I'm just glad I wore that sweater

After two weeks of enjoying and then not enjoying my free time, I feel like life has picked up and started moving forward again.

Saturday was the first home game for the Crew and it was a nice start to what will hopefully be another good season. It felt so good to be in the seats, feel the energy, hear the cheers, and see some good soccer. I've never been a sports fan, but seeing the games live is a completely different experience. I can't wait for the summer games!

I woke up on Sunday feeling both sick and tired, despite having gone to bed early the night before. I came home from church and fell right back to sleep. I felt fine during yoga class (kicked my butt, and shoulders, and...)but was in bed and asleep by 10:30 last night. I think there is a small army of various viruses going around, so I will gladly give my body all the rest it needs. And I might double up on those vitamins...

Met up with a friend for a delicious breakfast this morning. Fate or coincidence (only time will tell) decided to amuse us. Shortly after having a conversation about a certain current crush, he unexpected walks in and sits down at the table next to us. I'm not good in situations like this. I enjoy the awkwardness too much and just laugh. Luckily, my friend is cool and calming and kept the situation somewhat in check. While my mom gets to hear all of the updates, the online community doesn't need to, so that's the last this will be mentioned on here. Just know: it was so, so weird.

In other fate related news, I got another possible design client today. This one came from a random conversation with someone I randomly talked to after going to church even though I didn't feel good. I didn't talk to anyone else yesterday, just this one girl, and then I got the email today. I'm always amazed when stuff works out like this.

I decided to bank on the good day and nice weather and finally spray painted some things I got the other day. Have to say, they look pretty good. I saw a very similar mirror at Anthropologie today - the difference is that mine was $5 at a thrift store. The paint went right through the paper and I ended up with glossy black hands. After some nail polish remover, things were close to normal. It reminded me of my art class days, waitressing and trying to hide the oil paint that wouldn't come off my hands. I also got some cork squares and will hopefully have a nice inspiration wall soon...

Time to end this rambling mess of an entry. Have a great day!

Hold it right there

A much needed series of enjoyable events have made up for the series of crappy days that started the week.

Last night I got to help out with a photo shoot. Let me re-phrase. I got to help out on a really awesome photo shoot with a great model and two extremely talented photographers, and it pretty much rocked my night. Old factory, cool lighting, great music (Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, to name a few) and everyone in the zone. This is the kind of thing that makes me love my job. I had a great time being a semi-stylist...is there a degree for that?

Rainy days kept me inside more than usual this week. I've officially watched all three seasons of Veronica Mars and am left wondering what to do with my life. To get out of the house/broaden my horizons I've been thrifting. Thrift stores are interesting at about 2:00. A few of the people in my latest stop were a little off. Not bad, but just to the point where I avoided eye contact. One woman was having conversations with herself, questions and answers and all. She liked the pans, but no, she didn't need another pan. Another woman was holding up the line because she had three things and only wanted one of them. They would say, "Do you want this?" and she would say no. Then she would say she did, so they'd ring it up and she would say she didn't want it. We went through about five rounds of this. I was afraid the woman in line in front of me was going to spontaneously combust if we made it to round six.

This weekend marks the first home Crew game of the season. It's supposed to rain, but still supposed to be somewhat warm. I've sat through some horrible weather, and will gladly do it again. The fans, the players, the noise...I am so, so excited!

Have a great weekend!

*UPDATE* Going to be teaching yoga to a group of 3 & 4 year-old kids next week. I want to laugh at the anticipated cuteness.

Keep that chin up

Feeling "blah". Feeling like I'm fighting some kind of seasonal allergy/bug. Ugh. About to meet up for some tea or ice cream, depending on which sounds better in about 30 minutes. For now, enjoy this video. It has definitely made my day:



*UPDATE* Tea + thrifting + good friend + ice cream + another good friend = much improved day. Good friends make all the difference, really. Now, I have a mirror to paint...

Ordinary Riches

Did I really go a week without a post? Apathy of this magnitude should be illegal.

It was a good week. I caught an awesome show by the one and only Rachel Yamagata. She put on a great concert and has an amazing voice. Her fans: not so awesome. One girl got so wasted that she was dancing up on people she didn't know (and the music wasn't really dancing music at the time). Last time she stumbled by me she was complaining that she couldn't see her face. The other group was up front and kept yelling stuff at Rachel (apparently they love her, everyone). Lastly, there was the drunk guy with the oxygen tank who was also muttering loudly. Can you drink while hooked up to oxygen? I figured out a few ways to off him if he didn't get quiet...

Yoga has been going well. I checked out a studio and liked it, so I'm filling out the paperwork to rent it once a week. The woman working with me is so nice and I think it's going to be a really good thing! I subbed my first class this weekend and it went really well. It's strange to teach someone else's students (especially when you are usually beside them), but everyone was great. I talked to quite a few people this weekend and they were all so nice, supportive, and encouraging. I'm a fan of the yoga folk.

I've been applying to jobs all over the place and haven't heard back from a single one. Even rejection letters are better than nothing. So, for now, I guess I'll stay the course and stay in Columbus. I have a good thing while it lasts. I'll be going to my first Crew game of the season this weekend and I'm so excited! The nice weather definitely helps keep the spirits lifted. Speaking of which, I'm going to go out and enjoy the sunshine and all 50 degrees out there.

I've been enjoying this song/video and thought I'd share the joy:

A worthy break

My my, it's been a while.

I went on a short trip, did a lot of yoga, went rollerblading at 2:00 on a Monday, and watched an entire season of a TV show in one weekend. Yes, I am finally taking a break.

My trip "down south" was educational. Even after 24 years of visits, I think the place surprises me more now than it did before. The cultural contrast is almost shocking. Things that I wouldn't even think twice about are alarming and unusual (it was weird that I liked "those things", referring a latte), and it was interesting to listen to the perspectives of people who live, essentially, in such a different world. I got some good quality time with my family and had a nice long drive to transition.

As soon as I pulled up to my apartment, my "check engine" light came on. Talk about timing. Apparently, it isn't a vital problem and my car will be fine, but it was a bit of a wake-up call for me. If something would happen to my car, I'd be in a rough spot. So, I would love to "live the dream", and I will as long as I can, but things like insurance and the ability to provide for myself are important, too. The people who seem to get most excited about my "freedom" are mostly married and have a job, so I question their judgment when they tell me to sell everything and move to Paris. I knew I should have married rich at a young age...

In just two days at least four people have reminded me that life is short. I am trying to convince myself that this isn't some sort of sign of my impending doom, but rather a sign to take care of a few things. We get so lost in adulthood, in cultural norms, duties, and pride that we usually let closed doors stay closed or leave things as they were. Is there someone you need to get back in touch with? Do you need to put a person ahead of your pride? Do you need to take giant leap into the unknown? Or maybe, do you just need to get up out of that chair now and then and stop letting life pass you by? Seriously.

Today is sunny and warm, for a change. I need to make business cards, apply for a few jobs, and work on my website. I might just end up rollerblading on this Tuesday afternoon, too...

On the road again

Today was insanely busy but productive. I fit in two yoga classes and made my Wednesday coffee date (I think we're regulars now). I have a new hair color (black/red - love it!), new oil in my car (the light came on - yikes), and new music (Mirah's new album, after four years). Tomorrow, I am leaving town for a couple of days and quite frankly, I'm really looking forward to it. Everything has been so busy that I haven't taken a break since I was laid off, and that was almost two months ago.

I'm driving down to visit my Grandma tomorrow. She lives in a big house at the end of a short road in southern Ohio. I love visiting her. She always has great stories to tell, but we are fine just hanging out, too. That can be just as nice as talking sometimes. There is a simplicity to my visits, and a slower pace that I really appreciate. I think that there is something to be said for visits that are so familiar and comfortable that a production and parade are not needed, and a night simply spent in the same room is enough.

I will be driving all around the state during the next few weeks and I have decided to take pictures/videos as I go along, finding the best part of each trip. Picture posts are on the way! Oh, and an important part of every roadtrip: the soundtrack. Tomorrow, I will be accompanied by: Mirah, Beirut, Ingrid Michaelson, and TV on the Radio.

Have a great rest of the week!

Get away

I am feeling amazingly well rested on this sunny Monday morning. I actually slept for eight hours (right through my alarm, which never happens!) last night, even thought I took a nap yesterday. I think my body is telling me that it will get the sleep it needs, one way or another.

Yesterday was a really good day. It started out a little rough (20 minutes late for church. Oops), but got better. It was warm and cloudy, with storms threatening to roll in. My curtains were blowing, and the air smelled like rain. I think I only like spring because of all of the rainy days.

I've been looking into vacation spots. I never imagined it would be so hard to pick out a place to go! I'm looking at places both here in the U.S. and overseas, and the prices are really about the same. I would like to note that there is a surprising lack of travel packages for single people. There are tons of weekend romance deals (your champagne will be waiting), girlfriend getaways (you get a basket of chick flicks in the room), and go play golf outings (didn't even read this one), but none for the single person who just wants to get away. It's fairly easy to plan a decent vacation using package travel tips and just making your own combo. I have a feeling that the planning might actually be better than any excursion.

On a final note, I read something this weekend that made me really happy. I'm not really going to talk about politics on here, because there are plenty of people already doing that. I'm not also not going to praise or bash Obama, because that's not really my thing. All that said, I read this weekend that he bought his daughters a swing set for the yard and that the girls "squealed with delight upon seeing it." If you think about it, it's just a swing, a slide, maybe some monkey bars. These girls have a bowling alley and movie theater in their house, and this was still exciting to them. Having grown up with a tree house, rope swing, and pool, I'm happy to hear that kids can still be kids and can still pull themselves away from screens and music now and then. Too bad we often fail at this as adults.

Enjoy your Monday!

It was all a blur

Yikes...two days without writing. Unfortunately, my last entry perfectly illustrates how I've felt the past two days. I feel close to the same today, but I'm fighting through it. I don't know if I'm fighting something off (everyone is sick) or if I'm just tired, but I am out of it.

The warm breeze, open windows, and occasional sunshine have been wonderful. I've even been able to sleep with the windows open for the past two nights. It looks like spring might be close, and I have no complaints.

I'm in an interesting spot with work now. Basically, things have just really slowed down. I am thinking about using the time to do some traveling. I have a few potential places picked out, including some time in a cabin down in Tennessee (for free!). I've had so many people tell me that I should use this time to travel abroad. I can't even begin to say how tempting that is. A little surprise in my bank account just about five minutes ago puts it on the line between tempting and possible. Hmm...

And now, it is 11:40 (or 12:40, thanks to the time change) and music is blaring outside. I just left the gallery hop downtown, which was full of people, art, various kinds of exhaled smoke, lights, and street musicians. I had a really good time and really enjoyed getting lost in the crowd, the conversations, the scarves (yeah hipsters), and the dark. I feel like the last 24 hours have been really good, however tired I may be. There is a new energy in the air, and it has been nice. Now, I'm going to enjoy one more night with the windows open.

Yep

(If you haven't seen Garfield Minus Garfield, I would advise you to do so now.)

Nothing to Worry About

I fell asleep on the couch last night and slept better than I have in weeks. Slept/died, I think. I ended up getting a much needed nine hours. I should have felt amazing, but ended up feeling rushed. I get a little annoyed if the sun is up when I get up because I feel like I've missed some of the best hours of the day.

I had a roommate once who had the most interesting resume I had ever heard of. One summer she tested dish washing soap for a national company. She would read until they called her in, and then she washed dishes with eight different methods using the same soap. She said that she read close to 30 books that summer. The next summer, she was the hostess for a year-round haunted house. She would wear this black dress and lead people on tours through the house using a British accent (which she did impeccably well). Right now she is teaching in Indonesia, sometimes being followed because she apparently looks just like a celebrity over there.

I can't compete with any of those things, but I can say that my next job could be interesting. I'm applying for different things right now and really trying to stay open-minded. I have my whole life to work somewhere solely for the money. Right now, I want a job that I enjoy and/or that allows me to do what I love. It will be interesting to see where I end up. There are some really cool things happening in the yoga department, so some news might be on the way. I love big changes, even bad ones in retrospect, because they usually change things that really needed to change anyway. It's always so interesting to look back and see how it all played out.

There's a new posting over at Caged Creatives - check it out, have fun!

This isn't the official video (worth watching and no, I don't get it either), but this song has helped me through the day. Enjoy!

A good start

Tonight, I am incredibly thankful for a few people in my life. Not only that, I am amazed that they were born, made certain choices, moved all around the world, and still ended up in my life. One of them ended up on the phone with me tonight, telling me something I really needed to hear. I could tear apart the universe and fate trying to understand it all, or I could just say that it's pretty cool and that I'm really happy that we ended up here at the same time. Not bad for a Monday.

I don't think it's a tragedy

My movie marathon continued (and ended) this afternoon with Revolutionary Road. To date, I have seen Coraline, The Wrestler, and Slumdog Millionaire. Every single one has been amazing and I would recommend all of them to certain people. Each one has had a lasting effect, which, in my opinion, is the sign of greatness.

I expected to come out of tonight's movie completely depressed about both the movie and my life (it just seemed like it was going to be one those movies). It was intense, but didn't pull all the punches it could have. It's one of those things that I will to spend a few days with. That said, I am already in thinking mode.

Revolutionary Road was, in short, about the life we plan vs. the actual outcome. I feel pretty happy with my life right now. I think I would even say that I am fairly at peace. I would love to move, to travel, to do new things, but I am not right now. I have these great plans, idealistic places and scenarios, and friends that I have not met yet. Like just about everyone else, I am terrified of a life of mediocrity, unhappiness, disappointment, and boredom. I am afraid of relationships that might fail, betray, or trap me. The thing is, these things catch up with everyone at some point. Everyone gets bored and restless. Everyone disappoints and is disappointed. Relationships change. I think that a lot of us tend to panic, run for safety, or feel slighted by God and the universe. Life happens, and you can't always control it. A variation in plans (or even a really hard time) doesn't mean tragedy, and it doesn't mean the end. Ironically, I find the people most ready to abandon ship are the people with least tragic lives.

The thing is, we don't like being honest, accountable, or out of control. I have hated two of my last three jobs. I hated them more than anything and felt like I was wasting my life. Still, it was easier to be angry and wasting my life than it was to be brave and do something that required work and uncertainty. It was also easier to say that I was being practical than to admit that I was clinging on to things that didn't really make me that happy. We all might complain about our cheap, eggshell white walls, our tiny little cubicles, or our boss that defies all that is right in the world, but they are safe, and we like that. In relationships, it is easier to say that someone has hurt or disappointed me than it is to admit that we've just been smoothing over the cracks for a while, or that I haven't been awesome, either. I am going to let you down. You are going to let me down. It's what we do after that that counts.

I think it would do everyone some good to be honest and take a little blame. It is uncomfortable, not tragic. I think we do ourselves a great disservice by confusing the two.