A somewhat goofy mini-collection of stuff I’ve been reading, stuff I’ve been thinking about and oh, some completely random crap.

Basically the stuff that never gets mentioned here because I’m not the kind of person who can just make some teeny little point. Not into the whole brevity thing, as the Dude would say.

Actually, I’m under the strict compulsion to write ten pages about anything on my mind. So this is me. Practicing brevity.

Okay. Usually what I do in the Item! posts is link to writing I’ve found interesting. Oh, and I rant some and wander off on tangents. Also I get excited about weird little things.

This week though there are all these things that are happening or about to happen.

So today’s (Item! Special Edition!) edition is more “stuff I think you should be doing” instead of “stuff I think you should be reading and thinking about”. Well, after I go on and on about the Blazers game last night.

Shall we?

I include links to Twitter handles too, when I can. If you’re not a fellow Twitterite, here’s my post about why it’s so great.

Item! Post No. 18 in a semi-ongoing series that lets me share things I’m excited about in ridiculous run-on sentences.

Item! I have a thing! It’s a “the Blazers are still kicking ass (as of last night)” thing!

Blazers. BLAZERS!

I love basketball. I’m not allowed to watch it because I get way too involved and also we don’t have a television. But I was able to sneakily get in the vicinity of someone else’s television twice this week.

Truth is, it’s not like I am a hardcore Blazers fan so much as I get obsessive over basketball and yeah, now I live in Portland. So how can I not? Tell me that! Okay, don’t tell me.

And also I need something to replace my irrational dislike of Indiana … and Texas is top in the running since the great taxicab debacle.

Normally I’d put this in the Friday Chicken Check-in (Item! On Friday there will be a chicken check-in!) but the boys might lose tomorrow and then I’d have to put it in the “hard” section instead of the “good”.

Tfu tfu tfu. Spit three times to avert the evil eye.

Moral of this piece: don’t let me watch basketball. It makes me hyper and crazy.

Alright! On to the “stuff I think you should be doing when you’re not watching basketball” bits.

Item! Sarah has a thing! It’s an art thing!

Sarah Marie Lacy (yes, I’ve talked about her before) is doing a neat Mother’s day thing.

She’s giving away — to one person who is on her mailing list — an 8×10 print of any of her paintings (whichever one you like, and they’re all gorgeous).

You can enter the drawing through this Sunday, May 3rd (or until very early Monday morning) and Sarah’s mum will pick the winner.

Sarah’s a classy chick and she’s not going to be all spamtastically horrible if you sign up for her list. Plus her stuff is amazing and she’s a sweet, generous, wonderful person.

Art! Free print of something beautiful! Sarah! I approve. Go sign up.

And then come back here because there’s more good stuff.

She’s @smlacy on Twitter.

Item! Cairene has a thing! It’s a getting stuff done thing!

Actually, you might be too late for her thing. Because it’s tomorrow and for all I know registration is closed.

But she does it on the last Thursday of every month and it’s freaking amazing. Sign up for next month if you can’t make it to this one.

You spend three and a half hours getting stuff done. And not just any stuff. The stuff that is hiding out at the very bottom of your to-do list.

It’s a really supportive environment, Cairene is fantastic (I’ve hired her to coach me and am so completely impressed with the results) and I’m always there and afterwards your “crap, how have I not done these things yet” list is way shorter and way less scary.

Also, it’s only $25 which is insane and I keep telling her she has to triple that price and she might listen to me at some point. So you should really sign up as soon as you can.

EDIT: I just talked to Cairene and she’s already updated the sign-up page for next month. But … she agreed to let three more people in. So if you email her or reply/DM her on Twitter, maybe you’ll be one of the three! Yay!

And she’s @thirdhandworks on Twitter.

Item! Steve has a thing! An internet-related thing that isn’t gross or stupid!

My friend Steve Spalding is a gem. Seriously.

He’s one of the most genuinely mensch-like good-guy trust-him-completely people I know. Meeting him in person at SXSW and getting to spend a few days hanging out with him confirmed that he really is that guy.

I cannot say enough good things about Steve. So I’ll stop trying.

His new book — All The Little Things (Get the advice you need to get your great idea out of the garage and onto the web) — is full of usefulness.

Also, right now you can read it for free because (for now) the whole thing is up on the website.

And you can do what I did and buy the PDF version with free updates forever for practically nothing ($7!? See, Steve is an amazingly generous soul) which you can do until May 15th.

Go take a look.

And he’s @sbspalding on Twitter.

Item! Jen is doing a thing!

I have raved about this before. Jen Hofmann does her amazing Office Spa Day twice a month.

You spend quality time with your office and figuring out how to make it work for you. And you clear out some piles and generally feel good about yourself.

Because being around Jen makes everything better.

This Saturday morning. May 2nd. $35. Totally worth it. You can sign up here.

I will be there. With bells on.

And she’s @inspiredjen on Twitter.

Item! I am doing a thing too!

Yep. My class on “Stuff Havi Thinks You Should Know About How To Get Really, Really Great Testimonials and Referrals Without Having To Feel Gross or Weird About it” starts this weekend.

This is not common-sense boring “oh, just get over yourself and ask” sort of stuff. It is genius techniques. It is very specific. It will change your business if you have one and it will save you years of doing stuff the stupid way if you are going to have one.

Also, there’s lots of me-answering-all-your-questions bits so that we can help you apply my techniques to whatever weird situation you’re in at the moment.

And you can sign up and get the digital homestudy version of this even if you’re not planning on coming to the classes.

Most important point here: It will cost more once the class starts.

And then you’ll start reading about people’s results and how they’re connecting with more of their Right People in a natural, organic, non-sleazy way and not having to constantly stress-out over the where is everybody thing.

And then you’ll kick yourself for not having done it now.

And then I’ll feel awful. So just sign up.

(Also: you save $100 by being able to answer one of two questions and since I am an incredibly nice person, you can get the answers to those two questions by reading Naomi’s post where beans are spilled).

That is all.

Enough with all the things that are happening.

I need to go figure out how my duck and I can accidentally get near a television tomorrow for the game.

So I’ll just wish you a happy Blustery Windsday. See you tomorrow.