Optimist Under Siege

If you work at home, and even if you don’t, it’s pretty safe to say that you have at one time or another been victim to (*dum dum dum*- scary music) Mental Tangents. You get some kind of idea in your head and you just can’t seem to drop it, even though the more rational part of you knows you should have given it up hours ago.

Case in point. Last night I came to the realization that this weekend is labor day weekend and hey, wouldn’t it be nice to go somewhere relaxing? So this morning I stumbled out of bed and headed straight to my computer (without passing Go, collecting $200, or brushing my teeth). I was determined to find a relaxing, low-key vacation house/hotel/motel/inn/whatever that didn’t cost too much, was easy to get to, and wasn’t already all booked up. At this point, I’m sure some of you are already rolling your eyes at me because of the outrageous criteria I set for myself (low cost and not booked already? yeah, right).

But remember, this is a mental tangent, and once you find yourself caught up in one, it’s not always easy to have a clear perspective and nearly impossible to tear yourself away.

So I spent, well, let’s just say a significant portion of what might have otherwise been a very productive morning surfing random spam-filled last minute vacation sites to find just what I was looking for.

Surprise news flash: I was unsuccessful! At some point I forced myself to get up, brush my teeth, pack up my laptop, and LEAVE THE HOUSE, thereby physically leaving my mental tangent behind me.

And here I am at Starbucks trying to make up for lost time. Like Aesop’s fables, let this be a lesson to you. Be wary of those mental tangents! They’re always out there just waiting to suck your time away!

I’m finally getting around to doing the preliminary set up of my new “holly and eric” site. As I’ve previously mentioned, the purpose of the site is to create an organized social hub in the Boston area that allows people to get together to do fun things and meet new people (but especially us!).

It’s basically supposed to be a cure for the post-college, post-grad-school, no kids, young professional problem of not being able to keep meeting new people and making new friends. I, of course, love all my old friends, but it’s fun and interesting to incorporate new people as well.

But where are you supposed to make new friends outside of a school context and with no kids? In a bar? At the supermarket? Now I know that a lot of people enjoy hanging out with their coworkers, but what if you end up in an office where everyone else is 20 years older or younger than you? And hey, let us not forget those of us who WORK AT HOME!! What are we supposed to do?

So I’m making a website. I should have something minimally functional by the end of the day (and will link to it once I do). I’m trying something a bit different (and potentially disastrous) on the website design for it. My plan is basically that of trial and error. I’m going to keep moving elements around and adjusting borders and colors and things until I like it. It probably won’t win any design awards this way, but we’ll see. I’m sure everyone will be waiting with bated breath (I don’t know why, but I just love that expression!) to see how it turns out. Stay tuned!

I’m excited, but also a little bit apprehensive about our upcoming Boundary Waters canoe trip (coming in early September). The Boundary Waters, for those who don’t know, are a series of lakes in northern Minnesota (and into Canada) where you can go and canoe/portage your way as far as you’d like. My husband and I are taking a 7 night canoe trip.

Now, the trip itself is fairly easy on the planning side. The canoe outfitter we booked with provides nearly everything we need: canoe, paddles, life jackets, food, tents, even toilet paper (I think…I hope!). So that’s not the intimidating part.

What’s a little bit scary is the idea of being out in the woods for seven days with no phone/internet contact (oh come on, I live on the computer…it’s like eating and breathing!), no other people besides the two of us (hey…romance is nice and all, but once romance wilts, next comes domestic violence!), although there may be plenty of bears and snakes to keep us company (oh goody!). Then, there’s the 7 days of built up sunscreen, perhaps bug spray, and sweat with no shower (ewww). And, at the risk of sounding like a stuck up member of the tv/internet/video games/constant electronic entertainment generation, I’m a little afraid we may get bored at some point.

I like going backpacking, but I’ve only ever gone on 2-3 day trips with a nice hot shower at the end.

That being said, I AM excited about it. I AM glad we’re going. And I DO think we will ultimately have a fabulous time. Doubts, I cast you out! (This post makes me seem way more girly and high maintenance than I really am…No, really!)

As a Friday at the end of a long week where I was doing some freelance work all week (and therefore didn’t have much time to work on my own stuff!), it seemed only fitting to take this opportunity to reorient and compose a semi-longterm To-Do List to get back on track and remember my priorities. So here’s my first attempt.

• Add more interesting and user friendly features to the cheese site.
• Make the cheese site generally more user-friendly.
• Eventually redesign the cheese site (as my web design skills get better and better over time).
• Continue to learn and be inspired by all the great other blogs out there I’ve found to follow. Cheers to you all!
• Learn to do all sorts of crazy, wacky yoga poses (tying my body in knots, balancing on one finger…you know what I mean!).
• Continue smiling through my mom’s repeated requests for grandchildren!
• Work on publicizing my super awesome maid of honor site (I wish I had found something like it when I was a maid of honor and bridesmaid!).
• Take a cooking class to help me learn to be a better cook (not a gourmet cook, but at least an adequate cook!).
• Develop my web design skills because designing websites is something I really enjoy doing (more than other things).
• Make an effort to plan more social events (for both myself and my husband). It’s all about connecting with people, right?
• Develop and grow my new “Holly and Eric” social connection website (which I’m still not going to link to because it’s not worth visiting yet!). Ultimately become a social hub in Boston.
• Develop and expand my husband’s tolerance for or (hopefully) love of watching movies (I mean, seriously…who doesn’t like watching movies?!).
• Work hard during the day and still try to cook dinner regularly.
• Stay up with SEO as it changes and improves upon itself.

Well, there are quite a few more, but here’s a start anyway. I really mean it about that yoga thing. Just wait…one of these days I’ll be the queen of yoga. Oh yeah!

This past Saturday night I once again proved to myself that I am in fact not getting old and boring! Not that anyone would ever have suspected that, of course! I’m wild; I’m crazy!

On Saturday night, I got dressed up in a sexy dress, went out dancing late into the evening, late enough and furiously enough that I even indulged in a late night slice of pizza at a local place that stays open for just that purpose (and OH, was it amazingly delicious under the circumstances!). I slept in nice and late and even had a mild hangover to show for it all (which normally I wouldn’t consider a good thing, but it was evidence!). I completed this lovely sequence of events with a fabulous carbohydrate-packed breakfast of french toast and strawberries at a local restaurant.

That’s right, world, look out, I’m still around and I am awesome! Oh yeah! Old, married, and boring…NO WAY!

Okay, my bad…I know I haven’t posted in a while, but I’ve been preoccupied in a positive way. So while I’m sure I’ve been missed (ah yes, the epitome of humble), it’s all been for the good.

And what has been preoccupying me so much? Well, since no one likes to read a twenty page blog entry, let me summarize. In a nutshell, I’m doing sort of a life and career revamp. On the life side, I’m really reflecting on what I (and my husband as well) enjoy and want out of life. I’m not necessarily trying to figure out what we want our life to be like in 20 years. It’s more of a matter of what makes our lives better right now.

So I’m cooking more often (or trying to) and making healthier meals (while trying to accommodate my husband’s environmentally based desire to eat less meat). I’m booking theater tickets, organizing dinners with friends and continuing to push myself for more flexibility, strength and balance in several classes per week of yoga (and may try a martial art too…we’ll see. My husband really wants me to become his personal ninja bodyguard. Again, we’ll see!). Recently, we’ve gone snowboarding, did a puzzle (which I hadn’t done in years!) and toured a chocolate factory. Hey, why not? It’s all interesting, thought-provoking and fun.

On the career side, I’m working toward a similar transformation. This in and of itself could take up a lot of space with explanations, reasons, thought processes and goals. Again, in a nutshell, let me just say that I’m learning to be a career counselor, something that I think I’ll be amazingly good at and which is already bringing me great joy and satisfaction (and giving me the energy to do all the life enriching activities I mentioned above). I’m doing an internship to get some practical experience at a university, reading every book I can get my hands on, talking to people in the field as often as I can and even offering my services for free to get practice and experience (hey, if anyone needs help with figuring out what they want to do, job search strategies, resumes and cover letters, interview practice, self-assessment, I’m your woman!).

The moral of the story is: Things are good. They’re good and it feels great. It’s not like anything huge has changed in our daily lives, not outwardly at least. And yet it has. This post, as I reread it, seems a bit too preachy and is implying more of a sense of finality and of having found the perfect solution than I had intended. I understand that everything is a work in progress and in order to keep things going requires work and diligence. But for now, life is good! And I hope it’s good for you too!