"Prose is architecture, not interior decoration, and the Baroque is over." -Ernest Hemingway

Writing Re-Focus

June 23, 2011 By 2 Comments

I’ve been reading the book Quitter by Jon Acuff (affiliate link). It’s a book about how to connect your day job and your dream job and Jon’s story of going through eight jobs in eight years, which he doesn’t recommend. It’s really less about “quitting” your job and more about taking advantage of the opportunities you have, while you still have a day job, and building those opportunities into your dream job. Essentially giving you a steady ground to land on if you do ever make that leap.

I’ve  not been reading this because I plan to make such jump. I actually enjoy getting paychecks from people other than myself. I’m mostly just fascinated by his story and all the challenges along the way. In case you don’t know who he is, Jon is the guy that started the Stuff Christians Like blog, which kind of took off pretty well and has allowed him to write a few books and get tot he point to where he has his dream job and is working for Dave Ramsey.

At any rate, the point is not to review the book right now. As I’ve been reading it though, it’s helped me to re-focus on things that I love doing and seeing opportunities that I may have missed before. The book talks about reclaiming our dreams. The things that we loved as kids growing up. One of the things for me has always been writing. When I was a kid, and especially a teenager, I wrote all the time. It didn’t matter what it was. Stories, poems, songs, all of it. I remember writing a “book” when I was in 3rd grade. I remember it was called Mystery at Shadow Mountain (yeah, I’ve always loved mystery stories too). We had to fold our paper and half and write in it so that it actually looked like a book. Give it a cover picture and title. Staple the crease. I’m not sure what happened to that book, but I’m pretty sure I’d give one of my toes or a pinky finger to get it back. Stephen King probably has it in his den figuring out how he can turn it’s 10 or so pages into a 800 page book.

So, for the past month, I’ve been getting up a little earlier and made sure that I’ve written something. Since February I’ve been writing for Frisco Fastball, a San Francisco Giants blog, and my job is to write recaps. I can write other things, but I’m the person who is telling all about whether the Giants won or lost that particular night. Writing recaps is not really that fun or exciting. But after realizing that I was not enjoying it, and starting to slack off, I decided to actually give it the time it deserved. For me, that meant getting up by 7:00am so I had a good hour before I had to get ready for work, rather than waking up, rushing to get ready and then pounding out the game recap in 5 minutes. It’s still not the most fun thing, unless the Giants get a good win, but it’s getting easier because I’m taking the time to do it.

I’ve also picked up a site I had mostly abandoned, Monterey Insiders. I originally set it up for other people to do reviews of places to eat and things to do in Monterey. Those people never did anything and I did very little with it. So in the past month, I’ve picked it up. I’ve written about places I routinely go to, so that makes it easier and I have set a goal for myself to have one review every day during the week at 9:00 am. Writing reviews is also not the most fun thing, but as the couple of weeks have progressed, it’s gotten easier and more fun.

So, I’m now finding myself at a place of where I am writing regularly. It’s not the most exciting writing, but it’s getting me in practice. That practice has allowed me to find other opportunities and set aside more time to start writing stuff that I enjoy writing. A couple weeks ago I had a chance to interview Karl Ravech, host of ESPN Baseball Tonight. Tomorrow, since Baseball Tonight is coming back to San Francisco for this weekends game, I get to interview another host, Wendi Nix. They’re pretty standard, routine kind of interviews. They are promoting the fact that Baseball Tonight is going to be in town and need bloggers to get the word out so fans will show up to be on TV. But, they’re still bigger interviews than I’ve done with anyone and these people (hopefully) get to see what I wrote about our interview. Not a huge deal, but fun all the same to say that ESPN contacted our blog to interview one of their hosts.

Suffice to say, I’m writing. I’m not writing much here, but I hope that changes soon as I restructure some of my blogging outlets. Writing makes me happy, especially when it’s not a 10 page paper for a graduate class. Tomorrow I’m hoping to write about some of the tools I’m using to help me write and remember things to write. We’ll see how that plan goes.

Filed Under: My Life

Potty Training My Cat

June 6, 2011 By 2 Comments

Just ordered the CitiKitty Cat Toilet Training Kit tonight. It’s supposed to be here on Thursday. Once Sam gets his stitches out and that stupid looking cone off his head, I’ll start the potty training task and see how it works.

Filed Under: My Life

Worm Compost Bin: Do-It-Yourself

May 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Worm Bin Composting

A little over a month ago I decided I was going to start composting. I had been considering the idea for a while actually, but finally decided I was going to try it. After about a week of research, I figured the best bet for me would be worm composting. I looked at the tumblers (non-worm type) and figured if I had to remember to go and tumble this thing around, I may not do it and then I’d have a bin just full of food scraps that wasn’t composting at all. I even looked at the automatic composters you can keep under your sink, but they were rather expensive, so I passed on those as well and settled on worm composting.

To get started, I used tips from Red Worm Composting and from Garden Girl TV. Those links provide some videos with step-by-step instructions on getting started, and if you’re really into learning more about the worms, etc… the Red Worm Composting is a great site.

Here’s how I did it and what I used:

  • 2 Bins (I think they were either 10 or 14 Gallon, but you can see the size in the pictures) @ $7.50/each
  • Electric screwdriver or drill (if you don’t already have one, you could use a box cutter, knife, or something to puncture the plastic)
  • Shredded cardboard to get started
  • food scraps
  • red worms (I got some from a co-worker)
Worm Bin Supplies

Supplies needed (Click for larger image)

First. Drill some holes in the bottom of ONE of the bins. I drilled about 9 holes, but at this point, would suggest more holes. These holes will allow water to drain out of the inner bin into the outer bin so that you don’t have a swamp in the bottom of your inner bin.

Worm Bin Upper Bin

Holes in bottom of inner bin (Click for larger image)

Second. In the same bin you just drilled your holes, drill some holes in the top sides of the bins, all the way around. This allows your worms to have some air to breath. I drilled about 7 on each long side and about 2 on the short sides. I’d recommend at least that many. The only other suggestion to make is drill the holes high enough on the side so that when you put the inner bin into the outer bin, the holes do not get covered by the outer/bottom bin.

Worm Bin side holes

(Click for larger image)

Worm Bin side holes

(Click for larger image)

Third. Drill some holes in one of your lids. Again, this allows the worms to breath. I drilled about 13 holes here.

Worm Bin lid holes

(Click for larger image)

Fourth. Fill the bin you drilled the holes in with your shredded cardboard. This makes the bedding.

Worm Bin bedding

(Click for larger image)

Fifth. Grab the outer bin (the one you haven’t drilled any holes in) and put a small box or ice cream containers in the bottom of it. This forces the top bin to sit on the box and not fall all the way down. This is important because if the bottom bin gets too much water in it, if the top bin isn’t far enough from the bottom, the water will come back up in the top bin. Keep in mind, with the water going through, unless you have something more sturdy than my waffle box, you’ll have to change it frequently.

Worm Bin

(Click for larger image)

Sixth. Add some food and yard waste (if you have some) on top of the bedding. You’ll see some orange peels in mine. You’ll generally only want to use citrus peelings in moderation (like I have).

Worm Bin food scraps

(Click for larger image)

That’s basically it! Put the lid on and you’re ready to go.

 

But, Where Are The Worms?

Good question. The folks over at Red Worm Composting suggest to let the food sit for a week or so (or longer) before adding the worms. This allows the food to begin to break down and makes it easier for the worms to get started on the composting. So unless you’ve had your food already collecting for a week or so, just wait it out. I waited about a week and a half on mine. A co-worker provided some worms from his compost bin.

Here are some other tips I’ve learned on my own or read along the way:

  • Chop the food up into small pieces. It makes it easier for the worms (I’m not great at doing this).
  • If you already have some compost, or access to some, put some in the bottom. My co-worker did this for mine when we put the worms in. He says it’s good for them to have that in there. I haven’t read that anywhere, but he’s been doing this longer than me and I figured it definitely wouldn’t hurt.
  • If you wondered why there is no dirt in there, it’s because red worms aren’t really deep soil dwelling worms. They don’t actually need it, but if you want to throw in a handful of soil (not a lot), it can help speed up the composting process.
  • Keep a good balance of greens (food scraps/yard waste) and browns (cardboard, paper towels, paper, etc…). That’s really the science behind making it work.
  • For every little bit of food layer I add, I add in some shredded paper to cover it up. This keeps the smell and flies away.
  • Keep it wet. Water it down every few days. One tip is to take the inner bin out (let it drain first), pick up the outer bin and pour the water (and any worms that may have fallen through your holes) back into the bin.
  • Don’t put any meats, fats or grease in it. It’ll make it smell and attract animals. You don’t want that.

I’m no expert by any means. I’ve probably even done a few things wrong here and there, but I’m learning along the way. It’s only been about a month since started and I’ve only had about 3 weeks with my worms, but I can tell it’s starting to break down. Hopefully in a few months, I’ll have some good compost to use in my tomato and cucumber plants.

Filed Under: Featured, My Life

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies

May 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies
Bacon makes everything better!

You read that right. Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies.

Think that sounds disgusting? Well, perhaps you’d like this site better. At any rate, these were delicious! They’re not overly bacon-y, but just enough to blend with the peanut butter to have a nice mix of sweet and salty. You know what else? They aren’t made with flour, so that makes them gluten free. Yeah, I don’t care about that stuff. I love gluten and wheat and all that yummy goodness, but, if you happen to have that gluten intolerance (or pretend you have it to be trendy), then you can still eat these cookies. No excuses. I even got one of my vegetarian friends to try a bite and she liked it!

How can you make some of these yummy treats? Well unless you have an awesome friend like I did to make them for you, the recipe is below and courtesy of Shutterbean. Keep in mind, without the flour, they may turn out a bit crumbly–ours did anyway.

Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies

(Recipe via JoytheBaker who adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)Makes about 24 cookies

  • 1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • about 6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and diced

In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up bacon until cooked through and let cool on paper towels until cool enough to dice. Dice up and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment & set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes. Fold in cooked bacon. Roll into large walnut sized balls and create a criss-cross pattern with a fork. If you’d like, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before making the criss-cross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to… your mouth.

There you have it. The best stuff I’ve eaten in a long time. In fact, I think I’ll go have one right now.

 

Filed Under: Featured, My Life

Looking for a Great Prank for April Fools Day?

April 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Look no further.

Goldfish in Water Cooler Prank

Balloon Prank

Upside Down Office Prank

Filed Under: My Life

Teenagers are amusing

February 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Teen boy: I’ve never ditched school.

Me: Not true. You miss all the time.

Teen boy: Not going is not ditching. That’s called “hickey” or something.

Me: You mean “playing hookey”?

Teen boy: Oh yeah, huh?

Filed Under: My Life

Boogeymen and Ordinariness of Death

February 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“Death is terrifying because it is so ordinary. It happens all the time.” -Susan Cheever

If I had read this quote a year ago, or even six months ago, it would not have made sense to me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the thought of death has always been scary, but death itself had never been real. It was like the boogey-man. The thought of one is scary, but knowing that he’s not real makes it less scary. That’s what death was like for me–not real (mostly), and definitely not ordinary.

But I’ve learned that it is. I don’t know if I’ve just experienced it more in the past year, or if I’m just more aware and sensitive to it, but death is very real and very ordinary. I don’t like it. I suppose no one likes it.

I just feel like until this past year, I’ve been sheltered from it. Sure, I’ve lost a few people I knew and some great-grandparents that I was close with. Yes, those times sucked and made me sad. But those times, mostly, were expected. I was prepared mentally to deal with it.

I also never thought much about heaven until my mom died. That may sound weird for a Christian, but I just figured I’d get there when I get there and God would have it all worked out. I figured it would be this wonderful place, but for the most part, life on earth was pretty wonderful too. I didn’t care about the details and was in no hurry to get there. Then suddenly, after mom died, I felt this deep longing to be there. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t want to die to be there, but all of a sudden the urgency of being there with her seemed much greater. Life on earth didn’t seem all that pressing or all that wonderful and I was ready for Jesus to pop back down and take us away.

I still haven’t figured out how someone is supposed to deal with death. I can’t imagine the pain ever going away. Part of me doesn’t want it to go away. But it does give you this unique experience, particularly with a parent, I’d imagine with a child also, that you don’t have with anyone except someone who has gone through it. A number of people I know have lost parents this year. My co-worker just lost both parents in a matter of weeks of each other. What I have now is this unique knowledge that I actually know how they are feeling, generally speaking. It’s a feeling I’ve never really been able to compare to anything else. It’s this missing piece inside and knowledge that there is absolutely nothing I can say that is going to help. You say it anyway, but you know it’s not comforting. And every single time it’s happened since October (and it’s been frequent), I get that same punch in the stomach that I did when the doctors said, “I’m sorry for your loss.” I imagine that person getting that same punch.

So, ordinary? Perhaps.

Real? Definitely.

Terrifying? Yes–more than the boogey man.

Filed Under: Faith, My Life

Fail Gloriously

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you still haven’t seen the website or read the book, Stuff Christians Like, you are missing out big time.

“If you’re going to risk and maybe fail, fail at something that matters. Fail gloriously so that even in failure, lives change.”

via What’s your favorite quote? | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff.

Filed Under: My Life Tagged With: , , ,

Full Plate or Too Full?

December 12, 2010 By 3 Comments

My plate is too full. It is as simple as that. Full-time student. Full-time job. Christmas at The Salvation Army (work)–you seriously can’t even begin to imagine unless you’ve lived it. Planning a Kentucky/NYC trip. Planning a wedding. Planning a funeral and dealing with the aftermath. Making a point to make time for myself to do fun things. Normal everyday life stuff like cleaning, eating, taking care of my cat, being a friend, a girlfriend and family member.

I’ll not even get into all the emotional stuff and things in my head I’m trying to work out.

Going smoothly, it’s a lot. Going not so smoothly, as it has been, it’s a disaster. Luckily Christmas and school are near over…I’m going to try and not freak out between now and then, but if anyone can figure out how to stop time for about two weeks while I sleep, I’d much appreciate that.

Filed Under: My Life

Howdy, Partner.

December 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It’s been a hard season leading up to Christmas for me. There are the obvious reasons like the fact that my mom isn’t with us. I don’t have phone call for when I’m just completely stressed out and tired and just need to talk or even just listen to what is going on in her life. But in addition to that, I’m feeling very alone this year, in terms of my work organizing Christmas for us.

It seems strange for me to say that, because truthfully, I’ve had an overwhelming amount of help and support. I’ve realized that every year, more and more keeps getting added to my plate and I simply cannot do everything myself. I’ve started attempting to ask for help and to let go of certain things. It’s hard to ask for help, but it’s necessary. But in general, I’ve had tons of help this year. Perhaps because I’ve seemed more stressed (and probably am). Whatever the reason, the help is coming and I’m very appreciative.

But that puts me back in the feeling alone. The past few years I’ve had a helper–an assistant of sorts. I don’t have that this year. Despite all the other people joining in to help, I miss that. Not because of lightening the load of the work, but I think it’s because of lightening the load of the stress and emotionally dealing with the fact that in reality, I’m responsible for ensuring thousands of kids on the Monterey Peninsula get toys for Christmas. I’m responsible for keeping track of the over 130 collection barrels in the community and making sure they get picked up on time. There’s a lot more, but you get the gist. I have no idea how I do it. I’ve said in the past, “I couldn’t organize my way out of a wet paper bag, but put me in a warehouse with 10,000 toys and I’m good.” So, I think it’s that other person, that partner, that support, that I’m missing. The person I can talk about my frustrations with and know that they actually get it because they have the same ones. Someone who understands why I’m freaking out at the possibility of a 5,000 sq foot warehouse rather than the 10,000 sq. foot I’m used to using. Someone who understands exactly why it’s important to pick this barrel up on this day. Don’t get me wrong. I have people to talk to, but I don’t have that work partner this year, and I miss it.

I’m also realizing, as I age, that it’s important to have that life partner as well and reminds me of how thankful I am for some guy named Alex who hangs out here a lot.  Cause, really, when it comes down to it, I’d much rather than that support at home than at work if I had to choose. Maybe that’s why I’ve noticed it more this year. Maybe it’s because I’ve finally figured out what being a “partner” in something is.

Just maybe

Filed Under: My Life