Keep Breathing

The storm is coming but i don't mind.
People are dying, i close my blinds.

All that i know is i'm breathing now.

I want to change the world...instead i sleep.
I want to believe in more than you and me.

But all that i know is i'm breathing.
All i can do is keep breathing.
All we can do is keep breathing now.

All that i know is i'm breathing.
All i can do is keep breathing.
All we can do is keep breathing now.

All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing.
All we can do is keep breathing now.

Keep Breathing, Ingrid Michaelson, 2003

The Trash Room

Dear fellow neighbors at my apartment complex,

The trash room is for stepping into before throwing your trash down the chute. It is not a room for you to throw your trash, although I know the label on the door is confusing. What you are doing is equivalent to walking into the mail room and throwing your mail on the floor, expecting someone else to stick it in the mail slot. Your mail would never get mailed... however, magically, your trash does in fact make it down the chute. Maybe our rent wouldn't be so high if the complex didn't have to pay someone to clean up after you. Just a thought.

Love,

Ms. Nelson

Unprocrastination day

Today is my unprocrastination day. It is the day where I will attempt to accomplish all those things I have procrastinated doing over the EIGHT other days of spring break. Blogging was not in the day, but I refuse to call blogging procrastinating. My lunch is cooking, so this is multi-tasking. :)

The idea of unprocrastination day came from the April issue of Real Simple, my most favorite magazine in the entire universe. The bf got me a subscription for Christmas because he loves me and listens to me... when I complain about not getting the magazine from my secret santa at work when I SPECIFICALLY wrote it on the sheet and underlined it. Twice. But I digress.

Anyway, I have scheduled my entire day. And while the list of tasks I have seems daunting (at least to me), when looking it over I realized all these tasks mean I am immensely blessed.

Going to church means I live in a country where I am free to worship the god I choose.

Washing dishes means I have food to eat.

Having an electric diswasher wash them for me is just ridiculous.

Washing multiple loads of laundry means I have plenty of clothes to wear.

Researching for my graduate paper means I have an education.

Grading papers and writing lesson plans means I have a job.

Paying rent and putting in a service request means I have a place to live and people to help me keep up my home.

Taking out the disgusting, smelly cat litter means I have two animals who I love and sometimes love me back.

It also means I have the money to take care of two animals.

Painting a portrait of a dog means that people think I am talented enough... to pay me to paint their dog.

Preparing a print of one of my latest works means someone wants to own my art.

My to-do list means I'm blessed.

5 Hobbies in a Hat

I don't talk a lot about my boyfriend on here (intentionally) but he really is very good for me. Something he suggested earlier (along with blowing up the TV) really stuck with me.

Aaron was curious what would happen if I took a week and, instead of watching TV, I took that time and really threw myself into something. He asked me if there was something I have never tried before that I really wanted to do. Well, not that I can think of... but there are things I used to do that I have been putting on the back burner.

Because of this, Aaron suggested I write down 5 of my long-lost hobbies and put them in a hat. I will pick one and then for the next week I will focus all my free time on that hobby. No TV. Probably no Facebook. Limited Words with Friends.

Ok, so my 5 "hobbies" are: Creating my own art, working out, scrapbooking, reading, and organizing my living space. Sure, you can say working out and organizing really aren't hobbies, but I need both! Blogging is a hobby, too, but I've been doing well with it this year.

And the winner is...

Reading! It's going to be a peaceful week. :)

I'm blowing up my TV.

It all started with a statement from my boyfriend. "I just wonder what would happen if you blew up your TV."

We were talking today and he mentioned (like he has a few times before) it concerns him I don't seem to have a hobby. Sure, I paint, but I am always doing that either for a class or because I've been commissioned. I don't work on my own art. I like to read but I never do except for my Bible a little before bed. I scrapbook but my supplies have been in the closet for years. I like to sing but I'm not in a choir anymore. I actually would like to get my apartment organized and get in shape but I can't seem to find the time.

Well, God dropped plenty of time into my lap this week (4 snow days to be exact) and do you know what I did with them? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I sat on my couch and watched TV. Not what was on the TiVo... no, I got through that in half a day. I watched LIVE TV. The kind where you can't fast forward through the commercials. I never do that. But given 4 days inside that is exactly what I did.

Here are the things I needed to do: Take down Christmas decorations, clean apartment, wash laundry, wash dishes, finish a painting, start another painting, write lesson plans, and research topics for my Master's paper.

I took down my tree and washed some clothes and dishes. Oh, and I baked a cake.

So today when Aaron made his comment I could not be more on board. I'm starting tonight. I don't care that it's the Super Bowl and that it's in town. The Cowboys aren't playing and the best commercials are always online the next day anyway. My TiVo will catch Glee. I have work to do.

Skripper

I learned a new word last week.

The #1 reason to remove all receipts before bringing bags to school for the students' clay project:

Before you ask, yes, a student found it. I threw the entire staff under the bus and said all the teachers had donated bags. Then I reminded the students that most of the staff are married... and they are being responsible adults by protecting themselves.