Jealous of the Commute (Really?!?)

Traditionally some of my girlfriends (the chix) go to the Zoo Lights in December.  I've been the least consistent member, I think, even though my best friend organizes it.  Not really sure what that's about, but maybe something to think about later.

At any rate, she sent the email today asking what day we'd all like to go.  And in the zoo announcement about the lights was a link to a blog on riding your bike to work for a year.  That's quite a commitment.  I used to live about 4 miles from my work for about a year.  I can probably count the number of times I rode my bike to work on both hands without reusing any of the fingers.  Which is odd because I really love to ride my bike -- actually, living at that apartment was when I rediscovered riding my bike and bought a "serious" bike with my tax return.

I think it's really cool that the zoo is challenging its employees to have a lower carbon footprint right here, right now!  It's a way many of us could contribute to a better planet by acting locally.

The blog is OK -- a little sparse (only monthly updates).  But I think it might be hard to write a blog that your work links to and share too much "genuinely" -- I would always have that filter in place.

I am impressed by her ability to get to volleyball in various cities after work -- and by the amount of difference it's making (1 tank of gas in 3 weeks, a family vacation where they used only public transportation, etc.).

But I am also confused by using people who drive to work to help you out.  Sure carpools are better, but if you don't use them consistently then some days the driver rides alone...and it sounds like if you have a kid then someone has to drive to work to have the flexibility to deal with unforeseen issues.  Which vaguely reminds me of my work friend in the early 90s who announced that "since I'm pregnant I need a cell phone."  I mean babies have been born for ... probably millennia ... without the aid of cell phones.  And kids have had to wait for parents in the past.  Not that I would be any different in either situation.  At any rate.

Maybe I'm just jealous because I don't get to ride my bike to work (I work at home).  I wish I had a commute so I could squeeze in a little exercise twice a day in already "wasted" time.  Yeah, it's probably that...

Can't wait to hear how she does in the winter -- or if that means she mostly takes the bus.  (BTW - her command of the bus system is impressive.  When I took the bus I basically only knew my one route and didn't ever try to get too fancy if a bus was crowded.)

Change the World for $1 a Day

Speaking of projects where you use $1/day like the previously-mentioned dress project, I saw a site today sponsored by GoodReads that had the concept of donating $1/day for 1000 days.  The specific project was to send books to Africa:

At Books For Africa, we believe that education is the great equalizer in the world, and books are at the foundation of a strong educational system.

$1/day seems like so little.  And then there's the rest of the math:

• Monthly—$30 a month (Pay Period = Monthly, Donation Amount = $30)
• Quarterly—$91 a quarter (Pay Period = Quarterly, Donation Amount = $91)
• Semi-Annually—$182 twice a year (Pay Period = Semi-Yearly, Donation Amount = $182)
• Annually—$365 a year (Pay Period = Yearly, Donation Amount = $365)
• One-Time—$1,000 (Pay Period = One-Time, Donation Amount = $1,000) 

Even the $365 seems like "not much" when I think of it as all I'd have if I put a $1 in a bucket every day at the end of a year (excepting Leap Year, of course).  The funny thing is that it starts to feel a little different if you ask me if I want to write you a check today for $365...

In a sorta related item, you could change your world for some "spare change"...  I have never really understood the appeal of Bank of America's Keep the Change program: Bank of America will round up every Visa debit card purchase to the next dollar and deposit the difference in your account.  What freaks me out about that is that I hate being imprecise.  I am wondering if all the rounding up with play havoc with my ability to guess how much I have in my account at any given time.  I know you may think that the need to be precise and guessing at my account balance are opposites, but they're not.  I really do know, maybe not down to the penny, but in general I know if I can make a purchase or not.  If you were taking out a few extra pennies every time, I could end up in really big trouble.  I've seen Office Space.  I know what pennies do.  The linked article on the Keep The Change program said that it's unlikely to help you unless you can get to the point of saving $5000.  And if you can save that much, you should probably be putting your money into something with higher yields.

But still, we're taking a small amount and ending up with something big after a while.  So, can I commit to it?  Is it worth it?  Is it enough?

Exploring the Kama Sutra in 69 days!

Just kidding.  Although that was a suggestion when I asked for project ideas.  Bet you can't guess who suggested that!

I got some other interesting ideas for one-off posts and a link to a blog where a woman re-created a dress a day on a budget that was fascinating.  Good idea, but I have no time for projects which require time. (sigh)

I got a couple of ideas for longer-term projects like

• volunteering and blogging about those experiences (I used to love taking my dog to a Boulder, CO halfway house so that she could participate in pet therapy.  Alas, my current pooch, while super-sweet and quite a character, doesn't have the temperament for that.  I could consider other volunteer opportunities -- like I've always wanted to help with Habitat for Humanity.)
• reuniting with lost friends or those relatives that live down the street that you never call and only see if another relative visits from out of state and sharing that experience (I should totally do this and feel guilty for avoiding it -- I almost didn't mention it here!)

I found a writing class I wanted to take, but got scared of the commitment.  My job takes all hours of the day some days and is so unpredictable that I just couldn't justify spending any money on anything.  (I actually did decide to learn Spanish a couple of years ago, but only made 2 of the 5 classes due to work.)

The search continues...in the meantime I will write up mid-year reviews for my team (a new job task I've never had to do previously and which is not proving to be all that fun).  Wheeeeee~~!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Travel, Lattes, Independence

This was taken on my trip last year to visit Calle in New Zealand. After a 3-day sailing adventure that we went on together, I got to spend a lot of time exploring by myself during the day when she was at work. It was a nice, sorta independent time, but also with the comfort of knowing I would be going to hang out with someone I really enjoyed in the evening. The other thing I really like about this photo (besides the very artful pattern the barista made for me) is that I love lattes. They're like comfort food in the mornings. I love having a latte and watching people walk by the window. Or while reading a book.  It  makes me slow down and appreciate the peace of the moment.

Bling, Rain, Dogs, Flowers, Family

I adore shiny things. So these raindrops were like special sparkly treasures. It doesn't rain that much in Colorado, so I always enjoy it when it does. I was dog-sitting at the time for two huge, lovable, fluffy Old English Sheepdogs named Cromwell and Hastings. (Awesome names -- I feel like I should cultivate a British accent just to hang out with them.) And there's always the sentimental side when I see or take flower photographs. When we moved to Colorado my grandma on my Dad's side used to come and visit. She grew prize-winning orchids in her basement and had a fascination for alpine tundra flowers. I think she went on every guided nature walk that Rocky Mountain National Park ever offered. And I think she cataloged every possible variety of flower there. When we moved her out of her house she literally had a dozen+ boxes of flower photos (not shoeboxes, think bigger, like a box that would hold a shelf of books). So I've seen a couple flower photos in my lifetime...and I guess I didn't fall far from the tree if I'm also taking them.

Bike Rides, Outside, Autumn

The picture above was taken on a bike ride around Dillon Lake with my buddy, Becca.  We happened to be there on the perfect day to see all the Aspen colors -- and it was sunny too!  Can't get any luckier than that.  I can't describe how much I like riding my bike.  It's the best tax return investment I've ever made.  Riding is when my brain processes through most of those sticky thoughts or bottled-up things that I don't easily let go.  Being outside is a part of that.  I like the feeling of huge open space and nothing over my head to hold it all in.  It lets those sticky, bottled-up bits just float right out.  Plus I think I might be part plant or something because I feel better when in the sunshine.  I like exercising, too, because it lets me be a little less careful about what I eat (or it used to - sigh) and I'm always chasing that feeling of coordination and fitting into my space that comes with it.  I prefer to ride by myself most of the time because I'm terrible at pacing and hate holding people back.  Plus from the articles I read on riding it seems like there's a pack order and a social/physical obligation to contribute to the pace by taking the lead sometimes.  That would totally defeat the purpose of me letting my brain unwind.

Split-Aparts

I know this is a cheesy picture, but I look like I was the page of some magazine!  The sepia tones, the symbolic "new view" of opening the curtains, the way the beautician did my hair, the fact that I don't look too chubby, etc.  All nice work from the photographer.  But this really symbolizes being a part of a team. I like working together and accomplishing something bigger than you could by yourself.  Those little things you learn from other people -- little on the fly tidbits or the new ways to see something -- fascinate me.  And marriage is the ultimate team, right?  The two of you against the world?  Before I get to carried away, I better move off that topic, but you get the basic point, right?  Just one more thing -- apparently the notion of split-aparts is something I got from a movie I don't remember ever seeing.  I'm terrible at remembering movies.

Ice Hockey, The Path Less Traveled, Art

This is a statue of a jazz band in the wintertime in Reykjavik, Iceland.  Nobody goes to Iceland in the winter on purpose, right?  Most tourists go in the summers for all the outdoor activities.  But for this atypical tourist excursion, I went with my women's ice hockey team.  I love ice hockey -- it can be quick, physical, strategic, and still a finesse game all at once.  The women's teams I have played on seem to be very interested in setting up plays and learning to work together (men's teams seem to be more about the physical and individual glory).  Sadly, for the Iceland tournament, my team didn't do any scoring on the ice (hee), but we do have some great stories to tell!

And that's how I arrived at the new image at the top of this blog page - it's almost all of my favorite things all smushed together into one collage.

Time For a Change

We saw Julie and Julia recently.  I was jealous (or inspired). Now that I'm done with the Bridezilla project, it sounds fun to have a new project and it even sounds fun to have a deadline.

But what to do?

I sorta half-heartedly started this type of thing with the 5280 magazine's top restaurant review. I blogged about the meals we had out. This was fun (and I might continue) but it's been over done, I suppose. And I currently have no set schedule or goal.

I should learn to cook. It looks fun, and I sure do like to eat. Even thought that's been done, I could pick a different cookbook that sounds more fun to me. Like the Moosewood Cafe (their book for cooking at home) or the Coyote Cafe cookbook. I could get a cooking series show on DVD (I think I saw the Giada De Laurentiis and the Rachel Ray series at Target) and cook the things they make. But Iggy is already a great cook and he seems to like cook the evening meal. And, honestly, I don't see me sticking with this one for very long.

I've wanted to learn to garden too. But we're getting close to winter, and I'm sure I'd lose momentum. Plus the wait to see anything is somewhat incompatible with my need for instant gratification.

I like doing home improvement projects, and I have quite a few of those on my list that I'd like to do. But probably half of those are the "hire a contractor" type as opposed to the do-it-yourself type.

I've seen some cool photo blogs where they take a picture a day. That might be fun. But what sort of goal to set?


I love riding my bike, but I'm such an amateur that I'm fairly certain I have nothing to say on the subject. Besides, that's one of those things that's more fun to DO than to TALK ABOUT.
I've always loved reading -- and I'm in 2 book clubs. The problem with that is that right now I read so sporadically I rarely finish the books in time for book club. And my book clubs tend to pick best seller types, so those tend to be over-reviewed. I'm not sure I'd have much original to add.

I thought about trying my hand at creative writing today...and after all, this is a writing medium. I saw some interesting ideas all over the place (for example: 100 ideas, Writing Forward). But, again, what goals/timeline?

Thoughts? Advice?

Maybe I don't need a project...I'm behind at work anyways (but that's a constant state).