cliopatra’s posterous

Image by publicenergy via Flickr

Ever year, my female relatives and Iget up in the wee hours of Black Friday, fight our way through the crowds to get deals, and then finish our morning at 8 a.m. at Chick-Fil-A for breakfast.  While there, I get my annual Cow Calendar.  It’s tradition.

This year, we started talking about Black Friday on the day I arrived, but on Thanksgiving Day we combed through the sale ads and decided there was nothing that was going to make us (1) get up that early and (2) part with our hard earned cash.

I didn’t even think about the calendar again until Sunday, when the restaurant is not open.  This is when I always crave Chick-Fil-A: Sundays.

This past weekend I had to work, which necessitated a trip in town on Saturday.  I decided to stop by the restaurant and take advantage of a deal: $20 in Chick-Fil-A gift cards means a free calendar.  I had a gift card that needed reloading, so I got that, a peppermint chocolate chip shake, and my free calendar.

This year’s calendar?  Great Works of Cow Literature.

Mooby Dick.  Sir Arthur Conan Broyle.  I love it!

Image by Suchana Seth via Flickr

 My grandfather used to say “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

I am given to getting overwhelmed.  Sometimes I get wrapped up in a project of some sort, and I come up for air days later to a mountain of dirty dishes and dirty laundry, neglected relationships, and a to-do list a mile long.

And that’s when I start to panic.  And then I get paralyzed by the overwhelming magnitude of everything.

Oftentimes, I bring it on myself.  For instance, I decided I wanted to do some freelance writing this past year.  So I started researching freelance writing on the internet, and I signed up for every Twitter feed, every newsletter, and every blog site having to do with the subject.

In case you’re wondering, there is a TON of information about freelance writing out there.  Also?  Some of it is contradictory.

I got overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information hitting my cell phone, my e-mail inbox and my feed reader every day.  My freelance writing has been limited this year, to say the least. 

I do the same thing with couponing, reading, movies, everything.  Perhaps it’s some sort of addictive thing, I don’t know.

I’m at my busiest time in my day job right now, and I’ve also started a pretty large freelance projects recently that coincides with an article I was asked to write months ago.  There is huge potential for getting overwhelmed here.

I’m trying something new: bit by bit.  One bite at a time.

Every day I work a lit bit on several different projects.  I’m making time to exercise to relieve my stress.  The housework gets done 10 minutes or 20 minutes or 30 minutes at a time.

I don’t beat myself up that it’s not all done NOW.  I’m not perfect, and I’m only one person.  If I need help, I can ask for it.  If I need more time, I can ask for that, too.

One bite at a time.

Image by Indy Kethdy via Flickr

Despite having to go in to town this weekend and work for 3.5 hours, this was a deliciously lazy weekend.

It rained most of the weekend, so we put off The Great Christmas Tree Hunt of 2009.

I did some reading and worked on some marketing for the site.  I also updated some other things I’m working on, but mostly if I wasn’t folding laundry, I was sleeping or reading a trashy novel.

I feel remarkably well-rested and positive today.  I even packed workout clothes so I can go to the gym after work.  Thank God for friends who have workout rooms in their overpriced housing complexes!

I hope your weekend was a good one.  Have a great Monday!

Image by `this.is.epic via Flickr

First I got busy, and then I got distracted.

Somehow I found myself, the week of Thanksgiving, planning my crops in Farmville and Farm Town around my travel schedule.  I even found moments while in a house filled with family, to make sure nothing withered on the vine.

Nothing virtual, anyway.

I’ve been letting little piddly things get in the way of real life, so I decided to close out the farms and do something productive.

Yesterday I woke up really early (husband was snoring!) and came in to the computer, and realized I had no crops to harvest, so I checked e-mail and then went back to bed.  Last night I was laughing while telling my husband the story, and said “I don’t have anything to do now!”

And he said “You could write.”

Ouch.  Yeah, I guess I could, couln

Image by pim van den heuvel via Flickr

I’m supposed to be in the office making up hours today, and I had intended to get up early and go in and get it done, but when I woke up I was still tired and it was raining and I just couldn’t do it.  As long as the hours are in before midnight, I’m good.

Can I tell you a secret?

I cheated on something – the Wii.

I was worried about weight gain from the past couple of months of sheer laziness/holidays and instead of facing the Wii fit telling me how awful I’ve been, I decided to delete my Mii and data and start over.  Actually, I deleted the Mii, then realized it didn’t delete my data from the fit, just replaced my Mii that looked like me with a blonde. So I deleted the data.

Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the balance board for the first time in two months, and my weight was the same as it was the last time I was on it.  I guess my feeling of gaining is mostly just in my head.  No matter, I feel out of control.

I’ve been ignoring the Wii (and the laundry, and mopping) in favor of Farm Town and Farmville on Facebook.  I caught myself planning the harvest of my crops around my recent travel schedule, and realized that the farming was taking up a lot of time in the morning and evening and for what?  I’m not earning money from it, and it’s not making me any more fit, so enough is enough.

I hope you are having a restful weekend.

I reluctantly read the Twilight series after my bff (very much a non-reader) couldn’t stop raving about it.  I like the books well enough, but I was quite disappointed in the first movie.

I was pleasantly surprised by New Moon (my least favorite of the books) but enjoyed the movie so much I saw it twice (and no, it was not because of Taylor Lautner’s abs).  I am definitely Team Jacob, so this was a good movie.  It had more action, and if not for Bella’s constant simpering, it would have been perfect.

I happened across a notice that there is casting going on for Breaking Dawn, which is the final movie of the series (thus far).  If you or someone you know would like to be within caressing distance of Edward’s hair, click the banner below to find out more!