Because it’s Friday AGAIN. And because traditions are important. In which I cover the good stuff and the hard stuff in my week, trying for the non-preachy, non-annoying side of self-reflection.
And you get to join in if you feel like it.
Ohmygod.
This week.
Was the crazy.
To the point that by Toozday afternoon, we were already pretty sure that the week was over already because of how much tired. Yeeeees.
The hard stuff
The busy.
Oh, the insanity of running a business while opening a studio while preparing to teach a retreat while meeting deadlines while having repairs done to Hoppy House.
What?!
But so busy.
I think the last time I had a week this intense was when I was working at two bars at the same time, but at the wrongest times.
So I’d close out one place at six a.m. and be at the other one at noon to open.
This was kind of like that but without alcohol or caffeine.
Speaking of busy, have you seen my calendar? Good grief.
Remember how last week bizarre circumstances lead to two canceled client calls?
Well, the earliest calendar opening to re-book them was end of August.
So even though I’d cleared out this week for Playground-ing, I just didn’t want anyone to have to wait three months for an hour of my time.
That’s why I have to hide my Hire Me page. I’m not even kidding. Somehow people still find it.
For the record, I adore my clients and they are super fun to work with. So it wasn’t the sessions that was the hard. It was looking at my calendar that was the hard.
No drunk pirate council for two weeks already.
Because we’re doing stuff.
But I miss Drunk Pirate Council (that’s what we call our “meetings” because otherwise I’ll find an excuse not to show up).
I don’t even want to know how much stuff is piling up there. Don’t tell me.
Various Playground-sustained injuries.
Mostly from getting in and out of tightly packed cars, carrying things up flights of stairs, moving heavy furniture.
And yes, the irony does not escape me.
This lovely place of relaxation and Old Turkish Lady yoga making me hurt. Ow.
Someone trying to bully me.
Which is stupid, because here’s what happens when people try to bully me.
I switch from sweet yoga teacher mode to bartender in south Tel Aviv mode.
And that is not fun for the people wanting to push me around.
You see, I know what it’s like to have a vodka bottle thrown at my head. I am good at ducking. And I am good at throwing things back. And I’m not afraid to get in a fight. Annoying.
The good stuff
Coming up with the perfect thing to say.
So as we know, I really dislike being asked what I do.
And since we’ve been running around all week picking up bizarre things (pirate chest! juice glasses with mustaches on them!) for the Playground, we’ve gotten all kinds of questions.
Here’s what I don’t want to have to say:
“Well, my duck is kind of an internet celebrity. And I write a blog? About personal development stuff? Kind of like, non-cheesy not-embarrassing self-help that also doubles as business advice?
“Anyway, Selma and I lead retreats and workshops and whatnot. And so we’re opening a studio so that we can stop traveling all the time. Also, there are pirates involved. And monsters. Never mind. It’s complicated.”
So then my gentleman friend started explaining that we’re opening a pirate-themed yoga studio.
Which is awesome because then people just go, Oh.
Also, my business cards say pirate queen, so it works.
It’s still kind of a terrible explanation since I personally would be appalled by the thought of a pirate-themed yoga studio. But it’s also hilarious. And cuts down on conversation. Whew.
Speaking of pirates. Pirate me! In German!
Timm wrote this awesome piece about me. Well, about metaphors. But using my whole pirate queen thing as the primary example.
If you read German, you should read it. And if not, you should go look at the extremely hot photo of some woman who is not me.
I need to dye my hair red immediately.
Everyone is so great!
The help with the Fun Brewing! The love and sweet wishes! The way so many people have volunteered to help in so many different ways!
My people are the best. You guys are amazing. It’s out of control.
Playground!
It’s ready.
After five months of singing it lullabies, we finally get to be together.
And I am over-the-top happy about it.
Today!
The first ever workshop at the Playground starts today at noon-thirty and ends Sunday afternoon.
And you won’t find it on the events page or the main fun-brewing page, because it’s a private retreat for one of my ongoing programs.
I am so completely excited.
These are some of my favorite people in the world. And we are going to do some serious damage this weekend. But in a good way. Yay!
And … playing live at the meme beach house!
Yes, that’s a Stuism too.
My brother and I have this thing where we come up with ridiculous band names and then say in this really pretentious, knowing tone, “Oh, well, you know, it’s just one guy.”
This week?
Jungle Jim Jay Walking Suspicious Lee
Sometimes known as The Jungle Jim Jay Walking Suspicious Lee Trio.
It does sound like three people, yes. But it really is … just one guy.
(Though I really did want to call this band Peter Doubt and Rock Doubt. Tee hee.)
* Thanks to Tara the Blonde Chicken for letting me borrow her husband’s fake name too.
That’s it for me …
And yes yes yes, of course you can join in my Friday ritual right here in the comments bit if you feel like it.
Yeah? Anything hard and/or good happen in your week?
And, as always, have a glorrrrrrrrrrrrious day and a restful weekend-ing.
And a happy week to come. Shabbat shalom.
Follow
That is quite an impressive week! So which fake band is going to play live! at the opening of the pirate-themed yoga studio? After all, it’s just one guy so that should fit on the stage.
Everything in my week has been overshadowed by two good things: the weather is beautiful and I submitted the main body of my thesis named Phil. I will still need to ship his head and other extremities, but the main body is shipped! I love how naming my thesis first gave me the semblance of quite an interesting love life and now makes me look like a criminal, chopping up a body and shipping the parts separately. Then again, maybe it’s only hilarious in my head.
Have a glorious opening weekend at the Playground and lovely week for all Chickerneers of the High Seas!
Blimey – big day Chickeneers! Arrrr.
Hard:
Post-holiday sadness – where is the land below?
Back pain. Ow.
Good:
Bali. Villa overlooking the sea. Naps. Swishing in the pool. Not speaking to anyone real for four days.
Thinking.
Feeling solid as I turn 35.
Happy blogging. Happy happy happy.
***
Arrr.
.-= Andrew Lightheart´s last post … Freakus Interruptus Tool Numero Uno =-.
Warm wishes to the Palyground and big hugs!
Oh, I know it’s good to have this particular kind of body injuries 🙂
“Havi is opening a pirate themed yoga studio.”
Thank you. Now I know what to tell my mother. I tried to explain about the playground and the monster thing yesterday, but I left her completely confused.
If this keeps up I’ll have to join the “my mother has no idea what I do” club.
.-= Willie Hewes´s last post … Awareness is annoying =-.
From one pirate to another, Shabbat Shalom! 🙂
.-= Pirate´s last post … In Which the Pirate Has a New Book. =-.
I tried to read that article, I really did; but then I decided my 3 years of German done 4 years ago was out of order, so used a translator site to get the gist of that article. I especially liked the phrase “Havi calls itself as Piratenkönigin” of said translator.
And yay for playground opening today!!! Have a drink on me! Squeee!
@inge Congrats on sending the main body out! My other half is called Phil so the idea of shipping his head separately gave me a giggle – good luck with the rest of it!
And to the chicken…
The Hard:
-Housemates. Creating drama during exams. Being loud at night during exams. [they don’t have exams]
-Exams. Exams only a day apart so no time to revise properly.
-Panic attacks. Tears outside exam hall. Oh boy. Having to listen to monsters to stop myself crying over exam paper. I haven’t let myself be mad with myself for a while; it felt wrong but crying wouldn’t have made things any better.
-Pain. Back. neck. Shoulders. Arms. Knees. Ouch.
The Good:
-Celebrating with a friend – she’s having twins! <3
-Two exams down, four to go.
-First exam was nice =).
-Meditation this week was really good.
-Didn't rise up to housemates drama. So proud of myself.
-The Weather. Being the UK it rained for most of last week. Today – SUN and BLUE SKY and oh it's just so warm – I even have a fan on.
-Went to town [with revision notes] and had a couple of hours in the sun and air and nature. <3 Bought myself a present just because.
-I have a mug of green tea which just makes everythgin so much better.
Lots of luck with the opening and shall be keeping your retreat in mind. 🙂
.-= Rose´s last post … Insights – Asking for Help =-.
@Inge – that is the funniest thing EVAH. Definitely hilarious.
Chicken!
The hard…
– So. Much. To. Do. Feeling the overwhelm.
– Plus not feeling like doing any of it.
– Plus not feeling like I can work on the stuff I DO want to work on, because the other stuff needs my attention.
– Plus somehow I have not been exercising this week. Ooops.
The good…
– Did finally break the log jamb last night and made some progress on one of the things I’ve been avoiding. Yay! Progress!
– Spent the last two days working from bed instead of dragging myself down to my desk. It has been comforting because most of my monsters do not hide under my bed but hang out near my desk.
– Starting making some serious plans for my vacation in a few weeks. Ha! Vacation! Or at least a retreat from regular customer work (because I want to do some fun work-related things, just not REGULAR things.)
@Havi – have an awesome playground grand-opening! I’ll bet you will have a blast!
.-= Avonelle Lovhaug´s last post … Your design will never be “perfect” =-.
Oooh mah gawsh Playground opening in just hours and I wish I was one of those first peeping in and I’m really excited for you and them and me (when I get to Portland, cause I’m getting to Portland).
Anywho little pieces of confetti have already filled the air because I may have overstuffed the container just a teeny smidgen.
For all the chickeneers – three cheers for the good
hiphiphurrah, hiphiphurrah, hiphiphurrah
and may the hard walk the plank swiftly arrrggh.
hooray for the playground! green with envy of those that get to play there. someday.
the hard:
why is sleep so difficult? i long for the days when i could sleep anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances.
friends breaking up with their partners – sads.
nonchangeable fingerprint appt (adoption requirement) scheduled in the middle of my summer yoga retreat.
the good:
did i mention how much i love getting to teach the yoga? seriously, i heart it.
only 5 more days of school. 11 week break from work is such a good thing!
super supportive comments on the shoe throwing post.
pesky shoe throwers have been decidely quiet this week.
positive signs in my food journaling adventure
beach day trip which involved seeing the ocean from the car and not being tense about not actually feeling the sand {too crowded}
4 day week!
.-= Tami´s last post … The Good, The Bad and the Sick of the BS =-.
Good luck with the opening, Havi – Have fun! 🙂
The hard:
– selfdoubts, the usual monsters, this time of the yelling “you’re going to die alone and unloved” variant.
– haven’t written in my diary in ages, hence the monsters.
– getting butthurt about minor things this week and having a tough time getting letting go. Shoes, shoes, shoes. It’s hard to remember that some people are just being mean & petty because they enjoy hurting others.
The good:
+ making progress with my website. Making lots of progress with my website. Not the blog, but the one for my own little thing.
+ work finally died down alittle bit after being totally crazy this week.
+ I finally had breakthroughs in two important areas after WEEKS of bashing my head against metaphorical walls. Sometimes barging through IS the most efficient and fun way.
.-= Carina´s last post … [Sketch] Siendes, Portraits. =-.
Playground is openingggggg! How amazing is that? And how wonderful that Havi and Selma need not travel and deal with noisy children and discomfort. You are in the zone sweetie – your palace, your playground, oh gosh it IS exciting and God knows if I’ll ever get to visit but I hope so – one day pleassssse let me get my money situation sorted!
Good luck Havi, luck, luck, luck…you don’t need it, but still…
And this cracked me up. Although it must have been horrible for you and I hope it resolves itself.
‘I switch from sweet yoga teacher mode to bartender in south Tel Aviv mode….You see, I know what it’s like to have a vodka bottle thrown at my head. I am good at ducking. And I am good at throwing things back. And I’m not afraid to get in a fight.’
Hiiii YA!!!
The hard?
Not enough money. Not enough work. Stress bills. Bills stress.
Really crappy and hard stuff said by my therapist. I felt like my growth was just not good enough for her. Unexpected and horrible and I wobbled quite badly for a day (but just a day that’s not too bad!)
The good
I wrote a post that was such fun to write. Bringing out my inner Dorothy, my performing side! Happy, happy, proud even.
Generally getting some great comments from people with heart and depth – my kind of people. Wow to comments.
And you know… you Havi you…passing by and commenting like that! It made me grin, glow, dance inside (I’m sorry but it’s so very true woo!)
A growing sense of trusting my own voice, my own way. A kind of determination that’s been dormant in me for a good…twenty years. Yep. Wow again. Even a once fantastic therapist is not going to put me off – she thinks I’m mad for thinking I can create a life which follows my heart and respects my sensitivities?
I say hell yeah – bring on the mad then!
Someone asked me if I was interested in blogging for their company. What me?
New possibilities. All kinds. A friggin great week, a hard week, a week full of hope and life!
Mwuahhhhh!
.-= Leila Lloyd-Evelyn´s last post … How authentic is your voice? What character traits & passion do you squash, sit on & crush? =-.
@Andrew Lightheart: happy birthday!
Hard:
* Too many bug bites, too much asthma
* Not enough sleep or exercise.
* Requests getting blown off
* Biting my tongue, but not quite often enough
* When I do say something, fretting over whether it’s (in)appropriate
Good:
* Finished a gift
* Feeling like I was born to be an indexer
* And not just because I can do my job in just a sports bra and shorts
* While following Roland Garros online via tweets and livetexts
* Someone who doesn’t even know me really liked a story I wrote, and took the time to say so
* Nashville’s wrecked water plant is back up and running. Hot baths and clean hair ahoy!
Shabbat shalom, and happy playing! *waves banners, lights celebratory sparklers*
.-= Mechaieh´s last post … Toi + moi + eux + tous ceux qui le veulent… =-.
because the little checkbox didn’t get checked for followup comments via e-mail. That is all back to chicken
YAY! Congratulations again to Havi and congratulations to Inge (and I personally adore that you named the thesis, and think it is indeed hilarious). And hugs for everyone’s hard.
My hard list is short this week, and it is: oh, routine. Routine, I miss you. We just did not find each other this week, despite our good intentions. We need to get back together. And I’m not even sure where to start, but I’ll think about it, and dance on it, and maybe try wandering in a slightly different direction.
The much more important GOOD: Virtual hugs from several corners, starting here in fact (thank you, Jane). Gradually getting more sleep, which is helping, and starting to get little bits of that content feeling here and there. Trying two new tatting shuttles and having small children be fascinated by them. Doing a school tour at my volunteer gig and getting the sulky bored kid interested and happy enough at the end to give me a high five on the way out. My desk arriving, and even if it is not white as advertised, it is a wonderful desk. Realizing that it may look like I’m doing badly at this Great Summer Studying Thing of Doom, but I’m not– I’m just learning the method, I do know the substance underneath it pretty well. And, Playground! Yay!
I hope everyone’s weekend is just delightful. Happy Friday!
Super big yay for the Playground! Yaaayyyyy!
Hugs to everyone for their hard. And more yays for the good! Yay!
This week in Kailand~
The Hard:
~We found out last night that we cannot keep the stray kitty my fiance and I found and fell in love with. I am now heartbroken and have to give her away tonight before 7pm.
The Good:
~We are giving her to a cat rescue who will find her a good home.
~I got to love her and sleep with her and play with her for almost a whole week.
~She’s no longer starving and running around near scary cars in the parking lot of our apartment complex.
~I can’t see anymore good right now until I take off my Super Sad Sunglasses but I’m sure there is more.
Cheers, Chickeneers. Have a great weekend!
I love the image of the sweet pirate yoga teacher hulking out into the bartender from south Tel Aviv. Even the Monsters are giggling.
Ok, so… Chicken!
The Hard:
– Tired low energy suckage.
– Not being able to convince the spouse to stay on budget
– Wimping out on some purchases I should have made, but didn’t
– General lack of confidence and monster attacks. One BIT me.
– The Hot. Texas summer comes early.
The Good:
– The Circus is on its way. YES!
– Anniversary, and we didn’t FIGHT. Which is a first.
– I got neat new toys! Yay!
– The Circus! The Circus! The Circus!
– Having reasons to overuse exclamation points!!
Havi, I can’t remember ever being so excited for someone-who-I’ve-never-met opening their Thing. But I am so excited. And happy! And thinkin’ this means the Circus must someday visit the Playground.
Cluckity cluck CLUCK
Happy, happy birthday, Havi’s Playground! 🙂 I’m so happy you’re born! Welcome to this beautiful world, which just became more radiant with your arrival.
So much love,
Hiro
PS: There’s a birthday post for you at my blog today. And a recording of a conversation with Havi, all about you, even though it doesn’t show up yet in CommenLuv. Happy birthday!
.-= Hiro Boga´s last post … In the Center of My Ribs… =-.
You people are really funny. I laughed my way through the comments. Fun!
@Inge, that’s adorable that you named your thesis. Wish I had thought of that while dissertating. If all goes well, I’ll be doing more writing, at which point I can name (parts of) my project.
Havi, you really amaze me. Such stamina. And to continue to give us blog love while doing all your other work and tasks…I feel lucky!
Here’s my week:
The Hard:
-Feeling disillusioned and frustrated about job.
-Struggling with the “this is all there is?” and “I busted my butt for 6 years in grad school for THIS?” feelings. Maybe they’re Monsters? Not sure yet.
-Dear friend’s marital struggles, related in part to her Monsters.
The Good:
+Short work week.
+Lovely fiction books to read.
+Sitting on the couch with my cute dog.
+Taking the day off!
+Fun holiday party last weekend. Gentleman friend’s cooking stole the show!
+Attending academic conference this weekend.
+Going out of town this weekend.
.-= Dawn´s last post … Being Stationary =-.
@Inge: Nope. That’s definitely funny to other people too. To me at least. And congrats on shipping off his body.
@Andrew: Happy birthday!
@Havi: There seemed to be some sort of bullying-thing in the stars this week. We should ask Lucy about it. My sweetheart got bullied. The Little Bird got bullied. I sat in traffic behind a car in which the mom was bullying her children. Then I got car-bullied by the guy behind me. (My response to this is always to smile and wave…no one ever seems to know what to make of this.) Bullies. I’m glad to know that yours didn’t know who they were messing with. It was the same with the husband. Such a sweet person until someone treats him like he’s dumb. Then, look out.
Annnnd, big wow about the Playground. Seems like just yesterday you were nurturing this little egg of an idea, and now look! Wow!
I’m not sure I have a chicken in me this week…let’s see.
Hard: Honestly, I feel like this week’s hard is so balanced out by the good that it’s not even worth mentioning. I got bit by a deer tick. That was a little freaky. Blood-sucking monsters. Don’t like. But does it qualify as “hard”? Probably not.
Good: Lots this week. Relaxing. Getting back to flailing for insight. Getting the insight. And then more. Awesome snuggliness with my sweetheart. What I thought was gone forever seems to be coming back. (Is that too cryptic?) Taking self-care steps in the right direction. The piano. Look at it there. I love it. Its keys are a bit dirty, but I think as soon as I hit post, I’m going to clean them up and sit down and play. Massive insights from the sweetheart about his own (music) writing process that hit me with a big whomp. I think I can take those insights and apply them to my own process. Nice. …Realizing the door has been open all along. I just needed to turn around and see it.
Huge love to everyone. Hugs for the hard and the good. And a happy weekend!
.-= Emily´s last post … Greener Than Green =-.
“You see, I know what it’s like to have a vodka bottle thrown at my head. I am good at ducking. And I am good at throwing things back. And I’m not afraid to get in a fight.”
Havi, I love you! Yay for strong women! Yay!
Sweetie, wishing you a wonderful inaugural Playground weekend! As I write this your opening is just a few hours away. I hope things have calmed down enough to let you enjoy this pre-moment.
(I confess that I’m feeling just a tiny big smug because I saw the Playground *first*. But I know it’s changed a lot in just that short time. And I’m looking forward to pictures, and seeing it in person again soon.)
So happy for you and for your people who are helping you break a bottle of champagne over the bow! 🙂
.-= Amna´s last post … Crabby postcolonial reading list and cribsheet: Gotham edition =-.
Havi, congratulations on the playground! It’s been such fun to hear about it, from the baby-idea to the newborn sweet thing. Would love to see pictures, hint hint.
Not much hard this week, hurrah!
Really Minor Hard
– Mild frustration with a tutoring client who called me too late in the semester to make much difference.
– Painful jolt of melancholy caused by a small handwritten note from my ex.
Good
+ Mini-vacation last weekend! MUCH needed.
+ My dog is getting better, albeit VERRRY slowly.
+ I was really in the groove this week. Tutoring went well, I’m exercising regularly, and I’m getting lots of painting done. The plants are watered, the laundry is done. Whoo!
.-= Barbara J Carter´s last post … Painting dots… lots of dots =-.
Congratulations on the playground! It sounds so fun!
This week, I actually can’t think of anything hard. How bizarre!
The good:
+ The combination of acupuncture/Chinese medicine/reducing my hours at the day job to half time has greatly reduced my number of migraines, and reduced the intensity as well. Last month I only had 8 headache days, which is about half of what I was getting. Yay!
+ Weaving! I finished a shawl, put enough warp on the loom for two scarves, and I’m about 28″ into the second one!
+ Geese in my backyard last weekend! Four adults and 8 goslings, older than babies, but definitely not adults yet. Kiddos. So cute!
+ I finally got my knitting machine working. She is a fussy diva, but I am learning her quirks. Now I can start doing swatches to figure out what tension to use to make sock blanks.
+ Joey, my shy bunny, is actually letting me pet him more often. Yay!
+ My gentleman friend. Just because.
.-= Riin´s last post … Weaving, weaving, weaving… =-.
Yay to the playground! Yay!
YAY!
YAY!
The Good:
Watching @havi’s work come to fruition with the awesome playground.
Launching the Tao of Bath- our (Becca Seitz and My)new line of bath products.
Helping lots of clients.
Brainstorming with @fabeku about a new course we’re going to teach.
Baking brownies for my kid’s lit group and watching six children devour them.
The Hard:
Kid struggling with depression
Laundry (Seriously thinking about going down to 3 outfits).
Not enough sleep.
.-= Bridget´s last post … Humdingers and Doinks =-.
Happy birthday Playground! May you have many many more 😀
Hard:
Monday anxiety on Tuesday. Guess there’s just something about the beginning of the week, no matter which day that officially is.
Stoopid leak on the roof. Which was repaired less than 6 years ago. So it shouldn’t be leaking. Grrr.
Craving pizza something awful, but knowing what it will probably do to me if I give in. Blargh.
Good:
Laughing cow cheese wedges with roasted red peppers and cucumber slices on brown rice bread.
Finishing three pieces to enter in the Small Work show that found me on Twitter. Posting the blog to my Facebook. And maybe selling one piece before it even gets entered!
Verdant hillsides and lush rivers and leaping fish. Oh, and hungry geese. We went to Marietta on Saturday and took the scenic route.
Wore more tank tops in public, and still didn’t kill anyone.
Remembering the cool spiral shell star earrings I bought a few years ago and wearing them.
The boys cleaning off their sofa eagerly and neatly, just from me saying “your sister will be back home in ten days”. Amazing!
Nightly dog walkings with my sweetie. Connecting on a deeper level than we have in the past 25 years of together.
😀
.-= Andi´s last post … Take Me to the River =-.
Oh HOORAY it’s the Playground’s Birthday today! Congrats to you and the pirate council and Selma and the Gentleman Friend and many great wishes for so much fun today.
And boy do I get you about the busy. It must be a global virus.
Chickening in:
The HARD
-Much angst about what to do about my uterus
-So much science writing, which fried my brain cells, and it just keeps coming
-No time to do the planning and strategic plan that’s due next week
-No time to find the stuff to give to the bidders to get $$ amounts for the strategic plan
-The f-ing hormones I’m on have me starving, heachachey, running from depression to mania/anxiety to rage to tears all freaking day long
-My cat broke her tooth and has to have surgery tomorrow, which will cost almost $1,000, and which means the new camera lens I was going to buy to better do my event photography work cannot be bought right before I have 11 gigs over the next 3 weeks.
-Shoes, thrown by me and others, because of the crazy hormone rollercoaster
The GOOD
-A decision about what to do about the uterus, and it’s less drastic
-loving my doctor, who is awesome and so supportive
-Valium, which takes the edge off the mood swings
-I’ve saved $600 for the new lens, which I can now put toward cat surgery, so I don’t have to charge the whole thing
-I have 11 photo gigs over the next 3 weeks, all paid in trade for classes at my writing group, so I will not have to pay for any classes for the next year.
.-= lynn @ human, being´s last post … My cat is stoned and staring at me =-.
Havi Havi Havi!
*cue Rocky Theme*
Your space is happening! Unbelievably awesome.Many happy faces and hugs to you. I am filled with warmth thinking of all the people who will be touched by you and share in your amazing energy in that space.
As for me?
Good things of the week:
– My son’s smile, laughter and sense of humour
– Running
– Genmaicha and quesadillas
– the library…ALWAYS good.
– old patterns got pounced, exit flogging, enter compassion
– still writing
– fellow bloggerfolk
Hard:
– you know, the stuff of life…work, time constraints, dishes/laundry and that general feeling of not quite feeling comfortable in my life (this is the most dreadful of the hard)and generally feeling like I am being pulled north by one horse and south by another
It’s Friday ! I shall rejoice! Shabbat Shalom and feliz viernes!
A dios rogando y con el mazo dando.
xo Elana
Hooray for the official birth of the Playground!!!! Completely get the part about feeling like you had lived a full week even though it was only Tuesday.
The Hard:
– Traveling. Being away from my Kitties. Being away from my spouse.
– Being overbooked with work and only having myself to blame for a good portion of this mess.
– Heat and Humidity. Not enjoying the east coast weather at all. Not inspired to go for a walk along the waterfront. Want to hide inside in the A/C.
– Moving. OMG. 2.5 days completely spent on moving my office. Not completely settled but at least enough to be productive.
– Having to be an extrovert at the conference. Little time to recharge. Hard.
– The ex-boss is at the conference. And I’ve had to interact with him. He hasn’t changed. UGH.
The Good:
+ Great information from the conference – some that will help in the class that I start teaching next week.
+ Meeting colleagues that I haven’t seen in a year.
+ Productive presentation session – talked with my peers across the country. Very cool.
+ Lawyer being distracted by other matters has given me the gift of time. Whew!
+ Short plane flight – the east coast is MUCH closer than the west coast!
+ The ex-boss seems to have forgotten (or is at least putting up a really good act) how much aggravation I caused him earlier this year.
Have a great week, everyone!
Congrats on everything, Havi! I just know the pirate yoga Shivanaut duckie awesomeness will come off splendidly, magnificently, if not perfectly. 😉
The Hard
– I has a cranky, and a tired. Also, a meh.
– Last Money Call was last night and the meh contributed to a feeling of general crankiness and discouragement with it. I know it’ll pass, but it sucks while I’m in it.
– Full of busy and having small lingering technical glitches from the HD replacement, and full of fear that I’m going to let everyone down and have no more clients. Sigh.
– I am so, so tired of the money crunch thing, and when I look ahead all I can see is expenses and work and not actually getting paid and the urge is growing to hide under the covers for for the next few weeks and hope it all goes away.
– Working at being visible and still feeling both invisible and like I’m shouting at the wrong people anyway. Bah.
– See? I told you I had a meh.
The Good
+ Painted on Monday, and it was good.
+ Shelves that were un-hung have been moved and re-hung. Duckies are out on one of them, and Delirium has a pet ninja. My apartment is slowly getting to the point where there really is a place for everything, and it’s about time.
+ Saw lots of friends this week, had lots of good food, and did get paid by some clients.
+ Kittehs are still happy & healthy & cuddly.
+ Have posted my daily art really regularly, including some pieces it’s hard to put out publicly. Have been nurturing my Etsy shop. Have been doing my marketing homework. Am trying to trust that it will all bear the fruit of sales and money and supporting me as much as I support it.
+ Gaming tonight, and tomorrow night, and resting Sunday.
+ I’ve been reading a good book with gorgeous illustrations and it’s very inspiring, so I have even more ideas for once I climb up out of the meh.
.-= Amy Crook´s last post … Man Dressing =-.
Starting out with seriously mixed up religious metaphors: Mazol Tov on the christening of your baby! Yeah for the Playground being open, and all the fun that is going to happen there!
The last two weeks have been full of hard, mainly being stuck about anything to do with my business. I’m to the point that I can’t write anything but Morning Pages. This week had physical problems on top of all the stuck, monsters, and anxiety. Then the overwhelm just shuts me down. Ugh.
The good is that our church’s womens group is going on retreat, and I am heading out in 30 minutes. I’m leaving everything behind, and I’m going to relax and recharge with some wonderful women. We are very intentional about making a safe space for ourselves, and we love to have fun. Plus there will be smores and wine! And lots of food!
The main thing I need: accountability partners. I need people who will kick my ass and tell me to get over myself and write. Consider this an early personal ad.
I hope all of you chickeneers have a great weekend, and to the chickeneers in Portland: Rock the socks of the Playground!
.-= Shawna R. B. Atteberry´s last post … Pentecost: Blowing Where She Wills =-.
Long live the Pirate Queen!! AAAARRRRRRRR.
You are opening the Playground as I type this! Wheee! Can’t wait to come out and see!
Sorry for the hard. Hugs!
The Hard:
-Anxiety and much fatigue from the anxiety
-Seeing the possibility of $ making and not knowing when $ will actually come in.
-Bleh on a Holiday Monday.
The Good:
-“Build A Flourishing Business on Your Creative Genius” was my most popular teleclass yet! Whee!
-Sweet Havi gave me cool, loving lawyer kudos
-Kitchen Tablers & Havi brainstormed a new offering of mine.
– Call with the Cookies & Milk peeps who were SO lovely and helpful and as encouraging as ever.
– Meeting with entrepreneurial women in Atlanta and learning about the power of Stories — Stories!
– Two new very cool people doing very cool things called me for help.
.-= Rebecca Prien´s last post … What Law Stuff do I need for my Creative Business? =-.
Happy welcome Playground!! Super-yays! Whee!!
Pirate-themed yoga studio, hee. That IS awesome, and rolls off the tongue.
The Good: On vacation! In the country!
The Hard: Not spending vacation online!
xoxo
A pirate-themed yoga studio! Fabulous! Shall I smash a bottle of champagne to help launch the good ship Playground, or simply raise my glass? Either or both, at your pleasure, O Queen!
I’m in a skittery-scattery headspace today, for some reason, and my Chicken this week will probably reflect this. Ah, well. Onward!
Hard: Feeling pulled in too many directions, so that no matter how I try, I’ll never be able to do everything I
am supposed towant to be doing. That’s an old, familiar pattern. (Oh, but here’s a nugget of good in the hard: when my sweetie, stuck in his own stuff, began to chide me about something “that I told you to do weeks ago!”, I shot right back, “Yeah, and weeks ago we were working on something different, and that’s life, and we’re all human, and we all do the best we can!” Whoa. All guilt trips have been grounded due to sovereignty! Nyaah!)Good: Had an email exchange with my dissertation adviser, and found out that I don’t have to include every conceivable bit of related literature in my proposal — because this is a qualitative study, we won’t even know everything that’s relevant until I begin working on the project. That’s a huge relief, and makes completing the proposal by the end of the summer seem — well, still pretty intense, but much more possible.
Also, my daughter had her fifth grade graduation ceremony last night, where she sang in the chorus, delivered a speech that was wonderfully quirky while still being completely appropriate, and received a special award from the principal!
Wishing everyone a glorious and delicious weekend!
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … Self-Evidence + Authenticity: A blog challenge from Dian Reid =-.
What a wonderful day! Wishing a very happy birthday to your Playground, dear Havi; I’m really happy it now exists. I’m so excited about getting to meet your sweet baby soon!
Hard for me this week:
– seeing once again how much harder it is for me to work on my things when my gentleman friend is around, not really knowing why it is so, and being really sad about it
– feeling kind of overwhelmed, I think
Good:
– my gentleman friend is back!
– some tiny progress has been made
– I can feel a glimmer of hope that more tiny progress will eventually be made, despite the hard
.-= Josiane´s last post … Movement =-.
Such excitement! Such Joy! Yay for the PLAYGROUND!!!! Congrats Havi on your new baby thing all tucked in and ready to go!
The Hard
Root Canal~still gone wrong which means more antibiotics, and more appointments, and well it makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry because I don’t like going to dentisty/doctory type things unless of course it’s for acupuncture which is awesome! I would tried to come up with something good to say about the RC but I can’t right now. I am just sad about it.
Believing in myself~ had some mixed stuff happen with clients last week that made me feel worthless and useless, and like I was stupid for ever thinking I could even do this.
Mr Awesome~ is out of town again. And it’s is weird but I miss him.
My sweet little dog~ needs dental work which will probably mess with my pocket book way more than I need it to now and will definitely mess with her adorable smile which she flashes at everyone who comes to visit. 🙁 I feel like an awful doggie mom and I used to be such and awesome one.
The good
The mixed stuff with clients actually turned out fine, and I have some new hits from potential clients that look really promising. But it is kind of frightening too.
Mr Awesome comes home tomorrow. 🙂
My studio space which I currently share may become my very own next week. keep your fingers crossed.
My remodeled website should be up over the weekend sometime. It is up now, but it is hidden until I feel ok with it, which is this weekend. 🙂
Oh! and I think my new Serpentine belly dance dvd is in the mail waiting for me!!!! and that is super exciting even though I probably cant dance with my belly!~
Oh and starting next week I get to take 12 days in a row where I don’t do my stinky job that is paying the bills. And I can still pay the bills. But I may be decorating my studio?? Funny how that works out.
Thanks for listening. 🙂
Woohoo! I would so be trumpeting to the stars on my kazoo, if I had a kazoo… and knew how to trumpet on it ; )
I am soooo excited to be seeing the Playground soon! My loved ones have been laughing at my spontaneous happy-dancing and giggling of glee, but I am so beyond caring it’s just too lovely 😀
@Inge I agree wholeheartedly with the other Chickeneers… naming your thesis (and mailing him piece by piece heehee!) is absolutely giggle-worthy!
@Andrew Happy Birthday! And grats on the Bali time, I miss the incredible peace of just sitting and doing nothing in beautiful Bali… /sigh
So… this week…
The Hard
* Wrists of pain and shoulder of doom… body not being happy with me for overworking
* Reminding myself to NOT overwork… being less successful than I’d like
* Being lectured by the day-job-boss about asking for time off… wanting to quit, but knowing that I can’t (yet!) afford to
The Good
So much good! In fact, I hardly care about the hard, the good has been so very great 😀
* Procrastination Dissolve-o-Matic Wonder Powers, Activate! Moving past big stucks, and being able to just focus on little stuff… which somehow builds into big stuff that makes me ever so happy
* The Beau got a job!!! Breathing is so much easier now
* Being nice to myself, through a time of month that is typically NOT NICE
* Making small gains on old goals
* Not beating myself up for not making bigger gains on old goals!
* Celebrating the Beau’s Bday 😀
* Being ok with the fact that my website is in transition, and doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect before I can show it to someone… or at least, doing a good job of pretending that I’m ok with it
* Quietly stepping out of invisibility… just a tiny bit… even though it terrifies me still… Eeek!
Oh I know there is more, but I’ve got to run and make cupcakes for the Beau… happy Chickeneering everyone!
the hard:
i borrowed some worksheets to copy from a super-organized coworker, and procrastinated on returning them, and now have lost them. or misplaced them. and honestly cannot remember the last place i saw them. send help, please, Universe!
one of my 7th graders wrote a nasty comment about me in her friends’ yearbook–on the FRONT PAGE–and i saw it.
too much overspending on frivolous and unneeded stuff led to money shortages that make the rest of the month really challenging.
still haven’t found a place to live in jerusalem this summer (going for a workshop for all of july) and it is beginning to really stress me out. am putting it on G-d’s to-do list, but part of me is saying, “well, jump to it already, big Guy!”
the good:
a really sweet ending to the official, non-exam part of the school year. some really sweet comments in my yearbook from my 9th graders, and i planned a really good final debate for my 7th graders that i feel really proud of.
my mom and i are officially planning a trip to portland in a few weeks!
1 more week of school and then 11 weeks of vacay! holla!
and now i have a pint of blueberries and a mug of lemon tea in front of me! shabbat shalom shalom shalom!
I didn´t realise how much I enjoy the chicken and what a ritual it´s become until I didn´t do it yesterday and was all ´where is my chicken?! I miss the chicken!´
Hugs for the hardness, and big pom-pom waves for the good.
The hard:
– getting almost no sleep last night between people coming in late, people getting up at 5 and the snoring of doom (despite earplugs. Also sorry if this makes no sense.)
– a bizarre cold snap resulting in what felt like near hypothermia
-realising how depressed drinking alcohol makes me and also that one of the people I really care about takes the not drinking alcohol as a personal betrayal.
The good:
– so much good that the amount of good deserves a point of its own
– the general awesomeness of Berlin
– meeting a wide variety of great people
– doing Shiva Nata with real live humans (thanks for putting that notice up)
– lots of writing in the notebook
– lots of photographing trees and realising that it´s ok to want to photograph trees obsessively
– I drew something for the first time in almost ten years
– going to a yoga class for the first time in a year
– eating huge quantities of delicious foodstuffs
I ran the article through Google translate and it was very readable. I used to hate the word ‘goals’. I didn’t change the word I used, but I started to think differently about it – I imagined myself as a football player kicking a goal and then jumping around with my shirt over my head when I achieved it. Much more fun!
The Hard:
* feeling really, Really tired for no apparent reason – other than getting over a cold, but my body should be infallible, dammit!
* being too tired to do any art or craft and getting really grumpy about it
* feeling all stiff because I haven’t been paying any attention to my posture
* stuffing up a few times at work and not being able to fix it before anyone found out
* still feeling anxious when I try to meditate
* not being able to figure out what the crab dream means!
The Good:
* at least I’m trying to meditate!
* I saw my chiropractor this morning and now I can move my hips again
* I got a free lunch from my lovely work-friend
* I wrote 10 pages in my journal
* I bought a planter full of herbs and a mini chilli plant today!
* My trip to Europe is paid off.
Have a lovely weekend and thank you for letting us share.
xx Katie.
.-= Katie´s last post … Quick Update =-.
The birth of a wonderful new thing is always surrounded by such chaos, yes? I think it would seem weird if the baby came and everyone was all like, “Oh, cute baby. That’s nice. Did you hear what Neighbor A said about Neighbor B? And can you get some peaches next time you’re at the market?” 🙂
This week’s hard:
– Realizing that my first summer show is only two weeks away, and how much there is to get done before then with new pieces and new displays.
– The former owners planted this decorative but highly invasive vine in a couple different places in the garden, and it’s like fighting a war to get rid of the stuff. We’re in year 2 of combat, and sometimes it feels like there’s just no real progress.
This week’s good:
– My sweetie and I had a wonderful day celebrating our three-year anniversary. There are times I think I’m the luckiest person on earth.
– The reunion craziness that had me all tied up in knots a couple of weeks ago resolved itself in a way that isn’t too bad, and I’m working hard on putting my expectations aside and letting this thing be what it will be.
– I managed to get ahead on a big project this week so I can spend a day or two next week on other things.
.-= Lori Paximadis´s last post … the only constant is change =-.
Happy Birthday to the Portland Playground – I live in Portland too and can’t wait until us Portlanders get to see it. I love the ‘what you do’ Pirate themed Yoga Studio!
It’s perfect in Portland.
The Hard:
-Promoting all my new classes in The Work.
-Getting tutored in InDesign 5 – and taking notes so I can do it again myself.
-Thinking about a new brand. Lots of mindmapping and thinking outloud with my husband.
-Getting my mind/brain videos edited. Figuring out how to launch that and how it fits into what I love to do in a way that makes sense.
-Editing my manifesto to your age groups – Ten things I wish I Knew at Your Age. My inner lizard is screaming it has to be perfect. It is slow going.
-Getting on another airplane and getting up at 4 am to fly to the East coast.
-Remembering the Ram Dass quote: If you think you are enlighted, spend a week with your family.
The Good:
-One mind/brain video interview is done. It’s good and will be good content for people who want to change their brain.
-I hired my writing accountability person to help with the manifesto editing. She is there to get me off my butt and get it done already.
-I am learning video editing and InDesign.
-My brand is still in eagle vision but it’s on paper. I am very inspired by this idea.
-Some of my brand buckets are in place – mind/brain video interviews with authors/psychologists who are also Buddhists.
-I am here on East coast to help my mom after her back surgery. I get to see my family / Yeah!
-Writing a comment to Havi’s post now.
.-= Sherold Barr´s last post … Ready for Byron Katie? =-.
“It’s still kind of a terrible explanation since I personally would be appalled by the thought of a pirate-themed yoga studio.”
This made me bust out laughing.
As for my week, stucknesses showing up in the most ridiculous of places. Dumb stuff. Over-thinking. Made me put off wishing you well for The Playground until late Thurs. night- sorry for the delay. (It sounds awesome, overwhelming, a Herculean labor of love. Looking forward to seeing some pics. Smooth sailing to you & Selma!)
But, I also finished washing all my old recovered Legos, procured some cheap storage for most of them though I am still mulling how to organize certain bits. (some over-thinking there too, no doubt.)
At an art fair, I noticed how much people appreciated it when I told them I liked their work (even if I couldn’t buy it), so I made a concerted effort to express that more despite my general reluctance to talking to strangers. A worthwhile effort.
Bought my first domain name. Not certain it’s right for my business but I don’t have to worry about losing it, so that’s good.
.-= claire´s last post … Life of Art SitRep #17 =-.
I have a friend Sarah who’s brother Joe did some research on their family tree and claimed to that they were descentents of a pirate ‘the pirate Gillams’. I had visions of him at work sitting behind a desk with a patch over one eye, a bandana and doing pirate talk while waving a cutlass in local goverment… since then he has trained as a YOGA TEACHER !!! so I feel I should get him on a plane immediately to go to the ‘Pirated themed Yoga studio’!!!
.-= creativevoyage´s last post … colbatika =-.
descendents… sorry my spolling is appauling