Challenge #14: ZzzzZzzzZzzz…

So, the tally for the week is:
Jen: 0, Waking up Early: 6.

Drat.

I did make it a point to go for a walk every day, though, so that’s a plus. Things I saw this week include:

1. thousands of bats
2. a very VERY large mystery bird
3. a guy who I thought was wearing headphones, but just had weird hair (saw him twice, actually)
4. an extremely wee lizard, like, barely over an inch long including its tail
5. a group of people rappelling off the bridge that crosses the Rillito

I actually took my binoculars the other night to hopefully track down my mystery bird.

I know..... dorky.

I didn’t find the bird I was looking for, but I did see a family of hawks.

Hawk! (there were actually two others nearby)

Anyway, tomorrow I have to get up at least a little earlier than usual, since I have to drive up to my parents’ for Fathers’ Day. BUT…. I got something today that might help me wake up earlier.

Enzo!

I’m not sure yet if he’s one for waking up early, but I kinda hope so (but not tooooo early). So far, I know he’s a fan of sleeping on the bed, on the couches, and on the papasan chair cushion, though.

Challenge #14: Late to bed…

I’m doing lousy on the waking up early front. So far, the earliest I’ve been able to get up is 9:00. Last night I couldn’t sleep until 4am. Ugh!

On the plus side, I’ve at least been going for walks consistently. I’ve been waiting until around 7pm when it “cools off” to 95 (but at least the sun’s going down).

Don't I look nice and cool?

Last night I got to my usual walking spot…. to find that it’s fenced off. Boo! I like walking and running on the unpaved side of the Rillito, but they’re paving it over. I knew they were doing it, but I was disappointed to find out they’re doing it now (and disappointed in general).

Booo......

It kind of put a damper on my walk. The section I ended up walking doesn’t have a drinking fountain (very necessary in the lovely evening weather). All the people who usually walk in the blocked-off section had to walk in the paved section (so it was twice as crowded). I probably wouldn’t have walked as far as usual (it’s around 4.5 miles), except I was on the lookout for a bird I saw the day before. Ha.

I ended up seeing two other hawks, but not the original bird I was looking for (something huge).

I don't actually know what kind of hawk this is! Should've brought my binoculars.

Not too shabby.

Challenge #14: Early to bed, early to rise?

So…. I’m on summer vacation. Normally, this would be a good thing, but my sleep schedule is totally crazy now. I am bored for like, 90% of the day and the only thing I feel like doing is going running, except it’s 100 degrees until 9pm or so. This translates into me being a lazy blob all the time, which is not that fun.

My goal for the week is to get up before it’s 100 degrees (which unfortunately means I need to get up at 5am) so I can go for a walk or a run. I mean, it’s not like I have anything to do for the rest of the day, so I can always take a nap. 🙂

I am not a morning person, at all, ever, sooo…… wish me luck!

What I’m (not) Doing: Challenge #13

So, my self-imposed internet diet is okay so far. Here’s what I’ve been doing besides frittering away my time online:

Going to my favorite Asian market.

I went to Lee Lee mainly to buy some pan de ube, but unfortunately, the 6-7 bags they had were icky. Disappointing! Instead, I found some Lug Lug noodles.

Eating silly mushroom-shaped chocolate snacks.

Oh yeah, I also got some mushroom candy (chocolate mushroom caps with Pocky-like stems).

Kind-of-but-not-really helping put up an antenna on my roof.

I didn’t do much besides hand my dad and brother some stuff and talk to the hilarious neighbor boys who were quite interested in this process. I now have…. two tv channels, after all that.

Hanging out with my family.

After that, I had lunch with my family. I got to hang out with the cutest niece ever (see above), laugh with the boys about their favorite music, and eat some delicious apple cake. Can you tell my mom is thrilled to death with her granddaughter?

Reading out on the porch.

It finally cooled off (to um, like 92 degrees) so I’ve been sitting out on the patio and reading once the sun goes down. I finished The Book Thief (thanks to my friend who is nice enough to recommend and loan me books) the other night. Now I need something new since I am enjoying having time to read for fun.

Tomorrow I don’t think I’ll be spending much time online… I’m scheduled to show up to jury duty at 7:30 in the morning. I’ve already been spoiled by getting to sleep in for the past 5-6 days. Getting up and out of the house before 7:30 sounds so unappealing.

See you this weekend (but not for too long)!

Challenge #13: Hello, summer vacation!

Mondays are so much better when they start off your first week of summer vacation. This is the first summer I can remember when: I don’t have to take any classes, I’m not moving, I don’t have to sleep 20 hours a day, and I’m not driving all over the place. It’s kind of freaking me out, honestly.

I have a pretty hefty list of stuff I want to do (like go birdwatching in Sweetwater, read tons of books, and finish up the shawl I started in Indiana) and stuff I need to do (like get new glasses, for instance). But my challenge this week will hopefully get me into a routine so I can do all that stuff. This week I want to limit my online time to 30 minutes a day.

You know how it is, you get online to read email, and the next thing you know, you’ve spent 45 minutes looking at nail polish on Pinterest. Um…. not that I’ve done that, of course.

Anyway, I’m planning to do a lot on my 101 Things list, and item #50 is “Unplug for an entire weekend (no texting, phone, internet).” Since I’ve spent roughly 9 hours a day on the computer this last week of school finishing billing, doing progress notes, and other end of the year junk, this is the perfect time. I don’t have to read/ answer any work email. I don’t have to do any random moment samples about my school day. But can I go a day without Facebook? Without googling some bit of trivia that’s driving me crazy? Without checking out my favorite shallow beauty blogs? I hope so. 🙂

Challenge #13: Limit online time to 30 minutes a day AND go two days technology-free.*

 

*I will still use my phone to take my daily photo, but that’s it.

What am I doing?

This has been one of those “get through the week” type weeks. As of Wednesday, I’m not really sure how I’m doing. Guess I’ll let you know this weekend.

Challenge #12: The rest of my week.

Late lunch on a hectic day.

Friday was super hectic at work, with two unscheduled parent meetings that happened. I stopped for lunch on my way home at my favorite Greek place.

After that, I tried to make some cake pops to take to my parents’ on Saturday.

Saturday was early Mother’s Day. I went up to my parents’ and also saw my brother and his family.

Cutest niece ever!!

No, seriously. Isn't she SO CUTE?

Today wasn’t very interesting. I mostly cleaned the house and such. I decided to pose with the one cake pop I managed to make. Ah well.

Cake pop (singular)

See you next week….

What I’m Doing… Thursday*

* I actually thought it was Tuesday today. I told my girls’ group, “See you on Thursday!” and they were like, Uhhh…

Anyway. This has not been the most exciting week ever. But is it ever?

Tuesday!

I’m not tall. Just standing on a rock.

Wednesday!

My glasses broke! Ugh!

Tue....I mean, Thursday!

At Cost Plus, unsuccessfully trying to find a Mother’s Day gift. Any suggestions?

Challenge #12: Get out of my photo rut.

I take a photo of myself every day, and I have since January 1, 2007 (I know, it’s weird). Needless to say, it has become part of my everyday routine… which is good, because I’m forgetful and if it weren’t part of my routine, I wouldn’t remember to do it. At the time time, I’m kind of in a photo rut. I tend to remember to take my photo sometime after I get home from work, when I’m hanging out at home and just relaxing on the couch.

This makes for boring photographs.

While I’m not doing it to become a better photographer or anything (actually it’s hard to explain why I am doing it. Sometimes I don’t even know), I do get bored.

Challenge #12: take some photos (if you’re not in the habit of doing so), and make ’em interesting/ different (if you are in the habit of taking photos). My goal is to NOT take ANY photos inside my house this week. Easier said than done?

Here’s today’s:

Being windblown on top of the parking garage at the high school.

Challenge #11

I did a couple more things!

I made a mini-book of my grocery list:

It's unfolded so that's why part of it's upside down.

I also started Item#34: Fill an entire page with with small circles:

Drawn while watching Duck Soup and Soylent Green. Ha.

I only watched half of Soylent Green. Maybe I’ll finish it tomorrow.

I also did #64 (physically alter a page- I did drops of food coloring and cut strips… not really scan-able) and #71: Write a list of 10 things you can do, and do the last thing on the list. My list was:

1. paint my nails (which I ended up doing today)
2. clean the bathroom
3. read
4. watch tv
5. clean out the fridge (also did that today)
6. glitter
7. knit
8. go to bed
9. face mask
10. work on 101 Things List

So I’ve brought my total up to 9/20 things completed! Yay!