Friday, January 30, 2009

25 Random Things About Me Meme

I was tagged with the Meme on Facebook, but I may as well share it here, too!

That 25 Thingie Thingie Share

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. (Unless you don't really want to.)

1. Just to get it out of the way, I'm a Google Apps whore. Obviously not in the literal sense of the word; at least I don't think that I've compromised any of my principles to use Google... Or, have I?

2. Until I got my iPod for Christmas, I never really understood the whole iPod silhouette dancing commercial.

3. Even though I haven't had an iPod before, I have not bought a physical CD in the last 5 years. iTunes works just as well on a computer, and the ability to purchase one song at a time instead of a whole album is incredible. I'm also slowly turning all of my old music into digital format.

4. I am a Bookworm. Always have been, always will be.

5. I love living in a small town. I walk to work, the grocery store, the barber, the post office. If I have to get in a car for anything, I get mildly disgruntled.

6. My family has earned "The Best Family in the World" award. A more loving group of people I could never hope to encounter in my wildest dreams. And hey, all people are dysfunctional, so get over it already.

7. I believe that eating organic and living healthily should be a right, not a privilege.

8. Probably the only thing I miss about not living close to a city are the CONCERTS. I've been going to huge venues to see bands since elementary school. I've seen Madonna three times; slept in line overnight to get a friend Def Leppard tickets (no, not for myself!), traveled around the midwest for as many Grateful Dead shows as I could (I even got 2nd row once, and have the pictures to prove it!), rocked to Jimmy in the VIP section, got into a 5 car pile up on the way to Lollapalooza, and still managed to make it in time for Pearl Jam, danced to Squirrel Nut Zippers in Denver on the night my husband and I got together, got backstage passes to see Widespread Panic in Berkeley, and even got to meet Chris Isaak after a show in Boulder. Currently unsurpassed concert highlight: jumping up and down for two hours straight at an Ozzy Osbourne show (best concert ever!).

9. I have the two greatest kids in the universe. No. Really. And I'm enjoying every moment of it. Learning to take several deep breaths in a day can be a good thing.

10. My favorite Star Trek captain is Jean Luc-Picard.

11. I don't like to follow rules; however, I don't especially like to break the law.

12. My two favorite punctuation symbols are the comma, and the semi-colon; I admire the writing style of Jane Austen for exactly that reason, as she could write entire paragraphs, indeed, entire series of paragraphs without using a period, except where grammatically correct.

13. I love to dye swaths of my hair blue or pink. Purple is a color I've been considering recently, although I have heard that it fades to an icky sorta silver color. Hmmm, that could be fun.

14. My totally anal, "line-everything-up-in-perfect-order and don't let anyone touch it" side constantly wars with my "oh my god, I totally hate cleaning, and what's a few dust bunnies anyway?" side. It. is. a. constant. battle.

15. During 4th grade, I completely and absolutely missed the point of career week. On a recently rediscovered school paper, when answering the question of, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" - I wrote down "a vegetarian".

16. I mark time as B.W.2. and G.T.T.E. (Before Web2.0 and Getting to Total Efficiency).

17. Growing up with the Jetsons and Star Trek definitely left its mark. Sometimes, when I hear of a new invention, or advance in science, I think, "Hey, didn't we already have that?".

18. I have a passion for leisurely eating, cooking, and wine. Nothing too complicated, because my kitchen motto is: "I love to cook with wine; sometimes I even put it in the food". Was so happy to finally find this on a magnet, and I still believe that it was custom made for me without my knowledge.

19. I, Avatar: a true believer in the personalization of the avatar, I am an advocate for learning, enjoyment, and socialization in virtual worlds of any kind.

20. Two books have recently helped to change my life for the better: Clear your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston and Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Karen has taught me the value of unobstructed spaces and how clutter can affect your everyday life. As recommended in the book, I have now given away 80% of my clothes. Remaining clutter zones: basement and garage. Tom points out a very simple truth: Why struggle so hard to improve the things we may have no talent for? By working on our strengths, and partnering with others that have the strengths of our weaknesses, we can go much further.

21. I have voted in every single presidential election since I was 18. Before Obama, I have never felt such a strong connection to a candidate. Yes, We Can! However, I also realize that the president can only do so much - the country is run by Congress, too. Please keep the spirit alive by keeping up on the issues and writing to your Senator or Congressperson. Once again, Yes, We Can!!

22. This has always been my favorite number. Also, 2, 4, and 11. Sensing a theme here?

23. Four years ago I stumbled into the perfect career. Like many 'librarians', I never thought of working in a library before. I also have the position best suited to my strengths and tastes. As Technology Manager, I am able to combine my love for books, learning, and technology of all kinds. It gives me chills to think of the library, and how I narrowly almost missed my calling. Once my children are in school, I will be going back to school for my Masters in Library and Information Science.

24. A long-term goal of mine is to get to a financial position where I can travel more with my family. I was lucky enough to have parents that placed an emphasis on travel and broadening horizons by experiencing different cultures. I want my kids to have the same, while also being lucky enough to reside in a small town.

25. I can play Fur Elise (by memory) on the piano, and the first two pages of Moonlight Sonata (with music). Wow, Beethoven had a wide reach. I love how he wrote tiny notes in the sidebars for lesser pianists than himself. Wish I had the drive to practice more, and maybe someday I will. The piano is a very personal thing for me, so don't ask me to play for you. It. won't. happen.

26. I just can't stop at 25 things. Please refer to #11.

27. I hate shopping, specifically clothes shopping. I spend way to much time picking and choosing; by the time I get to the dressing room I usually talk myself out of buying anything.

28. I've had way too much coffee this morning. Time to stop and get ready for a beautiful day. I love life!!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Creating Balance

I've taken a bit of a hiatus - a withdrawal into my homelife, if you will. My kids are growing up too fast already, and it is a bit scary that almost everything seems to be moving faster on a daily basis. Learning to take a deep breath and put things in perspective is a good thing.

Once I gain passion for something, I am all over it. My two biggest passions are my family, and my work; creating a balance for both without feeling guilty is one of my aims for '09. Another goal is me. Sounds a bit strange, but I truly forget to take some "alone" time - I've realized that the only time when I am alone is on the walk to work. And I only live two blocks from the library.

While at work, I'll be striving to be more effective, and while at home, I've created a schedule to work less. I'll let you know how my "me" time all shakes out. Suggestions welcome.