Achieve (Reverb10, Day 28)

December 28 – Achieve
What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

(Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

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I've had really insightful conversations with a few male friends over the course of the past week. In each instance, we've ended up discussing how best to move on from a difficult situation - how to achieve a balance so that you neither dwell for too long nor blast forward unhealthily. As one of them astutely put it, "Life is, in the end, about how you deal with the moments of instability." So this year, I want to achieve resilience.

There's no one trick to being resilient. Both your strategy and underlying tactics will change depending on what you are trying to move past - a failed relationship or friendship, the end of a job, the realization that you might not achieve what you set out to do. Perhaps even the realization that you aren't the type of person you always hoped you'd be.

But resilience does have one common thread regardless of the situation: consciousness. Forcing yourself to accept that something difficult happened. Then, reflecting honestly on how it happened, who was at fault, how your character and judgment may have affected the situation. Finally, the ability to move past with purpose so your internal cues are not directed by damage or uncertainty.

Time and circumstance can chip away at the person you intend to be, if you don't stop them. Resilience is about wading through at your own pace so you can learn from your mistakes while keeping both eyes on the future.

So - how will I feel when I "achieve resilience"? Probably healthy, whole, alive, grateful. Less guilty, confused, and cynical. It could be pretty life-changing, so I intend to start right now.

Thanks to Reverb for forcing me into intimacy on this page. Yikes was this a difficult one.

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Future Self (Reverb10, Day 21)

December 21 – Future Self.

Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)


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1. Date! Date! Date!

2. Go with your instincts at dance. Fight for the girls who are supposed to be there. But don't ignore the ones who are pissed off all the time- they have a reason. Teach them how to use their emotions to heighten their performance.

3. Aside from taking off time to save your sanity, save up your PTO. The trip to Europe could happen and even if it doesn't, you'll have free staycation time during the two-month period of warm weather in MN.

4. Buy that MacBook. Your seven year old ThinkPad is stifling your creativity.

5. When dance ends, find another freelancing gig, preferably writing-based.

6. Start cooking again. Your three-week stint in October was not a fluke.

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Bonus - 10 years ago:

1. The ballet teacher who squeezes your thighs and clucks hasn't eaten since before you were born. Ignore her and carry on with your carb-loving ways.

2. In fact, keep eating banana chocolate chip muffins for breakfast and lunch daily because that won't always be an option. Don't stop until your pants get too tight, most likely in fall 2006.

3. The guy who flirts with you via AIM and then ignores you in the hallway will come close to failing out of high school. His cold shoulder will bring you closer to the friends you're supposed to have - the ones with A averages, quick wits and bright futures. Stop being so pathetic about it.

4. Despite what your teacher tells you, you will get into college if you drop advanced chemistry in favor of journalism.

5. Before you ask that woman to cornrow your hair for sophomore winter formal, ask yourself, "Is this really a good look for me?"

Double bonus to myself five years ago: No, you shouldn't go to that frat party.

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Appreciate (Reverb10, Day 14)

December 14 – Appreciate
What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

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The support of my girlfriends.

A few years ago, on winter break from college, we all mentioned how stressed we were trying to fit in girls’ nights, date nights, family time, personal time. Right then, a few of us made a policy. It basically boils down to “I support you.” Cheese-tastic, but it works.

If you need the gym more than you need a wine night, then you should hop on the treadmill and not look back (because you’ll fall). If you want to sit at home and watch three seasons of 24 (you know who you are), instead of coming out to the bar, that’s your right. If date night falls on the same night as a really important communal walk to Chipotle, it’s okay that you casually bow out.

When one of my closest friends recently announced she was moving in February and we made hasty plans for a celebration night, she asked us not to cry. And it honestly hadn’t occurred to me to be sad quite yet. She’s taking a huge risk in order to pursue a fabulous and challenging future - that’s what all friends should wish for one another. I don't believe there's room for high levels of selfishness in truly adult friendships. I'm grateful to have friends who feel the same.

This year was challenging, in terms of finding the time for one another – we juggled school, demanding full-time jobs, second jobs, long-distance relationships. Yet it is nothing compared to what is coming in our next chapter- all of the above but also kids, husbands, carpools, houses, and probably extensive therapy to deal with all of it.

The juxtaposition of time and circumstance will perhaps unravel our bonds a bit, but for right now we’ve created a bubble of support and love that has allowed us all to grow in the thousand directions in which we’re supposed to be growing. And I look forward to appreciating them all for decades to come.

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5 Minutes (Reverb10, Day 15)

December 15 – 5 Minutes
Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)

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Much like Sara and Greta, I'm lacking the original spark I felt for Reverb10. I'm not sure I'm the right type of blogger for this project. Nevertheless, here are the top moments of 2010 I'd never want to forget.


Getting the new job

Mary's return home from the Peace Corps

Moving out

My dance team placing 2nd in MN State Tournament

Landing my first freelance project

This moment in my relationship with ex-BF

My trip to Nashville to see Joel

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Body Integration, Action (Reverb10, Day 12 and 13)

December 12 – Body Integration
This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

I've had a few great runs around Isles this year, though I can't remember specific details. As for losing sight of where my mind and body begin and end? Never going to happen. I'm hyper-cognizant. And that's okay.


December 13 – Action
When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

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Oh, Reverb. I don't think I am as bright and misty-eyed as you want me to be.

Anyway, I just made a lot of things happen. So much so, that I'm going to need some time to adjust and breathe before I set off on a new set of aspirations. For now, I am just thinking of ideas instead of making them happen. And that's also, okay.

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11 Things (Reverb10, Day 11)

December 11 – 11 Things
What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

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1. Chronic guilt, as previously mentioned.

2. Obsessive celebrity gossip stalking. My fabulous ex co-worker mails me her OK! castoffs, so I’m not exactly going cold turkey. I’ve just realized that one magazine per week provides more than enough fodder on the idiocy that is the Kardashian family. Plus, the dresses look prettier on the glossy pages than they do online.

3. Using my phone while driving. I wasn’t using my phone when I got in my accident, but I do use it a lot otherwise. This is a poor choice because I'm the world's worst driver.

4. Underestimating the time it takes to get from A to B. When I judge the amount of time it takes to get somewhere, I round DOWN. Then, I’m late and crabby. So, I will round up. This is not rocket science.

5. Soda. I should probably only have one bad drinking habit (that being coffee, chill out), so I’m cutting soda. It never tastes as good as I want it to anyway.

6. Lean Cuisines and other frozen microwaved meals. Alright I’m going to be honest. I eat them almost every day for lunch. There’s no way I can cut them 100%. However, I’m not sure that they’re really food, they don’t fill me up, and I generally spend my entire six forkfuls grumbling about how disgusting they are. Here’s to me getting off my lazy bum and DOING. SOMETHING. ABOUT. IT.

7. Artificial sugar. This won't be hard - I’ve never liked it anyway and now all these studies are coming out about rats getting cancer or whatever and it seems like a lot of awfulness could be avoided if people weren’t chugging Crystal Light all the time (Joel, this is not a personal attack). Also I don’t eat enough regular sugar to be concerned about having to find a substitute.

8. Being oblivious. I spend too much thinking and not enough time paying attention to what’s actually happening. Dream state is all well and good until I realize I haven’t cleaned my apartment in three weeks.

9. Bags. Roomie and I all but have a contest to see how many bags we can carry each morning. I’ve always got my purse, bag of dance clothes, bag of dance logistical stuff, food for the fifteen hour day I’m about to embark on, etc. There has to be an easier way.

10. Trying to like rap. Kanye's newest is allegedly the greatest album in years. Every track I've heard so far, I hate. Does this make me a bad music fan? Probably. Am I okay with that? Very much so.

11. Making lists that I probably won’t stick to. Like the one above.

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Wisdom (Reverb10, Day 10)

December 10 – Wisdom
What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

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I’ve written about this a little, but the wisest decision I made this year was to leave my old company. The decision was not easy – I loved my company, the industry, my co-workers. But when it came down to the wire, I didn’t love my job. As the lowest on the totem pole, I was spending the majority of my time on a litany of small tasks that fell to me by default. There wasn’t enough time for me to work on my development, and there wasn’t enough hope that someday soon, I’d be promoted out of this catch-all role.

When a woman I was freelancing with told me about a writing and social media position, I asked her to recommend me without thinking twice. Then I started to panic, which only relented in the middle of my interview two days later. I was explaining my college major, Rhetoric, and how the study of Greek philosophers is still relevant in the marketing world today when I realized that I didn’t even recognize myself. I was confident, bright-eyed, well-spoken, engaging. I had ideas.

I soon realized my presence in that interview came from a desire to be heard out, a need to be involved on strategy instead of just tactical execution. The new job would be an exit from entry level and into the 2nd tier, an opportunity I knew I was ready for.

Then I got the offer. Immediately, I thought of the self-directed projects I’d been working on, how the social media strategy I’d slaved over would now be dead in the water. I was bummed that I’d be stepping out before making my impact. I was an emotional mess, and I felt like a quitter.

I wondered what would have happened if I’d fought for a bigger role, taken on more duties, worked longer hours to propel my career forward instead of letting myself feel stifled in an admin role. I won’t ever know for sure, but I do know that in my new job I’ve been growing, naturally, into a more insightful and strategic thinker, and a better writer. I’m trusting myself more and I’m making more recommendations.

The wisest decision I made all year, then, was not just to leave one job in favor of another. It was to push myself forward before I was ready, and to not look back wondering what could have been.

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Party (Reverb, Day 9)

December 9 – Party
Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)

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The best party of the year, or at least the best one to write about, was our Around the World Apartment Crawl this October. To celebrate the migration of my friend group to Uptown this year, we hosted an apartment crawl where each apartment represented a different country.

We started the night in Spain. We drank sangria, and otherwise tried to get ourselves inebriated enough to take down a piñata. (We also played Pin the Tail on the Donkey, if you're wondering about our level of commitment to being culturally appropriate.) The highlight of Spain? I broke the piñata. When I removed my blindfold, I was horrified to see that each of my friends half-heartedly picked up one piece of candy instead of dive-bombing the floor. I guess we’re all adults after all. Sort of.

Next we headed South (but really, one mile due North) to Mexico, for margaritas, Dos Equis/Corona, and homemade guacamole and salsa. This is where we really started to pick up steam. Tequila flowed liberally into each handmade marg. I'm a bit blurry on other people's actions, but I focused most of my attention here on a male friend who was wearing Crocs without shame.

Next was America. We celebrated our immersion into American culture by playing “Proud to be an American” on my phone during our two-block walk. There, we drank Strip-And-Go-Nakeds (Beer, Vodka, Lime-ade) out of a large Rubbermaid container, and the boys had a dance-off of sorts. (See the redhead's one-handed push-up in the collage below.)

The last stop on the list was my apartment. Roomie and I decorated for a Caribbean theme, complete with rum punch, some awful paper decorations that were much more suited for Hawaii, and the coup de gras - a crock pot of Jamaican Jerk Chicken. With the gut rot sinking in from sangria, margs, strip-n-gos and now punch, the sandwiches were a necessary addition. As a grand finale, roomie and I had our own short dance-off that included my tap dancing skills and her famed (for its awfulness) heel click.

I highly suggest trying out an apartment crawl if you need a bar-free night and live in close proximity to friends.





This post is also to take part in KC's New Media Challenge. I saw a post from a challenge participant, Mary, featuring a collage from bighugelabs.com and I loved it. Mine has a huge watermark because I refused to pay $25 to better represent what was probably one of the more irresponsible nights of my year.

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Beautifully Different (Reverb10, Day 8)

December 8 – Beautifully Different
Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

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Hey at least our prompts are lightening up, eh gang? Is anyone else noticing there is NO ROOM FOR SARCASM IN THIS CHALLENGE?? I’m gasping for air here, people.

Now that I’ve got that out, I think I can start. What makes me different is that I’m the catalyst for weird within my friend group. I reflected on this on Mother’s Day, when I shared that my strangeness is a direct result of growing up in a family where goofiness was currency. Until I was a teenager, I assumed everyone’s dad had an original song they sang to their mom (my dad’s being “Boooootiful Sheera (broken English for Beautiful Sheila), you’re so cuuuuuuuuute!”) when she was yelling at a gaggle of children not to eat an entire box of fruit snacks in one day.
Turns out, it was just my family.

It probably would have been easier not to make up nicknames, songs, words and ‘bits’ (Tali and I being the transgender lesbian moms of our adopted son, Joel, being the best and longest running) to keep myself occupied. Looking back, however, I can’t think of a time where my proclivity towards kook has resulted in negativity. I could just be oblivious but I prefer to think that most people are weird and afraid to own it. When they see people acting like fools, almost all appreciate the silliness and some take it as a much-needed invitation to let their freak flags fly.

Now, as an adult, originality is a spark for everything I do well – coaching, writing for my company as well as this blog, being a good friend, keeping my sanity in moments of high pressure and chaos. I’m so glad that as a kid my parents were never the ones hissing in the grocery store “Can you just act normal for once?!”

I think they knew they didn't have a leg to stand on.

Bootiful Sheera and John, Halloween 2010

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Community (Reverb10, Day 7)

December 7: Community
Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

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I can't talk about community without discussing the group of friends that I have known for going on twenty years. My roommate, many close girlfriends and the artist formerly known as BF all met in grade school and have been linked ever since. This year we've grown especially close as we finally segued fully into adulthood. In the end, thought, I don't think I could ever do a better job explaining what these people mean to me than I did on the worst day of our collective friendship.

Another community that has become especially important to me over the past year is my dance community. As you may know, I am a dance team coach at my former high school.

The MN dance community is notoriously tight-knit, but our school one-ups that stereotype. Of the eight coaches leading the Varsity, Junior Varsity, and middle school team, seven are alumni. Six days a week, five months a year, we return to the dungeon gym we once danced in to teach teenage girls how to kick, turn and leap their way to a first-place finish.

Having alumni coaches widens an already large net. Over the course of the season, I meet current dancer's parents, grandparents, and especially their little sisters who tell me how many years it will be until they're on my team. At competitions, I see other alumni dancers - some I coached last year, some I danced with, some who were on the team 15 years ago that have to explain to me who they are. All are equally enthusiastic, all sport team colors. I get texts and emails and Facebook posts from other alumni across the country who watch videos on YouTube to stay up to date. One mom whose daughters were on the team with me ten years ago grills me for details each time she checks me out at Gap, and I willingly oblige.

It might look like we're just kicking to the high heavens for a solid four minutes, but the truth is that this sport is intense. It requires immense dedication and talent, and for most it will be the culmination of a lifetime of dancing. This team was fundamental in my growth as a dancer and as a young woman. I coach not only because I know how to fan kick, but because I know that the confidence I have now can be traced back to the lessons of dedication and perseverence I learned in my years on the team.

My two communities, I guess, are equally crazy. I've known many of my closest friends since I was eight. I spend my weekends trapped in gyms where moms talk to me about rhinestoning patterns and music tempo.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you're wondering what the eff dance team is, anyway, here's a video of my gals last year at the state tournament.

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Make (Reverb10, Day 6)

December 6 – Make.
What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

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The last thing I made was the photo frame collage above my couch. As I mentioned before, my roommate furnished our entire apartment when we moved in. Saint that she is, she even found me a full-sized bed because, she said, "I just cannot let you move into our grown-up apartment with a twin bed". Oh, how right she was - I've been sleeping in said twin bed at my parent's house this past week as my car gets put back together. Is it possible to feel claustrophobic while sleeping?

I digress. My only role in the move-in was decor. I put myself to work, gathering old-ish frames, clocks and mirrors to slap against the main wall in our living room. Then I put that box away for five months, taking it out when a combination flu/winter storm kept me indoors a few weekends ago.

My original goal was this, which I saw via Ordinary Shan:

This is what I have so far. It looks like crap in this photo so you'll have to take my word that it's sweet in real life. We're hoping to add a lot more frames and roomie's gorgeous photography will eventually replace the 'art' that I cut up (thanks, 2007 Van Gogh calendar!) and threw in.

You should know the middle frame doesn't have a creepy bust of a woman taking a picture of herself. That's just my fabulous photography skills at work.

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Let go (Reverb10, Day 5)

December 5 – Let Go.

What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

(Author: Alice Bradley)

___________


This year, I let go of a job in my dream industry in order to live out a bigger dream- to write for a living. Along the way, I let go of feelings of inadequacy; my confidence sky-rocketed as I contributed to my team and received positive feedback.

I suppose I let go of my fear of taking risks. I learned that even if things aren't bad (I really did love job 1.0), it doesn't mean you should be afraid to look for something better. Something that is equally challenging and rewarding.

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Moment (Reverb10, Day 3)

December 3 – Moment.

Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)
____

The moment I felt most alive this year was during a hike in Nashville with my best friend, Joel.

Let's start with one basic truth: neither Joel or I are really the 'hiking type'. We much prefer to be indoors, sedentary, preferably surrounded by fried food. So the fact that during my short stay we decided to get active was impressive and out of character.

We stayed at a steady enough pace that we were making headway, but slow enough to talk. Really talk. Subjects you can't talk about in coffee shops. Stuff that can only be said when you're surrounded so closely by trees on all sides that you're sure the leaves are absorbing your secrets as soon as they spill out.

Then we slowed down to talk about how shitty it was that we don't live in the same city anymore. And how we probably won't for a long time, if ever.

At the top of the path was a bench that overlooked Nashville and the surrounding areas. Hundreds of couples had sat there before us reflecting, as evidenced by the initialed etchings in the wood. Even with this cliched scene staring me in the face, I knew that we had hit a high point.

I had just landed a new fabulous job, Joel was finding his way in the city below. Despite living apart for a year, we weren't drowning without one another. We had found a way to clear our own paths even though we weren't able to clear them together.

In the day-to-day, we remain connected on a micro level - a daily barrage of emails, texts, tweets to remind one another of the humor, political leanings, values that we share.

The visits, though, are what really brings our friendship to life. Anyone can laugh at a political gaffe or get upset about a poor choice in Oscar hosts. It's the people you can peel back all layers for that make you come alive.

Speaking of, let's go ahead and get even more sappy because one of my favorite quotes of all time is about coming alive:

Photo Credit

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Writing (Reverb10, Day Two)

Day Two: Writing
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

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I do a lot of things, daily, that don’t directly contribute to my writing. I drink coffee, watch TV online, read other people’s blogs in my GoogleReader, stalk my favorite news sites, and I coach dance team. When I’m doing those things, I’m not writing.

Except, I am. I eavesdrop on a conversation in a restaurant and write a blog post in my head about how tragic-comic the couple in question is. I have composed in my head, but never posted, the many dramas that threaten to overtake my teenage dancers’ lives and in turn, all of our practices. Then I weed out the good ideas from the bad, and sit down to pound the good ones into blog entries.

Personally, I find inspiration in seemingly random happenings, stories, facts that can be strung together to make a bigger point. When I write, it's probably based on an idea I've been working out in my head for a few days or more (except my desperate posts on how much I love coffee. Those are always spontaneous). I’m not sure that cutting anything out would be beneficial to my writing, although I am working to cut out crap I don’t need in order to better serve my own well-being.

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One word (Reverb10, Day One)

Yeah, whatever, I'm back. It's quiet in the suburbs, y'all. I can't sleep here. I read everyone's Reverb10 entries and got mad jealous. So last night I wrote this even though I told myself I really couldn't blog for awhile. I'm fully aware of how lame my one-day exit fromt the blogosphere is. Moving on... Reverb10!! (Hands clapping excitedly)

December 1 One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

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In order to talk 2010, I have to remind you of the hell that was 2009. I started 2009 jobless, close to penniless, and living in my parents' house. So, that year was a complete reconstruction, the gathering of basics that I so needed.

2010 was about more - I added on to my life with reckless abandon. A new job meant more responsibility, and required more concentration. The job also gave me more flexibility in work hours, which I traded in for more duties as a dance coach. My first-ever freelance gig gave me more experience but also more sleepless nights. My new apartment and car gave me more bills. A new relationship gave me more support than I knew was possible, and now that it has ended I am filled with more gratitude than ever that we took a risk and then pulled out before it was too late. More homecomings, reunions, and trips reminded me that my web of friends has never been more full, and that it is in fact likely to keep growing.

2010 was about more but looking back, the mores are now too much. 2011, as I mentioned, will be about balance. Prioritizing the duties and tasks, and making time only for the people who matter. Blocking out the noise and remembering that a full life is one you have the time to enjoy.

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I don't care for sugar, honey

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher told my mom that I’d been keeping a ‘carpet schedule’. A few girls asked me to sit by them everyday at reading time and, Catholic five-year old that I was, I began to feel a creeping panic each day prior to our carpet sit. To solve the problem, I created my first-ever spreadsheet, my crude crayoning giving each of my four best friends equal time next to me.

This is my first memory of maximizing situations - I overanalyze situations that didn’t need to be analyzed at all, ‘fix’ things that weren’t really in trouble. Any other kindergartener would have sat wherever she pleased, not thinking for a second that it would make a long-term impact (I guarantee you, those girls don’t remember my name, much less that they wanted to sit by me) but I maximized the situation by making the schedule.

As I grew up, this small problem grew into a pretty enormous guilt complex. As a result, I try to cram things and people in where they don’t belong. And when I leave these forced appointments, I don’t ever feel less guilty. I just remember the next person I have been bad at keeping in touch with, the next invite I haven’t accepted. My guilt is on a loop, and the one person I’ve just pleased or date I’ve just kept is recycled again to the bottom of the list.

Yesterday, I nearly drove off the side of a parking structure. It was snowy, the visibility was crap, the structure was not well laid out but mostly, I was rushing from a pre-work coffee meeting that I’d set up with an old co-worker. I didn’t have time for this meeting, and she never asked me to make the time. It was just me, with my grown-up carpet schedule – it’s now a full-blown mental list of people I love but don’t see, that I try to juggle in the best way I know how.

I don’t think there’s a clearer signal that it's time to slow down and take control than your windshield shattering onto your lap, while your car edges over a 15-foot drop-off. Once I was able to breathe and get out of my car, I knew it was time to reevaluate. Time to not only acknowledge that I can’t be everything to everyone, but to act on that knowledge. To say the words, “Sorry I can’t” without remorse or second thought.

So I’m starting with this blog. This blog is a time-suck. I don’t have time for this blog. I won’t be participating fully in any of the challenges that are popping up for the year’s end. You, my seven readers, are the easy part of my new personal pact. I have very little remorse for abandoning you on these challenges, which I think has to be a sign of a healthy web presence/reliance.

Next up are the purging of my Facebook invites, closely followed by the deletion of all voicemails I've been meaning to return. I will archive the emails that sit in my inbox, whispering "Four days and no reply? Why are you such a terrible friend?" There will be no more coffee dates tucked in between other engagements.

I do think you're great, internet friends. But now you know my deep, dark secret- I'm the gold medalist in guilt. This year, I'm taking myself out of the running.

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Years since it's been clear

It's been a rough week, friends. For example, I wiped out TWICE in the work lobby yesterday. The second time, I fell while reenacting to a friend exactly how stupid I looked the first time - I know, I really can't make this up.

Today I woke up and felt like I might die. When I nearly passed out in the shower while attempting to get ready for work, I decided it might be a good time to use PTO and recover from whatever it was that this week had done to me.

The problem is, this week is just like any other will be until mid-February. Full time work, dance six days a week, attempting to see friends, family, BF. It's time to buck up, or it's going to be a long winter.

Today, I sat. And slept. And I'm just going to type it, I puked. It wasn't pretty, and it certainly didn't get any more adorable when I forced myself off the couch to go buy my own sick food (will the awful realities of becoming an adult never cease?).

I'm full on chicken soup, hot tea, and I read a new People Magazine dedicated to Kim Kardashian being a spinster (at age 30, naturally). Tomorrow I will take on the world, provided the world is my cube for 8 hours and then 2 1/2 hours of high school dance team practice. Bring it, spontaneous-exhaustion-bordering-on-blackouts.

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Also I'm looking into Reverb10. Anyone else out there interested? It's a blog challenge run by Gwen Bell and friends - I tried out their 2009 version last year and it was fabulous. Let me know, webfriends.

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