blogtember

In my efforts to be more productive, I figure I can at least do something more worthwhile with the time I spend online.... Writing (even on a blog) does require myelinating a few neurons, so I'm going to hop on this Blogtember that this cute girl at Story of My Life is facilitating.

She made it realistic... No weekends and start after Labor Day.

Here are her rules:

1. There really aren't any rules. If you miss a day, you can make it up or skip it. The blog police will not come knocking.

2. I will be including a linkup option at the bottom of my post each day, so you are welcome to leave your links here for others to peruse, as well. 

3. You can still post other things every day, too. I plan to do normal outfit posts, life posts, around-Austin posts, and sponsor posts just like usual.

4. I'd seriously love you if you also include the "Blogtember" button (below) either on your sidebar or at the end of your posts, but again, the blog police will not come knocking. My main goal here is to get us all back to the basics of blogging, not to gain a million new readers (though I wouldn't mind that). 

5. Here are the topics. You can be as creative and awesome or as boring and bland as you like with these. Take 'em and run with it. Use creative post titles. Interpret each "prompt" however you like. There's no wrong way to do it. Have fun.

Tuesday, Sept. 3: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

Wednesday, September 4: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do? (bonus points for fun photos from Pinterest, but don't forget to cite the source!)

Thursday, September 5: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered. 

Friday, September 6: A story about a time you were very afraid.

Monday, September 9: Take this short personality test and respond to your results. (at the end, find the detailed profile of your personality account - click "click to view" under "You" and "self awareness and personal growth." You can even google your type and find more info on it!)

Tuesday, September 10: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

Wednesday, September 11: Share links to your favorite online shops, preferably with a few photos of your favorite items in each shop.

Thursday, September 12: Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

Friday, September 13: A self portrait

Monday, September 16: Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.)

Tuesday, September 17: A memory you would love to relive.

Wednesday, September 18: Only photos

Thursday, September 19: Creative writing day: write a (very short) fictional story that starts with this sentence: "To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century."

The story does not necessarily need to have a conclusion - you can leave your readers wishing for more!

Friday, September 20: React to this term: comfort. 

Monday, September 23: A "life lately" post. What you're up to, how you're feeling, how you're doing on your goals, etc. Bonus points for great photos!

Tuesday, September 24: Review a book, place, or product.

Wednesday, September 25: Write about a time you screwed up - a mistake you made. 

Thursday, September 26: Go to a coffee shop. Order a favorite drink. Write about what makes you happy and what makes you sad. Or write about anything you'd like! Bonus points for including a photo from the coffee shop. (I recommend downloadingOmmwriter and bringing headphones along!) *if you can't make it to a coffee shop, at least leave your usual space and write someplace new.

Friday, September 27: An anonymous letter to your Facebook friends. Be as snarky as you'd like. (but don't include people's real names.) 

Monday, September 30: Share a photo of something old. Maybe something that has personal history for you, that was passed down to you, and that has special meaning to you. Tell us about it and why it's special.

as close as i get to self-pity

It is true you know, the whole "the grass isn't always greener" thing.

I listened to my sister and her beautiful friend discuss their "somedays." How once the kids are grown, they'll get to do all of those things that they're putting off for now to be amazing mothers.  And it made me think....

True to my "ordinary" nature, I don't  dream big, I dont have adventurous goals and I waste a whole lot of time. I'm living in their "someday." I have the time, the resources, the connections, the space, and the ability. I could write a book or run marathons or learn a language or work with illiterate adults. I could play an instrument or create art or get a PhD or rescue stray animals.

Yet I check Pinterest for projects I'll never start and recipes I'll never make.

I watch TV shows that I don't really even like.

I read books that that have an interesting cover and compelling jacket story.

I go to happy hour to kill time.

I look at Facebook and see pictures of children on their first day of school and wonder if "someday" I'll sit through the nervous anticipation of hearing how the day went.

I think we all wonder sometimes what it would be like to be on the other side of where we are.  Or is that just me?

speaking of...

I'm glad that Jessica, Melanie (link withheld since she wants to be more anonymous) and Amy started blogging again.  It inspires me to do a few posts of my own.  And Darci at The Good Life blog makes it very easy for me by doing the Five on Friday.

Any five things that are on my mind, that I'm loving, etc. Easy enough.

1.  Blue Diamond Habanero BBQ almonds.  I'm pretty sure I'm addicted.

2.  Speaking of addicted....I actually have a list of future posts that I want to write.... one of which includes my near brush with pain pill addiction.  Others include roommate chronicles, USA bucket list and "how we met" since I've had so much fun reading other peoples.

3.  Speaking of blogging more often... sometimes I feel like posting but I hate blogging on the iPad.  It should not be that difficult to insert pictures.  The trouble is that I would have to get up and go to the other couch to get the PC.  That goes beyond #firstworldproblems.  That is straight up lazy privileged snob.

4.  Speaking of being a lazy, privileged snob...I realized the other day when I left the grocery store that I had just grabbed $50 of things I neither needed nor really wanted.  I am wondering who I am to deserve to be able to just buy stuff on a whim. I think I might be having a reverse mid-life crisis.  Instead of wanting to get a tummy tuck and a fancy car, I just want to give everything away.

5.  Speaking of giving things away.... we almost adopted another weenie dog, Rose.  Somebody gave her away/ surrendered her to a vet.  Larry met her on his own and said she was very good and very cute.  So we took Blossom the next morning to do a meet and greet.  On the way, we accidentally took a wrong turn, so it took us about 10 minutes longer to get there than it should have.  As we were driving in, another car was driving out.  Turns out that Rose was in that car and they took her home.  Blossom seemed relieved.  :)

ordinary

My sister started a blog, which prompted me to post again.  I have to remind myself that sometimes you just write when you have something to say - even if it isn't much of anything at all!  It is the little memories that I'll look back at and smile upon.

Which brings me to this post....

Last summer, I attended a work dinner/focus group.  We had to go around the room and introduce ourselves and say something interesting about ourselves.  So one by one, people say things like:

"I went scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands!"
"I am an Elvis fanatic and have one room in my house devoted to him!"
"I was in a commercial when I was 8 years old!"
"I play the accordian!"
"I am a triplet!"
"I raise show cats!"

As I wait for my turn, I'm racking my brain and trying to think of something interesting about myself.  When it was my turn, I said, "The most interesting about me is that I am fantastically un-interesting."  I decided at that point that I was either going to get a hobby or at least make up something to share the next time I was in this situation.

Fast forward a year....  this week, we had a small meeting at work.  We had to partner up and interview each other so that we could introduce each other to the rest of the group.  And once again, I had absolutely nothing to say.  I chatted with my partner (who happened to be my former boss) until it was time to introduce each other.  At that point I felt bad because I knew I hadn't given her much to work with.  The introductions began:

"She just retired from 40 years in education!"
"She just returned from a 3 week safari in Africa!"
"She won a 24 hour dance-off when she was in high school!"
"She speaks 3 languages!"

When it was my turn, my partner graciously introduced me by saying:

"This is Rachel and she takes pleasure in the ordinary."

And it was perfect.   And true. Maybe that is the most interesting thing about me - I embrace the ordinary.  I'm okay with that.

But I'm still going to get a hobby.