the laanba blog

Davy

The Monkees.  Davy Jones. Where do I start.  I started watching them during their '80s revival on MTV.  I'm not sure what it was about the Monkees (their music, their goofy humor, the pure joy) but I fell in love immediately.  I taped all the shows I could off the TV and watched them over and over and over again.  I bought Monkees cassette tapes and read books on the forming of the group in the '60s.  I loved them.  They were an escape for me.  I could forget about the emotional ups and downs of high school and just lose myself in the silliness.

I will admit that Davy was not my favorite.  That was a tie between Micky and Mike.  Davy was the heartthrob and one of the "pretty people" something I could not relate to (still don't.... more attracted to smart people with dorky humor like Micky and Mike than the pretty people.)  Even though he wasn't my favorite of the four he was pretty high up on my list of awesome people because he was a Monkee and I loved them all.  

I'm genuinely sad tonight at his passing.  66 is too young to go.  It also makes me feel my age as more and more of the entertainment people who pass away aren't just random names that I heard once or twice but people who had a real impact on my life.

Farewell Davy.

8

Eight years ago today I started my very first blog.  I remember fussing over design and color and blog rolls and being so worried about what I was going to post and how it was going to sound and what people would think.  I was such a dork.

These days this blog is run for a lot of the same reasons it was in the early days.  It is my personal journal.  It is my personal space on the internet. Even in the heydey of blogging I was never a big name with lots of visitors, but it was never really about that.  It was about having a place to get these thoughts that bounce around (sometimes to my detriment) out of my head and down in written form.  Having a place where I can add my voice to the collective even if I am the only one listening to my voice.

So happy blogiversary to me.  I'm so glad I was brave enough to hit publish that very first time eight years ago today. 

Stress

I feel crappy.  I'm 90% sure it is stress with a sprinkling of allergies thrown in.  We have Pre-UIL contest next week with our 7th/8th graders and a concert with our 6th graders.  In between there we have three days where we will not be in class because the school is in practice testing mode.  

It has greatly heightened my stress.  One of my choirs I see only one day this week before we sing at contest next week.  Sunday night I dreamed about rehearsing my choir and last night I woke up at 2 in the morning because my brain decided that would be a good time to think about how to maximize my remaining rehearsals and I couldn't convince it otherwise for almost an hour.  

My normal release of crying has been completely blocked.  I haven't been able to cry even when watching someone else cry (all us music people are stressed out right now) which normally sets me off immediately.  Of course I knew it was going to come at a bad time and I started crying yesterday at work in the middle of testing hoopla.  I got it under control and figured when I got home I was finally going to have a release.  But no.  I got home and nothing except complete exhaustion.

I've even gone so far as booking a massage.  As you know if you read this blog, I'm not very good at being girly and I've never had a professional massage before.  I'm not comfortable in those frou frou places and the whole thing is so foreign to me that I usually just avoid it.  But I am so stressed out I know I need help.  I'm not going until next Friday but hopefully it will help me start off my Spring Break right.  

In the meantime I need to do something to keep my head above water.  What do you do to help with stress?  

 

Kits

I'm going to make chili tonight.  I've never made chili before.  I'm going to brown some beef, add water and tomato sauce and a chili starter kit.

The last part of that list is the most important.  When I read In Defense of Food in 2009 it changed so much about the way I looked at food, cooking and recipes.  I have struggled since then to cook mostly from scratch.  To avoid boxes, kits, canned soups and anything that uses overly commercial products.  It has been a struggle for a non-cook like me.  And I realized today that using a kit here and there isn't going to be the end of the world.  It is better that I make this chili this way then get take out which is what I have been doing for the last two weeks.  

I am still going to be very careful about what I make and try to avoid the overly processed meal helpers but if there is an envelope of seasonings that helps me along the way now and then, I'm not going to feel guilty about it.   

Portraits

I don't change easily.  Chalk it up to my Taurus tendencies, my shyness, my social anxiety.  Whatever reason, change is hard.  I've had my avatar icon since November 2010.  A year and three months.  I felt it was time to change, but I will admit to some anxiety in the process.  

First off, let's not kid ourselves.  I'm not a portrait photographer and certainly no where in the league of Slight Clutter who took my last photograph.  Also I'm not comfortable with the subject matter (i.e. me!).  Depending on my mood in April I may take a new portrait for my 40th birthday.  But for now, a new face.

Revival

I've let musicals slide by me the past few years.  I've seen some, but not nearly as many as I used to.  It is a combination of lack of money, diverted attention and just not feeling it for some of the titles coming into town.  Well that won't be the case next year.  Theater Under the Stars and Broadway Across America have announced their season line ups for 2012-2013 and I can assure you that it will be a big musical year for me.

On Theater Under the Stars list I want to see:
Camelot - Never seen it but it is one of those classics that I want to check off. 

Flashdance - You just know this one is going to be all kinds of fun. 

Man of La Mancha - I saw a college production once but I want to see a full staged production. 

Spamalot - This show sits at the top of my all time favorites list in the Musical Comedy category (along with Will Rogers Follies).  I would never miss a chance to see it.

 

Broadway Across America's line up is just as fantastic:

Catch Me If You Can - I've heard some of the music.  It is (please pardon me) quite catchy and it should be a visually beautiful production.  

Sister Act - It is a story about a choir.  I think as a choir director I'm legally obligated to go.  

Jersey Boys - Saw it already and absolutely loved it.  I was on a high for days afterwards.

Wicked - This is an event any time it is in town.  It is an amazing production with great sets, effects and music.  If you haven't seen it you should next time you have the chance. This will be time #3 for me (pretty sure it's #3 and not #4.... I'm getting old!!).

Beauty and the Beast - I saw this once a very long time ago.  It was one of the first things I saw when I moved to Houston.  I sat in crappy seats way on the side of the mezzanine.  I was moved to tears and I have longed to see it again.  It was a stunningly beautiful production.  I am very happy it is coming back and I will definitely be in better seats this time (yes, I'm a seat snob). 

Les Miserables - My most favorite musical of all time.  I think this will be time #7.   I've heard they are doing a movie and I am wary, but I will never tire of seeing Les Mis live in person.  

I feel like I've been drifting and a little unlike myself without my musical fix every month or so.  So glad to be back.  

Whitney

The epitome of an '80s song and video.  In other words the epitome of my childhood.  I hope that she and those who loved her will eventually find peace.  

Designs and Plans

I've done a design update on my photoblog and I'm quite happy with the results.  I haven't done a major design overhaul since I first started at Pixyblog in 2008.  It feels good to have a fresh look to my photos and I'm quite happy with the finished product.  Make sure to click around to see the appearing and disappearing photo information and take a peek at my new about page photo (well not new.. but new to the about page).

As for plans, hey guess what?  I'm going to Disney World!  And Harry Potter World!  And NASA World! Err... that last one may be known as Kennedy Space Center.  I booked my airplane ticket today to go see my cousin in Orlando during Spring Break.  It will be my first visit to Florida and my first time at a Disney property.  I'm not sure my inner child, who grew up on Disney, is going to be able to handle it.  Thirty-six days and counting!

January Resolution Check In

I want to do a progress report on my resolutions.  Before I go into details I want to say I am very happy with the way I've approached them this year.  Having lots of small concrete steps is definitely much better for me than having some vague overall goal.  Even if I fail at half of them I am still making progress forward.  And that is what this is all about right?  Progress forward in my life.  So here's how I did in January along with some changes I'm making.

Photography
1.) 52 week mirror project - I did two of five.  Oh well.   I'll keep trying

2.) Instagram Color Wheel - I rapidly dropped the color wheel part because I wanted to take photos of other things and I found it silly to  ignore photo opportunities.  I have changed this one now to Instagram 3x a week.  I hope to use it to develop my iPhone photography which is something that is fun for me.  I have already gotten into the habit of checking Instagram every day.  Now I just need to find some other inspiring iPhone photographers to follow. 

3.) Everyday App - I did pretty well with this one.  I didn't take a photo everyday in January but almost. I  have a video of the January photos here. 

4.) Photowalk Twice a Month - I attended a meet-up at the zoo and that was fun, but I did not go out on any individual photowalks.  I'm leaving this one here though because I definitely want to do this. 

Food & Drink
1.) Make a Weekly Meal Plan - I'm getting better at this one.  It will be necessary to tie into my next step.  My eventual hope is that if I know I have food at home I won't be tempted to pick something up on the way home from work.

2.) Vegetable Dish Once a Week - I'm dumping this one.  I kept having images of overcooked vegetables swimming in a sauce.  Not that the dishes I made would have to be like that but it just wasn't appealing.  There were times this month when I just wanted a salad but that wouldn't have fit the definition so that goal is out.  In its place I am putting Fresh Cooking 3x a week.  This means finding recipes or cooking with fresh ingredients and avoiding recipes that use over processed ingredients. So things like Hamburger Helper does not count as fresh cooking (my comfort food... don't judge).  I think cutting out processed foods and sticking with fresh foods will benefit me the most in the long run. I will also be working on incorporating these meals into my work lunches to extend the benefits because right now lunch is usually take out, something from the cafeteria or frozen lunches which are highly processed.

3.)  Bake Twice a Month - The idea was to bake twice a month and then in between times not snack on sweets.  I did make something twice this month, but that didn't stop my sugar tooth in between.  I'll keep working on it.  I also wanted to bake from scratch but one of the times I used the mix.  Small steps.  I'll get there.  The bigger hurdle for this one is cutting down the sweet snacking in between.

4.) Drink More Water and Tea - Didn't do so great on this one.  Will keep plugging away at it.

Personal Improvement
1.) Track Spending - Slow start.  I was doing so great at this in the fall and I've just fallen out of the habit.  I'll get it back.

2.) Get Involved with a Charity - Not yet, but I knew this one would evolve over time.

3.) Put Things Away - I was doing fabulously with this one for about the first half of the month and then I fell off the wagon.  I am tempted to blame it on work, but I want to do these habits whether work is hard or not because work is always hard.

4.) Make the Thought Count - I passed on a gift card that I didn't want to someone that I knew could use it.  Other than that  not much happening here but I definitely have had some ideas.  It is executing the ideas that needs the work.

Feel Good/Look Good
1.) One Piece of Clothing Each Month - I did this!  In fact I found two new shirts, one of them for conducting concerts.  Now I need to remove things from my closet to balance them out.

2.) One Girlie Magazine Every Other Month - I dumped this one.  I wrote earlier about how the magazines skeeved me out.  I'll explain what I replaced it with in item 4.

3.) Look Best Each Time I Go Out - This one has completely changed my morning routine.   I still haven't gotten into the habit of night showers and there have been a few days where I went back to the old way, but I can definitely see progress in this task.

4.) Walk/Ride Fives Times a Week - I'm splitting this goal up into two goals (one replacing the girlie magazine).  One goal is the 10,000 steps a day which I blogged about here.  It will probably take me all year to get there, but it is a worthy goal.    The other goal is to bike once a week.  On the days that I ride my bike I am dropping my step goal (or lowering it, I don't know yet).  The overall idea is to become more generally active.

Free Time
1.) 15 Books in 2012 - As of this morning I've read 4 books.  I am trying to slowly turn my down time to reading time instead of hanging out on the computer.  I've decided to bump this goal up to 20 books in 2012.  Definitely doable.

2.) Reduce Screen Time - Thanks to my reading kick this has seen some progress.  I still feel some withdrawal symptoms so I know I am still addicted to the screen.  It will get better over time.

3.) Weekly Fun List - I didn't do this at all because I don't think it ever really made sense to me.  I'm changing it to a Weekly To Do List.  This can include tings like laundry, or paying a bill but it should also include events or lectures around town and things I want to see or do.  Things to keep me active. Hopefully this wording change will get this one going.

4.) Blog Four Times a Week- I haven't been keeping count, but I know I have been blogging a lot more consistently than I have in a long time.  That's a good thing and makes me happy.

So here we go with month #2 of 2012.  Incremental progress ahead! 

Everyday January 2012

Well mostly everyday.  One of my goals for the year was to take a no fuss self portrait with the Everyday app.  I made it 21 out of 31 days in January.  Here is the video.