Status Updates

LizHarrell…

… is annoyed with her cat for meowing incessantly for no reason at all.
… is confused because it feels so very much like the weekend and yet it is already Wednesday. Weird.
… wants something for lunch but is not motivated enough to make anything, though plenty of food is available.
… is a jelly donut. Or at least feels at way.
… is surprisingly missing all the walking she did in NY.
… wishes her cat Kiki would bathe herself properly so that a bathtub bath wouldn’t be so necessary.
… is perplexed that she was able to find a Margaret Atwood book out there she’d never heard of, much less never read.
… feels a little overbooked – her weekends are looking very full for the next two months.
… would update her status on Facebook every thirty minutes if people wouldn’t think it was crazy, or a result of not having enough to do.
… thinks science fiction is one of the best inventions of mankind.
… is not excited about opening all of the boxes of catalogs, samples and books that arrived while she was away.
… is super excited about dumping all of the catalogs that didn’t get used this season. Woot!
… needs to vacuum. Her husband has an affinity for popcorn and sunflower seeds, not all of which end up being consumed but on the floor instead.
… wishes House would have more accurately portrayed opiate withdrawals. It doesn’t help the world to think that it’s really hard to get off for about 12 hours, but after that you feel fantastical. I seriously doubt it’s like that.
… is not pregnant. Not that she ever thought she was, but for the record, wanted to confirm the truth for all involved.
… is conflicted by her excitement for her job last week and her utter disdain for it this week.
… feels badly for Dear Friend who is having frustrating car issues. Poor thing, but at least she’s stuck outside of an ABC Beverage store – there could definitely be worse places to be stuck.
… is open to suggestions. Of any sort.
… is jealous of her cats. It is not fair the life they get to lead.
… wants to express her gratitude to whoever came up with the idea to plant wildflowers down the interstate medians… beautiful and better than mowing, anyday.
… is now going to get that lunch. It’s only 3pm…

Well that was just about as much fun as I’d always hoped it would be! I really love status updates!

 

Coffee House Post

Here I am at a coffee house in Auburn, Alabama hoping for the creative juices to hit me. This place has it all – Frank Sinatra music, coffee (obviously), free wireless, and (sort of) comfy sofas. I am waiting for that JK Rowling-like inspiration to flow from my fingertips to the screen. So far, I’m fairly certain I haven’t tapped into her genius. Yet.

What I have done is a fair amount of work… phone calls are a lot less stressful in this public sort of environment, as is staying “on task” with my emails. I feel a lot more guilty about playing instead of working when I’m in my pajamas. However, sometimes I wish Facebook were only available for perusal during the hours of 7-9pm. That would make me a much more productive person. I am just fascinated by people’s status updates. Seriously, almost everyone I know writes fascinating status updates. Full of links and wit and the occasional controversial statement. I have a hard time staying away, even when I’m supposed to be concentrating on my emails. People, quit giving me so much reason to stall!! I need to focus!

Anyway (and yes, I realize how unfocused this sounds), I’d like to know how one becomes a “self-starter.” I used to describe myself this way in job interviews, but I’ve come to find that I was only a “self-starter” when I had someone else starting me. So I guess that doesn’t exactly count, right? I’ve managed to start up and continue posting on this little blog, basically of my own desire and motivation, but this may be the most ambitious thing I’ve started without anyone else prodding me to do it.

So (and Dad, I expect you’ll have some fancy links for me, or at the very least another set of audio CDs…), does anyway have any advice? Should I make lists or set goals (yes, Dad, I know the answer to that question)? Should I plan my day by the half-hour like I used to? Should I just be satisfied with the level of self-startedness I currently possess and do the best I can with it?

I’m coming down off of my coffee-high now so I’m quickly beginning to care less and less about doing anything but listening to Frank croon and chilling out in this mellow environment. This is better than working in an office… it certainly smells better in here than any office I’ve ever worked in… and no one cares if I play on FB… Or text my friends for hours… or whether I’m a self-starter or not… just as long as I buy something every few hours or so!