I’ve had a lot of time recently to consider the body’s adaptability. That is to say, I haven’t been getting very much sleep this week. Pathetically enough, I think it’s time to cut out afternoon caffeine. Sunday I had a late coffee and didn’t close my eyes until 4 AM. Yesterday, I had a cinnamon tea at 6 PM and was up staring at the wall for the next 8 hours (actually, I took a break to go jogging. Because, you know–tea energy). Tonight, I went to an 8 PM dinner but in true Spanish-dinner style, walked back into my apartment at 12:28 AM. It’s good tomorrow is Friday because…
The Little Things in Life
Gummy vitamins fit squarely into the category of ‘The Little Things In Life’. That doesn’t change the fact I’ve been obsessed with them for the past thirty days. It all started at Christmas, when I made my semi-annual pilgrimage to CVS. There is simply no equivalent to a CVS/Target/WalMart in Spain, or really in Europe for that matter. Usually, I don’t mind. I do understand that CVS is full of moderately useless crap. There is no need for 17 different kinds of band-aids, or an aisle for toothbrushes or 32 shades of red lipstick. However…. I find a meditative peace in wondering through the vitamin aisle. I enjoy considering what…
How to Tap Into Creativity
“How to tap into creativity” is an important skill/Google search term for any thirty-something. I’m wrestling with the concept because I’m currently in the process of writing my first short story in 25 years. The last attempt involved a lost toaster that made friends with a dog and was met with rave reviews by my 3rd grade teacher. She gently corrected my spelling of “taostar” throughout the narrative and said it was “very creative”. At the time, I figured she told all the students their stories were very creative. Looking back, I realize: 1) She definitely did do that2) It was probably true A story about a lost toaster…
Friday Puppies
Why Friday puppies, you ask? Well, it’s a scientific fact that Friday puppies make the week seem a little brighter. Especially when you’re running on three hours of sleep and you have fifteen minutes left of lunch. During which time you need to eat a sandwich, correct seventeen homework quizzes and write a blog post. Okay, the puppy thing might not be a scientific fact, exactly. But the point is, it’s been a long day. In fact, it’s been a long week. Let’s not even bring science into it. I personally feel that puppies will make everything better. And maybe my determination around this issue is the most important…
How to Cope with Loneliness
As a 30(ish) woman living own her own, I think a lot about how to cope with loneliness. The major conclusion? It’s not easy. Loneliness terrifies me. I used to cry during the commercials for Meals on Wheels–the one where a telephone is ringing on the TV and an old woman thinks its in her apartment and gets so excited. The idea that I might want for company one day makes shaky tears come to my eyes almost immediately. Today, this topic is on my mind for the saddest of reasons. I received news of a dear, old friend feeling so alone and depressed that they didn’t know where to…
Balance of Life
What is the balance of life??!! You are dying to know! Here it is: The balance of life exists as a pendulum. The falling and the climbing are endlessly exhilarating. Lately however, I’ve been hanging out in at the equilibrium position (see photo). I’m excited about the prospects ahead of me: moving, learning more Spanish, buying adorable new black work boots. I’m also comfortable with where I am: in a great apartment, moderately comfortable in 2 of the 17 past tense verb conjugations that exist in Spanish, no black work boots (BUT the proud new owner of fabulous black suede weekend boots). I feel stable and accomplished. I adore the…
Living Alone
I’m moving. Apartments, I mean. Not right now or anything, but soon enough. It is a shift into the adulthood of my early thirties. I can’t believe it, but for the first time I will be signing a lease and living alone. As I looked back over my decade of living in rented space, I can’t believe how little of it has existed alone. Boyfriends. Roommates. Shared trailer park space. Inappropriately long stretches of time living with my mother. Now the time has finally come to try apartment life solo. I live in a safe city with cheap rent and it’s time to take advantage and start behaving (slightly)…
Making Promises
Yesterday, I thought a lot about making promises. Why, you ask? I went to a baptism. It was in Aylesbury, England for a particularly adorable little British baby named Willoughby James (I happen to think this name adds to his particular adorability). I watched as the vicar (another adorable, British-type of a word) performed the baptismal rites in a 12 Century font, which was pretty remarkable. The vicar said there is actually a whole class of fonts named after the one little Willoughby was baptized in. I didn’t even know there were classes of fonts. To be honest, I didn’t even know it was called a font. So…
The Value of Time
This morning I photocopied 27 pages out of The Big Thirst by Charles Fishman. The book is a study of current worldwide water use practices and includes some fascinating and terrifying observations observations about the general human attitudes towards water consumption. I want to read it with my IB Environmental Science class in some vague hope that the students will grow up understanding that water consumption is an important issue and problem in their lives. I believe it will be a very worthwhile activity. However, it took 25 minutes to make the photocopies. It got me started thinking about the value of time. Today, I chose to spend those 25…
Sober January
This year for my New Year’s resolution, I’m bounding towards sober January like a runaway train. I know, I know. I make weird New Year’s Resolutions. For example, last year my resolution was to learn how to do a flying ninja kick. For training in preparation for this arduous task, I completed a half marathon. I never did the ninja kick. In 2013, my New Year’s resolution was to go on a date. It resulted, in a roundabout way, in the nascent entries of this blog. This year, I made my New Year’s resolution in July (The thing about the X Files was sort of joke–but I will definitely watch all…