Speaking of Being Focused...

In the past few years I've noticed some major changes in myself as far as focus goes. I compare my experiences in grad school with how I was in regular college and it's pretty amazing. Sad really. As an 18, 19, 20...year old in college I would take a lot of evening classes which were often 3 hour blocks. A lot of these were general ed science, history classes. Some were in large auditoriums with 300+ other students. These classes weren't necessarily exciting, but I remember being able to sit still and stay focused. I was always glad when class was over, but it never seemed too painful. Then I think about grad school. I'm older. I'm studying something I'm very interested in. My classes have all been small and overall engaging. Yet I have a harder time staying focused. Not just in class either. I struggle with staying committed to a number of projects (thesis). Maybe some people think this is silly, and maybe it is. But I attribute it in a lot of ways to my phone. I didn't have a phone in my undergrad years. Most of my friends had cellphones, but I resisted as long as I could. I didn't want this device to own me. But it has. I try not to text in class because I think it's disrespectful. But the second I get bored in a class I reach for my phone. To see what time it is. To see if anyone has texted me. To ask google what the weather will be tomorrow. It doesn't really matter the reason. I'm relieved that I've never wanted to take a laptop to class. I can only imagine. Class lectures would just be some annoying background noise I hear while I'm surfing.

This idea has intrigued me. I could go on and on. I feel so much more impatient than I think I used to. I feel my social skills diminishing... Yesterday I was listening to an old Radiowest podcast (i love d-fab!). It was called the Autumn of the Multitaskers. I highly recommend listening to it if you have the chance. It's an interview with the author of this article: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200711/multitasking . It's made me want to give away my phone and makes me feel that I'd probably be better off if I wrote out my thesis and then typed the final draft on a typewriter. Seriously. I would have been done months ago!

How Elin Got Her Groove Back

It's now been a month since my laptop was burgled. It had my entire thesis on it as well as articles and interviews for my thesis. And my backup was in my computer case, which was burgled as well. The strangest part to me is that as heart-wrenching as it has been to lose all of this toiled over writing and other stuff, the worst part has been losing my motivation. Luckily I emailed myself most of the sections I had written, so I didn't end up losing too much writing. I mostly lost my will. I lost a lot of hope and respect for mankind as well. For a couple weeks every person I saw walking down the street was the thief. I know, so unfair. I was surprised to feel so much bitterness. But anyone who would steal a poor grad student's laptop from 2002 worth about 20$ to anyone else, but priceless to me for the hours of work held on it as well as the even more hours of guilt for the lack of work on it. As if it hasn't already been hard enough to stay focused and driven enough to finish this thing. Anyway, I motivated to work on it again and I'm glad!

Pioneer Girl's Sunday Dilemma

I had a request for a homemaking tip. I consider myself to be a resourceful pioneer woman. My motto is fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. I just made that up. Pretty catchy, huh. Well, last Saturday night I fell asleep on someone's couch. I woke up too late to go to my church, so I decided to go with Danny to his church. I didn't have any church clothes with me, but I did have 2 bags full of clean laundry. These were huge bags. Bigger than me. Believe it or not, I didn't have anything church appropriate in those bags. The only thing I had that was close was a really sheer, low cut dress. This is the type of dress that was made to be worn over another dress. But I didn't have another dress. I considered running down to target to buy a cheap skirt that I could wear because I figured the ox was in the mire. But luckily my pioneer ingenuity came through for me. After trying a few different things (baggy workout pants underneath etc.) I came up with one that worked fine. I wore a long-sleeved shirt underneath for the top half, and for the bottom I borrowed some of Danny's big baggy blue gym shorts for a slip on the bottom (the kind that make a swishing sound when you walk!) Somehow it worked. It just looked like I was wearing a fullish slip, and since the shorts were so big on me, you couldn't tell they were shorts--even under that shear dress! So next time you are running late on Sunday and your hands are cracked from churning butter, you can still look your Sunday best!!

geminous

I would like to dedicate my blog to my sign of the zodiac, gemini.

You can think what you'd like about geminis. I know we're not without our many, many flaws. We're fickle, two-faced... Those are the only 2 flaws I can think of. Oh, and insensitive, but I don't really consider that to be a flaw. Now let's talk about the good things about geminis. We're wise, witty, fickle, and "jacks of all trades". My interests are vast. Much more vast than deep. I am passionate about grammar, as well as knitting, and celebrity gossip, and foods, and languages, and music, and smart stuff. But I am no true expert on any of these things. And I'm fine with that. I want to celebrate the world, but not in too much detail. So basically on this blog I want to talk about what ever I want to talk about. That's what they're for anyway, right? Go ahead, ask me any question about astrology, or mathematics, or current events, or homemaking tips. I may or may not have solutions. But I would like to believe that I'm good for something.

This is the big one!

I'm starting a blog. This is an intimidating moment in my life, but it's 4:45 a.m. and I'm working a graveyard shift. Trying to stay awake. My can of tab and goldfish are doing pretty good, but not good enough. Not good enough to keep me doing something ridiculous like start a blog. I think maybe I've become jealous of all the bloggerz I know who form an external sense of self-worth by placing their value in how many hits their blog received, or being offended when someone asks a blogger questions about his or her life because, "don't you read my blog?" I'm mostly doing this so everyone will realize how awesomely packed my life is with wisdom, love, adventure, and scandal.