Month: January 2013

The Daily EO: January 16th, 2013

I remember as a kid that we held our favorite colour as a banner helping define ourselves.  It was something that adults thought of very little, but children used a probing question to get to the fundamentals.

I used to have my favorite colour as pink, and then closely followed by my favorite second favorite colour purple.  Then somewhere I switched to blue.  And settled on red for a while.  It’s not something that I think about much now.  I consider colour when I am buying clothes, or when painting walls.

But I do still have a favorite colour, it’s just a little bit more detailed now.  My favorite colour occurs in very late evening or very early dawn.  A clear sky, very little light, and a blue that is as rich and deep as darkness.  The silhouettes of trees or buildings in black in front.

January 16th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:

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An early morning moving & shaking view of my favorite colour.

The Daily EO: January 14th, 2013

I am not a great skier, but I never fall.

I was a successful brownie and a guide that eventually dropped out due to my refusal to conform.

If you combine two statements about me, it all but completely sums up my personality.    Sheer willpower keeps me on my feet, but I never quite got good at skiing.  I am nervous of ice, steep hills, stray junk on the hills, and well. .  mostly falling and anything that could cause falling.  And hurting myself badly.  But also, I am afraid of looking foolish or unable to cope with what is in front of me.

In guides and brownies, you had an opportunity to earn badges which you then sewed on your sash.  If you didn’t wear your sash, you earned demerits.  Therefore, you HAD to wear your badges outs in front of everyone that showed all of the badges you’ve earned.  It wasn’t bragging, it was mandatory display of facts.  I could show the world how awesome I was and be protected from being a braggart.   And if this didn’t motivate young Susan!   My mother had to implement a rule that I could only work on 5 badges at a time.  I was so fettered as a child.  Sigh.

But I parted ways with guides when it became obvious to me that they wanted people to conform and I didn’t want to.  I *had* to wear a uniform (not pants instead of the skirt), I *had* to show up all the time and I *had* to follow the rules.  Conforming – especially when it is something I don’t really want to do – is not in my make-up.  I thrive on being different, being contrary and being individual.  And so the badges – and really,  how many more could I earn – didn’t outweight the conformity aspect.  And when my mother told me I had to either follow the rules or quit, I quit.

So, when faced with spin class tonight – which happens to be taught by my current boss at work (yes, that is weird a little isn’t it?) – I certainly was not going to fail in front of her, another co-worker that takes the class regularly or in front of other toned up peeps there.   She started the class out by letting people know there were 7 tracks and that if this was your first class, stopping after 3 or 4 would be a great accomplishment.

Whatever.  Like I am going to stop after 4 tracks.  That could be 1 or more of 3 things that I don’t do:

  1. Looking foolish and being unable to cope with what is in front of me
  2. Missing an opportunity to prove to myself that I am awesome (and letting others know a little too)
  3. Conforming to the persona of being out of spin shape (despite 18+ months hiatus of taking any challenging spin class)

So, there was a guy that left after 3 tracks.  He looked a cliche January-er, but he made it to class and maybe next time he’ll get further.  And that is my honest reaction – I didn’t think he looked foolish, or that he wasn’t awesome or that he was conforming.    I thought, good for you buddy, this is tough.  But then I went back to focusing on me and the *must* of completing the task well.

And I see that all the time in my life.  I like it a lot when my team members are awesome, but I know they can be awesome and make mistakes.  I know that they need to be able to raise their hands and ask for help – and when they do, I don’t think they can’t cope or they are foolish.

So why the double standard?   I don’t know, but I really think we should wear badge sashes at work – I would accomplish so much.

January 14th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  You bet I did the class – the whole damn thing and took no easier options (other than tension adjustments sometimes).  I’m awesome, I can cope and I didn’t look foolish (mostly).   I need to lay down now.

The Daily EO: January 13th, 2013

I am looking for a run to motivate my return to healthy exercise and well. . .  running.  I am considering the Vancouver Sun Fun Run, because it is so traditional and so huge and so Vancouver.  And there’s the Grouse Grind, but that is more than I can handle right now, I think.  But maybe that is the point.

But I found this on the internet today:  http://www.colormerad.com/races/vancouver.html

What?  Really?  Who thinks up these things?  Like I am going to do that!

But, hmmm.  Could be interesting.

January 13th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  To be rad or fun?  Or both?

The Daily EO: January 12th, 2013

When I started stocking up my house we first moved here, I went to Costco with a friend. I have an inherent cheapness about me that causes me to have issue with the requirement to pay money to a store just for the right to shop there. I mean, really? Is it that exclusive? And it further pisses me off that they have the best price and best quality for raw nuts. So I have to keep mooching off my friends who buy Costco memberships to get said nuts and other items. Sigh.

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Said Mugs

Anyways, I had left the cart and when I returned, my friend had conveniently placed a 2 piece travel mug set in the cart for me to purchase. I pondered this for a while, because I seem to get and get rid of a lot of travel mugs – I don’t tend to use them. My friends extolled the virtues of this particular travel mug to me. I was staying at their home for a month while we settled in – perhaps it was polite to buy the mugs. Perhaps that is what people do in Coquitlam. I didn’t really know that I needed one and one was purple which matches my “blackberry” Honda which would make me feel weird and matchy (my iPod is enough). Huh. I made my decision, took the travel mugs out of the cart and returned it to the shelf.

And then picked up a different pack that had silver and blue and instead of purple. Sigh, the social pressures we have to contend with.

It turns out, that I like these travel mugs a lot. My friend was right. I did need them. <<insert “I told you so” here, Alison>>I use one most days and I really like how they lock closed so you can drop it or roll it around in your car without spilling. Very good seal system. When you want to drink, you press a button and hold a button that allows you to drink.

But there are techniques for using these mugs. First – if you like to taste foods and retain feeling in your mouth, make sure you let the beverage cool before putting on the lid. Or wait an hour. It will still be lava hot. It’s ridiculous. I return from a meeting each day at 9 am to find my still piping hot tea upon my desk. Which is very handy and satisfying If you *need* caffeine then you might want a less effective mug.

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Oh the Humane-ity

Modern technology has allowed us to train our animals more humanely – gone are whips and electric shock collars. Instead we have the dog whisperer, “alone” time and spray collars. You know spray collars for dogs. When he barks, you click the remote and the dog gets a faceful of citronella or the like. Apparently this is very effective for altering behavior in dogs.

And to get back to my second point about proper technique on these travel mugs. If you leave the mug lid to soak in water (to avoid any stinky diary smell from the milk in tea), water seeps into the seals and gets trapped and sits there

What does it sit there waiting for? Well, me of course. When I take the first sip of the day – usually while driving – the water sprays a fine mist up my nose, across my eyes and dampens my bangs. How many times have I done this? At least 7. Can’t I remember to release the mist away from my face? You’d think so.

January 12th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Not quite as smart as a dog, but I’ve got good, safe and hot tea.

 

The Daily EO: January 10th, 2013

Today we were invited to Carson’s third birthday. Third birthdays are better than the 1st or 2nd (where everyone else seems to enjoy it more than you).  When you are 3, you are start to get it.  And you are surrounded by aunts, uncles, grandpas, omas, sisters and friends who bring brightly wrapped packages to be opened after sugary cake.  What happens?

Well, you run the gamut of emotion:

This is the best day ever!
This is the best day ever!
I can't take much more!
I can’t take much more!
Can things get any better than this?
Can things get any better than this?
Too Much!
Too Much!
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Joyful with Grandpa

January 11th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  A family birthday that we – “just” friends – were invited to.  What a special night.

The Daily EO: January 9th, 2013

January is three things to the retail world:  White Sales, Get Healthy and Organize Your Life.  Take a look at your flyers: Canadian Tire has all their Rubbermaid bins on sale, Old Navy has their workout gear on sale and the Hudson’s Bay is selling off towels.

And there is something about January that spurs on the clean-out mode.  Perhaps is it the long stretch from now until Spring, or the excesses from Christmas – both food and things – that get us focused on cleaning, organizing, and reducing.  I don’t really know why the white sale traditions in January.  Perhaps it is because you had to burn the sheets unwanted holiday visitors slept on?

I watch Hoarders (the TV show) sometimes and cringe always because I was raised by a consolidator.  (which we think would be a great reality TV show – match up a hoarder and consolidator in one house and see who goes crazy first).   But have you noticed – those who have big houses with lots of space have difficult wrapping their arms around the problem of clutter.   Why?  Because they have been free to live without unfettered for years – free to collect and gather and store without real implications.

I can tell you – as the manager of the warehouse for my company – the same is true in business.  If your business plan calls for a 20,000 square foot warehouse and you have a 40,000 square foot one, watch out!  Soon you will have the thing full and wondering where the next incoming shipment will be stored until needed.

Any mistake, poor system or bad decision without dealing with the ramifications will get hidden in your warehouse or closet.  And you’ll find yourself looking for space to store your necessities.   And while Rubbermaid bins are not going to fix our warehouse, the concept is the same.

Deal with the mistakes, fix the poor systems, review what you’ve got and throw out the valueless.

January 9th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  Reenergized by beginning my clean-out plan.

The Daily EO: January 8th, 2012

For Christmas in my stocking from my brother, I received a head massager.  The last place I remember seeing one is in Miss Congeniality 2 (which is a terrible movie.  Why?  because Benjamin Bratt wasn’t in it.  What was Julia Roberts thinking when she threw him over to marry some whatever movie director).

I had never tried one, though I admit feeling a vague feeling of curiously, but not enough to pursue it.  And really, it’s probably one of those gimmicks.

So when I got it in my stocking, I wasn’t really thrilled until I pulled it out of the box and tried it.

It’s like being able to tickle yourself or massage yourself.

My husband comes up behind me and surprises me and I find myself tense like a fainting goat – not wanting to make false move lest he stops.

January 8th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary:  Get yourself a head massager.  So good.