No, this isn't about my stinky socks...goodness, my feet never stink!
Somebody else had stinky socks yesterday...
This is my plea to fellow humans in the world...
If you know you are going to attend a seminar with a bunch of other folks crammed into a small, ventless room, please take a shower before you go! Or at least the day before. Or sometime during the week before...
A fellow PO (Professional Organizer) and I attended a really great seminar yesterday. It was so popular that there was a waiting list, so every single seat was taken. The morning class was fine, but some people shifted where they were sitting in the afternoon, and someone nearby was a bit ripe. (Hard to pinpoint who without actually going up to someone and doing a sniff test. OK for dogs, but I haven't seen this work without painful repercussions for humans.)
And it wasn't just that "Oh must be one of those Europeans" regular strong body odor. No it was more like stinky socks that got left in the washer and got moldy, then worn for another six days. I don't regularly carry perfume with me, but it would have been a good idea to spritz a little (on me, not them, that is). The second best solution was to chew some gum, at least filling our sinus cavities with cinnamon and mint.
Note to self: Carry gum. Lots of gum. Lots of strong, minty gum! Alas, our gum lost its flavor long before the class was over, and we were out of gum!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
When Someone Else Wastes My Time
I know how to waste my time well enough, thank you. I don't need others helping me.
Most of my Saturday was spent wasted, even though I thought it was going to be a productive, enjoyable, educational day.
It started out with an early morning call with some coaching buddies of mine. That time wasn't wasted, it just started very early. I did have to leave the call earlier than usual since I had signed DH and myself up for a free class all about fruit tree pruning. We have 13 fruit trees in our back yard. Three more in the front if you count the ornamental plums which now seem to have real fruit (teeny tiny plums) by the thousands. Lining the driveway. Where we park our cars.
Anyway, we haven't had any of these trees pruned in the 4 years we've lived here. A classic case of procrastination mixed with the overwhelming cost of having that many trees professionally trimmed. (We did attempt to cut down a number of them. Once grew right back.) $500 to $1,000 can buy a lot of fruit. (By the way, please don't be alarmed to hear that we have cut down trees. We have over 30 trees on our property and a number were planted too close together or near the house. We're just trying to save the ones that can be saved!)
But in this last growing fruiting season, the big plum tree broke a number of its branches burdened with so many plums. All the trees are looking very neglected. If there was a social services for fruit trees we would have been hauled off in handcuffs long ago. We are bad tree parents.
I've tried reading about pruning. I always learn so much from reading. But you know, pruning is one of those visual things that I need to be shown. "This is a bud. This is where you cut. This is a terminal end. This is your finger. Don't cut it." Like that.
So when I saw that there was a free 2-hour fruit tree pruning demo in Santa Rosa, I thought my prayers were answered. (It was even held at a church!) I will not name the place or the teacher. He was very nice, doing this for free and was out on a very cold Saturday morning (38 degrees and quite clear) with about 50 (old and very old) gardening geeks. (Where are the young gardening geeks? Huh? Still in bed, I'm sure.) He could have been sitting in front of a warm fireplace sipping hot cocoa, cuddling with his wife with his loyal golden retriever at his feet and his children bringing him his slippers and newspaper. Oh wait, that's me.....:)
On with the story.
The setting was promising. A garden. With fruit trees. There was one right in front of me--a persimmon like I have. I was being tantalized with the thought of seeing this tree pruned right before my very eyes.
The first sign of things going wrong was when the instructor said "Before we start talking about pruning, I'd like to spend 10 minutes talking about planting a bare root fruit tree." OK, fair enough, I guess. The whole, "Let me tell you how to do it right from the very beginning" talk. Except I have no intention (in the next ten years anyway) of planting any more fruit trees! I have 13 of them for goodness sakes! I have been cutting them down! I have no room for more trees. That's like going to a class about sending your kid to college and the instructor telling you how to make a baby and raise it right so it will be smart enough to get its own scholarships instead of you having to figure out where you'll get the money to send it to Harvard. Or something like that. You get the idea.
And then 10 minutes turned into an hour. Yup, half the class was already over and we hadn't even seen one limb or branch or twig cut yet. Man, I was really needing to see some wood lopped. Bad.
But people kept asking him questions that had nothing to do with pruning. And he answered them. "So I have a 3 year old tree that was planted too deep. What can I do?" My answer,"Prune it!"
He finally walked over to the persimmon. Made a couple cuts and started using words like "Terminal cut" "headed" "lateral cut." Without giving a definition of those terms. Huh?
He didn't prune the whole tree. My hopes for seeing it pruned from beginning to end were dashed. We headed off to the grove where he said there were peaches and plum trees. Yeah! I have those, too. OK, maybe I'll learn more there.....
So, another hour in the orchard looking at a couple of trees. A couple more cuts. Someone did actually say "Could you show me how you would prune this tree?" Others nodded, yes, yes, please show us some pruning.
Well, a few more cuts. More talking. Not so much about pruning. The big hand and the little hand were both reaching for the sky right now. We cut our losses (ha!) and left. Shaking our heads.
Off to home where we had a few minutes to change clothes, eat lunch, and head off to a children's event at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.
For another two hours of wasted time. Even DD was bored. I'll save that review for next time. Let's just say DG (Darling Grandma) got rooked out of $75 that could have been spent on a couple of nice bottles of champagne. Or two cases of Cooks.
Don't ever go see anything by the Imago players "mime" group.
The trees? I bought me a fancy schmancy pole pruner thingy at Home Depot. (Oh don't even get me started about trying to find gardening gloves at Home Depot. Aisle 30 my arse! Aisle 30 is at THE OTHER END OF A MILE LONG STORE from the the garden department.) I'm just gonna go make a bunch of terminal cuts, lateral cuts and head cuts and see what happens next summer.
If I've killed the trees then I can just cut them all down and plant a bunch of bare root trees, right?
'Cause I know how to do that!
Most of my Saturday was spent wasted, even though I thought it was going to be a productive, enjoyable, educational day.
It started out with an early morning call with some coaching buddies of mine. That time wasn't wasted, it just started very early. I did have to leave the call earlier than usual since I had signed DH and myself up for a free class all about fruit tree pruning. We have 13 fruit trees in our back yard. Three more in the front if you count the ornamental plums which now seem to have real fruit (teeny tiny plums) by the thousands. Lining the driveway. Where we park our cars.
Anyway, we haven't had any of these trees pruned in the 4 years we've lived here. A classic case of procrastination mixed with the overwhelming cost of having that many trees professionally trimmed. (We did attempt to cut down a number of them. Once grew right back.) $500 to $1,000 can buy a lot of fruit. (By the way, please don't be alarmed to hear that we have cut down trees. We have over 30 trees on our property and a number were planted too close together or near the house. We're just trying to save the ones that can be saved!)
But in this last growing fruiting season, the big plum tree broke a number of its branches burdened with so many plums. All the trees are looking very neglected. If there was a social services for fruit trees we would have been hauled off in handcuffs long ago. We are bad tree parents.
I've tried reading about pruning. I always learn so much from reading. But you know, pruning is one of those visual things that I need to be shown. "This is a bud. This is where you cut. This is a terminal end. This is your finger. Don't cut it." Like that.
So when I saw that there was a free 2-hour fruit tree pruning demo in Santa Rosa, I thought my prayers were answered. (It was even held at a church!) I will not name the place or the teacher. He was very nice, doing this for free and was out on a very cold Saturday morning (38 degrees and quite clear) with about 50 (old and very old) gardening geeks. (Where are the young gardening geeks? Huh? Still in bed, I'm sure.) He could have been sitting in front of a warm fireplace sipping hot cocoa, cuddling with his wife with his loyal golden retriever at his feet and his children bringing him his slippers and newspaper. Oh wait, that's me.....:)
On with the story.
The setting was promising. A garden. With fruit trees. There was one right in front of me--a persimmon like I have. I was being tantalized with the thought of seeing this tree pruned right before my very eyes.
The first sign of things going wrong was when the instructor said "Before we start talking about pruning, I'd like to spend 10 minutes talking about planting a bare root fruit tree." OK, fair enough, I guess. The whole, "Let me tell you how to do it right from the very beginning" talk. Except I have no intention (in the next ten years anyway) of planting any more fruit trees! I have 13 of them for goodness sakes! I have been cutting them down! I have no room for more trees. That's like going to a class about sending your kid to college and the instructor telling you how to make a baby and raise it right so it will be smart enough to get its own scholarships instead of you having to figure out where you'll get the money to send it to Harvard. Or something like that. You get the idea.
And then 10 minutes turned into an hour. Yup, half the class was already over and we hadn't even seen one limb or branch or twig cut yet. Man, I was really needing to see some wood lopped. Bad.
But people kept asking him questions that had nothing to do with pruning. And he answered them. "So I have a 3 year old tree that was planted too deep. What can I do?" My answer,"Prune it!"
He finally walked over to the persimmon. Made a couple cuts and started using words like "Terminal cut" "headed" "lateral cut." Without giving a definition of those terms. Huh?
He didn't prune the whole tree. My hopes for seeing it pruned from beginning to end were dashed. We headed off to the grove where he said there were peaches and plum trees. Yeah! I have those, too. OK, maybe I'll learn more there.....
So, another hour in the orchard looking at a couple of trees. A couple more cuts. Someone did actually say "Could you show me how you would prune this tree?" Others nodded, yes, yes, please show us some pruning.
Well, a few more cuts. More talking. Not so much about pruning. The big hand and the little hand were both reaching for the sky right now. We cut our losses (ha!) and left. Shaking our heads.
Off to home where we had a few minutes to change clothes, eat lunch, and head off to a children's event at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.
For another two hours of wasted time. Even DD was bored. I'll save that review for next time. Let's just say DG (Darling Grandma) got rooked out of $75 that could have been spent on a couple of nice bottles of champagne. Or two cases of Cooks.
Don't ever go see anything by the Imago players "mime" group.
The trees? I bought me a fancy schmancy pole pruner thingy at Home Depot. (Oh don't even get me started about trying to find gardening gloves at Home Depot. Aisle 30 my arse! Aisle 30 is at THE OTHER END OF A MILE LONG STORE from the the garden department.) I'm just gonna go make a bunch of terminal cuts, lateral cuts and head cuts and see what happens next summer.
If I've killed the trees then I can just cut them all down and plant a bunch of bare root trees, right?
'Cause I know how to do that!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Hip Update
Not much to report. Have been getting some medical help, but not much is really working. I need to find something else. Am not sure what the next step is. Maybe just give up until after the new year and see what comes my way.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Sidelined
I have been sidelined from playing my beloved tennis.
I'm having hip issues and am in the process of figuring it out. (If I can weave my way through Kaiser's maize to actually make an appointment, that is!)
I haven't played in three weeks and I still have daily pain in my hip. Drats.
I am very motivated to fix this since it was the first time EVER I have enjoyed and looked forward to exercising. Even at 6:30 in the morning! I knew I'd have to adjust to something else as winter set in and it would be too dark and or too wet to play. But this was way too soon!
Weight is holding fairly well. A couple pounds back on, but I haven't been eating as "cleanly" either.
I'm having hip issues and am in the process of figuring it out. (If I can weave my way through Kaiser's maize to actually make an appointment, that is!)
I haven't played in three weeks and I still have daily pain in my hip. Drats.
I am very motivated to fix this since it was the first time EVER I have enjoyed and looked forward to exercising. Even at 6:30 in the morning! I knew I'd have to adjust to something else as winter set in and it would be too dark and or too wet to play. But this was way too soon!
Weight is holding fairly well. A couple pounds back on, but I haven't been eating as "cleanly" either.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
ADHD Awareness Week
So, I've just become aware that this is ADHD Awareness Week!
You can attend a "virtual" conference, set for September 22-24 (next week). You still pay a conference fee, but you can attend via phone or listen to MP3 recordings of it! Since it's right before the NSGCD conference, I'm thinking about "attending" by downloading the recordings and listening to them later while I exercise. One of the many wonders I've discovered since joining the 21st Century and using an iPod. (Really, if I can do it, anyone can! I'm 47 and certainly not a techno geek. I typed--yes I said typed my college papers on a typewriter.)
Anyway, it's only $247 to attend (and there are a number of sessions, so by listening to the recordings, you can hear all of them.) If you want a CD as well as written and printed transcripts (they are covering all the modality bases), it's $100 more.
http://www.adhdconference.com/
I encourage you all to learn about ADHD if you haven't already. And even if you don't attend this conference, try picking up a copy of "ADDitude" magazine--I saw it at Barnes and Noble yesterday, or looking at their website. There are usually some free downloadable tip sheets. ADHD is not just about kids--kids grow up to be adults with ADHD, and those are our co-workers/spouses/siblings/parents!
http://www.additudemag.com/
Another great resource is the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, the ADDA.
http://www.add.org/
Wow! Just as I was typing this, I got an e-mail from the ADDA about two teleclasses this week--one tonight and one tomorrow. This week, they are free to members and non-members. What a great resource! (Yes, it's probably a symptom of ADHD that I would go and look at my incoming mail in the middle of writing this!)
Wednesday, September 17
Speaker: Nancy Ratey
Title: "The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents"
Time: 9:00 pm EST (That's 6 pm Pacific)
Thursday, September 18
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Hinshaw
Title: "Q and A - Everything You Wanted to Know about AD/HD - But Didn't Know to Ask!"
Time: 9:00 pm EST (That's 6 pm Pacific)
Go to http://www.add.org/awareness/ to get the log-in info for these classes.
And, no, this was not a paid announcement for the ADDA or ADDitude Magazine. Just great resources!
Margaret
You can attend a "virtual" conference, set for September 22-24 (next week). You still pay a conference fee, but you can attend via phone or listen to MP3 recordings of it! Since it's right before the NSGCD conference, I'm thinking about "attending" by downloading the recordings and listening to them later while I exercise. One of the many wonders I've discovered since joining the 21st Century and using an iPod. (Really, if I can do it, anyone can! I'm 47 and certainly not a techno geek. I typed--yes I said typed my college papers on a typewriter.)
Anyway, it's only $247 to attend (and there are a number of sessions, so by listening to the recordings, you can hear all of them.) If you want a CD as well as written and printed transcripts (they are covering all the modality bases), it's $100 more.
http://www.adhdconference.com/
I encourage you all to learn about ADHD if you haven't already. And even if you don't attend this conference, try picking up a copy of "ADDitude" magazine--I saw it at Barnes and Noble yesterday, or looking at their website. There are usually some free downloadable tip sheets. ADHD is not just about kids--kids grow up to be adults with ADHD, and those are our co-workers/spouses/siblings/parents!
http://www.additudemag.com/
Another great resource is the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, the ADDA.
http://www.add.org/
Wow! Just as I was typing this, I got an e-mail from the ADDA about two teleclasses this week--one tonight and one tomorrow. This week, they are free to members and non-members. What a great resource! (Yes, it's probably a symptom of ADHD that I would go and look at my incoming mail in the middle of writing this!)
Wednesday, September 17
Speaker: Nancy Ratey
Title: "The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents"
Time: 9:00 pm EST (That's 6 pm Pacific)
Thursday, September 18
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Hinshaw
Title: "Q and A - Everything You Wanted to Know about AD/HD - But Didn't Know to Ask!"
Time: 9:00 pm EST (That's 6 pm Pacific)
Go to http://www.add.org/awareness/ to get the log-in info for these classes.
And, no, this was not a paid announcement for the ADDA or ADDitude Magazine. Just great resources!
Margaret
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tennis on Crack
I have been anxiously awaiting my time to post this blog with that title!
I recently visit to my hometown for my 30th High School Reunion, and I had been looking forward to playing tennis against a backboard that I used to play against all the time when I was a teenager. Just a need to revisit that time and place, especially since I've been playing again this last month.
But this real-time visit was preceded by a 21st Century visit via Google Maps. (I really should be boycotting Google Maps since they have been violating privacy rights all over Sonoma County by trespassing on private roads in order to photograph homes for Google Street View. Now they are saying they are not going to stop and will challenge the privacy rights!)
But I did use aerial view and street view to check out my old beloved backboard at the intersection of Alexandria and Hammer. Yes, it was still there. No, it didn't look like it had become a "bad" part of town.
So DH and I got up at 6:30 am (a very good idea to get up early in Stockton in the summer if you plan any physical exertion) and headed over. Beautiful morning, still cool and of course very clear. None of those low clouds and coastal fog of Sonoma county!
What Google's satellite or car mounted spy eye couldn't show me, however, were the number of cracks in the court surface. Big fissures. Fault lines you might say. (Get it, fault lines, in a tennis court...) It gave me a new kind of practice where I had to second guess which way the ball was going to bounce off a crack. Sort of a combination bumper pool/tennis game.
We played for a bit on the back side of the backboard (a double-sided structure) since the surface was a little better, and the sun not in our eyes. However, we quickly realized the disadvantage to playing on the side that can't be seen from the street. In a public park. I'm used to bits of condensation here and there in Sonoma county--that fog I mentioned is ever-present even in the summer. Stockton, however, had been in the 90s all week. That was not condensation in the corners of the backboard. We left a couple balls at the court. Some dog will be extremely happy to find them, pre-scented and all.
DH had brought DD's child racquet to play with since he didn't have one at that point (small one and pink, very cute). I used it for a bit, but realized the grand difference between a $12 racquet and a $270 one. (Now, I must interject, I did not pay $270 for my racquet. There is a definite racket when it comes to racquets. Big 5 carries a dozen or so models and at any one time half of them are on sale. Usually at a deep discount. I paid about $70. We found similar deals when we bought DH a racquet later that day.)
We got in a good hour of tennis-on-backboard, worked up an honorable sweat, and headed back to the hotel to get ready to go to a Baptist church service. (Yes, possibly another post of its own. The music was great.)
The poor condition of the backboard courts left me with greater respect for my current courts which are in perfect condition. If I were Bill Gates, I would donate the money to have them resurfaced (and all the others in town while I am at it!). But alas, I am a mere professional organizer still paying off my daughter's preschool loans (just kidding...sort of ), and I can only broadcast my appeal to the wealthy residents of Stockton...hey, donate some money to parks and rec and get those backboards in shape! They are good not just for tennis, but racquetball and handball. Let's keep our kids in shape.
Ok, time to go. DD had her first birthday party sleepover and the cherubs have awakened.
Margaret
I recently visit to my hometown for my 30th High School Reunion, and I had been looking forward to playing tennis against a backboard that I used to play against all the time when I was a teenager. Just a need to revisit that time and place, especially since I've been playing again this last month.
But this real-time visit was preceded by a 21st Century visit via Google Maps. (I really should be boycotting Google Maps since they have been violating privacy rights all over Sonoma County by trespassing on private roads in order to photograph homes for Google Street View. Now they are saying they are not going to stop and will challenge the privacy rights!)
But I did use aerial view and street view to check out my old beloved backboard at the intersection of Alexandria and Hammer. Yes, it was still there. No, it didn't look like it had become a "bad" part of town.
So DH and I got up at 6:30 am (a very good idea to get up early in Stockton in the summer if you plan any physical exertion) and headed over. Beautiful morning, still cool and of course very clear. None of those low clouds and coastal fog of Sonoma county!
What Google's satellite or car mounted spy eye couldn't show me, however, were the number of cracks in the court surface. Big fissures. Fault lines you might say. (Get it, fault lines, in a tennis court...) It gave me a new kind of practice where I had to second guess which way the ball was going to bounce off a crack. Sort of a combination bumper pool/tennis game.
We played for a bit on the back side of the backboard (a double-sided structure) since the surface was a little better, and the sun not in our eyes. However, we quickly realized the disadvantage to playing on the side that can't be seen from the street. In a public park. I'm used to bits of condensation here and there in Sonoma county--that fog I mentioned is ever-present even in the summer. Stockton, however, had been in the 90s all week. That was not condensation in the corners of the backboard. We left a couple balls at the court. Some dog will be extremely happy to find them, pre-scented and all.
DH had brought DD's child racquet to play with since he didn't have one at that point (small one and pink, very cute). I used it for a bit, but realized the grand difference between a $12 racquet and a $270 one. (Now, I must interject, I did not pay $270 for my racquet. There is a definite racket when it comes to racquets. Big 5 carries a dozen or so models and at any one time half of them are on sale. Usually at a deep discount. I paid about $70. We found similar deals when we bought DH a racquet later that day.)
We got in a good hour of tennis-on-backboard, worked up an honorable sweat, and headed back to the hotel to get ready to go to a Baptist church service. (Yes, possibly another post of its own. The music was great.)
The poor condition of the backboard courts left me with greater respect for my current courts which are in perfect condition. If I were Bill Gates, I would donate the money to have them resurfaced (and all the others in town while I am at it!). But alas, I am a mere professional organizer still paying off my daughter's preschool loans (just kidding...sort of ), and I can only broadcast my appeal to the wealthy residents of Stockton...hey, donate some money to parks and rec and get those backboards in shape! They are good not just for tennis, but racquetball and handball. Let's keep our kids in shape.
Ok, time to go. DD had her first birthday party sleepover and the cherubs have awakened.
Margaret
Three-Oh Update
The reunion was fantastic. Although a really low turnout and the hall was in a place even the current Stocktonians couldn't find, it was fun. No name tags! Added an element of intrigue.
Had nice talks with a number of people. A person who never liked me (it was mutual) kept coming up and hugging me. Faulty memory or water under the bridge? I'll never know.
And one person who I hadn't seen in 30 years finally came to a reunion and it was really great to reconnect. Looking forward to that relationship continuing. And hey, I just realized I didn't get to see pictures of his kids....are you listening TGQ? :)
Reconnected with Stockton, too. My next post will delve into the tennis aspect. The Blackwater Cafe is up and alive again, but it was a dive from hell. The first clue was the 8 smokers sitting outside at 11:30 in the morning. Inside smelled just as bad so we left. Nice Thai place in the "new" downtown. Drove around the old neighborhood near American Legion Park. Visted Big 5 and the Weberstown Mall since DH needed to do his once-a-decade clothes shopping. (And we got him a tennis racquet, too.)
And yes, I found a great dress to wear. I liked it and felt good in it. And DH said I looked great. (Good boy.)
See ya all in another 10, SM '78 grads!
And to all you folks who still live in Stockton and didn't show up--shame on you!
To all my friends in far away places who have NEVER shown up...hey you missed probably your last chance to look great. We're all going to be nearly 60 next time around. Not that we can't look great at 60, but the chances are going to get slimmer....:)
Anyway, I'll still be a year younger than all of you!
;)
Had nice talks with a number of people. A person who never liked me (it was mutual) kept coming up and hugging me. Faulty memory or water under the bridge? I'll never know.
And one person who I hadn't seen in 30 years finally came to a reunion and it was really great to reconnect. Looking forward to that relationship continuing. And hey, I just realized I didn't get to see pictures of his kids....are you listening TGQ? :)
Reconnected with Stockton, too. My next post will delve into the tennis aspect. The Blackwater Cafe is up and alive again, but it was a dive from hell. The first clue was the 8 smokers sitting outside at 11:30 in the morning. Inside smelled just as bad so we left. Nice Thai place in the "new" downtown. Drove around the old neighborhood near American Legion Park. Visted Big 5 and the Weberstown Mall since DH needed to do his once-a-decade clothes shopping. (And we got him a tennis racquet, too.)
And yes, I found a great dress to wear. I liked it and felt good in it. And DH said I looked great. (Good boy.)
See ya all in another 10, SM '78 grads!
And to all you folks who still live in Stockton and didn't show up--shame on you!
To all my friends in far away places who have NEVER shown up...hey you missed probably your last chance to look great. We're all going to be nearly 60 next time around. Not that we can't look great at 60, but the chances are going to get slimmer....:)
Anyway, I'll still be a year younger than all of you!
;)
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