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<-- my life, by webgoddesscathy -->


:: Saturday, September 02, 2006 ::
So, I had so much stuff to do that I'm not even getting through my list. However, holy crap, my banister is looking SO good! Not completely done yet, but pretty close! So excited that it will be done soon and I can just sit there and admire it. Oh and I WILL sit there and admire, dammmit.

Plus, I managed to get Alex's stinky duvet over to the dry clearners. Thursday I will have a pretty, almost new bed cover!

Sadly, all of my outdoor activities were cancelled due to copious amounts of rain. However, it meant that I was able to concentrate on the banister and not feel bad about being inside.

And I was able to work on Anita's website, which I feel pretty good about.

Nothing I love more than being productive.

And now we're debating whether or not we can go out tonight since we MAY need to wake up early to get to Bala where The Free Press is supposed to be playing tomorrow. I like going out, but no one's happy when I haven't slept.


:: Cathy 3:18 PM [+] :: 0 comments




:: Friday, September 01, 2006 ::
So, one big project out of the way. Mostly.

And another big project - the weekend - on deck. Haven't had many recommendations from people. SERIOUSLY, where ARE you when I need help?

I have made a commitment to myself: be positive.

Sounds easy. But, damn, it is not easy when you keep getting stood up, when house problems keep creeping up, when projects at work are behind schedule and lack resources.

So I must remember to figure out how to just BE HAPPY. No matter what happens.

New matra. Stay positive. Let's see how this works.


:: Cathy 6:42 AM [+] :: 2 comments




:: Thursday, August 31, 2006 ::
What fun things are you doing on your long weekend?

I'm not at all sure WHAT I'm doing, but I really have an itch to do something different/interesting/fun.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

Options:

  • shop for duvet cover/curtain/bedsheet material
  • paint and do house reno errands/work
  • call every friend I know and go be social
  • shop. Preferably Winners. Bad idea for the pocketbook.
  • Go for a long walk and bike ride
  • Go to the Chet Baker festival at Yonge-Dundas square
  • go home to my parents' house
  • sleep in, eat bon bons, lounge on the couch and watch HGTV


:: Cathy 8:25 AM [+] :: 2 comments




:: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 ::
Just when I thought I was getting bored (or boring), I am suddenly inspired by looking up my stats, which led me to find out about a top exit page, which I promptly read (to clarify, it was the post that I read that inspired me, not the stats).

The post is one that I wrote in Sydney after reading SHE magazine about "How to be Happy."

I thought I'd like to see how things have progressed in just over 3 years. (Goodness has it been that long?)

The list:

1. two things to do every day to inspire myself
2. two people I want to meet this year
3. two things I want to learn
4. two things I want to finish
5. two things I want to start
6. two material things I want in my lifetime
7. two books I want to read
8. two places I want to go
10. two things I want to eliminate from my life

My list (and progress):

1. a) Previous answers and progress
  • walk through a park - I used to do it every day in Australia. Now I ride my bike to/from work and try to choose the quieter streets and go a little slower to enjoy it. I've started a walking club and I try to take my group somewhere pretty in downtown Toronto every week. But I don't know if I'd call that "inspiring".

  • read while I drink my tea - well, I haven't had much time to do that lately. While I was at my apartment, I had my weekend morning ritual of coffee and magazine reading. Totally loved it. Haven't done that since I've been in the house. Must get back to it.

    b) THIS YEAR: must do better on this one - I'm definitely missing a sense of inspiration. Ideas (although not necessarily daily ones):
  • take a course
  • go for walks early in the morning or in the evening

    2. a) Previous answers and progress
  • someone interesting from an exotic place - totally met lots of these people on my trip. This year I met Jesse, a musician from Tasmania.
  • someone who inspires me - the CEO of my company

    b) THIS YEAR:
  • a good doctor/counsellor
  • a professional mentor

    3. a) Previous answers and progress
  • scuba diving - done! - got my advanced diving license
  • surfing - done! - took 2 classes

    b) THIS YEAR:
  • patience
  • how fix a bike

    4. a) Previous answers and progress
  • this trip - done! - totally smoked that trip!
  • the Lord of the Rings Trilogy - done!

    b) THIS YEAR:
  • unpacking
  • renovating

    5. a) Previous answers and progress
  • a professional web site - nope
  • loving and believing myself - um, better on the former, not so great on the latter

    b) THIS YEAR:
  • site redesign, including a professional section
  • being truly supportive and unselfish

    6. a) Previous answers and progress
  • a house - done - I'm sitting in it!
  • a wedding ring - no deal

    b) THIS YEAR: tough one as I really don't feel that I want much beyond what I have...
  • a pretty garden to sit out in
  • a gorgeous deep bathtub

    7. a) Previous answers and progress
  • tales of a female nomad - done
  • The High King - done

    b) THIS YEAR:
  • 1000 Places to See Before You Die
  • Suggestions?

    8. a) Previous answers and progress
  • The Great Barrier Reef - done!
  • Fraser Island - done!

    b) THIS YEAR:
  • Thailand
  • Cape Breton Island

    10. a) Previous answers and progress
  • caring so much what others expect from me or think about me
  • fear of failure (or my ridiculous notion of what constitutes failure)
    I'm still struggling with these

    THIS YEAR:
  • the above
  • my sense of urgency about pretty much everything

    VERDICT:

    I accomplished a lot.
    I can do a lot more to nurture myself.
    It's probably a good idea to do a list like this every once in a while to refocus.
    I can't count to 10.


    :: Cathy 7:02 PM [+] :: 1 comments





    It's one of those days when things just do not want to go right.

    I usually ascribe to the belief that nothing goes wrong if you plan well enough, so following that logic, that the problems are due to lack of planning.

    However, it is not always possible to plan every aspect of a project and sometimes you must rely on your team to be experts and learn. And sometimes that means that things will go wrong.

    And it seems that I just have to be OK with that.


    :: Cathy 11:30 AM [+] :: 0 comments





    I discovered a super interesting magazine today: Technology Review, from MIT, which discusses emerging technologies and their impact.

    Totally my cup of tea and, oh-so-coincidentally, that of MaRS as well.

    If you follow my blog at all, you might have read the post about Web 2.0.

    Today I read an article by a technology journalist who explored what it meant to live on Web 2.0 in his article "Homo Conexus".

    He came to some similar conclusions that I am coming to about all this stuff: that it's interesting, but only some of it is actually useful.

    It's the same argument I had with myself and others about getting a mobile so many years ago: why?

    I was happy with my cordless phone in my apartment. I had voice mail that I could access anywhere. I made plans before I went anywhere. I had my work phone with voice mail. There are phone booths. What could I possibly need a mobile phone for?

    Well, it finally had its use in Australia. And so I bought it. And it followed me around everywhere and became the place where anyone could reach me, anytime. OK, except when I was out of range or had burnt through the battery. But still.

    I fell in love.
    The technology met my needs at a time when I didn't have a HOME or any one place where one could reach me. There was email, but we all know that's not the same as a real live voice. It helped me feel like I was connected to the people I loved.

    And when I got back to Canada, I started thinking about it from the other way: what the hell did I need with a land line? And so the mobile phone stayed and the land line went.

    I pay less for my phone, but I also admittedly have more limitations on use and have to pay for long distance separately in order to make it affordable. In the end, I still find it a useful replacement of the old technology.

    So I find myself waiting for Web 2.0 to become more useful to me, or cheaper than another alternative.

    I've found a couple things that I like...

  • I'm using del.icio.us because I'm sick of not having my bookmarks from home available to me at the office and vice versa.
  • I'm using my blog, and have been for years, instead of mass emails and to be my writerly self and get my creative stuff out. Although I wonder sometimes how creative I'm being. Lately, due to house stuff, I've been writing more as a duty than anything else. Goodness, what has become of me?!
  • I use my web mail to store files and a calendar, but I would like to have a shared calendar with Alex so that I could see him every once in a while
  • I used a wiki for my trip to Halifax
    . It didn't work out so well.
  • I network through LinkedIn. Although I have yet to actually use it for professional reasons.
  • I post my photos on Flickr and blog them. Problem with Flickr is that there's a limit on the number of photos and the ways that I can organize them and link to them. Sad story.

    A big issue is finding other people who will buy into your latest and greatest tool (know how to use it, care to even try, want to participate with you, etc).

    In theory, though, if I were more interesting in my USE of these tools, it wouldn't be a problem. Except that I would spend my entire LIFE creating this online persona.

    And what fun is that when the sun is shining and your house needs renovations?


    :: Cathy 11:01 AM [+] :: 1 comments



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