Ok - I realize this is silly. I JUST started this blog. But I'm not really loving the blogger comment format. I don't like that I can't reply to comments directly on the blog or that email address isn't required so that I can't reply to people personally. And part of the reason I wanted to blog is so that I could connect with the people that are stopping by to read my thoughts.
Perhaps I should have played around with a few different blog sites to see what I would like better before I jumped in? But the decision to start the blog was such a spur of the moment thing. And I hardly think I've developed a huge following so I don't think this will affect too many people quite yet. So I've moved to:
http://supposedtobemysymphony.wordpress.com/ and I hope this isn't a huge pain for many of you. Judging from Google Analytics, there's not many of you so this might be the right time to do it.
Anybody have any hate towards wordpress that might make me change my mind? If not, meet me there!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Eat In Month Challenge
I've noticed that when we MUST buckle down (like right before we were buying our house, or before Christmas shopping or when we want to make a bigger purchase), we are able to save a lot of money every month just by cutting back on how often we eat out. Why shouldn't we do that normally? Why should I throw my money away every month on food that makes me fat and sluggish?
For my birthday, my friend bought me this weekly planner and this Feed Me notepad and this food shopping notepad. All these are sure to help with menu planning and I've already been organizing and planning my meals for this week for when I go food shopping tomorrow night. Hopefully, by the end of this month, I will have developed some new habits which will help us save money, be healthier and lose weight! Wish me luck!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
101 in 1001 List
Sorry for two boring posts in a row. First my 2009 in review survey and then my 101 in 1001 list. But I just don't have it in me to write a real post today and this seemed like an easy way to keep posting without really having to do too much work since this list was made a year ago!
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. It presents the opportunity to learn and makes success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals.
5. Keep your goals in sight
My List as it stands today:
1. Master making a pie from scratch. Crust and all.
2. Eat at a restaurant alone.
3. Scrapbook my Paris and London trips.
4. Give blood.
5. Try at least 10 new foods. (4 down, 6 to go.)
6. Paint the downstairs of the house (or have it painted).
7. Learn to bake bread.
8. Donate old furniture to charity.
9. Buy reusable shopping bags and use those at the grocery store.
10. Go to the spa and get a massage.
11. Buy 5 "just because" gifts for people. (2 down, 3 to go.)
12. Lose 25 pounds.
13. Join the gym.
14. Go apple picking.
15. Finish a crossword puzzle without any help.
16. Make dinner 5/7 times a week instead of ordering out.
17. Get a promotion.
18. Brush up on my Spanish. (Learn the basics I would need if I were to go to a Spanish speaking country.)
19. Then go to Spain.
20. Have a margarita with N.
21. Grow an herb garden.
22. Go to Vegas.
23. Spend a day wandering around an art museum like I used to in high school/college.
24. Find a pair of jeans that fits me perfectly.
25. Go to the dentist.
26. Have a baby.
27. Plant flowers in the spring/summer and keep them alive for the season.
28. Have my girlfriends over for brunch.
29. Go to mass at least 3 Sundays out of 4 a month.
30. Read 100 books. (Not all just fluffy fiction either!!)
31. Be kind to people even when I angry with them at least three times.
32. Vote in non-presidential elections. (1 down 2 to go)
33. Stop taking the elevator at work.
34. Start going to the dermatologist every six months again. (I have A LOT of moles.)
35. Clean out my closet and donate all clothes that don't fit, etc.
36. Build a snowman with A.
37. Write thank you cards for all gifts received (even if from best friends who don't "require" a TY card).
38. Buy something fabulous at Anthropologie when I lose weight. (No matter the cost.)
39. Take my mom out for a fun day and try to avoid getting annoyed with her.
40. Pay off credit cards.
41. Buy a grill and patio set and use it regularly in the summer (hopefully enjoying the flowers I've planted and kept alive).
42. Have a "horrible movies that we love anyway" marathon with my brother.
43. Call home to talk to my dad instead of just my mom.
44. Invite friends to stay with us.
45. Learn how to find the Big Dipper without any help.
46. Learn how to understand the stock market.
47. Read a news website every day. (AND NOT THE ENTERTAINMENT SECTION!)
48. Go to a farmer's market.
49. Learn to cut my cat's nails.
50. Fix wall in bathroom.
51. Clean out garage so I can park my car in it.
52. Finish the basement.
53. Reconnect with one old friend that I've lost touch with.
54. Go to one book reading by an author.
55. Learn to make pierogi from scratch from my mom.
56. Get cholesterol checked.
57. Buy a fireproof box for important papers.
58. Use our fine china at least once a year. (2009 down, 2010 and 2011 to go)
59. Replace smoke alarms in our house.
60. Eat at four new places in Philly. (New to me, not new to the city.)
61. Improve my Polish vocabulary by reading one thing in Polish a week.
62. Accept a compliment without pointing out things that I did that weren't right
63. Visit the Barnes Museum before it moves to Philly (if they are still planning to move it, well visit it either way).
64. Bring champagne next time a friend has great news to celebrate.
65. Try absinthe.
66. Find a way to display Adam's shot glass collection.
67. Use my silicone bakeware. Don't be afraid, just take the plunge.
68. Have the courage to speak up next time someone is saying something unPC.
69. Spend one weekend without any internet access at all.
70. Do a 5K walk/run and raise money for it. (Raise at least $200 for it - it's my 1st one so I don't know how much to expect so I'll start slow.)
71. No snooze button for one week.
72. Buy one piece of art.
73. Have the mole on my scalp removed. (Have been too scared to do this for a while.)
74. See Wicked on Broadway.
75. Go to a concert with A.
76. Start a new family tradition with A.
77. Get my wedding band re-dipped. (It's white gold.)
78. Get all broken chains fixed by jeweler.
79. Start replacing our lightbulbs with energy efficient ones.
80. Take a bubble bath.
81. Request my credit report.
82. Unpack those last 5 or 6 boxes that have been stuffed in a closet since we moved in to our house.
83. Take a makeup lesson.
84. Play mini-golf, unsarcastically.
85. Go to the Hershey spa. (I've had a gift card forever. It's probably losing money by now.)
86. Buy two extra umbrellas and keep them stashed at work and in my car
87. Ask to speak to a manager to compliment good service rather than to complain.
88. Decorate every cake I make, even if it's just a cake I made for us to snack on.
89. Go to an Oktoberfest.
90. Go to a music festival.
91. Call the number to opt out of credit card offers.
92. Get a pedicure once a month during sandal season.
93. Sew the button back onto my bright pink coat. (Learn how to properly sew a button first.)
94. Send my grandmother some money.
95. Go to DC to see the cherry blossoms.
96. Spend a day without speaking.
97. Decorate outside of house for Christmas.
98. Buy/make curtains for the bedroom.
99. Get fitted for a bra. Oprah says I'm wearing the wrong size.
100. Master eating with chopsticks.
101. Make a new list of 101 things to do in the next 1001 days.
Start date: January 10, 2009
End date: October 8, 2011
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. It presents the opportunity to learn and makes success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals.
5. Keep your goals in sight
My List as it stands today:
1. Master making a pie from scratch. Crust and all.
2. Eat at a restaurant alone.
3. Scrapbook my Paris and London trips.
5. Try at least 10 new foods. (4 down, 6 to go.)
6. Paint the downstairs of the house (or have it painted).
7. Learn to bake bread.
8. Donate old furniture to charity.
10. Go to the spa and get a massage.
11. Buy 5 "just because" gifts for people. (2 down, 3 to go.)
12. Lose 25 pounds.
13. Join the gym.
14. Go apple picking.
16. Make dinner 5/7 times a week instead of ordering out.
18. Brush up on my Spanish. (Learn the basics I would need if I were to go to a Spanish speaking country.)
19. Then go to Spain.
21. Grow an herb garden.
22. Go to Vegas.
23. Spend a day wandering around an art museum like I used to in high school/college.
24. Find a pair of jeans that fits me perfectly.
25. Go to the dentist.
26. Have a baby.
27. Plant flowers in the spring/summer and keep them alive for the season.
29. Go to mass at least 3 Sundays out of 4 a month.
30. Read 100 books. (Not all just fluffy fiction either!!)
31. Be kind to people even when I angry with them at least three times.
32. Vote in non-presidential elections. (1 down 2 to go)
33. Stop taking the elevator at work.
34. Start going to the dermatologist every six months again. (I have A LOT of moles.)
35. Clean out my closet and donate all clothes that don't fit, etc.
36. Build a snowman with A.
37. Write thank you cards for all gifts received (even if from best friends who don't "require" a TY card).
38. Buy something fabulous at Anthropologie when I lose weight. (No matter the cost.)
39. Take my mom out for a fun day and try to avoid getting annoyed with her.
40. Pay off credit cards.
41. Buy a grill and patio set and use it regularly in the summer (hopefully enjoying the flowers I've planted and kept alive).
42. Have a "horrible movies that we love anyway" marathon with my brother.
43. Call home to talk to my dad instead of just my mom.
44. Invite friends to stay with us.
45. Learn how to find the Big Dipper without any help.
46. Learn how to understand the stock market.
47. Read a news website every day. (AND NOT THE ENTERTAINMENT SECTION!)
49. Learn to cut my cat's nails.
50. Fix wall in bathroom.
51. Clean out garage so I can park my car in it.
52. Finish the basement.
53. Reconnect with one old friend that I've lost touch with.
54. Go to one book reading by an author.
55. Learn to make pierogi from scratch from my mom.
56. Get cholesterol checked.
57. Buy a fireproof box for important papers.
58. Use our fine china at least once a year. (2009 down, 2010 and 2011 to go)
59. Replace smoke alarms in our house.
60. Eat at four new places in Philly. (New to me, not new to the city.)
61. Improve my Polish vocabulary by reading one thing in Polish a week.
62. Accept a compliment without pointing out things that I did that weren't right
63. Visit the Barnes Museum before it moves to Philly (if they are still planning to move it, well visit it either way).
65. Try absinthe.
66. Find a way to display Adam's shot glass collection.
67. Use my silicone bakeware. Don't be afraid, just take the plunge.
68. Have the courage to speak up next time someone is saying something unPC.
69. Spend one weekend without any internet access at all.
70. Do a 5K walk/run and raise money for it. (Raise at least $200 for it - it's my 1st one so I don't know how much to expect so I'll start slow.)
71. No snooze button for one week.
72. Buy one piece of art.
73. Have the mole on my scalp removed. (Have been too scared to do this for a while.)
74. See Wicked on Broadway.
76. Start a new family tradition with A.
77. Get my wedding band re-dipped. (It's white gold.)
78. Get all broken chains fixed by jeweler.
79. Start replacing our lightbulbs with energy efficient ones.
80. Take a bubble bath.
81. Request my credit report.
82. Unpack those last 5 or 6 boxes that have been stuffed in a closet since we moved in to our house.
83. Take a makeup lesson.
84. Play mini-golf, unsarcastically.
85. Go to the Hershey spa. (I've had a gift card forever. It's probably losing money by now.)
86. Buy two extra umbrellas and keep them stashed at work and in my car
87. Ask to speak to a manager to compliment good service rather than to complain.
88. Decorate every cake I make, even if it's just a cake I made for us to snack on.
89. Go to an Oktoberfest.
91. Call the number to opt out of credit card offers.
92. Get a pedicure once a month during sandal season.
93. Sew the button back onto my bright pink coat. (Learn how to properly sew a button first.)
94. Send my grandmother some money.
95. Go to DC to see the cherry blossoms.
96. Spend a day without speaking.
97. Decorate outside of house for Christmas.
98. Buy/make curtains for the bedroom.
99. Get fitted for a bra. Oprah says I'm wearing the wrong size.
100. Master eating with chopsticks.
101. Make a new list of 101 things to do in the next 1001 days.
Start date: January 10, 2009
End date: October 8, 2011
2009 Year in Review
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Went to Amsterdam which was the best trip I've ever taken so far!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I make 1000 resolutions every year and I never keep them. I started off last year by making resolutions but that didn't go so well so instead I ended up making a 101 in 1001 list mid January and I've been doing well ticking things off that list. I will have to move that over from my LJ and post it on here.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Three friends. And many more found out they were pregnant.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thankfully.
5. What countries did you visit?
The Netherlands.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A baby.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day I found out that I will most likely not be able to have a baby with my husband.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a promotion.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Losing touch with friends because I got too wrapped up with my own issues. I plan on changing that for 2010.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Mild PCOS. Does that count? The doctor did tell me that I MUST change my eating habits and start exercising more because I'm close to being prediabetic.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Kindle. LOVE IT.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband's. He has been a rock through this infertility process and he's the one who should be more upset and need comforting. Instead I'm the one wailing about the end of the world and he's comforting me.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Jon and Kate. But mostly Jon. Also, those parents of the Balloon Boy. I have a list as long as my arm really but a) we'd be here all night and b)I'd start to get upset at the horrible people that are out there.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, bills, BORING stuff like that.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My SIL getting engaged. My trip to Amsterdam.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Pretty much any song on the Glee soundtrack but I guess Don't Stop Believing. I must have listened to that a million times!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?
Sadder, fatter and poorer. Yikes. For the second year in a row! I have got to do something about this. Am I the saddest sack on the planet? Don't answer. I know I'm not. Must stop wallowing in self pity. Also, must stop typing as if I'm living Bridget Jones's Diary.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise. GET OUT IN THE WORLD instead of sitting on Facebook all freaking day.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying. I think I'm going to start to get worry lines!
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve with my family.
Christmas Day with my husband's (oh, that's going to get tedious. Let's call him A) dad's family.
Christmas 2 Days Later with A's mom's side of the family at our house. This is the second Christmas I've hosted and I love it! It's so fun even if there is stress in the preparation stages.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Stayed in love. Also fell even more in love with men who will never return my affections like Anderson Cooper and Neil Patrick Harris.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Oh there are too many to count. You don't even want to see my DVR. It's always recording something. Love Glee, Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother, Amazing Race, Community, The Office, Big Love (which is coming back soon!!!), True Blood... oh gosh I could go on for hours.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.
24. What was the best book you read?
Oh - do I have to pick one? The one I've recommended most to people is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Are you looking for a light, easy read with characters you can fall in love with and wish you could be part of their lives? This is it! Read it now.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The National. Oh my God, a hundred times over. The National. I love them. We saw them at All Points West this year and I love them so much. I can't get over how awesome their music is. And the lead singer is so amazing. If you saw a picture, you wouldn't be impressed but the man has stage presence!
26. What did you want and get?
A Kindle. My new David Yurman ring that A got me for Christmas. LOVE.
27. What did you want and not get?
A baby. (Man, does this get repetitive. I want to shut myself up.)
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hmmm... I think I only saw one movie in the theater this year and that was Julie and Julia. As with the books, I was not impressed with the Julie side but LOVED the Julia side. Oh wait, we saw Star Trek too. That was pretty good, too. I'm not a huge Star Trek fan but it was enjoyable.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31 and celebrated with dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant with A and the most amazing tres leches cake you've ever had. YUM.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Does anyone want to guess my answer to this?
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Whatever would fit my ever expanding ass.
32. What kept you sane?
A. Caffeine. Chocolate. My friends and family.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh this is hard to pick. You've got my favs like Anderson Cooper and NPH. But then you've got the guy from The National. Also, John Krasinski!! Hello! Isn't it enough that I had to pick one man to settle down with? Don't make me play favorites with my imaginary boyfriends!
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage.
35. Who did you miss?
No one springs to mind. If I missed someone, I made an effort to do something about it this year.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
I didn't really meet anyone new that I became friends with. I am thrilled with the table of people we sat with at the wedding we went to in FL that made it the most fun wedding ever!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
It doesn't matter what you had planned and how it didn't work out like you wanted it too. Life is going to go on without you and you just have to pick yourself up and move with it.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I know it's an old song but:
I'm not afraid of anything in this world
There's nothing you can throw at me that I haven't already heard
I'm just trying to find a decent melody
A song that I can sing in my own company
I never thought you were a fool
But darling, look at you
You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight
These tears are going nowhere, baby
You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment and now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
-U2
Went to Amsterdam which was the best trip I've ever taken so far!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I make 1000 resolutions every year and I never keep them. I started off last year by making resolutions but that didn't go so well so instead I ended up making a 101 in 1001 list mid January and I've been doing well ticking things off that list. I will have to move that over from my LJ and post it on here.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Three friends. And many more found out they were pregnant.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thankfully.
5. What countries did you visit?
The Netherlands.
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A baby.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day I found out that I will most likely not be able to have a baby with my husband.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a promotion.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Losing touch with friends because I got too wrapped up with my own issues. I plan on changing that for 2010.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Mild PCOS. Does that count? The doctor did tell me that I MUST change my eating habits and start exercising more because I'm close to being prediabetic.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Kindle. LOVE IT.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband's. He has been a rock through this infertility process and he's the one who should be more upset and need comforting. Instead I'm the one wailing about the end of the world and he's comforting me.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Jon and Kate. But mostly Jon. Also, those parents of the Balloon Boy. I have a list as long as my arm really but a) we'd be here all night and b)I'd start to get upset at the horrible people that are out there.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, bills, BORING stuff like that.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My SIL getting engaged. My trip to Amsterdam.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Pretty much any song on the Glee soundtrack but I guess Don't Stop Believing. I must have listened to that a million times!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?
Sadder, fatter and poorer. Yikes. For the second year in a row! I have got to do something about this. Am I the saddest sack on the planet? Don't answer. I know I'm not. Must stop wallowing in self pity. Also, must stop typing as if I'm living Bridget Jones's Diary.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise. GET OUT IN THE WORLD instead of sitting on Facebook all freaking day.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying. I think I'm going to start to get worry lines!
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve with my family.
Christmas Day with my husband's (oh, that's going to get tedious. Let's call him A) dad's family.
Christmas 2 Days Later with A's mom's side of the family at our house. This is the second Christmas I've hosted and I love it! It's so fun even if there is stress in the preparation stages.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Stayed in love. Also fell even more in love with men who will never return my affections like Anderson Cooper and Neil Patrick Harris.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Oh there are too many to count. You don't even want to see my DVR. It's always recording something. Love Glee, Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother, Amazing Race, Community, The Office, Big Love (which is coming back soon!!!), True Blood... oh gosh I could go on for hours.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No.
24. What was the best book you read?
Oh - do I have to pick one? The one I've recommended most to people is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Are you looking for a light, easy read with characters you can fall in love with and wish you could be part of their lives? This is it! Read it now.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The National. Oh my God, a hundred times over. The National. I love them. We saw them at All Points West this year and I love them so much. I can't get over how awesome their music is. And the lead singer is so amazing. If you saw a picture, you wouldn't be impressed but the man has stage presence!
26. What did you want and get?
A Kindle. My new David Yurman ring that A got me for Christmas. LOVE.
27. What did you want and not get?
A baby. (Man, does this get repetitive. I want to shut myself up.)
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hmmm... I think I only saw one movie in the theater this year and that was Julie and Julia. As with the books, I was not impressed with the Julie side but LOVED the Julia side. Oh wait, we saw Star Trek too. That was pretty good, too. I'm not a huge Star Trek fan but it was enjoyable.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31 and celebrated with dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant with A and the most amazing tres leches cake you've ever had. YUM.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Does anyone want to guess my answer to this?
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Whatever would fit my ever expanding ass.
32. What kept you sane?
A. Caffeine. Chocolate. My friends and family.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh this is hard to pick. You've got my favs like Anderson Cooper and NPH. But then you've got the guy from The National. Also, John Krasinski!! Hello! Isn't it enough that I had to pick one man to settle down with? Don't make me play favorites with my imaginary boyfriends!
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay marriage.
35. Who did you miss?
No one springs to mind. If I missed someone, I made an effort to do something about it this year.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
I didn't really meet anyone new that I became friends with. I am thrilled with the table of people we sat with at the wedding we went to in FL that made it the most fun wedding ever!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
It doesn't matter what you had planned and how it didn't work out like you wanted it too. Life is going to go on without you and you just have to pick yourself up and move with it.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I know it's an old song but:
I'm not afraid of anything in this world
There's nothing you can throw at me that I haven't already heard
I'm just trying to find a decent melody
A song that I can sing in my own company
I never thought you were a fool
But darling, look at you
You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight
These tears are going nowhere, baby
You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment and now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
-U2
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy 2010!
I can never decide what I love most. Back to school season or a new year. There is something about a clean slate that is just SO appealing to me. The thought that all the mistakes you made and all the things you didn't do were just part of your past and now you were starting anew with a shiny new future ahead of you.
It's the same reason why I love a brand new notebook. Do you know that sometimes if I start a new notebook and I don't like how what I wrote on the first page looks, I'll rip out that page and start again? I wouldn't want to start the new notebook on a bad note. I do the same thing with my to do lists sometimes too. If the to do list doesn't look pretty, then what is the point?
However, my least favorite thing about starting a new year is that New Year's Day is just right after New Year's Eve. Don't get me wrong. I'm not an idiot. I understand how it works. But I don't understand how anyone is expected to start their resolutions and be all happy and shiny for the new year when you just spent the night before boozing it up with champagne and staying up past midnight!
I woke up super late today (noon!) to the following:
It's the same reason why I love a brand new notebook. Do you know that sometimes if I start a new notebook and I don't like how what I wrote on the first page looks, I'll rip out that page and start again? I wouldn't want to start the new notebook on a bad note. I do the same thing with my to do lists sometimes too. If the to do list doesn't look pretty, then what is the point?
However, my least favorite thing about starting a new year is that New Year's Day is just right after New Year's Eve. Don't get me wrong. I'm not an idiot. I understand how it works. But I don't understand how anyone is expected to start their resolutions and be all happy and shiny for the new year when you just spent the night before boozing it up with champagne and staying up past midnight!
I woke up super late today (noon!) to the following:
- A fridge full of fatty-fatty leftovers from the party we threw last night
- Sticky counters from where the boys were mixing drinks
- Champagne glasses half full scattered around (some sticking to the sticky counters)
- A FULL sink of dishes that I was too exhausted to put in the dishwasher last night
- Cat puke on the carpet
Lovely. Just lovely.
So it's now nearly five. I'm still in my pjs. I've taken care of stuff above but really? Does this sound like the stellar beginning of a new year? I think I'm going to postpone my New Year start to Monday. It's the day I have to go back to work (I've been off since the 18th) and the day reality starts again. So why not just enjoy the weekend and face 2010 then?
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
This is to be my symphony
William Henry Channing's "Symphony" is something that has always stuck with me from the very first time I read it:
"To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich;
To study hard, think quietly,
talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds,
to babes and sages, with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely,
await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony."
It always struck me as something that I should aspire to but something I've always had problems with. I'm not really one for bearing all cheerfully. In fact, one of my favorites things in the world to do is vent about my issues over a breakfast sandwich and coffee in a diner. And awaiting occasions isn't really my thing either - I have limited patience and like Veruca Salt, want EVERYTHING now.
I turned 31 recently and when I looked at my life, I realized that nothing was like how I thought it was going to be. I'm 31. I thought that my life would be together by now. That I'd feel like an adult. But I don't. If this is supposed to be my symphony, it's got a pretty mediocre start.
I feel like at work I'm this very together person. People come to me asking me questions on how to do things and where to find things. I know what I'm doing there and am in control. And then at home, I'm a mess. I'm terrible at "keeping a house" and my husband and I live off of take out. We're having trouble having a baby, and that just makes me grumpy and makes me want to do things around the house and cook even less. But I'm 31! Isn't it time for me to act like an adult? At least SOMEWHAT. I realize there is value in staying young at heart, but I don't think that means living like a 23 year old frat boy.
So I've decided that 2010 is going to be a time of change. It seems like a really good year to start to turn things around, right? It's such a nice even number and everything! So this is my year to turn it around. And I better do it soon because if we ever are able to have a kid, I'd like to think that I will be able to take care of myself AND the baby. And maybe if I'm writing it all down for the world to see, then maybe I will be able to keep a positive spin on it. So here goes nothing...
"To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not rich;
To study hard, think quietly,
talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds,
to babes and sages, with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely,
await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony."
It always struck me as something that I should aspire to but something I've always had problems with. I'm not really one for bearing all cheerfully. In fact, one of my favorites things in the world to do is vent about my issues over a breakfast sandwich and coffee in a diner. And awaiting occasions isn't really my thing either - I have limited patience and like Veruca Salt, want EVERYTHING now.
I turned 31 recently and when I looked at my life, I realized that nothing was like how I thought it was going to be. I'm 31. I thought that my life would be together by now. That I'd feel like an adult. But I don't. If this is supposed to be my symphony, it's got a pretty mediocre start.
I feel like at work I'm this very together person. People come to me asking me questions on how to do things and where to find things. I know what I'm doing there and am in control. And then at home, I'm a mess. I'm terrible at "keeping a house" and my husband and I live off of take out. We're having trouble having a baby, and that just makes me grumpy and makes me want to do things around the house and cook even less. But I'm 31! Isn't it time for me to act like an adult? At least SOMEWHAT. I realize there is value in staying young at heart, but I don't think that means living like a 23 year old frat boy.
So I've decided that 2010 is going to be a time of change. It seems like a really good year to start to turn things around, right? It's such a nice even number and everything! So this is my year to turn it around. And I better do it soon because if we ever are able to have a kid, I'd like to think that I will be able to take care of myself AND the baby. And maybe if I'm writing it all down for the world to see, then maybe I will be able to keep a positive spin on it. So here goes nothing...
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