Ideas

I occasionally listen to the podcast "Diary of a CEO." He has had some very interesting guests, and he is a great interviewer. His questions go deep while staying honest and relatable. 

I'm about three-quarters of the way through one about passive income. I wasn't going to listen to it, but I was intrigued after seeing some clips. Chris Koerner, an entrepreneur who's started all kinds of side hustles and well-established businesses, is the guest. 

As I've listened to bits and pieces when I have time, I've begun to wonder why I'm listening, and then he would say something I felt I connected to. The main point he continues to make is that people have ideas, but they aren't doing enough about them. I think this way...a...lot. I am an idea person. I have a lot of follow-through on the important stuff, but when it comes to big ideas or things that feel far out there, I tend to be conservative with my time and effort. I really want to take more plunges at some of my ideas. I started thinking about this during my crazy snowy commute and am feeling inspired to get going on some new things with old ideas that have been brewing. 

Eye Appointment Fascination

I got glasses a few years ago, for the second time. When I was in high school, I had glasses for a moment and then just stopped wearing them. As I got into my mid-40s, I accepted the fact that I was due for glasses. It was pretty shocking when I got glasses again. My eyes were so much worse than I realized, and it was nice to be able to see kids' faces all the way down the hallway at school. 

Yesterday was my annual check-up. My prescription had changed just a tiny bit in one eye, but otherwise, all was healthy. The most fascinating part of the appointment was the retinal imaging. I had never experienced this before and was so intrigued by the images and what they could see. Turns out I have some discoloration in the outer areas of both eyes. It's the kind of thing that may have always been there, but now we have a baseline and can watch it for changes. I wasn't expecting to be so surprised by my eye appointment, but it was both informative and interesting!

My Fix Review

I've been waiting. I was sitting here, thinking about what to write about today. I had a TV show playing, "Only Murders in the Building" (Netflix), and decided to check my email. There it was. My Stitch Fix is ready for review. I don't always peek early, but sometimes I like to, so I can ditch anything that doesn't suit me. 

I've been getting Stitch Fix since the fall and absolutely love it. The clothes I've gotten have elevated my style and helped me put outfits together like I've always wanted. With the season change, I've been looking forward to what they'll send me this time. 

After looking the items over, I rejected three and accepted five. They will pick three new items, so I'll still get a surprise. My box will be here in a week or so. It's always so fun. Like my birthday every couple of months. 

On another note, we've reached the end of THIS month! It's always fun to reconnect with this community and meet new friends along the way. I've enjoyed the month of your slices and hope to see you on Tuesdays. 

Indifferent Shrug

My day has felt 

like a shrug.

Not bad, just--shrug.

I read more

than I thought I would.

I cleaned less 

than I thought I would.

I thought about 

organizing.

And organized 

nothing.

I sheltered in place 

for a tornado warning.

It was short, 

no damage.

I watched two episodes 

of a show.

I ate good meals.

not fancy.

I talked to my mom

three times.

I let the dogs out 

a dozen times.

I got groceries, 

just a pickup.

I hydrated.

I sat.

I napped.

I sliced.

Shrug.

The Word Lazy

I saw a video earlier today about not using the word "lazy." The video was directed at parents, but I feel the ick when I hear the word as a teacher. I realize that most of the time, when a teacher uses the word lazy to describe a student, it isn't usually their intention to wrap the whole kid's identity into it. It's usually a result of frustration. So, I get it, but when it is said too much, it starts to stick, and we can forget the impact of the word. We might even let it slip in a conversation with a student. It can be a brutal one for kids, especially those who struggle with more than task initiation. 

Anyway, this posts started this way because I sat down with my computer. I was thinking through my day, figuring out which part I wanted to write down. Then I realized I was able to spend a lot of time relaxing today. It felt like a "lazy day." I heard myself say it in my head and thought, a lazy day might be a time I feel like using the word lazy is okay. At least, when I've had a lazy day, or anyone else, it was probably needed. I enjoyed my rest today. 

I Didn't Know

I didn't know.

Months ago, I made an impulse purchase of some scissors. More specifically, they are for cutting hair. I bought them without any real intent to use them, but I also secretly knew I probably would. Today is my daughter's birthday. It's a big one—18! We had big plans with family, food, and a tiny bit of shopping if we still had the energy. 

As she got ready, I asked, "Hey, do you want me to trim your bangs?" I sounded confident when I asked, and to my surprise, Arie responded, "Yes!"

Downstairs, we went. I isolated the bangs, which were to her lips, and reassured her (and myself) that I would follow the existing angle that Ryan, our actual stylist, had established. I could feel my posture changing, my focus changing. I was using precision I didn't know I had. I was impressing myself. I finished and asked Arie to look in the mirror. 

"Wow, you did such a good job. Like, wow, actually they look so good!"

I was also shocked. As we celebrated, we talked about her bangs randomly for the rest of the day. I didn't know I could do that!

Who Knew?

I like to look nice, but I'm not the kind of person who spends a whole lot of time working on it. My style is pretty simple. My hair is easy to manage. Recently, I decided to try a press-on nail. My daughter has been putting on nails for years. I could not imagine it and thought I would hate how they felt. Then, one of my friends at work showed me her nails. They were short, simple, and easy to put on and take off. I thought it was worth a try. So I did. I started with a pair of light purple-ish/grey. The official color was actually "purple veil." They were beautiful. I was in love. 

I was shocked at how much I loved them. I gave my mom daily updates on how they were doing, whether they were staying put, and whether I still liked them, and every day was a shock. All ten stayed on and looked great. 

This was day three of wearing the first set of nails. 

I kept them on for about six days and then gave my nails time to breathe. But I was hooked. What would be next? 

I love the nails. 

And now I have more awaiting their turn. Purple veil, some pink, more French, some sparkly nude, and a blue swirl--so much variety. I don't even know when I'm going to wear all these nails, but I'm definitely going to have some choices for a while!