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By kilax, December 10, 2010 7:52 am

Do you like wrapping gifts? Are you good at it? Do you have any gift-wrapping tips to share?

I really stink at wrapping gifts. In my mind, I am being really careful and precise, and they are going to turn out beautifully. No. Only in my mind.

Here are Gina and Courtney’s gifts (hopefully going out today!):

They almost look okay, despite the mis-matched ribbon. Then you see the back.

Oh.

Sigh. Maybe I should just put everything in a box, and wrap the boxes. Boxes are easier to wrap, right? Unless it’s a special kind of box…

Some years, I get so discouraged (lazy?) with wrapping that I put everything in gift bags. But this year I am really going to try NOT to do that.

I wish my mom lived closer so she could help me/teach me. She is really good at making presents look beautiful. Steven is actually really good at wrapping them too. You can give him some funny three-dimensional trapezoid shaped box, and he’ll make the wrapping paper look like a second layer of skin (if presents had skin that is*).

Side note: Has anyone noticed how Data makes his way in to most photos I take? What a dork.

*Can you tell I am still sick? I am making even less sense than normal.

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By kilax, November 19, 2010 5:24 am

What fashion fads from the past would you like to ban from ever making a comeback?

1. Shoulder Pads



Ha ha, okay, not EXACTLY like that, but this picture is funny. I was thinking more along these lines.

2. Leggings with Stirrups



3. Skorts

Oh wait, I just bought the equivalent of a running skort last weekend. And I am doing almost the same pose in it! At least it’s a “skirt” in the back too!

I know it’s too late – these things are already back in style – the images I found were from current fashion.

It’s funny that I can remember hating wearing shoulder pads and leggings with stirrups when I was a young girl. You would think I wouldn’t have an answer to this question since I am kind of young (now) and not in to fashion… but there you go!

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By kilax, November 12, 2010 5:38 am

What do you do to live a “green” (environmentally-friendly) lifestyle? Is being “green” important to you?

Just so you know, I dislike the term “green,” but, so many people are using it now. Might as well get with the times.

Here are a few of the things Steven and I do:

• Take public transportation
• Share one car (first for economic reasons, though)
• Use re-usable shopping bags



Not these, but aren’t they cute?!

• Use grocery store bags for Data’s litter – but collect the litter in the bag throughout the week, and store it in a container, rather than use one bag a day.
• Recycle more than we throw away!
• Re-use our food storage containers



A peek at all of the food storage containers in our fridge

• We re-use our own rubbermaid water bottles each day (thanks for the reminder, Amy!)
• Keep the heat low in our house (does that count?  – again, being cheap) in the winter, and don’t run the AC all summer long
• Grow our own produce
• Don’t buy much, go out much, eat out much
• We never litter
• We don’t eat meat (first for ethical reasons)
• I don’t take many showers (Ha – that is a joke. I hate to take showers, and sometimes take baths, so that doesn’t count.)

I know there is a lot we could do to improve. But I have to admit, being “green” isn’t always the first thing on my mind.

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By kilax, November 5, 2010 5:09 am

What do you think of holiday wish lists – tacky or useful? Do you make one for anyone? For whom if so? What is on your wish list this year?

(Not my wish list – one I found online)

I find wish lists extremely useful. Sometimes, I want to give someone a gift, but have no idea what they would like, so a wish list can give me ideas, or at least get me going in the right direction.

Of course, I have that internal struggle of “Why do I want to buy someone a gift if I don’t even know what they would like or want?” Ugh. I am very much of the mindset of wanting to buy people things they want, but when I have no idea what that is AT ALL, I feel like I am kind of missing the point.

We always give a wish list to my dad’s mom, because she asks for it. In fact, last week I asked Steven to start working on his wish list, because I figured my grandma would ask for it – sure enough, she did when we saw her last weekend! Sometimes we share a list with my mom and Steven’s family. Of course, then you have to split up the list so you don’t get duplicates of things – does anyone else split their wish list?

I have a lot of running stuff and a few movies on my wish list this year.

Comments (26)

By kilax, October 29, 2010 5:32 am

How many emails do you have to get in a day to feel stressed out (by the amount of them)? How do you manage how you respond to them (do you prioritize them)?

Do you email back and forth with your significant other throughout the day?

I think at work, it takes about 25 unread emails for me to feel stressed out. Even though I know they are likely conversation threads, I don’t like feeling behind!

My personal email is an entirely different beast. I’ll feel stressed if I just have 5 personal emails to respond to! I don’t know why – I hate making people wait for a response, unless I tell them it will take awhile for me to get back to them.

According to this little blurb from Women’s Health, the magic number is 50.

I have about a zillion folders in my personal email. I keep things to respond to “unread” in my inbox then file the email after I respond. I am an email hoarder. I rarely delete personal mail.

Now, I thought of the other question when I read this article, about a woman who sent so many emails to her husband that he stopped responding. She thinks he has “information overload” from her sending too many emails.

Steven and I are much more likely to email back and forth throughout the day than call each other. But we don’t write novels. It’s “What do you want for dinner?” “My train comes at 5:50” and “Data is being a butt munch today.” Stuff like that. And I do use Lotus Notes (BARF) to send appointments to Steven. That is the only way we synchronize our schedules!

I’ll have to be careful about the information overload thing though. I do have a tendency to get excited and send out a lot of emails.

Comments (29)

By kilax, October 22, 2010 5:28 am

When you eat out, are you more likely to go to a restaurant you know you love, or try some place new?

When you have guests in town, where are your favorite places to take them to eat?

We eat out so rarely now, that when we do, I find myself always wanting to go to one of our two favorite places – El Famous Burrito or Red Robin – I know that when we eat there, I will be satisfied. It’s less of a risk than trying some place new! Of course, when we are out of town, we like to try new places.

The best thing about Red Robin is that they cater to a lot of special diets and allergies – and they now have vegan burgers! It’s a testament to the power of voicing your opinion – I wrote to them asking why they don’t carry the vegan Boca burgers, and they wrote back a few months later saying enough people asked for them that they would! Score!

And when we have house guests (usually family) we end up taking them to these places as well. My family doesn’t have Red Robin where they live, so they like to go there. And who doesn’t want to eat a burrito that’s nearly the size of their head?

I was very tired this entire day… you can tell in the photo! Yikes!

Of course, when we have guests, we really prefer to cook at home, but it’s fun to eat out from time to time!

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By kilax, October 15, 2010 5:57 am

Update on last week’s Friday Question about updating cell phones… I broke mine on Sunday and Steven picked out this new one for me on Tuesday. Ironic, no? But, true to my word, I didn’t care about the technology of the new phone. Steven just went to the store and got what he thought was the best one for me. Would you let someone else pick out your new cell phone?

This Friday Question is a draft post I started on April 1! My perspective has changed a bit from what I first wrote, so I updated it.

Does sharing your personal goals make you feel more encouraged to meet them? Or does it make you feel more pressured to meet them? Do you keep some goals private?

Personal goal – teach Data to use the toilet. Ha! Just kidding. I just wanted a picture for the post and thought that would be funny. Hey look – there’s my old phone! Aww.

I know there are many studies out there that say sharing personal goals with people can help you stay on track with meeting them. And in the blogosphere, people are sharing goals all the time.

I’ve found that for me, sharing certain goals helps me meet them, but some goals are better kept private.

Sharing exercise goals helps me meet them. I feel encouraged to update people on my progress and that keeps me motivated. But sharing weight loss goals does not help me meet them. I don’t mind talking about it, but it just doesn’t help. Sharing what I will call “character” goals – things I want to change about myself – while making me feel better, doesn’t seem to help me meet them either. And work/professional goals? Ha, do I even have them? (No)

And I am all about altering goals. Didn’t meet it this month (weight loss)? I will next month. Wasn’t able to do it last year (run a marathon)? I’ll do it this year. That sorta thing. I’m really forgiving with myself. Is that good or bad?

And I am not sure if I have ever kept a “secret” goal – I am an open person and like to babble, it’s just that there are some things I babble about less than others.

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By kilax, October 8, 2010 7:50 am

How old were you when you got your first cell phone? Was it a novelty then? Are you likely to update your cell phone as technology changes, or do you stick with what you have?

I purchased my first cell phone (on my own) when I was 16, in the summer of 2000. I was the first person in my family to have a cell phone! I bought it so I could call a friend who moved away, and not have to pay long distance charges. I didn’t get a new phone until I was 19-20, when Steven gave me his old phone (so he could get a new one). I think he gave me another old one of his when I was 21-22. Then, when I was 23, we both got Motorola phones, which we have had for about the last three years! It does calls, photos and texting and that is about it.

Here’s Steven using our awesome Motorola phone (the one we both still have) at our wedding (September 1, 2007).  I wonder who he was calling…

Hey Steven, there you are on the phone again! What did you do, spend our whole wedding on the phone?! Just kidding, I know who you were calling this time… the limo to ask why the f*ck they didn’t show up. Let’s not talk about that.

Here’s a picture my older brother took (to be obnoxious) of my phone in November 2004. Hey Nick, I bet you never thought I would use this photo! Ha! (This is the phone I had when I was 20)

Here I am at a dress fitting in April of 2007, talking on the phone to one of my bridesmaids who decided not to come get fitted for her dress because she was too tired. Drama. (This is the phone I had when I was 22)

For business, I have a BlackBerry Tour (barf) and Steven has the iPhone. Neither one of us really use them for phone calls. That isn’t really their primary function. I use my BlackBerry for emails mostly. I’m not sure what he does* on his iPhone but he is always on it (especially during family time*).

I am really not one to feel like I need the newest phone. Yes, even with the new Droid R2-D2 phone, I am not that interested. I think that is because I use my camera for taking photos, my netbook for surfing the net, my tv for watching movies, and I generally don’t text that much. The smart phones definitely come in handy from time to time (well, when they get service) but it’s just not something I lust after.

I worry that I will be one of those old people who isn’t interested in new technology. I just figure if what I have works, why change it? I am not opposed to new technology… maybe I am just cheap? It’s actually a bit ironic that I feel this way, because Steven is the exact opposite and loves new technology and learning about it. I’m not saying he is care free with his money and buys everything new once it comes out, but he keeps up with all of that information.

*Just teasing you, Steven. You know I like to use your iPhone when I don’t have my camera/am too lazy to get out my computer/am bored in the car.

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By kilax, October 1, 2010 5:10 am

Have you tried video chat on your computer? Why or why not? If yes, do you like it?

I tried video chat for the first time when I was in DC in May. My tiny netbook has a camera in it, so it was easy for me and Steven to talk to each other (using gchat).

I used it again (once) when Steven was in Kansas City over the past few weeks, then we used it on Saturday to talk to his dad and brother, and later, my sister.

This is how we greeted Steven’s dad and brother:

We have dual monitors set up, so I had the chat open in one screen, and Darth Vader and Yoda soundboards on the other screen, so I could press the buttons to make Darth Vader and Yoda noises when they answered the video call. Ha ha ha. I think they liked it.

Don’t worry, I didn’t wear that mask the whole time, and I don’t wear it around the house or anything…

Oh look, there’s Steven!

Yeah, yeah, I am a dork.

Like I said last week, I really like video chat, especially compared to talking on the phone, so I am going to try to convince more people to do it with me. I just feel less distracted than talking on the phone. And it feels more personal! Okay, and you can be really goofy.

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By kilax, September 24, 2010 5:15 am

What is/was your relationship like with your coworkers? Do you just tolerate one another, or are you fully involved in one another’s lives (or somewhere in between)?

I ask this question because my mom has been talking to me a lot about her new coworkers. They sound pretty crappy. She tried to tell one of them how sad she was about Steven’s mom passing away, and the coworker cut her off. At her last job, everyone was caring and kept up with one another’s lives. My mom was amazed that when I arrived back at work after going to Kansas City for the funeral, I found flowers and a card on my desk.

I am not super close with my coworkers, but we keep up with one another and chat from time to time. They don’t know everything about me, and I don’t know everything about them, but we laugh together, and can rely on one another. And we care about one another. I feel like I am part of a great group of people at work.

It’s quite common for people in my office to hang out outside of work, but I have just never been in to that! It blows my mind that some people spend all day with their coworkers then hang out with them on the nights and weekends too. Give me my alone time! Ha, maybe I just haven’t had the right coworkers!