December 2009

The end of the year means lists, lists, lists and since I love lists all year long this is the perfect excuse for it. I thought a good preface on this last day of 2009 would be to think back to all the things I accomplished this year. You know since I’m not sure I accomplished my actual NY Resolutions from 2009 …

Things I’m proud I did (or didn’t do) in 2009:

• Stopped making excuses for other people and put myself first. That’s a biggie I know and likely influences a lot of the following …
• Quit my job and moved back to Texas. As much as I love San Francisco I know it was the right decision for my life for this time. Plus I’m getting some quality time with my amazing family and friends here in Houston.
• Went to Europe for two weeks alone. Saw fabulous things. Felt lonely. Felt fulfilled. Felt strong and proud of myself for doing it.
• Went to the Northeast for two weeks and soaked up time with some of my favorite people. And played enormous amounts of rummy.
• Read. Books. This was on the resolution list for 2009 and I did it. There’s plenty more (four new books arrived from Amazon yesterday) to come in 2010.
• Raced for the Cure again.
• Found a wonderful guy and gave him and myself a chance. And am so incredibly blessed and glad to have done so.
• Took (mostly) better care of myself. Mentally, physically, spiritually.
• Turned 25 without (much of a) crisis.

Here comes 2010.

I read a genius blog post over on Healthy and Simple about what Kevin is resolving NOT to do in the New Year. Hilarious as always (if you do want to make a resolution he adds “If you are thinking of making one resolution please please please don’t let it be going to the gym more often. Particularly if you live in San Francisco and go to my gym.”) and a great idea. Kevin writes:

Each year I resolve to find new ways to avoid making New Year’s Resolutions. So far my success rate is 100 percent. I have yet to fail to not keep a resolution I didn’t make. So I can look back over the year almost gone with a sense of achievement and satisfaction, knowing I succeeded in meeting my goal. I haven’t done any of the things I set out not to do.

Of course when he lists his non-resolutions you can see that they are more laughter inducing than anything, including such things as NOT winning the Nobel Prize, NOT climbing Mount Everest, and NOT dating Lindsey Lohan. But what a great idea, in both a comedic way and on a more serious note.

So this year I resolve NOT to:

• Run a marathon. Sorry Pat, it just ain’t happening. I’ll consider a shorter distance.
• Force myself to finish books that I’m just not into (see previous post on the subject)
• Eat meat. I think vegetarianism is still the way to go for me personally. I feel great about it, even living back in Texas where people still say “you’re a what?”
• Let my mother do my taxes … entirely. It’s time I start learning.
• Become a world famous actress.
• Become a world famous singer.
• Become a world famous anything … except maybe awesome person.
• Buy things just because they’re on sale.
• Forget how blessed I am by all of the opportunities in my life, the talents I’ve been given, and the people who love me.

Today thanks to the beauty of Google alerts I found a blog post from a blood donor who had a negative experience. That story is irrelevant to this blog other than to say there was one part of the post that struck me and that was how she started it off by saying “Maybe I’m just being too sensitive but …”

It got me thinking about how many times the majority of us don’t let ourselves be sensitive enough. Or at least I don’t. I brush things off. When someone’s rude I try to assume they’re just having a bad day. I make excuses for people or I accept their excuses they’ve made themselves on my behalf. It’s actually, I find, a good way to live and makes for a more positive day. But sometimes it can backfire.

See just like the blogger had a reason to complain about her bad donation experience (I mean you’re trying to give blood you should at least have as good an experience as getting a needle in the arm can be!), so we all sometimes have reason to be hurt. Of course you have to be careful to not “cry wolf” too often and make mountains out of mole hills since then you’re screwed when the mountains come around. I think it just was an eye opener to me that being sensitive isn’t a weakness; it’s just part of being human.

On a happier note: off to SEATTLE tomorrow to hang with the Bergmans (and one Bergman in particular of course), ski, see the needle/fish market/coffee delights and see if Ranger really can measure up to Glory. Don’t worry Glory, you’ll always be my favorite.

I loved this post I found from the SF Appeal about Things San Franciscans Like: Dog Ownership. The best quote:

I recently showed a picture of my boyfriend’s dog to a friend who lives in Seattle, and she looked at it for only 10-seconds, and then started talking about something else as though she didn’t have a camera phone photo of a dog right in front of her eyes. Didn’t she realize that she was looking at a dog? I didn’t say anything to her, and instead simply replaced the phone in my purse and pretended that we were still friends.

I knew I loved San Francisco for a reason. Thankfully I can still manage to be dog-obsessed in Houston, even if the restaurants have some “city health code” that means you can’t bring your dog to eat. There goes Glory’s birthday party.

Back to reality tomorrow but at least it’s another short week, as I’m leaving for Seattle on Wednesday and New Year’s is on Friday. I could really get used to this whole vacation thing. I think every week would be way better if it was only a few days of work and then something fun like Christmas or skiing at the end. If only …

With the holidays this week I spent some time today catching up on my blog reading. Some interesting tidbits:

• Be careful when hyphenating your last name since it might just cost you a flight to Turkey.
• I may have to fly sans underwear on Wednesday.
• This is what I’m asking for next Christmas: portable, contemporary fireplace.

It was a great Christmas week and I’m so blessed to have another incredible week to look forward to. Now time to read some American Gods (thanks Kat) and head to bed. Plus thank goodness I still have a job because there’s some things I just don’t think I could do to pay the bills …

(photo courtesy of The Daily What)

My first Christmas in seven years to not have to travel home for the holidays. It felt like the day snuck on me a bit more this way. No preparing to drive or fly somewhere. No trying to get gifts bought and wrapped before a certain time (other than this morning of course). It was more laid back of course though too. The first year that I had to be woken up to unwrap gifts. Wow, I must really be getting old.

I’m enjoying these years of my life between being a kid and having kids where Christmas is a much more relaxing occasion. And one with better gifts. Santa (aka mom) brought me a beautiful watch. Plus some of the best stocking stuffers to date. It’s the mid-twenties years of sleeping in, opening gifts at a leisurely pace and actually getting to see what everyone has gotten, playing games, and political arguments at the dinner table. Ok that’s every family gathering.

It’s been a long year with great moments, tough moments, and certainly a lot of change. I am so blessed, especially thanks to the peace and joy I have in my life because of the little baby born in a manger so many years ago.

… came in the mail today. It is for my sister’s fiance. If he doesn’t like it I will never speak to him again because clearly he has no taste or refinement. Let’s just say it is only for those who appreciate the finer things in life. And by “finer things” I mean more ridiculous.

Like this scale that weighs you in terms of animals rather than pounds form Lazybone.

(thx The Daily What)

Seth Godin wrote a post yesterday asking 8 questions and why. I thought it would be a good challenge. It’s a little more career-oriented than I am so I won’t be surprised if each of my answers morphs into something less professionally focused and more of a person reflection.

Who are you trying to please? I would like to think I’m only trying to please God, myself, and those who love me. But in reality it often seems that much of the time I focus my energy on the things that matter least. Getting that last email sent before the end of the day. Rushing to check things off the list. I’ve also learned that unless I take care of pleasing the first two it’s going to be a whole lot harder to please the rest.

What are you promising? I loved Megan’s wedding vows to Donny because they acknowledged the promise of hardship and challenges but also the commitment to overcome. I’m promising to give what I can reasonably give in the amount that the situation calls for. Ambiguous? Of course but I think the rule of thumb is that in my life I try to only promise what I can live up to. Most of the time I think it’s a lot.

How much money are you trying to make? Seemingly not very much. No but in reality it is funny because in my field of work money is clearly not the objective AND I think it’s made me a better person. When I moved to California I remember working out exactly how little I could possibly make and still survive. Anything above that was a bonus. Let’s just say there was not much of a bonus. But it has taught me two important lessons: that you can be paid in much more than gold and silver and that God will always provide.

How much freedom are you willing to trade for opportunity? I think it would be more meaningful to replace the word “freedom” with “time”. Let’s face it – the majority of what we give up in order to bring more opportunity into our lives is time. Taking classes or going to networking events rather than the number of other more relaxing and sometimes “in-the-moment” enjoyable things that are tempting at the end of a long day.

I will also say something really personal that has been on my mind lately, and that is the freedom of “it’s all about me” that you have to give up when you fall in love with someone. Of course I won’t cower away from saying that falling in love with someone in the military maybe brings this to mind even more but everyone faces the same dilemma. Trading the freedom of living where you want, working where you want, making the plans you want … for the opportunity of having a partner in life. It may be cheesy but clearly the opportunity is worth is. And the fact of the matter is that more opportunities will arise from it that you maybe would otherwise have never seen. Love is an opportunity that is worth the cost.

What are you trying to change? My main objective would be to change the way that people interact with one another. For people to focus on making meaningful differences, to listen, to learn, to understand one another. I hear so many stories at my job from doctors who go to Guatemala to help the people and wind up being changed themselves in ways they never would have imagined. Opening ourselves up to the possibility of becoming a better person every single day.

What do you want people to say about you? I used to say I wanted people to consider me “a force”. That I could juggle a multitude of tasks and objectives, swoop in and solve problems, impress people, bring about positive change, and make a mean cup of coffee. I don’t feel that way anymore. Now I want people to say that their life is better because of me. Be that because of my ability to swoop in and solve problems or maybe just because they feel like I’m someone they can call when they need someone to listen. Either way, I want people to say that every day I try to be a good example, a good friend, and a good addition to the world.

Which people? Is it too much to say everyone? Yes of course I know that it is. I think it was Bill Cosby that said “I don’t know the key to success but the key to failure is trying to please everybody”. I want the people who I love and that love me to say that I’m a good friend. I want the people who see me on a daily basis to say that I’m a good example. I want the people who truly know me to say that I’m a good addition to the world. As far as everyone else, in this world and this day in age it’s enough for them to just say something positive!

Do we care about you? This question was likely posed for those in the business world but as far as THIS blog is concerned YOUR answer better be yes. Or else you sure wasted a lot of time reading this long post.

… clearly doesn’t stay in Vegas. Not in this day in age with endless technology and connectedness. Plus, the cowboys came home and so did we.

What I learned in Vegas:

• 5 Hour Energy really does work. I’m not sure how. I’m not sure I want to know how. Also, half a botle translates into way more than 2.5 hours.
• Cowboys will two-step to anything. This includes Jimmy Buffet, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews, and whatever hard-rock song the band played that I didn’t recognize.
• The GO Rooms at The Flamingo really are rocking. The handicapped deluxe rooms have bars to steady yourself in the shower. I’m really not sure which is more useful when in Vegas.
• Kat’s friends are fabulous. How a bachelorette party can include half naked men, alcohol, AND discussions about cortisol and the response mechanism in men versus women I will never understand. But it did and it was awesome.
• At least 50% of the people watching the lions at MGM were likely wondering when the trainer was going to be attacked. And then we realized this was MGM, not the Mirage, and Roy was no where to be seen.
• The Thunder Down Under is basically an N’Sync concert with 95% less clothing and 80% worse dancing. It is also once of the most entertaining things I’ve ever seen. I’m convinced that at least half of the fun is the chance to scream and clap Bye-Bye Birdie style.
• Tapas are always successful. As is sangria.
• If you want to play for a long time with only a little bit of money then turn to video poker. Warning: you will likely also go into a hypnotic state after 5 minutes of playing … but this can be a good thing.
• There really is something fascinating about that many neon lights in one place. It’s like endless Christmas.
• My sister is amazing and I can’t wait for the wedding. Until then we’ve got 4 months where I still get a partner in crime to share the Messick last name.