Recurring Series

A Virtual (Christmas!) Coffee Date

I think it’s high time we sat down and had a virtual coffee date, right? The holidays are fast approaching, so let’s wrap our hands around our warm mugs of coffee (I’m having a mocha!) and get to chatting!

If we were having coffee today, I would probably talk about how overwhelmed I feel at work currently. This is my first month with a full workload. Together, with three other coworkers, I’ve started a massive rebranding project for a big client, which involves proofing and editing all of their content that has been posted on their website for the past few years. It’s a lot of work and it was a bit like fumbling around in the dark in the beginning, but we’re all slowly getting better at what needs to be done. Along with that project (which consists of proofing 200 pages a month!), I also have five clients of my own I am writing for. It equals out to a little over 50 pages of content a month, with each page being around 300 words, give or take. I feel a little frantic most days, but I think it’ll get better as the months go by. It makes the days go by fast, that’s for sure!

If we were having coffee today, I would tell you that I’m feeling completely unmotivated for healthy eating and exercise. And that I haven’t exercised in over a week! I’m falling into the “I’ll start on January 1st” mentality, which isn’t good at all. I don’t want to end the year feeling like a lump, but it’s just been really hard lately. Harder than usual.

If we were having coffee today, I would talk about how I’m two books away from hitting my goal of reading 100 books in a year. I have 11 days to read two books, something absolutely doable, especially with my upcoming holiday time off. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to read 100 books in a year again (it’s really an insane goal!), but it was fun to shoot for this and make it happen.

If we were having coffee today, I’d share a funny story about Dutch. My mom came home on her lunch break this week to find out Dutch had gotten into a present under the tree! Thankfully, it was just a pair of socks my mom bought for her boyfriend and nothing I bought her! And it was the only present he got into, which is strange. The weird thing is that we’ve had presents until the tree since Friday night and he didn’t touch them. The other weird thing? It was a present to my mom’s boyfriend from Dutch (yes, we do this. No, it’s not weird.) so, like, he’s a genius! He can read! He thought it was for him! Ha.

If we were having coffee today, I would talk about my work holiday party that took place yesterday! It was held at a nice restaurant right next to my work and was a lot of fun. There was an open bar, delicious food, and everyone dressed up! It was a good time, indeed. It was fun to chit-chat with coworkers because we’re all stuck in our little cubicles all day and interaction is at a minimum. We even held a white elephant gift exchange and I ended up with a “booty slide” workout DVD system. Ohhh, yeah! 😉 They also held a raffle at the end of the night, with some incredible prizes, and I won a $50 Amazon gift card! What what! (Makes up for the white elephant gift, yes?) All in all, it ended up being more fun than I anticipated.

If we were having coffee today, I would tell you how nervous I am about the Dolphins’ next two games! I know I don’t talk a lot about football, but it’s such a huge passion of mine and, though I know we won’t make it to the Superbowl or anything, just making the playoffs would be amazing! We need some help, as in winning our next two games and hoping Baltimore and/or Cincinnati falter in their two games (though those two teams play each other Week 17, which should be a great match-up!). I spent probably 20 minutes on ESPN’s playoff generator yesterday, looking at the different scenarios. The way it appears to me, if we win on Sunday, we’re in the playoffs, no matter what. So I’ll be on the edge of my seat all Sunday afternoon. Go, Miami, go!

If we were having coffee today, I would confess my anxiety has been feeling a bit unmanageable lately. I’m not sure why, but I feel a bit off-balance with my emotions, as if one little thing has the potential to set me off, but I’m so concerned with keeping it all together that I’m not properly dealing with my emotions. I don’t know. I just feel a little shaky, a little uncertain. (Therapy starts in January! Declaring it!)

If we were having coffee today, I would talk about my weekend plans! Tonight, my mom and I are going to a holiday lights show at the Florida Botanical Gardens and then on Saturday, my brother and nephew are coming over to decorate Christmas cookies! There will probably be some last-minute Christmas shopping thrown in there (I’m mostly done, just need a few little things for family members). The weekend will be mostly low-key, though, and for that, I am grateful. I need it after the crazy week I’ve had!

If we were having coffee today, what would you tell me?

I’m going to take a bit of a blogging break for the holidays, so I want to wish everyone who celebrates a very merry Christmas! I will be back in a week with a Christmas recap, and then I’ll dive right into recapping 2013 with a whole slew of fun posts. Enjoy your holiday!

Categories: Holidays, Recurring Series

A Weekend in Pictures: Birthsgiving

Oh, what a weekend this was! I always love the long Thanksgiving weekend, because my birthday usually falls somewhere in the midst of it, and it’s just nice having four full days off work. This weekend felt especially long, but I can’t lie that I whimpered a little when I woke up this morning. It’s hard getting back to routine after a holiday! But alas, here we are. It’s December and we have 23 days until Christmas. I have done zero Christmas shopping.

But no matter. It will get done! For now, let’s take a look back on this weekend, shall we?

The oh-so-lovely Natasha coined the term “Birthsgiving” for my birthday and I loved it so I stole it for the day. Birthsgiving started early with a 5am wake-up call. My mom and I, and our house guests (my uncle, aunt, and two cousins from Georgia!) ran the Turkey Trot 5K so we had to be up and attem early. It was 43 degrees that morning so we were all freezing. The race was good, though I ended up walking more than I wanted to.

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon were spent lounging around and slowly getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. There was a quick trip to Cracker Barrel because we were all hungry and not going to last until dinner. Dinner itself was great. We had a big group this year – 23 people in total! I got my fill of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. (My favorite Thanksgiving foods!) And the desserts topped everything off, leaving me feeling as if my stomach would burst from all the good food. And the best part? The best part was that my grandma hosted and seeing her feeling and looking so good made me the happiest. She’s on the path to recovery after being diagnosed with cancer for the third time and we’re all just praying it stays away for good this time.

After dinner, my mom & I and our house guests settled in for the night at our apartment with some drinks, UNO, and good quality gossip. Having our Georgia family here in town was the best, and I love them dearly. I wish they could come down more often! Maybe a trip to Georgia is needed soon? Yes?

Friday started a bit early, as we wished our house guests safe travels back to Georgia, and then I took Dutch on a 30-minute walk. After coming back inside and fooling around online for a bit, Dutch and I went back to sleep for a few hours, because what else are holiday weekends for? Gradually, my mom and I got up and ready for the day. We went out for lunch and then shopping for my birthday present: new boots! I’ve been looking around for the perfect knee-high boots for a long time because I guess I have fat calves and most boots won’t fit over them. (Wonderful.) But then I found these by chance and they fit perfectly. I want to wear them every day. But we have highs in the mid- to upper-70s for the next week so we’ll see how much use I get out of them!

After that, I took another nap (because, holidays) and then Friday night was spent lounging. I caught up on almost all my TV shows, ate good food, and worked on some blog things. A perfect night, in my opinion!

Oh, what a day Saturday was! I woke up around 7:30 after not getting to bed until 2am, so I was tired throughout the whole day but there was no rest for the weary! My mom and I went for a run, and then came home to shower and start Christmas decorating! After setting up the tree and stringing the lights, we took a break to have lunch and then do some shopping. We stopped at the mall (where I picked up my favorite pair of Old Navy skinnies!) and then at Target to get some more holiday decorations.

We finished decorating our apartment just as my brother and nephew arrived for some Saturday night fun. We ordered pizza, I baked cookies, and we spent the night watching TV and just hanging out. It was a wonderful night! I love having those boys over. It was a bit of a belated birthday celebration since my birthday was taken over by Thanksgiving, so I got to make all the decisions on what to do! Woo!

Sunday was another early morning, as my mom signed up for a 5K in Brandon. I opted not to run it, since I didn’t feel confident after my 5K on Thanksgiving. She did wonderful, as per usual, and then we came home for showers before heading out to brunch. And then? Then, we came home and I took an epic 5-hour nap. It was beautiful. So, so needed. I was out cold from the minute my head hit the pillow until Dutch woke me up by licking my ear. The rest of the day was spent watching football, grocery shopping, meal prepping, doing laundry, and trying to hold on to the last few seconds of my holiday weekend.

And that was my weekend! Full of fun, food, family, and plenty of naps. And now it’s time to get back into my routine, especially healthy eating and exercising!

How was your weekend?

Categories: Recurring Series

Gratitude in the Everyday, Part I

I came across this wonderful worksheet on thankfulness and gratitude from Lisa, who went through the prompts last month. I really loved reading her answers, and the questions that were posed, so I thought it would be great to work through them on my own, leading up to Thanksgiving. Today, I’m posting the first installment and will continue them throughout the next few weeks.

1 – I’m most grateful for my ability to write.

Writing is one of my biggest passions, and I’m not sure where I would be without it. I’m thankful that not only do I have the ability to write well, but that I also love it. Because doing something well doesn’t always mean you will love that thing! It blows my mind sometimes that I am actually writing for a living and while, sure, the writing isn’t exciting (one can only talk so long about the benefits of window installation before they want to scream), it’s also growing my writing so much. My writing ability is what landed me my current job and I can honestly say I love what I do.

2 – In this moment, the things I love most about my family are the way they always have my back, the way they make me laugh, and the fact that they can tell me like it is when I need it.

I love my family. My mom is the absolute best person I know. She has always had my back for anything I want to do – even when I decided to switch majors when I was one internship away from graduating. My brother has also been such a wonderful support system for me, and he has no problem telling me like it is and helping me not take life too seriously.

And my family just makes me laugh. A lot. We are silly and sarcastic and I just love them.

3 – Something that made me smile today was a sweet good morning hug and kiss from my pup.

This morning, Dutch was a bit restless to get up. (I think he knows that if it’s after 6am, it’s time to be up.) So after trying to snuggle with him to no avail (he just kept licking my face!), I sat up in bed and picked him up for a hug and kiss. It’s my favorite part of the morning because he’s all warm and snuggly from sleep. And since I don’t yet have a man I can wake up to for a hug and a kiss, a dog will have to do. 😉

4 – The best thing I smelled today was bags of coffee beans as I walked through the grocery store.

I don’t drink coffee too often, but I adore the smell of it. It’s one of the best smells, in my opinion.

5 – One of the memories I’m most grateful for is receiving my Bachelor’s degree.

Sometimes, it still blows my mind that I did it. I know, it happened over two years ago but sometimes, I sit back and reflect on all it took to get me where I am today. It’s crazy I am in this period of my life – in my twenties, figuring out my career, and finished with all my schooling. I feel so grateful I was able to go to get my degree and that all the hard work paid off. The night of my graduation is my most treasured memory.

6 – Thank goodness someone taught me how to develop systems for working.

I had a wonderful mentor at my last job, my boss. I came into that job as a green college grad, and my only experience in a work environment was an internship at a theater (but even then, I was out canvassing more than I was in the office). My boss would continually stress about finding my way to work, to find my own system for getting things done. And it took me a while, but I found my way. I developed checklists and to-do lists and my own way of working. Some of them, I adopted from my boss, and some I developed on my own.

I’m seeing how useful this is in my job now, especially as my workload increases and I’m finding myself needed to implement systems to get things done. I’m definitely a systems girl now, thanks to my boss.

What ability are you most grateful for? What has made you smile today?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently… in November

Feeling… excited about leaving on my cruise on Friday. I am not sure I am going to survive the next four days at work! The best part is that I’m going with four girls I completely love and adore, and who totally get me. It’s so crazy because thinking about my life last year and how lacking it was in local girl friendships and now I’m going on vacation with girlfriends! The ship doesn’t stop anywhere, just does a little loop in the Gulf of Mexico, but it’s going to be a really fun weekend. Hurry up, Friday!

Writing… a love story. The story I’m writing for #NaNoWriMo is a contemporary love story, one of those feel-good romances that are slightly predictable but still really cute. At least that’s my goal! It’s a fun thing, writing a romance, and I’m enjoying the process. (Even those days when I’m all, WHAT AM I DOING. I CAN’T WRITE STORIES. I SUCK AT EVERYTHING. GAH. I hear this is quite normal.)

Reading… Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani. It was Nora who first clued me in to this author and I’m so glad she did. I’ve read two books by her and both were amazing. She’s such a beautifully descriptive writer.

Listening… to football right now! We have a full house for the game. Well, sort of. My brother came over for the games, and my mom and her boyfriend are also hanging out. As I write this post, the Denver/San Diego game is on and since I love everything Peyton Manning, I’m a happy camper.

Eating… a delicious brownie! My mom made them for our little get-together and they are the best little treat! (I may have brought one to work today for an afternoon pick-me-up.)

Wishing… I could take the whole week of Christmas off. We get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, and I was really hoping I could take the Monday before and then the Thursday and Friday after, but I won’t have enough PTO for that. I could take off the Thursday and Friday off, but I would wipe out my PTO so I’m debating if it’s worth it. I don’t have any major plans, but it would just be a really nice break from work.

Enjoying… new responsibilities at work! Starting this month, I’ll be writing for six different clients, which equals to a little over 50 pages a month. (The pages are around 250-350 words, to give an idea of what that entails.) I’m also going to be helping out with a big editing project for our biggest client, which will be an interesting challenge!

Drinking… Dr. Pepper. Because it’s good. And bad for me. But still good.

Learning… That it’s okay to have “moments,” even as an adult. Sometimes, you just have to have a whiny, pity party for yourself. And then you give yourself a reality check and realize you’re being silly and immature. But moments happen. It’s okay.

Thinking… about going soda-free in December. I started off this year with a 30-day soda fast and I think it would be a good idea to end it doing the same thing. I’m no longer addicted to soda and I do fine without it, but I still drink it way too often.

Loving… game nights with friends, keeping in touch with my old coworkers, coffee, my job, Reese’s eggs, finishing great books, and watching dachshunds race against one another.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned recently?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday (25)

One.

NaNoWriMo 2013 is off to a great start! By Day 3, I had written over 8,500 words and was way ahead of schedule. My plan for this year is to write 1,500 words Monday – Thursday and then around 2,500 – 3,000 words Friday – Sunday. Thankfully, since I get off work early on Fridays, it is basically another day of weekend so it gives me plenty of time to catch up if need be. I know I’ll be losing out on writing days next weekend (I’ll be on a cruise!) and possibly during the Thanksgiving holiday (since we’re hosting family + it’s my birthday + it’s Thanksgiving) so I’m trying to account for days I won’t be able to write. Thankfully, November seems like a longer month (somehow?) so I’m really not worrying about finishing. I know I can do it!

The writing process is going well, though. I have had moments where I want to change my story and write something different, but I just keep writing and pressing forward. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, thinking about the revision process and all that will entail, but I’m trying to focus on getting the story out of my head and onto paper – no matter how sloppy or messy or shitty it sounds. First drafts are supposed to be that way! And that’s what I love so much about NaNoWriMo – it’s about writing, plain and simple. Not editing, not revising, not even writing well. Just writing. Getting it down. Getting it done.

Two.

I don’t mean to add to the whining, but honestly, Daylight Saving Time is the worst. I am not a fan. I don’t like the fact that the sun is setting as I leave work (though the views are spectacular) and I don’t like the fact that it’s pitch black outside literally 10 minutes after I get home. It’s just so depressing. In general, I am not a fan of the nighttime, so the fact that I only get around 10-11 hours of daylight just makes me sad. I like the sun! And bright skies! And being able to see where I’m going!

I will stop whining since there’s nothing I can do about it. And this is still my favorite time of year. Eventually, I’ll get used to it, right?

Three.

Terra wrote a post this week about this website, called Secret Language, and I have been obsessed with it ever since. It draws from a 40-year empirical study of more than 20,000 people and is a distillation of personality traits, according to when you were born. Typically, I don’t buy into this kind of stuff because it always makes me very skeptical but this stuff is pretty interesting. You type in when you were born, which, for me, was November 28, 1987 and then you are given your Secret Language Name and personality and health traits associated with being born on this day. Additionally, you get an extensive personality profile and advice for living with this personality.

My “name” is Passionate Lone Wolf, which I felt was a pretty accurate description for me! Some of the traits used to describe me were emotionally sensitive, profound, and contradictory. (Yes, yes, and yes.) And while I didn’t agree with all of the traits notated in the personality profile, it was vastly correct. Take a peek:

Their ideology is extremely important to them, but it can change in a bewildering fashion, its twists and turns leading through a maze of irony and high seriousness.

November 28 people enjoy pointed humor, and will use wit and irony as powerful weapons against their opponents and also as a means to clarify and give shape to their own views. Most often, however, they make an impression of forthright seriousness.

Perhaps the greatest problem for November 28 people is coming to understand themselves, and being able to straighten out their complex, difficult personalities. Usually it is seething emotions which keep them from viewing themselves in a more objective light.

You can delve further into your personality profile according to the week you were born (and even further from there). I was born during the Week of Independence (I don’t typically think of myself as very independent, but I guess maybe I am.) and there was more goodness to be found here:

They try to project an air of self-assurance and confidence, but behind this facade there often lurks a sensitive and even insecure individual. This becomes quickly evident when they are put under stress, either through negative criticism or through some challenge to their character. In such situations they can easily and instantaneously fly off the handle, drowning those around them with their anger. Those alert enough to see the storm clouds gathering will try to avoid unleashing their emotional thunderbolts.

At times they can be unreasonable, but they are usually open to discussion. Actually, these quick, witty individuals thoroughly enjoy verbal repartee and debate. This can become a problem if they reach a subject that sticks in their craw, when they can easily become contentious and argumentative.

It was just fascinating to me! Some of it was so eye-opening, a way at looking at my personality in a completely different way. Obviously, not all of it was accurate for me but nothing is 100%, right?

You can also put in the birthdays of you and your partner and see how you guys match up. While I didn’t have anyone to match up with, I did try my mom and dad, and then my mom and her boyfriend. For my mom and dad, Secret Language said they were ideal for friendship but problematic for marriage (YEP!). For my mom and her boyfriend, it said they were ideal for marriage but problematic for work. (Match made in heaven?)

Anyway, this is an extremely long point but I really encourage you to check out the site and see what you find out! It’s a pretty neat website.

Four.

Okay, I am going to talk sports for a quick minute (or two). If you follow sports, you have probably heard about this situation with the Miami Dolphins (my favorite team!) and two of the players, Richard Incognito and Jonathan Martin. I’ve stayed pretty mum on the subject, mostly because this makes me sad to be a Dolphins fan, quite frankly. The issue lies in the fact that Martin left the team last week and has since checked himself in and out of a hospital due to problems stemming from Incognito’s bullying. Dolphins coaches told Incognito to “toughen” Martin up so, apparently, that’s what he did, but as a bully. He also left threatening comments and racist slurs on his voicemail (Martin is biracial while Incognito is white).

What it stems down to is the hazing ritual of the NFL for young rookies and bullying. People are saying Martin is “soft” and needs to “man up,” and while I do agree that Martin should have stood up for himself, I also think this issue is more than that. The truth is, he should never have felt the need to defend himself with his teammates at his place of work. He should have never been scared to come to work. (And don’t even get me started on the fact that he’s 6’5 and 300+ lbs so obviously he can’t be bullied, right? Ugh.) And then, if this isn’t enough to make me disgusted, Dolphin players are coming forward to support Incognito. Not Martin. The bully. Supporting a bully. Way to go, Dolphins. Slow clap.

The problem is, this isn’t exclusive to the Dolphins. (Or even the NFL!) I know this happens in other locker rooms, but that doesn’t make it okay. Bullying is never okay. Victim shaming is never okay. Racist comments and jokes are not okay. I feel silly even typing about that! It’s like, come on. We’re talking about adults here. You don’t have to be the best player in the NFL by bullying younger players and being dirty. There needs to be change. There has to be change. This is not what football is about.

Five.

I have a fairly great weekend planned! Tomorrow, Dutch will be participating in his second “Running of the Weiners” race (Senior Sausage division!). Saturday evening, I’m going to a game night, and throughout the weekend, I, of course, plan on doing lots of writing for #NaNoWriMo. (I have a goal of writing 9,000 words this weekend. We shall see!)

How do you feel about Daylight Saving Time – indifferent, love, loathe? If you went on the Secret Language website, what name were you given? Any fun weekend plans?