was how they made me have to pee. So I got up and went to the bathroom.
Now the time on the alarm clock reads 3:04. Grrrrr. I can feel the stress building up, as I worry about losing sleep and how much closer morning is getting. As I lie there the ruminations start. Over and over like a whirlpool spinning and never stopping. They go along this path: Thoughts of money = I did my taxes Monday night = How should I spend my return = I need a vacation = I have to finish planning my Rolling Thunder trip = I'm glad school will be over by then = I got a tuition overpayment check from DeVry today = I gotta go to the bank = How will I ever pay back all my student loans = I think I'm worrying about everything because I ate spicy Thai food = I shouldn't have eaten so late I should have skipped it = I need to go to the gym and work this off = I'm never going to get to the gym if I don't get some sleep......(repeat, repeat, repeat)
At 5 am the alarm goes off. By then I was finally sound asleep. I instantly turned it off and went right back to sleep. I awoke at 6:05, got up, grabbed a cup of coffee and cuddled with the cat for half an hour. I sometimes wonder why all my dreams involve water. Good or bad, it's always water. Is it part of some cosmic event? Maybe it has to do with astrology. After all, I am a Pisces. Or maybe it's the Thai food.
I don't know why I get so irritated the moment I step into a store. Today I went to Lowe's and everything was ok especially since I had a specific list of items so all I had to do is pick them up. I even bought a can of paint and the clerk was pleasant and very quickly mixed up my order and I was on my way. It did help that it was early in the morning before the many throngs of people were up and about.
Then I got to the checkout line. I really love the concept of self-service checkout. Too bad its only a good concept. Reality is something very different. Every time I get to these checkouts a clerk jumps into action in an overly helpful way. And I do understand that they are only trying to help. But how am I ever going to learn how to use these things when they never give me a chance? Here's how it went:
Computer: Choose Language.
I chose English.
Computer: Scan First Item.
I scanned my gallon of paint and set it next to the bagging area.
Computer: Scan Next Item.
I scanned paint roller covers and threw them into a bag.
Computer: Scan Next Item.
I scanned a small package of washers and threw them in the bag.
Computer: Bag item.
Clerk: Presses button on screen before I can read what it says.
I say, "What just happened?"
She says, "Just scan your next item."
I scan another small bag of washers.
Computer: Bag item.
Here comes the long arm of the perky clerk in my face to push the buttons so I cannot read what the screen says again.
I say, "What just happened?"
She says, "Just scan your next item."
I frustratedly scan another small bag of I don't even remember what anymore because I am too annoyed.
Computer: Bag item.
I say, "What just happened?" Only this time I'm blocking Perky's arm from reaching the screen so there's nothing left for her to do but explain it to me.
She says, "When you put the item in the bag, the computer is weighing it and since those little packages have no weight it's not registering. And the computer keeps track of your items by weight.
Now that makes sense.
So this time I let her hit the override item so I can move on. Now was that so damn difficult? I mean, I may be blonde but I can follow instructions if I am allowed to even read the instructions.
Computer: Scan Next Item.
I scan my new grill cover and since it's a pretty big package I'm tempted to throw it back into the cart. But I now know that if I do, the weight of the item won't register so I throw it next to the bag so the computer can give me my next instruction.
I choose the button to check out and the total is calculated on the screen.
Perky is standing by just in case I'm too stupid to read.
I choose the debit card button.
Computer: Scan card.
Here comes Perky....I quickly scan the card before she catches up with me just so I can prove I don't need her.
Computer: Transaction Approved.
I yank my receipt before Perky can grab it and hand it to me, pick up my bag and I'm out the door.
She says, "Thank you, have a nice day!"
I say under my breath, "Shut up."
Then I got to the checkout line. I really love the concept of self-service checkout. Too bad its only a good concept. Reality is something very different. Every time I get to these checkouts a clerk jumps into action in an overly helpful way. And I do understand that they are only trying to help. But how am I ever going to learn how to use these things when they never give me a chance? Here's how it went:
Computer: Choose Language.
I chose English.
Computer: Scan First Item.
I scanned my gallon of paint and set it next to the bagging area.
Computer: Scan Next Item.
I scanned paint roller covers and threw them into a bag.
Computer: Scan Next Item.
I scanned a small package of washers and threw them in the bag.
Computer: Bag item.
Clerk: Presses button on screen before I can read what it says.
I say, "What just happened?"
She says, "Just scan your next item."
I scan another small bag of washers.
Computer: Bag item.
Here comes the long arm of the perky clerk in my face to push the buttons so I cannot read what the screen says again.
I say, "What just happened?"
She says, "Just scan your next item."
I frustratedly scan another small bag of I don't even remember what anymore because I am too annoyed.
Computer: Bag item.
I say, "What just happened?" Only this time I'm blocking Perky's arm from reaching the screen so there's nothing left for her to do but explain it to me.
She says, "When you put the item in the bag, the computer is weighing it and since those little packages have no weight it's not registering. And the computer keeps track of your items by weight.
Now that makes sense.
So this time I let her hit the override item so I can move on. Now was that so damn difficult? I mean, I may be blonde but I can follow instructions if I am allowed to even read the instructions.
Computer: Scan Next Item.
I scan my new grill cover and since it's a pretty big package I'm tempted to throw it back into the cart. But I now know that if I do, the weight of the item won't register so I throw it next to the bag so the computer can give me my next instruction.
I choose the button to check out and the total is calculated on the screen.
Perky is standing by just in case I'm too stupid to read.
I choose the debit card button.
Computer: Scan card.
Here comes Perky....I quickly scan the card before she catches up with me just so I can prove I don't need her.
Computer: Transaction Approved.
I yank my receipt before Perky can grab it and hand it to me, pick up my bag and I'm out the door.
She says, "Thank you, have a nice day!"
I say under my breath, "Shut up."
Free association is described as a "psychonanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content." Over time, this technique is supposed to help bring forth repressed thoughts and feelings that the person can then work through to gain a better sense of self.
That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this exercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind. "Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head.
This is from a website I found: http://subliminal.lunanina.com/trackback/8984/ .
OK, I'm bored, I wanna play. Maybe I will even tell my shrink about this and she might find some deep meaning in it. Or maybe not.
That's an admirable goal, but for the purposes of this exercise, we're just hoping to have a little fun with the technique. Each week I'll post ten words to which you can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind. "Rules are, there are no rules." There are no right or wrong answers. Don't limit yourself to one word responses; just say everything that pops into your head.
This is from a website I found: http://subliminal.lunanina.com/trackback/8984/ .
OK, I'm bored, I wanna play. Maybe I will even tell my shrink about this and she might find some deep meaning in it. Or maybe not.
- Desire :: naked
- Sleep :: comfort
- Lost :: darkness
- 2006 :: fear
- Pump :: muscles
- Space :: astronomy
- Stuck :: marriage
- Reference:: library
- Birth:: new beginnings
- Hand:: help
Hmmm...It didn't do anything for me.
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