Life as a Lefthander

In Other News...

2012-01-28T08:02:00.002-05:00

I inherit a mattress from my brother tomorrow.

I moved my current (soon-to-be guest) bed to my third floor last week.

Do you know how often you want to sit on your bed? Do you know how easy it is to realize that number when you're doing normal bedroom activities and don't have a bed for them (NBAs being: trying to put on shoes; laying out an outfit for work; sitting to watch and absorb a particularly interesting AM news story on the difference between sheep-to-shawl and shear-to-shawl).

Kidding on that last one, but, as an aside, I didn't realize how many weaving competitions went on at the state farm show and how pissed off high schoolers get when they have to explain that one is NOTHING LIKE the other (except, to the non-weaver, it is TOTALLY like the other one, just with less sheep shearing).

Endless Loop

2012-01-23T19:06:00.002-05:00

I am trying to figure out my dosing for xanax.

I got a prescription after spending ten days in an almost continual panic attack. My doctor's script was for three pills a day, which I thought was entirely too much.

Except...do you know what's worse than anti-anxiety medication? Panicking through a dose of said anti-anxiety medication.

Apparently, my doctor was right. I'm finally relaxing, after my recommended dose.

The down side, for me, is that I'm not entirely sure what is causing the panic attacks. I thought medically arresting them would help me logically get to the root cause. However, the best that I can come up with is that I'm crazy and my brain is getting sicker with age.

Right now, I'm really nervous about ending up like that actress from Superman. But, because I'm mellowed from the meds, at the same time I'm also feeling kind of hakuna Matata about the possibility.

I don't like it.

The Name Again is Mr. Plow

2012-01-21T06:20:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning to (what I thought was) the sound of someone stealing a dumpster from my development -- metal scraping on pavement.

In actuality, it was a snow plow, plowing the accumulation that we were expected to receive, but that I thought my new car purchase would ward off.

Especially since my new car apparently has an option for a snow plow attachment. (which I would totally get except that I would have no place to store it during the 360 days that it does not snow around here).

So, for today, I guess I'll just have to amuse myself by tying a snow shovel to the front of my car. Ohhhh yeahhhh!

Word to the Wise (Man)

2012-01-11T21:41:00.001-05:00

If you make jokes about being in your Messianic Year, and that you have the wisdom of Jesus and His ability to turn water into wine, don't be surprised to come home to a carpentry project.

Well played, Sir.

Ain't It Funny

2012-01-10T05:20:00.003-05:00

Almost forgot this funny story about the new car experience.

My friend and I were reviewing the specs of the new car, one of which is keyless entry.

"This will be the first time in my life that I've owned a car with keyless entry," I explained.

"What's keyless entry?" my friend asked.

"The doot-doot button. I've never had a car with a doot-doot button."

Since keyless entry is almost standard now (a $1,400 upgrade for any of my previous economy vehicles), I think the fact that I'd never owned a car with keyless entry made my friend think it was something exotic. We also test-drove a car with keyless ignition, which was just crazy. I don't see the point in paying extra for something that leaves you carless in the event that the battery in your key fob goes dead.

Although, perhaps what was funnier is that keyless start fobs can include a key...but one that apparently only gets you inside the car. I guess that's so you can look at all of your cool controls that don't work because you don't have a $1 battery.

And, there's that

2012-01-09T20:17:00.002-05:00

I have a new car now.

I went to a local dealership with a friend to start the test-drive process. Which ended, surprisingly, in the purchase process.

I'm going through a bit of a mourning process for my current (soon to be old) car. Don't know what you got until it's gone and all that. My friend's husband works at the dealership and she asked him to spray extra new car smell in this new-to-me car.

My old car looks like a cracker jack toy compared to my new car. It also probably guarantees that we'll have mild winters for the next ten years.

Life Transformation: Low Hanging Fruit Edition

2012-01-08T20:57:00.002-05:00

I've started looking for a new car.

Since I bought a house in a development that needs to be plowed before I can get to the main road, I have had panic attacks during snow storms. I'm finally taking initiative to get a new vehicle -- one that can easily navigate the snow.

I'm a bit nervous about dipping into my emergency fund for this, but hopefully something will work out for me.

2012

2012-01-05T05:58:00.002-05:00

If the Mayans are correct and this is the end of the world, perhaps I'm a little late to the game with these resolutions.

This year I'm trying to work on patience and on making a full examination of my life to see what other changes need to be made.

Having such a robust and vague goal lead to the expected panic attacks. Five days and counting.

Of course, another contributing factor to my attacks has been my paranoia over laughing at work. I was written up in my annual review for having an unprofessional laugh. I don't know how to "fix" that, aside from not laughing around anyone who would report me. So, at present, i've just been very self-conscious and ill over the whole thing. Now that I'm more aware of when I laugh at work, I realize I don't do it that often. But, that once or twice in 8 hours, right now, makes me almost vomit or hyperventilate.

The Money Post

2011-12-28T19:28:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I received my settlement for foreign exchange fees on my credit cards. The settlement took so long, I'm not even sure that I have the cards the original charges were made on!

I also put together my 2012 budget. I compared my mortgage pay down to my regular amortization and found out I'm paid up 6 years in advance. Here's to another 5 years chopped off through 2012! (I had read that paying just the next month's principal as your "extra" can cut your repayment time in half. Looks like that theory is holding true!)

And, unrelated, my goals for next year are to improve my patience. I'm going to work on that by seeing if I have enough patience to properly pin-set my hair. I would also like to have a better 2012 than 2011. I don't have a specific plan to make that happen. I've just had some feelings that 2012 will be better than this past year.

Hmmm....

2011-12-17T07:51:00.002-05:00

Last year, I declined a termite inspection of the upper floors of my house because a) I wasn't demonstrating any termite activity and b) my upstairs wasn't clean.

This year, I rushed to straighten my upper floors for the upper floor inspection. Part of me wondered if the inspection were some sort of serial killer ploy. But, I needed to clean anyway, so...if I were going to be killed at least the crime scene photos would be Architecture Digest-worthy.

I had a different inspector, who did not ask about second floor termites. I didn't know how to broach the subject of second floor termites without seeming like a serial killer myself, so my upstairs remained clean, but uninspected.

Just Saying

2011-12-06T16:49:00.001-05:00

There's something incredibly heartwarming about a friend thinking that the only reason a guy won't go out with you is because he's gay.

First Trip to the Sal

2011-12-03T12:40:00.002-05:00

I dropped off my annual donation to the local Salvation Army. Since I have an Ugly Sweater party coming up, I went inside to see what the store had to offer.

Surprisingly, not a lot of ugly sweaters.

BUT, I hit jackpot with this sweater with awake owls on one side, sleeping owls on the other, and bead details on the sleeves. It was $5 and heavily worn (I have to do some repair work), BUT I also got a cute, barely-worn pair of pink cords for $2.50. I was looking for a pair of pants to finish the story of my owl sweater. I lucked into something I can actually wear beyond my ugly sweater costume.

Mentally, I'm swapping the prices.

Extreme couponing

2011-11-27T13:04:00.002-05:00

I bought wine with coupons...and still got carded.

I resisted the urge to point out that I was buying liquor with COUPONS when I was asked for ID. I guess saving money is so chic now that everyone is doing it :-P

Almost Made It Past Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:26:00.002-05:00

I put my Christmas tree up last night.

I saw that some of my Facebook friends were doing similar and that was all the peer pressure I needed. HEY! I survived the snowstorm of Halloween without putting it up; I think I did pretty well.

Since I traveled to Colorado this past year, I added a few more ornaments to my "Nerd Tree." Each place I go, I try to get some (brass or pewter) ornament of a historical site in that area.

I have a lot of memories on my tree now. It always makes me a little sad that I only have about a month to enjoy them out on display. However, I don't want to be one of those people who keeps a Christmas tree all year long.

Thanksgiving Memories

2011-11-23T15:13:00.002-05:00

For Thanksgiving tomorrow, I prepared homemade cole slaw. The grating process and the smell of shredded cabbage brought me back to my Nana's house and helping with family meals during visits. Except...I don't remember growing as fatigued as quickly grating vegetables 20 years ago :-)

My mom insisted that it was OK if I bought cole slaw (fully prepared store-bought), but I think she's pleased that I'm making it the way I remembered (with some ingredient assistance from the Internet).

Christmas Again

2011-11-22T04:27:00.003-05:00

...in my stock portfolio.

I spent the weekend consolidating all of my different positions into a single spreadsheet so I can see where the strengths and weaknesses are of my portfolio.

What that meant in general was a lot of Christmas on the page.

I can't help but look at the values every day (I recently Dr Pepper stock and I have a six-month infatuation period with any new stock purchase).

Speaking of Stocks
A friend and I were talking about time machines (specifically Hot Tub Time Machine) and the ability to be independently wealthy if we knew then what we know now (ie Google IPO would start at $100, peak at $1,000 and still be profitable today).

I originally made the statement "I would have invested EVERYTHING in such and such companies!" Except, thinking back on all of the great buys I missed over the last 10 - 15 years, I didn't have a lot of money to invest. Sure, Google had a meteoric rise, but when I invested at that time, it was with the money that I had available to invest. Could I have invested MORE? Sooner? Sure. But, when Google was on its rise, I was wondering if I would have a job, since my boss had put me on 60-day notice, and how I would be able to afford rent. Google needed an almost instant turnaround to help me.

So, just as with education, I have to be happy with what I have. I lucked into some good buys over the years. Nothing to allow me to buy my own private island or become the next Warren Buffet, but enough to let me see that sometimes I can catch lightning in a bottle.

New Emergency Plan

2011-11-16T04:43:00.003-05:00

After orchestra, I saw that I had 5 missed calls, 3 of which were from my sister.

In a row.

Which could only mean one thing.

My niece got a hold of my sister's cell phone.

Whenever I'm my sister's last call, I end up being my niece's first call. However, since my niece doesn't really know how to use the phone, whenever I answer, I hear the equivalent of a butt dial: ambient noise.

I called my sister and joked, "What are you doing to my niece? She called me 3 times for a rescue!"

Then we both realized that we needed some sort of a signal in the event that my sister would call me during an emergency where she couldn't speak. I would just assume I was being called by a 2-year-old.

The Quest for a Signature Scent

2011-11-11T09:31:00.003-05:00

Lately my life has been a quest for self-improvement on various fronts.

This is mostly manifesting itself in obsessive cleaning and organization of my home.

But, of late, it is also turning my energies toward obtaining a signature scent.

I told this to a friend, who thought it was an interesting goal. . .until I explained "Part 2": My signature scent has to come in a cool bottle.

"No one is going to smell the bottle," she reminded me.

Yes, but if I'm paying $45+ for a signature scent, I want something cool to look at every day.

We spent a lunch hour smelling magazine perfume samples so I could narrow down my scent profile.

At the end of the hour, I didn't have a signature scent, but I did have a hankering to buy a ton of scratch-n-sniff stickers. Most of the perfume samples that I smelled were either reminiscent of the candy-scented "Good Job!" sticker of my youth or the football one.

There was one scent that smelled like the skunk sticker and, because of my warm memories of times past, I was ALMOST tempted to explore it further as my signature scent. Nostalgia is a cruel master!

Stressful Weekend

2011-10-31T05:15:00.003-04:00

Mice are back with a vengeance. I heard loud activity early Saturday AM. I assumed it was a mouse trapped in the wall unable to get out. However, yesterday when I checked my bait boxes, I found a lot of wood chips/shavings in the bait box, indicating that the animals are now in the "destroying things" phase.

I'm nervous about that and am not quite sure what my options are. I'm debating going with a different exterminator, but I don't know if that will make a difference. Right now I have traps inside my wall and a sibling lined up to assist with any rodent removal.

To make things WORSE, a bird looked like it was dying on my patio yesterday morning. I'm guessing that it slammed into the glass while I was at church. I called my brother to get rid of it, since I thought it was going to be dead soon. Thankfully, it recovered by the time he got to my house and it had flown/hobbled away by the time we were done with breakfast.

And I thought I would have earned some Good Karma related to animals. On Friday, I stopped two boys from beating a couple of small dogs with a tree branch. :-/

Bits of Random

2011-10-28T05:52:00.002-04:00

* I just looked at my published blog. Apparently trying to use my ipod with the new blogger format was NOT working.

* I had a day off on Wednesday that coincided with a server hiccup for our company Blackberry mail server. I couldn't check in with work, and it made for a much more relaxing day. I find I do better when I'm disconnected.

* I got to spend a few days with both of my nieces (East and West Coast). I thought that hanging out with a 2- and a 1-year-old is what was making me bone-tired all week. However, now I'm thinking it's a seasonal cold.

* I continue to be frustrated by the lack of objective journalism in this country. It is difficult for me to find writers who write the facts - both sides - in an unbiased way that allows YOU to form your own opinion. Occupy Wall Street is the latest frustration in this ongoing saga. (Granted, it's also really complex and possibly Seinfeld-esque (a protest about nothing? Who does that?))

Taking Applications for a Rent-a-Husband

2011-10-18T20:44:00.002-04:00

This afternoon, I took the highway to an offsite meeting.

Partway there, I slowed so an idiot could cross THE HIGHWAY. Of course, another idiot (in a car) swerved around me to pass.

Unnerved, I continued on, only to be shaken AGAIN when it appeared that someone chucked a chunk of macadam at my windshield.

I took a breath, thankful that the windshield hadn't cracked and wondering who would throw rocks at my car.

Then I saw blood (and realized the need for the rent-a-husband). Apparently, a bird must have hitmy windshield.

Thankfully, its faceplant resulted in some blood and yellow weirdness smeared on my windshield, but NOT an actual animal stuck to my car (which would have required someone besides me to take care of that s---!)

But, I could still use someone to clean the carnage off of my car.

Check one off my life list

2011-10-18T04:45:00.002-04:00

I made homemade steak tartare last night...and lived!

I still feel like I'm digesting a gut bomb, but I'm alive.

(Not that it is that much of a surprise, since the meat is mixed in an acidic solution, which mildly sears the steak.)

Food Poisoning

2011-10-11T21:26:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I ate a sandwich with bad mayo.

I felt queasy, so I skipped my orchestra practice. I called my sister, a nurse, and asked if I could eat a medicinal meal at her house, under medical supervision.

In short, free food and a beer to kill whatever I had ingested.

My sister agreed to a homemade meal and a curative.

However, on my way to her house, I received a call. "I don't feel like cooking. Can you pick up a pizza instead? Oh, and I don't have any money, so can you pay for it, too?"

I asked her to order a pizza with restorative ingredients (ie garlic), chastised her for asking ME to pick up food when I felt like I might throw up at any minute, and headed over to pick up the pizza.

At least I ate under medical supervision and had a curative.

North and South

2011-10-08T14:31:00.003-04:00

I had an opportunity last month to have dinner with an interesting cross-section of people.
One woman was from Georgia.
One topic of conversation was Paul Giamatti.

One of my dinner companions asked what the actor looked like. Specifically, is he good looking?

The diner from Georgia's response began with a lot of hemming and hawing.

My response started with "He's middle-aged, bald and kinda paunchy. He's not what one would call traditionally handsome."

I envy the Southern politeness. But, I'm raised to get to the point.

Bits of Random

2011-10-02T09:59:00.001-04:00

* I've cleaned my house for the first time in a few weeks. (I've finally had a chance to take a breath after a very busy September) Cleaning always puts me in such a better mental state!* Last night at church, I taught my niece the "Shh!" sign. She used it profusely...to indicate exactly when she was going to be loud. (First the "Shh!," followed by shouting whatever I would have shhh'ed her for)* I'm still striving to be average at golf -- both mentally (stepping down) and physically (ramping up). Confused? Mentally, I want to be Tiger Woods. Physically, I'm not. I think the trick to playing my best is to just go at the game as if I were playing to "have fun." (Quoted because, yes, at times this feels like a foreign concept to me)* Speaking of golf, I'm a bit bummed that my normal Sunday AM routine has been disrupted. Due to a large concert today, I can't get to the golf course where I normally practice on Sunday AMs.* Also speaking of golf, this past Friday I played in my new brown golf pants. I'm not sure if I wrote about these pants, but the inseam was a little long. I asked my sister, who was with my when I was shopping, if the pants hem looked too long. "Not if you wear heels," she commented, not remembering that I was shopping for golf pants. Turns out, the hem was long and every hole, I was ripping the hem on my golf spikes and wishing that there were such a thing as golf heels, or at least golf platforms! Hemming golf pants seems so high maintenance.

Type A - Type B

2011-09-22T17:03:00.002-04:00

My sister and I have a new scheme going.It started two weeks ago, when I accidentally requested a 5% off my next grocery order coupon instead of a gas discount. To make the 5% equate to the gas discount I would have received, I had to spend $60 in groceries. Unfortunately, to get the points to get the discount, I had already spent $60 the previous week. I just don't consume enough to spend that amount on a regular basis. Generally, my grocery bills are about $20 - $25/week.So, I called my sister to see if she wanted to partner shop.Thus, the scheme began.Now, we both have $8 off a $40 order coupon. She buys a ton of groceries. I buy about $20 - $25. If we pool our orders, we both get the benefits of our coupons.She called me to propose the grocery partnership again.I agreed."Will you have a list?" she asked.Normally my entire life is a list. However, as I explained to her, with grocery shopping, I walk through the store and let the store speak to me. I buy where the wind takes me. . .or something like that.Truthfully, I normally only need to cook one meal to last the week, so it's not like I have to really meal plan and create a list. I just have to know what I'm hungry for on grocery day that I can also stand to eat for the next seven days."PLEASE have a list," she said. Not because I dawdle through the grocery store without one, but because, in matters of the grocery store, SHE is the OCD Type A personality.I told her that I would see what happens. If I am going off of a recipe, then I'll need a list. However, she needs to be prepared with the coping skills necessary to survive a grocery trip without a list.Considering I forgot my Food Network Magazine at the office, which is where I was going to look for recipes (which might require a list), she's probably going to need them.

Finally did it

2011-09-10T10:10:00.001-04:00

I've been a Dr Pepper fan forever; however, I don't drink soda, so I don't drink it.Now, I OWN it. I don't know why it took me so long to do it. I have a very small position in the company. Actually, I do know why it took me so long to take the plunge: I hate making emotional stock buys. Even my small position in the company is Real Money. But, with markets going the way that they are now, even the #3 beverage maker in the US is a good buy (and hold), especially with its dividend. The fundamentals of the company are strong and, while it's not diversified into other areas like Pepsi-Frito Lay, I think I did OK.Of course, this also means I'll be buying my family cases of Clamato for Christmas...gotta boost that stock price :-)I guess I should give an obligatory "I am not a professional financial planner or investor. The mistakes I make with my money are my problem. If you choose to invest in DPS based on my lifelong obsession with Dr Pepper--that's your problem!"

Belts

2011-09-08T05:23:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago, I took a chance and bought a pair of golf shorts online. In the reviews of the shorts, they were noted to run between one and two sizes too large.

Unfortunately, they only had one size down from my normal size. Two sizes down was completely sold out, which, in hindsight, should have told me something.

The shorts were two sizes too big. However, they "work" as long as I wear a belt with them. The shorts are black; my only black belt is a punk belt cool in the 1990s and inappropriate for the golf course.

So, suddenly my sale shorts were less of a sale, since I had to buy a new belt to go with them.

"How often do I even wear a belt?" I lamented. "This is such a waste of money."

Fast forward to today, my first Habitat for Humanity build day. I need a belt for my jeans. I don't want to wear my "golf belt" because I'm afraid it will get ruined, so I'm wearing one of my other belts from high school/college.

Oh, what a reminder of the fact that 10 years was about 30 pounds ago! Now, all of a sudden, I'm realizing that I need bigger belts.

Still crazy after all these years

2011-09-04T08:15:00.002-04:00

"You look like you lost weight," my mom said to me yesterday at dinner.

I immediately bristled. Weight is a sensitive topic for me. The last time we had this conversation, it was Easter 1996. Four months later, I was hospitalized.

"I know you're sensitive about that," she continued. "But you look good."

At book club this same week, I was told that I was "too skinny." It was a ladies' chide based on the fact that I was wearing loose-fitting pants.

I can't publically admit the reason that I've lost weight -- depression and anxiety. I pin the loss (about five pounds) on going to the gym more regularly. I have been going more regularly (you can't believe how surprised I am that I would ever make excuses NOT to exercise, as a compulsive over-exerciser). I'm also trying to be more mindful of what I'm eating because I find that I feel better mentally when I'm eating nutritious food.

However, in reality, I'm going through a tough emotional time AND I'm stressing about an upcoming wedding. I'm only a guest at the wedding, but everyone who is attending seems so put-together. I'm afraid of being woefully out of place. I was invited as a plus-one, and was hoping a date would at least give me SOMEONE who I would know at the affair, but I wasn't able to find someone available to attend with me. So, I'm going by myself, trying to make the best of it (remembering that I'm going to support my friend), and apparently not fairing very well. The worst part? My dress is strapless. If I lose too much weight, I'll repeat my high school prom, where I was too skinny for my dress and it fell off (thankfully in the rest room).

Bits of Random

2011-08-29T05:34:00.002-04:00

* I survived Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Irene. Power to my area was knocked out for about seven hours (most of which I was sleeping through). Some people are still without power.

I can tell we are living in a "smart phone" world. My electric company sent an email late in the evening about how it was working diligently to restore power. With my dumb phone, I was completely cut off from the internet and email. However, from the amount of people posting to Facebook about losing power, I'm in the phone minority.

As with all storms, I get anxious that I'll never be able to see people again. Not my family. Not that I'll die. But that I'll be trapped in my house for ages. This anxiety is normally reserved for snowstorms, when I see via Facebook that everyone is traveling around, but I'm stuck in my house waiting for 4" of snow to be cleared. I live off of a road that occassionally floods with heavy rains, so my anxiety came back.

* I had a horrible customer service experience. I was in a store where several items were marked "Please ask for assistance." The breakdown in that procedure was that the store employees were nowhere to be found. Even better, when I was finally rung up for a work order, the employee left NO room to request assistance with the items I was interested in personally. That takes some talent!

Of course, at a certain point, I became angry at the thought of having to BEG for assistance. The store had the potential to earn an additional $60 in revenue. Why should I beg to give anyone money?

The most frustrating part was that an "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" would have solved EVERYTHING! But, I got a "Here you go. Thanks."

Just say yes

2011-08-22T23:20:00.002-04:00

On Friday, I was invited to a country music concert.

Country's not really my thing, but I hadn't been to the venue in forever.

Making plans, especially ones that require tickets, on such short notice, makes me uncomfortable.

But...instead of saying "what if I don't get tickets," I just said, "Yes."

Then I left for a half-day vacation.

I got the tickets this morning, got to the venue with minutes to spare (until I found out it was minutes to spare until the door opened, not minutes until the concert started), and had a great time. The show was fun, the venue was as awesome as I remembered, and I was glad I said yes in a totally out of character way.

Hot Dog V Bratwurst

2011-08-12T20:02:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had lunch at a restaurant celebrating its 28th anniversary. It had a special "retro menu" with "retro items" from when it first opened.

One item was a bratwurst and sauerkraut sandwich.

I ordered it. And ended up with a hot dog and sauerkraut sandwich.

I asked the waitress about the sandwich. I had to explain the difference between bratwurst and hot dogs, leaving out this part...

I do not normally eat hot dogs. To eat one, I have to get through my phobias brought on by reading The Jungle.

I ended up getting comped for the sandwich.

While I was out

2011-08-09T22:36:00.003-04:00

I spent the last week in a depressive funk. Since that seems to be the only time I write on this blog anymore, I decided not to depress everyone with one of those entries.

Which brings me to today. Miraculously, the fog has cleared. I'm not sure if it's related to hormones or nutrition, but I'll take it.

In my absence, I've been "extreme couponing" to an extent. My sister and I went jean shopping at a store offering buy-one-get-one 75% off. If you spent $100, you got an extra $45 off of that. AND, if it had been so many years since you last shopped at said store, you got another 15% off your order for re-opening your credit card. Long story short, my sister and I got two pairs of jeans each for less than $15 a pair.

I later had super-discount luck at another store getting jewelry to go with the dress for the wedding that I'm really nervous about. Even redlines were 40% off (w00t!), and I got an additional $15 or so off from a store coupon.

However, my luck ran out today. I went to a store having a 40% off sale, but this time the 40% off didn't extend to redlines. I still got some fun tops (I have derth of fun tops since most of my life is now spent in business professional wear), and one that was SO COMFORTABLE that even though it looked like a potato sack on me, I had to buy it. I felt like I were wearing NOTHING. We'll see how it feels in the middle of a humid heatwave (it's a synthetic fabric, although I swore it was cotton!).

I also JUST finished my first draft of my paper for my marketing school. Writing papers is like falling off a bike - it hurts like a BITCH! I'm going to try to clean it up tomorrow. I'm just so relieved to have it DONE today.

Like Falling Off a Bike

2011-07-31T07:21:00.002-04:00

I'm putting a lot of time into my school paper. My goal is to have a finished draft by the end of this weekend. I'm about 75% there.

As usual, once I got over the hump of how the paper should be organized, the draft started to flow pretty quickly. This paper has been stressing me out because I had very little on paper about it (a lot of research, but nothing drafted) and its due date is rapidly approaching.

It's also in a new annotation style for me (a type of Chicago Manual of Style style), which is a learning curve in and of itself.

If at first you have an allergic reaction, eat eat again

2011-07-28T05:57:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had a weird allergic reaction to...something.

By mid-afternoon, my entire body was itchy.

At first, I thought the culprit might have been extreme dryness. However, even this morning, after slathers of lotion and several Benadryl pills, I see hives.

I think I might have eaten something that I'm allergic to, except I don't know what it is. I made empanadas on Monday. It's the only thing that was somewhat different to my routine. But, I'm still eating them, partially to determine if they are what I'm allergic to (they'll definitely be the only variation to my routine today).

Life Update

2011-07-23T06:34:00.002-04:00

I wish writing papers were as easy as falling off of a bicycle.

I love the research process. I love creating the paper. BUT, the initial phases - locating documents, figuring out what I'm going to cite, is SO TEDIOUS.

My plan for this paper was to work on it for a few hours each weekend. Except, my summer weekends are slipping away, each being taken up by some obligation (babysitting, family events). My secondary plan was to use some vacation days strictly to work on my paper, but finding time to take off of work is almost as difficult as finding time to work on this paper.

(I realize that as you are reading this, you're probably wondering why I'm blogging and not working on my paper. Considering that I type 150 words a minute, this is my 3 minute break from research for the morning).

My Bad Habit

2011-07-20T07:30:00.002-04:00

I have several, but the one that got me lately was price comparing after a purchase.

I recently scored Pooh's Holiday Ride at a Buy it Now premium. I hadn't been able to get it for less and I was tired of seeing it slip through my fingers.

I hadn't turned off my eBay searches, so I still received alerts when the ornament came up. Well, I just got an alert. The ornament was sold for half of what I paid.

I knew this would happen eventually as people stop searching for Christmas items inthe middle of the summer. However, it still stung.

If I had waited...
If I had bid...

Grr.

I took the searches off of eBay. I need to be happy with the fact that I have my ornament (again), even if it isn't the lowest price I could have paid.

Hmmm...

2011-07-13T04:56:00.002-04:00

I'm looking at refinancing my mortgage. I'm currently at 5.99%. I constantly see 3.xx% thrown around. Even possibly a 4.xx% could work.

Here's what's not working for me, though:
1) To go through my primary financial institution (which doesn't "do" mortgages, but has a partner FI that does), I had to complete an application just to get someone to talk to me. I was all kinds of pissed off when I gave a call for a rate inquiry and heard nothing, but got a call within 2 days after I completed a 5 screen in-depth application.

2) Since I completed the application, the person I'm talking with thinks that I'm firing on all cylinders to refi. I had to explain to her that I needed to see if the numbers made sense for me. I could tell that she didn't understand that.

3) While I requested a specific loan amount in the application, the mortgage person took it upon herself to increase that amount by $4,000 to encompass closing costs for this FI.

4) Here's what burned me the most: I had to fill out a five screen application of in-depth financial information. Yet, the mortgage person still asked me how much money I was looking to borrow (which apparently was not what she was signing me up to borrow), how much my escrow costs were and then how much my home association fees were (which, when I told her, she didn't believe me - until she asked where I lived...which was ALSO ON THE GODDAMN APPLICATION).

OK, #4 bothers me the most about my situation. What bothers me most overall is that, while I'm not the most educated about mortgage matters, I am an empowered consumer. I don't mind calling "bullshit" on raising my loan amount or requiring escrow. I don't feel obligated to complete my mortgage application, even though the only way I could get rates was to start one. (And I certainly don't feel obligated to pay an application or a credit report fee when those were never disclosed before I completed the app or had credit pulled on me) How many people might not feel that empowered? (Of course, by the same token, how many people really research the process to know what is acceptable of a mortgage person and what is not?)

I ran the numbers and, based on what this mortgage person did (and the high closing costs, which I'm really too lazy to research for cheaper options right now!), they don't work for me. The fact that I feel uncomfortable with how I was handled just with this phase of the process makes me want to decline working with this person, even if the numbers DID work out.

Weekend Adventure

2011-07-12T05:09:00.002-04:00

In my ongoing quest to discover (and enjoy) my passions, I went to a swing dance on Saturday.

I went with the promise of cheap dance lessons and an "all ages" crowd.

I got what I paid for.

I knew I was slightly in trouble when I remarked to one person during the lesson that I hadn't been swing dancing in ten years. He gave me "the look" -- the one where a number is named causing the person to think "where was I ten years ago?" "The look" only occurs when the answer is either elementary school or diapers.

Even better, based on the severity of his look, I could tell that if I clarified that it had actually been 15 years, there was a distinct possibility that this kid had never been born :-/

Most people taking lessons were in high school, which also meant that most people staying for the dance were also in high school. Which meant that (thankfully), no one asked me to dance. However, it also meant that I didn't get to swing at all. (That said, the lessons also demonstrated that I probably need more lessons).

RIP Hair Dryer

2011-07-07T06:15:00.002-04:00

Over the holiday weekend, I was drying my hair and shorted out my bathroom circuit.

Prior, I saw a flash, then a fire, in my outlet as my 15-year-old hair dryer gave up the ghost. (In my family, because of tendency for detatched retinas, we can never trust just one flash, since it could be the sign of a retinal detatchment).

I bought a new hair dryer over the weekend. It came with all of the fancy buzzwords - ceramic, ionic - and an instruction manual.

I hope it lasts as long as my old one. Or at least long enough for me to read the manual!

Shopping Adventure

2011-07-03T13:34:00.002-04:00

I've been invited to a wedding and am nervous that I'll be horribly out of place at it.

I found a dress that makes me feel fabulous.

Today, I went out to try to find a shrug to go with the dress. I didn't find a sweater, but I did come home with a case of beer.

Golf: Round 2

2011-07-02T08:06:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I went golfing. A low pressure game with another woman.

We are about the same ability level, so, aside from the fact that I almost arrived in my businesswear because of a packed morning that messed with my pre-game timeline, it was a low-pressure game.

I didn't have time to warm up and ended up not being able to drive at all the entire game. However, my mid-range game was working for me (thank goodness). We actually finished in a decent time (4 hours for 18 holes), which surprised both of us. The last time we both played, it was so much slower (although, I'm now realizing that we were playing as a foursome last time, not as a twosome).

The only downside of the afternoon was that I only had time to sunscreen my face. The rest of my body got burned and/or sun poisoned (an interesting phenomenon where I just get blistery patches instead of a full-on burn).

A First

2011-06-30T20:30:00.002-04:00

I was taken out for a birthday dinner by my family tonight.

For the first time, I was serenaded by the wait staff at a restaurant for my birthday. It was as embarrassing as it appears when it happens to other people!

I made plans to go golfing tomorrow afternoon with a client. I also have a ton of work to get done, so I'm trying the whole "set my alarm for 4 AM; be at work by 5 AM" thing. It usually doesn't work out, but I accidentally left some major pieces of the project I need to complete before work starts tomorrow at work.

(I hate that overwork makes me an absentminded zombie. I found out AGAIN that I wrote down that I paid bills when I didn't, and only found out a few days before the bills were actually due!)

(I am excited, however, to see what searches may arrive here for people looking for "absentminded zombie.")

Time to try to relax and turn in. 4 AM comes early!

Back on track. Surprisingly, with food.

2011-06-27T21:07:00.002-04:00

My ethnic background is a variety of comfort food based cultures. However, as a recovering anorexic, I have often eschewed my cultures.

Until, of course, I saw Julie and Julia and decided to spend the year embracing cooking.

I find cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice very soothing. Specifically, even though I'm no parts Greek, I find moussaka very comforting.

After an emotionally draining last five days, I took two hours and made it. I layered flavors -- no short cuts. And, I'll get to eat it all week. Hopefully, it will nourish my soul and give me the strength I need to keep moving forward. (and I say this partially because I haven't really been eating the last few days).

So...Golf

2011-06-26T08:50:00.002-04:00

The good news is that I am continuing my regimen of going to the driving range on Sunday mornings and I am getting better at my fundamentals.

The bad news is that I completely psyched myself out on Wednesday during my scramble event and was the worst golfer on my team.

I'm playing again on Friday, in a real golf game, so hopefully I'll relax and play better. On Wednesday, I was so concerned about my fundamentals that I choked on almost every shot when it came to real play on the course.

I may have to start actually playing, too, to try to get comfortable using my skills on the course. I prefer the privacy of the driving range because no one is really focused on me and I don't hold anyone up practicing swings. On the course, if you're not moving quickly, then you can end up having an audience until you get to a point where they can play through.

Hey, Internet

2011-06-21T20:17:00.003-04:00

While I've been busy, I haven't really had any bloggable events going on.

So, I apologize for the dust.

I'm posting to note another depressive phase. I'm a bit nervous, too, because tomorrow I'll be receiving the documentary The Bridge from Netflix, about suicides off of the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm sure it will either help me or hurt me.

More than likely, it will make me realize (again) that I have people in my life who would be sad if I weren't here.

I really do hate the "who cares if I'm alive" depressive episodes. Three more days and it should be done.

Tomorrow is my big golf outing, where I hope to win Longest Drive - Women's. I accidentally let slip at work that I've been having a rough couple of days, but I blamed all of my stress and frustration on whether or not I win this prize.

I believe that is, quite possibly, the only explanation that probably makes me seem crazier than I am.

Fear and Loathing

2011-06-13T19:00:00.004-04:00

Last week I got an email stating that a GPS update that I purchased had been delivered to my house.

Except...it hadn't been.

I wasn't sure what to expect -- envelope or box -- so I wasn't sure how nervous to be.

I crossed my fingers, hoped the item would be delivered on Monday, and went about my day.

I got it today -- a gift card for lifetime map updates in the biggest box you could imagine.

Thus begins the loathing. My update is taking a toll on my bandwidth (which I use to stream shows and update my blog).

Looks like until my map update completes, I'm stuck watching DVDs or a test pattern.

If I could save time in a bottle

2011-06-12T18:43:00.002-04:00

The first thing that I'd like to do...

Is take myself back to around 2005 when writing 25 page school papers was no big deal!

Granted, this paper is to be "no more than" 25 pages, not including exhibits. Which I guess means there should also be exhibits?

I've been told that I should chunk the paper (10 sections) so I don't feel so overwhelmed. I've been thinking that maybe I should wait to start it until I speak with my advisor on Tuesday. Of course, I also thought, "Maybe I should just write a blog post instead of actually doing work," so I'm not sure that my mind is coming from the best place right now.

On the plus side, I did get out to practice golfing this morning. I'm back to square one with my irons...only one week to get things worked out before the first big tournament!

Life Update

2011-06-10T05:32:00.002-04:00

So...where did we leave off?

For the past few weeks, I've been taking golf lessons in preparation for my upcoming tournament. (When I told the golf instructor I was taking lessons for one tournament, I got the "It's your dollar" look)

I have actually improved significantly. Apparently there was a latent, semi-awesome golfer inside of me, which is good, because some scrambles I play in are so chauvinistic that "semi-awesome" is the lowest level of skill a woman is allowed to display.

I'm not used to people despising me just because I have a vagina, so I actually cut down on my scramble play this year. For better or worse, some days I don't want to be Rosa Parks. Some days I just want to sip beer in the golf cart and make a few crappy shots on the course.

Incidentally, my instructor told me that he only lands "4 to 5 shots" exactly the way he planned in any given game. He's trying to help me overcome my perfectionist nature. We'll see how that works...

It's Here!

2011-06-04T15:25:00.002-04:00

I really have Pooh's Holiday Ride now! (again)

I went out to dinner with my sister and my niece yesterday and told her about my purchase.

"Are you going to put up your Christmas tree as soon as you get it?" she asked.

"Of course not," I scoffed. However, putting it away with the rest of my ornaments today...I did consider putting up the tree! I guess Thanksgiving is not that far away :-/ (lol)

:-O

2011-06-01T19:44:00.002-04:00

Barring the unforeseen, I just scored Pooh's Holiday Ride!

I found a "buy it now" version on eBay...and bought it then.

I'm waiting on confirmation from the seller that I'm actually the owner of it. After my incident with the dead jewelry box maker, I can't believe it until I see it.

Back Again

2011-05-31T22:22:00.002-04:00

I just got back from vacation in Denver, CO. It was my first time in the area, and my friends took me around to all of the great spots - starting with Jack 'n Grill to eat the 7 lb Breakfast Burrito that was featured on Man V. Food.

Thankfully, you can order it for a table, not just for a person. Even with three people eating, though, we still left about 2 lb of burrito on the table.

As we were leaving, a gentleman ordered another gargantuan meal - a burger of some kind - that he WAS eating all by himself. The burger was accidentally brought to our table and after we declined it, the people at the table next to us said, "Wow! That's a lot of food. Can you imagine eating that all by yourself?" Except...the burger WAS for one person - a very slight Asian man - who looked slightly embarrassed to be called out on the gigantic meal.

We also got to see the Stanley Hotel, including both of the famous haunted rooms. I ended up buying a Stanley Hotel ornament, confirming that I am *THAT* person who will have the brass ornaments from tourist locations Christmas tree. I'll have to remember to take a picture this fall. I also got a pewter plated ornament from the Buffalo Bill Burial Place at Lookout Point.

I scheduled this vacation to end the day before I go back to work. Usually I like a buffer day to recover from time zone changes. So, we'll see how I do tomorrow. Considering that I'm still awake at 10:30...it might be a long day tomorrow.

Nerves

2011-05-26T08:12:00.003-04:00

If I learned anything the past week at a professional development seminar, it was that I tend to get worried over nothing. I had to travel out of town (to Dallas, TX, actually) and didn't know where I would eat some meals, if anyone would like me etc etc etc.

Today, I'm also worried...hopefully about nothing.

I have my second golf lesson today. Last time was a minor disaster. I overthought what I was being asked (case in point - I was asked if I had ever played sports. I didn't want to answer questions about what sport, where etc, so I responded with, "No. Well, not in school, but if you make sports references I'll understand them."). The instructor seemed incredulous that I would take lessons to get better because I play in one tournament a year, which, of course, made me self-conscious. I haven't had time to practice since my last lesson (right before I flew to Dallas).

I hope today's lesson goes better (not that the first lesson was bad...it was just very awkward).

My First Golf Lesson

2011-05-18T06:49:00.002-04:00

Where to begin...

The instructor asked me why I was taking lessons. I responded that I play in one event a year and I wanted to get better at my game.

"One event?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, but I'd play more if I were better at the game," I responded.

He asked where I had learned to golf.

I flaked and said that I learned a lot by reading, which isn't even TRUE! I have learned a lot of things by reading, but golf is something that I picked up first in high school gym class and then through some pointers from my dad.

But apparently I was hellbent on exacerbating the nerd stereotype.

"Have you ever played any sports?" he asked.

"No," I responded, but then corrected, "Well, not in school or anything, but if you make reference to sports, I understand what you're talking about."

(Not really doing much to convert that nerd stereotype)

We began the lesson and I got some helpful pointers to correct my swing.

"Oh, so you end up in a batting position," I remarked. "Like in softball."

"Yes, a batting position, like in wiffle ball. I'm sure you've played wiffle ball before?"

So: Golf Lesson #1 - If you tell a golf instructor that you learned about his game by reading, you're going to get a lot of wiffleball analogies.

On the plus, I've signed up for a second lesson because I really learned a lot in the first one and actually was able to see my game improve dramatically!

The Post About My Massage

2011-05-14T19:44:00.002-04:00

Last night I went for my first massage in at least two years.

I filled out the standard spa form, which included several survey questions, such as "What is the goal of your treatment today?" and "What pressure level would you prefer for your massage?".

Let me tell you how much of that sheet was read by my masseuse: ZERO.

I did have treatment goals (because I am classic Type A). I also requested "Firm" massage pressure.

What I got was somewhere between light and "just massage my aura" (my sister-in-law once had a massage where the masseuse gave her an "aura massage" by waving her hands above my SIL's body). And, while I paid for full body, apparently I have the body of an amputee because the masseuse never massaged my legs.

It really made me appreciate my previous massage from two years ago. It was done by a guy with an awesome pressure level.

I shouldn't be surprised by the massage, though. The spa I went to was resistant to give me an appointment. The online advertised hours for the spa were until 8 PM; however, I was told that the spa closed at 6 PM. Since I was looking for an after-work appointment, I ended up being treated by a person who had to (but had also agreed to!) stay overtime for a package massage (which means that tip was included in my purchase price). Since the masseuse got paid regardless of the quality of the massage, I don't think she was as motivated to give me a good experience.

To be fair, I guess I would have to go back and see if the person were just having an off day. However, for the amount of hassle that it was to schedule the one appointment during my free time, I don't know that I want to give a second chance to the salon.

On the plus side, though, I think there was SOME relaxing element to the massage for me, because when I got home from the spa, I was hungry for dinner (my appetite has been extremely diminished due to stress) and immediately fell asleep after eating for about five hours.

Bits of Random

2011-05-12T15:02:00.000-04:00

I saw an article online about how overthinking things can lead to depression. As an overthinker, I found the article humorous because my immediate reaction was to overthink what I had just read.

In other news, I have spent the last day battling horrific panic attacks. At one point, as I felt my blood pressure pounding behind my eyes, I decided that, since I probably couldn't get any more anxious without dying, I might as well engage in the most anxiety-ridden activity in my life to see if that might help calm me down.

I pulled on a rubber glove and checked the bait boxes inside my wall. No signs of activity. My shed bait boxes had been similarly clear.

I don't want to speak too quickly on the matter, but I think at least another generation of the mouse colony is gone. If I can stay clear for another 6 months, I'll be ready to declare my house mouse-free.

Funny

2011-05-08T21:40:00.002-04:00

I've spent the last few days vacillating between periods of anxiety and periods of depression. The common theme between the two is a strong lack of confidence and feeling of unworthiness.

So, imagine my surprise when I went to my parents' house and found a "priority" letter sent to my attention.

Apparently, a company that has never interacted with me realizes that I have superb golfing skills. To that end, I've been asked to test clubs before they are released to the general public and provide a review of their performance.

The company exists. The offer...has to have some sort of catch somewhere.

However, it gave me a chuckle and a small confidence boost for a moment.

Stress

2011-05-02T05:25:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure why I am stressed to the point of panic attacks, but I've been trying to self-soothe myself through events for the last week -- to no avail.

First, I thought the source of my stress was a work event over the weekend. However, panic attacks last night suggest not.

Right now I have a toss-up between a work event tomorrow or heading off to a training in two weeks.

:-/

Not Again!

2011-04-29T06:19:00.002-04:00

This morning I discovered that my phone bill hadn't been paid for the month.

I had recorded it as paid. As the paradigm of financial responsibility, as I pay my bills, I record them in my check register, then record the "Paid Date" on the bill.

Without inventing a time machine, I'll never know what happened. All of my processes were completed. But, money wasn't taken out of my account and my bill was still outstanding.

THANKFULLY, this time (unlike last time when I paid on time...to the wrong vendor), I was able to catch the mistake BEFORE the bill due date and BEFORE accruing a late charge. I had to pay through the vendor's web site to guarantee receipt of payment before the due date, but...WHEW!

Also, as a blessing in disguise, in checking my payments to figure out why the phone bill hadn't gone through, I realized that, once again, I was sending payment for one of my bills to the wrong vendor and was able to catch it and adjust it. Ai yi yi.

The Post Where I Stop Being Polite and Get Real

2011-04-28T19:55:00.002-04:00

For two years I kept an email in my inbox from my ex-boyfriend. Today, I deleted it.

Long story short, apparently I'm the person you cheat on the love of your life with before you discover/realize she's the love of your life.

Sadly, the incident with my ex wasn't the first time that had happened to me.

To be clear, I do not go into relationships as "the other woman." I'm not quite sure what about my personality makes guys feel they can use me in that way, but I've been taken advantage of more than I'd care to admit. It hurts me, and, in each instance, I can't imagine how the True Love would feel if she knew. I hope that each is treated better than I was, but I can't help but think of the adage, "Once a dog, always a dog."

Two years ago I was contacted out of the blue by my ex. After some soul searching, I decided enough time had passed to see if we could make another go of things.

We hung out for about a month - always on the night he took a class, always on his terms, never anywhere public - or at his place. Yes, that is a ton of red flags, but, because I didn't think he were the type of person to cheat on a significant other, I rationalized each one.

Then I got his email. Which CLEARLY stated that there was someone else (who I later found out was not just a girlfriend, but his fiancee) and that I should never contact him again.

I kept that email to prevent me from making the same mistakes in the future. I hadn't read it for probably 18 months, but, when I randomly read it tonight, it didn't make me feel resolved. It made me feel sick.

Reading the exchange, I remembered trying to be more open, more vulnerable. I was trying to fight through my doubts about his intentions. With a complete asshole who was using me.

Part of me wonders if, or when, this will happen to me again. But, I've learned whatever lessons there are to learn from that email. And I feel better moving on from it.

Internet, this is scaring me...

2011-04-26T02:42:00.003-04:00

I'm supposed to get an invite to a friend's wedding.

I'm more nervous about this wedding than I've been about weddings in which I've been an attendant.

My friend has a lot of different friend groups. Most are more popular than me, or at least more put-together.

I'm nervous that I'm either going to look really out-of-place or like I tried too hard. I've been trying to focus my nervous energy on finding a dress for the reception that makes me feel comfortable, but glamorous. From there, I'll have to figure out hair and make-up. Now that I have longer hair, I guess I'll have to figure out a hairstyle besides "combed."

I'm actually so nervous about this that I'm debating getting professional services (hair and makeup, although perhaps the money would best be spent on a psychotherapist :P) the day of the wedding. However, right now I'm also nervous that doing that would be an overreaction and/or just make me feel more uncomfortable than I may otherwise feel.

Almost Forgot

2011-04-20T05:37:00.002-04:00

This did arrive as one-day free shipping:

I transferred my jewelry over to it and realized I have a ton of sentimental pieces that I am holding simply to give to my nieces as they get older.

I spoke to my sister about that. She didn't understand how jewelry could be "too small" for me. One item I'm holding is a necklace I was given for my first communion, which I'd like to pass on to my goddaughter. First communion is held at age 7. My neck has gotten a little bigger since then.

Of course, my sister doesn't have any jewelry that she was given when she was a child. One of the other pieces I'm holding is a pin/earrings/necklace combo our maternal grandmother gave us when I was probably 10 years old. I have my set 2 decades later. She lost hers about two minutes after receiving it.

Results Show

2011-04-19T05:32:00.002-04:00

My friend came over to help me on Saturday.

I thought I would have a dead mouse in my shed (even though I didn't smell anything and only had a view of part of a chewed trap as evidence). I didn't.

But, we did make the following discoveries:

1) In my shed, apparently one of the panel doors to my HVAC system had been replaced incorrectly (upside-down). The last time the door was touched was during an air conditioning service last spring. My friend was adamant that we should tell the company, but, since it wasn't irrefutable (not that I regularly open that panel, but it was so long ago, I can't say that this guy definitely did it. I don't remember if an exterminator had opened it to look for mouse activity), I couldn't in good faith send a complaint letter. However, I had been wondering for the last few months why my bills were so high. Looking at my usage, I was using more electricity. This explains why.

2) Inside my plumber's door, apparently the exterminator placed the bait box in there incorrectly -- vertically instead of horizontally. He always claims that he can't see inside that space. He can never see the bait box right away. If the bait box doesn't lay flat (horizontally) then mice can't access the entrance tunnel to get to the poison.

This may explain why there was so much activity inside my shed. The mice weren't able to get to the normal store inside the wall. We reset and I put two bait boxes on the duct, so we'll see what happens.

I'm not hearing as much activity inside the house as I was back in February. (I probably just jinxed myself by saying that) My mom thinks that it's possible I still have an entrance into my house from the outside and I'm feeding all of my neighborhood. I'm still hopeful that I'm killing whatever is left in my house, or, if I am feeding the neighborhood, my house is becoming less attractive as a food option, if it ever was one. Throughout this nightmare, no food was ever disturbed in my house; nothing is readily accessible to mice.

I heard some mice exploring the traditional path of water system to the kitchen, and were unable to go through the steel wool surrounding the hole. Considering I live in a townhome community and have kitchens within 50 feet of me, you would think SOME house would offer a more attractive option than mine!

I used the opportunity of having someone with me to vacuum out the shed. I haven't noticed any new droppings since I did. I also, wearing gloves, was able to stick my hand inside the plumber's door and retrieve and place a bait box! Progress!

So - we'll see where I stand in another two months.

Interesting

2011-04-16T07:45:00.003-04:00

In anticipation of my cavalry coming this morning to help me with my mouse problem, I got to Home Depot as soon as it opened to get bait bars for my traps.

As I looked at the various size bait bar (.5 oz, 1 oz., 2 oz.), my anorexic brain kicked in. This is the part of my brain that can immediately calculate anything consumption related (portion size, calories etc). I realized that my current mouse problem might not be as bad as I thought.

When the exterminator first came to my aid, he loaded each bait box with 1 oz bait bars. After 2 months, 4 1 oz. bars had been consumed inside my wall from the mice nesting inside the house.

At a certain point, the poison was reduced to a .5 oz bar. Because it was a different color, I realized it was a different shape, but thought it was the same potency. After all, *I* was still on the kill cycle, not the maintenance one.

Today, I realized that my poison has been halved for the last six months. More importantly, seeing that 4 .5 oz bait bars were devoured in my shed (I'm still waiting to see what was eaten inside the wall) means that I may have less of a problem than I thought. IDEALLY, when/if we can get the bait box out of the wall, it will show that most of the activity is occurring outside my house. Not ideal, but at least that's progress.

More mice!

2011-04-13T19:51:00.002-04:00

I have only checked my shed so far. The debris I thought was bird seed was actually poison crumbs.

One bait box was entirely eaten. Another had two half-gnawed poison blocks. And, in the one recess of my shed, I found a chewed glue trap. I didn't investigate that further because I already was having a panic attack because I was touching something a mouse had crawled and shat on.

I tentatively have a friend coming over this weekend to survey the situation more bravely than I can. He's also going to help me look at the bait box inside my wall. Hopefully that is not heavily eaten. Maybe all the mice are contained to outside...but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Holy Woodworker's Ghost!

2011-04-12T05:08:00.003-04:00

Ok. Not only did I obtain a jewelry box at a bargain-basement clearance price (with an additional discount just for reading directions!), it shipped yesterday and I should have it in-hand by end of day today!

Assuming it's not damaged in shipping or wood veneers (as reported by a purchaser) versus actual wood (as advertised by the company), I think I may have been done a solid by a dead guy.

In Other News
I also found, through Google, a place to purchase a key to open my bait boxes.

Over the weekend I gardened and, when I opened my shed, I saw seed husks littering the floor. I don't know if the mice are still in my shed, if they're still in my ceiling, and if they're getting out to feed.

I overcame my phobia (for a moment) to reposition a glue trap to see if I could catch anything crawling around the floor. I also borrowed a shop vac to clean up the shed floor so I'll be more easily able to tell if this is new evidence or old.

Wait and See

2011-04-10T09:01:00.002-04:00

I just ordered a new jewelry box online.

This one is from a company, but it's also on clearance. So, instead of killing the jewelry box maker, I may have just ordered something that's out of stock.

Finger's crossed for Monday.

Seriously?

2011-04-08T05:54:00.002-04:00

I went to the liquor store yesterday to pick up a bottle of wine to take to a friend's house.

I was behind two kids I would have pegged as college-aged, possibly not legal. They were buying Bailey's Irish Creme.

The cashier instructed the two kids to get a different version of product because it provided more booze for less money.

They headed off to the appropriate aisle to find the alcohol. I put my wine on the counter.

The cashier initially gave me a look like I was butting in. I'm sorry -- when I have ONE bottle to check out, I don't think it's a problem to check me out, especially since there was no order in process.

"ID please," the cashier said crisply.

I handed over my ID.

She looked at, looked at me, and looked at the ID again. "I never would have guessed!" She was truly flabbergasted. I'm not quite sure what age she thought I was (12? 13?), but it was clearly NOT old enough to buy liquor.

Still, it pissed me off that the boys ahead of me had not gone through the same interrogation!

Awkward

2011-04-06T20:22:00.002-04:00

Through the power of the Internet, I found a woodworker who custom-made jewelry boxes that EXACTLY fit my jewelry needs and were reasonably priced.

Through the same power of the Internet, I found out that this woodworker died two weeks before I placed my order.

I received an autoresponse that my order had been received. After a week, I wondered why no one had contacted me.

After cyberstalking the woodworker's residence via Google Maps, I called the business and got no answer. No acknowledgement that I had called a place of business.

So, I did some further Googling and came up with an obit.

Suddenly, I feel very guilty that I was mad that the woodworker had not gotten in touch with me to confirm my order.

For the record

2011-04-04T20:15:00.002-04:00

I'm in my monthly funk.

Gotta love being so hormonal that the fact that, after a half-day of oppressive heat due to a malfunctioning HVAC system in our building, I was thisclose to tears when the air conditioning finally came on and started to cool things down.

(although, I guess it did feel pretty momentous at the time)

:-(

2011-03-31T06:22:00.003-04:00

I don't know why I never realized one could burn the top of one's mouth to the point where a gigantic blister forms, but I didn't. . .until it happened to me last night.

In the mouth environment, the protective blister didn't survive very long. I kept touching it with my tongue because it was so weird and I kept eating because I was so hungry! Unfortunately, the only thing more annoying than a protective mouth blister (hmm, wonder what Google searches I'll get from that!) is the sensitive new skin beneath that blister.

I tried to eat cereal this AM and -- cereal is sharp! I guess I'm on a smoothie diet for the day.

The end?

2011-03-29T04:50:00.002-04:00

I finished my medicinal course for my sinus infection. I felt 80% better, but still had one weepy eye from sinus pressure (always attractive).

Last night I finally got around to using my neti pot. I reach for it more readily when I have true nasal congestion; I'm never sure of the cohesion tension properties of mucus, and whether running water through my nose will help relieve pressure by my eyes.

It didn't really. I feel better. I can breathe more easily. However, I still have the weepy eye.

My eustachian tubes are clear, though. Ever since I had those ear infections from he'll, I appreciate that benefit of the neti.

Benefit of Youth

2011-03-25T04:02:00.002-04:00

I heard a news story about a local reporter who is in the running to be Charlie Sheen's social media intern. She said she applied as "a joke" and was surprised to find herself making the cuts for the position.

She said she would be excited for the opportunity if she were selected, but she wasn't sure what she would be doing or how much she would be paid.

Maybe it's because I don't have "tiger blood," but, I would be very leery of this type of "opportunity."

First, I'd be nervous that I'd end up raped, beaten or murdered. It's not like Sheen has a fabulous track record with women. And, if he is drug-addicted with a similarly-situated entourage, who knows what may happen or escalate.

Second, even if I were promised a paycheck, I would doubt that I would ever see money. Even with his tour, I can almost guarantee that he will see little, if any, of the money for the work he's putting in. He's currently unemployed with an entourage, so I figure he's burning cash at a pretty high rate.

Plus, I could never trust an addict.

Irrefutable Evidence

2011-03-22T04:07:00.002-04:00

I grilled last night.

I haven't used my grill in months.

It stays out in the shed with the mice.

I remember checking it obsessively for mouse activity when I first had a mouse problem because I used to keep it on the floor of my shed (it's a tabletop unit). I didn't notice anything that I could definitely attribute to a mouse, but I placed it on top of some shelving anyway.

Yesterday I did the same obsessive check.

The drip pan definitely had mouse poop in it.

I guess the "good" news is that one of the droppings was the same color as the poison bait bars that had been placed when I first had the problem. But, there were still some fresh(er) droppings in the pan.

I'm not sure what mice are looking for in this grill, since, aside from garlic for marinades, the thing doesn't see any veggies. On the plus side, none of the wiring has been chewed, which is consistent (thankfully) with the lack of damage that I've seen in my house. I have a nightmare scenario that the mice have torn into my HVAC somewhere, but I think there is some traditional insulation that they've made a nest of and it appears that they're leaving the rest of the house alone.

During my last mouse inspection, I hadn't noticed increased activity in the shed (ie other poop by my HVAC). I'm still hoping that the mice are on the way out. And that I don't run into anything before they are!

That was kinda easy. . .

2011-03-20T07:54:00.002-04:00

This year, without much blog fanfare, I conducted my personal budget evaluation.

I stopped contributions to my company stock to concentrate on building my emergency fund. However, I also wanted to diversify my personal, individual investments (this always seems like a good idea until I end up reading 10,000 10Ks). My plan for 2011, therefore, became "find some good stocks to invest in." My goal: find stocks that will double+ in the next five years.

I think I found some good choices. Speculative choices, but less speculative than some that I considered. For better or worse, when I first started investing, I got burned on a "sure thing" with "no debt and tons of cash." It makes me significantly more leery of businesses that I don't understand that are headquartered outside of the regulatory confines of the US, even if they have good ratios.

I made some purchases this AM using some stock screens and some common sense (Do I understand the business/industry? Would I buy the product/service? Am I currently using the product/service?). I also plugged them into my iPod so I can obsessively check them over the next couple of months.

Because I have no business giving stock advice of any kind, I'm not posting what I purchased.

WOW!

2011-03-17T16:52:00.002-04:00

There was a small problem with the first aerator I purchased: the package said that it was supposed to come with a travel bag, and it didn't.

I contacted the company and was told that a travel bag would be sent to me within a day or so. Later that day, I received an email from someone else in the company telling me that the product description never stated that the product came with a travel bag, so I wasn't getting one. Also, the product was nonrefundable/nonreturnable.

I responded by saying the product description only gave the dimensions of the product and its cleaning instructions, but the information inside the bag mentioned three items included in the package. In my case, only two were there. Also, there was never a mention of no returns.

(I guess I have to 'fess up at this point that, because I had been told earlier that I would receive the missing pieces, I had used my aerator)

I ended with an ultimatum: either give me a partial refund of my purchase price or allow me to return the item at no charge.

The response: No partial refund, but they would allow the return.

Which...kinda sucked because I liked having the aerator, but I also could not make an ultimatum and not follow through with it. That shows that you're not serious as a customer.

So, I purchased the aerator for cheaper through a different online store and returned the other.

Today, I got my cheaper aerator, which was the exact same thing I had returned -- except it included the travel bag AND a sediment filter! All for half the price of the item that didn't even have the travel bag! So, I'm celebrating a small, lucky break on St. Pat's!

Battle over

2011-03-10T20:14:00.002-05:00

The plastic aerator came today. It's the one I have to hold and pour the wine through.

I had a small glass of Pinot noir (the dregs of a bottle). Wow! What a difference.

I had a normal glass of malbec. I didn't taste the difference with that one.

Regardless, it's fun to use. I can't wait for the other one to arrive to try it out.

A Tale of Two Wine Aerators

2011-03-08T05:51:00.003-05:00

I never used to have a need for a wine decanter, since I wasn't really into reds.

Then, I discovered malbec wines.

On my trip out to California, my sister-in-law used a wine aerator (a device to "decant" single servings of wine) and my parents and I decided we should get one.

Well, I ended up getting two.

And -- now it's a race to see which one will arrive at my house first. I'm currently holding off on drinking any of my reds (I also have a pinot noir on hand) so I can see how these aerators work.

One is a handheld device. It is supposed to be BETTER, but, reading the reviews, it appears that when one is inebriated, the hole into which you pour the wine gets smaller and easier to miss.

The other is an in-bottle contraption, made of glass. It is hands-free, but, reading the reviews, it appears that when one is inebriated, the device involuntarily breaks.

I guess the lesson is: Pour my wine with the first device over the sink.

(Kidding. Of course the lesson is - don't decant and drive.)

Do I NEED two aerators?

I rationalized that I did. What if I'm opening two wines at a party at my house? What if one breaks? And, I can always give one to my parents if I truly only need one. Plus, the glass one just looks nifty (although I think most glass aerators look nifty).

I ordered them from two different sites. Both are still "processing" my order.

So the cliffhanger remains: Will I be able to enjoy a glass of aerated wine this weekend?

(For full understanding, decanting involves both aeration and the removal of sediment from the red wine. Neither of the devices I purchased remove sediment, so they are not actual "in-bottle decanters." Aeration, though, makes me think of lawn maintenance. And, yes, I've tried (in desperation). Those lawn maintenance shoes do NOTHING for a red.)

Spring Break!

2011-03-07T06:12:00.004-05:00

Even though I'm not in college anymore, there is something exciting about Spring Break.

I participate in a college-community orchestra at a local college and we do not have practice on Tuesday because of SPRING BREAK.

My sister and brother-in-law, who are working professionals going to school, also have spring break at the same time.

In honor of all things wild 'n crazy, we'll be going out for Indian food this week, with my 1-year-old niece in tow. She's in the (a?) mimic stage, so whatever I do, she wants to do. To this end, I'm not too worried about the fact that I don't believe the Indian place has a kids' menu (although, I'm now realizing that this may mean it doesn't have toddler seating :-/). I think she'll eat whatever I'm eating.

However, if she doesn't have a place to sit. . .sounds like take out may be the order of the day!

Funny that he'd named the only man who could save him now

2011-03-05T17:36:00.002-05:00

The title is a line from the song "30,000 Pounds of Bananas." Granted, when the truck driver in that song called out, "Christ!" he was near the end of a fatal truck ride.

"Jesus H. Christ" was the name I muttered when asked what my name was to initiate a refund process at a store this morning.

Through a series of errors, I had purchased a DVD player at the non-sale price and apparently the only way to refund my money was to request all of my contact information.

The interesting thing is, I ended up making such a stink about needing to provide so much information that a manager was called over. She assured me that they didn't need my real name to process the return, but she also wouldn't take Jesus H. Christ as my pseudonym.

And Men

2011-02-26T15:16:00.002-05:00

The exterminator came out this morning.

The mice are officially back. . .or never left. I was relieved to see bait eaten in the go-to bait box. However, the exterminator called my bluff on removing it from inside the wall. I tried to get it, but I could not get past, psychologically, sticking my hand down where rodents are without being able to see my hand to make sure rodents don't get on it.

The exterminator politely told me that I could just be "hearing things," but admitted that the nibbled bait bar could indicate additional mouse activity.

I'll be continuing with bi-monthly extermination sessions until I can go 4 months with no activity. I'm guessing that what happened over December was that there might have been a generational shift in the mice. They might have had enough food stores that they didn't need to seek out additional food. Now the two areas where food had been eaten before (my shed and my house) are active again.

The exterminator suggested that the mice would not want to be in my house as the weather gets warmer. However, I've been having this problem throughout the summer. A/C months seem to be the exact time when mice want to be in my house!

That said, my next-door neighbor no longer has her birdseed out. I don't know if that's because SHE may have a mouse problem or because you don't traditionally put birdseed out in the winter(?).

Of Mice

2011-02-24T20:37:00.002-05:00

I was working in my home office last night when I heard the scratching of rodents in the walls.

I immediately called to re-instate the extermination maintenance contract that I had allowed to lapse last week.

What a hassle that was.

First, even though I was told I could schedule I maintenance, I received a call from a sales person trying to sell me on The Best Package. When I explained that I'd already been through that song and dance, and was just interested in renting a guy for 20 minutes to throw bait at the wild animals, he said someone would call me back within the hour.

Four hours and a phone call from me later. . .

I have an exterminator coming out sometime between 11 AM - 1 PM on Saturday. I have a feeling that there is a "panics heavily at the thought of mice" in my file because even though I didn't say ANYTHING about needing an exterminator right away, they were very anxious to get someone out to me. Hopefully he can actually TERMINATE the problem this time!

Ai yiiii

2011-02-23T06:03:00.003-05:00

Last night I had orchestra practice -- and was the only 2nd part in our section.

I was very nervous leading up to the practice, because last semester I could barely play the music (and don't spend a lot of time practicing). Yesterday, either from nerves or ten years of muscle memory, I was able to play the pieces we practiced. Last semester we played all works from a composer who had a very distinct style. This semester, we're playing a smattering of classics that hold to several key classical constructs, including arpeggios and repeated rhythms, that make it easy to play the pieces. . .and to find myself if I miscount.

She's a Smart One!

2011-02-20T07:01:00.003-05:00

I'm pinch-hit babysitting for my sister this weekend.

My niece has recently learned how to go up and down stairs. She prefers to walk down the stairs (as well all do), but obviously doesn't have the leg span to negotiate the steps like that.

To encourage her to go down the stairs the correct way, I announced, "Let's go downstairs," and promptly got down onto all fours to slide down the stairs on my belly (like she is supposed to do). It was one of those "I'm really glad no one is around to see this" moments.

I looked at her, and she could not stop laughing at me. But, in the end, we both got down the stairs without incident, so. . .win-win.

A riddle for my readers

2011-02-17T19:37:00.002-05:00

On vacation, we passed a book store.

My mom asked my sister-in-law and me if we had ever read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

I responded, "I think I read it when I was 8 or 9."

My mom was shocked. "You did not read that book when you were 8 or 9! People read it in high school. You wouldn't even UNDERSTAND what it was about!"

What my mom forgets, because I am far removed from age 7, is that when I was intelligence-tested at age 7, I tested at the 11th grade reading level.

I read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at age 8. Animal Farm at age 10.

What my mom should understand, though, is:

A) I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
B) If I read it in high school, I would have remembered that I read it in high school, which meant that I would be saying I read it in elementary (or possibly middle) school just to lie.
C) Why would I lie about that?

The Downside of Work

2011-02-10T06:11:00.002-05:00

I'm in a super-busy work cycle right now, and I'm feeling the effects.

Yesterday, I had dinner with a friend. I commented about how I was mad that my entire hour of watching CNN at the gym was dominated with Lindsay Lohan coverage. However, when asked WHY she was being covered, I couldn't remember the full details of the story. At points, I even had trouble forming words.

Welcome to: sleep deprivation, starvation, and lack of concentration that comes with running on all cylinders for weeks at a time.

I HATE when this happens because I want to be normal in my down time! I don't want to stumble over simple sentences! But, until this big project is done, by body won't let me sleep, eat or concentrate on much else aside from the fact that I need to get this big project done.

I wish you could take a pill to get work/life balance!

Long Time, No Blog

2011-02-09T05:50:00.002-05:00

My "bit of random" update:

I went shopping with my mom, sister and niece. It was a blustery day. My niece had a hat on at the beginning of the excursion. However, when I put her in the car at the end, the hat was missing. My mom and sister looked around for it -- in the trunk and on the floor in front of her car seat. We even ended up going back inside the store to inquire if the hat had been dropped in the lost-and-found.

I ended up finding the hat underneath my shopping bag on my side of the car. I don't know how it got there, but attributed its appearance to everyone in the car wishing really, really hard that the hat would be found. . .rather than the fact that I never looked under MY bag because I didn't have a clue how the hat would have gotten under there. St. Anthony, anyone?

Orchestra is back in swing. Last semester we played all the works of this one composer (whose name I forget), which I hated. This semester, we're back to a variety, including a lot of traditional classics. It's nice to be back to stuff that I can play without a lot of practice time, since I don't always have a lot of time to practice. Plus, I'm not as good at counting, so playing traditional rhythms and constructions is easier for me. I know I come in with the same instruments and I mimic the ones that played immediately before me.

Game of Inches

2011-02-03T18:20:00.002-05:00

For the first time in my fifteen years of recovery, I cooked with bacon fat.

Actually, it's probably for the first time in my LIFE, but considering that even just a few years ago I would eschew oil in a dish in favor of water or some other liquid substitute, making the leap to full-on LARD is. . .quite a leap.

I've been trying over the past few months to cook for myself more, and this year I've just tried to be more accepting of fat in recipes. As in, me putting the fat in the recipe. Not a lot, mind you, but a tablespoon here and there to help pull flavor out of onions and garlic.

It's interesting: I didn't think I had many more milestones to crack. Heck, I'm 15 years in recovery. But, I'm very proud of this one.

Productive Weekends

2011-01-31T05:34:00.002-05:00

These past few weekends, I've had a satisfaction I rarely encounter at my job: a completed "to do" list.

I have a term for my work projects: boomerangs. Just when I think something is done, it comes back to me. My "to do" list never seems to diminish.

So, it's very satisfying to put together a list at the beginning of the weekend of things I would like to accomplish and then accomplish them!

Last weekend, I burned my entire CD collection to iPod. Over the past week, I've noticed some songs that didn't burn properly and need to be redone, but overall, the job is complete.

Likewise, I had my passport photo taken last week so I can renew that application. This week, I completed my taxes and worked out my annual budget (well, spending plan) for the year. I also cleaned my house, and even had time to do a little cooking (my goal for the year is to cook at least two weekends a month).

Granted, I usually have a pretty small weekend "to do" list because the idea is to not overwhelm myself like I am at work. I give myself enough to do that I can accomplish it piddling through the weekend, but still walk away feeling good about crossing everything off of my list.

Yoga for Depression/Weight Loss/What Have You

2011-01-30T14:56:00.003-05:00

I don't know if I've written about my yoga routine.

I found a Watch Instantly yoga "video" (DVD? virtual stream?) that purports to solve depression and aid weight loss. There is a second video (DVD? virtual stream?) in this series that provides health benefit for an entirely different set of symptoms.

The humorous part: they are the exact same routine.

However, I've been trying to do more yoga for mental health because I have read a lot about it calming anxiety and aiding depression.

I'm in another "unscheduled" bout of depression.

We'll see if yoga can create a miracle. If I don't get "curing depression," I'll settle for "walking on water."

It's Friday?

2011-01-28T06:20:00.003-05:00

The crappiest part about working long weeks is that my body seems to have an internal "40 hour" clock. So, by Wednesday, once I hit 40 hours, I'm ready to stick a fork in it, mentally.

The good news is that I didn't go in to work over the past weekend. Instead, I got things done at home, which I think did wonders for my sanity.

I'm planning a similar respite this weekend: Laundry, taxes, maybe a movie.

More about my remote

2011-01-27T06:21:00.002-05:00

I think that I have finally found the benefit of the remote.

The buttons are larger than the radio control panel buttons, so it is easier to navigate the controls with the remote than with the real buttons on the face of the unit.

In Other News
I've survived another snowstorm.

Last year, I had to take a vacation day during a very heavy snowstorm because, while all roads were cleared in the county, my development was not.

I ended up with six unused days toward the end of the year, while taking two week-long vacations, so I don't know why I panic now during snowstorms, but I do. I was so upset last year, when I was finally dug out of my development, to see that everyone else had been traveling around, business as usual, for THE ENTIRE DAY. Every road was BONE DRY.

I hate that feeling of being trapped. Especially when I'm paying ever-increasing association fees to have the damn roads plowed.

However, I think someone must have complained about the lack of maintenance in our "maintenance-free" community because each snow, we've been plowed out overnight. Everything is passable by no later than 5 AM.

But I still don't trust that it will happen!

Who didn't see this coming?

2011-01-23T06:02:00.002-05:00

My new radio comes with a full-size, detached remote control.

My radio was installed at 1 PM yesterday. By 11 PM, I had lost the remote. (By 11:02, I had found it again because I wanted to keep everything the way it was for AT LEAST A DAY).

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. I have to get my radio presets set up and figure out the most efficient way to connect to my iPod (leave an iPod cable in the car? just keep my purse with me always?)

The End is Near

2011-01-21T05:55:00.002-05:00

Last twenty CDs to burn. . .and I am SO SICK OF THIS PROJECT!

I appreciate the mindlessness of it at times. I can burn CDs while I watch a movie or TV. I can move through them pretty quickly as long as I don't have to double-check that I haven't already burned songs from the disc.

I'm excited that I will hopefully have my entire CD collection on my iPod in time to test it out this weekend. On shuffle, I should hear a lot of stuff that I enjoy, but perhaps forgot I owned. (I discovered last night, for example, that I bought an MP3 of a song I already have on CD)

However, it's my busy time at work, so this relaxing weekend where I was supposed to enjoy having my CD player installed may be compressed with weekend work, compounded by my need to clean up all of the CDs I've burned (re-alphabetize and categorize).

A friend gave me some perspective -- this was a four-day week for me, which also explains some of the "not enough time to do things" stress. Hopefully four hours tomorrow will put me back on track.

Ooooooooooohhhhh...I'm halfway there....

2011-01-18T05:20:00.003-05:00

OOooooooohhhh, just half of my CD collection to go.

The CD burning project is going:
1) Faster than I expected; and
2) As annoyingly as expected.

I keep waiting for the CD that causes my computer to crap out. I keep hoping that I won't miss the CDs that I don't get to burn.

Speaking of CDs I don't get to burn, I have mysteriously lost my ABBA CD. I thought it would be in a different CD case, but I'm getting down to the CDs that I don't think I've ever taken into my car and I still can't find it :-(

(Never mind. I remembered that I used it in my CD player. Just found it. Thanks, Internet!)

But, I am thankful to the people who have inputted their CD collections before me and allowed my experience to be as simple as "Do you want to import this CD?" versus having to log the names and artists of every song on the CD.

Of course, how the names and artists are logged is interesting. Most of my disc series have very vague information for Disc 1 (usually artist is "Various Artists"), but by Disc 2, everything is filled in. I'm not sure if that's a product of people owning the discs and correcting the information or studios uploading more detailed information.

Perhaps it's not even fascinating to those who have not been burning CDs all weekend.

In Other News. . .

2011-01-14T05:54:00.003-05:00

I went to the gym yesterday in a cap sleeve shirt.

Whatever is going on with my current gym routine, it is resulting in some seriously cut arms.

Every time I saw myself in the mirror, I had one question: "Did you get your tickets yet?" TO THE GUN SHOW! *POW POW*

I had to weigh myself, and am down 7 pounds from the fall (when my pants weren't fitting and I made a concerted effort to work out at LEAST 3X a week).

The Project Begins

2011-01-12T19:24:00.002-05:00

I started burning CDs a day or so ago.

On one hand, I love it. I LOVE having a bunch of different music, on random shuffle, at my fingertips. I've probably burned 20 CDs so far (it's going a little slow because I'm burning CDs that I made myself, so none of the tracks are labelled).

On the other hand, when I can do it, I like the routine of putting CDs in my computer, burning them, and moving them to my iPod. It's super boring, but I've done it so much that there's a comfort in the familiarity, and a need to continue to do it more efficiently.

On the third hand, like any compulsive routine, I also get very irritated by it because I can't do it all the time. And when I can't do it, I think of the time I'm wasting NOT doing it (because, you know, I have full-time employment and my job is not "burn CDs to my iPod"). Of course, when I can do it, I also get overwhelmed by the slowness of the process at times.

Right now I'm prioritizing CDs by what I would like to listen to in the car. I have about 300 or so to burn, if I do my whole collection. I think I can get a good mix by the end of this weekend, and then burn more as I feel like it.

I don't want to spend my life dedicated to this CD project :-/ However, I am consistently amazed at how many songs fit on 32GB.

New Car Radio, Old Car Feelings

2011-01-10T06:03:00.004-05:00

I made the decision this past weekend to get a new car radio.

Factory radios seem to last about five years (mine now has volume and CD player issues). Thinking about it, I'm going to keep this car for a few more years (my other choice, obviously, would be to get a "new" car).

The last time I got a new car radio, I had it for about two years, then got into a major car accident that totalled my car. I know the car radio didn't cause the accident, but I'm still a little leery of what it may foreshadow.

My new car radio has a USB port to play digital music. So, when I'm not stressed about possibly shifting fate so I get into a major car accident once this new radio is in my car, I'm having various flashbacks to my time with my ex. He spent ages uploading his CDs to digital format; I'm not looking forward to a similar time commitment. And, he's not my favorite subject to think about in general.

Hopefully, now that I have this all out in the open, I can concentrate on the positives of having a variety of music with me at all times without having to worry about the clutter of CDs.

It's That Time Again!

2011-01-09T05:06:00.002-05:00

I made my first IRA contribution of the new year and this weekend my goal is to work through my budget and financial plan for the year.

I have a friend who is trying to pay down debt, so I was providing him some advice (including the spreadsheet I use for budgeting). His question, "So, how often do you look at this thing and re-evaluate it?"

The answer: I don't. I put together my budget and internalize it. I've grown up on a budget and have never really waivered from that mentality. (Plus, one of my goals is to be less tied to a budget so I don't feel guilty about spending money. I have definitely become less rigid over the years.)

My budget is my plan for the year. I try to make the day-to-day expenses as realistic as possible (ie if I fill up gas every week, I would budget $35/week for gas) so I don't have to worry about "cheating" myself and going over budget.

My financial goals for this year are to build up my emergency fund and to try to get back into individual stock investing. I'd like to actively look for opportunities. I keep toying with investments as an alternative revenue stream. Perhaps my best line of work is being "unemployed," and just finding a way to get my money to work for me.

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