Closing Time

Hey.  Remember me?  I used to hang around these parts a lot.  My life has changed so much in the last four months.  Four years, really.  I haven't been writing quite as much recently.  But, I'm feeling that familiar pull in my blood, that whisper that I'm not writing enough.  That I need to get back to it.  And I want to.  And I'm excited about it.  But...

Not here.

When I thought about starting to blog again, it just didn't feel right coming back here.  I won't take this down - probably not ever.  So many pieces of my heart are scattered around this place, in my words.  Now, though?  Everything is different.  I'm starting a completely new phase in life.  I'm starting over, in so many ways.  And it's inspiring.  So inspiring that I created a new home for myself, for my words.

That's where I'll be from now on.  Won't you join me?

NaBloPoMo Day 2: It Was Supposed to be Meaningful

I had plans.  I was going to write a great, meaningful post today.  Maybe about Birth Boot Camp and how much I love teaching about natural birth.  Maybe the 6-months belated birthday letter to Sam, whose half birthday is today.  Maybe something else.

But it wasn't meant to be.

I got all of the household chores done.  I played with Sam and felt totally lazy and didn't want to, but I got off my behind and did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen counters, picked up all the toys, took out the trash, and folded and mostly put away the massive pile of laundry that was about to eat our living room.  Danny even fell asleep on the couch - THE BEST!  No bedtime = easy bedtime!  At 8:30 Justin even took charge of putting Sam to bed!

BUT.... there were only 2 pullups left.  And we needed more.  I could have waited until morning, but I would have had to go right away.  So, instead of hunkering down to write my masterpiece while Justin put Sam to bed, I drove to town to get pull ups.

It was an oddly symmetrical trip - it took me exactly 15 minutes to get there, I was in the store for exactly 15 minutes, and it took me exactly 15 to get home!  Now here I am with my laptop, 2 hours later than I anticipated, and not able to put what I hoped to into my post for today.

I have dozens of things on my to-do list on any given day.  I update it twice a week, and a lot of the stuff carries over for weeks or months.  That's okay.  Sometimes I knock out a few items, some days I get to half, and other days at the end of the day I know there are things I want to do, or should be doing, but all I want to do is relax.

After a year at my full time job, I still haven't found a balance.  I don't know if I ever will, really.  I had figured out a while ago that waiting for things to settle down or for a slower time in life is futile - it never happens!  There are always a lot of things to do.  That's one reason I decided to do NaBloPoMo this month - I will never have TIME to blog regularly.  But I miss it, and it's important to me, so I'm going to make more of an effort.

Well, I guess that's meaningful to me after all!

I Miss This Place

I have been thinking about this place a lot lately, and I miss it.

I miss sharing my excitement about the new TV shows that are coming on.

I miss talking about my kids and what they're doing that's new and weird and funny.

I miss sharing the photos I've been taking.

I miss writing about the movies I've seen.

I miss those days when I can let words just flow out of my fingers like water and spread over the screen, and create something.

I miss writing.

I miss you guys, those people, the very few, out there who read and care.

I need to come back.

It's harder now because I work full time and do other things too, but it's time.

I hope this is the beginning.  Again.

Things.

So... there are things going on.  I can't believe I am saying it because I am a total nosy Nelly, and I HATE when people post on their blogs that there is shit hitting the fan but they can't talk about it.  Alas, that is happening to me.  It's about to go crazy anyhow because Sam's getting out of school next week and I'll have him all day, and for the first 2 weeks of July my Mom is going to be out of town so I won't have much time for writing.

Things are going on that I may be able to talk about here someday, and I wish I could share more about because I am full of feelings.  But I just can't right now.  So, I'm not sure how much I'm going to be around for the next little bit.  I'm not in a place right now where I can commit to writing here, so it'll probably be sporadic.  I am writing, because I'm a writer and because there are words inside me that are just aching to pour out.  I just can't put them here.  I will be okay, things are hard right now.  There is also at least one good thing going on I can't talk about.

Basically, I'm doing that thing I hate and saying I probably won't be around much for a bit (other than my weekly weight updates), but that I wish I could be and I will be back at some point, I promise.  And that I appreciate good vibes, prayers etc. sent my way and would love to hear from you in email if you feel so inclined.

Welcome SITS Girls!

Me and the fam on Easter

I was so excited to get my email last week telling me that my day as the SITS Featured Blogger was coming up!  I feel like I just signed up yesterday, and the time went by quickly, but perhaps it's really just that time is always getting away from me.

If you're visiting from SITS, welcome to Scientfic Nature of the Whammy!  I am so glad you're here.  I finally got more time this week to sit down and write, and I'm feeling so happy.  This blog is my space, one of the only spaces I have to myself in life anymore!  I have a husband, Justin, who I've been with for 11.5 years, and two little boys.  Sam turned six on Wednesday, and Danny will be two on May 10. 

As you can imagine, most of my real-world space has been taken over by laundry and toys and little boy socks and mud and chicken nuggets.  This is where I come to get back to myself - to be ME again.  Though I cherish my time alone, I find that my relationships with my women friends are what really rejuvinate my soul, and that's what I do here.  Here, I can rebuild my spirit through writing and the community I've found online.

I write about whatever catches my fancy.  Sometimes it's prose, sometimes it's about my kids, sometimes about issues that get me fired up, and sometimes about my weight loss journey.  I love to read and share my thoughts about books - right now I'm immersed in the third book in the Fifty Shades of Gray series, and I'll have a whole big post about my thoughts on that coming up next week.

If this is your first time here, I'd love to share a few of my favorite posts with you!

My Journey of Faith - A short series of posts about how I came to be baptized on a rainy September day at 25 years old.

The Weight & The Hunger - Two posts about my weight loss journey that get to the heart of how I feel about everything I've been through when it comes to trying to get healthy. 

A Perfect Moment - I experienced a near perfect moment at my Mom's wedding.

Pulling on the Past - I find myself haunted by my past so often.  Some days, I dream and the heartache stays with me long after I wake up.

10 Things that are just NOT okay - Exploring some of my worst pet peeves

You can also explore the tabs up above to find more favorite posts, more about me, my posts about my weight loss journey, and a link to some of my photography.  I also happen to have a small nail polish obsession.  If you're interested, check out my little side blog, Nail Me.

I am so glad you are here!  Thanks for reading!

Comment on Comments

To those of you who have left comments recently & had them disappear, were you posting them from your mobile phone?  I did a little digging and I can see your original comments in blogger, but it looks like if you have the mobile templates enabled (which they did automatically), Disqus doesn't transfer over so it would show the original blogger commenting form and then those comments were not translating to Disqus.  Annoying.  Anyhow, I disabled the mobile template because I don't care about it that much, and that should fix the problem, and no more comments should get lost.

Week 19/20 Update: Up & Down

Current Weight:  225+/- 
this week:  -0.2
+/- this round:   -24.8
+/- total:    -42.9
Current Short Term Goal:  217 (50 pounds lighter)

Last week was the first time in months that I have not posted a weekly updated.  I've been pretty absent around here lately, and it's not making me happy.  So, I a working on several posts right now.  I had gotten into a really great rhythm with writing and then with Sam getting sick and spring break and trips out of town I got off track.  Hopefully I'll be getting back on now!

Last week was weird, the scale showed a gain of 2 pounds even though I didn't feel like I'd gained that much.  This week it was gone... so I don't know.  There are always weeks like that on occasion, bygones, right?  I've been doing terrible with eating but a new week started today and I'm tracking normal again and will be making a new meal plan tonight.  I also was doing really well with activity but fell off a little the last couple weeks, so I'm going to start buckling down there too.

That's about it for now - but hopefully lots more to come!

Starting Weight 1 (Feb 2009):  267 lbs
Starting Weight 2 (Dec 2011):  249.8 lbs
Starting BMI:  41.8

Weight Lost:  42.9 lbs
Goal Weight: 160 lbs
Goal BMI:  25.1

Short Term Goal 1: 237.8 (5%) - Met 1/24/12
Short Term Goal 2: 225.8 (10%) - Met 4/10/12
Short Term Goal 3:  217 (50 pounds down)
Short Term Goal 4: 213.5 (50% of final goal)
Short Term Goal 5:  207 (60 pounds down)
Short Term Goal 6: 199.9 (under 200 for the first time in 7+ years)
Short Term Goal 7: 192 (75 pounds down)
Short Term Goal 8: 189.8 (25% & no longer "obese")

Long Term Goal: 160 lbs
Total to Lose:  107 lbs
To Go: 65 lbs

Non Sequitur

Last time I had a day off, I sat on the bottom floor of the library building at the community college where Justin works. I had plans - I wanted to read some that day, and write a few blog posts. Instead, I went for a walk after I dropped Sam off at school. I took some pictures of details on some of the houses around the Columbia neighborhood and played with my new camera lens. I went to my Weight Watcher's meeting, then I plonked myself down at a table with my computer, and sat there for 5 hours. And I didn't write much. I DID write (as in by hand) a long (and long overdue) letter to my penpal, which took over an hour. I did get to talk to my sister on the phone for almost an hour and get all caught up. I did get caught up with all the posts in my feedreader. And I managed to post my weekly update. But I didn't write much. Part of me feels disappointed about it, even though I got a couple things done that I really wanted to do, I also wanted to write and spend part of the day reading. Sometimes, I feel like there are not enough hours to finish everything I want to finish. I get a whole day off once a week, which is absolutely amazing. Somehow at the end of that day, I'm always left feeling like there was SOMETHING I didn't get done. I guess that's just life, right?  I find that with limited amounts of time, I have a hard time deciding which things I want to do, and which to push aside.  There are emails in my inbox that I should have already replied to, but instead I was reading blog posts.  There were phone calls I could have made, appointments to be scheduled, that I didn't even think about all day.  Right now Danny is not able to take care of himself to the point where I can get much done at home.  It will be nice when he's a bit older and I can do some of those things during the day while he's around.  Or not.  Who am I kidding anyhow, Sam is five and still wants to be with me most of the time.

*****

This Tuesday, I'm felt more relaxed.  I had to take Sam to an appointment this morning, so I didn't get started on my day until about 11:30.  I headed straight to my Weight Watchers meeting, which took until 1:00 once I got in and got settled.  It was worth it, my weigh in was rewarding this week when I met my first short term goal of losing 5% of my weight.  It's slow going, but I am feeling really optimistic about it right now.  I went shopping for a couple of things, and got curtain rods to hang in the hall to create a gallery for Sam's work.  I can't wait to see it done, and I'll post photos when it's finished.  I haven't gotten to any of the posts in my reader, and I've only read about 20 pages today, but I'm looking forward to my date night with Justin tonight.  Maybe all of this is partly a result of being trapped in my house last week for literally almost a week.  From Friday to Friday, I left the house for 3 hours on Saturday with the kids, and for about 6 hours on Monday to attend a memorial service.  After that, we were snowed in until Friday afternoon!  It was crazy.  So I appreciate my freedom today!

*****

I can't believe it's almost February.  I feel like this month has flown by (despite the way last week seemed to drag on and on while it was happening).  I got to go down to Seattle last Friday to visit my best friend - I'm going to do that once a month from now on.  I've been missing her like crazy lately and it was really, really nice to spend time with her.  We hung out, did a Golden Globe winner double feature and saw The Artist and The Descendants, and stayed up until 2 in the morning talking.  It nurtured my spirit. 

*****

 I feel like I haven't been writing enough, and I need to find my muse again.  I know that there are words in here that want to escape, I just need to find a way to lure them out.

Writer's Workshop: 12 Peeks Back at 2011

It's Thursday again, which means it's time for Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop!  We've all got the new year on our minds, so this week it was easy to choose which prompt I'd follow.  I chose #1.) This year in blog posts…choose a favorite post from each month of 2011 and share.

January - I experimented with my new Canon Rebel DSLR and shared some of my first images here.

February - I wrote about the myth of the "grown-up," and the fact that no one I know has ever experienced that moment where you finally FEEL like a grown-up.

March - I struggled with something I am still struggling with - how much I miss my friends.  We are spread out now, in different cities and with different lives, and I still wish we weren't.

April - I shared my thoughts about Sam - our worries about ADD, how Dr. Google can scare us, and how sometimes being a parent is about knowing when to worry - and when not to.

May - Let's be honest.  I only posted once in May.  SAD!  I shared some photos from Sam & Danny's birthdays.

June - So... the early summer wasn't that great for blogging.  SHAME!  In June, I wrote about OTHER writing that I am trying to do in my life.

July - I said goodbye to Borders Books, where I worked for 3 years and spent countless hours browsing books and making memories.

August - At a Phish concert, I watched a woman smoke weed then immediately nurse her baby.  Here's how THAT made me feel.

September - On the second day of Kindergarten, Sam didn't get off the bus after school.  Mommy panic ensued slightly.  This month was a tie (sorry, I'm a cheater!) because I also wrote this review of The Panic Virus, a book about vaccines, autism, and the panic the media can create.

October - It's a photo post, but this Halloween was really memorable for me.  A costume my son loved, made from scratch by me & my husband, my second son being old enough to trick or treat, and the awesomeness and happiness made for a wonderful holiday.

November - I shared about how much I've been struggling again with my weight and my body image.

December - Looking at photos of 2011 in review, I came across photos of protesters being treated horribly by law enforcement and I wrote about how it made me feel.

What memorable moments did you write about this year?

I'm at Momcomm!

Have you ever noticed that little button over in my sidebar? It leads to Momcomm, a website created by Melissa. In her words, "Momcomm gives blogging chicks practical, can-do tips for writing, blogging and using social media (and sometimes a snarky rant or two)" Melissa is also the author of a wonderful blog, Adventuroo, which is not only fun to read, but one of my favorite blogs to look at as well, I love her design! Every Wednesday, Melissa posts a critique of a blog, and I was excited when I got an email a couple of weeks ago reminding me that my turn was almost here! I'm a little scared (who wouldn't be, right?!) but am looking forward to finding out what she has to say and to the inspiration I think it will give me.  Why not head over there with me to see what she has to say - and explore a little while you're there?

New Blog, and Stuff

Sooo.... we're moving.  On Sunday.  And we're only about 60% as packed as we need to be.  As it is, we'll be leaving stuff behind.  This whole thing happened really fast because once we decided to move I realized Sam is starting Kindergarten next week.  So, we either moved fast, drove Sam to Kindergarten every day at first, or had him start at one school and transfer a week or two in.  Neither of the last two options appealed to me, so here we are.  Moving on Sunday.  I am crazy anxious, and also, I hate packing.  So much.  I LOVE the arranging and unpacking that happens on the other end... but trying to get everything boxed up sucks.  Luckily, since we're moving out of my father-in-law's house and no one else is moving in right now, we don't have to have everything out right away.  Mostly, we just have to make sure we move all the furniture and anything too big to go in the car.  We're leaving behind a lot of books and random other stuff we don't use that often, and we'll work on packing and moving it throughout September.  BUT, with all this craziness, I haven't had much time to sit and write (or do much of anything).

I DID, however, manage to start another blog!  Way to add more to your plate, Rachael!  But, it's really not.  See, a couple of weeks ago Justin and I were at Barnes and Noble looking at blank books, and there was a 5 year, one thought a day journal.  I looked at it and thought it was a good idea.  Just one idea each day, one tiny piece of life recorded.  Of course, my first thought was not that I should buy the book, but that I should put it online.  Thus, SNOTW - Life. Abbreviated.  There's a button over to the right in my sidebar that will take you there if you're interested.  I'm enjoying it so far, especially when I just want to get something out there.  I would love to have time to write MORE every day, but it's a good way for me to make sure I write at least a couple of sentences every day.

All right, off to fill out change of address forms.  Or pack something.  Or pull out my hair.

Uninspired

I'm feeling uninspired as I sit here listening to Danny scream in his crib. I don't get why he can be sound asleep before we put him in and and soon as we set him down he starts wailing. Cry it out sucks. I have PMS and I totally feel like crying too, little dude.

Justin and Sam are in the living room playing Lego Batman. Before this, we watched The Phantom Menace, probably only the 2nd time I'd seen it since it was in theaters. We've been playing a lot of Lego Star Wars so I've been exposing Sam to the movies a bit.

This morning my sister and her boyfriend came over. He's a farmer so he brought us a ton of potatoes, delicious bacon, and eggs. We made blueberry pancakes, then they played with Sam outside and hung out with us for a few hours. It was a good day, but I feel really tired. I haven't been getting enough sleep lately, staying up too late to hang out and watch TV with Justin. Last night we watched TV and played WordFeud with each other. He won both games. The second one, I was way ahead, but he played a couple of good words.

Justin still seems sort of sick from his Strep relapse last week, and I feel fine except my throat feels slightly off. This week is Sam's spring break, and on Thursday we're going to go to Woodland Park Zoo, so I'm looking forward to that.

I tried to think of something to inspire me, but it just didn't come today. I looked back at my blog posts from this time of year for the past 5 years to see if there was anything interesting. There was not really anything that made me spark. So, here's what my life is like right now. Maybe in four years on April 4 if I feel uninspired again, I'll read it. But I'm not sure it will help.

Friday Fragments

Friday Fragments are bits and pieces of your week that are usually brief; too short for a stand-alone post, but too good to discard. Collect humorous observations, "Heard" items, and other small gems and put them together in a Friday Fragments post.

Friday Fragments are the brainchild of Mrs.4444 and you can find more at Half Past Kissin' Time.

*****

I tried out NaBloPoMo in December and missed it by about 2 days of not posting. I've decided I'm going to try again for April. The "official" theme for April is 'sprout.' I guess in a way, my idea fits - I feel inspired by little things right now - everyday things that happen that spur me to write. So, that's going to be my sort-of theme for April, ideas that sprout from moments, but really anything goes.

*****

So in the last month, we have pretty much all had strep throat except Danny. My throat got all sore again on Monday, but it is much better now. Justin, on the other hand? The penicillin they gave him did not eradicate the strep throat he had and it came back with a vengeance on Tuesday. I am not even kidding, his left tonsil was the size of a walnut. Horrible. So, he got some better antibiotics, and he's on the mend. He did miss work yesterday and today, and it seems like he was even worse the second time around. Hopefully this time the medicine will really get this bacteria OUT of our house!

*****

Sam's Kindergarten registration paperwork came in the mail this week. HOW DO I HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD?! I don't even know. It's insane. I look at him and I just can't believe I'm a parent to a kid that age. He'll be five in a month, and Danny will be one. Crazy.

*****

One of my friends has recently become a consultant for Arbonne. She is a really cool woman who is trying to remain a stay at home mom while still providing for her family. Normally I don't host parties for friends who do this kind of thing, but after hearing about Arbonne and their products, I hosted a party last weekend. It was SO much fun! Here is the beauty of Facebook. The people who attended were: a friend I've known online for 2 years but never met, a woman I went to high school with who I haven't actually seen SINCE HIGH SCHOOl, my Mom, and a friend from a local Moms group. Talk about a mixed bag. It was awesome though. And they have amazing incentives for first time buyers. I am going to get a HUGE box this week with all the stuff my Mom and I ordered. I am probably most excited about the FC5 Mattifying Powder (I gets shiny, yo), the Self Tanning Spray (my legs are an unholy shade of white, and it's getting warmer), and the Hydrating Eye Cream (EYE BAGS BEGONE). I'm going to be hosting a 'virtual party' soon, so if you might be interested, let me know. They really are a cool company, all pure and natural and green. Check 'em out!

*****

I walked around downtown this week and took a bunch of photos. I'll post more on Sunday for Weekly Winners, but here are a couple.



This next one I just happened to catch, I saw the bike cop, then the soldiers, then they met up and started talking and joking around. It was just a cool sight to see.





*****

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am excited because my sister's coming up Saturday and her boyfriend (who is awesome) on Sunday, so it's going to be awesome! Now I better be off to visit the other Friday Fragmenters!

Vacation & 1000 posts

Wow. I have been online less in the past week than... well, before I can remember really. I have been seeing my emails through my phone but have only sat in front of the laptop three times. My feedreader currently has 527 unread items. Oh well!

I'm having a great time on my vacation. I feel so lucky to have more than one place in this world that's home to me. Right now it's only 10:30 and somehow both of my children are asleep on the couch. I'm planning on heading to bed soon, but I have been missing blogland, so I though I'd come for a visit.

Danny has been in a MAJOR mommy phase since we got here. He pretty much wants me to hold him every. single. second. It's exhausting. At least here I don't feel as bad about how it affects Sam since he has other people to play with and talk to. He has been having a wonderful time with his grandparents and his aunt. He's even warming up to the dogs.

I've been enjoying myself, and it's been awesome to actually be able to read some while Danny's napping on me since Sam has been otherwise occupied some of the time. Now if only I could turn my back on the baby or go to the bathroom without him crying as if someone is swinging him by his feet.

It's really cold here, and dry. I've noticed that Sam's been drinking tons of milk, and I've been soooo thirsty the last few days. I've been drinking tons of water. We fly home on Monday evening, but before then I still have a visit with my favorite cousin, a dinner at my favorite pizza place, and a couple more days of hanging out to look forward to.

By the way, this is my 1010th post. I was totally trying to keep track and was going to post something cool for my 1000th post, but I totally blew it. Yay me!

I hope everyone's new year is going well so far. Once I get home, back to the real world, I'll be around more often.

New Years Resolutions

There's something about making New Years resolutions that I've always thought was a little silly. At the same time, I feel so blessed right after Christmas and spending a lot of time with family. So it seems like a really good time to think about my goals. I've thought of several things that I want to change in my life, and this year just feels like it's going to be the start.

I have high hopes for 2011, and I hope they're not unfounded. There have been a lot of dismal things in the last few years, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to look back on 2011 as the year we got back on track and worked to make our lives better.

So, here are my goals for the next 12 months - and beyond.

Lose 70 pounds and run a 5K

Before I got pregnant with Danny, I lost 30 pounds using Weight Watchers and exercising. I ended my pregnancy down almost 50 lbs from my starting weight. I've been hovering there ever since. This year, I am going to finish this. I need to take off 70 more pounds to be in my healthy range. I CAN do it. I need to stick to the point counting and exercise regularly, so there are concrete goals here:

• Exercise at least 4 times a week. I have a gym membership. They have a day care. I have a Wii fit, and a Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD. I am getting an elliptical machine from a friend who doesn't use it anymore. This should be PERFECTLY doable.
• Eat right. This means menu planning and counting points every. single. day.
• Do couch to 5K. This I probably won't start until spring when the weather starts to clear up a bit. By the end of 2011 I want to be able to run 3 miles.
  

Learn how to take great photos on purpose

I have captured some great images already with my new Canon Rebel XS, but I want to take a class, read some books, and learn how to get great photos on purpose and not just by chance. I want to learn to use the manual modes, about f-stops and apertures. I'd love to start selling some of my work within the year.

Improve my marriage

As far as things go and the big picture, I think that we have a fairly good relationship. BUT. Having 2 kids has definitely affected things, and there has definitely been neglect of our relationship. I know that it is both of our responsibility to work on it and keep our marriage strong so that we always feel connected to each other as a couple, regardless of kids in the house. There will be concrete goals in this area, but I probably won't talk about them here.

Write more

After trying to complete Nablopomo by posting every day in December, I realize that I miss just writing. There is definitely something to be said for memes, schedules, and themes, but sometimes the writing I love best just... happens. This year I'm going to write more of things that just come to me. I love writing, and sometimes I lose focus on it, but I love it when it's more a part of my life.

Read 50 books

I have an ongoing goal of reading 50 books a year. The last 2 years? FAIL! So, this year I'm going to try and read more. I don't know when I'll fit it in, but maybe I'll just watch less TV and give up some of the blogs I keep up with peripherally even though they're not really my cup of tea. I forget until I'm engrossed how much I love being swept away by a good story, and I want to feel it more often.

Write letters to everyone I love

I recently decided that one thing I want to complete this year is writing letters to the most important people in my life - friends and family both - telling them how much they mean to me and why I love them. I really believe that this is something that is not done enough - letting people know how important they are and why. Anything can happen at any moment, and I want the people who make my life joyful to know about it. I've made a preliminary tally and I'm looking at at least 30 letters, some of which will be long. Yet, I can't wait to start.

Learn to use a budget - seriously, for real.

I am the first to admit that Justin and I are terrible at managing our money. We know how to budget, but sticking to it has not been easy. I think we're both tired of struggling and of not having any savings for ourselves or for the boys. When something comes up like a huge energy bill or his car in it's last days, we don't have anything put away for those times. We're going to sit down this month and figure out a new budget using the envelope system. That means that every time Justin gets paid, we'll take out cash for categories like groceries, gas, dining out, household items etc. When the cash is gone, it's gone. Until the next check. This should allow us to get back on track and hopefully start saving up SOMETHING for those times when we really need it.

I think that's probably enough lofty goals for the year. What are you planning for 2011?

Rachael vs. NaBloPoMo

Hi.

Remember me?

I feel like I haven't been around much lately. This is mainly the product of having an almost 7 month old baby who has entered an "I only like to sleep when you're holding me" phase. You know what though? I miss it around here. I think about writing all the time, and I have a billion half formed ideas in my head. I read other people's blogs every day and they spark ideas. I admire them and am inspired by them. So, how else to get back into it but NaBloPoMo?


Yes, that's right. I have decided that I'll wrap up 2010 by posting every day this December. The optional theme for December is Zeitgeist. Which I had to look up on Wikipedia to understand. The basic translation is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age." This seems appropriate since I feel like I've sort of entered a new time in my life having just entered my 30s.

Some days, I'll write about things I feel defines the spirit of the times I'm going through. Some days, maybe I'll use the writing prompts from the NaBloPoMo website. Some days I'll continue with my 30 Days of Truth series, which may end up more like 30 WEEKS at this point. Some days I'll get to all of those ideas I have floating around in my drafts folder and in my head. And some days when I'm not sure, I'll just WRITE. I'll write and see what comes out.

I hope it will be good, that it will get me back into the swing of things. I hope you'll come along for the ride.

31 DBBB Wrapup & 7 Link Problogger Challenge

It's hard to believe that 31 days went by so fast! I absolutely loved being a Community Lead during the challenge, and connecting with a bunch of new blogs I'm falling in love with. I learned a lot, and I feel like I actually have a sort of plan for my blog for the first time! I am feeling a renewed energy and inspiration to write, and ideas have been popping up in my head like weeds. I'm also very excited because SITS announced the locations for Bloggy Boot Camp in 2011, and they're coming to Seattle! Yay! I really can't wait even though it's almost a year away.

Here are some useful links from the challenge:

• You can see all the posts I posted during the challenge by clicking here.
• If you want to revisit the BlogFrog posts, check out this awesome list - it links to the official posts for each day of the challenge.
• If you participated in the challenge and you haven't picked up your button yet, go here to get the official "I survived" button for your blog!
• If you weren't able to keep up the first time, but want to complete the 31 Days challenge, go to this thread on BlogFrog to hook up with some ladies who are planning to start on September 1.

In honor of the end of the challenge, today I'm taking on another challenge from Darren at Problogger. Darren is the author of the workbook and the head honcho over at Problogger. He posted this 7 link challenge on his blog recently, and after seeing some other answers to it I thought it would be fun to do my own post!

Your first post

My first blog post was published in February 2005, called You Give Me Fever. This was posted on my original blog, which was later deleted when the hosting company it was on disappeared without a trace. My first post when I came back and started blogging regularly and as a serious pastime was in March of 2008, called My Secret Identity.

A post you enjoyed writing the most

One of my favorite Suddenly, You're Four. I am so often caught up in the day to day of living with a baby and a four year old, I don't always sit and have time to gaze into their being and the life I'm sharing with them. I wrote this post recently for Sam's fourth birthday, and I still can't read it without getting teary.

A post which had a great discussion

I have not had a ton of discussion in my comments, which is another thing I'd love to try and improve, since one of my favorite parts about blogging is the community that comes out of it. I think the most discussion I've had was on my post 10 Things That Are Just NOT Okay. It was a fun one!

A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written

Honestly, so many of these pop up in my reader on a daily basis! But two posts that really struck me recently were from Jenny at The Bloggess. The first was about The Traveling Red Dress, a beautiful dress she got just because she IS worth it. The second is a followup - Red Dress Revisited makes me cry every time I read it.

Your most helpful post

I have not written a ton of posts trying to help (yet!), but my recent post Your Blog, Your Work, Your Property: How to Protect Your Blog from Plagiarism seemed to get a really good response, and I think it helped people! I'm hoping to write more posts like this in the future.

A post with a title that you are proud of

I sometimes struggle with my post titles because the one I want to use is often abstract, or a clip from the post and they are certainly not the best for SEO. Your Light Should Burn Forever is a post I wrote a while back about a friend who has been very sick. She is still with us, and she is fighting, but there's no cure for what she has. I like the post title because her light really does shine so bright and add something so amazing to the world.

A post that you wish more people had read

I don't write about my volunteering a ton, because I have to be careful about it. I volunteer for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services as an advocate. I do mostly on-call, meaning I answer the phone after regular hours (9-5), and go to the hospital to be support if a sexual assault or domestic violence survivor comes in. I can't include anything that could identify anyone, and if I write about an experience at all, I have to publish it at a random time so it can't be associated with a particular date. I wrote this after my first experience doing a hospital call. It's called The First Time.

Did you complete the 31 day challenge? How do you feel now that it's over? Do you have posts in mind for any of the 7 categories listed above - if so I'd love to read them!

Tell Me About the Place You Call Home

Today is Day 23 of the SITS BlogFrog 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge!

Today's task is to create a call to action for readers. Many of us are very passive when we visit blogs, and sometimes even just asking people to comment can snap them out of that passive state and get them more involved. Other ways to call readers to action are to post polls, ask them to subscribe, point them to another website or to a product you'd like people to check out.

I admit that this is one of the harder tasks for me to come up with an idea for. Of course I love comments just like anyone, but it seems so simple to just ask you to leave a comment after reading this. But, as Darren points out in his article "Calls to Action - 12 Tips to SNAP Readers out of Passivity" on the Problogger blog, sometimes the simplest actions are the ones that get us somewhere we want to go.

So, I am curious. I always wonder where other people are from, and what speaks to them in that place. Today I am asking you to leave a comment telling me where you are from, and a little about one of your favorite places there. Where do you go in your town or city that really just embodies the spirit of the place for you? I'll start...

I live in Bellingham, WA. It's a city about 1.5 hours north of Seattle and only about 30 minutes from the Canadian border with a population of about 80,000. We have a college here, Western Washington University, so parts of Bellingham are quite college-towny. One of my favorite places in Bellingham is a particular block of Railroad Ave. downtown. On that block you will find The Bagelry, one of my favorite places to have breakfast or lunch. They make their own fresh bagels, the staff is mostly young artistic-seeming types, they have a huge wall of fliers and posters for upcoming local events, and always have art from a local artist on the walls. On the same block you'll find Mallards Ice Cream. They make flavors like Yrba Matte and Earl Grey and Hibiscus Mint Leaf Ice. Mmmm... Across the street you'll find Avalon, a CD store that sells music, posters, and... glass art would be a proper way of putting it if you're put off by pipes and bongs. Next door is Hohl Feed and Seed where we often go to peek at the rats, the biggest guinea pigs I've ever seen, bunnies and baby chicks. Also on this block, you'll find a taco store, a burger joint, a coffee shop, a candy shop, a couple of secondhand stores and a large gift shop where they sell things like jewelry, cards, and photo frames. It's eclectic, it's fun to look at, it's tasty, it's artsy and it's comfortable. Bellingham.

Okay... your turn. Don't feel like you have to be as long-winded as me... :-)

Day 22: Shout it Out! Readers I Love

I can't believe we're less than 10 days away from the end of the SITS BlogFrog 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge! I feel so inspired, and have so many ideas now that I'm excited to carry out. The task for Day 22 is to pay special attention to a reader. Well, if you know me at all, you know that I love lists. So I've decided to make a list of 6 of my favorite readers. Why 6? Who knows. It's my son's favorite number, so I guess that's my little shout out to him.

I love all you readers out there, but today I'm going to highlight a few people who have been around here for quite a while. These are people that have given me inspiration and made me feel welcome in blog-land by commenting and giving me support. They are some of the first people I made friends with in the blogosphere, and I think you should go check them out!

Audrey of Barking Mad
Audrey's is one of the first blogs I started reading, and I quickly became addicted to her honest, open writing, her humor, her daughter's adorable face (seriously, she is just about the cutest little girl I've ever seen), and her beautiful photographs of the Maine coast. She lives in New York now, but I've watched her struggle and triumph over these past couple of years, and sort of fallen in love with her. She has been around here regularly since we met, and it makes me happy whenever she leaves a little tidbit here!

Kori of See Kori Rant
Kori is another one of my oldest bloggy friends. She lives close-ish, in a state that touches mine at least! She also has a son named Sam, and another son the same age as my Sam. Kori has been so supportive of me, and I think she is an amazing, strong woman. She writes about her life, ups and downs, and opens her heart to the world. Despite the fact that she doesn't always feel it, she is a great mother and a pretty awesome lady to boot.

Megan of Newly Wed, Newly Bred
I love Megan. She ALWAYS makes me laugh, and she has a totally adorable giant baby named C. Okay, maybe he is starting to turn into a toddler right now. Either way, the photos she posts of him on her blog always make me smile. Megan is really into cloth diapering and baby wearing, and she has lots of giveaways, so I always recommend her blog to other mommies.

Shannon of Welcome to the Nuthouse
Whose house DOESN'T feel like a nuthouse every once in a while? Shannon and I share a love of many things, including Daniel Craig, Sweet Moments Bite Sized Brownies, LOST and Suzanne Collins books. She is funny and smart, and a great person to have around.

Mimi of Mimi
Mimi is a voracious reader, and that made me like her right from the start. Her blog is a sunny place, and I love popping over for a look around.

Todd of Iced Tea and Sarcasm
I actually know Todd in real life, he used to be my boss. Unfortunately for me, he now lives fairly far away down in San Fransisco. Luckily though, he has his own blog where he posts about San Fran, Gay Issues and lots of random stuff that catches his eye. Todd is awesome, that's pretty much all.

So, what are you still doing here? Go forth and discover!

Birds? Meet Stone! Days 18 & 19

I'm loving participating in the SITS Blogfrog 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge! BUT, being a community lead for the project and trying to spread the linky love AND trying to visit with the many out of town guests we had this week AND cleaning my house for the playdate I had here this morning AND keeping up with the laundry AND making sure my 2 kids are fed and played with and changed and happy? Whew, it's kind of a lot of work!

Today is Day 19 of the challenge, and the task is to write an opinion post for our blogs. I have written opinion posts in the past, and I always have a lot of fun with it. It's really awesome to have an outlet where I can share those things I just NEED to say. Most of my opinion posts have centered around women's issues and equal rights, because those are two things I'm very interested in. Opinion posts are a great way to get discussion started on your blog. They're also a great way to draw in readers if you've got an opinion on a current news or political topic, currently showing movie, popular book or hot new product.

Now, let me step back a day - here's where killing two birds with one stone comes in. The task for Day 18 of the challenge was to create a sneeze page. If you're not familiar with the concept, you can read this article at Problogger all about what a sneeze page is, and how to create one.

When I was thinking about a topic to write an opinion post on, I started going through my archives and came across a few opinion posts I am still quite fond of. So, today I'm going to sort of do both tasks at once. Here are links to my favorite opinion posts of the past couple of years. At the bottom is a link to my new sneeze page, "What I Think", which is now linked in my sidebar as well! Hope you enjoy!

How We See Birth: Changing Our Perceptions - March 2010 - My thoughts on the way we view and treat birth in our culture and why it's not quite right.

Torture Porn: That's My Line and I'm Stickin' To It - February 2010 - Do you watch movies like Saw and Tourista? Here's why I won't.

Have a Little Faith - December 2009 - My opinion on the nasty backlash that happened online after the tragic drowning death of a 2 year old boy.

Birthing is Business? - May 2009 - Thoughts on birth and the medical system in America after watching Ricki Lake's documentary "The Business of Being Born."

Did Jenny McCarthy Cure Autism? - March 2009 - My take on her claims and the idea that autism is curable at all.

Octuplets? Not an Option! - February 2009 - Where do we draw the line? When does the search for a child become medically irresponsible?

Haiku Friday: Gay Marriage Makes Me Cry - July 2008 - My reaction to gay marriage being legalized in California.

Movie Monday: The Women (suck) - September 2008 - My review of the movie "The Women," one of the worst movies I have seen in the past 5 years. Here, I explain why.