Something Shiny! - NaBloPoMo category

NaBloPoMo: A retrospective

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:55:07 GMT

Whew! Okay, so I took a couple of days off from blogging after the NaBloPoMo extravaganza and now that I have some distance, I've had a chance to think about the experience. While I thought that blogging every day for 30 days was going to be an enormous pain and that I'd be running out of ideas midway, I really enjoyed it and I found that the more I blogged the more things I had to blog about. I liken it to staying in touch with people: the more you talk, the more you have to say. But the less you talk and the more the distance grows, the less you have to say. It's like you don't want to burden the other person with the minute details of your life, when the reality is that it's those details that make up life. So keep blogging! It makes you loquacious and it clears up your skin. The NaBloPoMo exercise also got me thinking about why I blog. I started this blog to stay in touch with friends and family. Over time, though, it's really transformed into a great creative outlet for me. And it's put me in touch with new bloggy friends, like Tiffany over at the Would-Be Writer's Guild. So keep blogging! You'll meet new and interesting people, and you'll learn what loquacious means.

NaBloPoMo: My uniform

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:32:16 GMT

There are days when I feel like I wear a uniform. Depending on the season, you'll either find me in shorts and a t-shirt or jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Add a sweater if it's really cold. I think that this is due to a number of things: my clothing budget (not so big), the fact that I basically work from home, and also the fact that I like to wear what's comfortable. I don't like wearing heels (can't walk in them) and I don't have a lot of dressy clothes (see clothing budget and working from home). Hats off to you ladies who can pull off the dressy look, really. But here's my question: how do you fund your wardrobe (I know most of you aren't rich), and where do you wear these things?

NaBloPoMo: Weird personality quirk #547

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:17:45 GMT

I can't stand being told to relax. It really (and ironically) frustrates me. Somehow the insinuation that I'm not already relaxed totally aggravates me. So much so, in fact, that recently when John told me to relax, I bellowed "I'M NOT UNRELAXED!" Which, of course, demonstrates the apex of relaxation.

NaBloPoMo: Could someone tell Florida it's NOVEMBER?

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:43:11 GMT

I refuse to pick out a Christmas tree wearing a t-shirt and shorts this year. I absolutely refuse. Except-- here's the thing-- it's still ridiculously warm here for this time of year. Even though it's Florida, we live in north central Florida, so the temperatures aren't usually Miami-esque by the end of November. I have photos of us from this time last year in which we're wearing wool sweaters and the heat is on inside! So yeah, if someone could tell Florida that it's November, I'd appreciate it.

NaBloPoMo: Baby steps

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:09:37 GMT

For those who think that dogs are markedly different than small children, I give you Luke. Luke is sort of needy. And understand that when I say "Luke is sort of needy," it's comparable to saying "the ocean is kinda wet." Over the weekend, while we installed the flooring, Luke had to remain outside. While we were just on the other side of the door laying flooring. I can't say for sure, but based on his crying and whining and tantrum-throwing, I'd guess that he felt he might as well have been abandoned. And yesterday? Well, yesterday morning John left on a business trip. And Luke hasn't. left. my. side. No, not even to pee, not even to chase squirrels, not even to drink some water.

What I've marveled at since we got Luke is how he is at once flexible and neurotic. We take him at least twice a year, usually more like three or four times a year, to the "pet resort" to be boarded for a week or two at a time. And he's all, hey, this is cool, see you cats later! But when we put him outside to do some flooring work, he acts as if his entire world is collapsing and nothing will ever be the same, never ever, no don't try consoling me, I can't hear you over my sobbing. What gives?

NaBloPoMo: Now the "great room" is truly great!

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:37:54 GMT

After two pretty solid days of laying bamboo flooring, the main room of our house is finally done! I'm really pleased with how it turned out. It was a huge undertaking and lots of arduous work, but SO worth it. Have a look!

(And no, the TV is not normally in the fireplace! We had to move it off of the entertainment center while we worked on the floors. But you have to admit, it's a pretty sweet fit!)

NaBloPoMo: The first photos!

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 14:41:23 GMT

Phew! So we got a late start yesterday, but we finished installing the bamboo flooring in the first half of the great room. We have to do that room in halves because the furniture is too heavy to move completely out of the house. We'll finish up the second half today and I'll post some real "after" pictures, but I wanted to post these two "during" photos now: