Domination in an Evening

I've had back to back to back of really awful work days. Outside of my co-workers who know what is going on, I haven't really been able to talk to anyone about it. Well it is catching up with me. Monday night I baked brownies in an attempt to BTC ( bake to cope). Last night I watched 1.5 hours of mind numbing trash tv ( whoo teen mom finale!). Then tonight....we cleaned. When I clean past the normal wipe, dust, vacuum, pick-up, you know I am in a bad place. Mentally it makes me feel like I have control over at least the task at hand. Well tonight....I dominated.

Tonight I have:

• finished and cleaned up after an art project ( this may be the first art project I have completed in years!)
• Did my laundry
• Changed the sheets on my bed
• Vacuumed
• Picked up the main room
• Sorted through old magazines
• Organized all my paperwork for things I need to take care of
• Laid out my lunch for tomorrow

AND! When I was doing my laundry there was a pile of things someone was getting rid of and there was a little organizer. I hauled it up to my apartment and organized the space under my sink. It went from a dreaded niche of my apartment to organized and pulled together.

The pull out drawer is perfect to store all the things I need periodically.

I also had another IKEA storage bar that I bought months ago to try to reclaim 8 inches of precious counter space. Well BAM! Finally hung and reclaimed counter space is mine!

I'm feeling pretty good about the evening. I also feel a bit better. That control...never fails.

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Love It.

1) Siggi's Icelandic style Skyr (aka really yummy yogurt)

2) Nutella

When do I not love Nutella? Well, never. But this mini one came in a FREE snack pack I got on the plane last week. So good!

3) The latest photo of my niece.

Adorbs and I know you all secretly wish she was your niece. Back off. I saw her first.

4) Thinking about winter as the weather starts to get a bit nicer in DC and when I will get to use these:

Thanks again Mom & Dad for my birthday present!


5) These new loves. I love me some Toms, but my Saltwaters have a very special place in my heart

My Thoughts, Feelings and Lack Thereof.

It started awhile back. Noticing that my friends couldn't spend time together without everyone having a phone in their hands or on the table. Every subject of conversation was not complete without someone using their phone to look something up, show an email,  or finding a youtube video we were talking about. It started making me frustrated. In response, I started correcting my own behaviors: my phone remains in my purse when with friends at dinner, trying to call people more than tweet, text, email, facebook them, and generally just making sure my "social media life" isn't impacting the people that were tangibly right in front of me.

I feel like I do a good job being present and engaged when I am with people. Most of the time. I will be the first to admit I have days where I can't get off facebook, or evenings where I am texting, emailing away and my presence is half-assed. However, I have made an effort. I have recognized that the never ending stream of information about people, their lives, news, worthless crap could go on all day, and yet what really matters to me is spending quality, focused, and intentional time with the people who deserve all of me.

Even on phone calls, I am trying to be more focused. Giving the person on the other end, intentional (albeit sometimes brief), meaningful conversation. In-person, I strive to make sure I don't  make someone feel the way I feel when someone is choosing to pay more attention to the things happening on their phone than me.

We obviously live in a world where technology drives much of our lives, but I want my relationships back. I want to also feel like I am not asking too much of people to put away their phones and to have intentional, dedicated time with me. I'm tired of feeling like I am asking too much for phones, and computers to be put away. I am also tired of feeling like I have lost the ability to have a life outside of these "social" tools. I want to feel happy, invigorated, challenged, and connected after I spend time with someone or give someone a call. I want to take back control of having meaningful conversations that actually mean something, that contribut to my life, and made me think. Right now, I feel so stressed about not being funny enough, or engaging enough to deserve some one's full attention. And that. Is. Just. Sad.

Jenni's post today over at Story of My Life spoke to me with words I had been miserably failing to utter. I am glad she said something. I am glad I am saying something now. I want to join her in taking the effort to make my time "more intentional". I hope that you will all hold me accountable. Tell me to stop texting you and to call. Tell me that gchat is not an acceptable form of communication for speaking with your best friends (at least as the ONLY form of communication). Ask me why you've seen 11 tweets in 10 minutes. Tell me to put my phone away, or to go home if I have more important things to do. And tell me that it is ok for me to feel like I deserve the same from others.

Getting Our Bob Ross On

A sad time is nearing and I am getting weepy just thinking about it. One of my closest friends I have had since starting my adventures (and we even go back before that) has made a massive success of herself and is headed off to get a fancy schmancy P to the Hd. While I a, thrilled for Erin, I am undoubtedly sad and will miss her a ton. To celebrate her last day at work and her upcoming transition to studenthood, we relieved one of my favorite DC memories and utilized a coupon to take a 2 hour painting class ( complete with the needed inspirational glass of wine). We expanded the date and I finally got A and E to meet.

We started the evening grabbing some drinks at JPaul's in Georgetown and then stuttered around trying to find the location of the class, which was less than obvious.

The class was smaller. Around 15 people and we lucked out by getting to sit all in a row with a great ledge to set out or spread of cheese and grapes. Not even 10 minutes into the class we were already laughing and chowing down on the cheese plate.

We were attempting to paint an "abstract" that we later learned was a sunsetty skyline, a body of water and some creative looking rocks that looked like poop at first attempt.

Our instructions were a la Bob Ross-esque, but replace "some happy little trees" with " we are just going to tap that" (yes. We died laughing. So did the poor schmuck that got dragged to the class with his over-controlling and self-loathing girlfriend. We then couldn't keep it together and with each " tap that" we became even more like 6th graders.)

Soon our masterpieces started taking shape and we put on our serious Bob Ross faces.

Then the aggressive "taping" started as we developed our sky.

Then came the rocks. Now if you are saying " the look easy"- guess again. Some looked like little poos, I had one end up looking like a dead Phoenix, rather than the rocky mass I was going for.

After some fine tuning things started really coming together.

In all seriousness I was crazy impressed with our work! As a set, they look pretty awesome together!

It was a great night and another memory I will put in my favorites!

 

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Weekending and Hometowns

Finally. Saturday! Hurrah! I am headed out the door so this will be quick but wanted to get a little something down before I start my day.

I shouldn't even be complaining about this week! My boss has been on vacation this entire week (and next) so my to-do list, while long, has at least be something that I can shorten rather than just add to like most weeks.

Yesterday I got some fantastic news. Probably not ready to put that here yet....this is a public forum ;) but I was pretty excited and hoping that things just keep falling into place on this!

The SO is back today from a week of travel, which is nice. I don't know about everyone else that has SOs that travel a lot, but it gives me anxiety. If I don't hear from him I start thinking I should call every hospital in the area, or place a report for a missing person! Granted he is fine, but it can be a lot of travel and well I worry.

I hung out with some friends and past co-workers I hadn't seen in awhile which was a pleasant surprise ending to the week.

This upcoming week I am headed on a trip that I have been eagerly waiting to take for awhile now. Both the SO and I live pretty far away from where we grew up and it can be pretty challenging for all of those "normal" relationship milestones to happen. Like meeting the family, seeing hometowns (sounds like the Bachelorette over here!), going places you went as a child that are important to you, etc.. Well finally we are going to check off a visit to one of our hometowns this week. I am pretty excited to see where he grew up, as I know Boise explains a lot about me, so I am sure this will be equally as enlightening as whenever we get him to Boise/Sun Valley.

I've got some errands planned, some cleaning I need to do and a few other items I need to take care of before Friday.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and get some relaxation in amongst busy schedules!