I had the oddest dream last night that involved the following elements:
1. A plane that crashed shortly after landing. But we were all cool with it, and we were more concerned with getting to our destination (Myrtle Beach, SC for some reason - I haven't even been there since I was probably 13 or so) than with the fact that we had just crashed a plane.
2. A very crowded Burger King at breakfast. They didn't have any numbers on the menu for the value meals, and when I asked for my breakfast, I couldn't remember the word for "sausage" or "bacon" or "biscuits and gravy" - which I've never really had - and when I finally got it out by describing it, the people wouldn't take my order because they said I had to give them the number of what I wanted. There was also some sort of focaccia pizza that I kept calling Pizzacata, which is actually the name of a restaurant here in Philly - that doesn't serve pizza on focaccia/Northern Italy-style, it's served Neopolitan-style.
3. A midget. I don't know why, but the midget was there. This scares me, because I had a dream a couple of months ago that I had to go to someone's wedding with a midget as my date, and he was really mean to me. I didn't even like him in the least bit, but everyone thought he was the coolest person that has ever lived. I hereby apologize to the little people/dwarfism sufferers/vertically-challenged community if I've just offended, I don't know what the proper term is. His stature had nothing to do with why I didn't like him in my dream, he was just MEAN.
4. The city of Charlottesville, Virginia. I haven't been there in two years.
5. The people I went to Cancun with on Spring Break of my senior year of college. Ryan J, Natalie M, Traci R, Leslie C, and a bunch of guys from Traci's boyfriend's fraternity. I have no idea what was going on, but they were all there. With the exception of hearing from Traci every once in a while on IM/Facebook and Nat and Ryan being facebook friends, I haven't talked to any of them since I left UGA.
Anyone got any ideas of what this means? I was painting a very vivid, high contrast painting very late until when I went to bed, so I think my my mind thought it was in some sort of hallucinatory state.
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
When can you "dump" a friend?
First of all, don't worry, none of the people who read this blog are in danger of getting "dumped"!
I was catching up with a friend today that I hadn't talked to in a few years. No, she's not in danger either. Anyway, she asked me about a former friend of mine and how he was doing. I told her that I had chosen to stop talking to him a few years back, and her reply surprised me.
Her exact words?
"Wow Molly...I don't mean to upset you, but did you ever reconsider that? I know you always trust your gut and everything, but one of the things I admire about you is that you're very loyal to your friends. It just doesn't sound like you."
Wow.
I should back up and tell the story. This friend, who I won't name by name, and I had dated for a while in college. If he reads this, so be it - he probably should. Our breakup wasn't anything hairy or bad, in fact, we kept in contact for almost four years after that. He was even one of the first people to come visit me when I moved to Philadelphia. Neither of us ever wanted to get back together or anything, we were just good friends. However, when I went back to Athens, a mutual friend of ours told me something that was really disturbing - my friend had started dating a girl that had been married to one of his good friends.
I don't know the details of the story of how they started dating. Frankly, I don't really care. Even if the husband was cheating on the wife, if my friend waited until after the divorce to start dating her, whatever - the reality is that he owed more to his friend than to go after his former wife. I know, if she had been burned, she might need a friend as well and that might have been how they got together. But in my experience - and I've had a bit, coming from two divorces in my family, as well as two difficult breakups in my post-college life - even the worst cases of adultery or cheating are just symptoms of a relationship already gone down the tubes. Cheating, in my opinion, is simply a symptom of an already inherently flawed situation. People that are happy in committed relationships just don't cheat. I'm not saying that it absolves someone of it, but I think that his close friend deserved a little more than for his friend to go after his ex-wife. There's 2.5 billion potential partners on this planet - he should have picked another girl to date. Yeah, she's beautiful, I understand the temptation, I just don't think it was his place to burn his friend like that.
So. Yeah, I was surprised at him. I deleted him from my phone that night, and I was so upset about the whole matter, I called my mom the next day to ask if I had done the right thing. I may tell my mom what I'm doing, but I've never been one to ask her opinion on what I should have done. She actually agreed with me - that sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe in, and if someone disappoints you in the way they treat their friends, you may not ever know when they may do something similar to you.
I thought about this today and realized that I still feel the same way. I don't know if they're still together, and again - frankly, I don't really care. They could have gotten married, have kids now, whatever. I hope they're happy, and I know that deep down he's either changed or he repressed some sense of integrity when he got into that situation. I don't think there's room for us to be friends again, I think that even if he came to me and said that he made a mistake and was sorry, I wouldn't feel any differently. Don't get me wrong, I've already forgiven him, but I think that he owes his friend the apology - not me. I think I had reason to "dump" this friend, simply because if one of my friends did that to me, I'd be extremely hurt. As for my friend's comment today, I know she meant well, I think she didn't really know the context of it all, but I think it still makes me a loyal friend - I just don't like giving that loyalty away when someone has been callous with that loyalty with their own friends. I'll admit - this is a bit different because he's NOT a girlfriend. If one of my girlfriends did the identical thing, I don't know what I'd do. We've all made mistakes, I know. But for the record, if any of my friends were to (God Forbid, and I've just knocked on wood) run off, leave their spouse and find another, I would be worried, first and foremost, about my friend. The spouse - they'll get support from their own friends and family. I would be concerned for my friend - if they had been going through rough times that I didn't know about, whatever - because that's my job: to be there for them when the world is not. I'm not married to the friend, after all, so they're not cheating on me. But if someone demonstrates - in a very big way - that they aren't such a good friend, then yes, it might cause me reason to reassess our own friendship.
Anyone think I did the wrong thing? Do you think that there IS a time when you can "dump" a friend - even when they haven't wronged you specifically?
I was catching up with a friend today that I hadn't talked to in a few years. No, she's not in danger either. Anyway, she asked me about a former friend of mine and how he was doing. I told her that I had chosen to stop talking to him a few years back, and her reply surprised me.
Her exact words?
"Wow Molly...I don't mean to upset you, but did you ever reconsider that? I know you always trust your gut and everything, but one of the things I admire about you is that you're very loyal to your friends. It just doesn't sound like you."
Wow.
I should back up and tell the story. This friend, who I won't name by name, and I had dated for a while in college. If he reads this, so be it - he probably should. Our breakup wasn't anything hairy or bad, in fact, we kept in contact for almost four years after that. He was even one of the first people to come visit me when I moved to Philadelphia. Neither of us ever wanted to get back together or anything, we were just good friends. However, when I went back to Athens, a mutual friend of ours told me something that was really disturbing - my friend had started dating a girl that had been married to one of his good friends.
I don't know the details of the story of how they started dating. Frankly, I don't really care. Even if the husband was cheating on the wife, if my friend waited until after the divorce to start dating her, whatever - the reality is that he owed more to his friend than to go after his former wife. I know, if she had been burned, she might need a friend as well and that might have been how they got together. But in my experience - and I've had a bit, coming from two divorces in my family, as well as two difficult breakups in my post-college life - even the worst cases of adultery or cheating are just symptoms of a relationship already gone down the tubes. Cheating, in my opinion, is simply a symptom of an already inherently flawed situation. People that are happy in committed relationships just don't cheat. I'm not saying that it absolves someone of it, but I think that his close friend deserved a little more than for his friend to go after his ex-wife. There's 2.5 billion potential partners on this planet - he should have picked another girl to date. Yeah, she's beautiful, I understand the temptation, I just don't think it was his place to burn his friend like that.
So. Yeah, I was surprised at him. I deleted him from my phone that night, and I was so upset about the whole matter, I called my mom the next day to ask if I had done the right thing. I may tell my mom what I'm doing, but I've never been one to ask her opinion on what I should have done. She actually agreed with me - that sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe in, and if someone disappoints you in the way they treat their friends, you may not ever know when they may do something similar to you.
I thought about this today and realized that I still feel the same way. I don't know if they're still together, and again - frankly, I don't really care. They could have gotten married, have kids now, whatever. I hope they're happy, and I know that deep down he's either changed or he repressed some sense of integrity when he got into that situation. I don't think there's room for us to be friends again, I think that even if he came to me and said that he made a mistake and was sorry, I wouldn't feel any differently. Don't get me wrong, I've already forgiven him, but I think that he owes his friend the apology - not me. I think I had reason to "dump" this friend, simply because if one of my friends did that to me, I'd be extremely hurt. As for my friend's comment today, I know she meant well, I think she didn't really know the context of it all, but I think it still makes me a loyal friend - I just don't like giving that loyalty away when someone has been callous with that loyalty with their own friends. I'll admit - this is a bit different because he's NOT a girlfriend. If one of my girlfriends did the identical thing, I don't know what I'd do. We've all made mistakes, I know. But for the record, if any of my friends were to (God Forbid, and I've just knocked on wood) run off, leave their spouse and find another, I would be worried, first and foremost, about my friend. The spouse - they'll get support from their own friends and family. I would be concerned for my friend - if they had been going through rough times that I didn't know about, whatever - because that's my job: to be there for them when the world is not. I'm not married to the friend, after all, so they're not cheating on me. But if someone demonstrates - in a very big way - that they aren't such a good friend, then yes, it might cause me reason to reassess our own friendship.
Anyone think I did the wrong thing? Do you think that there IS a time when you can "dump" a friend - even when they haven't wronged you specifically?
Monday, June 30, 2008
Don't you know that I'm toxic?
I apologize for paraphrasing a Britney-at-the-beginning-of-her-insanity song, but I was trying to think of a clever title for the fact that I'm now convinced that I'm carrying around toxic stuff. Maybe it's my gullibility, maybe it's the fact that I fell asleep during the Kinoki Foot Pads commercial, or maybe it's the fact that for the past month, vegetables have been unknown to me and I haven't eaten one piece of chicken that wasn't frozen and shaped like a star. Whatever. I just know that my body isn't loving its current state. I'm tired all of the time, I crave sugar nonstop, I hate the way I look, and I haven't had nearly the energy levels I've had in recent years. Don't worry - I know that I'm not, in any sense of the words, fat or overweight. I just eat crap. There's no "sickness" in the true sense of the word; I had an MRI last October, so I know I don't have some softball-sized tumor lurking in me, I'm just - for lack of a better word - unhealthy.
So what's a skinnyfat kid to do?
I'm thinking of going on a toxic cleanse. I don't think I can handle spicy lemonade for 14 days straight like Beyonce did - while she can do whatever method works for her, I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm just trying to feel better, start craving the good foods, cut back on the caffeine, sugar and alcohol, and get the body working like it should.
Anyone ever tried one of these things? Have any advice? I have a Whole Foods, a SuperFresh, and about four farmers' markets within a half-mile of me (I'm really going to miss that about Philly!) so I know I can find the foods I'm supposed to eat. I still have a few obstacles though, and I'd love to know what I can do to combat them.
1. I take medication that has a reaction with Vitamin C, or more specifically, Ascorbic Acid. It doesn't do anything harmful, but it decreases the effectiveness of the medication, and I really need that stuff to work. So I can't really be tearing into things like citrus fruit, pineapple and the like. Not to mention I always get canker sores from them. Sorry to be dodgy about what the meds are, but I gotta keep a few things in this world off the internet.
2. I am not a huge fan of vegetables. I want to be, I really do. But I'll never be able to eat broccoli or sweet potatoes without a gag reflex. I DO like the following: asparagus, green beans, spinach, raw carrots (not cooked), lettuce (I know, no nutritional value, but it's green), tomatoes, and a couple other randoms. I like just about any fruit, but I'm not crazy about pears.
3. I can't cook. Okay, I CAN, I just don't LIKE to. And my microwave is broken. I need some way to find convenient, healthy foods, even when I'm sick to death of fresh fruit.
4. I really want to eat organically, local and CHEAP. My grandmother has had health problems most of my life that she often attributes to things like artificial flavors/colorings, pesticides and other toxic things in food, and I don't want to end up having to be super-careful and hermit-like as she's been forced to do in recent years. I already encounter toxic chemicals with painting that are literally banned in several states - I'm not taking any more chances. As for the "eating local" part, I just kind of want to do it because I think it's the right thing to do. It saves fuel (transporting tomatoes from Chile in January consumes a lot of fuel) and over time in the aggregate, it reduces farmers' dependence on subsidies as well as lowers the cost of food.
5. While I'm on the "better for the world" trip, I'd like to eat meat-free every once in a while - but I don't want to miss it. I had a high school teacher tell us once about why he was a vegetarian, and it had nothing to do with animal rights. The United States produces the lion's share of the world's grain crop, and in fact, the amount of grain we produce is enough to feed the world. That's right, we could eliminate hunger. But instead of consuming a pound of grain, we feed that pound - plus thousands more - to a cow or chicken that provides us with far fewer pounds of meat. While I love meat, I don't think I absolutely need to be that selfish at every meal. I'm thinking that so much meat isn't really good for us anyway, so if you know of ways I can eat meat-free and still get my protein, holla.
6. I love coffee, sugar, fat and all that jazz. How in the WORLD can I give it up for a couple weeks without hating my life?
7. Finally, I need to know WHY it's benefitting my body. I'm not going to be one of those people that denies common sense - I mean, twinkies haven't ever killed anyone directly, but I'm smart enough to know that they're not gonna make me a dancing granny. But I think half our problem in the whole obesity epidemic has been the fact that we don't look at the science behind things we take as gospel - low-fat, low-carb, grapefruit diets are my prime examples.
Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Am I completely stupid for trying one of these things? Anyone done one before? Have a recommendation for a particular plan or type of cleanse? I'd love to know what to expect.
***Edit: No, I am not talking of those "colon cleanse" things you see on the internet. I poo just fine, I eat yogurt and everything. I'm talking about the whole-body thing. Actually I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm not talking about the cleanse where you go from the train not leaving the station to a Richter-Scale-worthy rumbling tummy.****
So what's a skinnyfat kid to do?
I'm thinking of going on a toxic cleanse. I don't think I can handle spicy lemonade for 14 days straight like Beyonce did - while she can do whatever method works for her, I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm just trying to feel better, start craving the good foods, cut back on the caffeine, sugar and alcohol, and get the body working like it should.
Anyone ever tried one of these things? Have any advice? I have a Whole Foods, a SuperFresh, and about four farmers' markets within a half-mile of me (I'm really going to miss that about Philly!) so I know I can find the foods I'm supposed to eat. I still have a few obstacles though, and I'd love to know what I can do to combat them.
1. I take medication that has a reaction with Vitamin C, or more specifically, Ascorbic Acid. It doesn't do anything harmful, but it decreases the effectiveness of the medication, and I really need that stuff to work. So I can't really be tearing into things like citrus fruit, pineapple and the like. Not to mention I always get canker sores from them. Sorry to be dodgy about what the meds are, but I gotta keep a few things in this world off the internet.
2. I am not a huge fan of vegetables. I want to be, I really do. But I'll never be able to eat broccoli or sweet potatoes without a gag reflex. I DO like the following: asparagus, green beans, spinach, raw carrots (not cooked), lettuce (I know, no nutritional value, but it's green), tomatoes, and a couple other randoms. I like just about any fruit, but I'm not crazy about pears.
3. I can't cook. Okay, I CAN, I just don't LIKE to. And my microwave is broken. I need some way to find convenient, healthy foods, even when I'm sick to death of fresh fruit.
4. I really want to eat organically, local and CHEAP. My grandmother has had health problems most of my life that she often attributes to things like artificial flavors/colorings, pesticides and other toxic things in food, and I don't want to end up having to be super-careful and hermit-like as she's been forced to do in recent years. I already encounter toxic chemicals with painting that are literally banned in several states - I'm not taking any more chances. As for the "eating local" part, I just kind of want to do it because I think it's the right thing to do. It saves fuel (transporting tomatoes from Chile in January consumes a lot of fuel) and over time in the aggregate, it reduces farmers' dependence on subsidies as well as lowers the cost of food.
5. While I'm on the "better for the world" trip, I'd like to eat meat-free every once in a while - but I don't want to miss it. I had a high school teacher tell us once about why he was a vegetarian, and it had nothing to do with animal rights. The United States produces the lion's share of the world's grain crop, and in fact, the amount of grain we produce is enough to feed the world. That's right, we could eliminate hunger. But instead of consuming a pound of grain, we feed that pound - plus thousands more - to a cow or chicken that provides us with far fewer pounds of meat. While I love meat, I don't think I absolutely need to be that selfish at every meal. I'm thinking that so much meat isn't really good for us anyway, so if you know of ways I can eat meat-free and still get my protein, holla.
6. I love coffee, sugar, fat and all that jazz. How in the WORLD can I give it up for a couple weeks without hating my life?
7. Finally, I need to know WHY it's benefitting my body. I'm not going to be one of those people that denies common sense - I mean, twinkies haven't ever killed anyone directly, but I'm smart enough to know that they're not gonna make me a dancing granny. But I think half our problem in the whole obesity epidemic has been the fact that we don't look at the science behind things we take as gospel - low-fat, low-carb, grapefruit diets are my prime examples.
Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Am I completely stupid for trying one of these things? Anyone done one before? Have a recommendation for a particular plan or type of cleanse? I'd love to know what to expect.
***Edit: No, I am not talking of those "colon cleanse" things you see on the internet. I poo just fine, I eat yogurt and everything. I'm talking about the whole-body thing. Actually I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm not talking about the cleanse where you go from the train not leaving the station to a Richter-Scale-worthy rumbling tummy.****
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Facebook has changed the face of dating...
While I was at Meghan's this week, she noticed that my date and I set almost the entire thing up via text message, followed up finally by a short phone call to get the game plan together. She was a little shocked, and I realized that she had gotten married and left the dating world precisely when text messaging was beginning to take off. She never had to deal with dating with technology - outside of a phone call and a rare email. It occurred to me that technology has completely changed the way we date/mate/marry/interact.
This may seem ancient, but when I left for college, Caller ID was the wave of the future. We were only 20 years or so beyond answering machines, for crying out loud. When I moved into Creswell Hall, we had no access to Caller ID. Sophomore year, however, it all changed. Suddenly EVERYONE had Caller ID. I only bring this up because the traditional girl-stalks-boy methods were suddenly impossible. Have you called a boy multiple times and hung up when no one answered since Caller ID came into fashion? Nope. Now we have to leave a message. Do we call just to see if a female or male voice answers? Nope. We can't even act like we're calling the "wrong number" anymore. Prank calling is a thing of the past.
Dating really has changed since then. Think back - what was the relationship of the past?
1. Boy meets girl.
2. Boy calls girl, asks her out for coffee/dinner/drinks/whatever.
3. Plans are made, possibly confirmed, then boy shows up to pick her up at 8.
4. Boy drops girl off at her place after the date, says "I'll call you".
5. He calls her.
6. More of the same - talking/dating/sleeping together/engaged/married/babies.
It's all a simple process. However, in this modern day, the chain of communication has grown to a flow chart describing a process, rivaled in its complexity only by the Democratic National Committee's process for selecting a Presidential candidate.
1. Boy meets Girl.
2. Boy Facebooks girl.
3. Girl and Boy look at the friends of each other, trying to get a better idea of the crowd they run amongst.
4. Boy sends Girl a Friend Request.
5. Girl accepts Friend Request after a predetermined waiting period. If the Friend Request is accepted immediately, it may appear that she's "always on Facebook". This is essential, because Girl needs to keep the "I'm so rarely on Facebook" card in her pocket.
6. Girl looks boy up on Myspace. If he's a private page, she searches her own friends for friends of his, whereupon she will ask said mutual friend to let her see Boy's page. She does not Friend him on Myspace.
7. Boy Facebook IM's Girl.
8. Boy and Girl make sure their status messages do not make them look too available or too unavailable while they chat for a few weeks on Facebook.
9. Boy sends Girl an IM through AIM. This is huge. It's the new engagement ring.
10. Girl comments on Boy's Facebook Wall. For those of you who don't know, it's the human female equivalent of pissing on a fire hydrant. If he's talking to other girls, this may start a chain of Wall Comments that follow.
11. Boy sends Girl a forward he receives in regular old e-mail. Another huge step.
12. One drunken night, Girl text messages Boy. Boy responds the next day.
13. Text messaging has now replaced Facebook, AIM and Myspace, they might as well be living together - only they've NEVER been on a date. Finally, Boy asks Girl to meet up with him while he is out with others. He has forced his brahs to go out simply to appear as if they had already planned the outing, when Boy has actually orchestrated it simply to meet Girl in person.
14. They meet up. Shenanigans happen.
15. Boy finally calls Girl.
16. They become Myspace friends, despite the fact that both of them "never really use this anymore".
17. They date for a while, and Girl "notices" that Boy's status on his Myspace/Facebook says "single". She gets upset, even though she's noticed this since she met him. After the "define the relationship" talk, boy changes the status a short time later, silently praying that his brahs don't notice.
16. More of the same - talking/dating/sleeping together/engaged/married/babies.
All of this - and I repeat ALL of this - can happen in an odd order of things. I think I've had entire relationships purely through text message. I know people that have gotten dumped via text message. I know people who figured out that they were no longer dating only when they discovered that the person they were dating was "in a relationship" on Facebook...with someone else.
I don't mind text messaging, and actually, its both an icebreaker and a lifesaver for me sometimes. I didn't think twice when my date in Charlotte texted me.
That being said, sometimes I miss the good old days of communication. Dating seemed a whole lot easier.
This may seem ancient, but when I left for college, Caller ID was the wave of the future. We were only 20 years or so beyond answering machines, for crying out loud. When I moved into Creswell Hall, we had no access to Caller ID. Sophomore year, however, it all changed. Suddenly EVERYONE had Caller ID. I only bring this up because the traditional girl-stalks-boy methods were suddenly impossible. Have you called a boy multiple times and hung up when no one answered since Caller ID came into fashion? Nope. Now we have to leave a message. Do we call just to see if a female or male voice answers? Nope. We can't even act like we're calling the "wrong number" anymore. Prank calling is a thing of the past.
Dating really has changed since then. Think back - what was the relationship of the past?
1. Boy meets girl.
2. Boy calls girl, asks her out for coffee/dinner/drinks/whatever.
3. Plans are made, possibly confirmed, then boy shows up to pick her up at 8.
4. Boy drops girl off at her place after the date, says "I'll call you".
5. He calls her.
6. More of the same - talking/dating/sleeping together/engaged/married/babies.
It's all a simple process. However, in this modern day, the chain of communication has grown to a flow chart describing a process, rivaled in its complexity only by the Democratic National Committee's process for selecting a Presidential candidate.
1. Boy meets Girl.
2. Boy Facebooks girl.
3. Girl and Boy look at the friends of each other, trying to get a better idea of the crowd they run amongst.
4. Boy sends Girl a Friend Request.
5. Girl accepts Friend Request after a predetermined waiting period. If the Friend Request is accepted immediately, it may appear that she's "always on Facebook". This is essential, because Girl needs to keep the "I'm so rarely on Facebook" card in her pocket.
6. Girl looks boy up on Myspace. If he's a private page, she searches her own friends for friends of his, whereupon she will ask said mutual friend to let her see Boy's page. She does not Friend him on Myspace.
7. Boy Facebook IM's Girl.
8. Boy and Girl make sure their status messages do not make them look too available or too unavailable while they chat for a few weeks on Facebook.
9. Boy sends Girl an IM through AIM. This is huge. It's the new engagement ring.
10. Girl comments on Boy's Facebook Wall. For those of you who don't know, it's the human female equivalent of pissing on a fire hydrant. If he's talking to other girls, this may start a chain of Wall Comments that follow.
11. Boy sends Girl a forward he receives in regular old e-mail. Another huge step.
12. One drunken night, Girl text messages Boy. Boy responds the next day.
13. Text messaging has now replaced Facebook, AIM and Myspace, they might as well be living together - only they've NEVER been on a date. Finally, Boy asks Girl to meet up with him while he is out with others. He has forced his brahs to go out simply to appear as if they had already planned the outing, when Boy has actually orchestrated it simply to meet Girl in person.
14. They meet up. Shenanigans happen.
15. Boy finally calls Girl.
16. They become Myspace friends, despite the fact that both of them "never really use this anymore".
17. They date for a while, and Girl "notices" that Boy's status on his Myspace/Facebook says "single". She gets upset, even though she's noticed this since she met him. After the "define the relationship" talk, boy changes the status a short time later, silently praying that his brahs don't notice.
16. More of the same - talking/dating/sleeping together/engaged/married/babies.
All of this - and I repeat ALL of this - can happen in an odd order of things. I think I've had entire relationships purely through text message. I know people that have gotten dumped via text message. I know people who figured out that they were no longer dating only when they discovered that the person they were dating was "in a relationship" on Facebook...with someone else.
I don't mind text messaging, and actually, its both an icebreaker and a lifesaver for me sometimes. I didn't think twice when my date in Charlotte texted me.
That being said, sometimes I miss the good old days of communication. Dating seemed a whole lot easier.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Charlotte, NC: 60 hours, 3 margarita pitchers, one playdate and one REAL date.
I'm back in Virginia now after going to Charlotte for a few days, where I saw the lovely Holbrook Family. Had a great time, which I'll attempt to elaborate on here (sorry, my blackberry barely got out during the trip). I got there Sunday night, drank some wine with Meghan and chatted for a few bajillion hours, and we tried to turn in early. We went running Monday morning with her neighbor and friend, and I could not make it as far as they did, with about 200 yards left, I promptly...threw up. It happens when I run in heat - without fail. Yes, it was hot, we ran at 6:30 am and it was already at least 90 degrees in the shade. So we took the kids after breakfast and clean-up to the Air Conditioned field trip - the mall. We had lunch at Nordstrom Cafe, then went home for quiet time. Played after quiet time, played some more, ate dinner, played some more, and Matt got them bathed when he got home. At this point, we decided to fix Mollyritas and Meghanritas. With no MAJOR meltdowns (that I could detect), we clinked glasses "to bedtime"...Meghan went upstairs while they were mixing and read to and tucked in the kids. While I was downstairs cleaning up (I always feel like bedtime goes smoother with fewer out-of-routine things happening, so I let mom and dad do their thing around bedtime), I realized:
Kids are effing EXHAUSTING.
I said the same thing to both of them after they came back down: I don't know how you do it. Yes, they're great kids, are very cute, very fun to play with, very entertaining, and all that fun stuff, but seriously, you have to watch every second of everything they're doing. I knew this already - I mean really, I've babysat since I was old enough to pick a child up and our family is still bigger than Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt's little group home, so I got lots of experience - but I suddenly remembered things like the fact that you've got to pee with the door open, that naptime is just as important for Mom as it is for kids, and that there is nothing faster than a toddler going towards danger when adult backs are turned. While I was cleaning up every night, all I could think was this: it was EASIER than the normal routine - we could divide up the labor with me there helping Meghan - and they have to get up and do this AGAIN. EVERY DAY. I love kids and would love to have them, and I know that it's different when they're your own, but I'm always amazed at the world's most effective method of birth control - kids.
So Monday was all kids day, and Tuesday was looking to be the same - Caroline had a friend come over for a playdate, Meghan and the playdate-Mom and I chatted while we kept six eyes on three kids, alternating man-on-man play with a pure Zone Defense style of supervising. I got the feeling like playdates are also just as much for Mom as it is for the kids. We all had a lot of fun (pretend hot-dog party!) and the playdate left shortly before lunch. I thought we'd end up repeating the same sort of routine as Monday, but...
Molly got a dose of the single life again.
Meghan had said over the past year or so that she wanted to set me up with Matt's friend from college, and we had sort of "met" over facebook already. He called Meghan's house and came by right before quiet time, and he and I went out to lunch. Had some Mexican food, chatted, checked on his car that was in the shop (he had a rental) and he dropped me back off at the Holbrooks' a few hours later. We made some plans to do something later that night, and after the kids ate some chicken nuggets for dinner, he came back, picked me up, and we went out for a light dinner. A good time was had by all (well, I can't speak for him, but I had fun), and I went back to Matt and Meghan's house after we had some beers at the pub and got some sleep.
I left reeeeally early this morning to go back to Lynchburg, (I didn't want my departure to mess up their morning routine and I had no idea what traffic would be like), took the wrong turn FOUR times because of a lack of sleep (I kept driving South instead of North - Freudian slip?), turned my rental car back in, got into my mom's house and PROMPTLY passed out.
I had a great time all in all, and I'll post some pics as soon as I can locate a cord. I was really surprised at what a nice city Charlotte is, I was sort of reminded of Atlanta, ten years ago. We'll have to do it again soon, maybe the Atlanta peeps can drive three hours north and I can drive three hours south? Don't worry, Meghan, we'll go hotel rooms instead of you having to put us up.
I still have no idea how they do it...my back is still killing me from picking up a three-year-old and a surprisingly heavy one-year-old.
Off to find Advil.
Kids are effing EXHAUSTING.
I said the same thing to both of them after they came back down: I don't know how you do it. Yes, they're great kids, are very cute, very fun to play with, very entertaining, and all that fun stuff, but seriously, you have to watch every second of everything they're doing. I knew this already - I mean really, I've babysat since I was old enough to pick a child up and our family is still bigger than Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt's little group home, so I got lots of experience - but I suddenly remembered things like the fact that you've got to pee with the door open, that naptime is just as important for Mom as it is for kids, and that there is nothing faster than a toddler going towards danger when adult backs are turned. While I was cleaning up every night, all I could think was this: it was EASIER than the normal routine - we could divide up the labor with me there helping Meghan - and they have to get up and do this AGAIN. EVERY DAY. I love kids and would love to have them, and I know that it's different when they're your own, but I'm always amazed at the world's most effective method of birth control - kids.
So Monday was all kids day, and Tuesday was looking to be the same - Caroline had a friend come over for a playdate, Meghan and the playdate-Mom and I chatted while we kept six eyes on three kids, alternating man-on-man play with a pure Zone Defense style of supervising. I got the feeling like playdates are also just as much for Mom as it is for the kids. We all had a lot of fun (pretend hot-dog party!) and the playdate left shortly before lunch. I thought we'd end up repeating the same sort of routine as Monday, but...
Molly got a dose of the single life again.
Meghan had said over the past year or so that she wanted to set me up with Matt's friend from college, and we had sort of "met" over facebook already. He called Meghan's house and came by right before quiet time, and he and I went out to lunch. Had some Mexican food, chatted, checked on his car that was in the shop (he had a rental) and he dropped me back off at the Holbrooks' a few hours later. We made some plans to do something later that night, and after the kids ate some chicken nuggets for dinner, he came back, picked me up, and we went out for a light dinner. A good time was had by all (well, I can't speak for him, but I had fun), and I went back to Matt and Meghan's house after we had some beers at the pub and got some sleep.
I left reeeeally early this morning to go back to Lynchburg, (I didn't want my departure to mess up their morning routine and I had no idea what traffic would be like), took the wrong turn FOUR times because of a lack of sleep (I kept driving South instead of North - Freudian slip?), turned my rental car back in, got into my mom's house and PROMPTLY passed out.
I had a great time all in all, and I'll post some pics as soon as I can locate a cord. I was really surprised at what a nice city Charlotte is, I was sort of reminded of Atlanta, ten years ago. We'll have to do it again soon, maybe the Atlanta peeps can drive three hours north and I can drive three hours south? Don't worry, Meghan, we'll go hotel rooms instead of you having to put us up.
I still have no idea how they do it...my back is still killing me from picking up a three-year-old and a surprisingly heavy one-year-old.
Off to find Advil.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Using drugs to quit smoking...
As I've said before, I'm quitting smoking.
For real this time.
Like I said in my previous post, I KNOW I need to quit. I've tried before, and I'll admit, I wasn't ready. I think I'm ready this time, I genuinely want to be a NON-smoker, soon. That being said, I'm a hare, not a tortoise. I like fast results, fast. I skipped a year of high school, graduated from college in exactly four years, and got my masters in less than 18 months. I rarely write at more than one sitting, and I am queen of the microwave. I don't like to wait for ANYTHING. The problem simply lays within the fact that I need to consider this an endurance thing, not a sprint.
GRRRRRRRRR....
When I had my physical last year, my doctor refrained from scolding me about smoking, saying I knew the dangers, but that when I was ready, to come back and see her to talk about a plan. If anyone out there is a doctor, I highly recommend this approach - I mean really, we all know the dangers, and I think that one of the reasons lung cancer gets diagnosed so late in the game is that patients are sick of hearing their doctor yell at them about smoking.
So today, I went in and talked to her. She asked what I had thought about, and I said I had considered the patch but was concerned about the fact that it wasn't really attacking the desire to smoke so much as giving me a nicotine replacement - like trading heroin for methadone. I had tried the cold turkey method, but honestly, doing an activity every time I want a cigarette would mean that I'm running, crocheting, or whatever I'm replacing it with ALL DAY LONG for a solid two weeks. When you quit, the reality is that it's ALL you're thinking about for a while. She asked me if I wanted to try one of the prescriptions available, and I quickly said I would NOT go on Chantix - while I've heard that it works, I've also had one friend in particular tell me that it can lead to REALLY bad, depressing, suicidal thoughts as a side effect. Seriously, it even says this on the website:
So we came to Zyban. I was a little apprehensive since I don't want anything to interact with any medication I'm already on, but after the doctor AND the pharmacist assured that I'm okay, I'm starting the medicine tomorrow. I have to start it BEFORE my quit date (July 4th!), so by then, I will have wanted to smoke much less already. No, I know that I can't depend entirely on the medicine and that it'll be hard, but it's better than anything and has a higher success rate than what I've tried already.
We'll see, I'll keep you posted.
PS: As for Chantix's warning - wouldn't anyone who is quitting smoking have agitation, anxiety and the like anyway? Yeah, definitely not trying that one.
For real this time.
Like I said in my previous post, I KNOW I need to quit. I've tried before, and I'll admit, I wasn't ready. I think I'm ready this time, I genuinely want to be a NON-smoker, soon. That being said, I'm a hare, not a tortoise. I like fast results, fast. I skipped a year of high school, graduated from college in exactly four years, and got my masters in less than 18 months. I rarely write at more than one sitting, and I am queen of the microwave. I don't like to wait for ANYTHING. The problem simply lays within the fact that I need to consider this an endurance thing, not a sprint.
GRRRRRRRRR....
When I had my physical last year, my doctor refrained from scolding me about smoking, saying I knew the dangers, but that when I was ready, to come back and see her to talk about a plan. If anyone out there is a doctor, I highly recommend this approach - I mean really, we all know the dangers, and I think that one of the reasons lung cancer gets diagnosed so late in the game is that patients are sick of hearing their doctor yell at them about smoking.
So today, I went in and talked to her. She asked what I had thought about, and I said I had considered the patch but was concerned about the fact that it wasn't really attacking the desire to smoke so much as giving me a nicotine replacement - like trading heroin for methadone. I had tried the cold turkey method, but honestly, doing an activity every time I want a cigarette would mean that I'm running, crocheting, or whatever I'm replacing it with ALL DAY LONG for a solid two weeks. When you quit, the reality is that it's ALL you're thinking about for a while. She asked me if I wanted to try one of the prescriptions available, and I quickly said I would NOT go on Chantix - while I've heard that it works, I've also had one friend in particular tell me that it can lead to REALLY bad, depressing, suicidal thoughts as a side effect. Seriously, it even says this on the website:
You should know that some patients have reported changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions when attempting to quit smoking while taking CHANTIX or after stopping CHANTIX. If you, your family or caregiver notice agitation, depressed mood, or changes in behavior that are not typical for you, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions, stop taking CHANTIX and call your doctor right away.Wow. Yeah, we've got enough mental problems in my family anyway, I don't need to add one to the list.
So we came to Zyban. I was a little apprehensive since I don't want anything to interact with any medication I'm already on, but after the doctor AND the pharmacist assured that I'm okay, I'm starting the medicine tomorrow. I have to start it BEFORE my quit date (July 4th!), so by then, I will have wanted to smoke much less already. No, I know that I can't depend entirely on the medicine and that it'll be hard, but it's better than anything and has a higher success rate than what I've tried already.
We'll see, I'll keep you posted.
PS: As for Chantix's warning - wouldn't anyone who is quitting smoking have agitation, anxiety and the like anyway? Yeah, definitely not trying that one.
Embarrassing is my middle name.
I've asked some friends before to tell me their most embarrassing moments and have come to a few conclusions. First, I think they're lying and won't tell me their REAL most embarrassing moment. Second, I have more embarrassing moments on a daily basis than most of my friends will ever have in their entire lives. I don't mind, things usually roll off my back and I have an enormous ability to laugh at myself. Honestly, I figure that if something stupid I've done gives someone the reason to laugh when they haven't done so all day - well then, yeah, I'll be the martyr and make an ass of myself.
Today, I made an ass of myself.
I went to a doctor's appointment in the morning (both to get an antibiotic for this massive-amounts-of-multicolored-snot-producing bug that I can't seem rid of and to talk about smoking cessation, which I'll tell about later), and instead of going home afterward, I decided to run some errands and just enjoy some sunshine. As I'm walking back to my place, I notice someone bent over, unlocking their bicycle from where it was chained to a parking meter. I recognize the make and model of the bike, the hairstyle, and even the jeans of its owner - my friend Steve, who lives in Center City. Seeing as how Steve and I usually greet each other with a similar gesture, I run up behind him and lay the hardest smack on his ass that I can generate, shouting "HEY good-looking, YO ASS looks FIIIIINE in them jeans!". He turns around.
It is not Steve.
That "want to just die" feeling? If I had been murdered right there, I'd have thanked the gunman. I almost threw up, honestly. NotSteve looks at me like I have just eaten his unborn child - he looks physically and mentally HURT. I turn 50,000 shades of red, and I truly believe I may have had a full-on niacin flush.
"Ohmygod iamsosorry I thought you were my friend, I swear, he has that exact bike and everything, I am so so so so sorry."
And then I notice that NotSteve's GIRLFRIEND is standing a mere three feet away. She looks like she's going to be that murderer that I am ready to thank for killing me. I apologize for another hour and a half or so, and all NotSteve says is "its okay, you just scared me, and that HURT." Girlfriend is staring me down and I'm fairly certain she might stab me with the keys she is holding. I explain that my friend looks JUST like him from behind, he lives in the area, and that he has a similar bike and the same jeans. No one's buying it.
Finally, adding insult to injury, NotSteve says...
"Wait, I know you, didn't you date XYZ (name deleted because he's an asshole) for a long time?"
Oh God.
More people are going to find out.
I am so happy that I am leaving the city tomorrow. Because I'm seriously considering inquiring into admission into the Witness Protection Program.
Today, I made an ass of myself.
I went to a doctor's appointment in the morning (both to get an antibiotic for this massive-amounts-of-multicolored-snot-producing bug that I can't seem rid of and to talk about smoking cessation, which I'll tell about later), and instead of going home afterward, I decided to run some errands and just enjoy some sunshine. As I'm walking back to my place, I notice someone bent over, unlocking their bicycle from where it was chained to a parking meter. I recognize the make and model of the bike, the hairstyle, and even the jeans of its owner - my friend Steve, who lives in Center City. Seeing as how Steve and I usually greet each other with a similar gesture, I run up behind him and lay the hardest smack on his ass that I can generate, shouting "HEY good-looking, YO ASS looks FIIIIINE in them jeans!". He turns around.
It is not Steve.
That "want to just die" feeling? If I had been murdered right there, I'd have thanked the gunman. I almost threw up, honestly. NotSteve looks at me like I have just eaten his unborn child - he looks physically and mentally HURT. I turn 50,000 shades of red, and I truly believe I may have had a full-on niacin flush.
"Ohmygod iamsosorry I thought you were my friend, I swear, he has that exact bike and everything, I am so so so so sorry."
And then I notice that NotSteve's GIRLFRIEND is standing a mere three feet away. She looks like she's going to be that murderer that I am ready to thank for killing me. I apologize for another hour and a half or so, and all NotSteve says is "its okay, you just scared me, and that HURT." Girlfriend is staring me down and I'm fairly certain she might stab me with the keys she is holding. I explain that my friend looks JUST like him from behind, he lives in the area, and that he has a similar bike and the same jeans. No one's buying it.
Finally, adding insult to injury, NotSteve says...
"Wait, I know you, didn't you date XYZ (name deleted because he's an asshole) for a long time?"
Oh God.
More people are going to find out.
I am so happy that I am leaving the city tomorrow. Because I'm seriously considering inquiring into admission into the Witness Protection Program.
Where the HELL are you, Molly?
I know, I disappeared for a couple of days.
Here's possible reasons for the above, framed in a game...three of the possible reasons are false. One is true. Can you figure out which one is the truth?
1. I was kidnapped by human traffickers. However, when the economy took a hit on even the world's oldest profession, my kidnappers decided to make it a good old-fashioned ransom situation and demanded $1 million from my parents. Taking a cue from O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief", my parents gave them a couple of days and said "We'll tell you what: on Monday, send her back with a case of unmarked $20 bills totalling $1 million, and we'll call it even." I'm back, and my parents are headed to the Cayman Islands to hide their cash.
2. I hit the big time and my entire collection of paintings and drawings was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
3. I went to the Loony Bin, which has been classified in code-talk as "Happy Camp, Trip One".
4. I really had nothing to write about. My life is boring most days.
Here's possible reasons for the above, framed in a game...three of the possible reasons are false. One is true. Can you figure out which one is the truth?
1. I was kidnapped by human traffickers. However, when the economy took a hit on even the world's oldest profession, my kidnappers decided to make it a good old-fashioned ransom situation and demanded $1 million from my parents. Taking a cue from O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief", my parents gave them a couple of days and said "We'll tell you what: on Monday, send her back with a case of unmarked $20 bills totalling $1 million, and we'll call it even." I'm back, and my parents are headed to the Cayman Islands to hide their cash.
2. I hit the big time and my entire collection of paintings and drawings was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
3. I went to the Loony Bin, which has been classified in code-talk as "Happy Camp, Trip One".
4. I really had nothing to write about. My life is boring most days.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Smoking is a tough boyfriend to dump...
Spurred on by my list of goals to achieve in the next 1000 days, I'm tackling what might be one of the toughest tasks - quitting smoking.
I wasn't always a smoker. In the first 21 years of my life, I smoked maybe a pack and a half. I never actually bought a pack for myself until I moved to Boston - this is a little ironic, considering I grew up in tobacco country and went to school in the South, where smoking is still very much accepted. Boston even went smoke-free a few weeks before I moved there. But while doing graduate school full-time, going through the break-up of the longest relationship I've ever had and other significant stresses, I picked it up. I thought I'd never become "addicted", and to be honest, part of me still believes that I'm not. I've run the gamut for levels of indulgence in the cancer sticks - I've been a "smoker when I drink", a "closet smoker", a pack-a-day moron, a "smoker to kill the appetite" (this only works for a day or two, trust me - it no longer has an effect on my appetite), and even a "just one in the morning" smoker.
I know, it's not becoming. Trust me, I know. It ruins your skin, it causes cancer, it makes your lungs perform at record low levels, and it's just plain unattractive. I don't have to be sold on this aspect of it - I am perfectly aware of the risks to my health, my vanity and everything in between.
But I'll admit: I, as well as many other smokers, just plain LIKE to smoke. If you've never been a consistent smoker, well, good for you, but I haven't quit yet simply because I just like it. When my life sucks, and I'm about to bust out crying at anything, I can go out on the porch and escape everything for five minutes. After reading The Power of Now and realizing the importance of meditation, I've come to the conclusion that to many of us, smoking is an act of meditation. There's an unwritten "no assholes" rule on just about every smoker's porch in the world, and you can either socialize or choose to be by yourself out there. It calms you, helps you slow your breathing and blood pressure, and stabilizes emotions that have gone through the roof. A pack of Parliament Lights doesn't tell me that I'm doing things wrong, a lighter doesn't make me cry, and I don't think I've ever gotten in an honest-to-god argument with someone while smoking. Well, excluding my ex, that is.
That being said, again, I know I need to quit. I don't want to fail, so I'm trying to get a multi-pronged approach to removing that Philip Morris out of my life.
1. The patch. I think I can quit without it. But I don't want to find myself failing at the get-go because I haven't realized the full power of nicotine addiction. Cold turkey may work, but I don't want to make this too hard on myself.
2. Incentive. I'm thinking of setting up an ING account to take a dollar a day out of my checking so I can reward myself for not smoking. If I stumble, the money for that day goes to the American Cancer Society. Given the fact that I have very little money, however, I've got to figure out something else. Any ideas?
3. A built-in response to weakness. My quit date hasn't been established yet (I think I need a specific time built in stone where I just get rid of every pack laying around the house), but I'm kind of taking the weight watchers approach - I just need to recover from stumbles rather than give up on the whole goal. After my quit date, I'm giving myself ten moments of weakness. Ten. That may sound like a lot, but I'm guessing you've never been a smoker if it does. If I'm considering using one of them, I'll think long and hard as to whether or not I really want to use one of my ten.
4. Alternatives. I have to figure out something else to do when I usually smoke - when I'm walking the dog, when I'm driving, when I'm done with a meal, when I'm drinking, when I'm bored, when work is getting to me, etc. This is a lot harder than you think.
5. Figure out how to avoid the quitting-smoking weight gain. I personally don't care if I gain a few, but the reality is that I can't afford to not fit into my clothes. This is also pretty difficult - I'm allergic to chewing gum. I'm thinking about toothpicks, although I know I'll look like an even bigger redneck.
Any ideas? Anyone got an incentive they're willing to stake me to? I'll do the same for one of your goals.
I wasn't always a smoker. In the first 21 years of my life, I smoked maybe a pack and a half. I never actually bought a pack for myself until I moved to Boston - this is a little ironic, considering I grew up in tobacco country and went to school in the South, where smoking is still very much accepted. Boston even went smoke-free a few weeks before I moved there. But while doing graduate school full-time, going through the break-up of the longest relationship I've ever had and other significant stresses, I picked it up. I thought I'd never become "addicted", and to be honest, part of me still believes that I'm not. I've run the gamut for levels of indulgence in the cancer sticks - I've been a "smoker when I drink", a "closet smoker", a pack-a-day moron, a "smoker to kill the appetite" (this only works for a day or two, trust me - it no longer has an effect on my appetite), and even a "just one in the morning" smoker.
I know, it's not becoming. Trust me, I know. It ruins your skin, it causes cancer, it makes your lungs perform at record low levels, and it's just plain unattractive. I don't have to be sold on this aspect of it - I am perfectly aware of the risks to my health, my vanity and everything in between.
But I'll admit: I, as well as many other smokers, just plain LIKE to smoke. If you've never been a consistent smoker, well, good for you, but I haven't quit yet simply because I just like it. When my life sucks, and I'm about to bust out crying at anything, I can go out on the porch and escape everything for five minutes. After reading The Power of Now and realizing the importance of meditation, I've come to the conclusion that to many of us, smoking is an act of meditation. There's an unwritten "no assholes" rule on just about every smoker's porch in the world, and you can either socialize or choose to be by yourself out there. It calms you, helps you slow your breathing and blood pressure, and stabilizes emotions that have gone through the roof. A pack of Parliament Lights doesn't tell me that I'm doing things wrong, a lighter doesn't make me cry, and I don't think I've ever gotten in an honest-to-god argument with someone while smoking. Well, excluding my ex, that is.
That being said, again, I know I need to quit. I don't want to fail, so I'm trying to get a multi-pronged approach to removing that Philip Morris out of my life.
1. The patch. I think I can quit without it. But I don't want to find myself failing at the get-go because I haven't realized the full power of nicotine addiction. Cold turkey may work, but I don't want to make this too hard on myself.
2. Incentive. I'm thinking of setting up an ING account to take a dollar a day out of my checking so I can reward myself for not smoking. If I stumble, the money for that day goes to the American Cancer Society. Given the fact that I have very little money, however, I've got to figure out something else. Any ideas?
3. A built-in response to weakness. My quit date hasn't been established yet (I think I need a specific time built in stone where I just get rid of every pack laying around the house), but I'm kind of taking the weight watchers approach - I just need to recover from stumbles rather than give up on the whole goal. After my quit date, I'm giving myself ten moments of weakness. Ten. That may sound like a lot, but I'm guessing you've never been a smoker if it does. If I'm considering using one of them, I'll think long and hard as to whether or not I really want to use one of my ten.
4. Alternatives. I have to figure out something else to do when I usually smoke - when I'm walking the dog, when I'm driving, when I'm done with a meal, when I'm drinking, when I'm bored, when work is getting to me, etc. This is a lot harder than you think.
5. Figure out how to avoid the quitting-smoking weight gain. I personally don't care if I gain a few, but the reality is that I can't afford to not fit into my clothes. This is also pretty difficult - I'm allergic to chewing gum. I'm thinking about toothpicks, although I know I'll look like an even bigger redneck.
Any ideas? Anyone got an incentive they're willing to stake me to? I'll do the same for one of your goals.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
101 Goals in 1001 Days...
I'd love to say I just found this idea online, but I'll admit, I totally was stalking someone through a social networking site. I saw the list they had made of similar goals, which came from this site. If you're reading this and this looks familiar, S, thanks, and I'm sorry I kinda stalked your blog. I'll blogroll you if you see this, but I figured I'd err on the side of letting you have your privacy.
So, 101 goals. 1001 days. I don't even know what day 1001 days from now is, but I'll be 30 years old. I'd love to see anyone else's goals - and if you could be of any help in any of these, please let me know, I'd be happy to return the favor!
Taking the lead from the GRS site, I've categorized these.
Health & Fitness
1. abstain from smoking cigarettes for 365 days in a row.
2. complete a marathon
3. Eat exclusively organic for two weeks in a row.
4. Drink only water for one month.
5. See the dentist and have a clean bill of health twice in one year’s time.
6Do the neti-pot every day for six months straight.
7. Floss every day for one year.
8. Ride a bike 500 miles in one month.
9. Meditate every day for one year.
10. abstain from the tanning bed for 365 days in a row.
11. Get my eyes checked and obtain correct glasses and/or contacts
12. Work out every day for 60 days straight.
13. Do three chin-ups or pull-ups without assistance.
Home & Garden
14. Sell my old Insurance Books.
15. Find out if the microwave is fixable, If it is, fix it.
16. Refinish my wooden antique furniture.
17. Repaint every room in whatever house I live in.
18. Eliminate every “catch-all” junk drawer, basket, folder, bin and box in my house.
19. Plant and raise a garden, even if it’s a window garden.
20. sell my old clothes in the basement to consignment
Financial
21. Turn a profit in art and writing.
22. Pay my dues to my sorority for two years straight.
23. Donate 10% of one year’s income.
24. Pay every bill on time for one year.
25. Get my credit to where I COULD qualify for a home loan.
26. Balance my checkbook on the computer every week for two years.
27. Do my own taxes correctly, but have them double-checked professionally.
28. Save $1000 and don’t touch it until the end of the 1001 days.
29. Become 100% financially independent.
30. Buy one horrendously expensive purse with money that I have earned through art & writing after all that month’s bills are paid.
Personal
31. Get my grandmother’s story on paper.
32. Buy a Wii.
33. Learn to knit and finish one item.
34. Make a quilt.
35. Create and sew an outfit on my own.
36. Make something out of www.bitchyinthecity.com with Celeste.
37. Plant a tree
38. Walk into my favorite stylist and allow them to do ANYTHING they want to my hair.
39. Get on Jeopardy.
40. Design and make a gingerbread house.
41. Make every Christmas present I give without giving presents that suck or leaving anyone out.
42. Take a class on something I know little to nothing about.
43. Write down my life story.
44. Have a tasteful nude photograph taken while I like my body.
45. Train Colonel Mustard to walk off the leash without fear of him running into traffic
46. Meet Dolly Parton.
Self Improvement
47. Donate a day of time to a charity
48. Learn to write HTML & CSS code.
49. Recycle everything possible for three months straight.
50. Use non-disposable bags 50 times instead of plastic or paper.
51. Create ten recipes on my own.
52. Clean out my computer clutter and back everything up outside of the Time Capsule.
53. Give a wedding gift in the appropriate gift-giving window.
54. Learn to speak a foreign language.
55. Stop using a computer for one week straight (the work is still possible, just requires some forethought!)
56. Make a list of five things I am grateful for every day for a year.
Adventure
57. Take a day trip to New York by myself.
58. Hike a mountain.
59. Drive across the country.
60. See Paris, France.
61. Go to a foreign country by myself.
62. Go on a girls’ vacation.
Family
63. Have an argument with a family member without crying.
64. Send birthday cards to every brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, close friend and child of the above for one year.
65. Send my mother on a vacation to Greece.
66. Scan pictures of our childhood onto a disk for my mother, father, brothers and sisters.
67. Take all of my brothers and sisters to lunch at the same time.
68. Mow my mother’s lawn for free.
Entertainment
69. See all Oscar-winning movies for best picture.
70. Read the Bible, cover to cover.
71. Complete scrapbook of Italy and Greece trip
72. Go to a movie by myself.
73. Read 100 best book of all time
Professional
74. Update my art resume.
75. Copyright my existing work
76. Create a sculpture.
77. Write a business plan.
78. Create and print postcards and business cards.
79. Do creative sparks every day for a year.
80. Complete an Egg Tempera portrait.
81. Teach someone to draw.
82. Open an Etsy shop.
83. Create a mixed-media piece.
84. Take a figure drawing & critique class.
85. Complete series on quitting your job to do what you love.
86. Complete a self-portrait in oil.
87. Take a watercolor class.
88. Phase out crappy art supplies.
89. 50,000 RSS subscribers.
90. Publish something in a magazine.
91. Publish something in book form.
92. Sell a painting with no commission and no discount.
93. Organize and run a one-woman show.
94. Organize blog for effectiveness – put art on art, etc.
95. Start a business.
96. Print and frame a collection of 30 black and white photographs
97. complete and publish my website
98. Create 75 paintings of fine art – no commissions, no portraits.
99. Write a novel
100. Have my portfolio reviewed by a non-related professional whose opinion I value.
101. Meet every professional deadline for one year.
So, 101 goals. 1001 days. I don't even know what day 1001 days from now is, but I'll be 30 years old. I'd love to see anyone else's goals - and if you could be of any help in any of these, please let me know, I'd be happy to return the favor!
Taking the lead from the GRS site, I've categorized these.
Health & Fitness
1. abstain from smoking cigarettes for 365 days in a row.
2. complete a marathon
3. Eat exclusively organic for two weeks in a row.
4. Drink only water for one month.
5. See the dentist and have a clean bill of health twice in one year’s time.
6Do the neti-pot every day for six months straight.
7. Floss every day for one year.
8. Ride a bike 500 miles in one month.
9. Meditate every day for one year.
10. abstain from the tanning bed for 365 days in a row.
11. Get my eyes checked and obtain correct glasses and/or contacts
12. Work out every day for 60 days straight.
13. Do three chin-ups or pull-ups without assistance.
Home & Garden
14. Sell my old Insurance Books.
15. Find out if the microwave is fixable, If it is, fix it.
16. Refinish my wooden antique furniture.
17. Repaint every room in whatever house I live in.
18. Eliminate every “catch-all” junk drawer, basket, folder, bin and box in my house.
19. Plant and raise a garden, even if it’s a window garden.
20. sell my old clothes in the basement to consignment
Financial
21. Turn a profit in art and writing.
22. Pay my dues to my sorority for two years straight.
23. Donate 10% of one year’s income.
24. Pay every bill on time for one year.
25. Get my credit to where I COULD qualify for a home loan.
26. Balance my checkbook on the computer every week for two years.
27. Do my own taxes correctly, but have them double-checked professionally.
28. Save $1000 and don’t touch it until the end of the 1001 days.
29. Become 100% financially independent.
30. Buy one horrendously expensive purse with money that I have earned through art & writing after all that month’s bills are paid.
Personal
31. Get my grandmother’s story on paper.
32. Buy a Wii.
33. Learn to knit and finish one item.
34. Make a quilt.
35. Create and sew an outfit on my own.
36. Make something out of www.bitchyinthecity.com with Celeste.
37. Plant a tree
38. Walk into my favorite stylist and allow them to do ANYTHING they want to my hair.
39. Get on Jeopardy.
40. Design and make a gingerbread house.
41. Make every Christmas present I give without giving presents that suck or leaving anyone out.
42. Take a class on something I know little to nothing about.
43. Write down my life story.
44. Have a tasteful nude photograph taken while I like my body.
45. Train Colonel Mustard to walk off the leash without fear of him running into traffic
46. Meet Dolly Parton.
Self Improvement
47. Donate a day of time to a charity
48. Learn to write HTML & CSS code.
49. Recycle everything possible for three months straight.
50. Use non-disposable bags 50 times instead of plastic or paper.
51. Create ten recipes on my own.
52. Clean out my computer clutter and back everything up outside of the Time Capsule.
53. Give a wedding gift in the appropriate gift-giving window.
54. Learn to speak a foreign language.
55. Stop using a computer for one week straight (the work is still possible, just requires some forethought!)
56. Make a list of five things I am grateful for every day for a year.
Adventure
57. Take a day trip to New York by myself.
58. Hike a mountain.
59. Drive across the country.
60. See Paris, France.
61. Go to a foreign country by myself.
62. Go on a girls’ vacation.
Family
63. Have an argument with a family member without crying.
64. Send birthday cards to every brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, close friend and child of the above for one year.
65. Send my mother on a vacation to Greece.
66. Scan pictures of our childhood onto a disk for my mother, father, brothers and sisters.
67. Take all of my brothers and sisters to lunch at the same time.
68. Mow my mother’s lawn for free.
Entertainment
69. See all Oscar-winning movies for best picture.
70. Read the Bible, cover to cover.
71. Complete scrapbook of Italy and Greece trip
72. Go to a movie by myself.
73. Read 100 best book of all time
Professional
74. Update my art resume.
75. Copyright my existing work
76. Create a sculpture.
77. Write a business plan.
78. Create and print postcards and business cards.
79. Do creative sparks every day for a year.
80. Complete an Egg Tempera portrait.
81. Teach someone to draw.
82. Open an Etsy shop.
83. Create a mixed-media piece.
84. Take a figure drawing & critique class.
85. Complete series on quitting your job to do what you love.
86. Complete a self-portrait in oil.
87. Take a watercolor class.
88. Phase out crappy art supplies.
89. 50,000 RSS subscribers.
90. Publish something in a magazine.
91. Publish something in book form.
92. Sell a painting with no commission and no discount.
93. Organize and run a one-woman show.
94. Organize blog for effectiveness – put art on art, etc.
95. Start a business.
96. Print and frame a collection of 30 black and white photographs
97. complete and publish my website
98. Create 75 paintings of fine art – no commissions, no portraits.
99. Write a novel
100. Have my portfolio reviewed by a non-related professional whose opinion I value.
101. Meet every professional deadline for one year.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
A clean environment makes a clear mind
After a weekend of cleaning and organizing, I attempted to get back to work while getting the last of the stuff on my list done. Procrastination is not an easy habit to break, I tell you.
I'm working on a couple of pieces that I need to finish before I even think about leaving Philly. It's kind of a tough thing - I know I'm going to still have work up here when I leave, and with gas having jumped 15 cents in the past week with no end in sight, I guess I'm going to be eating a lot of expenses when I'm gone. It's amazing how much you expense when you're working for someone else, but when you're working for yourself, you'll do anything to avoid spending what little money you've got "invested." I put that into quotes because in reality, I'm investing everything I make back into further work. Anyway, I started a couple of things that I'm hoping to get done within the next couple of days so that I can get it off my mind at the very least.
I have a gift card with an art supplies website that I have avoided spending for quite some time. First of all, I usually need art supplies the EXACT day I buy them - I run out to buy something when I discover I'm out of it. With pastels running at $5 a stick, oils upwards of $50 a tube, and paper at $2 a sheet, it adds up...especially when I feel like I waste a lot of materials on stuff that will never see the light of day. Second of all, the website in which I have the gift card is a bit more expensive - leading to a bit of a pickle. Do I spend the giftcard on stuff that I KNOW I could get cheaper locally? Or do I save it for a time when I might find a deal with them? I have no idea.
Aaaaannd now I feel like I'm rambling about nothing. I think I'm in a funk. SOMEone, get me out of it. I need some good news.
I'm working on a couple of pieces that I need to finish before I even think about leaving Philly. It's kind of a tough thing - I know I'm going to still have work up here when I leave, and with gas having jumped 15 cents in the past week with no end in sight, I guess I'm going to be eating a lot of expenses when I'm gone. It's amazing how much you expense when you're working for someone else, but when you're working for yourself, you'll do anything to avoid spending what little money you've got "invested." I put that into quotes because in reality, I'm investing everything I make back into further work. Anyway, I started a couple of things that I'm hoping to get done within the next couple of days so that I can get it off my mind at the very least.
I have a gift card with an art supplies website that I have avoided spending for quite some time. First of all, I usually need art supplies the EXACT day I buy them - I run out to buy something when I discover I'm out of it. With pastels running at $5 a stick, oils upwards of $50 a tube, and paper at $2 a sheet, it adds up...especially when I feel like I waste a lot of materials on stuff that will never see the light of day. Second of all, the website in which I have the gift card is a bit more expensive - leading to a bit of a pickle. Do I spend the giftcard on stuff that I KNOW I could get cheaper locally? Or do I save it for a time when I might find a deal with them? I have no idea.
Aaaaannd now I feel like I'm rambling about nothing. I think I'm in a funk. SOMEone, get me out of it. I need some good news.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Results: Procrastination Elimination Staycation
It's 11:40 and my long weekend is just about up. Productive? Sure. Did I get everything done? Jury is out. I wish I could have, but old habits die hard, my friend.
For anyone that cares (the status of my wardrobe shuffling and house-cleaning, while thrilling to me, is probably not breaking news in anyone else's world, I know), this is what got done:
1. Get my winter clothes downstairs in storage. - Done.
2. Put summer clothes upstairs. Sorta done. I'm deciding how much room I actually HAVE in this place for summer clothes. I miss my old closet.
3. Clean the kitchen, living room and bathroom - top to bottom. Done except for the bathroom. That's getting done tomorrow. I hope.
4. Assemble stretcher frames. Yeah right.
5. Write my assignment for the other website I write for - an essay on "I have never been more drunk than that night..." In the editing process.
6. Call my grandmother. Dammit! Tomorrow.
7. Get my friend April a baby gift - any suggestions? Done.
8. RSVP for April's shower (Ha! maybe it will bring may flowers? Kidding, she's due in late June) Ummmm...I already told her, does that count?
9. Clean out the fridge. Done.
10. Start cleaning out the studio. Cold Day in Hell, my friend. A Cold Day in Hell.
11. Get a list of stuff I'm going to sell before moving - anyone want a big-screen? TV, couch.
12. Find the $20 I got out of the ATM the other day. What money?
13. Do some SERIOUS work on this business plan I'm working on. I DID find my workbook from my New Venture Creation class in grad school. That's like halfway there.
Seriously, I thought I had gotten a lot done, but I think I only FINISHED like four of them.
Do I just take on too much? I dunno.
I am, and always will be...a work in progress.
Que Sera...
For anyone that cares (the status of my wardrobe shuffling and house-cleaning, while thrilling to me, is probably not breaking news in anyone else's world, I know), this is what got done:
1. Get my winter clothes downstairs in storage. - Done.
2. Put summer clothes upstairs. Sorta done. I'm deciding how much room I actually HAVE in this place for summer clothes. I miss my old closet.
3. Clean the kitchen, living room and bathroom - top to bottom. Done except for the bathroom. That's getting done tomorrow. I hope.
4. Assemble stretcher frames. Yeah right.
5. Write my assignment for the other website I write for - an essay on "I have never been more drunk than that night..." In the editing process.
6. Call my grandmother. Dammit! Tomorrow.
7. Get my friend April a baby gift - any suggestions? Done.
8. RSVP for April's shower (Ha! maybe it will bring may flowers? Kidding, she's due in late June) Ummmm...I already told her, does that count?
9. Clean out the fridge. Done.
10. Start cleaning out the studio. Cold Day in Hell, my friend. A Cold Day in Hell.
11. Get a list of stuff I'm going to sell before moving - anyone want a big-screen? TV, couch.
12. Find the $20 I got out of the ATM the other day. What money?
13. Do some SERIOUS work on this business plan I'm working on. I DID find my workbook from my New Venture Creation class in grad school. That's like halfway there.
Seriously, I thought I had gotten a lot done, but I think I only FINISHED like four of them.
Do I just take on too much? I dunno.
I am, and always will be...a work in progress.
Que Sera...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Eliminating Procrastination...still 24ish hours left in this holiday weekend.
I'm still working on it. I took my friend Drena's advice and tackled the biggest task first.
Little did I know that many of the others required work at the same time. So it is with cleaning a house.
-Winter clothes are now in the basement. I hate my sweaters now.
-The Laundry Monster has been slain. This is bigger than you think.
-The kitchen, living room and downstairs are clean.
-The bedroom is in the process of being de-cluttered.
Other than that, I haven't really had any time to do any of the other tasks. Actually, I'm lying. I watched about ten episodes of Law & Order SVU. I downloaded and organized some tutorial stuff for Dreamweaver.
I still have 24 hours left in my holiday weekend. Let's pray for the best.
Little did I know that many of the others required work at the same time. So it is with cleaning a house.
-Winter clothes are now in the basement. I hate my sweaters now.
-The Laundry Monster has been slain. This is bigger than you think.
-The kitchen, living room and downstairs are clean.
-The bedroom is in the process of being de-cluttered.
Other than that, I haven't really had any time to do any of the other tasks. Actually, I'm lying. I watched about ten episodes of Law & Order SVU. I downloaded and organized some tutorial stuff for Dreamweaver.
I still have 24 hours left in my holiday weekend. Let's pray for the best.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A note to the Church next door:
Dear Gospel Choir:
It's 1:15 a.m. Molly is sick.
Please shut the fuck up.
Sincerely,
Baby Jesus.
It's 1:15 a.m. Molly is sick.
Please shut the fuck up.
Sincerely,
Baby Jesus.
Procrastination Update: T-minus 36 hours or so
I tried to get a little done last night, but there was the whole is-it-the-Judd-I'm-thinking-of saga going on. And I think I'm getting sick. But here's my progress:
5. Write my assignment for the other website I write for - an essay on "I have never been more drunk than that night..."
-I'm about 3/4 of the way done. It's a little long, so editing will take some work.
7. Get my friend April a baby gift - any suggestions?
-homegirl's set. In case she reads this, I'm not posting what it is.
12. Find the $20 I got out of the ATM the other day.
-I found my receipt that has convinced me I already spent it. Darn it.
I'm sick, but I'm going to Cowboy Up.
But for now, I'm going across the street to Whole Foods to get whatever bee-pollen-mystic-hippie smoothie sludge that might help me get through this.
Anyone have any suggestions? Symptoms: my throat started feeling bad yesterday, then my lungs started hurting and now I have congestion. Doctors are for quitters.
5. Write my assignment for the other website I write for - an essay on "I have never been more drunk than that night..."
-I'm about 3/4 of the way done. It's a little long, so editing will take some work.
7. Get my friend April a baby gift - any suggestions?
-homegirl's set. In case she reads this, I'm not posting what it is.
12. Find the $20 I got out of the ATM the other day.
-I found my receipt that has convinced me I already spent it. Darn it.
I'm sick, but I'm going to Cowboy Up.
But for now, I'm going across the street to Whole Foods to get whatever bee-pollen-mystic-hippie smoothie sludge that might help me get through this.
Anyone have any suggestions? Symptoms: my throat started feeling bad yesterday, then my lungs started hurting and now I have congestion. Doctors are for quitters.
Friday, May 23, 2008
What I'm doing on my summer Staycation...
I'm at Starbucks, where I came to get some "work" done. All I'm accomplishing is consuming my 7th cup of coffee and people-watching, but whatever. I am NOT going to the shore, home or out for the weekend, I'm having a Stay-cation. Staying in and getting stuff DONE.
I'm struggling with time management lately. I've always been a procrastinator. Not because I couldn't figure out how to do things, or because I took on too much, but simply because it was possible for me to procrastinate and still succeed. My evidence?
-I never did homework in high school. EVER. I'm not kidding. I was smart enough that I didn't have to do it. The closest I ever came was when I was driving to school every morning - I gave two guys in my neighborhood a ride to school every day, and one of them would sit in the back and call out questions while I gave him the answers. If it didn't require handwriting, he filled out my paper too. If it did, he gave me his paper in homeroom, and I copied it back in my own handwriting during Channel One. Ahhh, Channel One. It was the BEST.
-College? Rarely did it there either. My dad told me the secret to college - which I should have ignored, given the fact that he failed out of Virginia Tech once - was to just GO to class. Even if you didn't take notes, you learned something. At the end of the semester, if you were smart enough, you could basically wing it and at least get a C. I graduated with a 3.75, and I'd consider myself to be a "coaster"...I put it off and did all my work at the end of the semester, cramming like you wouldn't believe.
-Grad school? Yeah, a little different, but it was group work. I had a GREAT group of friends there - we all took the same classes, we always picked each other for groups, and we knew that each of us had strengths. I could put together written materials at 3 am, and I could pick up a presentation and wing it without ever practicing. Celeste was AMAZING at numbers (I seriously am going to hire her to run my business at some point), Kevin was a research guy who actually knew what those databases in the library were, Andrade was great with technology, and John...well, John was just pretty to look at. He kept me sane because I just always wanted to make out with him.
-The corporate world...well, that's the tough one. I was in the wrong profession anyway, and I got scared I'd make mistakes that could feasibly cost millions of dollars.
Now I still procrastinate. I'm scared sometimes that my boss in the site I write for is one day going to say "Molly, it's called DEADLINES. KEEP THEM" or just fire me. Portraits are usually finished at the very.last.moment (just ask my friend Meghan) and I've literally had to send work off to a show on the last possible day to get it postmarked - still wet. I've rarely packed for a trip anything except the day I leave, and I'm famous for finishing my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve - in the last store open.
So I want to change. I'm trying the ever-present "To Do" list, but I'm making this one public. I want to get these things done this weekend...I will let you know what I get done. If I don't get it done, please come up to Philly and beat me over the head.
1. Get my winter clothes downstairs in storage.
2. Put summer clothes upstairs.
3. Clean the kitchen, living room and bathroom - top to bottom.
4. Assemble stretcher frames.
5. Write my assignment for the other website I write for - an essay on "I have never been more drunk than that night..."
6. Call my grandmother.
7. Get my friend April a baby gift - any suggestions?
8. RSVP for April's shower (Ha! maybe it will bring may flowers? Kidding, she's due in late June)
9. Clean out the fridge.
10. Start cleaning out the studio.
11. Get a list of stuff I'm going to sell before moving - anyone want a big-screen?
12. Find the $20 I got out of the ATM the other day.
13. Do some SERIOUS work on this business plan I'm working on.
That's about it. Seriously, don't let me be a slacker. I wish I could give myself an incentive, like a new something, but unless I find that money in item 12, I can't buy myself anything.
I do not want to be a procrastinator.
I'm struggling with time management lately. I've always been a procrastinator. Not because I couldn't figure out how to do things, or because I took on too much, but simply because it was possible for me to procrastinate and still succeed. My evidence?
-I never did homework in high school. EVER. I'm not kidding. I was smart enough that I didn't have to do it. The closest I ever came was when I was driving to school every morning - I gave two guys in my neighborhood a ride to school every day, and one of them would sit in the back and call out questions while I gave him the answers. If it didn't require handwriting, he filled out my paper too. If it did, he gave me his paper in homeroom, and I copied it back in my own handwriting during Channel One. Ahhh, Channel One. It was the BEST.
-College? Rarely did it there either. My dad told me the secret to college - which I should have ignored, given the fact that he failed out of Virginia Tech once - was to just GO to class. Even if you didn't take notes, you learned something. At the end of the semester, if you were smart enough, you could basically wing it and at least get a C. I graduated with a 3.75, and I'd consider myself to be a "coaster"...I put it off and did all my work at the end of the semester, cramming like you wouldn't believe.
-Grad school? Yeah, a little different, but it was group work. I had a GREAT group of friends there - we all took the same classes, we always picked each other for groups, and we knew that each of us had strengths. I could put together written materials at 3 am, and I could pick up a presentation and wing it without ever practicing. Celeste was AMAZING at numbers (I seriously am going to hire her to run my business at some point), Kevin was a research guy who actually knew what those databases in the library were, Andrade was great with technology, and John...well, John was just pretty to look at. He kept me sane because I just always wanted to make out with him.
-The corporate world...well, that's the tough one. I was in the wrong profession anyway, and I got scared I'd make mistakes that could feasibly cost millions of dollars.
Now I still procrastinate. I'm scared sometimes that my boss in the site I write for is one day going to say "Molly, it's called DEADLINES. KEEP THEM" or just fire me. Portraits are usually finished at the very.last.moment (just ask my friend Meghan) and I've literally had to send work off to a show on the last possible day to get it postmarked - still wet. I've rarely packed for a trip anything except the day I leave, and I'm famous for finishing my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve - in the last store open.
So I want to change. I'm trying the ever-present "To Do" list, but I'm making this one public. I want to get these things done this weekend...I will let you know what I get done. If I don't get it done, please come up to Philly and beat me over the head.
1. Get my winter clothes downstairs in storage.
2. Put summer clothes upstairs.
3. Clean the kitchen, living room and bathroom - top to bottom.
4. Assemble stretcher frames.
5. Write my assignment for the other website I write for - an essay on "I have never been more drunk than that night..."
6. Call my grandmother.
7. Get my friend April a baby gift - any suggestions?
8. RSVP for April's shower (Ha! maybe it will bring may flowers? Kidding, she's due in late June)
9. Clean out the fridge.
10. Start cleaning out the studio.
11. Get a list of stuff I'm going to sell before moving - anyone want a big-screen?
12. Find the $20 I got out of the ATM the other day.
13. Do some SERIOUS work on this business plan I'm working on.
That's about it. Seriously, don't let me be a slacker. I wish I could give myself an incentive, like a new something, but unless I find that money in item 12, I can't buy myself anything.
I do not want to be a procrastinator.
Sites I end up on EVERY DAY. How did we ever exist without this?
My friend Drena asked what sites we visit most often, so here ya go. Marketers, a gift to you.
I have about a thousand other sites I visit once a week or so, but these are the heavy hitters...
1. Gmail.
Does this even count as a proper site? It's email. I think we assume that everyone checks their email. Except my mom. She gets on the computer, does the daily crossword, and forgets to check her email. WTF?
2. Facebook.
Actually, I do this more than myspace now. I've found that more people that I never friended on myspace friend me on facebook - people from middle school, people from all over.
3. Myspace.
I can't help it. And yes, I've myspace stalked just about every guy I've ever dated or made out with. And every time I've dated a guy, I've myspace-stalked every girl on their page. Shut up, you do it too.
4. AJC.com
I haven't lived in Atlanta in five years, but Boston and Philly's big journalism comes in papers that are read by people all over the world (the Globe and the Inquirer, respectively), kinda like a mini-New York Times. Like New York, you can get the Cliffs Notes version that's written for absolutely retarded people (the "commuter paper") through the Herald or the Daily News. Both city papers are usually owned by the same media company, and share staff and a website, which caters to the "smarter" paper. As a result, the websites are very news-driven and have very little fun stuff. The AJC is - sorry y'all - written at a lower reading level and has more fun and interesting stories. I'm sorry, I don't mean to imply that Atlanta readers are dumb, but since the Journal and Constitution merged into one daily paper, it's just got a weird hybrid of what they pick to run. They don't care that food tends to be the lead picture on every website opening page or that whole proper grammar and punctuation thing. Henry Grady may be rolling over in his grave and may want to snatch back my degree from his journalism school since I've just insulted his paper, but I think he'd actually agree with me upon reflection. So yes, I read the AJC's website still for little news stuff.
5. Bloomberg.com
Leftover from Graduate School. Sometimes I pick a random stock I think will do well based on their news and follow it for a couple weeks. I'm usually right, but the same as you should never trust a skinny chef, never trust a broke-ass artist for financial advice.
6. CNN.com
Less often than I used to. When I dated a guy who got deployed I finally had to get my friend to password protect it and block it on the TV. You'll drive yourself nuts if you're worried about someone.
7. Craigslist.com - Missed Connections.
Check them for your city and you'll start doing it every day. You'll learn some interesting things...things like the fact that there's about 10 billion people who are in love with a redhead clerk at the Whole Foods near me, there's a pervert on UPenn's campus, and hipsters all swear they don't read CL, but they do. Come to think of it, you'll learn a lot if you peruse ALL of your city's Craig's List for 45 min or so. Be sure to hit "best of Craig's List".
8. What Would Tyler Durden Do?, The Superficial, Go Fug Yourself, Project Rungay, Perez Hilton, etc...
I'm trying to wean myself of these. But sometimes I love me some celebrity gossip.
9. Wet Canvas.
It's mostly a forum for artists, leans toward the hobbyist side of it. I'm getting tired of it, actually, I'm probably taking it off my tabs.
10. RSS reader
Pulls the new stuff from lots of different blogs I enjoy into one source. When I've read it, it deletes it unless I ask it to save it. It really helps to cut down on time spent surfing.
11. Finally, my friends' stuff.
I have about a thousand other sites I visit once a week or so, but these are the heavy hitters...
1. Gmail.
Does this even count as a proper site? It's email. I think we assume that everyone checks their email. Except my mom. She gets on the computer, does the daily crossword, and forgets to check her email. WTF?
2. Facebook.
Actually, I do this more than myspace now. I've found that more people that I never friended on myspace friend me on facebook - people from middle school, people from all over.
3. Myspace.
I can't help it. And yes, I've myspace stalked just about every guy I've ever dated or made out with. And every time I've dated a guy, I've myspace-stalked every girl on their page. Shut up, you do it too.
4. AJC.com
I haven't lived in Atlanta in five years, but Boston and Philly's big journalism comes in papers that are read by people all over the world (the Globe and the Inquirer, respectively), kinda like a mini-New York Times. Like New York, you can get the Cliffs Notes version that's written for absolutely retarded people (the "commuter paper") through the Herald or the Daily News. Both city papers are usually owned by the same media company, and share staff and a website, which caters to the "smarter" paper. As a result, the websites are very news-driven and have very little fun stuff. The AJC is - sorry y'all - written at a lower reading level and has more fun and interesting stories. I'm sorry, I don't mean to imply that Atlanta readers are dumb, but since the Journal and Constitution merged into one daily paper, it's just got a weird hybrid of what they pick to run. They don't care that food tends to be the lead picture on every website opening page or that whole proper grammar and punctuation thing. Henry Grady may be rolling over in his grave and may want to snatch back my degree from his journalism school since I've just insulted his paper, but I think he'd actually agree with me upon reflection. So yes, I read the AJC's website still for little news stuff.
5. Bloomberg.com
Leftover from Graduate School. Sometimes I pick a random stock I think will do well based on their news and follow it for a couple weeks. I'm usually right, but the same as you should never trust a skinny chef, never trust a broke-ass artist for financial advice.
6. CNN.com
Less often than I used to. When I dated a guy who got deployed I finally had to get my friend to password protect it and block it on the TV. You'll drive yourself nuts if you're worried about someone.
7. Craigslist.com - Missed Connections.
Check them for your city and you'll start doing it every day. You'll learn some interesting things...things like the fact that there's about 10 billion people who are in love with a redhead clerk at the Whole Foods near me, there's a pervert on UPenn's campus, and hipsters all swear they don't read CL, but they do. Come to think of it, you'll learn a lot if you peruse ALL of your city's Craig's List for 45 min or so. Be sure to hit "best of Craig's List".
8. What Would Tyler Durden Do?, The Superficial, Go Fug Yourself, Project Rungay, Perez Hilton, etc...
I'm trying to wean myself of these. But sometimes I love me some celebrity gossip.
9. Wet Canvas.
It's mostly a forum for artists, leans toward the hobbyist side of it. I'm getting tired of it, actually, I'm probably taking it off my tabs.
10. RSS reader
Pulls the new stuff from lots of different blogs I enjoy into one source. When I've read it, it deletes it unless I ask it to save it. It really helps to cut down on time spent surfing.
11. Finally, my friends' stuff.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
I'm now scared to death to live alone.
Before I begin my scary story, I should warn you. It may be TMI. I have no problem talking about it - please, my roommate is a nurse, talking about bodily functions stopped bothering me a LONG time ago. Unless I hear about poop or periods while I'm eating, I'm okay with just about any story.
That being said, it's actually not that bad in terms of the level of TMI.
Remember that episode of Sex and the City where Miranda throws out her back in the shower and has to wrangle herself to the phone, completely naked, and Carrie sends Aidan over to help her? No, that didn't happen. But after it happens, Miranda suddenly realizes that if she died in her apartment, they'd discover her body, half-eaten by her cat, weeks later - solely because the neighbors complained about the smell. I think this scenario could be entirely possible with me.
I left the house about an hour ago to go across the street to CVS. I have - here's the TMI - a Urinary Tract Infection. No, silly, it's not transmitted through shenanigans. They happen for all kinds of reasons. But at any rate, I hate taking antibiotics, and I avoid the doctor at all costs since Aetna tripled my co-pay. So I went in and talked to the pharmacist (they're as close as I usually get to the doctor) and told her that I wanted to avoid having to get an antibiotic, that I'm healthy and clean and think I could get rid of it via something natural or over the counter. She recommended an analgesic (pain reliever) plus an antibacterial ingredient, which I easily found. As she's ringing me up, she says "take two of these with a glass of water and if it doesn't work in 2 days, go to the doctor." I think I'm golden.
I walk back across the street to my house, opening the box as I'm walking. The pills are in my hand as I open the door, and I pop them while I'm walking upstairs.
Sound like a normal activity?
The pills are apparently the kind that INSTANTLY blow up in your throat. And I've just swallowed two. I start choking on them. Honest-to-god, no coughing, no air, just a feeling like someone's strangling me. Colonel Mustard goes bonkers. Barking like crazy. Great that he knows something is wrong, but unless the people I rescued him from taught him the heimlich maneuver, I'm SOL.
I am panicking. I literally thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head. Went to the railing and threw myself over, desperately trying to recall the lifeguard training that I dropped out of halfway through. I was too short for this railing, and only managed to bruise a rib or two. Finally, I looked over to the coffee table on the third-floor landing and saw a big jar candle from Yankee candle. I turned it upside-down, braced it on the arm of the sofa, and just tried to get it up from the gut like you see the Heimlich on TV.
Second try's a charm. Both pills, now resembling giant pieces of sponge, fly across the room at about 60 miles an hour.
Yes, you throw up when you choke. I barely made it to the bathroom. My face was red, my eyes were bloodshot, and my whole head was swollen.
The Colonel was still barking for about ten minutes until he realized I was okay, and now he won't let me go more than six inches from his stinky breath.
I'm fine now, but seriously, it scared the SHIT out of me. Really, what happens if I fall down the stairs? My roommate and I are rarely at home and awake at the same time - she works nights and is out of town right now. If she found me after I fell down the stairs, it could have been a matter of days...if I'm still alive, I've been laying there for days! The Colonel might have peed on me, like on that episode of Weeds!
I've always liked living alone. I like my Molly time. I was independent from a very early age, and I like doing whatever I want, whenever I want. I am getting to the age where I'm too old to have a roommate that's not my significant other, and everyone I would consider living with is either married, owning their own home, or in a place where I don't want to live. I'm probably going to end up living alone when this lease is up, regardless of where I go. But yes, I'm even more scared now that no one would even find me if I were to die in my house alone. My family and I talk on occasion, but not on an ongoing and consistent basis - my sister-in-law and brother even joke that she could murder him and no one would notice until he didn't respond to an email about Christmas.
Seriously, check on me every once in a while.
I have an agreement with a couple of my friends that should the worst happen and I get hit by a SEPTA bus, they are under orders to break into my house and clean out all the stuff I don't want my mom to see if she had to clean out my house. If you can't get ahold of me, call my cousin Kate and set the plan in motion.
I read the box and found out that yes, you have to drink a full glass of water with it. Stupid Molly.
And finally, yes, I am fine. Actually laughing about it. I won't go dying on you any time soon.
That being said, it's actually not that bad in terms of the level of TMI.
Remember that episode of Sex and the City where Miranda throws out her back in the shower and has to wrangle herself to the phone, completely naked, and Carrie sends Aidan over to help her? No, that didn't happen. But after it happens, Miranda suddenly realizes that if she died in her apartment, they'd discover her body, half-eaten by her cat, weeks later - solely because the neighbors complained about the smell. I think this scenario could be entirely possible with me.
I left the house about an hour ago to go across the street to CVS. I have - here's the TMI - a Urinary Tract Infection. No, silly, it's not transmitted through shenanigans. They happen for all kinds of reasons. But at any rate, I hate taking antibiotics, and I avoid the doctor at all costs since Aetna tripled my co-pay. So I went in and talked to the pharmacist (they're as close as I usually get to the doctor) and told her that I wanted to avoid having to get an antibiotic, that I'm healthy and clean and think I could get rid of it via something natural or over the counter. She recommended an analgesic (pain reliever) plus an antibacterial ingredient, which I easily found. As she's ringing me up, she says "take two of these with a glass of water and if it doesn't work in 2 days, go to the doctor." I think I'm golden.
I walk back across the street to my house, opening the box as I'm walking. The pills are in my hand as I open the door, and I pop them while I'm walking upstairs.
Sound like a normal activity?
The pills are apparently the kind that INSTANTLY blow up in your throat. And I've just swallowed two. I start choking on them. Honest-to-god, no coughing, no air, just a feeling like someone's strangling me. Colonel Mustard goes bonkers. Barking like crazy. Great that he knows something is wrong, but unless the people I rescued him from taught him the heimlich maneuver, I'm SOL.
I am panicking. I literally thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head. Went to the railing and threw myself over, desperately trying to recall the lifeguard training that I dropped out of halfway through. I was too short for this railing, and only managed to bruise a rib or two. Finally, I looked over to the coffee table on the third-floor landing and saw a big jar candle from Yankee candle. I turned it upside-down, braced it on the arm of the sofa, and just tried to get it up from the gut like you see the Heimlich on TV.
Second try's a charm. Both pills, now resembling giant pieces of sponge, fly across the room at about 60 miles an hour.
Yes, you throw up when you choke. I barely made it to the bathroom. My face was red, my eyes were bloodshot, and my whole head was swollen.
The Colonel was still barking for about ten minutes until he realized I was okay, and now he won't let me go more than six inches from his stinky breath.
I'm fine now, but seriously, it scared the SHIT out of me. Really, what happens if I fall down the stairs? My roommate and I are rarely at home and awake at the same time - she works nights and is out of town right now. If she found me after I fell down the stairs, it could have been a matter of days...if I'm still alive, I've been laying there for days! The Colonel might have peed on me, like on that episode of Weeds!
I've always liked living alone. I like my Molly time. I was independent from a very early age, and I like doing whatever I want, whenever I want. I am getting to the age where I'm too old to have a roommate that's not my significant other, and everyone I would consider living with is either married, owning their own home, or in a place where I don't want to live. I'm probably going to end up living alone when this lease is up, regardless of where I go. But yes, I'm even more scared now that no one would even find me if I were to die in my house alone. My family and I talk on occasion, but not on an ongoing and consistent basis - my sister-in-law and brother even joke that she could murder him and no one would notice until he didn't respond to an email about Christmas.
Seriously, check on me every once in a while.
I have an agreement with a couple of my friends that should the worst happen and I get hit by a SEPTA bus, they are under orders to break into my house and clean out all the stuff I don't want my mom to see if she had to clean out my house. If you can't get ahold of me, call my cousin Kate and set the plan in motion.
I read the box and found out that yes, you have to drink a full glass of water with it. Stupid Molly.
And finally, yes, I am fine. Actually laughing about it. I won't go dying on you any time soon.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Writing a blog is like potato chips: you can't stop at one.
I'm using this as my "catch-all" blog for a while. As you can tell, it's got Art, Writing, Dogs, Dating, Funny Stories, Dumb Stuff Molly Does, Stuff Molly Rants About, and all kinds of stuff. But as you may have noticed in the blogosphere, most successful blogs have a narrow focus. Since this is was started because I was bored, continued because my editor wanted to see a larger portfolio, and will primarily continue in the future to amuse my friends, I'm going to be branching out in several smaller blogs that can target specific audiences. My editor is weighing what I'm best in, both in writing style and attention-grabbing abilities.
What does this mean for you? Nothing, actually. I'm still doing this in the same manner. I'm just taking my drafts (I have 234 drafts on here that have never been published for various reasons) and building on them on a separate space.
What are the other blogs going to be about? That's up in the air. I'm a woman of many brain cells. I've been trying to be unique about it (the world does not need another blogger who thinks they're the Female Version of Tucker Max, nor another "independent-leaning" political commentator) and I'm trying to just not have the damn thing taken so seriously. Because really - if you're using my blog or any other as your sole source of news and/or opinion, I suggest you stop. Half of everything I say is with a heaping dose of sarcasm, and I have not yet found the article in the Little, Brown Handbook on how to properly denote sarcasm in the written word. Finally, I want to have things that I find inherently interesting. If I could write about stuff I find mundane and boring, I'd have pursued my initial Newspaper Journalism major a lot further than Freshman Year.
So here's what I'm coming up with - would you read any of these?
-In the Hall, with the Lead Pipe: Giving ole Colonel Mustard a voice. He's got a good point of view, and has only three goals in this world: get food, get snuggling, get walked. And he deals with my crap on a daily basis, which is more than I can say for most.
-Blog Boy, I am in love with you.: I have been surfing blogs and have developed insane crushes on a few boys that blog. Odd, because they're sort of celebrities, but not really. I would be willing to say that I find a new one every day. Thinking of offering a $100 reward if someone sets me up on a date with one of them.
-The Daily Crackhead: I have numerous crackheads outside my house in Philly. Their lives are shouted at 3 am for all to hear, and it's more entertaining than the Young and The Restless.
-Confessions of a Hypochondriac: WebMD is the worst thing ever invented. The Today Show tells me of a condition of which I am positive that I am a victim almost every day. My headaches, turned into brain tumors. Just about every day.
-Dear Reality Star: My commentary on dumb reality shows. Because really, Lauren Conrad, I know better. I just want to help you get your shit together.
-Craigs List Treasure of the Day: I love that site. It's endless entertainment.
I could go on and on, but I need to get to work on some paintings.
What does this mean for you? Nothing, actually. I'm still doing this in the same manner. I'm just taking my drafts (I have 234 drafts on here that have never been published for various reasons) and building on them on a separate space.
What are the other blogs going to be about? That's up in the air. I'm a woman of many brain cells. I've been trying to be unique about it (the world does not need another blogger who thinks they're the Female Version of Tucker Max, nor another "independent-leaning" political commentator) and I'm trying to just not have the damn thing taken so seriously. Because really - if you're using my blog or any other as your sole source of news and/or opinion, I suggest you stop. Half of everything I say is with a heaping dose of sarcasm, and I have not yet found the article in the Little, Brown Handbook on how to properly denote sarcasm in the written word. Finally, I want to have things that I find inherently interesting. If I could write about stuff I find mundane and boring, I'd have pursued my initial Newspaper Journalism major a lot further than Freshman Year.
So here's what I'm coming up with - would you read any of these?
-In the Hall, with the Lead Pipe: Giving ole Colonel Mustard a voice. He's got a good point of view, and has only three goals in this world: get food, get snuggling, get walked. And he deals with my crap on a daily basis, which is more than I can say for most.
-Blog Boy, I am in love with you.: I have been surfing blogs and have developed insane crushes on a few boys that blog. Odd, because they're sort of celebrities, but not really. I would be willing to say that I find a new one every day. Thinking of offering a $100 reward if someone sets me up on a date with one of them.
-The Daily Crackhead: I have numerous crackheads outside my house in Philly. Their lives are shouted at 3 am for all to hear, and it's more entertaining than the Young and The Restless.
-Confessions of a Hypochondriac: WebMD is the worst thing ever invented. The Today Show tells me of a condition of which I am positive that I am a victim almost every day. My headaches, turned into brain tumors. Just about every day.
-Dear Reality Star: My commentary on dumb reality shows. Because really, Lauren Conrad, I know better. I just want to help you get your shit together.
-Craigs List Treasure of the Day: I love that site. It's endless entertainment.
I could go on and on, but I need to get to work on some paintings.
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