Destination Procrastination

A topic I think we are all very familiar with!

So here it is Sunday night, at the end of a long Thanksgiving vacation weekend. My plans for the evening consisted of doing laundry, grocery shopping, a little deep cleaning, and some furniture rearranging if time allowed. It is now 9:34pm and I just put the first load in the wash, my fridge is bare (unless you count the pan of stuffing that I brought home from the office Thanksgiving party week before last- yikes!), I have cleaned nothing, and my bed is currently situated in the smack middle of my bedroom with an 80lb dog holding it in place. I did, however, make it 5 minutes late to the 6:30pm showing of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1.

Ohhhh epic...

And now, here I am working on a post, researching a myriad of Twilight posters, while my best laid plans continue to just lay there. I'm not normally much of a procrastinator. In fact, my M.O. is to have things done so far ahead of time that something changes and I have to redo it. However, tonight, I just didn't feel like getting my butt in gear and buckling down. And since I rarely grant myself this kind of slack, I don't feel bad about it. But in this case, my lack of motivation will not affect anyone but me and Mickey (and perhaps my coworkers depending on what top I pull out of the dirty clothes hamper and whether I can get motivated by morning to put on deoderant). So there really is no big deal to taking my last night of vacation for myself and just chillin' like a villain. 

Now, tomorrow when I get to the office and have deadlines that have to be met and work that has to be done, I don't have the same freedom to grant myself these types of breaks. However, at certain points we have to step back, take a break and reset. I think we can all agree that when our brain gets bogged down with so many thoughts and so many actions, we stop being productive in the way that we need to. So, when is it ok to grant ourselves these pardons? Whether it's studying for an exam, working on a project, trying to hit a work deadline, or just even fulfill social obligations (this one tends to be my biggest hang up).

I don't have a magical answer, although if I did, I wouldn't be sharing it here for you all to read for free. I would turn it into a 200 page Best Seller, "Dr. Synthia's Guide to Perfect Procrastination". That's just my working title, still throwing around ideas. But I know several people right now that I observe and see the pressures of work, or school, or life bogging them down and procrastination doesn't seem like an option. But we all need breaks, and we have to be able to take them in order to maintain function and sanity. In fact I often attribute my personal productivity not so much to what I am doing with my working time but instead what I am doing with my procrastination time. My breathing space is so important to being able to come back and work hard and accomplish anything. For instance, taking tonight to myself will most likely result in a productive rest of my week- which is much more important to me.

I guess all I mean to accomplish with this post is to get you thinking about how and when you procrastinate, and do you effectively procrastinate? I guess now is the time that I also need to acknowledge that fact that one goal of this post is actually procrastination itself. Allow yourself room to take breaks, and don't sweat it if you do. But if you are going to, try to make sure that your breaks will give you the necessary fuel to be successful. Organic motivation. 

Speaking of which, I think it is officially time to switch the laundry, get Mickey off the bed, put it into place, and see what I can dig out of my cabinet to fashion into some form of lunch for tomorrow. Or not... 

If you have any magical cures or advice that you would like me to add to my book, I think we would all love to hear them!

Home for the Holidays

Well, I just completed the should be 6 but took 7 hour Thanksgiving trek to my sister's house in Jacksonville, FL for my first Florida Thanksgiving.

I've had the topic of "home" on my mind lately. And as we are officially in the holiday season (if you couldn't tell by the onslought of Christmas commercials and clever Santa jingles), it seems to be the optimal time to think about what the concept of "home" means to each of us. Is it a physical place? Is it an atmosphere? A city, a state, maybe even a person?

I think we all know how I struggle with definitions of words. Most of the definitions that I have read define "home" as a dwelling or shelter. And while that makes perfect sense, I know that I often find myself wishing I were home. Even when I'm sitting in my apartment. To me, home is not just where I live. It's an environment, an attitude. The house I first lived in, we moved out of when I was in middle school. And the house I spent my adolescent years in was sold while I was away at college. So the houses that my parents now occupy, do not hold any real "home" value to me. And in the last 4 and a half years, I have had 5 places of residence that I have deemed "home". So when I have a deep feeling of wanting to go home, or the spot that I want to belong, none of these shelters really seem to fit the bill. Sure, at the end of a long night, "I want to go home" means "I want to go to wherever it is that my bed is". This could be under my desk at work for all I care at that point (incidentally, a very comfortable spot to sleep, as well).

I guess for me, home is a feeling, a place where I want to belong. More an environment and an atmosphere of love and comfort.  As I mentioned earlier, I often catch myself wishing I could go home. But when I have this thought, it's an undefined locale. It's a longing that I want to establish. And if anyone read my last post (oh, that's right, you ALL did...right???) you can hopefully see where this concept can be a bit confusing given how confused I am on a daily basis.

So, I pass it to you all, and wonder how you define home. On my drive today, one of my current favorites on my playlist really struck me. "Home" by Edwards Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros:

Ahh, Home
Let me come Home
Home is wherever I’m with you
La la la la, take me Home
Baby, I’m coming Home

I like this definition of home. Perhaps you also recognize it as "Home is where the heart is". Yes, I think that's a universal concept. I am certainly not the first to think it, and I'm sure not the last. And while I may not be "home" for Thanksgiving, I have my Mickey here with me, and a house full of family that are glad to see me and I can't think of a better alternate. So since everyone has posted their Thanks on Facebook, I will take a brief moment to say that this Thanksgiving, I am thankful to feel like I belong. I am thankful for a chance to spend time with family that I don't get to see much, but that I am excited to connect with. And I am ESPECIALLY thankful for the CD that I found under my drivers side seat while looking for my phone titled "Country Mix '03", it really made the last 2 hour leg of my journey possible- well, that and the 26oz Rockstar energy drink.

So on this Eve O' Thanksgiving, I wish you all a safe travel "home" to my dear friends returning to loved ones (or mildly tolerable ones). And for those of you not travelling, or going somewhere that isn't home, I still wish you a lovely holiday full of cranberries and stuffing, pies and green bean casseroles.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a Good Turkey.

Old Threads for New Beginnings

A good friend of mine (and loyal reader of my blog) asked if I would be willing to dedicate some of my blog space to talk about a clothing drive that he is currently working on. And given the fact that you are reading the opening lines, I of course agreed to do it!

So here's the deal:

Old Threads for New Beginnings

Sponsored by the Atlanta Union Mission, this annual clothing drive comes right to your doorstep! Seriously people, you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own home or pajamas to donate. Unless you are going to donate your PJs, then I personally believe you will find it easiest to remove them first. For 73 years, the Atlanta Union Misson has been serving our area's homeless community by providing food, shelter, and clothing for those in need. And even though we are enjoying weather in the low 70s this week, we all know the temperatures, they are a changin'. This organization needs our help! They are looking specifically for donations of warm clothing, however, any donations are appreciated.

Step 1:  Go raid your closets today, don't wait. Follow my very simple rule, if you haven't worn it in over a year, it's time to go. You don't need 8 black sweaters either- but someone else does. Maybe you are still sporting threads from a few seasons ago- throw 'em in the donate pile, and go take advantage of the MANY sweater sales occuring at a mall near you. Don't care why you do it, Just Do It! (Please don't sue me, Nike!)

Step 2: SCHEDULE YOUR PICK UP! This could not be easier. Simply visit http://oldthreadsfornewbeginnings.org/schedulepickup.html and tell them where to pick up the items. A Union Mission volunteer (maybe Ryan if you're lucky!) will come by on pick up day and...well, they'll pick them up for you. Be sure to schedule your pick up soon! Pickups close Friday, December 2 at 5:00pm!!

Step 3: ........

That's it- only 2 easy steps. Collect your clothes, schedule a pick up. Let's all make an agreement to donate atleast 5 items. Surely we each have 5 items that we can all spare. I'll even get the ball rolling and volunteer a minimum of ten articles of clothing from my closet to go to this cause.

If there is any other information that you find you need, please visit clothing drive website at http://oldthreadsfornewbeginnings.org/

And for those of you dear readers who do not live in Atlanta, there are plenty of ways to help those in need this holiday season! Whether it's through your local Union Mission or any other great charitable organization. It's people helping people, People!

Get the word out!

The Things I Don't Know

I've been racking my brain all week for my next blog post, and have sat down probably 3 or 4 times to start writing and 1-2 sentences in, I hate what I've got. I'm getting nowhere with my thoughts, except more lost. And it's not that I don't have thoughts about various topics, but I haven't quite figured out where their final development stages yet. So if I can't figure out what I mean, I'm sure not going to subject you all to trying to figure it out.

So since I am struggling with writting about something that I do know, I figured maybe I should take an alternative approach and write about what I don't know. That seems to be the majority of what I am sure of lately anyway- that of which I am not sure. I know what I don't know...ya know?

While I have spent the last few months working very hard to focus on my day to day life (waking up on time, longer walks for Mickey, eating smarter, running more, etc.), I have very consciously tried not to focus on the big picture issues (what's my 5 life year plan, will I renew my apartment lease, will I actually go back to school?). And I think that it might be time that I start making some progress on these big ticket items. Yet, I have no idea how to start making a dent in all of these decisions. And where I get really torn is whether I even need to make any decisions. Maybe a "wait and see" plan is the right approach. Maybe I need to take a big risk (which, let's face it- not really my style). Maybe I just need to make a bad decision. But identifying all the options, all the pros, all the cons, all the right answers, and especially all the wrong ones, just lands me in a spinning frenzy that forces me to retreat back to my daily-centric thought model.

Maybe this is common for people my age. It's just a growing pain, a rite of passage into being a "real grown up", whatever that means. The in-between can be quite frustrating. Sometimes I still feel like a kid- having to ask others in my office what a Flexible Spending Account is and where the heck do I purchase car insurance- and sometimes I feel like an old lady- all I want is a Werthers Original and a nice blanket to cover my knees while I watch the Price is Right. I just don't want to flutter about for the next 10 years making no progress. But I guess even if that's what I do, that's ok. I suppose it's possible that I'm wasting my time trying to come up with an answer that can't be found. I'm trying to divide by 0.

What a coincidence- I am writing and listening to Adele's NPR Tiny Desk show (which is a phenomenal music series that I just discovered tonight, you should look it up, really) and the first part of this song really just grabbed me:

I've made up my mind,
Don't need to think it over
If I'm wrong, I am right

Now, while this song is likely about a bad relationship and not a decision about an apartment lease or graduate school, I'm going to go ahead and pretend that I didn't hear the rest of it (even though I did and it's a really good song, kudos). The idea that even if you are wrong, you are right- you made a decision and you can't undo it, you gotta go with it...I hope for that kind of definitive feeling, a willingness just to go after something. Not even a right one, but just to start getting things off my plate. Confidence.

I guess, long story short, (and congratulations to all of you who happened to guess right and skip immediately to the last line for the summary) there's a lot that I don't know. And that's what I know.

The One Where She Blogged about France...

There are approximately 2 people out there that I imagine will understand why I chose to name this post as I did. I'll be interested to see if they step up and admit it :)

Anyway, let's get on with it, shall we?

I anticipated the question "how was your trip?" since before I even left for Nice and I have been thinking and thinking about how I would respond to people. I slept the whole way there, I ate well, I drank well, I laughed, and Nice was beautiful. However, this will not suffice for most of you :) But as I sat in the airport in Amsterdam on my 2 hour layover, I had a real chance to reflect on my week in France, and everything that I identified as my favorite parts of the trip will bore most of you to tears and have little meaning. Sure, I can advise you to visit Nice and have Socca in the old town, take a day trip to beautiful Eze, eat gelato, take in the history. But you can get any of that from professional travel sites who know far more about this locale than I.

However, what these sites can't tell you is that the 20 minute bus ride across town is the perfect time to people watch and laugh hysterically with your companion. I am also fairly sure that there is not a section about how tart the baby oranges on the bush at the museum are, so beware if you think you want to steal one and eat it. These sites will also not warn you of grown men vomiting on a hot and crowded Night Bus on Halloween. Yes, there are many treasures that they just don't talk about.

So, in order to give you all a snapshot of my time in Nice, I am dividing the remainder of this post into 3 sections that I feel best categorize my trip: 1) The fun things I did... 2) The food I ate... 3) The things I laughed at.

1) The fun things I did
 While just about everything that we did was a blast, there are a handful of items that stand out.

- Eze:   This is a fantastic touristy, walled, hill town about a half hour bus ride from Nice. We went for the afternoon and upon arriving, we realized that we read the bus schedule wrong and had almost an hour to wait for the second bus to get up the hill. This gave me a chance to put my toes in the water at the base of the hill, which was a goal for the trip. Two of the nicest hotels in the region are located in Eze, and rates are around the very reasonable price of 1200 Euro a night. Their restaurant also featured a delectable wild wolf the day that we walked by. Another highlight of this attraction is the exotic cactus garden conveniently situated at the very top of the hill. Even though we were only there for a few hours, there is so much to tell about this area. It certainly should be on your to do list if you are ever in the region.

- Reading on the beach:   This started out as fun. A nice cool windy morning and I needed to entertain myself for a little while, so I grabbed the beach chair and crossed the promenade to sit and read for a spell. About 20 minutes in, on an empty beach a man comes and sits down directly next to me, pulls out his cell phone, and begins angrily chatting away in French. Thanks, dude.

- Attended a birthday party:   Even though we arrived an hour late and somehow still managed to be an hour early, I knew the evening was off to a peculiar start when I asked to use the restroom and could not figure out how to flush the darn thing. The handle was NOT where it was supposed to be, and I could not find any instructions. Panic. Setting. In. Finally, I asked the host for help, and he was very kind in showing me that there was a lever on top that was the magic trick. However, when he had bathroom products stacked all around it, I was never going to find this. I think I played right into his trap, just as he wanted! The rest of the party went well. With many nationalities represented, and the wine flowing, there was an opportunity for everyone to sing Happy Birthday to the trap-setting birthday boy in their respective native languages. I believe there were roughly 10-12 lanugages represented, recorded, and compiled into a fun birthday video for all of Facebook to enjoy.

- Halloween:   I am not someone who loves Halloween. The costumes, the fright, the candy, none of it is really up my alley. So I was actually quite glad to be somewhere that does not "live it up" the way we do in the US. However, there were still parties and a few costumes. We eneded up at a Salsa Club after the Opera Bulles (see section below) and danced for a little while. Aaron was surprised to find out that I knew the words to almost every song that the DJ played. That's right, people...I know how to get down with my bad self.

- Opera Bulles:   Staged at L'Eglise St. Augustin, this operatic piano and voice recital was great fun. We listened to selections of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, and Bizet operas. The conductor was casual and funny, and the music was classic and beautiful. A lovely and unique event.

- Old Nice: This area of town was probably my favorite. With it's narrow alleys, old buildings, and street food galore, it's no wonder that this is the more touristy area of town. And at the top of the area is the old fortress, which we climbed on my last day. The views were amazing, and that was even on a hazy afternoon.

2) The Food I Ate

- Croissants*: Every. Morning. Fresh. Yum.

- Cochon: This is not what the average francophile would think. It was actually a marzipan pig from the bakery. We had to know what it was. But seriously, a pink marzipan pig, how can you not be a little curious?

- Baguettes: *See section RE: Croissants

- Socca: A Niçois tradition. This chickpea cake is the epitome of simple street food. A plate of it is very cheap, it's a simple flavor, and it needed ketchup badly. I am not sure I have ever said that about anything in my life. I waited until I got back to America to say that, just to be sure it was safe.

- Pastis: The French version of Yagermeister. This Anise flavored liquor is very popular in the region. Most commonly consumed in a shot size quanitty and mixed with water...well, it's awful, to be quite frank (or should I say...franc?). And it's even worse when someone puts a glass in front of you before your breakfast has even been served.

- Crepe: What trip to France is complete without one? And before you start to ask, there was no Nutella involved in the making of my crepe. Judge away. I like a simple sugar crepe.

- Salami: The only way that I feel I can appropriately convey my thoughts here are through the words of Joey Tribiani (and going along with the theme of the title) Salami...GOOOOD.

- Cheese: I ate my weight in just about any cheese I could find. Cheap no name cheese from the grocery store, Emmental on my sandwiches, wheels of Camambert. You name it, I ate it. Ok, well not the blue cheese.

- Sausages: While this is technically a list of all the things I ate, I have included this tid bit even though it was something that I did NOT eat. In an attempt to try something new, we selected several sausages from the grocery deli counter that looked like something we had never had before. Not being completely sure of what they were, and me being convinced that they were in fact offal of some type, once cooked we were not able to identify what they were, but what they in fact were not. These were not consumed, and Aaron was no longer allowed to pick out meats.

- Gelato: A-MA-ZING. We had a cup with 4 flavors: Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon, and Pistachio.

- Chocolate: We stopped at a chocolaterie while out for a walk one afternoon where you could watch them make everything. They had samples out and just a really unique variety of goods. One of their specialties was using flowers such as rose and violet. Very fragrant flavors. Not a fan, but still nice to have tried them.

- Champagne: To toast my last night and a fantastic week, we bought a bottle of classy champagne from the specialty store down the street. The owner was very helpful and even was one of the few who allowed me to speak to him in French instead of automatically switching to English and killing my French-speaking ego. My first rose champagne, it was a perfect ending to a sweet week.

And last, but certainly not the least....
- La Rossetisserie: Set back in the streets of Old Nice, this roast meat specialist caught our attention while walking one day. It's a small venue with a small menu, and they do what they do well. This was our one meal out for the trip, and it hit the spot both with the food and on the wallet. We had roast lamb, roast pork, roasted potatoes, ratatouille, salads, a carafe of wine, and espressos- all for around 35 Euro. And for desert? Well, we skipped it, but we would have had the chicken!


3) Things I Laughed At:

- Guy vomiting on the bus: Halloween night, late, tired, crowded, and just far enough away that he couldn't reach me. There was no other option but to laugh it off at this point in the night. The odd thing was that no one seemed particularly phased by it.

- Crazy old woman at the bus stop: While waiting for the bus to Eze, there was an older lady who just decided to start assaulting random travellers. She called one girl struggling with suitcases a "salope" (I'll let you do your own translation, this is a family friendly site), she kicked an Italian tourist, and she cursed almost every bus driver that stopped here. I liked her.

- My French: It was bad. I kind of want some of my money back from my education. Perhaps I can use my French bargaining skills to try and negotiate the repayment rate on my student loans, I don't really want to pay them back so much anymore. Or I can just take them with me and join the folks at Occupy Atlanta. The news showed a group of about 20 that are still holding on strong. Wow.

- Bus rides: Aaron and I used our time on the bus to laugh. A lot. I believe that my favorite bus ride conversation was in regards to the proper way to "Brush your shoulders off". He insisted it was the palm side of the hand, I was sure it was the back of the hand. So then we had to look up the actual video. Which then led to a debate about who sang it. Long story short, he was right on both accounts. Jay-Z and palm side down, in case you are wondering.

- French dogs: Surely you didn't think I would make it an entire post without a Mickey mention? How little you all know me! Mickey would never have made it in France. All of the dogs are so well behaved. They don't bark, they don't run off, they don't chase tails. They were actually kind of boring. But they were everywhere, I love it. On the bus, in the grocery store, cafes- I do like this part of the culture. And I saw a handful of breeds that we don't have here in the US, they got some funny looking pups over there!

Ok, fine a 4th Section that I just decided to add..... 4) Things I Left in France

- My new headphones: crap.


Well there you have it! That was my trip in a nut shell. A very large, very long nutshell. But it was really great just to have some time off to relax, catch up with Aaron, and just be in a beautiful location for a week.

A bientôt, mes amis!