Blog Every Day in May: May 3

Today's prompt: Things that make you uncomfortable

I've loved reading other people's entries so far. Here are mine, in no particular order:

1. Talking babies- Not baby talk or the process of babies learning to talk, but talking babies like in the etrade (or whatever it's called) commercials. It just weirds me out.

2. Ed Harris- I can't remember what movie I saw him in, but I determined that he freaked me out a little. Maybe he was in one of those talking baby commercials.

3. Thongs- No explanation necessary here...

4. Crickets- I know they're completely harmless, but there's something about the legs and the jumping that just gives me the icks (that's a thing, right?). My husband thinks it's funny to drag me by the case of crickets at Walmart. I, understandably, am not amused by this action.

5. People rubbing my palm- This doesn't happen a lot, but if someone happens to graze it after a handshake or some other similar scenario, it makes me shudder! This is something I also should've never told my husband because he does this to annoy me too!

I think I know what I'm going to have nightmares about tonight...

Blog Every Day in May: May 2

Today's prompt: Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like.

How to avoid doing laundry*:

1. Make a laundry schedule of doom in which you break down your laundry by which day you're going to do it, taking care to leave something like "towels" for those days that your husband is off and wants to do laundry without worrying about what can and can't be dried, washed in hot water, etc.

2. Start out strong. Do more than what the schedule says. Gloat quietly or loudly...reader's choice.

3. Skip a day, reasoning that "you're ahead of schedule and can afford to."

4. Skip another day because you're still kind of ahead and both of you still have plenty of clothes to wear and towels to use.

5. Skip one more day because it's a day that ends in 'y'/the sun is shining/it's raining/you're tired/you're hyper/any number of other reasons that seem ridiculous

6. Realize that you're out of socks that you wear to the gym or to walk/jog

7. Start skipping your workouts

8. Go into laundry room and look at the mountains of laundry that have accumulated

9. Cry

10. Write a blog posting about how to avoid doing laundry, then resolve to do some laundry...or just keep avoiding it...in the name of writing research after all...

*Absolutely not based on my life at all. I just happen to be an expert at this particular topic...

Blog Every Day in May: May 1

Today's prompt: The story of your life in 250 words or less

I thought it would be fun to write this like the Bible in 50 words that I've seen online before, so here goes nothing:

Jesus lover, 80s baby
Southern girl, Tennessee lady
Braces, glasses, awkward times
Escaped reality, writing rhymes
Theater minor, English degree
Grad school- twice- free!
Younger brother is 21
Parents' marriage: home run
Church event, met soulmate,
Popped question, set date
New wifey, Loving lifey! ;-)


So, this isn't quite as catchy as the 50 word Bible, but I like it anyway!

Blog Every Day in May!

I guess that my Lenten effort didn't go so hot considering that I never updated again after the initial push. Oops! Getting married, moving into a new house, and settling into being a wife takes more time than I thought it would! But, now I'm getting into the swing of things, and I'm really feeling the urge to write again. Luckily, The Funky Junkie posted a link to a blogging challenge from Story of My Life that involves posting a blog entry every day in May. Her posting has the rules and the daily prompts if you're interested in participating! See you tomorrow with the first prompt: The story of your life in 250 words or less.

40 in 40: Getting Things Done During Lent

Even though I just posted about Lent, I read something after publishing it that I want to try. The concept is to knock 40 things off your to-do list in the 40 days of Lent. I don't know about anyone else out there, but I have a tendency to pile my to-do list with things that never get to-done. Unfinished tasks weigh you down, even if they're little silly tasks that won't really harm anyone if they're incomplete. Plus, my to-do list is starting to resemble a novella, so it's time to do something radical to knock items off (besides just declaring a clean sweep and starting from zero; I'm sure many of the items would make their way back onto the new list). I think this will also help me stay off of social media and games on my phone some because I will feel pressured not to let my fans down with another failed experiment (see the bedtime experiment, the closet experiment, and the weekly weigh ins as evidence). Some of my items can be completed relatively quickly, but some may take parts of the entire 40 days to slog through.

So, here are my 40 items, in no particular order:

1. Repackage and return a dress I ordered from the UK: Completed 02/13/13 
2. Clean out iTunes account- delete duplicate songs and things I don't like
3. Finish book tracking sheet (a complete nerd project)
4. Find Amazon gift card: Completed 02/22/13
5. Organize laptop- group files together, delete unnecessary files, etc.
6. Organize work computer- group files together, delete unnecessary files, etc.
7. Send out reception invitations
8. Finish adding people to wedding website
9. Clean out personal email- get to inbox zero, delete unnecessary folders and emails, etc.
10. Clean out work email- get to inbox zero, delete unnecessary folders and emails, etc.
11. Start planning women's small group and organize first meeting
12. Move (after getting married)
13. Finish adding contacts to the phone I got before Christmas
14. Finish writer website
15. Finish librarian website
16. Update resume
17. Figure out what kind of technical certifications I want/need
18. Document items for renters insurance purposes
19. Sign up for renters insurance
20. Get Internet at new house
21. Get trash pickup at new house
22. Deep clean car- vacuum, dust, windows, outside, etc.
23. Do a volunteer project- either outside of church or with them
24. Clear out saved tabs in Chrome
25. Write and submit Booksneeze review for latest book I have (can't remember title...)
26. Get rid of all paper clutter in bedroom
27. Clean off desk at work
28. Catch up on writing other blog postings (cryptic, right?)
29. Learn to put on eyeliner
30. Catch up on magazine pile
31. Finish loading clothes pictures in Style Book app
32. Finish loading clothes pictures on Go Chic or Go Home site
33. Organize jewelry
34. Clean out guest bedroom in future home
35. Try out yoga DVD
36. Get paracord site up and going
37. Talk to Dell about laptop problems
38. Fix database problems at work: Completed 02/18/13
39. Make a physical portfolio for writing samples
40. Clean out/reorganize filing cabinets

Wish me luck! 

Thoughts on Lent

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent, a 40 day journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter. I can't pretend that I know a lot about it as it tends to be practiced more by Catholics, but I do know that one characteristic of it is that you give up something for that time period. From what I understand, you're supposed to give up something that keeps you from getting closer to Christ, but I think that many people just give up a vice, such as chocolate, coffee, or Facebook (mine last year).

I talked to a co-worker about it today, and I thought about giving up gossiping, but then I had an epiphany: I should not give up a harmful habit/vice just because it's Lent; I should give it up because I want to improve my relationship with Jesus. 

So, yes, I should give up gossiping during Lent...and afterwards...and for the rest of my life. Yes, I should give up coffee if I'm in pursuit of it more than I'm in pursuit of my Savior. I shouldn't have to have a designated time frame in which I give things up, only to pick them up again afterwards. I want to grow closer to Jesus. I want to do what He wants me to. I know what things are holding me back, and I'm going to work on them, with His help, before, during, and after this time frame, and I would encourage you to do the same.

Feeling funk-y

I don't know if it's the pouring rain today or what, but I'm in a funk. I just have this feeling like my job doesn't matter, and a little bit like I don't matter. I know that second part isn't true, and I don't want anyone who's reading this (ha!) to read anything into it; I think it's just my general blahs making me have that feeling.

Sometimes I think my job isn't helping me serve any purpose. Does anyone feel that way? How do you move past that? I really want to make a difference in this world, but I feel like refilling copiers and telling students that I know about and apologize for slow computers doesn't make anyone's life any better. Plus, it's getting old. Way old. Should I just suck it up and hope for better days ahead, or is there something to this?