| book review: rightsizing your life |
[10 Jan 2008|09:51am] |
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mood |
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 pleased |
] |
so i finally finished reading rightsizing your life night-before-last. since i posted about it a few days ago i'll just cut to the chase.
pros: lots on great information on how to get past those roadblocks that a) make it hard to start (or finish) a big purging project, and b) keep us tied to our things, including a huge reference guide at the back listing additional readings and professionals that can help you through what you can't do yourself.
cons: the 65+ focus and information about aging in place is a bit of a turn-off for folks who aren't there yet.
verdict: definitely a worthwhile read for anyone trying to pare down their belongings or planning a move.
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| brown bread |
[23 Nov 2007|08:22pm] |
it worked! okay it's a little heavy and a little extra crusty, but it still tastes awesome.
i can't wait to pop a slice in the toaster tomorrow morning. :)
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| job op |
[09 Aug 2007|06:14pm] |
hey all,
the company i work for is currently seeking a full-time contract web copywriter. if you or anyone you know kicks serious copywriting ass and is looking for a gig. let me know.
e - not sure if your friend is still interested, but i still have her resume from last round.
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| a rose by any other name might scare people off |
[25 Feb 2007|09:20am] |
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mood |
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forward-thinking |
] |
i'm looking for a name... a good way to describe what i had previously dubbed "apocalypse gardening" — that is, a garden filled with plants that are not only beautiful, but useful, providing food, building materials, medicines, beauty products, even things like compost fodder and attraction for beneficial insects to help make the other plants better providers. because while i, and many of my survival-oriented friends find the name highly appropriate, it could scare off other folks (like, i don't know potential future clients), and a girl with a potential niche needs to think ahead.
so, all you writers out there... got any great ideas? something more positive like victory garden was to describe the war shortage food gardens during the war. (it's all about the PR spin.)
so now i'm off to lowe's to buy two haas avocado trees — one for me and one for a friend with a much larger yard than mine. the trees can grow up to 40 feet tall and wide, but take well to containers and can be pruned to control size. no, i don't eat avocados, but they'd make a hell of a barter tool come the apocalypse.
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| party cancelled |
[20 Feb 2007|03:07pm] |
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due to lack of interest this saturday's party has been scrapped. enjoy your mardi gras festivities and look forward to seeing you at my annual birthday bash.
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| the universe is scary and mean |
[29 Jan 2007|11:45am] |
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mood |
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 stunned |
] |
last week a friend from work and her husband (also a coworker) adopted a baby girl. it was not without its drama (actually still not without its drama), but everyone is optimistic about it all working out. so we have joy and happiness all around... until friday night when the husband has a serious heart attack. he is still in the hospital.
the timing, of course, is reason enough to curse the universe, but it isn't the only reason. see, said husband is my age. maybe a year or so older. which is just way too young to be having a heart attack. plus he's an athlete. a hard-core, run 10 miles every day kind of athlete. everyone here is shocked and stunned. and not just because of the hole his absence leaves in our organization.
scary. sucky. reminds a person that life is short and you really shouldn't waste time...
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| recipe challenge 3 |
[22 Jan 2007|11:32am] |
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mood |
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pleased |
] |
recipe: omeletes
cookbook: eggs by michel roux
so last night i had planned to do spaghetti squash, but alas, when i went to chop it, it was soft on one side, so into the composter it went and i had to find a backup recipe. one that didn't require me to leave the house since i am still recovering from last week's illness. but after flipping through many cookbooks i decided to try something totally basic, but that i had never tried before: an omelet.
the instructions detailed the ingredients (eggs, salt, pepper) and the technique on one page and types of fillings on the next (i chose grated jack/cheddar), so i figured i'd give it a shot. i did make two slight alterations:
- added cream
- flipped whole thing over mid-cook since i'm a little sketchy with underdone eggs (allergy and all)
all in all, it turned out pretty good, though i think next time the pan should be hotter before i start and i should cook it a tad longer once i've added the filling so it gets warm enough. best thing about it: a whole home cooked meal in just a couple of minutes! who knew? (besides everyone but me.) but now that i know i can do it, it's going to be fun coming up with cool fillings, maybe even out of the crockpot.
oh, and one more learning from the challenge to date: the biggest problem i'm having now is knowing what to have on-hand ingredient-wise and then actually using it before it goes bad. i know it would be best to shop for fresh stuff the day i need it, but i just don't have that kind of time or energy, so i guess i'll need to get better at planning (and finding ways to keep ingredients fresh for longer).
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| recipe challenge post 1 |
[08 Jan 2007|01:24pm] |
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mood |
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accomplished |
] |
recipe: swedish potatoes with anchovies
cookbook: slow cooker: one-pot cooking and casseroles by catherine atkinson
i've decided to re-name the whirly-inpired, cookbook-related resolution. challenge just sounds more fun. and last night, i accepted and passed my first challenge. ( Read more... )
first january recipe down, one more to go for this month.
clarification question for whirly: does it have to be two per month or if i have a whole multi-recipe using extravaganza, can they all count against the total for the year?
i need a new cooking icon. :)
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| a place to rest those weary feet |
[29 Dec 2006|05:11pm] |
this year my family decided to scale back the gift giving since we all have not enough money and way too much stuff, so when i found my perfect (if a tad pricey) garden bench i decided it would be my christmas present to myself.
it arrived two days before christmas, but it wasn't until today that i had time to put it together. and it is everything i hoped and then some. bonus: it took me less than 30 minutes to assemble.
just imagine how inviting it will be with the fruit trees behind it in bloom...
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| better living through chemistry |
[09 Dec 2006|12:53pm] |
woke up with a migraine. caffeine sometimes helps but since i can't have it, the only caffeine i had in the house was coffee rio carmels to be stuffed into the 4 christmas stockings i did this year. so i ate one. and i learned the following things:
- caffeine works
- i still really, really hate the taste of coffee
but at least i am now functional enough to throw on clothes, head outside and do something to fix the fence out there before the wind blows it down.
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| coming to my senses |
[06 Dec 2006|10:46am] |
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mood |
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 relieved |
] |
okay, thinking i was going to be able to fit in a party between now and christmas was insane. there's just too much else to do. so i've decided to push it out until after the holidays when there's much less going on and folks (myself included) have a little more time and could use a little more cheer.
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| party - yay or nay? |
[30 Nov 2006|07:29pm] |
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okay, so i know i want to have a party. the problem is, all the good times/dates are taken. i'm thinking sunday afternoon — 12/10 or 12/17 — to make more informal and so folks can oggle the yard during daylight hours, but the question is, will anyone be able to come? i'm leaning toward the 17th since the party i have the night before the 10th is much farther away and threatens to be much more of a rager than the party on the 16th. then again, the folks with the party on the 16th are more likely to actually attend than those with the party on the 9th.
but i want to do something. even if it's just to have a few friends over to help me set up the tree and maybe donate a few gifts to last year's very good cause.
thoughts? you know you want to see the yard (but no, i will not put on the boots for you).
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| only 30 shopping days left! |
[22 Nov 2006|04:26pm] |
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mood |
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pleased |
] |
just finished ordering christmas gifts for my niece and nephews with a few small tidbits thrown in for other folks. what a relief. best part: none of it qualifies as stuff or clutter. plus, implementation of said gifts will require that all recipients GO OUTSIDE. yay for creative inspiration.
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| halloween |
[06 Nov 2006|11:42am] |
well, here we are, satan and his minions. probably a good thing that you can't see just how short my skirt really is...
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| update |
[14 Oct 2006|09:09am] |
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mood |
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 exhausted |
] |
went into the office every day this week. wednesday i was there for almost 12 hours with only a 15 minute break between meetings (because i ditched one) from 3:15-3:30 and a quick bout of pool from 6-7. this is not the way to ease back into the work force after an extended illness.
by the time i got my resume updated and found time to submit it, the perfect job posting i found last weekend was gone.
my sleep schedule has been seriously disrupted ever since the week-long benadryl extravaganza and i have been having completely insane dreams, one of which was a dire warning not to go on a potential trip. i was not the only person who dreamed a dire warning for me not to go on this trip, so i decided to heed the sign and stay home.
DD is moving up from LA this weekend. tomorrow we will spend at ikea since she's leaving her furniture behind. if i were a really good friend i would drive down to her new south bay pad tonight but after five commute days in a row and having to go back tomorrow and every day next week, i'm just not sure i can do it. i can barely motivate to drive to the grocery store.
i have been awake since 4:45. finally got out of bed at 8:00 since i couldn't get back to sleep. i should shower and get shopping (food, prescriptions, plus my favorite nursery is having a 25% off all outdoor plants sale), but i'm having trouble getting moving. hopefully if i force myself i'll tire myself out enough to sleep this afternoon.
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| stuff i want to do this weekend but probably won't |
[22 Sep 2006|11:14am] |
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mood |
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tired |
] |
| [ |
music |
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weird al -- white and nerdy |
] |
still feeling crappy. which doubly sucks because there's so much i want to get done this weekend. ( like what, you may ask... )
though i might be able to do that third one without too much stress. and i kinda have to do that last one. guess it all just depends on how i feel. right now i'm having trouble remaining upright, so that would probably make yardwork a little tough.
also, my cleaning lady didn't show up yesterday, so any extra energy i may have had to plant a few bulbs or move a few stones will have to be spent making my house livable again. :(
honestly, though, i'm not sure whether it's better when marginally sick for long periods of time to force rest or get out and move around a bit in the fresh air and sunshine (where applicable). maybe if i nap in between tasks...
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| stairway to heaven |
[10 Sep 2006|07:52pm] |
| [ |
mood |
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accomplished |
] |
finished the walls and the stairs today, plus all the rest of the chipping thanks to help from mom and dad. also made final decisions on where the plants will go which will make getting them planted that much easier. even managed to make real dinner with enough leftovers for tomorrow's lunch: talapia with pasta and asparagus. go me.
oh yes, and yesterday i bought a steel fire bowl. so cool.
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| leveled |
[09 Sep 2006|09:54am] |
| [ |
mood |
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accomplished |
] |
last weekend's over-zealous yard work caught up with me in the form of a nasty cold. but it was so worth it. this weekend, i'm going to lay low. maybe just put a few plants in the ground. okay, and maybe a little more chipping if i'm feeling better tomorrow.
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