Recurring Series

Currently: the September Edition

Feeling: Content and happy. I’ve been feeling really good about where I am and where I want to go lately. While not everything in my life is where I want it (see: weight issues and my lackluster dating life), I can’t help but love this place I am right now. That said, being a generally anxious person means I’m constantly on my guard and waiting for the next shoe to drop. It’s so hard to be happy when you live with anxiety because you’re always waiting for something bad to happen. I am trying my best to live in this moment and just be happy for the sake of being happy. It’s a work in progress.

Reading: Looking for Alaska by John Green. I’ve read two of his books: The Fault in Our Stars, which I absolutely loved, and Paper Towns, which I did not love. It’s a little slow right now but I’m only about 50 pages in so I’m hoping it picks up soon.

Watching: Big Brother and tonight is finale night! I know I’m not in the minority when I say this season has been pretty horrible. The contestants have been really boring and nobody really played the game the way it is meant to be played. (Not to mention all the racist and homophobic things that were said at the beginning of the game. Though I think Aaryn is truly remorseful and I really believe she learned a big life lesson from this show.) I really do not care for anybody in the final three but if I had to choose someone to win, it would be Gina-Marie. She made some big moves, at least, and that’s way more than we can say for Spencer or Andy. At the very least, I am looking forward to good ole Dr. Will coming back to grill the houseguests. Should be interesting!

Anticipating: Ordering my iPhone 5S on Friday! I have been eligible for a phone upgrade since early summer, but I haven’t been in the right financial place to justify spending $200 on a phone when my old one works perfectly fine. But since my 2-year contract expires soon, I know I need to bite the bullet and get a new phone. Plus, I’m still rocking the iPhone 4 so this will be a huge upgrade for me. I can’t wait!

Wishing: To go on a really good date. As I mentioned above, my dating life has been so lackluster. OK Cupid has left me feeling more and more disenchanted. (The last guy who messaged me on there asked me how I felt about casual sex. Lovely. Just lovely.) I’m not unhappy being single, exactly, because in some ways it’s really great but I just miss that special feeling of going on dates and getting to know someone and being with them. And the last date I went on was so dull, I’m at this place when I’m wondering when it will ever happen for me. If ever.

Thinking: About birthday plans! My birthday is on Thanksgiving this year, which I’m excited about. I plan on participating in the Turkey Trot 5K, eating a delicious dinner, and celebrating with my family. But I’m also aching to do something more than that, because I always love celebrating my birthday in a fun way. My heart is nudging me towards a long weekend in Orlando and visiting Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios (I haven’t visited either park in over 3 years) because weekends in Orlando are just my absolute favorite. They also aren’t cheap. If I don’t end up going to Orlando, I’m thinking about a night out at a real fancy dinner spot (just not sure where yet!) and then a tattoo appointment for the tattoo that’s been on my mind for over a year now. Decisions, decisions!

Loving: Lazy Friday afternoons, pool time, cooler mornings, football being back and the Dolphins actually playing really well, running again, the Christina Perri Pandora station, winning the football pool at work, and it being fall premiere season.

What are you most excited about right now?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday: On My New Job

One –

Let’s talk about eating lunch out and how it’s no longer a possibility at this job. At my old job, I had my pick of fast food (Subway, Chick-Fil-A, Five Guys, Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Panera Bread, etc.) but it takes me at least 15 minutes to get anywhere from this office. And both times I have gone out to find something for lunch, I’ve come back frustrated, mad, and wholly unsatisfied. Basically, it’s too much of An Event to go out for lunch and I will be bringing my lunch to work from here on out. In any event, it saves me money and calories so maybe it’s the perfect situation for me.

(There is a cafe in my building but I don’t know where it is and I hear it’s stupid expensive. And cafe food usually makes me feel yucky, so I’ll stick with packing my lunches.)

Two –

I am loving the new dress code. Of course, I miss wearing yoga pants when I felt like it but generally, it feels good to get dressed up every day and actually make an attempt at looking put-together. I do need to invest in better-fitting dress slacks (finding slacks that fit my short, chicken legs but also my bigger thighs/hips is not easy at all). But, all in all, I don’t hate having to dress up as much as I thought I would. It’s actually fun and I’m excited to experiment more with my style through this. (And Fridays are casual days which is also very, very nice.)

Three –

The writing itself is going very, very well. I am really enjoying it! I don’t think I realized how unhappy I was at my old job until I came here and was thrown into a completely different environment with work I completely enjoy. The writing itself isn’t exactly thrilling (I just finished a big assignment where I wrote 22 300-word pages on cabinets. CABINETS.). But I feel like I am doing work I was meant to be doing. At my old job, I was bogged down in doing secretarial-type tasks but also high-level analysis tasks. Neither things are what I love. Writing is what I love and writing is what I’m doing and it is just fabulous.

Four –

My commute is wonderful. I was worried because I now work in Tampa so I have to use the interstate to get to work, but it’s really not bad. It takes me 20 minutes, on average, to and from, and on the way to work, I get a gorgeous view of the sunrise with the skyline of Tampa in the background. I have tried to take so many pictures of it but they never do it justice. It’s a really easy drive and it’s mostly highway so I am just feeling really grateful about it.

Five –

Fridays. Are just the best. No, really. They are really the best. I’ve mentioned it before but I just want to talk about how freaking amazing it is to only work a half-day every Friday. My weekends start at 11:30am, which means my weekends feel extra long and just absolutely wonderful. I actually feel ready for work to begin on Monday. I work just 30 minutes extra Monday – Thursday for it and it’s really not a big deal at all. Why all companies don’t offer this, I have no idea. I think it would inspire more productive workers! Also, my company also provides Panera Bread bagels on Fridays, too. So, really, when I say Fridays are just the best – I really mean it!

Do you have lots of options for fast food around your work? How long is your commute?

Categories: Recurring Series

Monthly Check-In: Hello, August!

We’re just three days away from a new month and a really exciting month for me. I’m taking a break from social media, from blogging, and from zoning out in front of my laptop and TV. New things are blossoming in my life, some that could lead to really exciting changes and some that could simply lead to learning experiences. There is talk of booking a (short) cruise in November with my book club girls and just yes, things are good for me. Really, really good. I feel like I’ve been coasting for the past few months and finally, things are happening.

It’s just a reminder for me of the ebb and flow of life. Life isn’t always meant to be lived on the upswing, we have to go through peaks and valleys to truly appreciate the times when life is really, really good.

With that said, here are three things that made me happy in July:

1. Having an unplanned four-day weekend. It was really, really nice to have a four-day weekend, thanks to the Fourth of July holiday. I didn’t make any plans. In fact, I didn’t even go out to see fireworks (which worked out since I could see fireworks from my living room window while sitting on my couch). I just had four easy days of relaxing, hanging out by the pool, and getting some writing done. It was divine.

2. Two-on-one time with my brother. It’s not often that it’s just the three of us anymore. With my brother married with his own family and my mom in a relationship, it always feels like old times when it’s just the three of us hanging out. Like during my mom’s birthday dinner and last Saturday night, when my brother came over. We ordered pizza, played a rousing game of Monopoly, and I laughed as I have never laughed before. Those moments are my favorite.

3. Taking in a Rays game in a suite. My mom’s work has access to a suite at Tropicana Field and every now and then, her boss can’t make it to a game so gives her tickets away. This was my second time in the suite and I think I ate my weight in popcorn and let’s not get into the ice cream sundaes they brought out in the 7th inning. (OMG!) The game was a great one and baseball is becoming more and more interesting for me. (Who knew?)

I dropped the ball on all my goals last month, but I’m hoping that taking away my biggest time sucks during my media fast will help me get re-inspired with my goals:

1. Be more social, by going out at least twice during the month (excluding book club). Here’s the thing: I have a tendency to be a hermit. It’s the introvert in me who cherishes nights in and unplanned weekends. But I also know how much being around people and forcing myself to be social makes me happy, so I need to learn how to strike a happier medium. My plan for August is to do something with friends twice during the month, excluding my monthly book club meeting. A girls’ night out, brunch, asking an old friend to coffee… I want to do something – even a little something – to keep me from becoming too much of a hermit.

2. Take Dutch to a dog beach. We have Fort Desoto Park and Honeymoon Island that are about 45 minutes away and offer a place to enjoy the beach with your dog. I’m not sure how Dutch will react (he can be a Prissy McPrisserson) but I’d love to get away for a day with him, take him to a dog beach, and see how he likes it.

3. Ask five bloggers if I can guest post on their blogs and pitch topic ideas. I didn’t get around to this in July, so it’s back on the list for August. Hopefully, I can get my head together with this goal.

Are you someone who struggles more with being too social or not being social enough? Or do you know how to strike a happy medium? I’m someone who doesn’t need a ton of time with people to be satisfied (too much makes me crabby) but I know the importance of relationships and community so I’m trying to find a happier balance.

*Post idea inspired by Jessica

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday

1 – Wow… I didn’t mean to go over a week without posting, especially since I won’t be blogging more than once or twice next month due to my media fast. I’ve felt very uninspired when it comes to blogging this past week and sat in front of my laptop this weekend for hours, trying to get inspired to blog about something. But I never want to be a blogger who blogs just to get a post up, so my blog has remained quiet.

2 – I’ve been emailing back and forth with Jessica about creative writing for a while now. She’s pursuing a degree in Creative Writing so we’ve had some really great conversations about the world of publishing and our dreams of writing. Those emails alone have pushed me to start getting serious about my fiction, so I started doing some light character sketches and plot outlines for the two NaNoWriMo contenders. I’ve even started writing fiction for another novel I’ve had on my mind for a long time, but haven’t done much with. It feels good to write and get my creative juices flowing in my favorite way. Basically, all I want to do every weekend is work on my fiction and I’m so inspired by it lately. It’s a great feeling!

3 – Over the weekend, I made a batch of No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls. I found the recipe on Coco’s blog and it looked incredibly easy and delicious. All you need is oats, peanut butter, protein powder, mini chocolate chips, and honey. Mix ‘em up, mold them into balls, and put ‘em in the fridge! They are such a great grab-and-go snack! I found molding them into balls to be the most arduous task, but the whole process took me less time than it takes me to make hard-boiled eggs. (I know this because I was making hard-boiled eggs while making the balls.) But seriously, I look forward to my two little balls every day. Go with that sentence where you want.

4 – This kid needs to win America’s Got Talent. He’s 17! And he blows my mind every time he does a magic trick. HOW DOES HE DO IT?!

5 – I’ve had a really busy, crazy week. I have had to be “on” more than usual and I’m just really looking forward to this weekend and decompressing. I have book club tonight, my brother and nephew are coming over on Saturday night, and then church on Sunday. Other than that? I’m hoping to catch up on sleep, work on my character sketches, and spend an afternoon or two at the pool. It should be a great weekend!

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently…

Feeling: A bit hermit-y lately. I haven’t been going out much and my weekends remain low-key, where even going to church seems like a hassle. It’s hard to have these really fun and exciting weekends when you’re trying to eat healthily and not spend money. So I’ve been keeping to myself lately and not getting out as much as I should be. I don’t mind my hermit-y ways, because it’s allowing me to get a lot of writing done. (I’m over 3,000 words into a new novel!) But, at the same time, I know how good socializing is for me so I need to make more of an effort when I can.

Reading: Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. I’m not too familiar with her work, but I’ve heard so many great things about this book that I had to give it a try. I’m only about 70 or so pages in, but I am really, really enjoying it. It’s witty, yet filled with so many good tips and advice for writers. I did have a bit of a giggle, though, when I read “You put a piece of paper in the typewriter…” in one of the beginning chapters. (That was when I found out the book was written in 1994! OK then.)

Listening to: The Paris Wife via audiobook on my commute to and from work, which I should be able to finish up this week. (Only 2 CDs left!) I can’t say that I am loving this novel (I’m just so annoyed by Ernest and Hadley!) but I do think the writing is lovely. The reader of the audiobook is not my favorite and can be distracting, but overall, it’s been a good read. (Err… listen?)

Watching: It’s July so Big Brother, of course! My obsession level with this show is unparalleled. I’ve yet to find a show that gets me so consumed. My favorites this season are most definitely Candice and Amanda. And I think Aaryn should have been kicked out of the house by the producers a long time ago… her behavior is so disgusting and awful. Other shows currently obsessed with: So You Think You Can Dance (Fik-Shun & Amy are the cutest couple of all time), Whodunnit (I think Cris is the killer), and MasterChef (rooting for Bri!).

Anticipating: A media fast in August. Last year, I spent a month away from all things social media and blogging after going through a particularly difficult time I wanted to keep private. It was one of the best decisions I made to help me heal and really helped me to focus and get back on the right path. And while I’m not going through any difficulties right now, I am planning on doing another month-long media fast in August. Honestly, I can’t wait!

Wishing: I could travel more. Why is traveling so expensive? Now that I’m getting super strict about my spending habits and budget and paying off debts, it’s looking less and less likely that any sort of travel will happen this year. I wanted to go away for my birthday, but I know I have to make the smart decision to stay home and keep socking away at those debts. I just keep reminding myself that this is a season. It’s not forever and it’s not the worst thing in the world. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Learning: That I don’t mind cooking as much as I previously thought. Don’t get me wrong, I will always love getting take-out over getting into the kitchen to cook a meal after a long day of work, but it’s not as bad as I say it is. I don’t find cooking relaxing, but there is a measure of pride when I can take a recipe from a website and create the meal in my kitchen. And since I only make healthy recipes (if I’m going to cook, it might as well be healthy, right?), it always feels good to sit down at the table and eat something good for me and that I spent time and effort to make.

Thinking: About getting my first tattoo. About dyeing my hair back to brown. About cutting my bangs. About how lonely living alone would be. About my career. About how dating is nothing like a romance novel. About why I seem to get 2-3 mosquito bites every time I walk Dutch.

Loving: Pool days and beach days, my coworkers, daily gchats with Nora, using the library more frequently, writing fiction again, sleeping better, watermelon, green smoothies, and Skype dates with faraway friends.