Lists

Big thank-yous to the amazing BarCamp organizers! A great time, as usual...particularly liked Darren and Julie's (much too short!) talk about being a laptop bedouin, and all the geeking out over RDF and the Semantic Web. Was lovely to see everyone, although as usual I felt like there just wasn't enough time to chat with everyone I wanted to...next time! What better way to finish a week that started off crappy but ended off happy.

1. Lovely people
2. Geeking out
3. Sunshine
4. Finally having more energy and not feeling super sick, wheee!!!
5. After last night, my apartment is the cleanest it's been in a couple months
6. Monday crash course in project management (thanks Scott!)
7. The new Death Cab album
8. Feeling excited about work
9. Making progress on this really hard Bach piano piece I've been learning
10. Do I even have to say it?

It is an ongoing challenge figuring out how to deal with my body's antics in various situations...  I don't know if and when I will ever be able to get it to catch up with my brain (that is when my brain is co-operating...).  Change and stress, whether good or bad, seem to impact my stomach very similarly, which is intensely annoying!  I still get the same adrenaline, nervousness, and anxiety over things that are really exciting and things that are really terrible, which can make any kind of change, no matter how good, a bit stressful.

It's so frustrating!  Why can't good things just be good?!  ARG!!!  Maybe someday I'll get it all figured out.  Until then, focusing on the positive and taking the negative one step at a time.

1. The leak in my wall has stopped dripping, yay!
2. Starting my new job this week.
3. A welcomed grey day spent drinking tea and chatting on the couch.
4. Great dinner and lots of silliness last night with friends.
5. Hugs.
6. Good music.
7. Books.
8. Amy's microwave veggie pies.
9. Skittles.
10. Last but certainly not least, cute boys, of course!

1. Sunshine
2. Facetime and food with lovely nerdfriends
3. CBC radio one
4. The book Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, by Vincent Lam (it's very good and you should read it)
5. Marimekko socks
6. Sneakers
7. And I think I can say it again cause it's a friggin gorgeous day out: SUNSHINE!

But considering the mood I was in earlier this week, I sure did need some fun, and it was a great day!

1. Sunshine.
2. Farmer's market.
3. Free ice skating.
4. Finally meeting penpal Andrea and (a couple other people that were only names and faces prior to today)!
5. Coming out of ice skating into the warmth of the heat on asphalt.
6. Awesome afternoon nap after skating.
7. Super amazing dinner of pan cooked tuna, grilled pork tenderloin, asparagus, wild rice, and salad, with figs and nectarines for desert (thanks Merv!!!)
8. Spending the evening talking and laughing with friends.
9. Feeling a little bit calm again.
10. Wrapping up the night reading and eating cookies on the couch.

1. Taking it one day at a time.

2. Simple things.

3. A somewhat orderly apartment.

4. Taking books out of the library.

5. Playing guitar.

6.  New girlfriends.

7. Old girlfriends.

8. Eating blueberries.

9. Snuggling up on the couch and reading in a sunbeam.

10. Flirting with boys, of course!

"Someone Great" - LCD Soundsystem [Had to take the embedded video out cause it was screwing up my layout intensely--watch it here.]

It's strange how it seems that one day things can be going well, exciting even. Things are changing in your life in a good way, you're on track, you're feeling confident. And then the next thing you know, something happens totally out of left field and throws it all off track.I feel like every time I get a good groove going, life drops a bunch another hurdle in my way, as if just to test me. To keep testing me. I've almost gotten to a place where I can just say to myself, it's just another test, you just have to get through it. Which is helpful, because it makes things seem less catastrophic in a way...though admittedly it can take me a couple weeks to get into that frame of mind where I'm ready to tackle the obstacle and get back on track. To remember that I'm strong and competent and that things will be okay.

I mean, it's hard not to freak out when bad things happen out of the blue, and feel like, seriously, what did I do to deserve this??? But eventually you have to accept that sometimes sucky things happen, regardless of how good you are, how smart you are, how beautiful you are, how giving you are, how nice you are. Things just happen that are out of your control.

And then you just have to let go, and move on, and jump over the hurdles, and keep running.

Good things:

1. Getting excited about my new career adventures.
2. Going to Saskatoon soon and see my parents and family friends! For the first time in a year and a half, and the first time during warm weather in at least 5 years!
3. When I get back, I'll be able to make my apartment look normal again (long story).
4. Berries are still in season.
5. I get to see Kirsti soon!!!
6. Real estate prices are dropping...maybe I'll be able to afford to buy before I turn 30?
7. I really like my new gym shorts.

Seven, not too bad.