So, I just happened upon a bunch of websites that I think are splendid (and will join the several others in the right column of this blog). I can't speak for the entire content of a given page since, of course, I am not familiar with the entire content of a given page...but, if you're interested, here they are in no particular order (and I'm not going to explain them; you'll have to see for yourself!):
www.1000awesomethings.com
http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/
http://thisisindexed.com/
http://mentalfloss.com/
http://onceuponawin.com/
http://thingstobehappyabout.com/
Also, if you've never gone to www.sporcle.com, then you should. But, you should also prepare yourself to do nothing else for the evening.
5 Things:
1. 2 days in a row at the gym--the weather has finally cleared some!
2. It's a beautifully sunny day.
3. Most of the dishes lurking in the sink were dishwasher safe, saving me a lot of time this afternoon.
4. Finished another book! More than 50% of the way through the next one after that!
5. Plans have been secured for a day out with the ladies--at least ten of us will head out for brunch and a movie! Hurray!
2.24.2010
2.23.2010
Etudier
I miss studying French. I miss studying Greek. I miss doing research. I miss reading being on the "must do" list, rather than on the "do when you have a few free moments" list. In short, I have to face the music: I miss school. I really, really miss it. I love academia--from the joy I feel when I get to lay out all of my new, fresh school supplies at the start of each semester (I LOVE school supplies) to the satisfaction I feel when I walk out of an exam, knowing that I have kicked its butt, to the giant exhale that arrives at the moment when that huge research paper is finished, saved, and submitted.
Now, if you don't know, then you should: I was accepted into a PhD program (and submitted my intention to enroll form), and was to have begun coursework last fall. Last August, a week or so before orientation, I made the difficult decision to defer for a year (minimally), because spending time with my sweet son was just too important to give up (and, of course, we had just bought a house, making the prospect of paying for school-related items seem incredibly daunting, not to mention the considerable loans we'd have to take for 3-4 years of classes plus a few more years for dissertation-writing). It was a decision that I thought and prayed about for months, and, once it was made, I cried...and cried...and cried some more about it. But, all that is to say the following: it was the right decision. I love love to be in school. I love almost everything about it (except for poor teachers and red tape). And, even still, I love even more the time that I get to spend with my little boy each and every day. He is a delight.
1. Flexibility
2. Opportunity
3. Making the right decision
4. School supplies (seriously...love them)
5. The entire Lenten season. If you were looking for a reason to do some personal reflection, now's a great time to start!
Now, if you don't know, then you should: I was accepted into a PhD program (and submitted my intention to enroll form), and was to have begun coursework last fall. Last August, a week or so before orientation, I made the difficult decision to defer for a year (minimally), because spending time with my sweet son was just too important to give up (and, of course, we had just bought a house, making the prospect of paying for school-related items seem incredibly daunting, not to mention the considerable loans we'd have to take for 3-4 years of classes plus a few more years for dissertation-writing). It was a decision that I thought and prayed about for months, and, once it was made, I cried...and cried...and cried some more about it. But, all that is to say the following: it was the right decision. I love love to be in school. I love almost everything about it (except for poor teachers and red tape). And, even still, I love even more the time that I get to spend with my little boy each and every day. He is a delight.
1. Flexibility
2. Opportunity
3. Making the right decision
4. School supplies (seriously...love them)
5. The entire Lenten season. If you were looking for a reason to do some personal reflection, now's a great time to start!
2.17.2010
How would you like that cooked?
I've been thinking for a bit about the phrase, "everything in moderation," and I can see why people latch onto it, and use it as a guide for living. It makes perfect sense, for example, the we only eat moderately, spend moderately, exercise moderately, work moderately. But, I still want to contest that it's not entirely appropriate or sufficient to do everything in moderation. We ought to never put restrictions on things like love, compassion, generosity, prayer and forgiveness. These things we should strive to offer in excess. But, then again, can "excessive" exist for things that ought not to have a limit? Or, are we perpetually working toward reaching "enough"? It seems to me that we can give excessively, for example, in specific circumstances, but not in a more general sense. If I have a million dollars, and you only need $7 to buy a book, then perhaps we could say that there's no need to give you the other $999,993 that I possess--that might be excessive. But, at the same time, we shouldn't put limits on how much we will give. That will be different for different people, of course, if we mean to say that "giving" is a function of finances. But, I don't think that most of the best examples of giving have anything to do with money.
What about the other things that I listed above? Can we love--genuinely love--someone too much? Can we be too compassionate? Do we ever reach a stopping point in our need to forgive? No, we don't. And yet, it seems like these are some of the things that frequently get short-changed. If we would only reevaluate how we do things--maybe work a few less hours this month and spend that time doing some volunteer work. Maybe don't eat out on Saturday, and give that money to someone who hasn't seen a meal in a week. Maybe forgive someone AGAIN for the annoying thing that they've done AGAIN even though you're sure they're likely to do it AGAIN tomorrow. Say a prayer or two, even when you don't know exactly what you want to say. I don't know the specifics of your life, and I surely am not capable to act as an expert on doing these things. But, I do think that maybe this is a good way to live life: the only things that we ought to strive to do excessively are the things for which no point of "excess" may be reached.
5 Things:
1. I have my computer back!
2. Accomplished a few errands yesterday, and the car is already cleaned off and awaiting my son and me for more errands this afternoon.
3. Waking up with a feeling of genuine refreshment.
4. Tortilla soup (which sounds marvelous to me right now).
5. Being able to see just how much money you really save with all of those coupons.
What about the other things that I listed above? Can we love--genuinely love--someone too much? Can we be too compassionate? Do we ever reach a stopping point in our need to forgive? No, we don't. And yet, it seems like these are some of the things that frequently get short-changed. If we would only reevaluate how we do things--maybe work a few less hours this month and spend that time doing some volunteer work. Maybe don't eat out on Saturday, and give that money to someone who hasn't seen a meal in a week. Maybe forgive someone AGAIN for the annoying thing that they've done AGAIN even though you're sure they're likely to do it AGAIN tomorrow. Say a prayer or two, even when you don't know exactly what you want to say. I don't know the specifics of your life, and I surely am not capable to act as an expert on doing these things. But, I do think that maybe this is a good way to live life: the only things that we ought to strive to do excessively are the things for which no point of "excess" may be reached.
5 Things:
1. I have my computer back!
2. Accomplished a few errands yesterday, and the car is already cleaned off and awaiting my son and me for more errands this afternoon.
3. Waking up with a feeling of genuine refreshment.
4. Tortilla soup (which sounds marvelous to me right now).
5. Being able to see just how much money you really save with all of those coupons.
2.16.2010
These are the words I would say.
My son is a talker. Now, perhaps he'll grow out of it someday, if he's like his dad, but if he's like me, he's more than likely not planning to slow down anytime soon. With that being said, here are some of the words that he can say (and actually pronounce well enough that someone other than me can understand him):
1. Mama
2. Dada (though, he still get a bit confused about these two and sometimes just says "Mamadada" as one word to cover all the bases)
3. Andrew (pronounced "Ann-Doo")
4. All done
5. Mat(t)
6. Henry (He just says "Hen", but points to a picture of his friend, Henry, while saying it)
7. Pizza
8. Nose
9. Eye
10. Mouth
11. Hair
12. Head
13. Ear
14. Socks
15. Bath (One of his favorites! He LOVES to take a "baff"!!!)
16. Boom (and a whole host of other sound effects)
17. Woody and Buzz (from "Toy Story")
18. Get down
19. No
20. More
21. Yes
22. Horse
23. House
24. Home
25. Pray
26. Amen
27. Bed/Rest/Nap
28. Tree
29. Snow (well, actually, he says "NO!!!!" but when we're outside, and with such vim and vigor, that it's clear that he's discussing snow and not joyfully and enthusiastically objecting to something).
30. Book
31. Box
32. Love you (he's still working on this one, but it's so cute when he says it that I'm counting it in this list)
33. Juice
34. Pen
35. Deoxyribonucleaic acid (ok, he can't say this one yet, but he's learning so quickly that I feel as if it's just around the corner!)
**Edit: I can't believe how many words I forgot to mention...many of them are staples! They include the following: hello, bye bye, hi, Wii (sad, I know), Elmo, nice (which he says with a lovely southern drawl), fork, spoon, cat, dog, Bible, dance, tushy and banana.**
Also, my favorite animal sounds are the cow: "boooooooo" and the rooster "caaaa doodoo". My son is such a delight.
In other news, the snow continues to fall beautifully, if a bit inconveniently. My road is better than many, though, and both of our cars handle the elements well. I have made lists for shopping at four stores this week, so I am hopeful that I will be able to accomplish those, and a few other errands. With roads that (according to Joe, who left at 5:30 this a.m. for work) were not great today, and a forecast that promises up to 6 more inches between this afternoon and tomorrow morning, my window for accomplishment on this day seems to be rather small. But, I really need to get to Costco and Target, so I may try to get out anyway.
I also need to get to the grocery store and to Trader Joe's (which is on the other side of the city, and is thus not so easy to get to with road surfaces being poor), particularly if we plan to eat dinner this week. And, I went on a Hunt for New Recipes this past weekend, so I'm eager to try them. Well, as "they" say (WHO ARE "THEY", by the way?!), this, too, shall pass.
5:
1. New recipes are always fun! And the ones I recently found fit the following qualifications: kid-friendly, healthy, Joe and Kristen-friendly (we both have specific eating preferences, and they are not the same, so in the Venn Diagram of Food, it can be hard to find things that appear in the overlapping space), and whose hands-on time is one hour or less. If anything tastes as wonderful as I hope it will, I will pass it on.
2. Simple reminders of how blessed I am.
3. Having a spare lightbulb with the correct wattage just when it's needed.
4. Expecting to buy something at a certain price, and then learning it's on a bigger sale than expected, and paying even less for it!
5. Being able to renew my library books for a SECOND time so that I will actually have the opportunity to finish them all (just in time for a new wave to arrive for me to begin!)
1. Mama
2. Dada (though, he still get a bit confused about these two and sometimes just says "Mamadada" as one word to cover all the bases)
3. Andrew (pronounced "Ann-Doo")
4. All done
5. Mat(t)
6. Henry (He just says "Hen", but points to a picture of his friend, Henry, while saying it)
7. Pizza
8. Nose
9. Eye
10. Mouth
11. Hair
12. Head
13. Ear
14. Socks
15. Bath (One of his favorites! He LOVES to take a "baff"!!!)
16. Boom (and a whole host of other sound effects)
17. Woody and Buzz (from "Toy Story")
18. Get down
19. No
20. More
21. Yes
22. Horse
23. House
24. Home
25. Pray
26. Amen
27. Bed/Rest/Nap
28. Tree
29. Snow (well, actually, he says "NO!!!!" but when we're outside, and with such vim and vigor, that it's clear that he's discussing snow and not joyfully and enthusiastically objecting to something).
30. Book
31. Box
32. Love you (he's still working on this one, but it's so cute when he says it that I'm counting it in this list)
33. Juice
34. Pen
35. Deoxyribonucleaic acid (ok, he can't say this one yet, but he's learning so quickly that I feel as if it's just around the corner!)
**Edit: I can't believe how many words I forgot to mention...many of them are staples! They include the following: hello, bye bye, hi, Wii (sad, I know), Elmo, nice (which he says with a lovely southern drawl), fork, spoon, cat, dog, Bible, dance, tushy and banana.**
Also, my favorite animal sounds are the cow: "boooooooo" and the rooster "caaaa doodoo". My son is such a delight.
In other news, the snow continues to fall beautifully, if a bit inconveniently. My road is better than many, though, and both of our cars handle the elements well. I have made lists for shopping at four stores this week, so I am hopeful that I will be able to accomplish those, and a few other errands. With roads that (according to Joe, who left at 5:30 this a.m. for work) were not great today, and a forecast that promises up to 6 more inches between this afternoon and tomorrow morning, my window for accomplishment on this day seems to be rather small. But, I really need to get to Costco and Target, so I may try to get out anyway.
I also need to get to the grocery store and to Trader Joe's (which is on the other side of the city, and is thus not so easy to get to with road surfaces being poor), particularly if we plan to eat dinner this week. And, I went on a Hunt for New Recipes this past weekend, so I'm eager to try them. Well, as "they" say (WHO ARE "THEY", by the way?!), this, too, shall pass.
5:
1. New recipes are always fun! And the ones I recently found fit the following qualifications: kid-friendly, healthy, Joe and Kristen-friendly (we both have specific eating preferences, and they are not the same, so in the Venn Diagram of Food, it can be hard to find things that appear in the overlapping space), and whose hands-on time is one hour or less. If anything tastes as wonderful as I hope it will, I will pass it on.
2. Simple reminders of how blessed I am.
3. Having a spare lightbulb with the correct wattage just when it's needed.
4. Expecting to buy something at a certain price, and then learning it's on a bigger sale than expected, and paying even less for it!
5. Being able to renew my library books for a SECOND time so that I will actually have the opportunity to finish them all (just in time for a new wave to arrive for me to begin!)
2.12.2010
Seasonal Affective Disorder
I think that S.A.D. really exists. Every year, somewhere between mid-January and now, I wake up in the doldrums. I feel unmotivated and unexcited and have a general sense of being "blah." I become more irritable and less interested in the world around me. This year is no exception. However, I am on a quest to erradicate these silly feelings as quickly as possible because, frankly, there's no need to dwell on murkiness...even if I have been home bound for the last few days due to the weather. To aid in raising my spirits, here are a couple of the things that I've done and/or am doing:
1. Cleaning out and reorganize kitchen pantry
2. Preparing more bags and boxes of clothes, books, etc. to donate
3. Making a spreadsheet of all of the storage items I would like to purchase in my quest for a clutter-free home (this list includes everything from a laundry drying rack to bulk dry food storage containers to under-the-bed bins for our bedroom).
4. Hunting for a bunch of new recipes to try in the coming weeks (when the likelihood of getting to a store AND trusting in the constancy of electricity both show more promise).
5. Making a Costco list.
6. Getting 4 stars on everything I do on Wii Fit. I am such a competitive person that I refuse to move forward to a more advanced level on any Wii Fit Plus games without having achieved four stars on the previous level. Happily, with the balancing games in particular, I DO observe significant improvement. I'm certain that the Wii Fit does not allow me nearly the same calorie burn that I would get working out for the same amount of time at the gym, but it's better than nothing, and it's fun!
Anyway, I hear my son chirping busily from his crib, which means it's time to prepare his breakfast!
Reasons to be happy:
1. Having all of the laundry finished.
2. Date night for Joe and me! (And a gift card to make it a less expensive undertaking!)
3. My pretty organized pantry.
4. Excel spreadsheets. Seriously, they're great.
5. Owls. They're cute.
1. Cleaning out and reorganize kitchen pantry
2. Preparing more bags and boxes of clothes, books, etc. to donate
3. Making a spreadsheet of all of the storage items I would like to purchase in my quest for a clutter-free home (this list includes everything from a laundry drying rack to bulk dry food storage containers to under-the-bed bins for our bedroom).
4. Hunting for a bunch of new recipes to try in the coming weeks (when the likelihood of getting to a store AND trusting in the constancy of electricity both show more promise).
5. Making a Costco list.
6. Getting 4 stars on everything I do on Wii Fit. I am such a competitive person that I refuse to move forward to a more advanced level on any Wii Fit Plus games without having achieved four stars on the previous level. Happily, with the balancing games in particular, I DO observe significant improvement. I'm certain that the Wii Fit does not allow me nearly the same calorie burn that I would get working out for the same amount of time at the gym, but it's better than nothing, and it's fun!
Anyway, I hear my son chirping busily from his crib, which means it's time to prepare his breakfast!
Reasons to be happy:
1. Having all of the laundry finished.
2. Date night for Joe and me! (And a gift card to make it a less expensive undertaking!)
3. My pretty organized pantry.
4. Excel spreadsheets. Seriously, they're great.
5. Owls. They're cute.
2.10.2010
Things With Dumb Names
Ok, so, Pittsburgh got dumped on with some snow. Maybe somewhere around 2.5-3' in all. I used to see snowfalls like that with great frequency while growing up in the snow belt of Ohio. I can sympathize with those in the Mid-Atlantic who do NOT usually have such large amounts of snow, as is true for residents of the greater D.C. area. But, I think it is incredibly stupid to call is "SNOWPOCALYPSE." Seriously, this is ridiculous. And if I am saying that, then imagine what my friends in International Falls, Minnesota are thinking. Or, any number of other places, for that matter.
Of course, Chicago has some snow AND experienced an earthquake this morning (just a 4.3), so I guess they're trying to one-up their friends to the east.
Speaking of which, my family and I have just returned home from Chicago after a week-long adventure. Our goal? Spend time with my sister and her family, which includes my 3.5 week-old nephew. That part went smoothly and wonderfully. However, there were two pieces that failed: 1. Buying this calendar which, on the back, has the same prints as are on the front, but sans calendar, with the idea that they be used for decor once the year has passed. They are fantastic and, not surprisingly, were unavailable at the place where they promised to be on the website. Boo. But, the bigger issue was 2. Joe got stuck in Chicago for a couple of extra days. I got a phonecall from Southwest on Saturday evening to let me know that his flight on Sunday morning was cancelled. Of course, I immediately jumped on the computer AND on the phone with the friendly agents at Southwest and, after being told by the automated system that my wait time could be as long as 75 minutes, was immediately transferred to a woman who was able to help with all of our rescheduling issues. Joe was less than excited to learn that the first available flight out of Chicago was Tuesday at 7 a.m. However, I was able to schedule Andy and me on that flight, too, instead of continuing on our flight which was to have been later on the same day. This turned out to be a GREAT plan, as Southwest since cancelled every single Tuesday flight between MDW and PIT except for our 7 a.m. flight (which, strangely, was booked full and yet ended up only being at about 50-60% of capacity). So, while Joe would have liked to have been at work on Monday and Tuesday (especially since this is a busy time for him), the rest of the experience was positive.
Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, Joe undertook the daunting task of digging our car out if its parking spot without a shovel. Of course, we have since thought of about 15 things we could've done that would've made the task much easier, but that's how hindsight goes. At any rate, he managed to scoop out our little car from more than two feet of snow in just under 30 minutes. Then we got home without a problem, only to face the next giant task of actually getting into the house. (Also, at this point, we had no idea if we had electricity or not, or how long it had been out). Joe again volunteered to get the shovel which was happily perched next to our front door (makes TOTAL sense to keep it there when that's our point of origin, but wasn't such a helpful storage location on this day), and began to dig out a plot of land on which we could park the car. In the meantime, Andy and I did something equally as dangerous: braved the grocery store. We only tried to get a few essentials, things that would provide lots of leftoevers and easy things to prepare in the event of a power outage. Even if we had wanted to, we could not have purchased frozen pizza or milk, though, as there was NONE. It seems those are the most popular "snowpocalypse" preparation tools. Seriously, that name is so stupid. At any rate, we arrived home to find a tidy spot for our car, and headed inside for lunch and much-needed naps. Once I woke up, I decided it was only fair for me to take on the rest of the driveway, and so, 45 minutes later, we had a mostly-clear driveway, second car (which, by the way, would've been much happier in the garage, but since the garage door is temperamental, to say the least, it was not in there), and sidewalk. To look outside NOW, you'd hardly know it, though, as another 8+ inches have fallen.
And, now, Joe is headed to work, which does not boast a short commute on the clearest of days, so I expect he will spend at least four hours in the car today. Needless to say, those are four hours that will leave me in complete and utter concern. I hate it when he has to drive in these terrible conditions. I spend the entire time waiting to hear from him, and I can't honestly say that I wait patiently. I just want to hear from him and know that he's safe. This is where I am now.
In the meantime, I will post my 5 reasons to be happy:
1. Andy and I don't have to go anywhere today, so we can remain warm and cozy.
2. We never did lose power in our house, so it was warm upon arrival, and our food was not all spoiled. Hurray!
3. It was wonderful to see my sister, bro-in-law, niece and nephew for a solid week. We always enjoy our time together.
4. Yogurt-covered raisins. Yum.
5. Bananas, graham crackers and Cool Whip...one of life's delightful treats.
Of course, Chicago has some snow AND experienced an earthquake this morning (just a 4.3), so I guess they're trying to one-up their friends to the east.
Speaking of which, my family and I have just returned home from Chicago after a week-long adventure. Our goal? Spend time with my sister and her family, which includes my 3.5 week-old nephew. That part went smoothly and wonderfully. However, there were two pieces that failed: 1. Buying this calendar which, on the back, has the same prints as are on the front, but sans calendar, with the idea that they be used for decor once the year has passed. They are fantastic and, not surprisingly, were unavailable at the place where they promised to be on the website. Boo. But, the bigger issue was 2. Joe got stuck in Chicago for a couple of extra days. I got a phonecall from Southwest on Saturday evening to let me know that his flight on Sunday morning was cancelled. Of course, I immediately jumped on the computer AND on the phone with the friendly agents at Southwest and, after being told by the automated system that my wait time could be as long as 75 minutes, was immediately transferred to a woman who was able to help with all of our rescheduling issues. Joe was less than excited to learn that the first available flight out of Chicago was Tuesday at 7 a.m. However, I was able to schedule Andy and me on that flight, too, instead of continuing on our flight which was to have been later on the same day. This turned out to be a GREAT plan, as Southwest since cancelled every single Tuesday flight between MDW and PIT except for our 7 a.m. flight (which, strangely, was booked full and yet ended up only being at about 50-60% of capacity). So, while Joe would have liked to have been at work on Monday and Tuesday (especially since this is a busy time for him), the rest of the experience was positive.
Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, Joe undertook the daunting task of digging our car out if its parking spot without a shovel. Of course, we have since thought of about 15 things we could've done that would've made the task much easier, but that's how hindsight goes. At any rate, he managed to scoop out our little car from more than two feet of snow in just under 30 minutes. Then we got home without a problem, only to face the next giant task of actually getting into the house. (Also, at this point, we had no idea if we had electricity or not, or how long it had been out). Joe again volunteered to get the shovel which was happily perched next to our front door (makes TOTAL sense to keep it there when that's our point of origin, but wasn't such a helpful storage location on this day), and began to dig out a plot of land on which we could park the car. In the meantime, Andy and I did something equally as dangerous: braved the grocery store. We only tried to get a few essentials, things that would provide lots of leftoevers and easy things to prepare in the event of a power outage. Even if we had wanted to, we could not have purchased frozen pizza or milk, though, as there was NONE. It seems those are the most popular "snowpocalypse" preparation tools. Seriously, that name is so stupid. At any rate, we arrived home to find a tidy spot for our car, and headed inside for lunch and much-needed naps. Once I woke up, I decided it was only fair for me to take on the rest of the driveway, and so, 45 minutes later, we had a mostly-clear driveway, second car (which, by the way, would've been much happier in the garage, but since the garage door is temperamental, to say the least, it was not in there), and sidewalk. To look outside NOW, you'd hardly know it, though, as another 8+ inches have fallen.
And, now, Joe is headed to work, which does not boast a short commute on the clearest of days, so I expect he will spend at least four hours in the car today. Needless to say, those are four hours that will leave me in complete and utter concern. I hate it when he has to drive in these terrible conditions. I spend the entire time waiting to hear from him, and I can't honestly say that I wait patiently. I just want to hear from him and know that he's safe. This is where I am now.
In the meantime, I will post my 5 reasons to be happy:
1. Andy and I don't have to go anywhere today, so we can remain warm and cozy.
2. We never did lose power in our house, so it was warm upon arrival, and our food was not all spoiled. Hurray!
3. It was wonderful to see my sister, bro-in-law, niece and nephew for a solid week. We always enjoy our time together.
4. Yogurt-covered raisins. Yum.
5. Bananas, graham crackers and Cool Whip...one of life's delightful treats.
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