Every week day morning our alarm goes off at precisely 6:20 am (giving me the time necessary to make it in to my office by 8:00 with precious few seconds to spare). Consequently, our preset coffee maker is set to brew at 6:15, because waiting for coffee at such a rude and unseemly hour is just unthinkable. And every day, as that annoying buzz begins (our alarm clock has a torture feature that makes the buzzer grow progressively louder to make it harder to ignore) I have come to realize that a very similar string of thoughts play out in my head.
1. Buzzer goes off at a halfway civilized volume. It's not too threatening yet. I can ignore it and incorporate it into my dream....what's that? Maybe it's just my phone buzzing in the latest text message from Johnny Depp. Mmmmm, yeah. Definitely Johnny again. What? Didn't I tell you that Johnny texts me constantly in my dreams? LOL.
2. Buzzer begins to invade my consciousness. I WOULD regard it with growing concern, but obviously it's Saturday and we just forgot to NOT set the alarm. I only have to feel mild annoyance instead. I really must speak to my husband about not using the alarm clock on weekends. Its just the force of habit. Because it IS Saturday, right? Or Sunday? Really, I will gladly take either one. But surely that alarm has GOT to be a huge mistake. Right?
3. Buzzer is becoming increasingly obnoxious. Vulgar even. I feel offended by it. More than that, I feel positively violated by it as I begin to realize with dawning horror that
it is NOT the weekend. My mind starts racing....I could call in sick and
then snuggle right back into my dreams. Ooops, wait, already did that
LAST week when I was really sick. It probably wouldn't go over real well with the boss to do it again so soon. Damn it.
4. Buzzer is now screaming loud enough that the whole county is probably wide awake by now. I still lie, immobilized with dread, as I wildly grasp at mental straws and last ditch efforts. We could sell the house. After all, the kids are all out on their own now. We could sell everything and go be beach bums somewhere in the Caribbean. Buy a small shack, pick pineapples for a living....it would be great. Stress free, care free. I could just go
Back to sleep right now, at this one moment, and then...after we both get fired from our jobs, plan our great escape, call a realtor, google how one actually does harvest a pineapple.....
5. By now, the buzzer is deafening, so I finally reach over and shut it off. And all of this brainstorming over how to avoid starting my day has stirred up a HUGE craving for coffee. And then, oh well. Since I am up and have caffeine in hand, going on and getting ready for work seems suddenly like a whole lot less work than planning an escape. The path of least resistance, I guess. Maybe tomorrow I will come up with a more ingenious plan, or maybe it really will be Saturday. Who knows....maybe tomorrow will be the day that I wake up to an actual text from Johnny Depp. I like to believe that anything is possible.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Down, but not out
The year is young yet. Realistically, it is way too early to throw in the towel on it. But right now, my high hopes and optimism for the new year is waning a little bit. I can't seem to shake this crud. I am better, but so! Very! Tired! Not back to normal yet. And work is being it's usual beastly bitch-self. Add to that the gloomy weather...rain, and more rain, and it just hasn't lived up to my expectations.
I KNOW that turning a calendar page to a new year can't possibly just make everything all rainbows and fuzzy kittens. I also KNOW that being sick is depressing for anybody. Maybe I just need some sunshine. Not gonna happen for me tomorrow (rain here ALL day long). Good Lord, what I wouldn't give for a sunny vacation right about now. But whatever....things will look up eventually. Right?? It can't be rainy and gloomy forever........
I KNOW that turning a calendar page to a new year can't possibly just make everything all rainbows and fuzzy kittens. I also KNOW that being sick is depressing for anybody. Maybe I just need some sunshine. Not gonna happen for me tomorrow (rain here ALL day long). Good Lord, what I wouldn't give for a sunny vacation right about now. But whatever....things will look up eventually. Right?? It can't be rainy and gloomy forever........
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Frustrating
Ok, so just this one last whining post about being sick and I will shut up about it. I promise. I just had thought I would be so much better today, ready to go, get things done...but then after I took a shower and got myself dressed to go run some necessary errands, I was so tired that all I wanted to do was take a nap. I didn't, and I managed to drag through what had to be done, but still.....I had a lot that I would have loved to get done and I didn't. It made me so angry at myself. Impatient. Frustrated.
This is exactly the kind of thing I want to work on this year. I always have the feeling that I am a couple of steps behind the pack. Like I just KNOW that everybody else has a clean, organized home where the laundry is always caught up. The fridge and pantry are always stocked. The family photo albums are organized neatly by the year with everything labeled. Everybody living these magical lives always has plenty of time to relax, read the latest bestseller, keep up with all the news in the world, take a nap, and whip up some gourmet meals. And here I am feeling exhausted just taking my darned library books back and picking up a few things at the store, enough to get by for a couple of days when, hopefully, I will have more time to make a plan as to what we really need. Please tell me my imagination is overworked. Does anybody else out there feel as though there are too many things to do and never enough time? Does something as common as a little virus have the ability to set you back to the point it feels like you will never catch up? Maybe my expectations are just too high. I always feel stressed on the weekend because I feel like I have to get it ALL done before the week starts all over again.
Oh well, hopefully I will be back to normal tomorrow. I am going to work either way, and would prefer to NOT feel like death warmed over on a Monday.
This is exactly the kind of thing I want to work on this year. I always have the feeling that I am a couple of steps behind the pack. Like I just KNOW that everybody else has a clean, organized home where the laundry is always caught up. The fridge and pantry are always stocked. The family photo albums are organized neatly by the year with everything labeled. Everybody living these magical lives always has plenty of time to relax, read the latest bestseller, keep up with all the news in the world, take a nap, and whip up some gourmet meals. And here I am feeling exhausted just taking my darned library books back and picking up a few things at the store, enough to get by for a couple of days when, hopefully, I will have more time to make a plan as to what we really need. Please tell me my imagination is overworked. Does anybody else out there feel as though there are too many things to do and never enough time? Does something as common as a little virus have the ability to set you back to the point it feels like you will never catch up? Maybe my expectations are just too high. I always feel stressed on the weekend because I feel like I have to get it ALL done before the week starts all over again.
Oh well, hopefully I will be back to normal tomorrow. I am going to work either way, and would prefer to NOT feel like death warmed over on a Monday.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
What is going on?
After feeling sick as a dog for the past several days, I woke up this morning feeling pretty decent. I got all ambitious. Not only did all of the Christmas decorations come down, we dragged out ALL of the Christmas stuff. Some of this stuff hasn't been used in years. I got it all sorted out...some is going to Goodwill, some just has to be thrown away. And the rest is neatly organized and labeled so I can know what is what without digging through boxes and piles of stuff. I think I reduced it by a third.
Now, though, after working hard for most of the day, I feel yucky again. Headachy, and exhausted....maybe I over did it. Oh well, this stuff needed to be done. Hopefully I will feel decent again by morning. Tomorrow I plan to take it easier, so I will be fine and dandy for work on Monday. I really don't want to waste any more time off. I have to make sure I have plenty of days left to go visit Erica this spring.
One thing I wanted to mention, Bruce gave me a membership to Simply Audio Books for Christmas. I listen to books on CD while I work. I go through a lot of books that way, and our library has a limited selection. Has anyone ever tried this before? You know, the sets of CD's come in the mail just like Netflix. You go set up your list of selections pretty much the same. My first 2 books came, but I don't know if it was the holidays getting in the way or what......it seemed to take a while to get here. Not nearly as fast as Netflix. Still, I think I will really enjoy this a lot. Even if I have to supplement CD's from the library occasionally. I am excited to try this out.
Now, though, after working hard for most of the day, I feel yucky again. Headachy, and exhausted....maybe I over did it. Oh well, this stuff needed to be done. Hopefully I will feel decent again by morning. Tomorrow I plan to take it easier, so I will be fine and dandy for work on Monday. I really don't want to waste any more time off. I have to make sure I have plenty of days left to go visit Erica this spring.
One thing I wanted to mention, Bruce gave me a membership to Simply Audio Books for Christmas. I listen to books on CD while I work. I go through a lot of books that way, and our library has a limited selection. Has anyone ever tried this before? You know, the sets of CD's come in the mail just like Netflix. You go set up your list of selections pretty much the same. My first 2 books came, but I don't know if it was the holidays getting in the way or what......it seemed to take a while to get here. Not nearly as fast as Netflix. Still, I think I will really enjoy this a lot. Even if I have to supplement CD's from the library occasionally. I am excited to try this out.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
So, I was planning to try and work through this cold crud bug, but I am not ashamed to admit that it finally got the best of me. I am taking a sick day off to try and recover. Lots of liquids and rest, and hopefully I will feel human again in a day or so. Right now, my voice is so scary that Bruce thought he had dialed the wrong number when he called a few minutes ago. LOL. But anyway, while I am home, sitting here doing nothing, and until I go nap again, I might as well write a blog....
I had a list of New Year's goals. Sounds less daunting than resolutions somehow. More of a guideline than an order. There are the usual things like exercise more....and compared to these last few months, ANY exercise can qualify as "more", so I think I got that one wrapped up. Actually my goals can be separated into 2 categories. One is physical, things that have a concrete physical action attached to it. And abstract, or more of a mental component. For example, my "eat healthier and exercise more" has a definite action I can take. Whereas, my goal to "be happier" and "be more grateful" is more mental or emotional. I do believe in expressing gratitude. It brings happiness as a by-product, so there can never be too much of it.
But I digress....the goal I wanted to blog about today is one of the physical ones. Make less trash destined for the landfill. And that led me to do a little research as to the recycling guidelines for our area. First of all, there are definite guidelines for your specific location, and I discovered that its quite easy to find online. Google it. I got a very specific listing that leaves nothing to doubt or chance. And it does vary from location to location so its better to check and be sure. A plastic that your waste system does NOT recycle, that ends up in the recycling by ignorance or mistake, will still eventually end up in the landfill anyway. But it will use up a lot of resources, having taken the scenic route, to get there. In that case, it would have been far better to just have been thrown away at the source. So, do take the time to educate yourself as to what can be recycled by your local waste management.
Another thing I learned.....keep it clean. Rinse it out. A glass bottle with a pool of salsa in the bottom will still be recycled, but your tax dollars will go towards the cleaning. Much cheaper to just give it that rinse at home, don't you think? And as for paper and cardboard....if its soiled by grease or food it will take that long convoluted, and expensive ride to the landfill, so just nip it in the bud and throw it away. A few dry crumbs are ok. Baked on greasy cheese can't be cleaned enough to make it reusable.
I was a little surprised to see how limited our recycling was here when it comes to plastics. Numbers 1 and 2 are all the ones that are recovered. Some areas recycle more, so please check to be sure. The number should be listed on the bottom of the item in question surrounded by the recycling triangle arrows. Also, although we do recover aluminum here, aluminum foil and pie plates are NOT accepted.
Seriously, there is a whole lot of progress to be made. So much more could be done.
But beyond all of that recycling.....Don't buy it in the first place, and it won't have to be thrown away. That one is a little more tricky. Thats the "Reduce" part of the recycling triangle. It takes more of a conscious effort to decide if this purchase is a "need" or a "want". If it is necessary, the next step is to decide if there is a better choice. I talked about this one with Lori when we were in Asheville. Say you need a dozen eggs.....take notice of the options. Eggs in a corregated cardboard carton that can be recycled would be the best option. Of course, I know people who find interesting uses for the styrofoam cartons, and if you can use it for something else, then more power to you. Some people use those things for mixing paint, or starting seedlings...etc.
And thats the last part of what I wanted to say....recycling uses fuel and energy. Can you figure out another use for it? Old tshirts make great rags. Clothing can be donated. Old toothbrushes make great cleaning tools. The creative side of trying to figure out new uses for old items is kind of fun. I am making it into a challenge. The goal is to reduce the amount of trash we send off to the landfill.
There is so much information out there to help figure all of this out. I am collecting new ideas with every article that I read.
I had a list of New Year's goals. Sounds less daunting than resolutions somehow. More of a guideline than an order. There are the usual things like exercise more....and compared to these last few months, ANY exercise can qualify as "more", so I think I got that one wrapped up. Actually my goals can be separated into 2 categories. One is physical, things that have a concrete physical action attached to it. And abstract, or more of a mental component. For example, my "eat healthier and exercise more" has a definite action I can take. Whereas, my goal to "be happier" and "be more grateful" is more mental or emotional. I do believe in expressing gratitude. It brings happiness as a by-product, so there can never be too much of it.
But I digress....the goal I wanted to blog about today is one of the physical ones. Make less trash destined for the landfill. And that led me to do a little research as to the recycling guidelines for our area. First of all, there are definite guidelines for your specific location, and I discovered that its quite easy to find online. Google it. I got a very specific listing that leaves nothing to doubt or chance. And it does vary from location to location so its better to check and be sure. A plastic that your waste system does NOT recycle, that ends up in the recycling by ignorance or mistake, will still eventually end up in the landfill anyway. But it will use up a lot of resources, having taken the scenic route, to get there. In that case, it would have been far better to just have been thrown away at the source. So, do take the time to educate yourself as to what can be recycled by your local waste management.
Another thing I learned.....keep it clean. Rinse it out. A glass bottle with a pool of salsa in the bottom will still be recycled, but your tax dollars will go towards the cleaning. Much cheaper to just give it that rinse at home, don't you think? And as for paper and cardboard....if its soiled by grease or food it will take that long convoluted, and expensive ride to the landfill, so just nip it in the bud and throw it away. A few dry crumbs are ok. Baked on greasy cheese can't be cleaned enough to make it reusable.
I was a little surprised to see how limited our recycling was here when it comes to plastics. Numbers 1 and 2 are all the ones that are recovered. Some areas recycle more, so please check to be sure. The number should be listed on the bottom of the item in question surrounded by the recycling triangle arrows. Also, although we do recover aluminum here, aluminum foil and pie plates are NOT accepted.
Seriously, there is a whole lot of progress to be made. So much more could be done.
But beyond all of that recycling.....Don't buy it in the first place, and it won't have to be thrown away. That one is a little more tricky. Thats the "Reduce" part of the recycling triangle. It takes more of a conscious effort to decide if this purchase is a "need" or a "want". If it is necessary, the next step is to decide if there is a better choice. I talked about this one with Lori when we were in Asheville. Say you need a dozen eggs.....take notice of the options. Eggs in a corregated cardboard carton that can be recycled would be the best option. Of course, I know people who find interesting uses for the styrofoam cartons, and if you can use it for something else, then more power to you. Some people use those things for mixing paint, or starting seedlings...etc.
And thats the last part of what I wanted to say....recycling uses fuel and energy. Can you figure out another use for it? Old tshirts make great rags. Clothing can be donated. Old toothbrushes make great cleaning tools. The creative side of trying to figure out new uses for old items is kind of fun. I am making it into a challenge. The goal is to reduce the amount of trash we send off to the landfill.
There is so much information out there to help figure all of this out. I am collecting new ideas with every article that I read.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Seems like...
Seems like I am sick. I felt a little bit off yesterday, but it hit me like a ton of bricks about lunchtime today. Not sure if I will try to work through this or take a day off. Guess it depends on how I feel in the morning. Anyway, I'll be back as soon as I can.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Home again
We are back home again after a lovely weekend in Asheville with the family. I would definitely recommend New Year's Eve at Biltmore. The decorations were beautiful, and dinner at The Stable House was spectacular. We all had such a good time. I WILL have pics as soon as I unpack and find my camera....but I am a bit disappointed that no photography was allowed inside the house. I should have remembered that but oh well.
One thing that happened that upset everybody was that as we all got to Greg and Lori's house and were unloading cars, somehow their cat Galileo got out and ran away. Everybody spent a lot of time searching for him to no avail. But he finally decided he had had enough of an adventure just after midnight last night (after being missing in action for about 48 hours) and showed up, meowing at the garage door. We were all so happy and relieved to see him. It felt like an omen foretelling a wonderful year ahead. We all agreed that putting 2011 behind us was good. I swear, it was just a sucky year for most everybody that I know. I think we are all due a good one now. Right?
Anyway, we had the opportunity to meet up with an old high school friend for lunch on our way home. Lin lives in Spain now and we literally haven't seen her since our wedding (almost 30 years ago....yikes!). It was so nice to see her even if it was all too brief. And now we are home again. Apparently just in the nick of time as Lori just texted me that it's snowing pretty good in Asheville right now. It's cold here, but clear. So I do want to post again. With pictures of the fun we all had...with hopes for the year ahead, but it's time to chill out and relax tonight. I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday!
One thing that happened that upset everybody was that as we all got to Greg and Lori's house and were unloading cars, somehow their cat Galileo got out and ran away. Everybody spent a lot of time searching for him to no avail. But he finally decided he had had enough of an adventure just after midnight last night (after being missing in action for about 48 hours) and showed up, meowing at the garage door. We were all so happy and relieved to see him. It felt like an omen foretelling a wonderful year ahead. We all agreed that putting 2011 behind us was good. I swear, it was just a sucky year for most everybody that I know. I think we are all due a good one now. Right?
Anyway, we had the opportunity to meet up with an old high school friend for lunch on our way home. Lin lives in Spain now and we literally haven't seen her since our wedding (almost 30 years ago....yikes!). It was so nice to see her even if it was all too brief. And now we are home again. Apparently just in the nick of time as Lori just texted me that it's snowing pretty good in Asheville right now. It's cold here, but clear. So I do want to post again. With pictures of the fun we all had...with hopes for the year ahead, but it's time to chill out and relax tonight. I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday!
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