Posts Tagged ‘NaBloPoMo’
How does the word flaky make you feel
Do you think to yourself, “Eww…I’m kinda flaky” or “Gawd I hate flaky people”?
Because I think there are two types of people in this world – flaky and non-flaky. However, I’m unsure how this comes about, and I wonder if flaky people, deep down, know they’re flaky. Or does everyone say they hate flaky people, but we’re all, in our own little ways, flaky at one point or the other? Conversely, what makes someone flaky – a selfishness and lack of others’ time, overall listlessness, or a general uncaring attitude? Perhaps it’s larger, more private issues – like social anxiety or depression – maladies that cause people to want to stay in, alone, instead of being where they said they’d be. Or perhaps we’re all just overbooked, overworked, overcommitted, oversocialized…
I thought about this today during a conversation I had with someone about how hard it is to throw events these days because everyone RSVPs “Yes”, but shows up to less than 50 percent of what they RSVP to.
The conversation made me awfully grumbly – if there’s one thing I abhor in life, it’s flaky people. I work very hard to only commit to events I can actually make it to, and will run myself into the ground to show up to where I promised I’d be, even if it’s the last thing I want to do. (Which, on the flip side, probably isn’t that healthy).
But, my word is strong – if I tell you I’ll be there, unless something like throwing up, car troubles, lost keys or other life altering events happen that prevent my presence, I’ll be there.
I realized, it is very important in this life of mine to be reliable.
Because I put such weight on being reliable, it’s really hard for me to be patient with any and all of the following:
- Someone who is afraid to call and tell you they don’t want to go anymore, so they don’t answer texts and emails and kinda fall off the face of the Earth until magically, after wherever they were supposed to be is over, they “Find their phone.”
- Someone who commits to something that requires a head count, and splitting of costs, then bails out at the last minute – stiffing everyone else with their portion of the bill that they committed to.
- Someone who reschedules and cancels and reschedules and cancels, and cancels and cancels and then shows up late.
- Someone who replies “maybe” to every invite – never committing to anything (now, is that flaky or noncommittal?)
- Someone who commits to plans, which require them to be there for the other person to go, and because they back out, the other person is stuck not doing something they wanted to do.
- Someone who bails on anything that required tickets or reservations.
- Etc, etc, etc.
What are your thoughts on the what it means to be flaky? Do you put an emphasis on it?
Do you think I put too much emphasis on it? I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Fried Peanut Butter and jelly and Jelly
I recently went to breakfast with my roommate and a group of friends at a great Seattle neighborhood sports bar and restaurant, Buckley’s on Queen Anne. I had actually already eaten breakfast before everyone had woken up, so I more or less went along for the ride and fun of a Saturday breakfast with Bloody Mary’s served with a beer back.
Because I wasn’t really into ordering to actually eat (otherwise my meal would have most definitely included eggs and bacon since I’m a savory breakfast type), I ordered for the sake of trying something new. Much to my delight, I found a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the menu. FRIED PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY?! What does it mean?!
So gross… but so good at the same time. Obvs I had to try one.
I didn’t actually expect to love this as much as I did. It was a warm, oozing sweet fried confection goodness, dipped in whipped cream, that felt disgusting and amazing all at the same time. Go get the to Buckley’s to try one immediately.
I feel like there’s some weird obsession with different friend foods lately (probably cause we’re fat Americans) – fried pickles, fried Twinkies and more. What is it about fried food?!
What’s the weirdest/best fried concoction you’ve ever tried?
Currently Feeling: A little overwhelmed by all that’s on my plate, as of recent. I always do this to myself!
Currently Anticipating: LUNAFest tomorrow with the Girl Power Hour girls!
Currently Loving: My new pretty MacBook for work. Ahhhh Macs, how I forgot my love for thee.
Dream It Launch It Live It
I had the pleasure of attending a business and entrepreneur conference for women today called Dream It, Launch It, Live It. The speakers featured at the conference were an amazing display of creative female minds behind brilliant businesses such as Bella Cupcake Coutoure, CRAVE Guides for Women, and of course, Darnell Sue – the founder of Girl Power Hour.
I loved listening to Zhena Muzyka, the founder of Zhena’s Gypsy Teas (my most favorite tea brand, carried at Whole Foods, Tully’s Coffee and other retailers). Zhena told us how she was raised by an Ukranian gypsy, immigrant family, and none of her family members had ever pursued education past high school. “I didn’t know what success looked like,” Zhena said during her panel. She traveled the world, earning a degree in aromatherapy, and eventually found herself a single mother making $1,200 a month and spending $800 of that on rent.
Zhena started creating and selling teas out of a cart on the streets in California, then moved to wrapping tin cans taped with paper labels to sell them in stores, and is now the brains behind one of the more successful tea companies in the nation. The best thing about her teas – they’re fairtrade, organic and sourced from Sri Lanka, where her employees benefit from guaranteed health insurance, education, safe working conditions and no child labor. Zhena has even won tons of accolades for her business, including Enterprising Woman the Year and awards for her packaging and sustainable business practices.
Holy cow – can you say empowering?!
Zhena’s Gypsy Tea in Coconut Chai has long been a staple in my desk drawer at work – and now I’m an even bigger fan. Give it a go next time you’re at the grocery store!
You can learn more about Zhena and her tea company here.
Currently Feeling: Bummed I couldn’t make it to yoga tonight cause the class was full when I got there – bogus!
Currently Anticipating: Catching up with my good friend John tomorrow, whom I haven’t seen in at least two months.
Currently Loving: Gingersnaps from Trader Joe’s and their Mint Meltaways! Hey there sweet tooth.
Sometimes you cant show all your cards or yoga in the streets
When you start to practice yoga regularly, it’s quite common to want to bust into a yoga pose while in the bathroom getting ready, waiting for your food to to cook in the microwave, in the elevator at work, or wherever the moods strikes you.
Courtesy of Shunpikie on Flickr
There’s something ridiculous addicting about yoga poses – the strength it requires, stretching and lengthening your body, the beauty in the shape that your limbs make while in Dancer’s Pose, Warrior III or Eagle. If you’re a yogi, you already know this. If you’re not, you probably think I’m crazy.
Crazy or not, I know there’s a time and place for everything. I usually do these poses in the mirror in the privacy of my own home, or where strangers can’t see me trying to balance and lift my leg over my head. There’s a time and place for everything, that is, until you drink a few beverages. Then apparently you think it’s smart to practice yoga on the sidewalk in the pouring down rain, a little tipsy. Tipsy does not make a good balance pose. Tipsy does make a good nose dive face plant into a wet pile of leaves in front of cute boys, scraping your knee and tearing your pantyhose.
Okay, I wasn’t really wearing pantyhose, I was wearing jeans. Thank god pantyhose aren’t really my thing cause otherwise that would have been real bad.
Life lesson: Sometimes you can’t yoga in the streets.
Shout out to my little sis’ cause the title of this post is the advice she gave me after picking me up and dusting off my dirty clothes after my face plant.
Currently Feeling: Exhausted after a full day of running around – work, hot yoga, shower then dinner with some girls I haven’t seen in months! And I used to think Mondays were low-key…
Currently Anticipating: Going to the Dream It, Launch It, Live It conference tomorrow!
Currently Reading: A crazy mix of books right now – fiction for fun, and two books for work to make me smarter or something. It’s a book juggling act!
Courtesy of Shunpikie on Flickr
