List Making

It's Monday morning and I am getting a slightly later start to the day and week than I'd hoped.  Rest, however, seems to be essential, and I took the time to start moving pretty slowly this morning.  I'm feeling the affects of spending large chunks of the weekend out in the sun (doesn't matter how much water I drink, I always seem to end up with a headache after a couple of days of sun), and a couple of days of hauling bricks while helping to lay a paving stone driveway and sidewalk at mom and dad's.

My clothes are filthy, and all in the laundry (I stayed at mom and dad's all weekend again) and so I'm sitting here in my pajamas, writing a blog post, and making the lists that will govern my week.

Lists that include all the homework for the week, all the chores that must be done that I know of, and the various and sundry other must be done's as well.  I get a ridiculous amount of satisfaction out of making lists.  And an even greater satisfaction out of marking things off my lists.  So, I'm starting my Monday slightly later, but with list making.  Seems a good way to begin another week.

Daily 5 - Day 325

Today's Daily 5:

1. 325 days of making daily 5 lists.
2. lots of fun with my family working on a big landscaping project at mom and dad's house this weekend
3. sleeping at mom and dad's for a couple nights again, and not waking up at the systematically regular and specific hours I wake at grandma's.
4. laughter
5. weekend days that are mostly "unplugged" - not hours in front of a computer screen.  no obligation, just checking email on my iphone several times a day (and on my laptop at night) to make sure nothing urgent has arisen.  the rest can usually wait for Monday to be sorted through.

Beautiful Waves

It's been a while since I posted one of these quizzes here, but this one was somewhat irresistible.  A dear friend and I have been talking about waves literally and metaphorically for at least two years now.  It's one of our favorite symbols, or at least one of the ones most talked about between us.  When I saw a quiz titled "What kind of waves do you make?" pop up this morning, I had to take it, and the results made me smile and maybe even giggle a little.

You Make Beautiful Waves

Life would be boring if you just sat back and watched it unfold. You like to make things happen, but in a very ordered and interesting way. You don't really like chaos. You tend to plan throughly and execute your plans well. You are very creative, eloquent, and expressive. You know how to accomplish great things, even if you're just playing around.

The Waves Test

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!

Daily 5 - Day 324

Today's Daily 5:

1. Mom picked me up from grandma's this morning - this was excellent, since I wasn't at mom and dad's yesterday, and had hauled my enormous anatomy textbook home with me on Thursday night.  It was nice to not have to haul that on the bus this morning.
2. Just hanging out, helping with a number of projects that are going on at Mom and Dad's this weekend
3. Sitting outside for large portions of the day
4. more good moments with my brother J.
5. sleeping over at mom and dad's tonight - makes tomorrow, when I need to be here all day for a variety of commitments so much easier.

Don't Tell Jamie Oliver

Nineteen times out of twenty, I'm devoted to the cause.  I think real people should cook real food.  Healthy food, made from real ingredients and not processed crap.  I definitely think people should be able to identify the difference between a potato and a tomato.  I eat real food, that I've generally prepared myself.  These days I'm even learning a bit about cutting back on or eliminating some of the white sugar and white flour in things.  I'm on board with the "Food Revolution"

But the twentieth time?  That time I just want Macdonalds.  And not one of their new salad options either.  I want a cheeseburger (no mustard, no onions, no pickles), and chicken mcnuggets, and french fries.  Preferably all consumed in the same artery clogging meal.  I still want chicken mcnuggets even after Jamie demonstrated how they're made and what they're made of last year on "The Food Revolution."

I had Macdonalds last night.  The very meal described above.  It motivated me all afternoon as I trekked across the city on foot and by transit, crossing errands off my list of things to do.  I plotted what I would order, and thought about how much I was going to enjoy it.  And I didn't even feel guilty about it (well, maybe a little guilty, but it was totally guilty pleasure!)

Today, I'll be back on the wagon.

Please don't tell Jamie.

(and, by the way, if you haven't watched Jamie's TED prize talk, you need to.  It's linked up above where I mention that I think it's important for kids to be able to identify vegetables correctly.)