In a fit of productivity...

or perhaps just a fit, I return to this forlorn corner of the internets. Hullo kittens, all 6 of you. Hugs all around. My summer was spent moving into a new space and making it fit to live in. This principally involved me trying to purge a bunch of stuff and awesome!L doing a lot of grunt work. awesome!L lives up to the name folks. I don't really want to live up to expectations of dying amidst piles of books and cats and more to the point awesome!L would probably kick me out onto the balcony to best consider my options before that happened.

I jest of course but on the upside we now have a balcony that I could sleep on if it came down to it! No more juliet balcony for me but a proper space that can host a cosy dinner or an even closer gathering of friends to watch the fireworks. Back to my previous point however, I have yet more things to purge. Some items I think I should try to get money for and the rest I worry I will have to pay to be rid of. Eegads. In some sense I think I have accidentally been purging what meagre ideas pop into my head as well. They aren't gems, let me advise you, and most of them actually pertain to washrooms. Really, I don't know how to explain my fascination. I think it's just that they so often rouse my ire that I start getting wordy with a minimum of effort.

In any event, I do want to try purging some thoughts into type more frequently so here we are again. The dance we know so well -- I'm a terrible dance partner actually, always stepping on toes and leading into the other couples. Ah my poor blog, you are ill-used indeed.

Have you heard?

The bird is the word. In this case, MIA flipping the bird at the Superbowl halftime show and not being censored in time to protect the delicate sensibilities of all viewers is the word. I think the furor over the Superbowl "controversies" are a blatant attempt at misdirecting people's attention from matters of actual importance. The regulatory bodies that have come out with ridiculously stringent responses are clearly more concerned with the censorship of public media in the name of knowing what is the best for the estimated 100 million viewers. Those people are pretty damn ballsy. I wouldn't feel comfortable saying that I know what is best for the two people that regularly read this blog. But do you know who would know what is best for everyone?

The woman who made the following video and Xena: Warrior Princess. Women with many skills.

Alternate Super Bowl Halftime Show - Xena Style from Rosie j. Russell on Vimeo.

Status Update

I quit Facebook for awhile to remove myself from the habit of constant feed updating, browser refreshing and liking of all manner of posts. Since a friend mentioned my blog on my penultimate Facebook status I thought I might as well share the address. (Howdy to the 26 people who have stopped by. Nice of you to click on the link.)

I need to take some time for myself and consider what I want to be doing with my life. As my lovely friend Jean so recently posted (APP for a SMART life CC Jean Leggett) – I want to develop my APP. It’s something that I haven’t done since university and a question that I had a hard time answering when jean asked during a coaching session. It’s December 2012 – what have I done? What achievements and experiences have made 2012 stand out? In the midst of all that will be the posts about videos and jokes that I “have” to share with my friends. Because, let’s face it, I do love me some kitten videos.

Posting Tips

Amazing!L with regards to new look: Soo, you could've written a post but instead you made it prettier?
Me: Yes!
Amazing!L: So all your regular readers (I like how she pretends I have a following) will just be like, wtf, it looks different but there's no new content?!
Me: Yep.

You're welcome Amazing!L.

Master of my domain

Normally I’d have some ponderable from the ladies room for y’all but not this time. No, at the moment my ire and bemusement is saved for Ticketmaster. Seriously, how is it that we have nine versions of a social network but we’re still paying $10 “convenience fees” to book tickets? If Ticketmaster is the only purchase point, it’s not convenient – it’s mandatory. Let’s just be honest and call it the “monopoly fee” – if possible, I’d just pay with Monopoly money.

Seriously internets, don’t we deserve better than Ticketmaster? Can’t venues take charge of their own online bookings? Take back ticketing!

Eat Dessert First

One of those quizzes going around that will reveal your soul in one quick question: Which dessert would you pick? Well, I'm a fiend and picked two (even though it said I could only have one...I'm a rule breaker!).

LEMON MERINGUE -- Smooth, fun, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent caregiver and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, you set your own style because you do your own thing. You shine when it comes to helping others and have many friends.

And...

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE -- Romantic , warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. You can be very emotional at times but a true person in every way. You like to do things for yourself and help others learn about themselves.

W/A Lone wolf

Weekend Assignment #337: Lone Wolf, or Part of the Pack?

Some people are happiest when they're part of a group. They may be leader of the pack, or actively contribute to the group's efforts, or simply hang out with the others for companionship, and any scraps they may get. Other people are more the lone wolf type: the explorers, the loners, given to solitary effort and independent thought. Where do you prefer to function in human society: as part of a group, or your own, or in some combination of the two?

I think that I am some combination of the lone wolf and pack. I enjoy being with friends and family; I love how even if you’ve known someone for a long time you will always learn something new. The interactions in a group encourage me to grow and reconsider my opinions. There are also just some things that are more fun to do in a group: bowling, games, conversation. I also value my down time alone to read, watch TV or movies. I like to do puzzles or go to a restaurant and enjoy a leisurely meal with my book.

Extra Credit: Is there a group with which you're currently affiliated that is especially important to you? What is your relationship with that group?

I have two main groups of friends that make up the bulk of my friendships: those I know through running and those that I know through soccer. I have the same role in both groups: I consider myself to be a facilitator. I will do research for a proposed event and I will organize resources. I can be good at getting the ball rolling on some projects but ultimately I have a problem seeing things through to the end. I am the not best leader because I will be unable to make a firm decision between many options for the group.


Original post

W/A Magic Button

Weekend Assignment #336: Magic Button

If you could have a magic button that would do one particular thing for you, up to once a day, what would that function be?

I would have a “tidy the apartment” button. I know that if you keep up with housework then the amount of time you have to put into it decreases dramatically. But I’m not good at picking up my laundry or taking out the recycling. I sometimes will just ignore a section of the apartment until I shake myself out it and go on a major cleaning binge. It would be marvelous to have a button that would sweep like a breeze through the apartment to do the dishes, laundry and bathroom – not to mention the laundry! That would be magical.

Extra Credit: Would your answer to the above change if it were a person doing the task (for free and without complaint, using ordinary human abilities) rather than a magic button?

To some extent it would not, as when I was younger I took for granted that my parents would do much of the general tidying. As my brother and I grew older, we were expected to do assigned household tasks. Laundry then was no problem for me and we had a dishwasher that made doing dishes much easier. But on the whole I was still pretty lazy. If the current scenario were to present itself, I would not accept free labour to clean up after me. I would pay someone to do so if I had room in my budget.

Original post

Written yesterday -- but posted today. Oh the irony.

I love letters, post cards and cards of all kinds. I think ideas like Post Secret and Letter Lounge are brilliant for the different ways they encourage people to communicate. Although instant communication is something many take for granted, it is still so nice to receive a thoughtful note in the mail. Or whatever passes for a thoughtful note between some friends. What I like most about the Letter Lounge is that they will mail the letters for you. It’s the curse of my family that cards or letters will be written, sealed and stamped but not mailed for months.

Grinds My Gears

Yesterday I was discussing banks' responsibilities to their customers with my colleagues because of an issue that had arisen -- namely that postdated cheques were paid early because they were deposited at an ATM. The bank claimed that because the items at ATMs are no longer checked before being sent to a processing centre it is impossible to prevent the early clearing of postdated cheques. If the scenario were to act out in this manner and my account was short funds because of the early processing, I am sure that the same bank would also have fined me. In other words, punishing me because their systems lacks accountability.

When I worked at a bank ten years ago, all deposits made at the ATM were checked by two bank officers prior to being sent out with the day's work. The larger banks have moved away from this to random checks of the materials such that it is easy for the items above to escape a routine check and balance. This is happening at the same time that the same major financial institutions are requiring more personal information for third party deposits -- such as company payments -- and signing away all liability for errors made in such financial transactions as wires. The banks want more and more from the consumers in terms of information and fees all the while reducing service capabilities and removing the onus of their own responsibilities to provide secure and professional services.

It's ridiculous and it makes me fuming mad.

Bit o' nonense and stuff

There is one thing only that truly drives me nuts about blogger and that is the follower option. Every time I look at my home page, it tells me I have four followers but when I go to the detail it only shows me two. (Hi Diane and Alan!) Who are these shadow followers? Is it just a by-product of unknown RSS feeds? I can think of ten people who know about this project and otherwise the only reason for someone to come here is if they click “next blog”. So hello my phantoms, my angels of music. Welcome here.

Four, Five and Six

I read an article a while back suggesting that we put an undue amount of weight on the concept of “suitable atmosphere” for human life to exist on other planets. It was a very interesting read because it made obvious points that we take for granted about Earth because we have adapted to the environment or made changes to the environment to suit our needs. Beginning with just the sheer surface area of Earth that is covered with water versus land and moving on to the necessary adaptations of our clothing, houses, air conditioning and heating. We are a fragile species.

I don’t know why it is, but I love, love, love Tegan and Sara’s song “Living Room”. Thanks to youtube I have now heard it played live and how they change it as the years have gone by. Still, I cannot get over how much I love the original studio version of this song. A girl I had a crush on in one of my university courses made me two mix cd’s and I made her a mix cd as well. (The catalog of evidence for Kirsten is Socially Awkward is vast.) She introduced me to Tegan and Sara.


When I was a kid, I was convinced there was a house downtown where my family had visited and I had played in the yard. For years I believed this until one day I pointed out the house to my mom and asked who we had visited. Turns out the memory was just a dream I’d had. Sometimes I think of the last summer I worked in Truckee and the time I had dinner, sushi, with a co-worker and we went back to her place. I remember having a drink, flirting and teasing. Nothing happened and I drove home late.

One, two, three...catchup posts

I set goals for April with Awesome!K and they were to do the following:
File my taxes
Finish posting daily for April
Finish my excerpts from my trip to Kuwait
Of those goals, I half achieved the taxes and clearly none of the rest. I filed my taxes in Canada and deferred my taxes in the US because I forgot that they have different filing dates. It would simplify my life if both filing deadlines would be April 30th. As it stands, I have to file a nil return for 2009 in the US. Nil and null, two empty words.

So, what activities have been so time consuming that they have kept me from writing out one hundred simple words a day? Mostly the usual: I think about writing; I think about the topics I would write about and the tone I would use. I think about the apologies I would write for not writing enough. I think about how apologies are just another excuse. I think about how a writer should write without excuses. And then I think it’s all just shit, sit down and write. Or to continue with the shit talk – shit or get off the pot.

I think that I am a good person to get projects started – I have the enthusiasm and the basic organizational skills to pull it off. What I typically lack is that key longevity ingredient: follow through. I’ll get something off the ground and then…I just lose focus. The project at hand will still be in my thoughts but in the background while I focus instead on side projects of less importance. I’m not sure how to address this problem because it is not that I care any less about the project. I just get distracted by bright and shiny objects.

High school reunions...online

In many respects I feel that high school reunions are outdated; with the prevalence of social websites such as Facebook, you can easily get in contact with anyone from high school or university. You can have the whole awkward sharing of your lives online – complete with pictures. I recently accepted a friend request from one high school acquaintance and hard on its heels followed two others. While I find it interesting to see what they’ve done in the last ten years, I do find myself wondering why they’ve added me to their friends. Why bother if we still don’t talk?

Something in the Air

While at the “Evil Dead” musical, my friend and I were party to an unintentionally amusing situation. The air was periodically rank with some of the worst gas I have ever encountered. I believed that some audience member had a horrible bowel disease and tried to discreetly breathe through my scarf. My friend broke with social norms and actually commented on the stench during intermission. I hadn’t wanted to say anything in case the suffering person was within earshot but my friend thought that it was more likely produced by some of the stage equipment. I concurred but still wondered.

Puzzling

This evening I attended a potluck with a friend and the group of us played Cranium. I really do enjoy board games so the more people I know that play them, the better. I also joined two close friends who have many board games and bear with me that I am perpetually late. Growing up, my family often played card games and board games. I like playing and goofing around so to have an organized method is awesome. There are so many board games out there as well – I think I’m going to have to visit some game stores soon.

Toothy grin

I’m not sure what I changed about my routine that I feel so tired in the mornings. I used to get up at 6am and be productive – eat my breakfast, clean the dishes and make my lunch and get out the door in a timely fashion. These days I’m lucky to get out of bed let alone out the door. Something has to have changed in my eating habits, exercise routine or just my sleeping pattern. Actually, I worry about my teeth. My boss had an abscess and she was always tired. I have nightmares about my teeth falling out.

Rainy days

Vancouver is an umbrella kind of city. It rains, the sidewalks are a sea of umbrellas. It’s cloudy, umrellas are stashed in purses or in hand. It snows, the sidewalks are a sea of umbrellas. Wait, what? Snow? I grew up with snow – one does not use an umbrella for snow. Unless one is in Vancouver. In a city where umbrellas are so prevalent, it would be reasonable to expect that the sidewalks would be easily navigated. Wrong. Major offenders include the golf umbrella wielders, those who can’t pass another umbrella, walking under covered walkways with an umbrella…oh the irritations!

Sotto voce

From time to time, I am called upon to help answer phones at my office. This has been the case at all of my positions in my working history and I’ve found one prevalent trend: my voice changes. It’s not that I think that I have an overly gruff or irritating voice under other circumstances but I guess I have some notions of how I should sound in a professional manner. Which could just as easily translate to a higher register of vocabulary and enhanced pronunciation. But I don’t stop at semantics, my voice gains a saccharine and sing-song tone.

Nutty

Fall and winter are my two favorite seasons. There are many horse chestnut trees along the street where I live and for the last two months, great green spiny bulbs have been growing overhead. They have swollen to massive proportions that now sway in the gentlest of breezes with the promise of a headache should one strike you on the way down to earth. The nickname “conkers” is quite appropriate as I believe I’d conk right out if I were hit. Active squirrels make the streets more dangerous yet as they shake conkers free, scattering spiny encasements and nuts alike.