Results tagged "Office"

So last week when I posted about the new year and moving on, I took a tone.

I know. What was I thinking? Obviously I had my head stuck up my dead Christmas tree.

Because there really wasn’t a reason to take such a cryptic and ominous tone about making changes to better oneself. In fact, I think that anything that one can do to make him/herself feel better about life is a move in the right direction. For example, a few years ago a dear friend asked me if I would frown upon the idea of her getting a little reconstructive surgery. This is the same friend that, in college, always seemed to catch me making out with someone in our kitchen. You know, what with the kitchen being so sexy and innocent at the same time… it was right before I would invite people up to see my etchings… which is perhaps the worst art student joke on the planet…  Anyhow… (sorry dad), having lived through various indiscretions, I appreciated her trusting me with such a concern. And of course I was supportive, even though I didn’t see the need for the change in question — she wanted to feel better about herself… And this made it, BY ALL MEANS, acceptable. And never mind who I was making out with… let’s stick to the point here, people.

And the POINT, which I swear I will get to in three paragraphs or less, is that feeling good about yourself ALL THE TIME is really really hard. So hard, in fact, that the powers that be (the Kennedys, Mother Nature, Andy Warhol, Angelina Jolie, and of course ‘The Colonel with his wee beady eyes’) have made feeling 100% good all the time practically impossible. Which has made us a generation of constant change. Which is exhausting. Which is why I lied, and resolutions are good — ALL OF THEM. And while I was making it sound all “I’m too good for improvement”, because that’s how I’m now analyzing it, the truth is quite the opposite.

So, I’m starting with my habits. Not the ones that are a current necessity — obscene amounts of grapefruit paired with enough lemon seltzer water that I could float to Tahiti… because, wouldn’t that be nice? No – I’m starting with my reading habits… both online and in the Real World… In an effort to get started, I finally taught myself how to appreciate my Google Reader, where I now stay as updated as possible on all things BLOG as well as other fun stuff… Occasionally I’ll share, so if you’re all “I have nothing to do, let’s see what Ryan’s reading”, please — stop by.

As far as the Real World goes, I’ve decided to add more books to my daily intake, and although this first reading list looks a little “Self-Help”, which I’m sure I’m in need of, the choices were made for several other reasons…

1. Soul Pancake, by Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute):
   I bought this book for my sister Kate for Christmas and before handing it over I couldn’t put it down… although I was careful not to break the bind in flipping through it… Once the gift was given, I missed it. Something about the creative layout and the insightful chapter introductions… At any rate, I was having fun with it and therefore went right out and bought my own. Soul Pancake also has a Dooce-esche“community” website (Dooce happens to be a contributor — coincidence? I think… not). These community/minor celebrity things always remind me of communal living… I mean who leads and who follows? Dooce or Dwight Schrute, I mean Rainn Wilson? Are Dooce and Dwight living together? In Pennsylvania? And who really cares? And whatever — the book makes me smile, and so does Dooce.. and Dwight… so stick it.
2. The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin:
   I know Gretchen Rubin, and for this reason, I am reading this book.
   And when I say I “know” her, I don’t mean it in the BFF — I call her twice a week, “we’ve known each other for years” kind of way. No. What I mean is that I’ve been reading her blog ever since I started reading blogs… like an addiction. And then there was the time that we hung out. And when I say “hung out” I mean that I pounced on her at BlogHer with my no holds barred refinement and blurted out.. “I love your Blog”. At which point I slunk back into the crowds repeating “there is too much pepper on my paprikash” until I could regain my composure. But that isn’t even it…. I don’t always love her blog, even though she now KNOWS that I do… sometimes I downright dislike it… but whatever. She wrote a book about something she set out to do and I admire that…And aside from the fact that we know each other, her book may be bunk — but let’s give it a go, shall we?
3. The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield:
   I joined a book club.
   There, I said it.

So… that’s it. That’s the start. There are other things I’m working on too… like my career, my health… my overall existence… which pretty much rings completely hypocritical with my post last week. 2011 has a lot of possibilities… which a good friend recently pointed out that I, in so many words, had pointed out a few months ago. I’m excited about this. The possibilities… not the fact that I lied about my New Year intentions, OR that I had forgotten such a lovely thought — which originally was NOT mine to begin with (as I stamp a disclaimer on all things my son says from here on out)… Would it be too cliché to end this with a Ferris quote? “Life moves…”, Oh what the hell, this post is long enough….

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

Okay. So today is Wednesday January 27, 2010. I know I ranted a few days ago about things all changing at once but this is ridiculous although I’m feeling less stressed because I think its finally sunk  into my stubborn-never-do-anything-different-or-modify-things-in-an-way-shape-or-form head that nothing is the same, and that’s okay. Can anyone out there tell me if something has caused this? Some MOON thing or the tides – or is this the year of the chicken or duck or something? Because it seems like a lifetime ago that things were normal and it’s only been a few weeks. And if I could just get an hour at the keyboard to myself then I might be able to retain my sanity because there are four days left in this FORSAKEN MONTH and what else could possibly happen? Because I knew that things would change… but all in a span of four weeks? Here is the run down and I apologize for the repetition:

1. I stopped eating dairy and eggs. I thought I’d try this because Will can’t eat dairy or eggs and I wanted to see what would happen. Well, its not that bad, but with the unexpected super fast loss of 5 pounds, one has to worry about what I’ve done to my body thus far AND none of my clothes fit me — I’m wearing a bag right now… with a nice belt.
2. The 5 pound loss could also be attributed to the change in dinner routine where we actually sit down by FIVE THIRTY PM as a family to eat instead of waiting for Will to go to bed and then make dinner by  – oh 10:00.
3. We started working on THE HOUSE. Which is great but now I’m obsessed with decor and finding it hard to concentrate on most other things including WORK.
4. Not concentrating on work is okay since I am a killer procrastinator and started another blog AND was just relieved of my office lease– which I had another 6 months on. So now I can run free through the meadow in my bag and nice belt, finally CLOSE THE COMPANY and become an Independent Creative Consultant (again).
5. Closing the company is actually a huge relief because its been the bane of my existence since co-founding it with that boob half-wit of an ex-business partner. Then there were those people at that magazine which made life just so unnecessarily annoying. Then there were all those other clients that couldn’t/wouldn’t pay for requested work and others that stole design ideas and found cheaper firms to produce. And then let us not forget the disgruntled employees, disappearing programmers and the freelancers that borrowed things from the office. I did, however, have the opportunity to work on amazing projects with a few amazing people — but once the economy stopped cooperating and throwing money at us, the daily stress of operation was overwhelming.
6. Being an Independent (again) is also a good thing because the nap that moved from the morning to afternoon two weeks ago is now OVER. As I just now say “go lay down” again to the head peeking around the corner as I type this as fast as possible. Because this morning he jumped out of his crib at 6 am. It scared all of us but I got him to lay down again — only to have him acrobatically leap out again with the grace of a gazelle and land on his feet less than five minutes later. And, after modifying his crib so that he won’t break his neck, nap time has turned into a game of “see how many times Mom will tell me to go lay down before she admits that this isn’t working and the nap is over”. Bedtime will be interesting.
7. I suppose this game of not napping isn’t as bad as the DON’T SAY THAT game where he says “f’ing idiot” and I say “DON’T say that” which only results in him saying it like 18 more times with a huge smile on his face. I’m so looking forward to him starting preschool next week so that he can play this with a complete stranger that won’t judge me AT ALL. Then there’s the whole potty thing which he decided he wanted to try. Damn this PARENT THING IS HARD. And now he’s in the hallway rocking chair singing it with pride.

So, given that there are four more days of January, and my sanity is being held up by a thin strand of the ability to laugh at myself in humbling situations. I can only look forward to February where the seas will part, money floweth free and the sanctity of WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN NEXT will remain a game  of “Go Lay Down”. Right?

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.