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.
The hard stuff
Headache.
You know that horrid phrase about eyes being bigger than stomach?
I keep being convinced I can get more done than I actually can.
And then getting overwhelmed.
Also, what made me think that scheduling teleclasses four days in a row would be a good idea? I have no idea.
Tired tired tired.
All I want to do is the sleep.
This does not happen to be especially good for the aforementioned getting done of things.
The iguanas. They are multiplying.
Iguanas. They’re everywhere.
Oh, I’m hilarious. Except not at all.
Really. Is there anything more embarrassing than being an hour late to a teleclass?
Yes, there is. If it’s a class on the topic of SYSTEMS. And a class that you’re hosting.
Luckily, Mark Silver is a genius and a sweetheart and a seasoned professional, and totally rolled with it and taught what was — I’m sure — a completely brilliant class.
And I got to be on the tail end of it to hear some good stuff.
But yeah. Um. I don’t have anything more to say about that.
Other than yes, I am happy to take one for the team and demonstrate what it looks like when systems have a hole. Look! Mine do! Mine do!
My favorite dress has died a tragic death.
Did that not just happen to my favorite pants as well? Yes.
Clearly this is a sign that I have to stop wearing the same thing every single day.
Or that it’s time to change my look.
Or that there is no sign but everything is slightly worse than it was before.
Endings.
My gentleman friend and I do not see eye to eye on the topic delayed gratification.
So we ended up watching the (sniff) final two episodes of Life, the beautiful, beautiful show that I wanted never to end.
Because, as he pointed out, there’s no point in saving your favorite treat to eat last if you’re just going to keep it in the freezer for the next twenty years.
And yeah, he’s right. And of course I’d already put this off for four months. But oh how I did not want it to end.
And even though I know it already has ended, somehow not seeing the ending made everything more bearable.
There is so much pain in things being over sometimes. Luckily, this gave me a topic for my habits detective-themed bohemian salon. So. Silver linings. But I still feel sad.
Stupid teabags.
You know those teabags that talk to you and give you advice and tell you to radiate kindness or whatever?
“Whether you give or share, are kind or not, never let your grace fall” — the teabag.
Somehow that completely got on my nerves. WTF, teabag? That MAKES NO SENSE.
*sings* This is nonsensical tea! It makes no sense to me!
Though bonus points to @zenatplay for responding thusly: “Teabags are notoriously vague and nonsensical. Bourbon would never say such a thing.” So true.
The good stuff
Ketchup!
Oh, finally.
So much catching up happened this week.
I’d been stuck in the middle of this four part series on “what to do when no one is buying your stuff” that I’m putting up at the Kitchen Table.
And so I — finally — finished that and answered a bunch of questions and generally feel better about everything.
Another giant iguana de-piling.
Remember when I deconstructed a giant pile of iguanas and doom?
Well, another one showed up and has been taunting me. Or haunting me. Possibly both. Anyway, the comfort and the win:
In the two hours I set aside for preliminary de-piling, somehow I was actually able to disappear most of the pile itself. Almost all of it.
And then I had a shivanautical epiphany that allowed me to realize what was creating the piling to begin with. So I’m kind of also hoping that this is my last big pile like this.
But even if it isn’t. Yay for now. Sparklepoints!
Putting up the sukkah!
Well, watching my gentleman friend put up the sukkah, while making admiring sounds from a distance.
Some people just look really good on top of ladders, is all I’m saying.
Anyway, we have a sukkah! The first ever Hoppy House sukkah! And I think also the first ever time I’m not teaching in Germany during sukkot in years.
See also: this excellent contest that describes the guidelines for sukkah-building.
Presents!
Actually, we get presents all the time.
Mostly for the Playground. Often for Selma. Even, on occasion, for me.
But this week was full of marvelous ones.
Is there anything better than a present box? Yes! A present box that says on it: “I am a present box! All stripey and full of presents! Yay for my existence.”
Thank you, Taylor. You are the best sender of boxes.
And then we got a box full of gorgeous handmade hats for the Playground — from Julie. Hooray!
And also a fairy door. Who doesn’t need a fairy door? I know.
Um, speaking of presents.
Of all the interesting — and even bizarre — gifts that people send?
So far THIS package received this week wins for weirdest. Possibly ever! It contained:
- A giant bag of peanuts.
- Within the first giant bag of peanuts: another — smaller — bag of peanuts.
- A cucumber.
- Two packets of Hollandaise sauce mix.
- Two pieces of green cloth, one solid and one print.
- A marionette … camel. With a ring tied to it.
Clearly I’m being proposed to by the most interesting person on earth. Or I am totally misreading this. Who cares? Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!
Or maybe not. I don’t know. You’ll have to explain the cucumber first.
Hey, a non-depressing week in the world of sports.
For a change.
Did you see the Giants take the Dodgers TEN to TWO? It was amazing. Well, I didn’t see it. I listened to it, because we don’t have a television. But it was still amazing. And then I watched clips.
Man, being that happy kind of hurts. I’m so used to the torture, I don’t even know how to take this whole “winning” thing.
Then, in case you follow Berlin soccer, which you probably don’t (I don’t even think my German readers do?), in a spectacular upset which made everything better: FC Union didn’t lose to Hertha. Ohmygod.
Then they went on to lose to pretty much every team in the country, but we’re not going to talk about that.
Also Colleen was here.
Yay! We played at the Playground.
And I finally destuckified a stuck.
More about that on Sunday.
But I am mostly over my weird impossible stucknesses about having a Facebook page for The Fluent Self, Inc. (pirate ship at large!).
It’s here: http://facebook.com/TheFluentSelf
It will be our secret bar. Details to come. In the meantime, stop by and have a drink.
And tonight … dinner with Denise. It’s happening!
Remember how a few weeks ago I put out a Very Personal Ad for the right dining room table? And promised that once we had one, we’d celebrate by inviting Denise over to dinner?
Well. I found the table. But it was crazy expensive. So I VPA-ed (in my head) for an interim table that would be beautiful and functional and could then move into my office once the table-of-my-heart is a more reasonable thing.
Found it! Ridiculously affordable. Completely right. Very attractive.
The dining room can now be dined in. As can the sukkah. See? Options. Everywhere. This is good for me, since I often have difficulty seeing options anywhere. Options!
And … playing live at the meme beach house it’s the Fake Band of the Week!
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’s FBOTW is brought to you by Sheridan (hi, Sheridan!).
He says:
Today at work I am judging a cupcake baking contest. As a result?people have been sneakily transporting cupcakes around me all morning?(the judging is anonymous). For some reason my brain segued this into?a band name:
The Stealth Cupcakes.
Of course, it’s really just one guy.
I adore this. And yes, I am totally buying the new Stealth Cupcakes album.
And wonderful things this week.
Colleen’s piece on emptying out her life (“My stuff saved me for a long time, so I saved it right back.”)
And Rupa on why it’s good to be bad.
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. And chag sameach. Happy week of gourds.
p.s. The Rally (Rally!) is filling up. If you can swing it, get in before I rewrite the copy to explain why it’s so fabulous.
Follow
‘Or maybe not. I don’t know. You’ll have to explain the cucumber first.’
Laughing so hard I have tears, also trying not to wake the others in the house.
The Hard:
Right after I chickened last week, I went on a market trip and got pick pocketed. I didn’t lose much money, but it messed with my sense of the goodness of humanity and also made me think about my relationship with and responsibility about money. Ick.
I tried to climb a volcano last night, and I just couldn’t do it in the time frame we had for the hike. I could have made it with lots of breaks, but I would have missed the sun rise over the surrounding volcanoes which was the whole point of starting a hike at one in the morning. Now, I’m looking for a respiratory specialist and a plan to do conditioning and training type stuff.
The Good:
I am in love with Catherine Caine’s Awesome Website Extravaganza. Everything is in chewable pieces and I so, I’m developing a plan. A plan! It’s coming together in my head and on paper (virtual digital paper). Wheeee! This makes me so many kinds of happy.
I had a blog post retweeted by lovely twitter folk and such a fun traffic jump. Kind of like a carnival ride, in my mind.
And with the Shiva Nata, a mini-piph about an obvious experiment based on organic search traffic.
I’m leaving Xela for seven weeks of travel before settling some where in Costa Rica for a couple of months, exciting and nervous making.
.-= Kathryn ´s last post … Turning Can’t into Can =-.
Too bad it wasn’t a zucchini. I hear those are good to ward off bears. 😉
.-= Megan Lubaszka´s last post … Test Taking Anxiety- How to Conquer It =-.
Teabag wisdom, just as helpful as Chinese fortune cookies:-)
The hard:
– Accommodation situation still somewhat unresolved. Moved into a place on Wednesday that I am probably going to move out again tomorrow.
– Had the feeling that place wasn’t the right solution and still having ignored the feeling.
– Off-centre because of the above.
The good:
– Fun at work and with people at work.
– Brief return of summer.
– Bought a postcard with a smiling angel on it and wrote a VPA on it for a room / appartment that has everything that I need for my well-being, visible and invisible. Sat in the sun and had coffee while writing it.
Have a sunny weekend, chickeneers!
Hard:
* Many commitments + bad timing + lack of sleep = mishegoss
* Shoe. Ow effing ow.
Good:
* Sixteenth wedding anniversary. Celebrated by going to shooting range and followed it with sha cha beef.
Shabbat shalom to all y’all.
.-= Mechaieh´s last post … clippings from Martha Stewart Living =-.
Teabags, cucumbers and stealthy cupcakes… why am I suddenly hungry?
Hard:
– BIG stress.
– Lack of sleep. O sleep, how I miss you!
Good:
– A glimmer of hope? Perhaps an end to the BIG stress?
– No more long hair. Whee!
– Making progress on the restocking of art after my blow-out show. Paint,paint,paint!
.-= Barbara J Carter´s last post … My art on bus stops =-.
Hurrah for dinner and sukkah and de-piling of iguanas!
I really need to de-pile mine ; i can barely step from ym bedroom door to the bed without stepping on one. And then they leap up and try to bite me in defence =(
@Mechaieh Happy Anniversary!!! And -hugs- for the Shoe-throwing.
@Havi i think i must be buying the wrong kinds of teabag 🙁 no fortunes on mine..
The hard stuff
Let-downs. Emotional rollercoasters.
To my knowledge, I’ve only ever broken one promise in my life. Certainly only once in the last decade. And I explained and was forgiven.
This week, it seems my friends are breaking them left, right and centre. Some are reasonable excuses [as in, valid reasons to be excused]; others seem so trivial to me and I just can’t understand. Over analysing. Jumping to conclusions. Taking things personally. GAH.
Not Sleeping: Still
Dreams of snakes and rooms and corridors and power-cuts and Gah.
I lost so much sleep in the past 3 weeks that yesterday I slept for almost 12 hours straight. Never done that unless I’ve been ill before.
Iguanas.
Piles and piles of them. They breed like rabbits; they’re all across my bedroom floor and now they’ve started climbing onto my bed so I can’t sleep.
And they have flippin’ sharp teeth -sniffle-
So much fear over facing them. Lots of hard. Guilt. Shame. Fear.
Name-calling of being useless and being stupid and should’ve done all this weeks ago. Gah.
I think I can easily call it a MESS of Iguanas.
My Store
Having really slow business in the store. Now trying to transfer things to a separate website [it’s currently on my blog] and it’s one of the iguanas. Really getting down and doubting my abilities and such. Destuckification needed.
The good stuff
Ritual!
I got to celebrate the Autumn Equinox twice – once with friends, once alone. Ahh, balance <3
Friends!
Went out Tuesday night with friends to celebrate my birthday [which was a month ago…] and had a great time. I even got a couple of presents!
Novel!
I reached my ultimate goal of 91,000 words in 50 days!!! I'm taking two days off, then filling plot holes and then I can relax for a bit before I edit it. Hurrah!
The Next Novel!
I kind of have ideas for another different novel; as well as plans for a sequel to the above one. Wahey for ideas and inspiration and progress!
I guess I should go and dress up in my Enchantress crown, grab my wand; light some incense and de-pile that mess. Wish me luck!!!
~Rose
.-= Rose´s last post … Visibility- Reaching the Edge =-.
Fridaaaaay! Yeah, baby.
Hard:
– My mother was visiting for most of the week. She was sleeping in the livingroom, so this interrupted my yoga habit and made it really hard to do any work (even though I had counted on that so I hadn’t scheduled any work) and I feel all fallen out of myself.
– Where’s my yogaaah! Oh, wait, I already mentioned that.
Easy:
– My mother was visiting for most of the week! We went to see the suspension bridge and took a boat ride and went to the market. And talked about important things.
– Ideas about my superhero costume. I am also a person who wears the same thing every day, and I’ve been thinking if I wear the same thing every day anyway, I might as well make that a THING and carefully select the things I’m going to wear. And then get several copies, so I really do always wear the same thing, like Lisa Simpson.
My week was mostly easy. Hugs to your weeks if they were not.
.-= Willie Hewes´s last post … Being the Best Girl in the World =-.
The hard:
– SO much to do. I love having a busy life, full of wonderful things, but even so – this week got out of control.
– My car’s battery died on Monday. Which was, of course, _exactly what I needed_ in a week full of Busy.
– I have to wait another whole month to get the piece of body art that I want applied. Another month! Don’t they understand that I Need this Now?
– No time for two of my Lovelies, and less time than usual for my other Lovely.
– SO MUCH to do this afternoon in preparation for the Thing (the thing!) tomorrow – costume prep, ironing, car-cleaning, grocery-ing.
The Good:
– Consulted with the artist, and now have an appointment for application of body art (even if it IS a MONTH away).
– Gained a new battery for the car.
– My main Lovely has been extremely patient and helpful in all my trials and Busy.
– Had a wonderful rehearsal for the Thing (the thing!) last night! Yay, getting in touch with Dark Queen Me!
– Saw a glorrrrrious concert under the light of the Full Moon on Wednesday night – Crosby, Stills, and Nash! Gorgeous harmonies! Dancing! Yay!
– Today is a Short Day at the Day Job, so I have more time to Get Stuff Done after work (which is still kind of Hard, but is also Good.)
– Identified new things about the persistent and very loud Cleaning Monster with the help of one of my Lovelies. Not really doing anything with these realizations yet, but they’re there. That’s good.
Yay, chickening!
My mind is blown by that package! Cucumbers? Russian doll peanuts? Wow.
The hard:
-feeling funky and tearful and frustrated with still being stuck with the stuck and that the things I want to change are…resolutely unchanging
– not making much progress on trying to find a new job
– trying to widen my minute social circle by going to a writers group and it not really working
– feeling rather ignored by pretty much everyone I know
– having so little motivation to do things…uff
– going to a dreaded drs appointment and being a bit scared by the implications of what was discussed
– not being able to get back into the habit of shiva nata
– weird weird weird disturbing dreams
– continual building type noises – drilling, sawing, clattering. Sometimes from two different places at once. Seriously.
The good:
– trying out delicious new recipes
– taking care of myself
– writing happening
– and despite having a huge amount of stuff to do on my course getting it done
– yoga
– not having to go to work – whoo
– signing up to burlesque classes
– writing an actual poem for the first time in about ten years
– finally tidying something that really needed doing but I’ve been putting off for ages
– finding a very pretty silver locket as part of this clear out – yay!
So, mixed – really mixed. Wonder what next week will bring?
.-= Jane´s last post … Gratitude is not Compulsory =-.
Chicken! Oh, how I love thee…
Hard:
– Have run into a technical problem on a project I’m working on. Stupid problem has me completely stuck. Grrr.
– Had an opportunity to meet a potential new customer, but didn’t feel like I could taken the time with deadlines looming. Bummer.
– No less than 4 people have asked me if someone is doing my makeup for my son’s wedding. I’m taking that as a hint that I *need* someone to do my makeup, and perhaps not just for the wedding. Way to make me feel self-conscious, folks!
Awesome:
+ Accomplished lots of little projects.
+ Sister completed my jewelry for the wedding and it is AWESOME!
+ Wore a new outfit yesterday, and in < 3 hours received 4 compliments on it. Wow! I guess wearing the right clothes really can make a difference.
Have a great weekend!
.-= Avonelle Lovhaug´s last post … What kind of emergency support do you need =-.
The good: glorious sleep after not so glorious sleep. No headache after terrible headache. Breezes filling my house. Books that live inside me making themselves known. Deciding to walk most everywhere today. The giant rug in my room that is perfect for writing and yoga and contemplating.
Wow, Friday. Wow. Hi! About the last week etc…
The hard:
-Travel. Oh, travel, you do not agree with me. My internal clock doesn’t handle time zone changes gracefully at all. Ugh.
-Resulting being over-tired and under-prepared for, well, life in general. Ugh.
-No one is responding to my pleas to be taken off a mailing list for an organization in which I can no longer participate because I have moved well over 1,000 miles away. Answer me, dang it! Ugh.
The good:
-I got my license! I can work (eventually)! Yay! Etc. It’s sort of terrifying but still an enormous relief.
-My under-preparedness did not turn out to be a huge problem. I have a lot to do before I’ll be set for Monday, but I can handle that.
-My internal clock is almost readjusted. I slept enough last night and I was hungry for breakfast. Yay!
-Those pots I spent the summer doing intense work making? Used last weekend successfully. The pitcher poured without catastrophe. The cups and bowls held liquid without leaking. I will still do better next time, but still yay.
-It’s sunny and not *quite* as hot as it was a month ago. Light, end of tunnel. Thank goodness.
Hugs all around, congratulations on anniversary, and also now I desire cupcakes. I think I may have to make some today… happy weekend!
The hard:
introvert suffers sensory overload from too many people
tough lesson in leadership learned
no time for writing, yoga, pilates, hula
The good:
getting stuff done
read a marvelous laugh out loud novel based in the world I grew up — famolare shoes?! I hadn’t thought of those in 30 years.
my “bespoke” poem arrived! It’s fabulous.
TGIC – thank god it’s chicken! i’ve been waiting all week for you. why are fridays so far away sometimes?
i’m intrigued by these gifts…
havi – it sounds like our hards were hanging out together causing trouble.
the hard:
1. headache after headache after… you get the picture. dude, i don’t even get headaches… oh wait, yes i do, that’s why i get massages…. haven’t had one in 6 weeks because my massage therapist moved across the country… and now with the headaches. boo!
2. the sads – i figured out this week that medication doesn’t take away all the need for self-care.
3. grumpy co-worker still grumpy and not seeing it’s her, not everyone else.
4. tired tired tired – hormones, insomnia, exhaustion. it’s exhausting.
5. writer’s block. hell, i even had reader’s block this week.
the good:
1. massage scheduled for today!
2. i listened to myself and hunkered down at home
instead of making myself do social things when i didn’t want to.
3. limiting my interaction with grumpy co-worker. no need for both of us to suffer.
4. made a little peace with my princess and the pea self and slept alone this week. ear plugs, white noise fan, my favorite blankets and a lovely eye mask really did help.
5. a post i’ve been meaning to write for months decided to pour itself out last night right before i went to bed. it made me feel better.
.-= Tami´s last post … Gimme Shelter =-.
one more good!
my students are absolutely rockin it! they are highly motivated by my learning games that they’ll do their work to play. win, win!
.-= Tami´s last post … Gimme Shelter =-.
Who cares? Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!
Thank you for my first belly laugh of the day. 🙂
Okay. Chicken!
Hard:
-School meeting about my daughter’s adjustment to middle school. These are old issues from where we sit, but now a whole new groups of school professionals are encountering them. Is something wrong with her? Well, no. She’s gifted; she’s sensitive; she’s spirited. Yes, she often has a bumpy time of it in school, especially in the first couple of months of a new year. Yes, we’ll work hard on our end to help her adjust. (The meeting itself wasn’t nearly as bad as my anxiety leading up to it, though.)
-Hip-deep in iguanas.
-Neck pain.
-I want a vacation, and am having a hard time giving myself permission. (Planning to take one in December, but already feeling anticipatory guilt over lost income.)
-A local university music department is holding auditions for Candide next week. There are many roles, and they also need a 60-voice chorus. And it’s open for members of the community to participate. And I’d love to. And I don’t think I have the time. Bad timing. Opportunity missed. Sadness.
Good:
+The school counselor who led the meeting was sympathetic, supportive, and savvy. Also, I was able to stay in a state of sovereignty and compassionate communication.
+I’ve been continuing to work on my dissertation proposal; it’s still going slowly, but I give myself credit for interacting with it daily.
+My work with clients has been going well. I feel strong, confident, in a state of flow.
+Lovely celebrations and feasting for the Fall Equinox. Autumn! I love autumn so much!
+Pumpkin pie. Delicious.
Happy Chickening, everyone, and my best wishes for a wonderful weekend!
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … Equinox =-.
The hard:
– Struggling to find time to write in between everything else.
– Trekking to US Embassy for tax thing only to find that my supporting documentation wasn’t right.
– Deadlines coming up and no time to finish stuff off.
– Struggling to fill my ‘extra’ time at work with *useful things* rather than just goofing off.
– Why can’t I write (fiction) at work? (Not enough fenced-off time, maybe? Might have someone wander over to my desk & interrupt.)
– Want to pitch another article. Really struggling to get that done. (hi there iguana!)
The good:
– Settling in well at NewJob.
– Knowing that I *will* make my deadlines, I’m just at That Stage, and it’s worse this time because I really am a little bit swamped right now.
– Writing a few thousand words on current project despite above-mentioned time issues.
– Going climbing twice.
– Paying enough attention to what’s going on to start to work out what I can and can’t do in down-time at work.
– Starting to work out why I struggle with pitches.
.-= Juliet´s last post … Very late potato-planting =-.
Ooooooh, this week. This week!
The Hard:
-technology and miscommunication annoyances growing to overhwhelming proportions
-sick…while the man was out of town. so sick and alone with 4-year-old Little Bird, Ugh.
-Just stuck. Stuck in everything. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck.
The Good:
-technology problem fixed (for now…what mysterious ailment will arise next? stay tuned!)
-sickness passing
-the wind! the wind! the chilly autumn wind!
-working through the stuck. apparently, it’s the same damn thing again. (When When will this lesson finally stick for me? Will it ever?) Stop already. You can choose to step off the hamster wheel. Look…there’s a whole world out there to step out into. Why do you keep running and not going anywhere anyway? Of course, now I need to commit to Keep Paying Attention to the pattern, right?
.-= Emily´s last post … Feather Boots- an Invisibility Cloak — And I Get to Choose =-.
Oh, this week. So so so hard. And so so so good.
The hard:
– My sister was in a bad motorcycle accident earlier this week. No helmet. Lots of badness. She’s been here with me and will be here with me for a while longer. I am so not cut out to be a nurse. I feel like I’m doing a crap job of it. Very little sleep for anyone in the house. Lots of drama and phone calls and retelling of the story and I’m just so so tired.
– I put the last bit of a project off until the morning it was due, and because of the accident I wasn’t able to get to it on time and thus was late turning it in. I *hate* being late, even if it’s for a really, really, really good reason.
– All kinds of minor ick and other people’s stuff swirling around this whole situation.
– Oh, and our washer broke the day of the accident, so I can’t do any laundry without jumping through major hoops.
The good:
– My sister is alive, and the damage, while bad, is nowhere near as bad as it could have been.
– I was somehow able to hold it together and get through the blood and the gore without losing it. (Yet. I figure I’ll let myself have a stress breakdown next week sometime. Very Scarlett O’Hara.)
– The vast majority of people I’ve had to deal with this week have been unfailingly kind and helpful. And I have managed to recognize that with the exceptions, it’s their stuff.
– Last weekend’s show was spectacularly good.
– At the beginning of the week, I booked a bunch of new projects that will keep me busy through most of the fall, let me pay off the last of the credit card by the end of the year, and start doing my office renovation. Go, me!
Happy Friday, Chickeneers. Hug your loved ones extra hard today and never, ever let anyone ride a motorcycle without a helmet, no matter how careful of a rider they say they are. Most often, accidents are not the motorcyclist’s fault.
.-= Lori Paximadis´s last post … Rocky River Fall Arts Festival =-.
*hums a requiem for the Favorite Dress*
Whew. It’s been a week.
Hardness:
Actually not much except a bit of collateral damage from a shoe not aimed at me; I just happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The hot, it is back. While I love summer, and lake effect winters are too damn long, neither do I relish 80 degrees with 80% humididity. (never could spell that word!)
Came up with a brilliant idea for World Domination but someone else is already doing something similar…
Goodness:
Got a butt-load done this week! Wrote in morning pages EVERY DAY, worked out A LOT! Decluttered, posted on Ye Olde Blogge, came up with not one, not two but THREE plans/helps for upcoming World Domination.
Got recognized on the street by two ladies who had seen my show! Paparazzi can’t be far behind. I like being famous.
Aforementioned shoe incident led to a marvelous new friend who helped me through the real-time UGHs with great humor and clarity. You know who you are!
Sent one of my Tiny Sweet Plans for World Domination to some twitter buddies who think it’s fabulous! Found a book that will help me do an even better job.
K that’s it darlings. Kisses to all!
Cluckity Cluck Cluck.
The Hard:
-My brain keeps shorting out, probably because:
-Not enough of the sleeps.
-I’m not eating right
-forgetting to exercise, and much shiva-not-ing.
-Shoes! Thrown on Twitter! Whoa.
-Panic. Finances. What else?
-Pompup ate 3 pastel pencils. 1 eraser. 2 black pens, 1 of them munched happily on the white carpet.
-Facebook. It still confounds me.
The Happy:
-I cleaned off the drawing table again!
-Made an actual, real live start on a commission I’ve procrastinated about for months. OMG yay.
-Discovered HootSuite. Love.
-Awesomepants Twitter friends that help with shoes and panic and discuss what to do with dead bodies. Love.
-My Circus & Visitors! YAY. It’s as fun as I hoped.
-Sony e-reader. It’s pure happy.
And lots of eggs lined up for next week.
I’m a happy chicken.
.-= Tori Deaux´s last post … The Fortune Tellers Tent- What’s Your Path =-.
Add hard: can NOT figure out how to fix commentluv! Rahr.
Still working on mostly hard here, though the good seems to be peeking through from time to time…
The Hard:
* coming home from a fun weekend with mom and immediately falling apart completely when faced with the now-ex-honey
* two full days of not being able to function at all… and the accompanying face-pain of so much crying 🙁
* knowing that I need him gone from my life, entirely, but fear/pain/sadness about actually having him leave
* fear/stress/worry over money, and what am I gonna do/how am I gonna pay for everything now that I’ve come to rely on his help with bills
The Good:
* managing to get out of bed two whole days so far this week!
* food, and actually being able to eat it again
* I wrote a post on my blog! and I think it was actually an ok one, despite my mostly falling apart completely this week
* catching up with good friends that I haven’t hung out with in ages
* helping mom AND sister with dreams/plans/future greatness 😀
* plans for sparkling up the house much MUCH more
* two words; bubble gun 😀
* sun! warmth! and did I mention, sun!!!
.-= Heidi´s last post … What’s Love Got To Do With It =-.
The hard:
– Almost a full day behind on work due to medical appointments.
The good:
+ Fixed soup for dinner tonight.
+ Staying in out of the rain.
+ Two more new posts to my blog this week.
Things are starting to fall into place. Hopefully after my upcoming sleep study and treatment of my apnea things will start going even better.
.-= Jason Burnett´s last post … Autism patient 1 =-.
@Havi Clearly I am buying the wrong kinds of teabags! Yours sound fun.
The Hard:
-Realized that I am traveling until Thanksgiving with only a two week break. This is stressing me out.
-Massive massive back and spine pain, aggravated by travel. Oof.
-Money stuff is okay but not great, and I haven’t heard back on my big contract bid yet. Getting very nervous.
-Wanting to write and not having the brain space/energy to do it.
The Good:
-Meeting new super awesome business friends and seeing old ones.
-Work writing going well.
-Getting to go see my oldest friend who has been sick for several years, and is finally well enough to have visitors. We’re going to tour famous southern writer’s houses and eat vegetarian food and reconnect, and I can’t wait.
-Feeling like if I do not get this contract, I did my best and it doesn’t mean DOOM and the end or anything.
.-= Holly´s last post … Real Mavericks Brand Their Cattle 2- How to break down customer loyalty =-.
Happy Friday! Bwock bwock!
A cucumber? That might be the most mysterious + most marvelous present ever. I can see why you said yes to the proposal. I mean, how could you not?
I’m sorry about your dress though. I get totally attached to my clothes. And I hate when they die.
Ok. Chicken time.
The Hard
– Almost no sleeps for two days in a row. Hard. Mush brained. Unfun.
– Did I mention the tireds? Because, wow.
– Body hurts. Oy.
– Family stuff + related worriness
– Postponing a vacation because of the aforementioned family stuff
The Good
– Leigh Bowery videos
– Writing. Lots of it. Yay!
– Making plans for a drunk origami party with some fab friends
– Realizing that I’m booked until mid-November for sound sessions
– Art supplies! And the making of much art!
– Totally unexpected kindness from a sweet friend that just completely wowed me
– Talking with another musician about a potentially rawk collaboration
– Extra kitty sweetnesses from Sid the Punk Rock Kitty
.-= Fabeku Fatunmise´s last post … Houston- We Have A Misperception =-.
Hard stuff:
Made appt. with tax preparer. Maybe not so much hard as just terrifying. I have really big money (and lack thereof) fear. And fear that my accountant will think I’m a loser. Wow, that’s hard.
Sending requests to BIG people to review my ebook. They might reject it. And me, by extension (that’s the hard part).
Easy stuff:
Great client appt. yesterday with a new client/acquaintance. It just flowed and I said the right things and I really helped.
Wonderful, deep talk with my sweetie last night. I didn’t think I could do long distance romance, but we seem to be getting closer. He’s a damn fine communicator, open, gentle, curious, considerate and loving. So, that helps :).
.-= Claire Tompkins´s last post … What I Learned at Burning Man about Time =-.
Mercy! I am delighted to have landed in the “plus” column. And to have landed in the Playground for a good roll on the floor and a frolic through messy fields of idea(r)s.
And be careful with those furniture-related VPAs. I have a whole apartment-ful that would look mighty at-home in Hoppy House, and you know full well I’m in divestment mode!
.-= Colleen Wainwright´s last post … Selling My Crap on eBay- Day 9- Elbow-Deep in Luxury =-.
Merry Chicken to all!
I’m both so glad it’s Friday and *so* wishing it wasn’t….
Hard
– Recovering from having my Mom visiting last week. Still. Frustrated that it’s taking so damned long. I gave myself a couple of extra days after she left before trying to jump back into my life and work. Apparently, not enough.
-Not able to give myself permission to be in not-ready-to-go-back-to-work state. Hello, guilt. Not helping!
– Dreading a couple of conversations that needed to happen at the beginning of the week.
– Now dreading the follow-up emails to conversations. Stuck, procrastinating, Ugh!
– Suddenly remembering how old I am and obsessing over skin care products. I can spend WAAAYYY too much time on this and I did this week.
– And, of course, the beating myself about caring about something like looking old. I know it shouldn’t matter. I wish it didn’t matter. And it does. And I’m not okay with that. Sigh.
Good
– Friends! Lots of hanging out with them this week. I am SUCH a social butterfly!
– Alcohol! Drinks with friends. Yay!
– Watching my friend, Russ, win Actual Money on Jeopardy. Too cool! And, it turns out, another friend of mine taped her Jeopardy appearance this week which will air in December. Lots of smart, trivia-minded people in my life.
Hugs for everyone’s hard. Cheers for the good!
(I am *so* sending someone a cucumber!)
.-= Chris Davis´s last post … Granularity =-.
Thank you, Havi! xo
Say, was there a note in that weird package? Would it be unethical if I claimed to have sent it?… It would?
What if I said I sent a bottle of vinegar and some pickling spices under seperate cover?…Still?
Uh, okay.
The Hard:
-Still staying up too late to complete tasks.
-The Hospice training I’d been waiting for all summer was postponed until February. FEBRUARY.
-Experienced writing stuckness due to fatigue and posted a old article I’d written without bloggifying it.
-Also, some financial ketchupping is in order. Inowanna.
The Good:
-Shivanata DVD arrived. Whee!
-Having tons of fun with H.S. speech students.
-Glorious fall weather.
-Did NOT embarass myself singing publicly.
-Husband + kitchen = Kitchari w/ginger & pakoras. Save me.
-Deelightful Bohemian Salon w/Havi!
.-= Rupa´s last post … A Song of Letting Go- Joyfully =-.
Sleepy sleepy sleepy chickening today.
The Hard:
– A big thing I tried out totally failed, and no, it doesn’t feel like a learning experience, and I kind of want to punch people in the face who suggest that it should. Even though no one has, specifically, this time. Ah, frustration.
– Worries about money as a result of not having planned for the total failure of the thing.
– Bitter bitter bitter about the “friend” who decided to pretend we were in high school and make her husband tell me she doesn’t like me anymore. Tired of this taste in my mouth. Pleh. Pleh. Pleh.
– Phone call with Mom another great reminder of how I have nothing in common with my actual family.
– Apparently it was Loud O’Clock all over the place last weekend and I got seriously sleep deprived and cranky as a result.
– Finding the hard harder than the list would imply, despite all the good.
The Good:
+ Had the most awesomest birthday dinner ever, treated by my three good friends (including my BFF), with delicious foods and nummy cocktails and even oysters. And dessert. And yummies!
+ Finally catching up on sleep, huzzah.
+ Had a wonderful client meeting yesterday and am getting caught up there, feeling a tentative glow of competence.
+ Snuggly kittehs are snuggly.
+ Made the bed with clean warm flannel sheets and slept gloriously in them.
+ Got my Thinkgeek order and I now have a “meh.” flask for the booze I rarely drink. And whisky stones! It was a boozy sort of week, in all the best ways. Store credit ftw.
+ Got to laugh again over the fact that the museum misspelled both my & my friend’s names on our museum membership cards.
+ The weather has been glorious, cool and welcoming and lovely.
+ I have an ice cream maker! Going today to buy delicious things to put in it for the making of ice cream. Yum.
+ Got nice presents for birthdays, including a game I’ve been wanting & hadn’t been able to justify buying.
+ Snuck in photos of both kittehs sleeping at various times with their teddy bear in the tower. Muhahahaha.
.-= Amy Crook´s last post … Pooh and Piglet Picking Violets =-.
@Havi — I found this to be a particularly clever chicken post. Much laughing out loud at “bourbon would never say such a thing” and “some people just look good on top of ladders.” Both are funny because they are true.
The Hard
— Still fired! I mean, not that I expected that to change. I don’t think employers usually change their minds and come stand on your lawn holding a boom box over their heads… although that mental image does make me feel vaguely better somehow.
— Also still moving! Ye gods. No motivation to pack to move into an apartment where our fantasy glamorous-new-apartment-life seems abruptly less likely to actually take place. On account of there being no money. But it still must be done. HARD. INOWANNA.
— Talking to MY ENTIRE FAMILY about this situation.
— Had a moment of bad issues being triggered during an activity that’s supposed to be fun. Had to go through it, not around it.
— It is super hot. Ridiculously hot. It’s almost October, what is this?
The Good
— Still with the awesome friends and relationships and yes, even my family has dealt well with the situation and been supportive of me. Many reassurances that I haven’t actually let down everyone who loves me, even if it still kind of feels like that.
— Trying to move forward on getting a new job. Making slow progress. Got a callback today, hey!
— Had a really nice evening with a new friend who took me out for cupcakes. It is awesome discovering that someone is, actually, one of Your People.
— An online acquaintance made an awesome thing that was inspired by a thing that I made! Such a high compliment!
— I’ve been doing some good cooking, even on a shoestring budget (hmmm, I wonder if tonight I should make Shoestring Budget Potatoes?). Cooking always helps, with everything.
the Hard:
Chainsaws outside. right. now. Loud machinery since 7 AM.
Woman harassed me to move up to clean my windshields at gas station. “Harass” may be too strong but I was irritated since I’m fast. Really she was just pushing on my sovereignty and I partially gave in when I shouldn’t have which, in turn, frustrated me more.
the Good:
Birthday! Bubbles, bocce, parcheesi and a lovely tea for dinner. Homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes for sandwiches, among other tasty tidbits. Mellow and fun.
Warm enough for shorts for a couple days.
The claw arm moving bits of tree trunks outside is cool. Want to climb up to its high seat and pull some levers.
Made some good Thing headway.
.-= claire´s last post … Life of Art SitRep 33 =-.
Happy Friday Chicken everyone! And Shabbat Shalom.
The Good
I finished the two sample chapters for The Book Proposal and sent them to my readers. Squee! I had a meeting at church that night and stopped by the wine shop on the way, bought champagne (I love being Episcopalian), chocolate covered pretzels, and these marvelous chocolate covered cinnamon cookies, and they celebrated with me! The The Hubby and I went out to eat.
Updating my market research and I am still very unique in my presentation of the women in the Bible and a lot of books are still being putting out on women in the Bible.
Went to Sandwich, Scripture and Sacrament Wednesday.
It is a gorgeous sunny fall day here in Chicago, and the wind is blowing hard enough I can see whitecaps on the lake.
The Hard
Woke up with migraine yesterday. Totally sucked.
Been fending off depression. Melancholy and way too much sleep dot this week. I need more activity.
Back still hurts because I’m still not moving.
Still so much stuckness. Even with all of this summer’s destuckification. Anybody else get tired of being in the process?
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
.-= Shawna R. B. Atteberry´s last post … Poetry Party 47- Remember =-.
A cucumber always makes me think of having a Pimms. Is 6am too early to start drinking? Surely a bitters like Pimms is a good morning drink for spring.
The hard:
– not doing the last bit of cutting off my further education. I think Fear of ‘what-if this happens’ is tangled with it.
– people are clueless on recommending me music to listen to during spring. How is this possible?
The good:
– gouache! Gouache paint makes everything better.
– my sketchbook project sketchbook arrived! Huzzah!
– Sally Seltmann. I am in love with her music. Which is why I am telling everyone. If I get married, Harmony to my Heartbeat is soo going to be our cliche wedding-dance song.
– Its spring! Weather is starting to creep up to mid 20s! I can start wearing more pretty clothes!
.-= Erin´s last post … Concept & colour design for fabric Still playing with =-.
So glad it’s Friday.
The Hard:
-Anxiety is back. Old, crappy anxiety I thought I was done with.
-Too many bills!
-Trying on new pants and looking in the mirror at my growing body. Is that my body??!!
-Frustration with shitty job.
-The oppressive heat in late September. Bleck.
The Good:
+Taking steps to manage anxiety.
+Recognizing that I have money to pay my bills. I’ll be okay.
+Session with old therapist who seems to know me inside and out. Ahhhhhh.
+Upcoming get-together with dear friend.
+Reading literature.
+Got a phone call about a job! Whoot! All of the sudden, I felt free. There are options for my getting out of this shitjob.
+Focusing on loving my body and feeding it with healthy foods.
Oh heck it is Friday again, which means the cycle of scrambling to prepare for Monday/Tuesday teaching begins all over again.
The Hard:
– Monday/Tuesday teaching AFTER being in my doctoral class over the weekend. Serious workload compression.
– Exhaustion – can’t keep chopping my sleep time without expecting to feel the consequences
– Resident with dementia having a close call with flying off the treadmill. This is TWICE in two weeks that I’ve had to run and prevent an accident. NOT good for my nerves.
– Monsters and iguanas everywhere.
The Good:
+ Riding my bike 3 times this week!
+ Getting through the weekend of doctoral class WITHOUT any changes to my dissertation prospectus. I feel I am on the right track and am passionate about my topic.
+ Being well-prepared for my Tuesday lecture
+ Redoing lab on the fly when unexpected things (no subject, uncooperative equipment) occurred. Felt that students got a good learning experience, just a little different than what was originally scheduled!
+ Rocking my presentation to 40+ visitors to our facility. Getting better every time with this public-speaking thing. Even sort of enjoy it now.
Have a restful weekend, everyone!
Friday!
The Hard:
– Disappointing falafel. Need I say more?
– Lots of this pattern: not-wanting-to-sit-with-confusion. Whatever that’s called. Finding little bits of it hidden around in every nook & cranny.
The Good:
+ My mini-rally on Balance: so much to learn and explore and think about. So much!
+ Experimenting with vegan breakfasts to silence my I Will Starve Without Eggs monster
+ Bike rides! More! Every day! Glory!
+ Unexpected bonus at work that will pay for our December travel!
+ The sun is shining on me right this very second!
+ Planning a mini-reunion with my fellow Rallyites (minus our dear soeur du nord, Emmanuelle!)
This weekend: more biking, more sunshine vitamins, more walks, more playing, more naps. Yes yes yes yes. Love to all!
.-= Jesse´s last post … Investigations into this thing called Balance =-.
Is it chicken already? 😉
First, hugs on the hard… it sounds like a lot of nasty hardness going around. 🙁
For me, the hard was weird and not at first obviously hard.
I had a phenomenal talk w/ business mentor, and then realized: I had focused so much on making the Big! Successful! Business! that I was starting to edge into creepy not-me sort of thing. Which is dumb.
Mom’s little “say, as long as we’re talking, have you considered moving back home? hint hint?” and consequent ick.
The good:
Talking w/ business mentor was fun. Lots of great ideas for the secret new thing, as long as I course correct from aforementioned creepy not-me.
Hearing back from agents: they loved new synopsis.
Reconciling w/ brother after two months of boundary holding.
Thanks, guys, and much love.
.-= Cathy´s last post … What’s Your GMC =-.
the hard: getting ready for my wedding
the good:getting ready for my wedding
the hard:leaving behind my name that I have always felt so honored to have, and been so proud of.
the good:getting a new last name to start fresh with. taking his name because i love him that much.
the hard: letting physical details stress me out… i am an artist and i especially do well and love installation art. I like to create an environment and experience to communicate my intentions and feelings. Not being able to execute what feels like the biggest and most important installation piece of my life to date is excruciating. Having people that don’t understand me or know me well, sculpt the experience makes me cringe. its hard to let go and feels like defeat somehow.
the good: being surrounded by a whole community of people with the best intentions of giving me an amazing and perfect day. I can’t even begin to describe the sweet gestures and all the help and generosity from SO MANY people. stunned. humbled.
the great: i’m madly in love and basking in all the mushy gushy sappy sweetness. I know this time will pass quickly and things will settle down into normalcy, so I’m all in!
Thank you to all of you for not yelling at me for talking about wedding stuff. I know it is a touchy ick-inducing topic.
Too tired (and probably late) to chicken – it’s almost VPA time.
Just wanted to say I put off watching the last episodes of series for months. Years sometimes. Can’t bear endings sometimes.
And I often start again at the first episode again, just to reassure everyone inside that the people are still there.
.-= Andrew Lightheart´s last post … Your Inner Fundamentalist =-.