so that's how I can be productive
I'm back! Not that I write enough in my lj for anyone to notice an absence, but my laptop's power cord keeled over last week, and I ended up with a computer-free weekend. It's amazing how productive one can be when one is home alone all weekend and has no internet to waste time on. I vacuumed, cleaned my bathroom, wrapped all my Christmas gifts (which I'd already bought--I don't like last-minute Christmas shopping), sent out cards and gifts, visited Dice, ran errands, kept up with the dishes, made all this weeks' lunches...
and watched lots of Disney movies. Well, I only sort of watched the movies, 'cause see, I have suddenly gotten into cross-stitching... something I've been interested in for a while, but finally sat down and learned (via a tiny 3" inch design labeled as "Learn-a-Craft: For Kids!"). Now that I have mastered a kitten with a ball of yarn, I am attempting a pretty fancy design of a geisha (5x7). I should take a picture of the chart--it's crazy lookin'. It's also going to take forever. I have finished her belt and hips, and I think I've spent something like 6 Disney movies' worth of time on it so far. But it's neat. I like big long projects--I'm finding the process of doing it similar to putting together a big jigsaw puzzle, except that it takes more concentration. I'm doing counted cross stitch, so I gotta pay attention and make sure everything goes in the right place. My mom used to cross-stitch--there are a few of her finished pieces hanging around the house, including a big one above my parents' bed I've always loved. The fact that my mom does it was probably why I got curious about it... and I guess I was a pretty crafty kid. I went through a phase of making popsicle stick boxes and selling them to anyone who cared (my mom... my best friend's mom?... um... haha) for $1.
Speaking of get not-so-rich quick schemes, for the past couple months or so I tried out doing online surveys for money/rewards, which seemed like a pretty decent idea, but they were pretty time-consuming in comparison to the money earned. I joined most panels early October and since then have made around $30, plus 11 song downloads, and a small donation to the Red Cross (probably like 5-10 bucks). One of those panels has a delayed reaction on registering the money you can redeem so I might get a little more from them, but I'm done with taking surveys. A weekend away from them (I'd get a handful every day) made me realize they are more of a time/energy waster than they're worth. I could make as much "extra cash" working a couple extra hours a month. I guess it was another one of those neat-to-try-but-not-for-me things. Nice to get $30ish bucks for trying it, though.
I'm going to try and spend less time on the computer in general... I definitely feel kind of lost without the internet... it's just so convenient, between e-mail, online banking, Google, etc. etc. etc. But I really spend too much time online just stuck in a cycle of "making my rounds." I have everything in shortcuts for fast access, which means that I end up on autopilot and clicking/checking these links over and over again even though I was JUST THERE. That has to stop, haha. No more being on the computer just 'cause it's there. I'm gonna try and get back to that hobby/crafty side, so at least I'll be doing something ultimately productive... and maybe getting in that state of mind will lead me back to music... it's weird 'cause I miss it, and at the same time I don't have the inclination to play, most of the time. I just now realized that the reason this "off" phase is so pervasive and seemingly longer than others I've had, is because all through school I was involved with classes/lessons/ensembles... so I was "forced" to play music on a regular basis, whether I felt impassioned/creative about it or not. Hm. Well, it'll come back to me. I'm not really worried about that, in the long run.
Speaking of music... (what a cliché transition that is, "Speaking of"), lots of Christmas music is so cheesy. I like this all-Christmas-all-season station, 'cause I get to hear random obscure holiday songs, and not just the super-famous-and-overplayed like "Feliz Navidad." There was one about some guy finding his former love in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. No kidding. I don't think it has ever occurred to me to write the words "frozen foods" in a song. Anyway, but my favorite Christmas song I've heard so far... "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by the Barenaked Ladies (and some girl that might be either Sarah McLachlan, or Dido). It's so damn catchy. And hearing Ed sing makes me think of the days when I was like 12 (? I actually have no idea how old I was) and constructing a K-NEX roller coaster while listening to BNL's Stunt. Had kind of a crush on Ed. I still think he's cool. I mean... he can make "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" sound hip! Who else can do that? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Hey remember when I said I was done doing surveys? Well I just meant boring, consumer opinion surveys... not stupid pointless surveys to post in my livejournal!
(not answering #1... I know, I'm cheating)
2. What woke you up this morning?
radio alarm clock... extra static, too, and I probably spent 10 minutes dumbly trying to fix it.
3. If you took a drug test, would you pass it?
yeah
4. Is tomorrow going to be a good night?
sure, why not?
5. Did you kiss or hug anyone today?
no
6. Who was the last person you rode in a car with?
hmm... my mom, I think
7. How many myspace accounts do you have?
two--one personal, and one for my music
8. What was your first thought this morning?
"hey... the radio sounds fuzzy..."
9. Do or did you like school?
yes and no... I guess overall I did
10. Would you take a bullet for anyone?
yes
11. Where would you like to live?
Las Vegas
12. Do long distance relationships work?
not sure... I think they can, but even with the best connection/intentions they're hard
13. What do you want to be when you grow up?
wise
14. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I'm really not sure--things are kind of up in the air for me right now. Best-case(?) scenario I'll be living in Vegas, with some piano-shop job (or some other job and tuning/fixing pianos on the side)
15. Who is your number one on myspace?
my dear Christa
16. Who do you wish you were with right now?
Right this moment I am pretty content here with my cats, hehe... but there are plenty of people I miss and would love to see--too many to list, really.
17. Who was the last person that left you a comment?
my brother's girlfriend, Lynnette
18. How often do you log in to myspace?
usually every day, unless I'm away or visiting with people
19. Would you rather talk on the phone or chat in IM?:
I really only like talking on the phone with a very small number of people. So not a phone person. You gotta be like, my best friend or my mom for me to want to talk on the phone with you, no matter how much I love you. Hehe.
20. How many car accidents have you been in?
hmm... I think just one, that could really be called an "accident"--slipped on some ice and slowly glided into a guardrail. Oops.
21. Do you listen to music every day?:
yes, some days just radio, though (how much music they play depends on the day... I'm talking public radio, not commercial radio)
22. Do you still go trick or treating?
no
23. What was the last thing you ate?
a little cup of ice cream with some whipped cream on it
24. Are you a fast typer?
indeed
25. How many speeding tickets do you have?
none
26. What are you doing tonight?
Well after I finish catching up online for the night I'll probably just shower and go to bed... but earlier I cooked a nice dinner, burned a "Christmas wreath" candle, had a glass of wine, and watched a couple episodes of House. Pretty decent night, I'd say.
27. If you had one whole day to yourself, what would you do?
um... cross-stitch and "watch" Disney movies for the umpteenth times (I literally watched a couple of them twice this weekend... but I guess since I wasn't really watching, it was more like listening to the soundtracks)
28. Is anything bothering you?
hmm... no, I don't think so
29. Do you miss someone?
already covered this
30. What do you want to do right now?
turn down the radio, but I'm too lazy/occupied (how's that for a combo?) to get up to do so
31. Are you listening to music right now?
yes. "So This is Christmas"... it kind of annoys me when they use a choir of kids that are not very good singers. One song that has a nice kid's choir is the "shoes for my mama" or whatever--super cheesy song, but the choir is pretty... OH BOY now it's the Chipmunks song! Haha. It's funny to hear this, and think I used to have an ENTIRE TAPE of the Chipmunks singing pop songs, and listened to it all the time. Good lord.
32. Are you in a good mood?
yeah, I feel pretty accomplished. Crossed off lots of stuff on my to-do list over the past week or two
33. What are you doing this weekend?
going to NH to visit with my immediate family--my oldest brother Jason is visiting this weekend (and not at Christmas), and I think my other bros and their families are going to come too
34. Are you talking to anyone while doing this?
no
35. When were you the saddest in your life?
hmmm... hard to say, it always seems THE SADDEST EVER when you are in the moment of being sad/depressed about something. But maybe my lowest was back in middle school(?), before I really had any meaningful self-worth (besides being aware that I was smart/musical/whatever), and before I had an opened-up view of the world to fall back on... Anyway, I don't really reMEMber that time all that well--I just remember some poems/diaries I wrote then and have read since.
36. Do you own more than one cell phone?
no, I hardly use the one.
37. Do you use EBay to buy or sell?
I only used ebay once (so far) and it was to buy. 'Cause I was too damn impatient to wait for Nintendo DS's to be available on the market again.
38. What makes you mad?
I'm generally not an angry person... Cyn and I used to joke how our version of getting mad was like, yapping like puppies and tossing pencils on the floor. ;) But I guess the thing that makes me most mad is when people have absolutely no respect for each other, and think they have any right to kill/hurt other people... like those assholes who go out on shooting rampages, or friggin' blow up buses of innocent people, etc. etc... I mean seriously--seriously enough that I will type it out--WHAT THE FUCK.
39. Have you ever had a song written about you?
I don't think so
40. Have you ever sang in public?
yes
41. What songs make you happy?
"Chin Up, Cheer Up" by Ryan Adams, "Les Poissons" by the French Chef in The Little Mermaid, "Closer to You" by Brandi Carlile, "Careful" and "Happy Frappy" by Guster, "The Remedy" by Jason Mraz, "Concerning Hobbits" from the LOTR soundtrack, "Daydream" by Blake and the Family Dog, "Montana" by Venus Hum...
well, those for the kind of happy that makes me smile and makes clouds look fluffy and stuff. There are many shades of happy and many, many songs that make me "happy."
and yes I did just scroll through my media player to be reminded of most of those. I gotta say though, I feel a little happier for it, thinking of all those happy songs
42. What do you like to listen to before you go to bed?
usually just before bed I'm not listening to anything, but I tend to listen to the Canadian/British news programs in the late evening
43. Do you have a job?
yeah
44. What does your ipod have in it right now?
I think it's at least half filled with Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, plus my own CD (with the idea that I could let people listen, except that as it turns out I never carry my ipod around, so that's kind of pointless), plus a few random of my favorite CDs
45. How many close friends do you have?
hm, just a handful, really. I have a lot of friends that I love, but rarely see and don't talk to much on a regular basis. I'd consider some of those "close" but it's it's different kind of close than like... friends who you turn to first, or that you know the most about, etc.
46. What makes you happy?
beauty, space to think, good books/movies, friends/family, my cats, dancing, sleeping in, hugs... this list could get rather long. I try to find happiness/pleasure in little things all the time, as part of having a positive outlook on life. Sounds cheesy... but I think it's important.
47. One wish?
ummmm... ok, I hope I actually do make it to Vegas within the next few years
48. Have you ever loved someone and were too scared to tell them?
yeah, though I wouldn't call it "scared"... more like patient, or practical, or... something
49. Next concert?
not sure, but knowing me I will end up at some Blue Man show before I see anything else. It just happens that way.
50. Name one song that explains your current life.
[LOL at Jenny's answer of "working for the weekend" and that being cheesy... I hear ya!]
Ummmm. My life right now... uhh... "I'll be home for Christmas"? (I think I beat you in the cheesiness department there, Jenny)
51. Has anyone disappointed you this week?
hm... not that I remember. If anyone has, not enough for me to care that much, hehe.
52. What are you currently wearing?
slippers, kitty/cloud PJ pants, long-sleeved red shirt, and an oversized blue-ish green sweater
53. Are you listening to any music?
didn't you ask me this already? I remember talking about the chipmunks.
Anyway, now it's "From a Distance." I can't stand this song. The message is so backwards. It's like "from a distance, the world is peaceful and beautiful and everyone loves each other... and God is watching us from a distance"... which says to me "God isn't seeing all the hate and destruction and other crap." Not that I really think he's watching either way, but those lyrics still bug me. I remember bitching about it when we were singing it in high school chorus.
54. Does it remind you of anyone?
my high school chorus teacher, my friend Rilee, and the rest of the chorus (like 10 girls)
55. Is there anyone far away you wish you could see?
I thought we'd been over this, too... well I guess you didn't put the "far away" qualifier on before. Well, whatever, it's the same answer. Most people I miss are far away.
56. Who have you talked to the most today?
my boss
59. What is something you wish you could have right now?
a day off tomorrow so I wouldn't have to go to bed? Haha... I suck.
60. Does anyone love you?
yes :)
and watched lots of Disney movies. Well, I only sort of watched the movies, 'cause see, I have suddenly gotten into cross-stitching... something I've been interested in for a while, but finally sat down and learned (via a tiny 3" inch design labeled as "Learn-a-Craft: For Kids!"). Now that I have mastered a kitten with a ball of yarn, I am attempting a pretty fancy design of a geisha (5x7). I should take a picture of the chart--it's crazy lookin'. It's also going to take forever. I have finished her belt and hips, and I think I've spent something like 6 Disney movies' worth of time on it so far. But it's neat. I like big long projects--I'm finding the process of doing it similar to putting together a big jigsaw puzzle, except that it takes more concentration. I'm doing counted cross stitch, so I gotta pay attention and make sure everything goes in the right place. My mom used to cross-stitch--there are a few of her finished pieces hanging around the house, including a big one above my parents' bed I've always loved. The fact that my mom does it was probably why I got curious about it... and I guess I was a pretty crafty kid. I went through a phase of making popsicle stick boxes and selling them to anyone who cared (my mom... my best friend's mom?... um... haha) for $1.
Speaking of get not-so-rich quick schemes, for the past couple months or so I tried out doing online surveys for money/rewards, which seemed like a pretty decent idea, but they were pretty time-consuming in comparison to the money earned. I joined most panels early October and since then have made around $30, plus 11 song downloads, and a small donation to the Red Cross (probably like 5-10 bucks). One of those panels has a delayed reaction on registering the money you can redeem so I might get a little more from them, but I'm done with taking surveys. A weekend away from them (I'd get a handful every day) made me realize they are more of a time/energy waster than they're worth. I could make as much "extra cash" working a couple extra hours a month. I guess it was another one of those neat-to-try-but-not-for-me things. Nice to get $30ish bucks for trying it, though.
I'm going to try and spend less time on the computer in general... I definitely feel kind of lost without the internet... it's just so convenient, between e-mail, online banking, Google, etc. etc. etc. But I really spend too much time online just stuck in a cycle of "making my rounds." I have everything in shortcuts for fast access, which means that I end up on autopilot and clicking/checking these links over and over again even though I was JUST THERE. That has to stop, haha. No more being on the computer just 'cause it's there. I'm gonna try and get back to that hobby/crafty side, so at least I'll be doing something ultimately productive... and maybe getting in that state of mind will lead me back to music... it's weird 'cause I miss it, and at the same time I don't have the inclination to play, most of the time. I just now realized that the reason this "off" phase is so pervasive and seemingly longer than others I've had, is because all through school I was involved with classes/lessons/ensembles... so I was "forced" to play music on a regular basis, whether I felt impassioned/creative about it or not. Hm. Well, it'll come back to me. I'm not really worried about that, in the long run.
Speaking of music... (what a cliché transition that is, "Speaking of"), lots of Christmas music is so cheesy. I like this all-Christmas-all-season station, 'cause I get to hear random obscure holiday songs, and not just the super-famous-and-overplayed like "Feliz Navidad." There was one about some guy finding his former love in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. No kidding. I don't think it has ever occurred to me to write the words "frozen foods" in a song. Anyway, but my favorite Christmas song I've heard so far... "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by the Barenaked Ladies (and some girl that might be either Sarah McLachlan, or Dido). It's so damn catchy. And hearing Ed sing makes me think of the days when I was like 12 (? I actually have no idea how old I was) and constructing a K-NEX roller coaster while listening to BNL's Stunt. Had kind of a crush on Ed. I still think he's cool. I mean... he can make "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" sound hip! Who else can do that? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Hey remember when I said I was done doing surveys? Well I just meant boring, consumer opinion surveys... not stupid pointless surveys to post in my livejournal!
(not answering #1... I know, I'm cheating)
2. What woke you up this morning?
radio alarm clock... extra static, too, and I probably spent 10 minutes dumbly trying to fix it.
3. If you took a drug test, would you pass it?
yeah
4. Is tomorrow going to be a good night?
sure, why not?
5. Did you kiss or hug anyone today?
no
6. Who was the last person you rode in a car with?
hmm... my mom, I think
7. How many myspace accounts do you have?
two--one personal, and one for my music
8. What was your first thought this morning?
"hey... the radio sounds fuzzy..."
9. Do or did you like school?
yes and no... I guess overall I did
10. Would you take a bullet for anyone?
yes
11. Where would you like to live?
Las Vegas
12. Do long distance relationships work?
not sure... I think they can, but even with the best connection/intentions they're hard
13. What do you want to be when you grow up?
wise
14. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I'm really not sure--things are kind of up in the air for me right now. Best-case(?) scenario I'll be living in Vegas, with some piano-shop job (or some other job and tuning/fixing pianos on the side)
15. Who is your number one on myspace?
my dear Christa
16. Who do you wish you were with right now?
Right this moment I am pretty content here with my cats, hehe... but there are plenty of people I miss and would love to see--too many to list, really.
17. Who was the last person that left you a comment?
my brother's girlfriend, Lynnette
18. How often do you log in to myspace?
usually every day, unless I'm away or visiting with people
19. Would you rather talk on the phone or chat in IM?:
I really only like talking on the phone with a very small number of people. So not a phone person. You gotta be like, my best friend or my mom for me to want to talk on the phone with you, no matter how much I love you. Hehe.
20. How many car accidents have you been in?
hmm... I think just one, that could really be called an "accident"--slipped on some ice and slowly glided into a guardrail. Oops.
21. Do you listen to music every day?:
yes, some days just radio, though (how much music they play depends on the day... I'm talking public radio, not commercial radio)
22. Do you still go trick or treating?
no
23. What was the last thing you ate?
a little cup of ice cream with some whipped cream on it
24. Are you a fast typer?
indeed
25. How many speeding tickets do you have?
none
26. What are you doing tonight?
Well after I finish catching up online for the night I'll probably just shower and go to bed... but earlier I cooked a nice dinner, burned a "Christmas wreath" candle, had a glass of wine, and watched a couple episodes of House. Pretty decent night, I'd say.
27. If you had one whole day to yourself, what would you do?
um... cross-stitch and "watch" Disney movies for the umpteenth times (I literally watched a couple of them twice this weekend... but I guess since I wasn't really watching, it was more like listening to the soundtracks)
28. Is anything bothering you?
hmm... no, I don't think so
29. Do you miss someone?
already covered this
30. What do you want to do right now?
turn down the radio, but I'm too lazy/occupied (how's that for a combo?) to get up to do so
31. Are you listening to music right now?
yes. "So This is Christmas"... it kind of annoys me when they use a choir of kids that are not very good singers. One song that has a nice kid's choir is the "shoes for my mama" or whatever--super cheesy song, but the choir is pretty... OH BOY now it's the Chipmunks song! Haha. It's funny to hear this, and think I used to have an ENTIRE TAPE of the Chipmunks singing pop songs, and listened to it all the time. Good lord.
32. Are you in a good mood?
yeah, I feel pretty accomplished. Crossed off lots of stuff on my to-do list over the past week or two
33. What are you doing this weekend?
going to NH to visit with my immediate family--my oldest brother Jason is visiting this weekend (and not at Christmas), and I think my other bros and their families are going to come too
34. Are you talking to anyone while doing this?
no
35. When were you the saddest in your life?
hmmm... hard to say, it always seems THE SADDEST EVER when you are in the moment of being sad/depressed about something. But maybe my lowest was back in middle school(?), before I really had any meaningful self-worth (besides being aware that I was smart/musical/whatever), and before I had an opened-up view of the world to fall back on... Anyway, I don't really reMEMber that time all that well--I just remember some poems/diaries I wrote then and have read since.
36. Do you own more than one cell phone?
no, I hardly use the one.
37. Do you use EBay to buy or sell?
I only used ebay once (so far) and it was to buy. 'Cause I was too damn impatient to wait for Nintendo DS's to be available on the market again.
38. What makes you mad?
I'm generally not an angry person... Cyn and I used to joke how our version of getting mad was like, yapping like puppies and tossing pencils on the floor. ;) But I guess the thing that makes me most mad is when people have absolutely no respect for each other, and think they have any right to kill/hurt other people... like those assholes who go out on shooting rampages, or friggin' blow up buses of innocent people, etc. etc... I mean seriously--seriously enough that I will type it out--WHAT THE FUCK.
39. Have you ever had a song written about you?
I don't think so
40. Have you ever sang in public?
yes
41. What songs make you happy?
"Chin Up, Cheer Up" by Ryan Adams, "Les Poissons" by the French Chef in The Little Mermaid, "Closer to You" by Brandi Carlile, "Careful" and "Happy Frappy" by Guster, "The Remedy" by Jason Mraz, "Concerning Hobbits" from the LOTR soundtrack, "Daydream" by Blake and the Family Dog, "Montana" by Venus Hum...
well, those for the kind of happy that makes me smile and makes clouds look fluffy and stuff. There are many shades of happy and many, many songs that make me "happy."
and yes I did just scroll through my media player to be reminded of most of those. I gotta say though, I feel a little happier for it, thinking of all those happy songs
42. What do you like to listen to before you go to bed?
usually just before bed I'm not listening to anything, but I tend to listen to the Canadian/British news programs in the late evening
43. Do you have a job?
yeah
44. What does your ipod have in it right now?
I think it's at least half filled with Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, plus my own CD (with the idea that I could let people listen, except that as it turns out I never carry my ipod around, so that's kind of pointless), plus a few random of my favorite CDs
45. How many close friends do you have?
hm, just a handful, really. I have a lot of friends that I love, but rarely see and don't talk to much on a regular basis. I'd consider some of those "close" but it's it's different kind of close than like... friends who you turn to first, or that you know the most about, etc.
46. What makes you happy?
beauty, space to think, good books/movies, friends/family, my cats, dancing, sleeping in, hugs... this list could get rather long. I try to find happiness/pleasure in little things all the time, as part of having a positive outlook on life. Sounds cheesy... but I think it's important.
47. One wish?
ummmm... ok, I hope I actually do make it to Vegas within the next few years
48. Have you ever loved someone and were too scared to tell them?
yeah, though I wouldn't call it "scared"... more like patient, or practical, or... something
49. Next concert?
not sure, but knowing me I will end up at some Blue Man show before I see anything else. It just happens that way.
50. Name one song that explains your current life.
[LOL at Jenny's answer of "working for the weekend" and that being cheesy... I hear ya!]
Ummmm. My life right now... uhh... "I'll be home for Christmas"? (I think I beat you in the cheesiness department there, Jenny)
51. Has anyone disappointed you this week?
hm... not that I remember. If anyone has, not enough for me to care that much, hehe.
52. What are you currently wearing?
slippers, kitty/cloud PJ pants, long-sleeved red shirt, and an oversized blue-ish green sweater
53. Are you listening to any music?
didn't you ask me this already? I remember talking about the chipmunks.
Anyway, now it's "From a Distance." I can't stand this song. The message is so backwards. It's like "from a distance, the world is peaceful and beautiful and everyone loves each other... and God is watching us from a distance"... which says to me "God isn't seeing all the hate and destruction and other crap." Not that I really think he's watching either way, but those lyrics still bug me. I remember bitching about it when we were singing it in high school chorus.
54. Does it remind you of anyone?
my high school chorus teacher, my friend Rilee, and the rest of the chorus (like 10 girls)
55. Is there anyone far away you wish you could see?
I thought we'd been over this, too... well I guess you didn't put the "far away" qualifier on before. Well, whatever, it's the same answer. Most people I miss are far away.
56. Who have you talked to the most today?
my boss
59. What is something you wish you could have right now?
a day off tomorrow so I wouldn't have to go to bed? Haha... I suck.
60. Does anyone love you?
yes :)