Sunday, May 20, 2012

Still Waiting for the Silver Lining & Pinterest

So I'm waiting for it to get better... It's not. It seems like every other day it's something new. Like getting a huge cell phone bill because somehow I suddenly started going over my minutes when that has never happened to me before. Ever. Also, breaking my cell phone face for THE SECOND time in a one month period after paying $100 to get it fixed. This was before I realized my truck was going to break down and was going to need a $1,400 repair and that I would have to rent a car for a week. Awesomeness.


So where is that silver lining? I started off by trying to unclutter my life so I can unclutter my brain. I just started last Sunday and barely put a dent in it but today that is my grand plan. I need to and want to unclutter my living space so I can breathe again.

To help me with my vision or goals I created a new vision board on Pinterest. If you haven't explored yet another brain child of some brilliant minds you should. I am enamored of this site.

I started out by creating a page of my favorite Anne Taintor designs for practice. Then I thought of a really good way that I could use Pinterest, which is probably one of the most common uses for it. I created a page of great Mexican kitchen design ideas. I just snowballed from there creating all kinds of pages. I have 15 boards now. My favorite is my vision board where I posted all the things I should be doing. It's a great reminder of my goals and to keep them in front of me.

I'll tell you what the top 10 or 12 pins on my vision board represent. (There are 61 pins in all.) The only thing Pinterest hasn't figured out yet (or so they say in their FAQ) is how to move the pins around on your board.

So listed first is that famous picture of the sailor kissing the nurse. This simply represents passion in its various forms, not just romantic passion. Second I have a really cool Nike ad about how you don't get a body like that by just complaining or wishing for it, but by working for it.  The little gold bag with money is so cute but represents how I need to budget my life and make more money. The little salmon heart is about eating right and eating the super foods. Then there are the Heights houses that are example of how I envision my house to look once I can remodel it. I included a closet with some great compartments to organize all the junk. I need that. I have a New York best-seller list because I believe that one day I will be on that list. And I can't get on that list if I don't edit my present novel and start working on my second novel that is sure to be the best-seller. So there's a picture of some writing being edited. When I'm on that best seller list and I start to make money from my writing I am going to buy the four door Porshe Panamera. Yes, it's there too.  There is a woman laughing because I want to laugh like this and I want to be happy. Luke and Leia represent my kids because they are a boy and a girl and they are close, although mine aren't twins, as my son pointed out. But they love Star Wars and I see them loving each other like Luke and Leia love each other. I also have a necklace that says pray to represent spiritual things and of course prayer.  That's just the first page.

I posted on FB & Twitter that I was in love with my own Pinterest vision board. I love it so much I printed it out and posted it up in my cube at work so I can look at it every day. I brought a copy home too. I think I'm just in love with Pinterest in general.

A Facebook/Twiter friend posted this interesting article today-The New American Mom: Tech-Savvy & Online. I thought it was great that I actually saw her Pin it and not FB or Twitter it. She probably did that too, but it was through Pinterest that I saw it. Thus the study. I love Pinterest!

Sunday, May 06, 2012

When it Rains it Pours! Especially for me...

The week started on Monday with a super early meeting/half day training and then a late in the day meeting too. I still wasn't feeling well and could not shake my cold/allergies. (Thank goodness it's gone now!)

Image from flickriver.com

The busy schedule continued Tuesday and Wednesday at work getting things done and trying to balance it all. Thursday was especially challenging because I had work in the morning, I had to take the kids to the dentist, and then I was attending a UH event that night.

As I was leaving the kids' school, after picking them up to go to the dentist, I tripped coming off the sidewalk and was catapulted into the air. Literally! I flew like Superman in my short black dress on to the cement driveway of the school, and landed straight down on my stomach. My lovely daughter came to me and first pulled my dress down so I wouldn't continue flashing the children on the playground, and then helped me up. I was in pain but I was able to get up and move. My right knee and elbow scraped and my right arm sore. I definitely hit harder on my right side. Both my hands were slightly skinned. Such a typical ME! But as my bff has pointed out, I'm getting older and I can't keep falling that way.

Despite the fall I made it to the dentist in time with the children and then turned back around to drop them off with my niece so she could watch them while I went to the UH selling program's graduation. Their dad was picking them up after work and keeping them for the evening.

By the time Friday came around I was tired and sore from my fall. I had a very early meeting at UH and as I hurried to get there on time I got a warning on my SUV dashboard that my transmission was going out, something that I've suspected for a while now. I quickly exited to downtown and parked it in our garage. I would much rather do that than break down on the back streets of UH.

I still had a luncheon I had to attend for work but thank goodness my editor was going to that too. I caught a ride with her and when I got back I started on my adventure of picking up the kids, taking my SUV to the shop, getting a ride back to my sister's house from my other sister, and borrowing my niece's car. (she is out of town)

The trick with that car was that she had a flat recently and needed a new tire. I considered that buying her a tire and filling up her tank was way cheaper than renting a car, which I may still have to do next week, depending on when my car is going to be done. So that's what I did. I feel like it was very appropriate that I ended the day with two margaritas. I earned them.

I hate to imagine what it's going to cost me to fix that piece of crap SUV. I am really considering taking it to trade it in this time. I can't afford to keep fixing that clunker if all it's going to do is keep breaking down every few years. Ugh!

Then today I had to wake up early to take Miranda to her Open House for her new middle school. I decided to be good and to go to the gym since I was already out and about and practically down the street. That is all I did in the way of being productive today.

It's like some drug came upon my body, or maybe it was fatigue from the whole week, and I passed out and slept for five hours straight!! It was insane. I have never done anything like that before. It was very weird but it told me I must have been very tired. Unfortunately I also feel like I slept through the weekend. I know I still have tomorrow but it's not the same as a Saturday. I just hope that the sleep really was needed and that it means that my body has recuperated and I'm ready for a great week.

Good things are around the corner!! I keep telling myself that and I know that it has to be true.