lifeinflux

Who we talking ’bout here?

Ever had one of those weeks where you were so busy, you wonder how you got to Monday?   And were you so busy that when you got to Monday, all the stuff you did was a blur and you can't quite put your finger on exactly what kept you so busy that entire time?   That was my week, last week.   And while I'm doing a lot of tasks that seem simple and mundane to the outside viewer, I find myself calmer and happier than I've been in a long time.    Well, okay, except last Wednesday night, but I'm allowe...

Denial

The Kübler-Ross model, better known as the five stages of grief, can really be applied to all areas of life. For example, while writing my 101 goals in 1001 days, I was definitely in stage one, denial. It's not that I was unrealistic in setting my goals; and even after a week's contemplation I still believe I will meet and, in some cases, surpass my goals by July 2012. That said, I think I was smoking something illegal when I came up with a few of these goals. There is really no other...

Halloween to Hoochie-ween (and really not much in between)

Shopping for Halloween costumes with my tween is akin to getting a root canal. I've never had a root canal but I know people who have and they never emerge from the dentist's chair smiling. In fact, they often look like they are caught in that place between sheer, outright pain and Novocaine and it's not a good place to be. And that's the look on my face after visiting multiple Halloween stores and Party City.   Because Drue is tall, she no longer fits into child-sized costumes. While they sti...

Blog Action Day 2009 – Climate Change

I've spent the better part of the day reading about climate change. Sure, I already knew about global warming and its effects on the weather, fragile ecosystems, and our health. At any given time on any given news site or blog, I can read about tragedies around the world, be it flooding, poverty, or wide-spread diseases like hantavirus or malaria, that seem to be increasing as temperatures rise. I know the crucial number - 350 - and what it means. I know I should use less energy at home...

Blog Action Day 2009

This year, Lifeinflux, along with thousands of other bloggers around the world, will join in on Blog Action Day 2009.    This year's post will be about climate change.   Right now, there are over 7000 bloggers registered to participate and these 7000 blogs have over 11 million readers.    Won't you add your voice and blog? Registering is simple. Go to the registration page on the Blog Action Day website. Fill in some information about your blog. Be sure to include the URL of your blog and ...

Thirty five is a very attractive age…

At least, so says Oscar Wilde. I'm inclined to agree for purely personal reasons. T.S. Eliot once said: "I don't believe one grows older. I think that what happens early on in life is that at a certain age one stands still and stagnates." Stagnate was a great way to describe my mental state for the past few years.   In 2004, I was 30.  I was separated from Jason and trying to make it on my 1997 salary after several years out of the traditional job market while at home caring for Drue.  In 20...

Of mice and bears… the story of adopting one Kodiak B-Bear

Even though I embrace and accept that I have a major case of OCD, I confess to occasionally losing my mind for a moment and indulging in crazy, outlandish and extremely spontaneous decisions.  They are never little decisions either, except where hair product purchases are involved.    They are usually huge decisions that should require careful thought; however, I make them on the fly and am lucky so far that they ultimately better my life in the long run even if they usually have huge, immediate...

A simple(r) life…

There are so many good things that came from leaving the 9-to-5 grind that I find it hard to define the "best" one.   Surprisingly, cutting back has become less of an obstacle and more of a challenge.   Sure, I freaked out a little when I realized that dropping $25 a week on hair product that just sit on the shelves in my bathroom was no longer going to be the norm.  And by a little, I mean I sat in the back aisle of Ulta, clutching my basket filled with gel and spritz and hair wax in one hand a...