...because I'm the worst blogger of all time.
See, if I don't have a deadline looming in the distance, staring me down and scaring the crap out of me, I sit around on my couch watching hours of Say Yes to the Dress, eating ice cream and talking to my cat. I also do other things that involve other humans, but you get the picture.
So my blog goes without an update for weeks...months...a long time. Thankfully I didn't set out writing this blog as a daily log of my life, but rather a collection of thoughts and whatnot. So regular updates aren't all that necessary. You don't want to read my writing when it's uninspired.
I could give you every excuse in the book as to why I haven't updated, and most would be half true.
I've been busy...
This one's been true for the past month and a half. I just got back from a trip to Los Angeles for a big work event that I had a very important role in, so I actually did do some work from home after putting in eight hours or so at the office.
There were also nights where I went out with friends, visited my family back home, visited the boyf up north or sat on my couch and ate pizza.
And then there were days where I thought about updating and fell into a spiral of childish self-loathing and just didn't want to write on here.
I don't have anything to write about...
False. There are always things I could write about. I'm not saying I have a particularly riveting life, but I could always tell you what I did that day. That might be boring unless I tell you what I thought about all day. But do we really want to go that deep? Is that a thing that I should write about on a public blog that strangers in Germany read (not lying)?
If I did choose to write about my thoughts, I think I would sound like I'm whining. So, you're welcome.
I need to focus on my half marathon training...
That's actually 100% true, but not an excuse for not updating. I'm about two weeks into training, and because of the big work event, I'm off to a rocky start. I've vowed to get super serious this week, which means getting every training run in, eating healthy (but I love pizza and chicken wings and fries!!!) and getting some strength and conditioning workouts in here and there (thank you, Pinterest).
Those are actually the only excuses I could think of, and they're all pretty lame.
I should make it a rule to blog after every training run. That way I'll be keeping my blogging and running promises. I mean, other than finishing in under two hours, my other goal for this half is to come out of it looking like a shorter version of Ellie Goulding (even though my body is not even close to being the same shape as hers. A girl can dream), and that won't happen all on its own.
So guys, whoever you are out there readin' this thang, keep me to this. Write comments on here badgering me to update if I fall behind. Send me Facebook messages to yell at me. Tweet at me. Send me a Vine. Or tell me in person that I need to get on this. Whatever works for you.
Until...tomorrow?
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
On Finding Extracurricular Activities...
I recently realized that I need a project in life outside of work.
It's not that work isn't taking up enough of my time (it takes up the majority of my waking hours), or that I don't enjoy being a lazy jerk once I get home. It's that secretly I love staying busy because that's how my life has been since I was five years old.
So I feel like a project is in order. Yes, I'm a runner, that's kind of a project, but it's not quite what I'm looking for. Running is more therapy than anything else for me. Most of my thinking is done during that time, and let's be real - the main reason I run is so I can eat more food.
If you remember back to why I created THIS blog, it was to keep my personal anecdotes separate from what was to become my food blog. Yeah, that's still in progress. To be honest, I'm a little intimidated by the food blogging world. There's just so many of them! How do you stand out in that world? How can I learn more about food (without paying tons of money to do so) and sound like I know what I'm talking about and not say things like, "This was great!" "It tasted amazing!" "I love bacon!"? Most importantly, what will the theme of my food blog be?
TL;DR: Still working on the food blog.
So here are some thoughts on various projects that perhaps I can get myself into.....
Creating an Etsy store
I was a super creative child. I give most of the credit to my mom for this. She was and still is fantastic at sewing. She made lots of dresses for me and my sisters among other things. She also did cross-stitching and taught me how to do it. That was my first creative endeavor. I then got into the bead lizard business in elementary school until the market got saturated.
Friendship bracelets, embossed greeting cards, metal charms from my charm making kit, paintings, beaded bobby pins...you name it, I made it. There was even a brief period in high school where I learned how to knit scarves (and gave them to EVERYONE for Christmas). So I know I have some bit a crafty creativity in me.
I'm also an avid pinner on Pinterest and am constantly trying to figure out how to make the things I see on there.
So I have the ability to make things, what I lack is the funding and the ideas. Not to mention, have you been on Etsy lately? There's SO MUCH stuff on there! Everyone and their mother/father/sibling/relative has an Etsy store, and some of it is really, really good. And then you visit some pages that don't sell anything.
Etsy, you might be a little risky for me. This is a project that would take some investment without a guarantee on its return.
Become a Better Gamer
If you know me, you know my boyfriend is a gamer. And he's been pretty successful at getting me into games. I went to Indiecade East a couple months ago and was able to impress people with the fact that I play Borderlands 2 and actually know a thing or two about games other than Mario or Tetris.
So now I have a bit of a reputation as a girl that plays games (please don't act surprised. There are soooo many girl gamers these days. It's not like you just caught a Mew in Pokemon), but I'm not particularly great at playing games. I mean, I'm better than when I started, but I still get my ass kicked regularly or have to look things up.
Couple of issues with this project. First, how does one become better at games? Isn't it just natural talent? As far as I know, there aren't coaches out there for it. Second, summer is approaching. Should I be spending this much time indoors?
Make My Own Coffee/Beer
I love coffee and drink it every day. I don't know everything about beer, but I love drinking it and trying new kinds. I don't drink it everyday because, you know, I shouldn't.
This sounds like the most exciting of the projects in my mind so far. But it also seems like the one with the most obstacles. For one, I don't know the first thing about brewing my own beer or roasting my own coffee. This issue is easily remedied by the Internet, which is responsible for me knowing anything at all. Equipment is probably the biggest deterrent. I really don't have the money or space to obtain the necessary equipment (though admittedly, I haven't researched this at all. Only assuming). There's also the issue of supplies/ingredients.
But you know, these are all pretty easily fixed if I can find what I need at a decent price. So I'm thinking this might be the most viable project so far. What do you think?
Ok so it wasn't an extensive list of projects.....but now I'm thinking at least. This is good, right? This is productive? When people ask what I like to do I could say something other than "running" or "hangout out with my cat." Even though I love doing both of those things. More updates to come...
It's not that work isn't taking up enough of my time (it takes up the majority of my waking hours), or that I don't enjoy being a lazy jerk once I get home. It's that secretly I love staying busy because that's how my life has been since I was five years old.
So I feel like a project is in order. Yes, I'm a runner, that's kind of a project, but it's not quite what I'm looking for. Running is more therapy than anything else for me. Most of my thinking is done during that time, and let's be real - the main reason I run is so I can eat more food.
If you remember back to why I created THIS blog, it was to keep my personal anecdotes separate from what was to become my food blog. Yeah, that's still in progress. To be honest, I'm a little intimidated by the food blogging world. There's just so many of them! How do you stand out in that world? How can I learn more about food (without paying tons of money to do so) and sound like I know what I'm talking about and not say things like, "This was great!" "It tasted amazing!" "I love bacon!"? Most importantly, what will the theme of my food blog be?
TL;DR: Still working on the food blog.
So here are some thoughts on various projects that perhaps I can get myself into.....
Creating an Etsy store
I was a super creative child. I give most of the credit to my mom for this. She was and still is fantastic at sewing. She made lots of dresses for me and my sisters among other things. She also did cross-stitching and taught me how to do it. That was my first creative endeavor. I then got into the bead lizard business in elementary school until the market got saturated.
 |
| [photo courtesy of etsy.com] |
I'm also an avid pinner on Pinterest and am constantly trying to figure out how to make the things I see on there.
So I have the ability to make things, what I lack is the funding and the ideas. Not to mention, have you been on Etsy lately? There's SO MUCH stuff on there! Everyone and their mother/father/sibling/relative has an Etsy store, and some of it is really, really good. And then you visit some pages that don't sell anything.
Etsy, you might be a little risky for me. This is a project that would take some investment without a guarantee on its return.
Become a Better Gamer
If you know me, you know my boyfriend is a gamer. And he's been pretty successful at getting me into games. I went to Indiecade East a couple months ago and was able to impress people with the fact that I play Borderlands 2 and actually know a thing or two about games other than Mario or Tetris.
 |
| [photo courtesy of gearboxsoftware.com] |
Couple of issues with this project. First, how does one become better at games? Isn't it just natural talent? As far as I know, there aren't coaches out there for it. Second, summer is approaching. Should I be spending this much time indoors?
Make My Own Coffee/Beer
I love coffee and drink it every day. I don't know everything about beer, but I love drinking it and trying new kinds. I don't drink it everyday because, you know, I shouldn't.
 |
| [photo courtesy of divinebrew.com] |
But you know, these are all pretty easily fixed if I can find what I need at a decent price. So I'm thinking this might be the most viable project so far. What do you think?
Ok so it wasn't an extensive list of projects.....but now I'm thinking at least. This is good, right? This is productive? When people ask what I like to do I could say something other than "running" or "hangout out with my cat." Even though I love doing both of those things. More updates to come...
Sunday, April 21, 2013
On Partying Like a Rock Star...
I just got back from the most tiring, but fun, week ever. I got less than six hours of sleep each night, probably had one drink too many more than once (sorry Mom and Dad) and met some really awesome people. It was one of those trips where the beginning of it - last Monday - feels like it took place a week ago. That's a good thing, right?
So of course I want to talk about some food that I ate, because it was pretty top-notch. My first night in Los Angeles I went to a little place called Wood & Vine. We sat out on the patio and got lots of plates to share, one being pork bruschetta. I only had half of one piece of it, and it was probably the richest thing I've ever eaten, but incredibly delicious. Ever have whipped lardo? I have. It's fattening and awesome. The other pieces that came with it had garlic and ricotta, and then pork liver butter. I passed on the liver one, and apparently that was a good choice.
I had chicken and waffles for the first time, and certainly not for the last time. I've always been a salty and sweet lover, but this was like, sweet AND savory, which kind of blew my mind? The waffle was pretty standard, the chicken was the best I've ever had (amazing crisp on the outside, moist on the inside) and then they put maple syrup on it and some herbed butter? I'm sorry, but this dish can do no wrong. I only ate a quarter of it (because I was actually sharing food for once) but easily could've had the entire plate.
So then I also had this tomato and avocado salad, which in my mind was a California version of a caprese salad. It had these tomatoes that were deep red and super juicy, with avocado slices and burrata cheese (seriously, where has this been all 24 years of my life?) and what I think was some sort of reduced balsamic. Another thing I could've had all of, but I decided to be a good co-worker and share.
And then dessert happened. Butterscoth pot de creme with salted caramel ice cream. I'll just let that sink in...
The next night we went to a place that was total "old Hollywood," called Musso and Frank Grill. I had no idea what to expect going into here, but I was really, really pleasantly surprised. I was also starving by the time we got there and ate far too much bread before my meal. I started with French onion soup and it was easily the best I ever had. Like, there was some taste in there that was so good that I can't describe it or begin to figure out what caused it. I then continued on my journey of having cheese in every part of my meal and went for the Macaroni Gratin. Ever been to Chef's in Buffalo? It was essentially spaghetti parm but instead of red sauce, it used a bechemal. Pretty sure my arteries were crying by the end of this meal. I also didn't finish the plate because of my bread indulgence from the moment I sat down.
I think that covers the most important parts. The rest was hotel food that was free so I can't really complain about it.
If you can't tell, this was a work trip. And it was a really successful one at that. I made way more connections than the previous two times I worked these events, one being a songwriter who created part of the soundtrack to my high school years. I also met some up and coming songwriters that I'm looking forward to staying in touch with. All this being said, networking is TIRING. Very little sleep was had this week. Very. Little.
THAT being said, I think it's time to cut this short and get back on New York time. Los Angeles, it was fun, but I am so happy to be back home living my perfectly ordinary stay-in-every-night life.
So of course I want to talk about some food that I ate, because it was pretty top-notch. My first night in Los Angeles I went to a little place called Wood & Vine. We sat out on the patio and got lots of plates to share, one being pork bruschetta. I only had half of one piece of it, and it was probably the richest thing I've ever eaten, but incredibly delicious. Ever have whipped lardo? I have. It's fattening and awesome. The other pieces that came with it had garlic and ricotta, and then pork liver butter. I passed on the liver one, and apparently that was a good choice.
I had chicken and waffles for the first time, and certainly not for the last time. I've always been a salty and sweet lover, but this was like, sweet AND savory, which kind of blew my mind? The waffle was pretty standard, the chicken was the best I've ever had (amazing crisp on the outside, moist on the inside) and then they put maple syrup on it and some herbed butter? I'm sorry, but this dish can do no wrong. I only ate a quarter of it (because I was actually sharing food for once) but easily could've had the entire plate.
So then I also had this tomato and avocado salad, which in my mind was a California version of a caprese salad. It had these tomatoes that were deep red and super juicy, with avocado slices and burrata cheese (seriously, where has this been all 24 years of my life?) and what I think was some sort of reduced balsamic. Another thing I could've had all of, but I decided to be a good co-worker and share.
And then dessert happened. Butterscoth pot de creme with salted caramel ice cream. I'll just let that sink in...
The next night we went to a place that was total "old Hollywood," called Musso and Frank Grill. I had no idea what to expect going into here, but I was really, really pleasantly surprised. I was also starving by the time we got there and ate far too much bread before my meal. I started with French onion soup and it was easily the best I ever had. Like, there was some taste in there that was so good that I can't describe it or begin to figure out what caused it. I then continued on my journey of having cheese in every part of my meal and went for the Macaroni Gratin. Ever been to Chef's in Buffalo? It was essentially spaghetti parm but instead of red sauce, it used a bechemal. Pretty sure my arteries were crying by the end of this meal. I also didn't finish the plate because of my bread indulgence from the moment I sat down.
I think that covers the most important parts. The rest was hotel food that was free so I can't really complain about it.
If you can't tell, this was a work trip. And it was a really successful one at that. I made way more connections than the previous two times I worked these events, one being a songwriter who created part of the soundtrack to my high school years. I also met some up and coming songwriters that I'm looking forward to staying in touch with. All this being said, networking is TIRING. Very little sleep was had this week. Very. Little.
THAT being said, I think it's time to cut this short and get back on New York time. Los Angeles, it was fun, but I am so happy to be back home living my perfectly ordinary stay-in-every-night life.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
On Days Without Caffeine...
Ugh.
Guys, this was not intentional. A day without caffeine is never intentional when it comes to me. I. need. coffee.
This day started beautifully. I woke up around 11 am after a particularly stressful week, much to my cat's dismay. He wants me to wake up at 7 everyday even though doing so means I'm gone for about 10 hours. So I got out of bed like Snow White with birds chirping and smiling animals surrounding me (false), and slowly got ready for my Saturday long run.
I never drink coffee before my run, so the thought of making it never crossed my mind. I did make some toast with Peanut Butter & Co,'s Dark Chocolate Dreams though. That is not something I regret.
Next I went for a rather hilly run that was supposed to be 7 miles, but I made it 6 instead. I also saw an even nicer part of my neighborhood, just when I thought it couldn't get nicer.
After a shower, I put on sweatpants and pretty much sealed the deal that I would not be leaving the apartment for the rest of the day. I did laundry, cleaned the place a bit, watched the movie Friends with Kids and then Pulp Fiction was on, and I never remembered to make coffee or tea.
So about half an hour ago, I thought, "Wow, I"m super tired! Maybe I should call it a night!" I then looked at the clock and saw that it was 10 pm. That's not incredibly early, but I'm 24 and it's Saturday and I just can't do that. When I started typing this, I was laying on the couch with my laptop trying to keep my eyes open. I fought the urge to nap because napping that close to when I want to go to bed would be detrimental.
Let's talk about some other things, like the movies I watched.
Friends with Kids. I wanted to see this movie from the first preview that I saw. Kristen Wiig? Jon Hamm? Adam Scott? Sign me up. I didn't realize this wasn't a straight-up comedy though. It was a little depressing until the last half hour where they actually explained the message. SPOILER ALERT(ish): The message is to find someone who you want to be with even at their lowest. Thank god I got me one of those.
Pulp Fiction. I love this movie. I've seen it more times than I can remember. However, I watched it today on VH1, which decided not to go the HD route today? And had very poor editing/censoring. I mean, come on, if you can't handle the task of making this regular-cable-friendly, then don't even try. Don't ruin one of my favorites.
Tomorrow will be filled with a shopping trip for my upcoming business trip to LA. I'm looking forward to finding new shoes, and not looking forward to finding clothes that a) flatter this shape and b) make me look like an adult that works in the music industry.
Do you ever feel like you never look as old as those around you when they were your age? It happened to me a lot throughout high school and college. And it happens a lot now. I look in the mirror and see a teenager when really I'm staring at a 24 year old that lives on their own and is expected to be responsible. No matter what I wear, this always happens. Do I just accept that I'm perpetually 16?
Maybe I'll post an update tomorrow with my finds...if there are any.
This has been Brianne's day without caffeine. Good riddance.
Guys, this was not intentional. A day without caffeine is never intentional when it comes to me. I. need. coffee.
This day started beautifully. I woke up around 11 am after a particularly stressful week, much to my cat's dismay. He wants me to wake up at 7 everyday even though doing so means I'm gone for about 10 hours. So I got out of bed like Snow White with birds chirping and smiling animals surrounding me (false), and slowly got ready for my Saturday long run.
I never drink coffee before my run, so the thought of making it never crossed my mind. I did make some toast with Peanut Butter & Co,'s Dark Chocolate Dreams though. That is not something I regret.
Next I went for a rather hilly run that was supposed to be 7 miles, but I made it 6 instead. I also saw an even nicer part of my neighborhood, just when I thought it couldn't get nicer.
After a shower, I put on sweatpants and pretty much sealed the deal that I would not be leaving the apartment for the rest of the day. I did laundry, cleaned the place a bit, watched the movie Friends with Kids and then Pulp Fiction was on, and I never remembered to make coffee or tea.
So about half an hour ago, I thought, "Wow, I"m super tired! Maybe I should call it a night!" I then looked at the clock and saw that it was 10 pm. That's not incredibly early, but I'm 24 and it's Saturday and I just can't do that. When I started typing this, I was laying on the couch with my laptop trying to keep my eyes open. I fought the urge to nap because napping that close to when I want to go to bed would be detrimental.
Let's talk about some other things, like the movies I watched.
Friends with Kids. I wanted to see this movie from the first preview that I saw. Kristen Wiig? Jon Hamm? Adam Scott? Sign me up. I didn't realize this wasn't a straight-up comedy though. It was a little depressing until the last half hour where they actually explained the message. SPOILER ALERT(ish): The message is to find someone who you want to be with even at their lowest. Thank god I got me one of those.
Pulp Fiction. I love this movie. I've seen it more times than I can remember. However, I watched it today on VH1, which decided not to go the HD route today? And had very poor editing/censoring. I mean, come on, if you can't handle the task of making this regular-cable-friendly, then don't even try. Don't ruin one of my favorites.
Tomorrow will be filled with a shopping trip for my upcoming business trip to LA. I'm looking forward to finding new shoes, and not looking forward to finding clothes that a) flatter this shape and b) make me look like an adult that works in the music industry.
Do you ever feel like you never look as old as those around you when they were your age? It happened to me a lot throughout high school and college. And it happens a lot now. I look in the mirror and see a teenager when really I'm staring at a 24 year old that lives on their own and is expected to be responsible. No matter what I wear, this always happens. Do I just accept that I'm perpetually 16?
Maybe I'll post an update tomorrow with my finds...if there are any.
This has been Brianne's day without caffeine. Good riddance.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
On Spending Easter On Your Own...
I'll preface this by saying that this won't be a sad post. Not at all. This is the first Easter I've spent on my own, by myself, but I've had a wonderful Easter weekend. And I really wasn't on my own too much except on Easter itself.
It started on Friday when my two friends and I couldn't quite get our weekend sorted. Were we going to go to the Museum of Natural History that night and dye eggs the next day? Or vice versa? Oh wait, the museum closes at 5:45 pm, no dice. Grilled cheese then?
So we ventured to the Lower East Side where we ate grilled cheese with balsamic reduced onions and roasted brussels sprouts. And then we ate homemade rice krispie treats, which brought me back about 10 years or more. Seeing as I've been best friends with these two since middle school/high school, we always have lots to talk about, then we watched some TV and YouTube clips thanks to the awesome power of Apple TV. Seriously, if you've never seen Apple TV in action, you need to.
Yesterday was the first great weather day of the year, and the three of us made the most of it around the city.
We started at the Museum of Natural History where we saw lots of taxidermy-ed animals that were extremely impressive to see up close. Like elephants. I'll never be that close to a living elephant. We also saw the special whale exhibit going on that had a HUGE skeleton of a whale! I think even the tiniest bone in that thing could injure me if it fell on me. I learned some cool things about whales too and smelled ambergris, which apparently can be used as a spice, and after smelling it I believe it. But I wouldn't eat it after learning where it comes from...
My favorite part was the ocean room where they have a 95-foot long model of a blue whale and you can lay under it! They also have the famous "clash of the titans" exhibit, otherwise known as "the squid and the whale" exhibit. It's a model of a big whale fighting a giant squid, and it's not behind glass and it's crazy dark, so it's a little scary. Naturally, I needed to know everything about it when I got home, but the Internet failed me on that. Why is this exhibit in the dark?!?!
After we walked around the museum for nearly three hours, we had a late lunch at the 79th Street Boat Basin Cafe right on the Hudson River. The weather was perfect. It was so warm in the sun and a bit chilly when it went behind a cloud. From there, we did a little shopping at DSW where one friend found a pair of boots she's been searching for forever, then we went past my office to the Time Warner Center where the shopping continued. I didn't get anything at H&M (because I'm still trying to figure out how to dress this body of mine in the most flattering way possible), but I did splurge a little on some Urban Decay eyeliner at Sephora. We then made the most of all the samples in the store and I came out looking a little more put together than when I went in.
Then we sat on the edge of Central Park by the circle and relaxed and people watched. If there's one thing this city is good for, it's people watching. Also, when you just stop and look around this place, you feel sooo small. Especially in a place like Columbus Circle where the buildings overpower everything.
I went home from there and finished the book I was reading on the making of Breakfast at Tiffany's (my favorite movie), and settled in to veg out for the night.
Today I slept until 11 am. Yes, 11 am. I'm not ashamed. This is the first time in a week where I feel well-rested and can finally breathe normally! That means this week marks my return to the gym, though I'm hoping the sun starts staying around long enough for me to get some post-work runs in.
We were supposed to dye eggs today, but I think we all just wanted a day at our own places, which was fine by me. I did laundry, cleaned, made a big pot of marinara sauce, set up my budget for April with my new budgeting software (this probably DOES make me a real adult, right?) and am now finishing up Away We Go while my cable service cuts in and out during the sentimental ending.
One thing left: finally finish that damn speech.
It started on Friday when my two friends and I couldn't quite get our weekend sorted. Were we going to go to the Museum of Natural History that night and dye eggs the next day? Or vice versa? Oh wait, the museum closes at 5:45 pm, no dice. Grilled cheese then?
So we ventured to the Lower East Side where we ate grilled cheese with balsamic reduced onions and roasted brussels sprouts. And then we ate homemade rice krispie treats, which brought me back about 10 years or more. Seeing as I've been best friends with these two since middle school/high school, we always have lots to talk about, then we watched some TV and YouTube clips thanks to the awesome power of Apple TV. Seriously, if you've never seen Apple TV in action, you need to.
Yesterday was the first great weather day of the year, and the three of us made the most of it around the city.
We started at the Museum of Natural History where we saw lots of taxidermy-ed animals that were extremely impressive to see up close. Like elephants. I'll never be that close to a living elephant. We also saw the special whale exhibit going on that had a HUGE skeleton of a whale! I think even the tiniest bone in that thing could injure me if it fell on me. I learned some cool things about whales too and smelled ambergris, which apparently can be used as a spice, and after smelling it I believe it. But I wouldn't eat it after learning where it comes from...
My favorite part was the ocean room where they have a 95-foot long model of a blue whale and you can lay under it! They also have the famous "clash of the titans" exhibit, otherwise known as "the squid and the whale" exhibit. It's a model of a big whale fighting a giant squid, and it's not behind glass and it's crazy dark, so it's a little scary. Naturally, I needed to know everything about it when I got home, but the Internet failed me on that. Why is this exhibit in the dark?!?!
After we walked around the museum for nearly three hours, we had a late lunch at the 79th Street Boat Basin Cafe right on the Hudson River. The weather was perfect. It was so warm in the sun and a bit chilly when it went behind a cloud. From there, we did a little shopping at DSW where one friend found a pair of boots she's been searching for forever, then we went past my office to the Time Warner Center where the shopping continued. I didn't get anything at H&M (because I'm still trying to figure out how to dress this body of mine in the most flattering way possible), but I did splurge a little on some Urban Decay eyeliner at Sephora. We then made the most of all the samples in the store and I came out looking a little more put together than when I went in.
Then we sat on the edge of Central Park by the circle and relaxed and people watched. If there's one thing this city is good for, it's people watching. Also, when you just stop and look around this place, you feel sooo small. Especially in a place like Columbus Circle where the buildings overpower everything.
I went home from there and finished the book I was reading on the making of Breakfast at Tiffany's (my favorite movie), and settled in to veg out for the night.
Today I slept until 11 am. Yes, 11 am. I'm not ashamed. This is the first time in a week where I feel well-rested and can finally breathe normally! That means this week marks my return to the gym, though I'm hoping the sun starts staying around long enough for me to get some post-work runs in.
We were supposed to dye eggs today, but I think we all just wanted a day at our own places, which was fine by me. I did laundry, cleaned, made a big pot of marinara sauce, set up my budget for April with my new budgeting software (this probably DOES make me a real adult, right?) and am now finishing up Away We Go while my cable service cuts in and out during the sentimental ending.
One thing left: finally finish that damn speech.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
On Procrastination...
Remember yesterday when I was crazy productive?
Yeah, we're no longer in Productiveland.
I thought it would be easier to write this speech for work while at home (after working a full day at the office), but there's just so much around me that I'd rather pay attention to. Did I mention that the first draft of the speech is due tomorrow?
No worries, about 75% of it is done. So I'm not completely screwed. But man, when writer's block strikes, it hits me hard. But I am writing right now...
But I can't write a speech like I blog. Especially for a top executive at my company, who is a male and doesn't talk like a 24-year-old girl. Maybe we should just get Lena Dunham to read the speech. Hell, let's have her write the speech too!
So I started off with the best of intentions tonight. I got home and turned on my computer and ordered plenty of food to power me through a killer speech. And then the Internet happened, and before I knew it I was trawling around Buzzfeed like it was Disneyland Paris (which I have never been to and have researched extensively. Ask my freshman year roommates).
And then I turned on the TV because I couldn't have complete silence and, lo and behold, Say Yes to the Dress was on in marathon form. Marathon. I can't resist this show. I will watch episodes over and over. Part of it is seeing girls try on dresses like they're doing it for me? Like, "oh that girl is tall and skinny and that dress looks amazing on her. I'm short and stout so we can cross that one off the list." I'm more partial to the Atlanta edition of the show, and would love for Lori and Monte to be my future bridal fairy godmothers, but I'll watch whatever version TLC is currently serving up.
Oh yeah, I'm not even engaged.
By the way, my food arrives during this time and rather than fueling me, it distracts me because I don't want to get pizza grease on my new computer. I also ate a meal suitable for carbing up before a long run. News flash: I'm still sick and definitely not going on a long run tomorrow...but now I definitely should. Maybe some yoga instead (though I'm not sure how I'd fare in an exercise that focuses on breathing when I currently can't).
I then looked at the speech, took out one line, hit save and continued on my procrastinating.
Whenever I watch Say Yes to the Dress, my next move is to log on to Pinterest and start planning the wedding of mine that won't be happening for years. I start by looking at what everyone I'm following has pinned, and then make a beeline for the Wedding section. And then I get bored quite fast because I've seen all these pins and no one is adding anything new. And I'm sick of seeing all these cutesy rhyming things at weddings. I don't want rhyming.
At this point my cat curled up in his new favorite spot that shouldn't be his new favorite spot. I had visitors this weekend and after folding up my futon, I left the sheets on the bottom half and the visitor pillows on one side of the futon. The cat LOVES laying on the pillows. Sadly, these can't stay there forever. I think he'll get over it because, you know, he's a cat and this apartment is his lounging oyster.
Mind you this speech still needs to be written.
I gave it another go before starting this entry. I added maybe two more sentences? And then I collapsed on the couch and rolled into a ball, looked at my cat and said, "I can't do this!"
And he looked at me like I'm crazy.
You can try to make me feel guilty in saying, "Brianne, you should've started this earlier." But I did! It's 75% done! And then I found out this week that the first draft will be due Friday, and I panicked! Have you ever tried writing when the words just won't come out? I imagine it's a lot like child birth, but with fewer stretch marks. I mean, I can write a really crappy speech when forced to, but the goal is to do it so well the first time that my boss will say, "don't change a thing, this is PERFECT, " and I'll walk away while brushing the dirt off my shoulders.
But this is writing, and the first draft is never perfect. And the first draft my boss sees will not be my actual first draft. It will at least be my third.
Why can't writing speeches for someone with more life and work experience than you come out as easily as a blog entry? Don't tell me, "because life's not easy." That's a stupid and easy excuse. I think the audience might find my style of speaking slightly more interesting, but as it sounds like a 24-year-old on her second year on the job, it wouldn't be all that trustworthy now would it?
Think it's time to get to business? You're probably right.
Yeah, we're no longer in Productiveland.
I thought it would be easier to write this speech for work while at home (after working a full day at the office), but there's just so much around me that I'd rather pay attention to. Did I mention that the first draft of the speech is due tomorrow?
No worries, about 75% of it is done. So I'm not completely screwed. But man, when writer's block strikes, it hits me hard. But I am writing right now...
But I can't write a speech like I blog. Especially for a top executive at my company, who is a male and doesn't talk like a 24-year-old girl. Maybe we should just get Lena Dunham to read the speech. Hell, let's have her write the speech too!
So I started off with the best of intentions tonight. I got home and turned on my computer and ordered plenty of food to power me through a killer speech. And then the Internet happened, and before I knew it I was trawling around Buzzfeed like it was Disneyland Paris (which I have never been to and have researched extensively. Ask my freshman year roommates).
And then I turned on the TV because I couldn't have complete silence and, lo and behold, Say Yes to the Dress was on in marathon form. Marathon. I can't resist this show. I will watch episodes over and over. Part of it is seeing girls try on dresses like they're doing it for me? Like, "oh that girl is tall and skinny and that dress looks amazing on her. I'm short and stout so we can cross that one off the list." I'm more partial to the Atlanta edition of the show, and would love for Lori and Monte to be my future bridal fairy godmothers, but I'll watch whatever version TLC is currently serving up.
Oh yeah, I'm not even engaged.
By the way, my food arrives during this time and rather than fueling me, it distracts me because I don't want to get pizza grease on my new computer. I also ate a meal suitable for carbing up before a long run. News flash: I'm still sick and definitely not going on a long run tomorrow...but now I definitely should. Maybe some yoga instead (though I'm not sure how I'd fare in an exercise that focuses on breathing when I currently can't).
I then looked at the speech, took out one line, hit save and continued on my procrastinating.
Whenever I watch Say Yes to the Dress, my next move is to log on to Pinterest and start planning the wedding of mine that won't be happening for years. I start by looking at what everyone I'm following has pinned, and then make a beeline for the Wedding section. And then I get bored quite fast because I've seen all these pins and no one is adding anything new. And I'm sick of seeing all these cutesy rhyming things at weddings. I don't want rhyming.
At this point my cat curled up in his new favorite spot that shouldn't be his new favorite spot. I had visitors this weekend and after folding up my futon, I left the sheets on the bottom half and the visitor pillows on one side of the futon. The cat LOVES laying on the pillows. Sadly, these can't stay there forever. I think he'll get over it because, you know, he's a cat and this apartment is his lounging oyster.
Mind you this speech still needs to be written.
I gave it another go before starting this entry. I added maybe two more sentences? And then I collapsed on the couch and rolled into a ball, looked at my cat and said, "I can't do this!"
And he looked at me like I'm crazy.
You can try to make me feel guilty in saying, "Brianne, you should've started this earlier." But I did! It's 75% done! And then I found out this week that the first draft will be due Friday, and I panicked! Have you ever tried writing when the words just won't come out? I imagine it's a lot like child birth, but with fewer stretch marks. I mean, I can write a really crappy speech when forced to, but the goal is to do it so well the first time that my boss will say, "don't change a thing, this is PERFECT, " and I'll walk away while brushing the dirt off my shoulders.
But this is writing, and the first draft is never perfect. And the first draft my boss sees will not be my actual first draft. It will at least be my third.
Why can't writing speeches for someone with more life and work experience than you come out as easily as a blog entry? Don't tell me, "because life's not easy." That's a stupid and easy excuse. I think the audience might find my style of speaking slightly more interesting, but as it sounds like a 24-year-old on her second year on the job, it wouldn't be all that trustworthy now would it?
Think it's time to get to business? You're probably right.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
On Working From Home While Sick...
I just followed up a really great and tiring long weekend with three days (so far) of being sick.
I'll preface this discussion by saying, I rarely get sick. And then I moved to New York City. I had to take a few sick days last year (something I NEVER did at any part-time job), and I've taken two this year. One was in January when I was 90% sure I had strep throat (the doctor said otherwise, but then again I had to wait a few days to see him. I still think I had it during that time), and today for the freakin' common cold.
I never get colds, I get "sinus issues." My nose runs, my throat hurts, I get pressure in my head, and it's gone in a day. I woke up Monday feeling like crap and blamed it on the weather. And then yesterday I woke up feeling worse and weak and could not stop sneezing. I knew I hadn't suddenly developed some crazy allergy, but WebMD did tell me I have the common cold. For once it didn't tell me I was going to die.
So when I woke up and got ready today feeling like death, I knew it was time to stay home before I got the whole office sick. I also had a boatload of work to do.
I went back to bed for awhile to the discontent of my cat who loves routines, like me waking up at 7, but definitely needed that extra hour and a half. Then I made a to-do list on my computer and got to work.
Working form home has always sounded ideal to me. I don't have to worry about getting to or from work, I get to be comfortable, I could work out if I wanted to (not when I'm sick, obviously), my phone isn't constantly ringing...and as I daydream about this I always think, "nah I'll never get anything done like that, I'll eat my weight in junk and just be on Facebook all day."
Seriously, I've never been so productive. Seriously! First of all, I didn't turn the TV on at all, just had some music on while I read through articles for a newsletter. No one was calling me, I was able to focus on one thing at a time, the lighting in my apartment is much better than the fluorescent stuff that's prevalent in every office...it was perfect. Granted, there are certain things that I can only do at my office, like submitting invoices and whatnot, but those things that I never made it off my to-do list earlier this week? Done!
I learned a few things about myself today. For one, I don't have ADD. Sometimes with everything going on in an office, I feel like I don't actually have the capacity to focus on one thing at a time. But with all the distractions that my own apartment can tempt me with, I was able to put it all aside and just get things done. I also learned that I can get more done while not feeling stressed out. When I am stressed out, I hide it because who wants to work with the girl that's freaking out? No one. But hiding it doesn't help either. What I need to do from here on out is just take a deep breath and prioritize. Sometimes that means rearranging my to-do list to accommodate new projects, and that's ok.
I also learned that sick days as an adult are completely different from sick days during school. Despite how crappy I feel, I knew I couldn't just let everything slide today. I couldn't sit around watching Spongebob all morning...ok, so I did watch SOME Spongebob, but what's a sick day without cartoons? At least I didn't take an hour break at 11 am to catch The Price is Right.
I suppose the overarching lesson here is that when you actually stop and look at yourself, you realize how much you've grown. I've always felt like a little kid that's younger than everyone around me, and who doesn't look my age (this past weekend someone guessed it at 21...they were three years off). I suppose this is part of being the baby of the family, but another part of it is not believing I'm actually an adult now, I guess? But then I have days like today where I'm super responsible and I realize, yeah, I actually am one! I mean, I even made myself a full dinner from my new Giada book (with lunch for the next two days) and cleaned out my fridge. I did, however, neglect the laundry for another day.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finally get some rest, catch up on some New Girl and perhaps binge watch the last season of Mad Men. Anyone else stoked for April 7th?
I'll preface this discussion by saying, I rarely get sick. And then I moved to New York City. I had to take a few sick days last year (something I NEVER did at any part-time job), and I've taken two this year. One was in January when I was 90% sure I had strep throat (the doctor said otherwise, but then again I had to wait a few days to see him. I still think I had it during that time), and today for the freakin' common cold.
I never get colds, I get "sinus issues." My nose runs, my throat hurts, I get pressure in my head, and it's gone in a day. I woke up Monday feeling like crap and blamed it on the weather. And then yesterday I woke up feeling worse and weak and could not stop sneezing. I knew I hadn't suddenly developed some crazy allergy, but WebMD did tell me I have the common cold. For once it didn't tell me I was going to die.
So when I woke up and got ready today feeling like death, I knew it was time to stay home before I got the whole office sick. I also had a boatload of work to do.
I went back to bed for awhile to the discontent of my cat who loves routines, like me waking up at 7, but definitely needed that extra hour and a half. Then I made a to-do list on my computer and got to work.
Working form home has always sounded ideal to me. I don't have to worry about getting to or from work, I get to be comfortable, I could work out if I wanted to (not when I'm sick, obviously), my phone isn't constantly ringing...and as I daydream about this I always think, "nah I'll never get anything done like that, I'll eat my weight in junk and just be on Facebook all day."
Seriously, I've never been so productive. Seriously! First of all, I didn't turn the TV on at all, just had some music on while I read through articles for a newsletter. No one was calling me, I was able to focus on one thing at a time, the lighting in my apartment is much better than the fluorescent stuff that's prevalent in every office...it was perfect. Granted, there are certain things that I can only do at my office, like submitting invoices and whatnot, but those things that I never made it off my to-do list earlier this week? Done!
I learned a few things about myself today. For one, I don't have ADD. Sometimes with everything going on in an office, I feel like I don't actually have the capacity to focus on one thing at a time. But with all the distractions that my own apartment can tempt me with, I was able to put it all aside and just get things done. I also learned that I can get more done while not feeling stressed out. When I am stressed out, I hide it because who wants to work with the girl that's freaking out? No one. But hiding it doesn't help either. What I need to do from here on out is just take a deep breath and prioritize. Sometimes that means rearranging my to-do list to accommodate new projects, and that's ok.
I also learned that sick days as an adult are completely different from sick days during school. Despite how crappy I feel, I knew I couldn't just let everything slide today. I couldn't sit around watching Spongebob all morning...ok, so I did watch SOME Spongebob, but what's a sick day without cartoons? At least I didn't take an hour break at 11 am to catch The Price is Right.
I suppose the overarching lesson here is that when you actually stop and look at yourself, you realize how much you've grown. I've always felt like a little kid that's younger than everyone around me, and who doesn't look my age (this past weekend someone guessed it at 21...they were three years off). I suppose this is part of being the baby of the family, but another part of it is not believing I'm actually an adult now, I guess? But then I have days like today where I'm super responsible and I realize, yeah, I actually am one! I mean, I even made myself a full dinner from my new Giada book (with lunch for the next two days) and cleaned out my fridge. I did, however, neglect the laundry for another day.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finally get some rest, catch up on some New Girl and perhaps binge watch the last season of Mad Men. Anyone else stoked for April 7th?
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