Sundays in the Hammock

Every time I lounge in this thing, I can't help wondering what took me so freaking long to get one.

See the full gallery on posterous

It is, quite possibly, the best purchase I've ever made. This is a Hammock Bliss Ultralight which I found on Amazon for $30. Best part, they come with instructions for use...

I highly recommend you go out and get one in order take advantage of the last beautiful days of the season. I fully intend to spend every non-rainy Sunday rocking on my porch until the temp drops below 45. I'll take my blankie, some spiked coffee, my phone tuned to La Grosse Radio Reggae (which I also highly recommend) and while away the daylight hours contemplating my windchimes.

Which, of course, is what Sundays should be all about.

Happy Fall. Almost.

Just 1 more day.

 

I Resolve

Well, it’s that time again. Time to indulge in that time-honored tradition of making promises to myself that I will eventually break amid much cursing of my lack of will power. Of course, I have the best of intentions; it’s just that my self-disciplinary muscles are weak and flabby (which puts them in good company). All the more reason to flex them on this yearly occasion.

So, in that spirit, I resolve…

…to slow down and pay more attention. To myself, to my environment, to others. In short, to be more present in my life.
…to spend more time on self-examination and introspection. I am just beginning to understand this person that lives inside my head, but it is a delicate, complex and time-consuming process.
…to listen more. This really overlaps with the other two, but it deserves its own mention. I spend a lot of my life attempting not to hear things, and as a result, I miss out on a lot of good stuff.

And now that I’ve gotten the lofty and intellectual-sounding goals out of the way, I also resolve…

…to actually buckle down and write. Anything. Everything. Blogs, diaries, lists, notes, tweets, poems, short stories, and (gasp! dare I suggest it?) even a novel!
…to eat better and exercise.
…to get rid of all the crap that’s cluttering up my apartment (and my life)!
…to finally get my finances in order.
…to learn to play my guitar, damnit!
…to dance more.
…to laugh more.
…to never take myself too seriously.

Good luck with your own resolutions, and may all your dreams for 2010 come true.

Cupcakes

In an attempt to get into the holiday spirit, I made some cupcakes for my company’s holiday party. Luckily, they are a drinking bunch (I know I’m going to fit right in here), so I made spiked eggnog cupcakes. I found the recipe on Baking Bites, and you can access it here.

I substituted cognac for rum, but you could use bourbon or brandy, or whatever you like to put in your eggnog. These turned out incredibly moist and delicious and were a rousing success at the office. I highly recommend them to anyone attempting to make holiday inroads with a boozy neighbor or in-law.

Happy baking! And happy holidays!

Hopefull

You know, this is all so crazy, it just might work.

The computer is gone. Kaput. An incredibly expensive paperweight. And I lost a lot of personal data that was very dear to me. But... I'm not as broken up about it as I thought I'd be. Perhaps (just perhaps) it's time I learn to let go. Attatchments are the cause of suffering, isn't that what they say? (How very zen of me...)

Anyway, I have the new phone which allows me to do everything I need. And I have my awesome job, so I'll be able to afford a new computer eventually (and I no longer need to look for work--hurrah!).

And, you know, I'm happy here. I'm getting my place fixed up, learning to budget my time and money, and figuring out what's really important in my life.

Life is good.

Good Day

I love my new job. It's so nice to work somewhere normal again. I have normal hours, normal pay, heck, even normal coworkers. I had forgotten how awesome normal is. I'm still amazed at what a simple joy it is to come in, make myself a cup of tea, then sit at my desk (my desk) and go through my emails amid the gentle chatter of my arriving coworkers and the occasional quiet snuffling of the owner's dachshund.

Such a great day today. Even with my predecessor off to the maternity ward sooner than expected, and some fun, technical difficulties that took half the day to fix, working there is still heaven. And on my way home, I explored one of the Middle Eastern bakeries along Mt. Auburn called Sevan.

I bought falafel and hummus, dates, pistachios and jordan almonds. I even tried one of their dolmas, which the man behind the counter was kind enough to heat up for me; heaven! I can't wait to go back and try their baclava and buy some tubs of olives. Mmm, and so many varieties of Turkish delight! Yum.

And now, I'm home. The wind and rain beats against my windows while I enjoy my hummus and watch an old movie. I'll head to bed in a bit, get a good night's sleep, and do it all over again.

I can't remember the last time I was so happy with the everyday.

Fed Up

I am FED UP with my job. Fed up! (Can I say that a few more times?) I disliked it from day one, but I needed to eat, and move out, and pretend to be a contributing member of society, so it served a purpose. But now, now I just can't stand it anymore.

It was one thing when I thought I might get the assistant manager position that my best friend left behind when he left, but that carrot (indeed, the very position) has evaporated like so much morning mist (not to mix metaphors or anything...). And now it's been put to me that I might someday get the supervisory position which could replace it at some magical point in the future.

Which would not be so bad if, A) I believed this position would materialize some time this century, and B) that didn't mean I have to keep doing the work of the supervisors and managers at my current peon's pay in order to get it if it does.

I'm sorry, no. I'm done. I have to get the hell out of there.

Now.

Yesterday.

Anybody need an incredibly talented, efficient, charismatic, professional admin assistant? 'Cause I'm available.