see as i saw

My focus on daily blogging is already proving to be a challenge over the holidays, the final stretch of my commitment.  There are too many distractions and no routine.  It turns out that this blog is one of first things to fall off of my radar when routine is broken.

So what have I been doing with myself that's more important than writing about it?  Spending quality time with my best friend, her pups, and exercising our old lady affinity with crafting projects.

Despite the fact that the dogs are bed hogs, there's something comforting about having them want to be right next to you.  Waking up with a warm little dog body curled up in the crook of your legs makes it difficult to actually get out of bed though.  And it makes me want to do what I know I can't and shouldn't do - have a puppy.

If I didn't live in such urban housing, with a job/life that consistently keeps me away from home for twelve hours, and a penchant for long international jaunts...maybe I'd have less resistance.  Until the day comes where there are a few more items in the pro column than reside in the cons, I'll live vicariously through my role as dog 'aunt'.

Sometimes you have days that manage to hit you with the force of a cement truck.  All you want to do is make them stop or forget they happened.  So I did both of the aforementioned and I'm not going to elucidate on any part of my day.  I'll assume today's photo is worth a thousand words on that topic.

Instead I'm going to delve into one of life's most engaging, and light-hearted, topics.  Puppies.  I can tell who my true friends are, because they participate in ritualistic self-torture with me - exchanging photos and videos of puppies so cute that it makes you squirm.  Honestly, how can you deny a face like this or furballs like these?

And, yet, I do resist them.  My life is not suitable to the ownership of pets at this juncture.  First of all, because they would often be left unattended from 8:00am to 9:00pm (sometimes later) and my rational brain realizes that this is unfair.  Second of all, because I live in 550 square feet that's barely large enough for me.

Let's be real, elevator rides and walking several blocks for bathroom breaks are also a minor deterrent.  Add winter weather to the mix and the aforementioned becomes a major deterrent.  I see those urban dog owners out there at 9:00pm in their pajamas, while their canine pal sniffs the curb for the appropriate square inch of territory to mark.  At that moment in time, I'm not so envious.

So my dreams of having a dog child are relegated to the future, hopefully a future that incorporates a fenced-in plot of grass.  In the present, if all of my friends could work on acquiring puppies for me to play aunt to, that would be ideal.  Please and thank you.

In what could possibly be the quickest hiring process ever, I came out with the long end of the stick.


August 17: Initial phone conversation
August 20: Lunch in Chicago
August 27: Interviews in New York
August 28: Offer extended
September 4: Start date


Translation: I'm hired!  This is one of the many life outcomes that could've only been possible because of the lessons I've been accruing the past eight months.

Seriously, does it get more efficient and decisive?  Just my style.  No one likes waiting around and wondering "what if?".  I treated myself to overpriced fro-yo to celebrate.

In addition to that uplifting good news, I spent the evening in a small business discussion group.  There are always ideas and side projects swimming around in my head, and I thought it may be interesting or inspiring to listen to other people's.

Great experience, hands down.  Honestly, I didn't expect to throw any of my ideas into the ring, mainly because none of them are particularly formed.  There was a moment where the discussion leader singled me out, and I could've passed, but I decided to just blurt out my nebulous vision for the 'break it down' blog.

The enthusiasm and ideas that started bouncing around amazed me.  And I managed to walk away with a re-imagined, and more viable, version of my initial brainchild.  Maybe that's why I couldn't summon the motivation to work on it before; it already felt like a dead end.  So, let's see if this concept makeover reinvigorates my drive.

There are some days when my lens doesn't quite capture the awe-inducing subjects that I hope for.  At first, I feel a little guilty and lazy about it.  Then I remember that I have posted at least one photo every day for five months.  My Droid is bogged down with over 1,000 photos at this point.  My eyes roam constantly now, staying alert for colors, angles, opportunities.

Today's possibility for inspiration was squelched by the return of nearly winter weather.  Despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoy getting outside for at least a walk every day, today felt more suited for house arrest.  I made it as far as my mailbox, then detoured to the bike room for this exceptionally uninspired photo.  So, it was an off day.  I'll attempt to do better tomorrow.

Clearly I have some supernatural connection to Mother Nature.  After voicing my displeasure yesterday regarding recent weather conditions, I woke up to a blue sky this morning.  I didn't even hit snooze, just popped out of bed and made my way out into the sunshine for some exercise.  Can I get another one of those tomorrow?

Switching gears.  I think it would be interesting for someone to do a study on my non-verbal cues and determine which ones compel strangers to approach me.  Whether it's a populated coffee shop, a busy intersection, or a crowded store (sometimes even in foreign countries), people will approach me to ask for directions, assistance, or a watchful eye on their belongings while they use the restroom.  Perhaps I look innocent?  Trustworthy?  Approachable?  But is it something about my facial expressions?  The way I dress?  An air of possessing knowledge?  See, I have so many questions!  That's why I need a study.  At the end of the day, it could just be that I have an coincidental ability to be in close proximity to people who need assistance.  Today someone also came up to me and asked if I was Karen.  Close.  He had the last three letters right.

A great thing about being available during the daytime hours throughout the week is grocery shopping.  Have you ever seen Trader Joe's on a Sunday or directly after work hours?  I think I'd rather go to bed hungry than try to navigate that mess.  This morning my cupboard and refrigerator shelves announced that grocery shopping was imminent, but unfortunately so was the rain.  To make life easier, I took advantage of the Trader Joe's parking garage for the first time.  In the elevator lobby, they kindly reminded me that I was located on the "Orange Chicken" level.

I need the temperatures to rise and the rainy, gray skies to move out; this blog could use more interesting content than groceries and parking garages.  Being sequestered indoors isn't working for me.

Another day on the set of Hoarders.  A little less sifting and lot more sprucing.  We weren't privy to the reveal and the family's reactions, so I find myself impatient for the episode to air.  Unfortunately, there's no real estimate of when that will be.  Maybe a month...or two...or three.  At the end of two days, my eyelids are struggling to stay awake while I type this.  That's my excuse for the premature truncation of my typical daily blathering.  I also think I'm going to let the alarm clock rest tomorrow morning; two pre-6:00am wake up calls this weekend should earn me a reprieve.

I've been photo op stalking this birdhouse for a couple of weeks now.  Something about it caught my attention as I made my way home from a grocery run one day.  Or maybe it was just that the weather became warm enough for me to pull my nose out of the collar of my coat and look up.  No matter how often I walked by it (pretty much daily), the timing just didn't seem right yet.  I pondered the angle and the lighting, thinking I needed to catch the 1:00pm sunlight.  Today, I accidentally found out that I wanted the 9:30am sun.  And without knowing it, I was waiting on the emergence of the blazing scarlet background provided by the Japanese maple.

I love all of the textural contrasts - the black gloss, the rough brick, soft foliage, angular roof lines, the split of azure sky down the center of the frame.  My efforts were worth it; I got what I wanted.  If birds invested in real estate, my exterior photo would totally sell this house. :)

Sometimes there is no explaining what catches my eye.  This happens to be a stairwell in a commercial building, painted green, with a nice wooden railing.  Besides, I could just post photos of flowers every day or I could keep you guessing.

Apparently three consecutive days of real work have taken their toll on this body so accustomed to zen mode.  It's 9:05pm on a Saturday night and you better believe that this post will max out at six sentences.  My book and I are off to spend some quality time together; I invited my mattress and pillow, too.

What happened to April showers bring May flowers?  It's only March, and the flowers showed up before the rain.  Although I wasn't about to disagree with the past week's weather, I didn't mind a rainy day.  It gave me some time to get some creative juices flowing.  Plus, I love sitting quietly with the windows open and listening to the rain.  It's so soothing.

Since Mom and Dad are both embarking on new employment journeys right now, and they're all about my homemade cards, I thought I'd send out a little "Congrats" message.  I was kind of digging my office-themed card made from standard supplies I already have.  The text inside was all heartfelt and sappy, so I decided to leave out that image.

This is one of those days where the thing that caught my eye may leave you scratching your head.  This is, in fact, a piece of pink duct tape adhered to an asphalt walkway.  There's something about contrasts that makes me stop, contemplate and sometimes take a photo.

I would've opted to represent my day with its true highlight, watching Matt Nathanson swing his hips on stage.  Unfortunately, the couple making a sexual scene in front of me throughout the show served as a bit of a blockade.  Fortunately, I will be returning to the same venue on Sunday for a little musical love from Gavin DeGraw.  I'll working on securing a better vantage point for the purposes of more interesting photos.

It always feels like stepping into a different reality when I spend extended time in any city outside of Chicago.  Even though Grand Rapids is no stranger to me, I still get caught off-guard by how different the environment feels...the architecture, the pace, the social scene.  Perhaps my travel mentality just kicks in every time I leave my bubble now.

As my remaining time here trickles away, I find myself even more energized to wake up early (as in, sunrise) and start experiencing the day.  Then I also linger a bit later at the end of my beach day, waiting for the sunset to finish its full show.  Today's tide had some intense waves, so the local Ticos were out doing some real surfing (as opposed to us daytime amateurs).  It was an entertaining show for at least two hours.  So, we had a surf show and sunset, plus the bar next to us was putting on a little live entertainment with bongos and an acoustic guitar.  It was so easy to zone out and feel the utmost of tranquility seep into your body.  I've realized that I need to find a place or experience like that in Chicago.

The bench in the picture belongs to one of the four surf schools and a true statement down here.  After three days of getting on a board, I can see why they feel that way.  Clearly I'm about as beginner as they come, but the progress I've made is evident.  It also becomes more fun as you improve, since you don't get tanked my every wave you try to ride.  Too bad there will be no applicable use for these surf skills when I get back.  I wonder if it's like "riding a bike" and I'll be a few steps ahead of the curve when/if I try it again some day?