New thing in May = achey muscles!

I did my first boot camp session last night, and completed it! I had no idea that I had that in me. The thought of even just running around a track? NAH, not me – I get winded running for the bus! In fact, I spent the hour before worrying and fretting, and, honestly? having a little tantrum. Never having done it before, I was pretty afraid of what my body might do (or not do) to me.

But I did it, with the support and encouragement of the others (we all have our strengths and weaknesses – really! I’m not the only one who sstruggles!) and a great instructor. He kicked ass AND was super encouraging and supportive.

With the same trainer I’ve also started a weekly workout in the gym which is a beginner routine, achievable, but challenging. I like it. I even like these achey muscle… they’re kinda like a badge of honour. Yes, it takes me an extra few seconds to sit down and get up today… you know why?? ’cause I did something I never thought I could – I did Boot Camp! :)

better than bright copper kettles…

I think one of my favorite things about GTD so far is the way it makes the seemingly endless list of “open loops” or ‘thingz that needs doing’ into a quantifiable list, with a beginning, middle, and end. It’s like a short story. Well, really, a long story. But one that’s finite.

I like that feeling.

I think it’s called hope.

Head #70 May 26, 2008

Head #70 May 26, 2008, originally uploaded by textrix.

coquettish new haircut
self-portrait, continuous line drawing

Head #69 May 26, 2008

Head #69 May 26, 2008, originally uploaded by textrix.

getting the pen in shape.
self-portrait, continuous line drawing

Head #68 May 26, 2008

Head #68 May 26, 2008, originally uploaded by textrix.

it’s been a while, and the pen is rusty (well, it’s green, so patina’d might be more apt description) and there goes that devil of a nose again. Keeps running away from me…
ha. ha. ha.

VIDFEST – freaking out about the talent

Jen is Freaking out about the speakers @Vidfest this week in Van!! From WIRED, dooce, Fray, mightygirl, and Eric McLuhan. oh to have more $ & time. Such a fangirl.

Yes, that is my Facebook status right now. for some reason, VIDFEST completely missed my radar until just this afternoon. I had heard about it, but I must of totally dorked out (or rather ungeeked out?), and assumed that the VID portion of VIDFEST referred to VIDeo. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s just not my bag, baby. But… Vancouver International Digital FESTival ?!?! Yes, PLEASE!

Now I’m racking (wracking? it so seems like there should be a “w” in that) my brain to figure out how I can take time off work (slightly easier part of the equation) and afford (the scary part of the equation) to get my ass down to Granville Island on Friday to soak in the creative-geek pool for the day. (excuse me a minute, must do a Homer Simpson drool sound…)

check it out. http://2008.vidfest.com/go/program/sessions/

I’ll let you know if I get to dip my toe in…

New Things in May – just post – no editing – ACK!

My new thing yesterday – or well, since I’m posting today, it counts for today too, says me, is a blog entry I very quickly jotted down in an email to myself while ruminating on some stuff at work. And just to poke a stick at my inner-editrix [don't even ask about how I edited my first ever love-note at age 13 and gave it back to the boy. yes, true story. and I used red pen. gawd.] I’m just posting it as is….

I’ve always worked in small business. Even when I worked for a larger
company (a whopping 50 employees!), it was out on sites for events, and we
were in small teams of 3 – 10. Less chance from troublemaking – but little
did they know… :P

Now that I’m working developing systems for a small business, the systems
and procedures for a large corporation are increasingly alluring… I would
love to always know: when I (or my other 3 colleagues) have A, one must do
B, and C and F with it. With this whole small business thing, I’m having a
hard time remembering, even when I made up the systems!! Is it because I
have A, G, 8, and ^ in my hand at the same time, or just that there is too
much for a single person to learn the stuff by rote.

How does one apply the principles of franchises to a small business
successfully? And is that really the best way?

Payin’ for the pleasure…

This past weekend, May 3 & 4, my new things were ALL ABOUT ME!! yippee, fun, fun, fun. la, la, la…. A fabulous shopping day and new haircut and colour in the salon, all to get ready for a wedding next weekend (not mine!). It was a luxuriously pampering-filled weekend. (well, also a sit on ass, drink beer, and watch copious amounts of CSI weekend, which is a kind of pampering in its own right. but with lots of dead bodies.)

I had a plan to write up a post all ’bout my experiences with all shopping and pampering stuff. I’m not normally a girlie-girl. Shopping and visits to the salon are not regular fare for me. There were a few revelations, and I enjoyed them, for many reasons. ONLY… my new thing today has overshadowed the joy and lah-di-dahs.

Tonight I worked out my personal budget. [cue oboe]

(Much like using the word diet to describe the eating habits of the three-toed sloth rather than its elaborate plan to fit into new jeans this bikini season, this budget is a record of what was actually spend and brought in during the course of one month.)

Sobering is not just for the day after beer anymore…
I’ve heard from a number of friends about “‘Til Debt Do Us Part” and I checked out a couple of episodes online, and http://www.gailvazoxlade.com, the host’s website. I love that she says “Frikkin right!” and gives the uber-fab tough love, combined with knowledge and caring support in the face of this emotionally charged subject. The site has lots of great tools for clearly figuring out exactly where you stand. (ooh! that was a pun – totally not intended, but always welcome.)

I’m looking forward to tackling my own financial issues this weekend, and getting things in order.

And, of course, showing off last weekend’s new hair and dress!

May 2nd – day two proves barren, then fruitful!

Friday, the day of the week that is so close to the relaxation of the weekend, but still so attached to the work-a-day week. The day where one might, hypothetically, wake up at exactly the time one is supposed to leave for work, scramble frantically to get everything done for the multitude of deadlines, spend spend an hour constructing a beautiful custom built cardboard box, then find out at the end of the day that the office supply store doesn’t carry the printer toner needed for the big presentation on Monday. You know, if one could imagine such a day.

So after all this, I’m supposed to figure out something new to do today? For my DAY TWO of Thirty One Flavours? Day Two and already I’m out? I was feeling pretty skeptical as the clock kept ticking towards a 12 hour day. “I gotta get this done, otherwise I’ll be here Saturday AND Sunday, and then my weekend will be toast.” And I did stay the whole 12 hours, partly knowing there was beer and friends waiting at the bar for me afterwards, but mostly knowing that I wanted my weekend time for me. Which, unexpectedly, turned out to be my new thing for the day. I have a tendency to procrastinate… um, just a wee bit… and have been known start things but then not finish them, so that they need to be done at the last minute on the weekend. But this time I told myself that I knew the weekend would be better, and would be MINE, if I finished the work tonight. Pretty big incentive.

Plus, when I got to the bar, my friends helped me find a TON of wicked new things I can do in May. Just check out that envelope… there’s an interesting month coming up!

Thirty one flavours of May.

I’ve been inspired by a few bloggers recently. Well, to say “a few” is really doing the whole internet an injustice. And we all know that internet-thing is sooo concerned about its reputation.

Since joining twitter.com (@textrix) after reading a fantastic post by Penelope Trunk, “A Whole New World” has been the earworm swimming in my head. (hey, take that back – The Little Mermaid is one of my favourite Disney movies! and not just ’cause I’m 1/4 Danish, or worked for a birthday party company in the nineties, and the soundtrack cassette was played over and over until is warped. Which sounds hilarious, by the way. )[ED - ok, I wrote this in a text file earlier today, and on my way home had the "slap the forehead" moment. DUH, A Whole New World is from Aladin. Not my favourite Disney movie, but still apropos. So there.]

Seeing what these wonderful people are writing about, and the ideas and personal messages that they are sharing, well, that reminds me that we are all so much the same, yet each of us is unique. (gush gush, pass a tissue… no, really – it truly gets me verklempt.)

Since I’ve been feeling like I’ve just been coasting lately, with lot of maps, but no sense of where I really want to go, I am taking this inspiration and looking inward, by looking outward, and trying new things in this month of May. One new thing a day, in fact! Hence the THIRTY-ONE FLAVOURS OF MAY.

NEW THING TODAY: I FINALLY looked up MrExcel’s website, which I’ve been meaning to check out for AGES… (first saw him on Lab with Leo) I learned some new things, watched a couple podcasts, solved some problems, and am going to go back. Excellent resource!

THING LEARNED: I am a geek who loves to figure out problems, and the myriad of ways to solve them. And there is so much more to “simple” spreadsheet programs. Wicked, I like it when my assumptions are proved more complex below the surface.

See ya tomorrow.