Day 20- If you had 3 wishes, what would they be.

1. The perfect job to open up and become available.


2. My student loans to disappear mysteriously.



3. World Peace

Day 19- Nicknames you have & how or why you have them.

This is perhaps one of my favorite subjects, because I love nicknames. And I have lots of them. Some of my favorites include:

Coleslaw, but you already know how I got that one.

Oddly enough, and slightly but not exactly related, in high school one of my nicknames was Mamma Cabbages. Cabbage...Coleslaw...hehehehe! Apparently coles in Spanish means cabbages. Once my friend Erin found that out, it was the end. A nick name was born.

My mother calls me Sarah Beth, because Elizabeth is my middle name. It's actually more like Sarahbeth, one word. A few additional people have caught on to this name and call me it as well.

My brother calls me Little Bit. When I was a small child I couldn't pronounce Elizabeth, so I introduced myself as Sarah Littlebit. It's also how I got my email sarahlilibit.

There are two adorable 11 year olds, who when they are feeling cute and in the mood call me Rah Rah. They used to call me it all the time, but are apparently too old for that now. But once in a blue moon they call me that again. It warms my heart. That came about because my mother's nickname was Na Na, because she was one of their godmothers. They couldn't call her Nanny because they already had one of those, so she chose Na Na. And she used to hold them as babies and go Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na for hours. So, I decided to do the same: Rah Rah Rah Rah Rah Rah. It worked. They knew our names early on.

Scoles is pretty popular, for somewhat obvious reasons. And many times other words come off of scoles: scoliosis was one particularly tragic attempt. But one and only one person in this world is allowed to call me that!

Gobby used to call me Pooh Bear. My nursery was done up entirely in Pooh Bear prints (it was the sale item at Sears before I was born). She started calling me that at birth and it never really went away. Nothing better than being called Pooh Bear when you're 27 years old. I miss that.

My other grandmother used to call me Sarah Lissy. And if you knew my grandmother you can imagine the squeaky tone which she used when saying it. Ah memories!

Historically, there have been many, many, many others, but sadly not so many are coming to mind right now. But chances are, if you come up with a good nickname and have a good reason for calling me it, I will respond.

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have.

Well if ever there was a million dollar question, this is it. I have no clue what is in store for my future. I suppose my hopes and/or dreams are to find the perfect job back in NOLA and get a fresh start on forming a new community there that rocks my socks as much as my community here does. But my plans to make that happen??? I'm not entirely sure. I've vaguely started the process of looking for said dream job. But, I'm trying hard not to live too far in the future. I want to cherish my last few months here in Chicago. I still have a lot of living to do here, and want to make the most of it.

So, I suppose that is my plan for now. Live! Live! Live! Life's a Banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death! And I'll worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes, or something like that.

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why.

My cat, Gus...

It must be a rough life. Arise around 9AM, mosey to the kitchen and have a bite of pre laid out food and a quick sip of water. Chase mom around the apartment as she gets dressed, trying to be sure to make her trip at least once. Take a leisurely nap on the big fluffy chair, have another snack, chase my toys around the apartment. Have another nap on the couch or mom's bed, snack again, greet mom at the door and yell at her for being gone too long. Ignore mom now, and take yet another nap, perhaps in the basket this time. Enjoy some more food, chase mom and/or toys around the apartment again. Try to eat the plants, try to eat mom's shoelaces, try to eat mom's fingers. Eat dinner instead. Go to bed for the night. What the hell is not to love about that schedule!?!?! I ask you!

Day 16- Something you could live without.

USELESS MEETINGS!!!

I am all for collaboration. I love open communication. I think sharing of information and ideas is key to the proper running of any business or organization. But! That being said, if you have nothing of quality to collaborate on, communicate, or share, please do not waste 2 hours of my life meeting just so you can hear yourself talk! There are about a million and a half other things I could be doing during that time that are far more productive and enjoyable...a root canal comes to mind.

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle & share the first 10 songs that play.

1. Janis Joplin - "Me and Bobby McGee"

2. Air Supply - "All By Myself"

3. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - "Black Water"

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Under the Bridge"

5. Billy Joel - "Captain Jack"

6. Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven"

7. Vampire Weekend - "A-Punk"

8. Queen - "Somebody to Love"

9. Goo Goo Dolls - "Iris"

10. Simon and Garfunkel - "Mrs. Robinson"

Day 14- A picture of something you ate and 10 confessions.

Dinner tonight: Tilapia, brown rice, yummy veggie mix. Delish!

10 Confessions...didn't I confess enough about myself during the 15 interesting facts about myself. Now I gotta come up with 10 more...sheesh!

1. I alphabetize my movie collection, and got really upset when I bought a two disc set with "A League of Their Own" and "Sleepless in Seattle" and I didn't know where to put it.

2. All of my plants have names, and I sing to them when I water them.

3. When no one else is around and I get a little stir crazy at work, I blast my radio and have dance parties in my office.

4. I've already started mentally decorating my apartment in New Orleans.

5. I have a somewhat inappropriate love for "that's what she said" jokes.

6. I have an irrational fear of people with irrational fears. I just don't know what to do or say to calm those fears, and that makes me crazy!

7. I'm far more competitive than I should be. For instance, my mother's 11 year old godson is playing me in Scrabble right now, and I'm loving that I'm kicking his butt! But, then again, he's more competitive than me. And like my dearly departed grandmother (who in all actuality made me this way) says, until kids can learn to beat your fairly, they don't deserve to win.

8. I often read the last sentence of a book first.

9. I used the leftover money from my student loan disbursement last semester to pay for the cruise I'm going on in 2 weeks.

10. I'm way nosy. I love knowing everyone else's business, not for any particular reason, just so I can know.

Day 13- Write a letter telling someone something you could never tell them.

There aren't many people out there who I could not tell to their face exactly what I want to tell them. See previous blog on stubborn, German, bad ass genes. So, that makes today's topic a little tricky. I literally lay in bed for an hour last night before falling asleep trying to figure out what I would say today. Then I woke suddenly at 7AM and it struck me! I can write to a general population who needs to hear a message.

My first thought was writing to all the single men out there (aka, mostly douche bags and assholes), but then I realized that an open letter to the single male population isn't fair, because according to my sources there are nice guys left out there. (PS - if you know any, let them know I'm accepting applications!) And also, I have enough guy friends who have been hurt by pain-in-the-rear women as well. So, I am writing my open letter to all the single people out there who will inevitably hurt someone in the future.

Dear ever dwindling population of people to date,

Why are you so mean? I simply don't understand what the point is of stringing along someone who is obviously interested in you. If you like someone, let them know. Let's do this thing. If you don't like someone who you are dating or flirting with, let them know that too! There is no reason to continue dating and/or flirting with someone if you know you aren't interested any more. And man up and do it in person, please! Texting, emailing, and facebook are NOT ok ways to let someone down. The least we deserve is an in person explanation of why you've been dragging this out as long as you have. Yes, it's hard. But the right choices usually are.

So, let's recap:

a. make up your mind if you like a person or not

b. let them know how you feel

c. do it in person

d. don't drag things out longer than necessary. It only hurts more in the end.

Thank you!

Day 12- A picture of your room & don’t cheat by cleaning it. Share a secret.

Well, Lord! The blogger gods are really trying to get into my deep personal business today! Since my room is small and awkward there is really no way to see it from one angle. So, I took four pictures:

And my secret:

It's not much of a secret, but it's all I'm willing to share that I haven't already shared on the blog...

In the month of February, I managed to lose my keys 4 times thus far. Twice, my own personal fault, ending with me being locked out of my apartment at very late hours of the night/early hours of the morning. The other two times I blame entirely on winter because they were lost while laying in a snow drift and bounding over large icy puddles. Fortunately, all four times the keys were recovered in a timely fashion. My ego...not so much!

Day 11- A picture of something you dislike.

When I went to bed last night, I was sure that getting up this morning I would write about my severe hatred for cigarette smoke. Then my friend Becky who is also doing the 30 day challenge noted in her blog today that it says something you dislike, not something you hate. So, I went to my facebook info page where I have a list of the things I dislike in this world. I wrote this list about 3 years ago, but most of it still holds pretty true. I'm sure there are a million more things that could be put on the list, but it's more fun to note what you love than what you dislike. So, I will pictorially go through as much of my facebook list as I can:

selfishness

You are not the be all and end all of the world. And that's ok! As soon as you realize there are other people around you who matter just as much as you do, the better off we'll all be!

individualism

After trying to find a picture that represents individualism, I realized that not everyone has the same idea of what individualism is. I do not dislike people being individuals. In fact, I like that very much. I call it uniqueness. What I dislike is actually closely related to selfishness. I dislike when people don't recognize that we are part of a community, when they insist on doing everything for themselves with no regard to how it may affect others.

people who carry their dogs in purses

When I first thought of this concept, I envisioned the picture above. But when I saw the picture on the right, I simply had to add it as well. Seriously??? That poor dog does not look happy!

fundamentalists (and I'll go ahead and add, although it wasn't on the initial list, closed minded right wing nut jobs)

dishonesty

Tell the truth. 'Nuff said! Sometimes the truth sucks, but in the end lying only creates more issues and pain.

spitters

Is it really that uncomfortable to swallow your own spit? If it is, please find a more discreet and less disgusting way to get rid of it. I can't tell you how many times some stranger's spit has almost ended up on my feet...disgusting!

negative temps

I used to question: "Is there really that big of a difference between 10 degrees and -10 degrees?"

The answer is YES! It's brutal! You can absolutely feel the drop of every degree as the mercury starts falling into the frozen pits of hell!

gory movies

Is all that blood and guts really necessary? I often wonder about the people who find this entertaining. I won't judge, I promise. But, please don't ever ask me to watch it!

fiber cereal

Ick! Ack! Gross! Rabbit food anyone???

snobbery

OK, this may not be exactly what I meant by snobbery, but I couldn't find a picture I liked better. And my cat is the biggest snob I know.

underwear hanging out of the back of pants

Pull your damn pants up. That is all!

obsession with sports

I'm all for team spirit, but sometimes people go a little overboard. That's all I'm saying.

smokers

It's gross. It makes you smell bad. And you don't look as cool as you think you do. Put it out and chew some gum!

coconut

It's a texture thing.

speedos

No comment.

comb overs

The caption here says it all!

But seriously? Going bald is not the end of the world. It can be very distinguishing! Own it!

impatience

Hold your horses! Good things come to those who wait! And you don't always get what you want when you want it! Get over it!

lack of compassion

Have a heart!

indifference

There is a lot of pain and sadness in the world. Some of us know all too well, because it is our own. But, some of us witness suffering every day and do nothing to acknowledge or help dispel it, even if we can. Sometimes, a simple kind word or gesture is all it takes to turn someone's entire day around. Give it a try. You have no clue how much your kindness can affect others.

gas guzzling SUVs

No one needs a vehicle like this to drive around a city. Seriously! It's just not that necessary! And newsflash: They're ugly!

litter

Pick up your damn trash. That is all!

people who drag their feet on the ground when they walk

I sadly could not find an appropriate picture for this pet peeve. But, you know what I mean. That irritating noise of shoe scratching the surface of ground because the owner is too lazy to pick their feet up all the way while they walk. Drives me absolutely bonkers!

Well, I dare say that is enough negativity for one day. I hope tomorrow's blog topic is far more uplifting!

Day 10- A story about a past relationship.

I must admit, I am a bit perplexed by what to write about today. A past relationship? What does that mean exactly? Should I write about a past romantic relationship? Well, truth be told, I don't have a lot of those. And I don't really want to write about the ones I have. So that is out? A past friendship? Frankly, if the friendship is in the past, there's likely a reason it's in the past, and it should likely stay there. I could talk about someone I lost, but...nah! So, what should I do?

I am going to take a bit of a creative approach with this entry and talk about my relationship with myself in the past.

From what I recall, I was a really cute kid. Right up until about 5th grade. But, when I hit an awkward stage, I hit it hard. And it stuck around. Forever! (or at least what felt like forever) Middle School was rough because I was teased mercilessly. God, middle school kids are ridiculous! I was too tall, I had frizzy hair, I was overweight, and clumsy, and said awkward things, and...you get the picture. There were many tears shed during that time, and with every insult my self esteem dropped a few more points. I don't say this now to make anyone feel bad about how they treated me and how it made me feel. I say this now to own up to the fact that I put far too much weight into their opinions, and it unfortunately shaped and molded my self image for the next decade or so.

The teasing generally disappeared once I got to high school, but I still had a lot of growing to do learning how to love myself for who I am. The ghosts were in my head and told me daily that I wasn't a great athlete or stunningly beautiful or even one of the smart kids. I was just average and would never be anything better. I spent a vast majority of my time comparing myself to the popular girls. I count my blessings today that this only led to minor internal strife and not anything physically damaging. College was better. I mostly stopped comparing myself to others, but I still didn't necessarily feel like anything better than average.

I really think that making the move to Chicago was the beginning of finding myself and loving myself. I finally found a niche that fit me. I was working at a job I was good at and enjoyed very much. I made wonderful friends and was learning all sorts of neat things in school. I was excited by my future and began to finally grow out of my past.

Sadly, I don't know that I've ever really fully grown out of the self doubt. I still get a little self conscious when I'm around the "popular" crowd. (What does that even mean when you're almost 30?) But I can say this. I look at myself now and see a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman with a lot of love to give. I've earned two masters degrees. I have amazing friends. My family is pretty kickass. I do great work at my job and am much appreciated for it. I would generally consider myself a success (as long as you don't measure success in salary, because working for the Lord just doesn't pay!) So, any time those pangs of self doubt and/or hatred start to creep in, I recognize the many, many blessings I have in my life and the wonderful person I've grown to be. And I usually flip an imaginary finger to the ghosts of my past and send them on their way.

Day 09- Something/someone you’re proud of.

I choose to make today a two part blog. I am going to post something AND someone I am proud of. First, someone...

My baby brother, Eric

First note: upon looking for a picture for this blog, I realized we have absolutely no recent pictures of just the two of us. We will remedy that once I move back home. It is also next to impossible to find a picture of this boy without a fish or a beer or several women in his hands. Geez, boy!

OK, enough about that. I am proud of Eric for several reasons. As anyone who has known either of us for any serious length of time may know, we didn't exactly see eye to eye as we were growing up. I may have tried to kill him on a few occasions. He may have tried to kill me. You could say it was all done in love, but I'm not completely convinced of that. We had a stereotypical sibling rivalry. In the end we always loved each other, I'm sure, but neither of us really liked the other one very much most of the time.

But, I've discovered a few things as I've grown up. First, is that (contrary to popular belief) I'm not in fact always right. (Please don't let this get around. It'll totally ruin my rep). And I know that by admitting this on the internet for all the world to see, Eric will choose to rub it in my face for the rest of my life, but I guess that's the risk I have to take. The other thing I've discovered is that when we both remove the rather large chips from our shoulders we have far more in common than we ever chose to admit as kids/teens/young adults.

So, all that being said, I just wanted to put it out there that I'm proud of the person my brother is becoming. While he made some stupid choices in his day, he's set a pretty good path for himself and is growing into a pretty cool guy. He's smart and kind and a lot of fun when he wants to be. All that AND he gets a discount at Whole Foods which I fully intend of taking advantage of very soon!

Now, on to the something I'm proud of.

This begins to invade the narcissist/shy conundrum I mentioned in my first blog. But, I will overcome that because I am quite proud of it, and it's my blog so I can choose to share it if I want to.

In just over 3 months, I will be leaving my job at St. Teresa's which I've had for almost 3 years. I have loved the community at St. T's so much, and am quite heartbroken to leave them. If I could pick them all up and move them to South LA, I would do it in a heartbeat.

While I've known for quite some time that this would be my last year here, I chose to wait until January to break the news. I gathered my catechists for a meeting and discussed it with them, and then sent an email to the remaining catechists and parents. In this email, I requested from them some major qualities they would be looking for in a future DRE. This will help me as we begin the search for my replacement. Of the many responses I received, an overwhelming majority simply said they wanted my clone. Truth be told, it was kind of crazy how many people used that exact phrase.

I would say I've worked hard to fulfill the greatest needs of the catechesis program at St. T's in my time there. I've been a visible presence in the community, been open in my communication with catechists and parents, and been as organized as possible. Apparently, it worked!

But, while I am humbled to have such great appreciation shown for the work I've done, I know better than to look for my clone. I met many needs of the program in my 3 years here, but there are many other needs that must be met that I was unable to address. It is my hope that we find the perfect candidate to bring this program forward to be better and stronger than ever!

In Loving Memory of Jim Knudson

I am breaking from my blogging challenge today to honor the loss of a wonderful man.

I feel like I barely touched the surface of getting to know Jim. He is my very best friend's father, but since he lived in Washington, getting to see him didn't happen often. But, I know his daughter. I know that outstanding job he did raising her, and I honor and respect that.

Jim was a lover of all. He respected all people and creatures. He loved nature and recognized the hand of God in all of creation. He was funny. When he laughed, he laughed heartily. He tried to stand up for what's right in the world and to teach those he knew to do the same. This includes his 2 wonderful children, his adorable grandchildren, and the countless students who pass through the halls of the Jesuit high school he was a counselor at. Jim found beauty in art, in theater (especially musical theater), and in family. He was a stand up guy! He was a real gem, if you will...ha! Gem...Jim. He would have thought that was funny.

So, while I didn't know him well, I loved him very much. And I love his family very much. And my heart aches for the loss they are suffering.

To my Kiki, if you read this, your dad was outstanding. But always remember that the very best parts of you are rooted in him and your mom. You will carry him with you always as you begin to conquer the world. Everything you do, you do with love and passion and respect. And all of that speaks to the love and passion and respect your dad instilled in you. I know it seems impossible to move forward without his gentle guidance to lead you, but he is with you always in your heart. It only takes a moment to listen to your heart and know what he is telling you. Ultimately that message is always the same: "I love you!"

Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why.

Survival...

why?

because the month started out looking like this:

When I first moved to Chicago, someone turned me on the term "The Farch". Even without ever having experienced February and March in the frigid north, the term made perfect sense to me. Having survived 4 1/2 winters later, it sticks more than ever. The Farch really just hits at the core of the death that falls upon one's soul during these two months in an icy climate. The sun disappears, the temps drop below freezing and stay there for months at a time, people are grumpy, streets are covered in snow which turns into slush, and a general apathy to life falls up almost everyone you encounter.

Knowing this would be my last winter in Chicago, I approached The Farch with a bit of a different demeanor this year. I decided I wouldn't be miserable and cranky for 2 months straight. I would hold my head high and take whatever came my way. Well then Snowmaggedon 2011 fell upon us. Seriously Lord??? When I said I would take whatever came my way with a smile, I had no clue that's what you had in mind!

Two weeks into the Farch, things are starting to look better. We hit above freezing, the sun is shining, and the God Forsaken snow is starting to melt. Of course this makes for a lot of slushy puddles and damp feet for the next few weeks, but I'll take it. I will return the smile to my face, the bounce to my step, and the sunniness to my disposition. I will survive my last Farch if it's the last thing I do!

And then, I will hop on a cruise ship to the Caribbean for a week to celebrate!

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.

Strong willed, stubborn German DNA and the strong women who raised me

I come from a very long line of strong willed, stubborn German women. This past July, when my beloved Gobby died, one of my favorite moments was sitting in my kitchen and learning the details of my DNA's sordid past. My mother and her cousin sat on opposite sides of the bar in our kitchen sharing one story after the next of their mothers and grandmothers and all the batshit crazy things they did to assert their wills. I realized at that very moment that I never had a chance.

One could question was it the nature of my DNA passed down from these generations of stubborn women or was it the nurture I received by being raised idolizing these same women. I think it's both. I grew up knowing not only that my voice was worth being heard, but how to make damn sure everyone else also knew my voice was worth being heard.

Sometimes this "gift" can be a bit of a burden. It may have happened on occasion that I spoke too soon or said something that hurt someone. And for those times I am truly sorry. But for the many times I was able to raise my voice in defense of myself or someone I loved or someone who just needed defending I feel truly blessed.

Day 06- A hobby you have.

I love to sew. I love the idea that I can take a bunch of scraps of fabric that look like nothing and turn them into something unique and cool, and possibly beautiful. In the pictures below I made the quilt for my friend Lizzie's adorable baby. I made the Snow White costume as a Halloween costume my senior year in high school...yes we were that nerdy!

In my second year in Chicago, once my sewing machine was moved up here, I challenged myself to make a new dress every spring for Easter. Thus far I have stuck to it. The brown dress was my first one. I actually don't have pictures of the other two I've made since, sadly enough. But, I'm super excited about this year's dress. I think it's gonna be awesome!

Beyond these things, I've made many other articles of clothing, table cloths, altar cloths, costumes, and several other quilts. Somewhere around the middle of each project I start to get frustrated and wonder why I ever took up this stupid hobby anyway. But, at the end I'm always excited to see the new creation I was able to complete with my own two hands.

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to.

I've been many places in my life: Alaska, Rome, London, Dublin, New York, San Francisco. Yet for this post I chose Oklahoma. Why? Because the story of how I ended up in Oklahoma is far more entertaining than the stories that got me to those other cities.

In fall of 2005, my friend Michelle was beginning a PhD program in Stanford, CA. She asked me t make the road trip with her to CA, but I was unable to because I had just started a new teaching job in New Orleans. Fortunately for both of us, a little rainstorm named Katrina ruined both of our expectations for what the future would hold. Her house was under 12 ft. of water and my job was temporarily over.

So with all of those happy good feelings going on, we packed up and hit the road, bound to make this the trip of a lifetime! We decided to pull the "Katrina card" everywhere we went. And it worked! We got all sorts of great discounts!

During the many hours of idle car ride chit chat, we got to talking about states that we have been to. Neither of us had been to Oklahoma. So while staying overnight in some teeny town in TX about 30 miles outside of OK, we decided to remedy that. We asked the hotel clerk if she had any recommendations on what we could do once we crossed the OK state line, and she looked at us as if we were nuts. She seemed to believe there was no reason to ever cross that state line (because there was so much to do in the piss ant town we were staying in???) So, we trekked it out on our own.

Ultimately, we crossed the state line, took a few pictures, found a bar to eat some dinner in, learned a few random facts about an obscure bowling hero, and drove back. It was one hell of an adventure. But, now we can both say we've been to Oklahoma!

Day 04- List 15 songs that represent your life’s soundtrack.

When approaching the somewhat monumental feat of condensing my life into 15 songs, I found the need to get a bit creative with it. I decided on a somewhat chronological list starting with childhood.

When I was a kid, my music tastes were formed early by the fact that my parents both love music and we always had music playing in the house. My early tastes pretty much consisted of a variety of 60's and 70's rock and singer/songwriters. The more complicated the instrumental parts, the better. We're an air instrument playing family. It's like the Von Trapp Family Singers...only better!

1. The Beatles "A Day In The Life"


2. Elton John "Funeral For A Friend"


3. Carole King "Beautiful"



Around the Time of Middle School, I begain to form some of my own tastes. And as any good 7th grader in 1995 would, I loved anything by Alanis Morisette. My particular favorite was:

4. Alanis Morisette "Ironic"


I also had a strange love for some harder rock of the late 80's/early 90's. And MTV made me fall in love with this song:

5. Guns N' Roses "November Rain"



But I couldn't quite shake some of my parents tastes. Especially when my desire to be who I am and to be left the hell alone was states so beautifully in:

6. Billy Joel "My Life"



In high school, was introduced to the yummy goodness that is Cowboy Mouth, and my life has never been the same!

7. Cowboy Mouth "Jenny Says"



Going to college changed my world in many way. One of the biggest perhaps is that I moved to Alabama, a world unto it self! So, I can't possibly have a life soundtrack without this song:

8. Lynyrd Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama"



And college also brought on a deep and profound love for all things U2, particularly the album "All That You Can't Leave Behind". SHAPe would not have been the same without it.

9. U2 "Beautiful Day


10. U2 "Walk On"



August 2005, Hurricane Katrina, this song became our anthem and will hold a special place in my heart forever more.

11. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "Refugee"



Moving to Chicago in 2006 both gave me a love for a new city and a stronger desire than ever to return back where I belong. It also gave me the opportunity to see "Wicked" 6 times, which was pretty kick ass.

12. Frank Sinatra "Chicago"


13 Wicked "Defying Gravity"


14. ZZ Top "Jesus Just Left Chicago"


15. Louis Armstrong "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans"




And just because I don't know how to follow the rules, I'm adding a 16th. I mentioned this song in my post 2 days ago. It pretty much sums up my spirituality and my approach to life, so I felt the need to add it.

16. Kimya Dawsom "I Like Giants"

Day 03- A habit that you wish you didn’t have.

Snoozing

I love sleep. I love it more than just about anything. I may even love it more than my beloved bodies of water I talked about yesterday. And I don't do mornings. I really wish I was one of the people who can just get up and go in the morning, but I'm not. I've been known to sleep through alarms, get up out of bed and turn the alarm off without actually waking up, and snooze for an hour straight without even knowing it.

Some would say that these habits are probably caused by a lack of sleep and I need to get to bed at an earlier time. These poor fools probably do not know me very well. I get an average of 8.5-9 hours every night. Others might say that my sleep isn't restful enough. I was even told once that my lack of desire to get out of bed might be triggered by depression. Have you met me??? Do I look depressed to you?

I don't think it's any of these. I think that my bed is too comfy, my dreams are too interesting, and currently my apartment is too cold. I also think that my currently incredibly flexible schedule causes some of the issues. I don't usually head into work until about noon, so there is no immediate reason for me to get out of bed at 9. I could go to the gym, but that treadmill is just not as comfortable as my bed!

So, for now I just enjoy the freedom of my flexible days. This pleasure cruise will end soon enough, and I will once again join the forces of the real world where one must be out of bed at a respectable hour in order to work hard for the money. As for the battle between me and the snooze button? In the immortal words of Scarlett O'Hara, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." (Right about 9 AM I dare say as my alarm is going off.)

Day 02- A picture of something you cannot live without.

Water is a curious substance. It is simultaneously life sustaining and life threatening. It evokes peace and calm as easily as it conjures up powerful destruction. Perhaps that is why I am so enthralled by it. Not only can I not live without it in the simple way that no one can live without water. But I believe I could not live unless water had a dominant place in my entire life. OK, perhaps could not live is a bit over dramatic. But, my life would certainly not be as complete.

I have never once lived in a place that was not very near a large body of water. I will say, my current place along the shores of Lake Michigan leave much to be desired because I am, I believe, a salt water girl (or brackish at the very least). But I get over it, and it does the job. Whenever I am feeling down or upset or confused, I need only stare into the seemingly endless waves that flow seamlessly into the horizon and I am instantaneously in a better place. I may not have an answer, but I experience a resolution nonetheless. Why is that? I often wonder.

There is a song I love by Kimya Dawson about giants. She talks about looking up into the sky at the stars and realizing how absolutely teeny tiny she is compared to the vastness of the universe. I think I get that same feeling in water. Looking out and seeing nothing but water that flows right to the ends of the earth reminds me of how small I am in the grand scheme of things. And yet at the same time, it reminds me of how united I am with all those around me, all of creation in fact. This undeniable connection to everything I can see and not is my driving force in life. Only with that connection can my insignificant self be made significant.

"I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything." - Kimya Dawson

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself.

1. I'm equal parts of shy and narcissist.  This makes a very interesting combination as one tries to think of 15 interesting things about one's self.  I'm too shy to share anything that might seem boastful, but I kind of love the attention I get if I do.  Hmmmm....tricky!

2. When I can't fall asleep at night, rather than count sheep I sing "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall".  I usually pass out somewhere around 60 bottles.  If I make it to 20, I know it's a hopeless battle.  So, I get up and do something else for a bit and try again later.

3. I'm petrified of heights.  I don't generally have a problem with looking out the window of very tall buildings.  There is a thick pane of glass between me and the great beyond.  But standing on the edge of a cliff or a ginormous sledding hill (like I did last night) sometimes makes me want to run and hide.

4. I recently took up guitar lessons, and am enjoying it very much.  I dare say I will not be the next (insert awesome guitar legend of your choice here), but I'm getting the hang of the basics.  

5. While I love proper grammar and spelling, I also have a huge affinity for made up words (see use of ginormous 2 factoids up).  Other favorites include, but are not limited to hugulous, traumatitized, degraditated, boof, blarg, etc.

6. I also love to insert random phrases instead of expletives.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good curse word very much, but years of spending time with young, impressionable minds has caused me to need an occasional filler.  My favorites include, but are not limited to Mother of Pearl, Blast Ended Skrewt, Johnny Rockets, Shut the Front Door, Sweet Baby Jesus, etc.

7. I was almost named Sarah Lee (Lee being my grandmother's middle name).  Thankfully, my grandmother thought better of it, and Sarah Elizabeth was chosen instead.  Some call me Sarah Beth as well.

8. This May I will wrap up my 25th straight year of Catholic education.  This includes the two years I taught at Catholic schools between college and grad school.

9. I'm a counter.  I count almost everything - steps, strokes of my toothbrush, beats of song, ceiling tiles, etc.  Funnily enough, I rarely remember the number I counted to.  It's just another fleeting number in my head unless it's something I count frequently.  For instance there are 48 stairs to get to my apartment (52 at my last place).  

10. Perhaps because of this obsession with numbers and counting, I adore all things math related.  I will do random math problems in my head just to alleviate boredom on a bus ride or while walking home.  It's sick.  I know.  Feel free to mock.

11. I'm a scorpio.  I don't care what those silly astrology folks say about changing signs.  I only know how to be a scorpio and refuse to be anything else.  That being said, I rarely read my horoscope, nor to I really care about astrology.  But I like being a scorpio!  Stubborn much? 

12. I'm not particularly interested in current events (don't judge!)  I get very frustrated by watching the news and hearing about one hateful person after the next doing hateful things locally, nationally, and beyond.  I get most of my news from Jon Stewart, and am completely OK with that!

13.  I must always have a project to work on.  And it usually must have some form of self improvement as the goal.  Most recently include learning to grow veggies on a Chicago porch, learn to play the guitar, get in shape.  I think I may tackle a language next.

14. As much as I love to complain about the snow and how awful it is (and it is!), I do have a secret love affair with curling up on my couch with my cat and watching snow through the window.  But, don't tell anyone.  I will NEVER live it down!  (That being said, I'm still completely excited to be leaving harsh winter climates for good after this year.)

15. I live with joy.  It should be my middle name.  Except that I kind of like my middle name and don't want to change it.  But I try to live each moment with as much joy as possible.  How else can one get through the day!

30 Day blogging challenge

Here are the blogs I will do...

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself. 
Day 02- A picture of something you cannot live without. 
Day 03- A habit that you wish you didn’t have. 
Day 04- List 15 songs that represent your life’s soundtrack. 
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to. 
Day 06- A hobby you have. 
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you. 
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why. 
Day 09- Something/someone you’re proud of. 
Day 10- A story about a past relationship. 
Day 11- A picture of something you dislike. 
Day 12- A picture of your room & don’t cheat by cleaning it. Share a secret. 
Day 13- Write a letter telling someone something you could never tell them. 
Day 14- A picture of something you ate and 10 confessions. 
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle & share the first 10 songs that play. 
Day 16- Something you could live without. 
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why. 
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have. 
Day 19- Nicknames you have & how or why you have them. 
Day 20- If you had 3 wishes, what would they be. 
Day 21- Share a picture from your day. 
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else. 
Day 23- What is something you crave. 
Day 24- Share a story about your past that you are ashamed of. 
Day 25- What I would find in your bag. 
Day 26- Places you want to visit before you die. 
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge? 
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then? 
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned. 
Day 30- A picture of you today & 20 goals you want to accomplish.

Why Coles' Law???

Well over a year ago, I was joking around with an acquaintance, and I made some sort of play on words with his last name. Truth be told, I don't even remember what the joke was. He then decided to do the same with mine. Coleslaw was the result. The friends who were near me loved it, and it stuck. I then shared it in a facebook status update and it spread. This past year for my birthday, I received a Saints #9 tee shirt, and guess what name was on the back. It then spread further. Now there are a few select pockets of people who call me Coleslaw. And I love it! A good nickname is hard to come by. And I LOVE a good nickname (emphasis on GOOD!)

Then to make it more fun, we had a play on words of the play on words that is my nickname. Someone suggested that I could create a list of rules and call them Coles' Law. Done! I love it! While this blog is not dedicated to rules per se, it will hopefully be a somewhat accurate account of who I am/who I hope to be. The Laws that make up a Coleslaw!

So, welcome friends, one and all. Enter at your own risk. And enjoy!