Tag Archives: eternal overachiever

Behind on Everything In the World

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Pamela

I started a Montreal post. For reals. But I haven’t gotten very far. I really need to do a Flickr photostream. I want my travel post(s) to be perfect for my three loyal readers so I end up doing nothing. I’m also going on another trip which I haven’t explained yet. Maybe you’ll hear about it when I’m on it.

Meanwhile, I will tell you about the pants of shame and the creepy guy at the office.

I have a pair of pants that need the hem to be fixed. It’s not a huge job but I just can’t make myself do it. I hung the pants up in the living room so I would look at them every time I walked around the house. I put them on the couch with the sewing kit right there. I put it as the number one, only thing you need to accomplish all day thing during a very lazy weekend.

I just can’t get around to fixing the hem on those pants. Pay someone else to do it? Not a bad idea except I know how to do this and it’s not a big job and would be more trouble to find someone to do it. I went on a fixing spree a couple of weekends ago, screwdrivers flying, duct tape everywhere. I can’t make myself do the pants.

Maybe I should just eat a bunch of sandwiches so they don’t fit anymore. Also a great plan except then none of my pants would fit and I would need to buy more pants which is more trouble. No conclusion here. I’ll report if I ever fix the pants.

The other story is, remember this? (Long story about getting a copier for the office in case you don’t feel like clicking {oops, typo’d that as ‘licking’ that would be weird}). That guy came by the office today and it was the most awkward creepy encounter. It was so weird I sent a message to colleague that said if I get murdered at the office, make sure the police check this guy. Maybe I’m being punked – it was like he wanted to reassure me that it was okay that we didn’t use his company and when I expressed annoyance that he never came through with anything for us he was all put off. I can’t adequately convey how weird it was.

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Home!

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Pamela

I had terrific and very relaxing trip hanging out with the family

I left CA at 7am so I could beat rush hour (8 hour-ish drive depending) and maybe get a few things done when I got home. I unpacked and did laundry. Then I discovered an unfortunate ant situation that required extensive attention. Then I did power gardening which means I did a whole bunch of things quickly but also half-assed.

Now my arms are falling off. But, I have mild feelings of accomplishment and I am ready to hit it at the office tomorrow.

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10,000 Meals

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Pamela

Just to clarify, this is the result of Photoshop exercises. Not out in my yard right now.

I’ve become lazy about bringing my lunch to work. Who wouldn’t with a million food carts within walking distance?

Colleague is going to be out of town so I had this great idea to challenge myself to bring my lunch every day this week. And it’s not a terrible idea but it takes some planning.

The most obvious idea is to bring leftovers. Except I leave the house at 6:30a and sometimes don’t get home until almost 6pm. I don’t have a lot of cooking time on the weekdays so my weekend cooking is concentrating on making leftovers for more dinners. Also, my husband brings his lunch so I make leftovers with a view to that. He is also a big eater.

So now I’ve spent the entire weekend cooking tons of things that would make leftovers or make things where the leftovers could be made into things to bring to lunch. And now I’m cranky and tired of cooking and more tired of washing dishes and understanding why I’d rather pay good money for Korean tacos or Pho.

But I’m still going to try to bring my lunch every day this week. But the following week, probably not.

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Posted on January 5, 2014 by Pamela

I hope nothing terrible ever happens to me and CSI comes to our house with their little blood finding wand. The first thing they’re going to do is ask Bob why his wife’s blood is all over the kitchen and bathroom. He’s going to tell them that his wife likes sharp knives but is also very clumsy and rarely a week goes by when she doesn’t give herself a big gash. Then she wanders around with a little folded paper towel around it while she tries to finish whatever it is she’s making. They’re going to say, yeah right, and book him.

I did it again last night. And I just poked it and now there are red smears around my desk.

Major announcement: this morning I cleaned my oven.

If you are like me and have an ancient oven that you never clean you probably think that it’s hopeless and no amount of elbow grease and careful attention is going to save your oven. You might be wrong. I used this method and while I wouldn’t say it was easy, it got the job done. I took apart the stove top and scrubbed all those bits and pieces, too. I didn’t do an A+ job but I did a B+ job and once you turn 50, a B+ = an A+. Look it up.

At first I wished I’d done a before photo so I could show before and after. But then I realized I would be putting a photo of my gross oven online so I’m glad I didn’t think to take one.

Normally this would earn me the right to sit on the couch with a bottle of champagne and a box of See’s Candy for the rest of the day but unfortunately, I waited until the very last minute to put away the Christmas stuff. Meaning I still haven’t done it and there are boxes sitting in the living room waiting for my attention.

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The Queen of All Over Achievers

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Pamela

Look, here I am with the Portland Timbers, standing in a place that makes no sense.

HA! I posted today. Bet you didn’t think I would.

Just wanted to say that I found my bus pass! It *was* in my backpack only all tangled up with foil-wrapped wet wipes and tissues in a pocket I don’t normally use.

I also did a ton of things today, like writing and xmas shopping and working on my giant book to learn about iTunes. I’m only on page 34 and I’ve already learned a ton. I was doing pretty much everything wrong.

But now I’m tired of looking at the computer my eyeballs are two hardened lumps, perfect since I’m going to the eye doctor tomorrow.

Here is a terrific photo essay of the world in 1963. The countdown continues.

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Let the Spatchcocking Begin

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Pamela

I’m getting started a little later than I would have liked. But then I won’t be able to rush around and be all stressed out before dinner and who wants to miss that?

Hope everyone has a great day!

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Bulbs Are Taking Over The World

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Pamela

Remember last time I dug dahlias? It was 2005, you might have not even known me then.

It was a terrible, terrible job and I vowed to never do it again.

But I lost my mind today. I have a few major bulb mounds out there and we’ve had a freeze. It’s been dry and a balmy 50 degrees. Come on, how bad could it be?

Urgh. What was I thinking “dry?” Sure, water is not falling from the sky but the dirt is a robust mud. I don’t know how they do it at the dahlia farm but I fought a giant mass out of the ground and then tried to break it apart. I tried to shake the dirt off.

I got them in smaller pieces and then put the hose on them.

By the end I was wet, cold, my hands muddy little icicles. My pretty shop that I busted ass to tidy this summer/fall had dirt and mud everywhere.

I only dug two plants. The pink.

And the white. If they make it through, and last time I lost a lot due to my terrible care, I will have about 100 to share. Of each. If you live near me I’ll give you some.

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Brief and Wondrous

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Pamela

Remember the 150 bulbs from last year? Notice anything different for this year? Yeah, cheap bastards. I still haven’t put them in the ground yet. Maybe next weekend.

Anyway, I need to take a day off and devote it just to computery things like organizing photos and documents and writing a decent update for this website. I have saved URLs and more photos and notes and stuff that is so out of date that I’m going to post it anyway and you can relive 2013 through a single blog post.

If the government shut down continues for too much longer I may get my wish.

I had grand plans for this morning but I only had 60 pages left in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz and I could not stop reading. I kept thinking: you don’t have time to finish this. But I’d read a few more pages, look at the clock and read a few more pages. This won the Pulitzer in 2008 and because I’m in a rush I’m only going to say that it’s really, really good. Read it.

I am rushing out the door and headed to California to see my family. I’ll be offline for a few days which will look exactly when I’m not offline since I’m now barely posting once a week and I pretty much only tweet on Timbers match days. I did clean out a closet and boxes in the garage last week so it’s not like I’m sitting around painting my toenails all day. I’ve even behind on TV and am already planning on bailing on the new shows I was going to check out.

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It’s Everything I Wish I Didn’t Know

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Pamela

Hey, check out these little watermelon sproutlets, surging toward the window.

I keep promising myself that I’m not going to write about being busy because, d’oh! Everybody’s busy.

But holy avalanche of documents and activities, this week has been another crazy one. Lots of stuff going on and an unusual blip at the office that has resulted in a bunch of stuff needing to be happen at the same time. On separate occasions, both colleague and I stood in front of our desks and stared down at the piles and said: I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing right now.

But, I think we’ve got it under control. (Unless by writing that I just jinxed myself.) I still have plenty to do but all the pieces are in place.

Rainbow of Piquionne (name of our player who scored 4 goals in 45 minutes at this game. Yes, it was awesome to watch.)

On Wednesday my team played the first round of the U.S. Open Cup which is a competition among all the teams in the US Soccer Federation. Last year’s game was an abomination and a forbidden topic.

This year’s game was not. I have never seen my team score 5 goals in one game and I liked it very much. This is separate from Major League Soccer. I’m telling you, soccer is a part time job. The boys have the weekend off for the international break (That’s for competitions among national teams, so above and beyond the league and the US federation. There’s also a regional federation. No, I’m not messing with you.) so we only have a lady team match to go to this weekend.

Here are a couple other updates:

I still don’t have a shower door. I’d tell you all the missteps but it’s too exhausting. The latest snafu is that the glass was the wrong size.

Now they’re saying they can install next Wednesday. Everybody think good thoughts.

Our house is apparently a portal for giant hairy flies. There is always 1 giant hairy fly in the house. It lurks in the kitchen when I’m cooking, the bedroom when I’m trying to sleep or nap, my room when I’m on the computer or on the TV when I’m watching a show. If I follow it around with a fly swatter until I kill it, the next time I go into the kitchen there will be a giant hairy fly. Is there a way to monetize this?

Yesterday I participated in a rally for the Klamath salmon. Coverage here and here.

The power company has agreed to take down the dams but Congress needs to take action to make it happen. An Oregon senator is committed to the cause so the rally was to reiterate that there are still people who want this to happen.

A whole bunch of my family was up from California so it was fun to be with everybody and show our support.

Update on the windowsill sprouts. Look at these pumpkins growing like crazy. it’s warm and dry this weekend so everybody is going to be planted outside. I have a spot out front where historically, the pumpkins have done really well. I also am going to put some in back where I’ve had mixed results. I need to get out there and see what’s going on. It looks like there’s already some stuff bolting and the volunteer sunflowers are still coming on strong.

That’s the update for now.

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By Any Other Name

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Pamela

Did I mention we have a lady team?

I’m not completely sold on this iPhone camera yet. But since I am learning to use the phone on the 5 minutes a week schedule, I’m hoping there are some tricks that I haven’t figured out yet.

And sadly, as it turns out, this additional set of home games is the straw that is breaking the camel’s back.

If I had no interest in writing, or my butt size, or how clean my house is, or how weedy my yard is, or how much sleep I get, I could do all this.

Or if I was independently wealthy and didn’t want to work.

But as it turn out, I am having a tough time managing all these games along with all the other things that I would like to accomplish in my life.

I love the team. The goalie is my new girl crush. But I am learning that sometimes it’s okay to skip a game. This includes the U-23 games and at least one exhibition game. Next year when it’s World Cup, it’s going to be crazy.

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