Procrastination

I am blogging tonight because I am procrastinating. I have a task ahead that I am just dreading and what better way to avoid it. Even if it's only a few minutes. So naturally this makes me think about procrastination, why I do it and how.

Time for a list:

What makes me procrastinate?

1. The task seems too tedious. I am more of a big picture person.
2. The task seems too big and I don't know how to approach it or where to start.
3. The task just bores me. Writing a paper about the marketing challenges of Gillette, for example.

What I do instead of what I should be doing (avoidance techniques)

1. Clean
2. Google subjects that I wouldn't research if I weren't procrastinating
3. Post a blog (apparently)

So if your procrastinating, tell me what you do!

More of My Favorite Things

I found a new iced tea that I want to add to my favorite things list.  It is made by Rishi Tea and is called:

Organic Artisan Iced Tea

Classic Citrus

It's a bit expensive if you're used to buying the family sized Lipton or Louisanne family sized iced tea bags (it's $6.99 for 5 tea bags).  But it's a good treat.  The flavor of this black tea tastes naturally sweet and it very....herbal.  Sugar not even needed!  The box boasts that the citrus flavor actually comes from the essential oil of bergamot.  I wonder if I could make the Lipton taste like this if I bought some bergamot essential oil?

Friendship

Today I am reminded how important friendship is.  And I am not talking about superficial friendship.  I am not talking about the people I exchange pleasantries with.  I am talking about the type of friend who really knows me.  I am talking about the type of friend who goes through what I go through.  I am talking about the type of friend who hurts when I hurt, laughs when I laugh, cries when I cry.  A friendship like this requires a lot of history.  It requires years of getting to know eachother and building trust.  Friendships like this do not occur overnight.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I prefer to keep a few close friends rather than a handful of friends.  And I will tell you why.  Close relationships are just more rewarding, they are more real, they are emotional.  You can tell your true friends your secrets without judgment.  Acquitances and other non-close friends are nice too, but it feels....well....superficial.  And just very shallow.

And true friends, just KNOW exactly when to text or call.  It's almost as if we are somehow connected on a psychic level.  I guess my point of this post is just to say how much I appreciate my close friends.  Love you guys!!!

Connecticut

So I am in Connecticut for work this week.  Just got here tonight and here are a few things I notice immediately:

1.  The trees here are huge.
2.  Everything is lush and green.  You should see the hydrangeas and lilys!
3.  The houses here are soooo cute and have lots of character.  No two are the same.
4.  There are A LOT of houses for sale.
5.  The towns here are really small.  I went out to explore and ended up in a different town entirely and didn't even drive that long!
6.  The interstate highway I was on had a 55 mile per hour speed limit!  (No one drove that slow)
7.  Temps are nice....going from 100s to 80s is a treat!
8.  "Sweet tea" tastes more like lemonade with a dash of tea.

Thanks for having me Connecticut!

It's Just So Hot!

I love the heat, I really do.  Otherwise, I would not have made it through so many Texas summers.  Sometimes I daydream about moving up north where it gets cold and actually snows.  But it’s not the snow that is attractive, and it’s not the cold.  It’s the fact that indoors would be heated and really cozy.  And since I am indoors most of the time, having it cozy inside is really attractive.

In Austin, there’s only a short period of time when we actually turn on the heater or stoke a fire in the fireplace.  The rest of the time the A/C is blasting or simply turned off.  When it starts getting hot, businesses start blasting the A/C so that I am forced to where a sweater inside, even when it’s 100+ outside.  (For my non-Texan readers, it is quite common for triple digit temperatures.)

 

To sum up…I really love heat.

But lately the heat here has been unbearable.  And what’s worse is there seems to be no end in sight.  It’s not even officially summer yet!  Most of Texas is in severe draught right now.  We have had terrible wild fires, burn bans have been instituted and water usage has been limited.  Our lakes and rivers are drying up.  No fireworks for Austin on the 4^th!  Please let it rain soon!!!!

As you know I am a fan of lists.  So here is my list of “Must-haves to Survive a Texas Summer.”
         

1.  Iced tea.  I love sweet tea but unsweet is really better when you’re trying to quench your thirst on those long, hot summer days.

2.  Ceiling fans.  To be used in conjunction with an air conditioner.  You need more air circulation and ceiling fans are essential.

3.  Shade.  Exposed skin might melt right off if you get in a car with leather seats that’s been sitting in the sun all day.

4.  Water.  Needed for drinking, swimming in, running through, anything you like to do to cool off.

5.  Light clothing.  

Keep cool everyone!

Cactus Flower

Appreciation

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying my new job and how much I am loving the super casual work environment!  Plus the people are really great, too!  I was thinking this weekend that this is the first time in several years that I am feeling completely content at work.  Previously, I was either trying to move up or move out.  But here, I LIKE my job...I don't want a promotion (FOR NOW) and there is no way I would consider another job right now.  Here are the reasons I love my job:

1.  Appropriately challenging
2.  No overtime on a regular basis - I don't mind working overtime during critical periods, but I do not enjoy overtime every week!
3.  It allows me to have a LIFE!  This means I have time for reading, taking photos, writing poems, doing this blog, and spending time with my friends and family.  This is the BIG reason!
4.  No one micromanages me....whew.
5.  My managers make me feel appreciated.
6.  I get to travel a little