Delusions of... Everything

Half Way Through

It's the half way point of the 21 day detox I've been doing.  it's not a specific detox, but one that a friend's daughter, who is a massage therapist and student of nutrition, made up.  (I shared the specifics of the detox in this post, in case you want to read about it.)  There are a group of us doing it together and we keep in touch via Facebook.  We encourage each other, share recipes, ask questions and report on how our days are going.

I hate to be all "omg, I feel great", and "I have so much energy", but both those are true!  I'll try to be calm as I share the following observations with you.

• The body is an amazing thing.  That I can change my diet for 11 days and have a 180 degree turn from how I felt 12 days ago proves that.
• My joint aches are virtually gone as are the headaches.
• The knee pain I've had since I "sprained" it almost 3 months ago is gone.
• No more swollen hands and feet.
• My brain feels really sharp and I haven't been forgetting as much.
• The heart palpitations that have plagued me since I've been peri-menopausal are gone.
• I have so much energy that I've exercised 4 times this week and enjoyed tolerated it.  I'm not quite loving it yet.
• My head is no longer all plugged up.  I haven't woken up sneezing once this week.
• The sharp, gassy stomach pains I'd get daily are gone.
• *Gross Alert* I'm successfully pooping eliminating every darn day, sometimes twice.  When eating a lot of beets the daily elimination will be shocking until you realize all that red is from the beets!  TMI I know, but I felt the need to share.

There is no drug that could have taken away all the icky feeling symptoms I had and even if there was I doubt it would work so successfully in 11 days!

Metal Problems

I grew up taking the bus every where.  My mom did not have a drivers license and my dad rarely took us anywhere.  Here are some things I learned, during my formative years (from 1965 - 1977), taking public transportation in Seattle.

It is possible to throw up on the bus without making a mess, if your mom has a large plastic shopping bag.  It is, however, super gross to have to feel the squishy warmth pushed against you.

Homeless people (or "bums", as my mom called them) had metal problems, that's why they bumped into people when walking down the bus aisle, why they talked so loudly and why they stunk so badly.  Yes, metal.  That's what I thought my mom said for years, although I couldn't understand how metal caused those afflictions I stayed as far away from metal as I could just in case.

Some bus drivers are rally nice, some are really crabby.

Nuns wearing habits do not like being called penguins, even if a 5 year old thinks that's what they look like and loudly says so to her mom.

Some people like other people of the same sex.  I found that out around age 8 after watching two men make out on the bus, I mean seriously making out with tongues and everything.  I was so confused, yet amazed.  Much to my mom's mortification I couldn't stop staring.  I had so many questions that she refused to answer until we got home.  But... but... but.  Once off the bus she explained it all to me, told me it was called being gay, that her (and my) favorite cousin was gay.  "That's just the way some people are made", she told me.

A bus driver would stop the bus and make screaming people get off.  If they refused to disembark the vehicle the driver would call the police.

Some people didn't mind spanking or slapping their children on the bus while everyone quietly watched, but pretended not to.

It is possible to carry a Christmas tree home on the bus.

What's the strangest thing you've seen while taking public transportation?

 

The Self Portrait

While in San Diego Handy Man and I were on the beach early one morning while the kids were still sleeping.  Here is what transpired...

Me:  Let's take a self portrait of "us".

HM - (looking around very puzzled) There's nowhere to set the camera.

Me:  We can do it like this...

HM: .... ok.  Can you get us both in the shot?

Me:.....

HM:  It's not a very good picture.

Me:  You have to get closer to me!! *sigh*

Don't you just love the look on HM's face?!  It says, this is the dumbest idea ever, this picture will never turnout.

Later he took a self portrait with Dancing Daughter.

I guess he learned something that morning on the beach!

This and That Thursday

It is Thursday, right?

Is it possible to develop ADD as a laid off adult? 

I forgot what I was going to say.

*crickets*

Oh... I got an application to volunteer at one of the agencies where I applied for a job.

Did you know the library has a great Career section that is full of informative and helpful books.  I checked out five.  I think my reading slump is over.

There are books about surviving a layoff, surviving job hunting, resume writing for every occasion, including when you don't have a 4 year degree, things to say in an interview and so on.  I feel like I found buried treasure!

Discovering that I haven't used any of the words considered to be "vague" in my resume is relieving.  I do need to clean it up a bit though.

I'll be learning how to write a killer cover letter.

The depression that seemed to be bearing down on me has receded a bit.  After doing much research and reading all of your wonderful words of encouragement I'm feeling more hopeful.

I know in this economy it's going to take a while to find a job I really want.  I also understand (a little too late) that I might need to take a job I don't want and continue searching for one I really want.

I can't thank all of you enough for your kind words.  You have helped me more than you know!

Now For Something Different

The second semester of school started yesterday.  As I was making coffee this morning it hit me that my son is in his last semester of high school.  It took my breath away.  I remember my last semester of high school.  By planning ahead and getting most of my credits out of the way my final semester schedule was light and short.  Star Wars Son is in the same position.

Period 1 - Economics - I know this class sounds hard but the counselor told SWS it's the senior "skate" class.  Star Wars Son had this to say about the teacher... He's an older guy and I'm convinced he was high yesterday.  He talked really slow.  When his computer announced he had a  new email it was very loud and it startled him, in very slow speech he said, "I    guess    I    should    turn    that    down."

Period 2 - Beginning Guitar - The rumor is the final test of the class is to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?!!

Period 3 - Film Appreciation - SWS's very smart and sharp English teacher told him not to take this class.  She called it Movies For Dummies.  I'm pretty sure that comment convinced him to take the class.  SWS had this to say... The teacher is crazy!  She said if we bring a drink to class other than water she's going to spit in it!  But we are going to watch some cool movies like The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  First we have to sit through the silent movies.  I'm excited to hear how this class plays out.

Period 4 - Drawing and Painting - SWS finally has the best art teacher in the school who is retiring at the end of the year.  I'm very glad he gets to have the experience of being taught by her.

That's a schedule I would have loved as a final semester senior!

(I made it through a whole post without mentioning job hunting or being unemployed... almost)

Workshop Wednesday

So I've finally had some time to look through the Photoshop books I checked out from the library.  I picked one that I really liked.  It's specifically for digital photographers, which is just what I wanted.  In the future I might want to learn how to make other art on Photoshop, but for now I want to learn photo editing and enhancing.

I've learned some basics that I probably should have already known.  It's faster and safer to upload photos using a card reader than hooking the camera directly to the computer.  I've never used a card reader, but I plan to get one soon.  I also learned how to use Bridge to upload and organized my photos.  I've only used it once, but already like it much better than iPhoto.

So far I've only done the most basic editing.  This sunrise picture I took on Sunday January 10, 2010.  I used the wide angle lens so I could get the sliver of the moon in the shot too.  Because I don't use a tripod (mine is broke) I can't set my shutter speed any slower than 50 and even that causes some blurriness.  So my low light shots are almost always underexposed.

Here is the shot straight out of the camera:

 

After messing around with Photoshop...

I actually like both shots.  I love the dark blue of the sky in the top one, but I like that you can see those high clouds in the second one.

What do you all think?

I'm just happy that I've started learning something I've wanted to learn for a long time!

To see my Wordless Wednesday contribution go here.

Strive

Last week I read this post by Jason at The Jason Show.  It intrigued me and it's been on my mind since I read it.  All the comments were great too and one in particular stuck with me as much as Jason's post.  It was by Jenn at Juggling Life, who inspires me quite a lot.  If you haven't read the post yet you should stop by to read it when you have time.

Basically the idea is to pick a focus word to help with attaining goals.  The word could be anything that means something to the person using it.  Something that is a reminder to stay on track with what's trying to be accomplished.

After I read Jason's post I was trying to come up with a focus word for me.  I pondered on Jason's chosen words of Release and Replace.  I have already practiced Release in my life, I'm pretty good at it actually.  I thought Replace could work, because I do have a couple habits I'd like to replace with different ones, but it just didn't feel right.  I also checked out the whole list of words that singer Christine Kane posted last year.  The one word that struck me instantly and has stayed with me the past few days is the word I read in Jenn's comment about how her word would be Strive.  That word hit me like lightning! 

There is so much I want to do, so much I want to accomplish.  I need to exercise regularly to combat borderline high blood pressure, borderline diabetes and to lose weight.  I want to learn to use Photoshop.  I want to write everyday to improve my skills and tell my story.  I have goals for my blog.  I have other goals waiting in the wings.

I will Strive to accomplish things I need and desire to do.

The word Strive feels positive to me.  It's a good strong word that makes me feel motion.  When I say that word to myself it makes me stop and ask myself if what I'm doing is helping me Strive toward my goals.   While getting toward the end of my work out on Monday I considering cutting it short.  The word Strive popped in to my head and I knew I had to keep going.  I knew I had to Strive toward regular (and complete) workouts.

The power of positive thinking has worked for me in the past and I know it can work for me now.  The trick is to remember to use it!

(Click here to see my Rudy Tuesday contribution.)

End of the Year Review - Part 1

Since I was without a computer for a week at the end of the year I didn't get a chance to report on a few events.

Right before winter break Star Wars Son and a partner completed a graduation requirement!  It's called the CBA (Classroom Based Assessment).  They did it in their Senior History class and the subject they chose was Religious Intolerance.  Their presentation was 25 minutes long and very detailed, especially regarding the history of religion.

The presentation was judged by a panel of 3; teacher, and 2 alumni.  They were very nervous before, especially SWS's partner!

They had no reason to be nervous, they were well prepared and did a fantastic job.  The requirement of the presentation was to cover three areas, the conflict, the share holders and a resolution.  The share holders were what they considered the major players in religious intolerance, Christianity, Judaism, Islam and the non-religious.

They spoke of the similarities between the three religions;  they all have a single God, a Messiah, and stories of miracles.  The Atheists don't believe in a God of any kind, they are driven by proof or scientific evidence, something solid they can see or experience.  The Agnostics are somewhere in the middle, they acknowledge there might be the existence of a God.

They covered how the wars throughout history have mostly been over religion.  They made a great point about how even though the killing of millions of Jewish people happened during the holocaust the Jewish religion is still going strong today.  War does not stop a religion, it just kills innocent people without killing the religion.

Their resolution was about how if each religion took some time to see how similar they are and how if people would just accept other religions, not agree or even understand them, just be tolerant of all different beliefs  war might be avoided.  They even suggested that maybe, since there are many similarities in the three main religions, maybe all those different paths lead to the same God.  Maybe all the religions are right?

They wrapped up by talking about how studying and preparing for this presentation changed them.  Halfway through the research they came to realize one was a Christian the other an Atheist.  SWS's partner explained to him about how most people have to believe in something, how having faith gives them security and keeps them going.  SWS explained how he's more secure in knowledge and proof than faith.  They both left this experience more tolerant than when they started.  I was so proud of both them.

A quick parenting note... This presentation took place on a Thursday evening at the school.  There were about 30 kids presenting, 3 different presentations to a room.  Besides SWS we watched a presentation on the US budget for war and one on the war in Afghanistan.  We were the only parents there.  SWS said there were a couple parents who were on panels, but there were no other parents to watch or support their kids.  I find that very disturbing.

Here is a group picture taken in the school library:

To see the photo of the day go here.

Workshop Wednesday

Self teaching is something I'm all about!  I love to learn at my own pace, whether it be fast or slow.  I like to learn in the comfort of my own home.  I've taught myself how to cook, bake, crochet, cross stitch, scrapbook, zentangle (I'm still learning this skill), use any new camera, use Excel and so on!

So with that attitude I'm self teaching how to use Photoshop AND to improve my writing skills.  Being the good self teacher, I put a bunch of books on hold at the library.  Going to the library is like Christmas morning, only less messy.  It's always an adventure to see what's waiting on the shelf.  I just love the library, the muffled sounds, the old book smell, the oversized chairs by the window to sit and sample what's behind the cover of a selected book.

Why December seemed like a good month to start these projects I'm not sure, but I'm going with it while I have the desire and motivation!

These are the Photoshop books from the library...

I have not had time to get going yet, but I have scanned through a couple of them.  I might need to actually take a class, but we'll see.

The pile of books about writing is less daunting.

The Anne Lamott book is wonderful.  It reads like a novel and is filled with the best advice and encouragement and it's funny, in an Anne Lamott way!

The Writer's Book of Wisdom is a small pocket sized book, easily carried around.  It has 101 "rules" for writers and I've marked many pages (with Harry Potter Uno cards, don't ask) to go back and read again.  I might have to purchase this book to have handy.

The Writer's Path is an instruction book with exercises.  I've done a few of them starting with writing about my earliest memories, which Anne Lamott suggests too.  I'm having some fun doing it, but also some uncomfortable moments as I relive some of those memories.  There was another exercise where you start with a simple sentence, change nouns and verbs, add adverbs and adjectives, take some away.  I loved doing this!  I'm not going to show you how the sentence evolved over nine different steps, but show you the beginning sentence and where it ended up.

A cat walked into the kitchen.

Evolved to...

The extremely talented boys sang beautifully at the music studio.

Fun and simple stuff!!

My goal is to spend each Wednesday showing you what I'm up to with writing, Photoshop or other projects I'm working on.

(To see my photo of the day go here.)

Learning Curve

I've learned much in the month I've been blogging, but there is still much to learn.  Yesterday morning I wrote a post first thing, then forgot to publish it until later in the afternoon, when I noticed it hadn't posted yet.  Since initially I didn't know what to write about, it had no title.  You will notice it still doesn't have a title because I forgot to give it one.  I can be a scatterbrain that way sometimes most of the time.  Blogging is more fun and satisfying than I ever imagined, mostly because of my fellow bloggers.  So I'm asking for all of your help in answering a few questions of a new blogger.

• Can I go back and title a post without it re-posting or messing things up?
• Is it quirky to just leave it that way?
• Can I go back and give past posts categories, or will it republish the post as new?
• When I use pictures from other sites on the internet should I credit the site?
• How do I know if a picture is copyrighted?
• Is there a blogging handbook I should be reading?
• How many other blogs do you read regularly?
• How often do you comment when you read a blog?
• Is it rude to read but not comment?  (I'm notorious for not commenting, even on all the message boards I've been a member of.  Not because I'm not interested, but because I frequently feel I have nothing to add.  I'm still only commenting on about half the blogs I read.)

Learn something new everyday is my motto, I plan to learn a lot today!